Review - KidRobot Gorillaz Phase Two Murdoc (CYMK Edition)

KidRobot - y'know, those funky little robot toys you see lining the glassy LED lit shelves of every high-end comic book shop. If you even remotely enjoy what I'll affectionately refer to as "weirdo media", you've almost certainly ran across, or might even even own, one of their products; from Futurama minis, to Beetlejuice keychains, to Chucky MadBalls, they've got their pop culture bases nice and covered.

A sucker for the iconic, alternative, and slightly disturbed, KidRobot naturally teamed up with Gorillaz during their Demon Days (also known to us geeks as "Phase Two") era to produce a few rounds of newly themed toys, based on the cartoon group's grunge change of image... just in case the title didn't clue you in. The figures have even gone on to be featured in a number of the band's music videos, such as their ironic spotlight in the environmentalist jam Some Kind of Nature, or the heavily modified puppet versions seen in We Got the Power. I can't believe we never got a proper reissue of that Clint Eastwood-y Murdoc.

Two Tone Noodle and Murdoc in
Some Kind of Nature

I summed up the band's tumultuous history in the wild, wild world of crappy toys in my SuperPlastic Phase Three 2-D review, but for the sake of conversation, I'll throw a little more detail about this particular wave of toys. In 2006, KidRobot released it's first set of Phase Two figures, the CYMK editions, followed soon by the White and Two Tone editions over the following year; all named in reference to their unique box designs.  All three editions featured the same base sculpts, with different paint work and packaging.

I might eventually get around to reviewing the entirety of my set, but for now, let's take a look at the nightmare band's demonic founder - and I don't mean Mr. Albarn. He's an arsonist - murderer - kidnapper - "sympathizer" - and - worst of all - bassist of that creepy y2k ringtone band, Gorillaz. He gets away with it, too - why? 'Cuz he's Murdoc Fucking Niccals. The type of character who's very existence would probably be considered a fucking trainwreck today; hence why, 18 years later, he's gone full VeggieTales. 

CMYK Murdoc

Now, as we start, I should mentioned I don't  typically bother to talk about a figure's box; it's often very much up to one's own taste, and, to me, just isn't very interesting - nine out of ten times, you've got nothing to say. But, for once, we have to include it as part of the deal - I hate to sound elitist or whatever, but I genuinely think if you don't have these guys in box, you're only getting half of the appeal.

The wonderfully collector friendly window box excels at framing the Murdoc figure; with various pieces of Demon Days art and insignia against a slate black on all sides, it makes for a very pretty display in and of itself. As mentioned before, the box is easily openable and re-sealable, with the figure itself held in by two trays. With a setup this good, you may as well leave 'em in there - looks great. 

Slack jawed, heavy eyed and half naked, Murdoc's looking as inebriated as any soulless monster ought to. While I think the sculpts across all of these figures could've used more intricate detail in order to truly replicate the aesthetics of Gorillaz' artwork at the time, I also really love this figure's smooth, simplistic feel - it's totally sleek, even in it's intentionally gross-out nature. They aren't necessarily going for a 1:1 recreation of any one appearance, though it's clear to see Murdoc is heavily inspired by his 2005 CGI model; you'll recognize it from the band's trippy holographic shows... all... detailed, and... Madonna-hitting-on-y, and... "sympathetic". Ech.

Murdoc's head is very similar to the crooked mug of KidRobot's Phase One figure, with a sort of flat, thick, bug-eyed Shaggy look. In fact, it might even go back to the cancelled pre-KidRobot Gorillaz toy line by Art Asylum; the small Murdoc head keychain seen near the front of this ToyFair display looks pretty similar to the one we see here. He's not quite the more evil design Demon Days seemed to be going for; I think they could've given the likeness a bit more defined angles, specifically the chin, and outward depth - just compare it to the flawlessly sculpted Murdoc Muppet to see what I mean, and yes, that exists. Still, it isn't necessarily off-model or anything; besides some weird looking smile lines and eye bags, I think it's pretty good. He's an ugly sun'va bitch, that guy, so I can imagine he's the type to look better on camera than in person. 

Somewhere between intoxicated and exhilarated, Murdoc's bass-heavy pose says ready for action; I really love the art accurate skrunkly hands, as well as his wide, bulky boots, skinnyfat bod, and punk-ass "sympathizer" hat. I especially dig his big theatrical cape, cast in soft, fabric-like rubber; really fun touch. Just like Jamie Hewlett's intricate Demon Days pictures, loads of neat little details, from seams, to skulls, are hidden throughout Murdoc's getup; though not so much so as to throw off the toy's very simplistic vibe, it's all there, but comes together in a trippy way isn't overdoing it. 

Murdoc's Flying V bass, having once belonged to the devil himself, is a really awesome choice of accessory; what's a musician without his weapon? I think it could've used a lot more detailing - y'know, at least give it strings - but I get the cartoony impression they were going for. It fits really well in his gripping hands - he's got that thing locked. They could've put in just a bit more effort, but it gets the point across and still looks cool. Seals the deal.

Unfortunately the figure is very prone to toppling forward; despite his clown shoes' massive surface area, his hunched pose still makes for a pretty bad center of gravity. It doesn't help the actual construction of the figure isn't really that good; his limbs are just barely a darker color, and his head pops off so easily, you'd swear it was for some reason intentional. However, this does have the added benefit of an unintentional point of articulation, and, if you for some reason wanted, capeless mode...? Art toys and quality control just don't mix.

Something of a literal walking corpse, Murdoc's skin has ranged from a tinged grey, to some odd variant of brown, to, now, eye-burning chroma key green; as per the aforementioned mad pasty CG model - look at him, man, he's a beacon - KidRobot's gone with a sort of sickly caucasian color. There's definitely warm overtones of yellowish-green in there, and though I imagine most fans would've preferred a much more intense shade of rotten flesh, think it matches the figure's smooth aesthetic much better as-is. I take it as a solid in-between; not too normal, not too... What The Fuck. Still, you gotta wonder why they didn't try for his more iconic complexion on the White variant, especially when the Phase One figure already sported a much colder green hint.

Beyond the odd pallor, Murdoc's illness - mental, and physical - is all the more apparent by his jaundiced yellow eyes and turquoise maw of teeth. The paint work is mostly sharp and solid, with only the occasional spot of bleed or scuffing. I dig the dark gradient adding some touch of depth to his guitar, the printed silver wire holding his necklace, and the purple-on-red of his cape brings a lot of color to the figure. It's only major issue is how easily the skin tone can rub onto the very contrasting bass, and vice versa. I should also mention his teeny-tiny little pupils tend to have a sort of wonky, walleyed look, but it's severity really depends on the figure. Mine's near unbalanced, but I've seen worse.

Having once owned the White edition, as well, I think it ultimately had the better paint job of the two fully detailed figures; I really love it's inverted pupil, red pinkie nails, and darker overall color scheme. The difference is minimal, but I'd say the CYMK is overall more true to the general character, while the White feels a touch more fully envisioned and artistic by slipping in so many unique details. I've never nabbed the Two-Tone, but it's a catchy spin on the usual monochromatic redeco. 

Despite my complaints, this Murdoc's one of my favorite figures; he's got just the right balance of detail and design, and is such an eye-catching shocker of a toy, you gotta track down at least one of the bunch. It ain't too common to come by such a loudly satanic, "sympathetic", and sexually sickening toy like this - he's got his small laundry list of issues - that much you can tell just by glancing at 'em - but if you dig the character, the art, or even just the band, he's a really wicked piece.