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

Mammoth Man (M.U.S.C.L.E. figure #163)
by Professor Terry

MMMM #64 is Mammoth! As in #163 Mammoth Man.

This week is all about a figure I love and hate at the same time – M.U.S.C.L.E. #163 Mammoth Man.

Let’s start on why I hate this figure. There’s only one reason. It is the biggest pain in the world to stand up for display!

Just getting a photo of them was a chore. Each figure knocked over about half a dozen figures on the way out my display cabinet and then putting them back knocked another half dozen over. I got so annoyed that I didn’t bother trying to stand him up (I will try later once I’m calm). He wouldn’t stand properly for the photo either!

This figure is just so top heavy with round feet. It is a recipe for disaster in terms of displaying.

Okay, now that that rant is over, here’s why I love the #163 figure.

Plain and simple it’s a half mammoth half man – what’s not to like? The legend of the woolly mammoth is quite an interesting one in that it went extinct about 10,000 years ago with no definitive reason why. This figure could actually fall into the Monster in My Pocket range as it’s a mythical creature of sorts. This may explain why it’s quite a popular M.U.S.C.L.E. sculpt.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: The wooly mammoth is not remotely mythical. There is a tremendous amount of information regarding these animals; including fossil evidence. Although a singular specific reason for extinction is not known scientists believe that some combination of over-hunting and climate change cause their extinction. I feel passionately about this because mastodon remains have been found in walking distance from our home and the boys have been very interested in mastodons and mammoths; lots of books and museums. We have never found fossil evidence of mythical creatures. Sorry Terry.)

The M.U.S.C.L.E. figure is certainly one of my favorites and I had a Dark Blue one as a child that I held on to. I also owned a Class A Green but parted with it in a large sale to buy a pinball machine. I regret letting it go, although it would also have knocked over a half dozen figures in my display.

Because #163 is a favorite of mine, I’ve made a point to track down other Mammoth Man figures in other lines. The Kinkeshi Part 30 (the yellow figure to the right) is really tough to find and is my favorite figure. He’s got his mouth open with trunk up in a sort of attack position.

I also quite like the 1991 Kinkeshi as it shows he is in fact a man with a mammoth mask on. This is another popular sculpt in that series and sells rather easily.

The most recent addition is the small flesh colored one at the front of the picture that comes from a line I do not know about. I saw it on Yahoo Japan and after quite a few bids I won it for $30. This proves to me that Mammoth Man is popular no matter what sculpt or country you’re in. It also proves that there are still Mammoth Man figures out there to be found, I’m sure of it.