This means almost all of the armless figures were put into these 15 unique series.
As noted elsewhere, Crews 1 through 3 were released both with and without magnetic feet and rolling boards. Crews 1-3 without magnetic feet came out in 2000. Crews 1-3 with magnets came out in 2001. Crews 4-15 came out in either 2001 or 2002. Some figures debuted in 3-packs before they were put in single packs.
The numerical order has nothing to do with the release order. First, the numbering-system was not created until Crew 10. Second, when the numbering system was introduced, they used this random-but-not-really-random gimmick of assigning numbers non-sequentially. For example, when numeration first appeared on the Crew 10 packaging, it featured #3, #6, #59, #79, #82, and #85.
By the time X-Concepts was ready to add some arms and revamp with Generation Two, they had made a total of 96 original G1 sculpts representing 92 characters. This ends up being #1 (Billy) through #88 (Barbie), #99 (Cluckers), #117 (Mikey), #119 (Phinger Tut), plus the Crew 4 character "Tag" who was left out of the numbering-system altogether.
By the end of G1, Billy was the only character with three unique sculpts. Stevie J and Petey were the only additional characters to get a second G1 sculpt.
To get a sense of their release order, let's look at the G1 checklists exactly as they appear on the figure cardbacks:
Crew 1
Lenny - Shik - Stevie J - Tank - Spin - Tek
Petey - Nick - Crash - Flake - Zobo - Bruce
Crew 2
Tiki - Dr. Digit P.I. - Mikey - Billy - Rozz - Fletcher
Crew 3
Shik again?
Julio - Sumo San - Slam - Super Finger - Shik - Fu Man Finger
Crew 4
There is Tag - who will never be added to the numbering-system.
Booger - Norman - Tag - Cosmo - Manga - Phinger Tut
Crew 5
Fred - Bonz - Rap Masta Thumb - Duke - Rusty - Woody
Crew 6
Draco - Dakota - Al Pine - Sergei - Homer - Ace
Crew 7
Biff? aka Scott (#43)
Sludge - John - Biff - Frank N. Finger - Roger - Syd
Crew 8
So, the first dudettes released were Laverne (#67) and Laura (#69).
Laverne - Laura - Rasta - Eddie - Rick - Ronin
Crew 9
This is our first re-sculpt: Billy (#1) Version 2.
Yoko - Billy - Erik - Donnie - Bull - Reginald
Crew 10
We now have numbers!
And there is our second re-sculpt: Stevie J (#5) Version 2.
Andie - Stevie J - Art - Barney - Simon - Natalie
Crew 11
Here is the third and fourth re-sculpt: Billy (#1) v3, and Petey (#14) v2.
Billy - Petey - Willy - Pierce - Dave - Barbie
Crew 12
Suzy - Crystal - Candie - Big E - Splinter - E. N. Stein
Crew 13
Mort - Brad - Jack - Helen - Sven - Rex
Crew 14
Henry - Arnie - Chuy - Larry - Ralph - Adam
Crew 15
Questions:
1. Where is Cluckers?
Cluckers is the only G1 figure to not show up in a crew checklist. This is because he was released in early 2003 when the first figures with non-bendable arms were also being released. This makes him the only G1 figure to come out in 2003, at a time when other characters were already in the G2 phase. Of course, he was further redesigned in G3 with full-on bendable arms. Concerning the armless sculpt, three versions exist. Here are his three G1 figures compared to one of his many G3 figures.
2. Was Shik really released in Crew 1 and Crew 3?
Noted above, Shik shows up on the Crew 1 checklist and the Crew 3 checklist. I know for certain that Shik was a part of Crew 3 because I have seen the figures for sale in such packages. My guess is that Shik was intended to be released as part of Crew 1 but was delayed. Maybe some clearance was sought with DC because of a passing similarity to Harley Quinn. Maybe. Others have noted how much G1 Adam looks like Batman and how a cease-and-desist was likely ordered by DC comics. Of course, the G3 design of Adam became a zombie. I have never noticed anyone point out that the same thing could have happened to Shik. Originally a jester, the G3 re-appearance became that of a mime.
Other questions explored on their character pages:
3. Why was "Biff" (#43) renamed as "Scott"?
4. Whatever happened to Tag?
5. Is Barbie (#88) a Dude or a Dudette?
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.