ARCHIVE: McFarlane Toys - The Simpsons 'Ironic Punishment' Boxed Set

Article originally published 05/17/2006 at figures.com

When Playmates Toys let their license for The Simpsons expire in late 2004, fans of the long-running cartoon were disappointed, though not surprised. While the ‘World of Springfield’ line brought forth a number of amazing figures and playsets, it had finally run its course. Sales were slowing at retail chains and Playmates had simply run out of well-known characters from the show from which to produce figures.

Two years later, in January of this year, Simpsons fans were stunned to hear that McFarlane Toys had picked up the Simpsons license. TMP’s plan was to breathe new life into the Simpsons universe by creating figures based on scenes and characters never before sculpted and the first of these to be released is the ‘Ironic Punishment’ box set.

Based on the classic ‘Treehouse of Horror’ episode in which Homer is sent to Hell, this set boasts some unique and exciting features that will surely get Simpsons fans excited about this new lease on life and the new collectibles coming their way via McFarlane Toys.

PACKAGING
There is an amazing amount of detail and information involved in the packaging of this box set. While the window-box provides a clear view of the set and all its accessories, the back boasts the packaging’s finest features. Included are screenshots from the episode on which the set is based as well as a diagram of the playset and its unique action features, a brief description of the episode, a list of Simpsons trivia, and even a preview of the next McFarlane Toys’ Simpsons figure release, ‘Family Couch Gag’.

SCULPT AND CHARACTER LIKENESS
I have to be honest here; I have never seen the ‘Treehouse of Horror’ episode from which this set is based. However, I have seen my fair share of Simpsons episodes or, at least enough to know what the characters are supposed to look like. Like Playmates before them, McFarlane Toys has excelled in recreating the colorful characters from the Simpsons universe.

The finest sculpt in the set is by far the blue demon (above). The demon has never before been an action figure, which will likely make him an instant fan-favorite. By contrast, Homer is a character most Simpsons fans are used to seeing in action figure form. This version of Homer is permanently attached to the torture chair, partly due to the set’s unique action feature (more on this in the sections below). It is because of this action feature that Homer is assembled with an unsightly seam down both sides and a hinge on his jaw. While these are understandably needed to make the action feature work, Homer looks slightly cumbersome and mechanical as a result.

PAINT AND COLOR
Apparently, Hell is painted in purple! Shades of violet and pink dominate the base and most of the donut accessories. Homer is colored in basic yellow and white with clean black lines illustrating his head features. The dark blue of the demon provides an interesting contrast to both the base and Homer. Paint apps on the demon are by far the cleanest in the set and provide the best example of the detail-oriented work that McFarlane Toys has been long known for.

ARTICULATION
This is where things get interesting. ‘Ironic Punishment’ includes the most unique action feature I’ve seen in a playset. The application is simple; turn a crank on the back of the base and a mechanical contraption force-feeds a stack of donuts to the helpless and restrained Homer Simpson. As Homer swallows each donut, the top half of his head is pulled back by a large lever and his legs squirm a little.

If nothing else, this feature is true to the episode from which the set is based on. However, I was unable to get the donut force-feed to work consistently. The first few donuts easily flew down Homer’s throat, but each subsequent one would randomly glance off his mouth and fly across the base and fiddling with the crank and lever produced few better results. Considering that there are only a handful of detachable donuts that come with the set, be wary when playing, you might just loose your donuts.

ACCESSORIES\BASE
The scale of this playset is slightly smaller than those from the Playmates line and this leads to smaller accessories and more brittle pieces. While the packaging advertises over 200 donuts are included in the set, this is slightly misleading. Yes, there are a large number of sculpted donuts included, but only ten of these are removable. The other 190+ donuts are molded together and serve no real purpose other than being sculpted as a part of the base. Keep this in mind while you are feeding the tiny donuts into Homer’s mouth, especially with the lack of accuracy in the action feature (mentioned above). Once the 10th donut is lost in your carpet or eaten by your hungry pet, there are no more to be had!

The blue demon can be considered an accessory as he is the only other piece that is removable and there are two sturdy metal pegs to keep him in place when he is attached to the base. The demon is really the finest element to this set and will display nicely with the rest of your ‘World of Springfield’ collection.

VALUE AND OVERALL IMPRESSION
Simpsons fans are rabid about the Springfield universe and will no doubt be picking this up as soon as it hits shelves. The almost two year drought of Simpsons action figures has created a demand in the toy market that should make ‘Ironic Punishment’ a hot seller. The price point on the set is around $20, which is similar to the old ‘World of Springfield’ environments and is a great deal considering the unique action feature and removable blue demon.

One would hope that McFarlane’s customer service division might make replacement donuts available considering the ten included with the set will likely be the first items to be lost or broken.

Overall, ‘Ironic Punishment’ is a great start to another exciting and new McFarlane toy license. With the next release - ‘Couch Gag’ - just around the corner and rumors of a line of carded action figures before the year’s end, the future is once again bright for The Simpsons!