Tag: the walking dead

The Walking Dead: Mcfarlane Figures

Posted on by T. Maxwell-Harrison
Rick Grimes Series 1 Figure
Rick Grimes

It has to be said, that since its debut in 2010, I’ve been an avid and obsessed fan of The Walking Dead. Granted it went downhill for me, but I still remain loyal to the first 5 or 6 seasons.

It was a show that kept me excited for a Friday and made the weeks bearable, until they switched to Monday showing, which was a little annoying. I’ve been through it all. The Fox to FX switch and back to Fox again. The Joop Homme adverts sponsoring the first few seasons which actually encouraged me to buy it, the first time an advert had me genuinely interested.

Things have changed, television is becoming very stale and series are being dragged out unnecessarily. If The Walking Dead had stopped at season 7, then it could have left a great legacy. It will only be the first 6 seasons I remember as the greats, even season 6 was stretching it for me!

This post is about the Mcfarlane Walking Dead collectible figures in all their plastic glory. Detailed, small and articulate and complete with character accessories as per the show. There is an alternate comic book style character line, but I’m a die hard fan of the show not the comics.

Rick Grimes series 1 figure shows him in his sheriff outfit with pistol and radio, baseball bat, grenade and colt python revolver. It’s a rare and sought after figurine and a definite for any The Walking Dead fans. I haven’t got one myself but have just ordered a series 2 Rick Grimes which focuses on his look from season 2 when he is on Hershel’s farm.

Yes it may seem childish to collect figurines and buying some was certainly a gut wrenching feeling, but I am an adult who loves the show and wants to remember the glory days. I have only bought figures that represent characters from the first few seasons up to now. I intend to expand my collection and would love to know who else has these figures and what they are looking for! Daughter of Hershel Greene, Beth Greene is another rare and expensive figure fetching upwards of £100 on Amazon. She is on my list to collect as she really made the fifth season a personal favourite of mine. To have her killed off was a true heart breaker.

Beth Greene

There are characters who haven’t been scanned and molded yet. Mcfarlane have not released a Gabriel Stokes figure yet, which is extremely surprising given his prominent present from season 5 onward. In fact he is one of the most developed characters on the show in my opinion, surpassing many others. Eaglemoss did make a small base attached statue, but to truly appreciate this man it needs making into a figure similar to other Mcfarlane The Walking Dead figures! Come on, we need a plastic Rosita!

Abraham is another figure I am looking to buy. I have the 7.5 inch version mounted to a small plastic base, but the 5 inch figures give more freedom of expression and allow you to place them in any position within reason.

Abraham Ford

What characters would you like to see made into collectible figures? Lori, Tomas, Rosita?

The 7.5 inch collection was small and didn’t last long. There is huge potential for The Walking Dead to have more figures made and I am certain there are enough adult and children collectors out there who would be prepared to buy them soon as. Figures such as Eugene Porter are made but sadly in attire that doesn’t match their characters well.

Eugene Porter

As you can see, he’s wearing an outfit that the character wears I think a few times compared to Glenn Rhee for example who wore riot gear multiple times. Eugene was never a fighter and admitted that, so why sell him in this costume? Simple, it is action orientated and people will find it cool, especially children. Considering the show is rated 15 for season 1 and 18 for every other season, it is questionable as to how and why children are buying these toys…surely that means children are watching adult programs? I was 15 when I watched the first season, and at an emotional and mental intelligence to distinguish right from wrong, unlike many others…

Next on my list, wait for the series 2 Rick Grimes to arrive and look for a horseback edition…and hope Mcfarlane bring out a Gabriel figure! I have 7.5 inch Daryl but let’s face it, the Daryl with crossbow and motorbike edition are the real collectible edition.

Daryl Dixon with motorbike.

Are you a big fan of the show? Do you have any The Walking Dead collectibles? Do you have any rare merchandise? Let me and others know in the comments and thank you for reading!

The Walking Dead: Descent – Book Review

Posted on by T. Maxwell-Harrison

(THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS)

Wow what utter garbage. Overly written if anything. I am a fan of the walking dead, but this book, just wow, give me a break. I’ll try to balance the pros and cons, but after reading it, I feel robbed and I got the book in a charitable shop!

A promising book cover, the title The Walking Dead: Descent and an intriguing blurb. As a reader and writer, when I come across series, I want to be able to jump in any book and be aware of the surroundings and situation, be able to connect with characters in a standalone story. This book was not a standalone, and felt like a filler, sealing the gap with fiction and television. The world of Woodbury, firstly had little to no description and so many characters I could not keep up, nor could I visualise who they were. The writing, the actual words…constructed in breath taking length and descriptions. The length of the book could have been halved if the author hadn’t rambled on and spent half the book getting to the presumed plot.

There is no plot as far as I am aware. (SPOILERS) a large horde and maniacal cult? They are no plot material, rather, side plots that could have been used alongside something else. As I said, half the book is spent talking about supply runs with no meaning and characters who sit around doing nothing. The text was small and a struggle to read as well. One character, Bob, was probably the most interesting person, even surpassing the protagonist, Lilly. Lilly does some very stupid, unexplained things, and we as readers will not know more than she takes pills. I skimmed the last thirty pages as the book really did ramble on

I want to say something positive about it. The location, Woodbury, could have been used much better than it was. A fantastic opportunity to explore the realms of it. I could not visualise past the race track gardens? If that is what they were. This novel is overly big, uses too many words, has a boring idea of a plot (an overused plot device of a cult) and drags on and on and on. It really seems like a novel that is feeding off the popularity of the show and as such, is written poorly with the intention of making money. The book is not a worthy of being in a series or standalone as it serves only one purpose: to latch onto the walking dead and hope that young people see past the faults so it can make money.

I see right through your money making scams: Overall score: 1/5

The Walking Dead 2018

Posted on by T. Maxwell-Harrison

https://www.overkillsthewalkingdead.com/#game

The Walking Dead, a series that has been crying out for a decent playable game on the Xbox and PS4 is finally getting that. Having just heard myself, I checked out the website above and indeed it seems a brilliant game may be here sooner than anticipated.

It can only be speculation for now, but I would like to see a game that has a unique take and unique characters. It is set in Washington DC, that conjures up images of vast city streets paved with zombies and fortified white houses.

Weapons should hopefully include things like rifles and perhaps explosives.

This is a brief post as I am hoping people can comment and shed some light on the development of this game. It is certainly one I look forward to. Although the trailer has some superb graphics, there will always be a downgrade for the game itself, so don’t expect it like that, but expect it better than the previous attempts such as the Telltale series, which lacked considerable any sort of play ability.