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

Gorewad Monsters
By Ironhaus Productions

Normally I try to separate the review, of any figure, into subjective and objective sections. This time I know I can’t be objective. And I don’t want my attempt to be subjective, or to be an expert, to slow me down. I’m simply a fan of these figures. Plain and simple.

I couldn’t believe I hadn’t already reviewed these figures. The Gorewad Monsters have been mentioned on UofM since 2012. And they have some interesting points in their history.

I wish I could properly name each and every figure, but I can’t – and I like it. The figures are being sold in $15 Ironhaus Black Market packs.

In each pack is a random selection of sculpts, in random colors, from Ironhaus Productions. There are both new and “retired” sculpts. This is one of the greatest aspects of the packs. I absolutely love creators bringing back popular sculpts.

I don’t think enough “retired” sculpts are brought back into production. I applaud Ironhaus Productions for doing it and I hope they set the tone for other creators following suit.

The Mini Necrolossus figure pictured is actually a special Mini Necrolossus. The current offering is a “blacklight responsive neon green, with a black wash” figure. My youngest son absolutely loves this figure. He didn’t care about its special features or that it was one-of-a-kind. He thought it was an awesome toy.

I believe this is one of the strongest aspects of the Gorewad Monsters. They might be art or collectible, but at their core they are fun toys.

My oldest son’s favorite figure was the unnamed figure to the right.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t get this figure. I wasn’t sure what it was. But that’s because I’m an adult (in age, at least). My oldest didn’t question anything about it. He instantly saw a character. It was the closest I’ll ever come to a time-machine.

Watching my son instantly create a backstory for this mysterious figure transported me back to opening 4- and 10-packs. Seeing figures for the first time and instantly knowing whether they were good guys or bad guys. Only a great toy can do that.

I ended up with two of these cat figures. Is this a variant of Right Arm Cat? (Right Arm Cat is one of the characters from Ironhaus Productions’ Fortress of Inhumanity set of figures.)

Not knowing the details was fun for me too. As I put together this post I wish I could share the figure’s name, but I didn’t care as I opened the packs. I just new he looked cool and I preferred the figure in green.

Snapping pictures of the mini-figures was trickier than I want to admit. The figures are deceivingly small. That’s not a compliant. In fact it’s a compliment. I can’t believe the amount of detail on these figures.

For example, this tiny pair of purple figures.

Pair of Purple

Pair of Purple (Back)

These figures are incredibly detailed and textured. When I was cropping the pictures for thumbnails, I realized it was difficult to appreciate the tiny size of the figures. I went back and snapped a comparison picture.

Go pick-up a #153 figure. I’ll wait.

Now imagine a mini-figure that is essentially the size of the “wrist.”

If you actually picked up a #153 figure, then you are legitimately stunned right now.

The size wasn’t the only thing that made the figures difficult to photograph. For some reason I struggled to properly capture the green coloring of the figures.

The green might be the best color for bringing out the details in the figures. But I failed to accurately capture it.

I think the color is a bright, vivid mix between M.U.S.C.L.E. Green and MUSCLEMANIA Green.

The figures on the right of the green group picture might also be a Right Arm Cat figures. The green color was undoubtedly the best for seeing the details of the figure – even if I couldn’t capture it.

The flesh-like and black versions of the figure are really attractive, but I absolutely prefer the green.

Even though I preferred the green color, I wish I would have received some additional black and flesh-like colors.

My absolute favorite figure was the mini-Hell Chicken-like figure. I feel like this figure is the perfect marriage of art, collectible, and toy. I was also lucky enough to get it in two great colors. The green shows off all of the detail, while the black just looks totally badass.

I can’t remember the last time I wanted more colors of a contemporary figure. I want the purple. I want the M.U.S.C.L.E. flesh-like color. I want this figure in every color I can get him. I’m even curious what he would look like painted.

I don’t think any of my words are going to inspire someone to make a purchase. I don’t think they need to do that. I believe people will see the pictures and place an order.

And that’s the correct decision.

You may already know Jimmy from Ironhaurs Productions. But just in case you need to find more information, here are some places to find more information about Ironhaus Productions, check out these links:
– Ironhaus Productions on UofMUSCLE.com
– Ironhaus Productions’ Store
– Ironhaus Productions’ Blog
– Ironhaus Productions on Facebook
– Ironhaus Productions on Instagram