Alice from "The Brady Bunch" 8 Inch Retro Action Figure - Mego Corporation (2018)

Alice from "The Brady Bunch" 8 Inch Retro Action Figure - Mego Corporation (2018)

Alice from "The Brady Bunch" was released by Mego as part of their first wave of new action figures in September 2018.  It's currently available on Target.com and in many Target retail locations. Target's assortment of Mego figures varies quite a bit from store to store, but Alice doesn't seem to be selling out and still looks to be pretty widely available.  I guess there isn't a big demand for Brady Bunch action figures in 2018.  Yeah, it's a goofy show, but I watched so many episodes of it when I was a kid that I think it might be imprinted on my DNA.  So even if no one else wants Alice, I do, gosh darn it.

"If you think we're alive, you ought to speak."

So this figure, like all of the Mego figures, is more of a doll than an action figure, by modern standards.  But by the standards of the 1970s, when Mego was king, this was what action figures were all about.  Back in the day, "action figures" were created as a way for toy companies to replicate the success of the girls' Barbie dolls with boys.  It began with G.I. Joe, which was basically a Ken doll in military drag, and continued with other cloth outfit figures like The Six Million Dollar Man, Big Jim, and Pulsar: The Ultimate Man of Adventure!  But topping them all in the 1970s was Mego!  Mego made figures from Star Trek, Planet of the Apes, DC Comics, Marvel Comics, and more.  Smaller plastic figures, like Kenner's Star Wars figures, eventually came to dominate this category in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but if you were a boy in the early to mid '70s, Mego was where it was at.

Mego's Alice figure comes with an action-packed "SLICE OF CAKE" accessory!

Alice here has 14 points of articulation, and her legs and arms are held in place by elastic bands, just like the original figures from the 1970s.  Yeah, those elastic bands aren't as nice as modern day action figures ball joints, and as a result, even with 14 points of articulation, the figure doesn't really have as good of a range of movement as a modern figures... but it does have 40 years of kid-tested playability behind it, so there's that.  Yeah, that's the ticket!  Personally, I love these things, because I played with figures like this when I was a little kid, like 3-5 years old, and I still have vivid memories of my Mego Spider-Man and Batman figures, so any time I pick one of these up, it puts a smile on my face.  Would modern day kids like these things?  Who knows.  Maybe.  I mean they aren't that different from modern toy lines like Monster High or DC Super Hero Girls, right?  And of course Barbie is still going strong.  But those are all girls toys... would boys be into these?  Well probably not Alice, but, like, Dracula or something?  I'm guessing probably not, but who knows.  I suppose these are really aimed at grown folks like me who had the original Megos as a kid, anyway.

Alice with Greg Brady from Wave 2 and Marcia Brady from Wave 3

So yeah, um, here's some pictures of Alice... inspired by "Alice in Wonderland" and the Jefferson Airplane song "White Rabbit," because those also have someone named "Alice," even though it's a completely different Alice!  Or is she?  Seriously, did you ever notice that Alice from "Alice in Wonderland" and Alice from "The Brady Bunch" wear almost identical blue dresses with white aprons?  Seriously, maybe they are the same person!  Like, Alice from Wonderland grew up and became the maid to the Bradys!  Stranger things have happened.

Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit

Jan Brady is the Queen of Hearts

Alice and the Bradys begin a Sackus Race

"...after waiting till she fancied she heard the Rabbit just under the window, she suddenly spread out her hand, and made a snatch in the air. She did not get hold of anything, but she heard a little shriek and a fall, and a crash of broken glass, from which she concluded that it was just possible it had fallen into a cucumber-frame, or something of the sort."

Front and back of the card

Alice and Greg try on each other's clothes

Go ask Alice when she's ten feet tall

Creating a Tribute: Tenth Anniversary of 9/11

George Washington, Greg Brady, and Abraham Lincoln Pay Tribute to America's Heroes

A few months ago, I posted this artwork I created in anticipation of the tenth anniversary of 9/11.  The original post is here.  Today being the actual anniversary, I thought I might post a few bits of artwork that went in to creating it.

Original sketch

This is the original sketch I made of my idea.  As you can see, I sketch pretty loosely.  I like to make up most of the details as I go, in the final drawing.

I follow that up buy searching out hundreds of images to use as references, to get the likenesses of the people correct, as well as for details of paramedic uniforms, the pre-9/11 New York City skyline, and things like that.

Then I create a file in Manga Studio, which is the software I use to do most of my drawing, that has all of my photo references in it on various layers, so I can look at them as I am drawing.

I draw all the different elements on separate layers.  So, for instance, I would have Greg Brady on one layer, the New York Skyline on another, the Vinnie Barbarinos on another still...   that way I can later move them around or resize them in Photoshop if I decide to make changes to it.

First version of drawing

This is the first version of the drawing.  You can see that it had Presidents Obama and Bush in it as well as Lincoln, Washington, and Greg Brady.  In fact, when I first had the idea for the drawing, it was only going to have Greg Brady and Barack Obama in it.  But then I decided to add George Bush to it, so that the drawing could better represent the entire ten year period from September 11th 2001 to September 11th 2011.  Also, I didn't want this drawing to appear partisan in any way, it's about bringing this country together, not taking it apart, so having a Republican and a Democrat on it seemed like a good idea.  From there I decided to add Lincoln and Washington as well, as they are our two most iconic presidents, and having them there (along with Greg Brady) seemed to make this all about America, and not any one political party or ideology.

Ultimately, though, I felt it was too crowded up there with so many heads, and ended up going with just the trio of Washington, Brady, and Lincoln.  Because I draw in layers, I didn't have to redraw anything, just click those two layers off.

Drawing with text

I had initially wanted to have some text in the drawing.  I wasn't sure if people would understand what they were looking at without some explanation.  I did leave some text on the T-Shirt version, but for my final artwork, I decided to let the images speak for themselves.

Final colored art

For the final colored version, I removed the text, then shifted the drawing up a little. this made more room on the bottom for the reflections in the water.  When I'm drawing something I plan on coloring, I will often leave areas unfinished so I can finish them in color instead of in black and white, such as the details on the buildings, and the ripples on the water.

George Washington, Greg Brady, and Abraham Lincoln Pay Tribute to America's Heroes

George Washington, Greg Brady, and Abraham Lincoln Pay Tribute to America's Heroes

This artwork was created in anticipation of the upcoming 10th anniversary of 9/11.  It shows a firefighter, paramedic, soldier, and police officer (all drawn in the likeness of Vinnie Barbarino from Saturday Night Fever) magically disco-dancing on the water of the New York Harbor.  The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center are seen in the distance.  Looking on from the sky are three of the greatest figures from American history: President George Washington, Greg Brady from the Brady Bunch, and President Abraham Lincoln.

Buy t-shirts with this image here:
http://www.zazzle.com/10th_anniversary_of_9_11_tribute_to_americas_her_tshirt-235072527175634069

Buy art prints with this image here:
http://www.zazzle.com/george_washington_greg_brady_and_abraham_lincoln_poster-228082512584545648

Living in Stereo - Complete Comic

 

All 5 parts of my comic "Living in Stereo" are now online.  Click here to read the complete comic!

 

Comic: Living in Stereo

I'm posting a comic I drew awhile back on my "18+" blog Misfit Robot Nightmare.  It's sort of a mash-up of Fast Times at Ridgemont High and the Brady Bunch.  Part one is up right now, and I will post the remaining four parts Monday through Thursday.