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Funko: The Rocketeer Vinyl Figure and The Big Bang Theory: Talking Sheldon Wacky Wobbler Bobble-Head Reviews

In the toy world, Funko has become synonymous with licensed bobble-heads/Wacky Wobblers and vinyl figures. Whether the company is releasing Disney vinyl figures like Dumbo and Buzz Lightyear or DC Comic Wacky Wobblers characters like Batman and Superman, Funko’s products reach a wide array of retailers, consumers, and toy collectors. Add in the fact the products are all extremely affordably priced and it’s not hard to see why the company continues to thrive and grow.

One of the most appealing things about Funko is that they don’t just release products centered around big name characters like The Joker or Jack Sparrow. They are continuously expanding their product lines such as the ongoing Pop line of vinyl figures. One of the most recent releases in the Pop vinyl figure line is a character from a film that remains the greatest comic book film ever made (in my humble opinion). That film and character? Disney’s “The Rocketeer.” Over the past 22 years since the film’s releases, there hasn’t been a ton of merchandise from this film. Sure, collectibles pop up every now and then, but there’s a lot less toys devoted to this character than your average comic character. Thankfully, Funko fills that void with the newly released Rocketeer vinyl figure.

Now, some toy collectors may be put off the by the cutesy Funko vinyl figure style, but I find it charming. Despite the amusingly oversized 360 degree rotating helmet, this figure actually has a great likeness to its on screen counterpart with the brown gloves and boots, the pistol in hand, the jet pack, the detailed helmet, and the light red buttoned vest being quite accurate. On the subject of the vest, I was deeply impressed by the vest color being a lighter shade because so many Rocketeer products use the darker shade of red that is seen in the comic books but not the film itself. It’s worth the $9.99 price tag just for the accuracy alone!

One of the other massively successful products in Funko’s inventory is the Wacky Wobbler Bobble-Heads. While most of the oversized head wobblers simply bobble, there are a few that actually talk! One of those talkers is Sheldon Cooper- the beloved character from the hit sitcom “The Big Bang Theory” (Retail: $14.99).

While the Sheldon wobbler may not sing or say the words “Soft Kitty,” he does utter a total of 5 catch phrases that include “Penny. Penny. Penny” (as he knocks on her door), “I’m not crazy. My mother had me tested,” “Was That Sarcasm?,” “You’re in my spot,” and “Bazinga!” In order to make the wobbler speak, all you have to do is lightly tap the red platform Sheldon rests on. You don’t need to push a button nor do you need to buy batteries as the bobble-head works straight out of the box. If you want the figure to stop talking, all you have to do is insert the little tab that the bobble-head comes with.

As far as the wobbler’s appearance and audio quality goes, it will surely please fans of the character (and hopefully Jim Parsons as well). While the character’s likeness isn’t on the level of say a Hot Toys release, it is a solid likeness nonetheless. The sculptor definitely captured Jim Parsons’ nose and mouth particularly well. Perhaps the most perplexing thing about this wobbler’s appearance though is that the shirt the Sheldon character is wearing is different from the one on the pictures that are circulating on both Funko’s website and the internet (see the above picture). In fact, I was unable to find a photo of this “Superman” equation shirt that this particular wobbler had. Perhaps it’s a variant or an exclusive?

The audio quality may be a tad tinny, but the dialogue is thankfully clearly audible. There’s nothing worse than getting a talking toy that you can barely hear, but I think it’s safe to say the audio tech for toys has come along way from the garbles that sprang from toys of the past.

If you’re wondering if there any other “The Big Bang Theory” products available from Funko, you will be happy to know that there are. First up, there are “Star Trek: The Bang Theory” Bobble-Heads for Raj, Leonard, Howard, and Sheldon. The four ‘Theory’ characters are featured in Starfleet uniforms in this neat crossover item. Standard Wacky Wobbler versions of Raj, Penny, Leonard, Sheldon, and Howard are also available as are a set of 5 mini wobblers of Penny, Leonard, Howard, Sheldon and Raj. It should be noted though that Sheldon is the only talking one available at this point in time.

Another line of ‘Theory’ products available are Pop vinyl versions of Bernadette, Amy Farrah Fowler, Howard, Leonard, Penny, Raj, and Sheldon. Last, but not least, there is the soon to be released mystery mini-figures that come in little boxes. Think of them as a sort of grab bag purchase in that you don’t know which “The Big Bang Theory” figure you will get until you purchase and open the box.

July 12, 2013 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Toy Reviews | Bazinga, Disney Pop Vinyl Figures, Funko Exclusive, Funko Pop Vinyl Figures, Funko Reviews, Funko Talking Sheldon Wacky Wobbler Bobble-Head, Funko Vinyl Figure Review, Funko Wacky Wobbler Review, Funko Wacky Wobblers, Jim Parsons, Sheldon Bobble-Head, Sheldon Cooper, Talking Sheldon Bobble-Head, The Big Bang Theory, The Big Bang Theory Wacky Wobblers, The Rocketeer, The Rocketeer Vinyl Figure