UofMUSCLE.com – M.U.S.C.L.E. Figures from Mattel

One group of “courses” that has been reorganized and shifted more than any other University of M.U.S.C.L.E. course is Art. Once again Art is in need of reorganization.

Three things have driven the need to reorganize:

1. The bootlegs of Art 100 are becoming more and more organized, plus more and more recognizable. Through further exploration and discussion it turned out that a few figures, originally thought to be Frankenstein-like Amalgam figures, were something else.

Three of the Frankenstein-like Amalgam figures turned out to be Popy mini sculpts:

From: Lucas Rage

From: Lucas Rage

From: Lucas Rage

Tweaked #23
From: Eric Nilla

'Lutteurs'
From: eBay

Another figure was finally identified as one of T.H.E W.R.E.S.T.L.E.R.S. L.U.T.T.E.U.R.S. figures, a Canadian line of counterfeit M.U.S.C.L.E. figures. These figures are commonly referred to as Lutteurs by M.U.S.C.L.E. collectors. These Lutteurs helped to highlight the need for a specific sub-section of Art 100 that focused on completely original figures which were clearly inspired by M.U.S.C.L.E. figures. The similarities often tend to be in color, size, and style.

The last type of figure identified another very specific niche. This niche is also within the Frankenstein-like Amalgam figures – the Tweaks. These are figures that were original Kinnikuman/M.U.S.C.L.E. sculpts but tiny, almost insignificant, changes have been made to the figure.

2. Differentiating between art, figures inspired by M.U.S.C.L.E. figures, custom figures, painted figures, etc. has become too difficult. The influx of creative artists into the M.U.S.C.L.E. collecting world has shattered most old categorizations.

3. Art 300 doesn’t work in its current incarnation. While cataloguing some of the earliest M.U.S.C.L.E. fan art was possible, it is impossible today. There’s too much and the line between M.U.S.C.L.E. and Kinnikuman isn’t really there any longer.

Tweaked #197
Part of Art 100

Masquerading MUSCLE's
Part of Art 100

1. Art 100 will still focus on the broad category of Bootleg M.U.S.C.L.E. figures, but two new subsections will be added: (1) Masquerading MUSCLE’s; and (2) Tweaks.

– Masquerading MUSCLE’s will focus on original vintage M.U.S.C.L.E.-like figures that are not direct copies of Kinnikuman/M.U.S.C.L.E. figures but clearly inspired by their similarity in style, texture, rigidity, color, and size. Some of the best known examples of Masquerading MUSCLE’s would be the Lutteurs and the Future Strength figures. These figures would not be added as part of Anthropology because there is no evidence that suggests these figures came before M.U.S.C.L.E. figures. These figures appear to be the result of the M.U.S.C.L.E. figures being successful, not the earlier Kinnikuman figures. These figures will be collected and archived within Art 100 as “Masquerading MUSCLE’s.” If you have any Masquerading MUSCLE’s, then please email the University of M.U.S.C.L.E.

Art 200 Examples

– Tweaks will be added as a niche subsection of the already existing Frankenstein-like Amalgam Figures archive. Tweaks are figures that were original Kinnikuman/M.U.S.C.L.E. sculpts but tiny, almost insignificant, changes have been made to the figures. These figures appear to be the laziest possible version of a Frankenstein-like Amalgam figure. If you have any Tweaks, then please email the University of M.U.S.C.L.E.

2. Art 200 will become much broader and feature all custom M.U.S.C.L.E. figures – painted, kitbashed, etc. If the figure features original M.U.S.C.L.E. pieces/parts, then it will be part of Art 200.

3. Art 300 will become a completely new section. It will feature original and custom figures that draw inspiration from M.U.S.C.L.E. figures and the popularity of small, often unarticulated figures of the 1980’s. Potential figures for inclusion in this category could range anywhere from Marvel Handful of Heroes to Steven Patt’s Nuked! figures and Mr. Lobo figures to Rivet Wars.

The New Art 300