Morrigan (Darkstalkers) - Gaming Goodies

Manufactured by: Pop Culture Shock

License: Darkstalkers

Sculptor: Jerry Macaluso

Product Type: 18-inch Mixed Media Statue

Product Size: 18.5" H (469.9mm)

Product Weight: 12.00 lbs (5.44 kg)

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Morrigan (Darkstalkers)

I never would have thought I’d live long enough to experience my own “Christmas Story” moment. If you’re unfamiliar with the film, there’s a subplot involving a lamp in the shape of a leg, complete with fringed lampshade that becomes an item of contention between the Mom and Dad. Dad wants to display his “major award” in the living room window, while Mom takes every chance to draw attention away

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from the lamp and eventually destroys it. That was kind of the reaction I got from my wife after liberating Morrigan from her Styrofoam and cardboard container and stating, “This would look great on the mantle in the living room!” Her stare was a physical blow.

So, I’ve sequestered Morrigan to a safe spot or at least away from the impressionable eyes

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of our four kids.

Fighting game fans know Morrigan from the Darkstalker series and her guest shots in a few other Capcom fighting games but I’d wager none of them have seen her quite like this.

Morrigan is a “mixed media” statue, which means the figure isn’t exclusively made of polystone. The bulk of the figure is polystone but giving the figure some added texture (or “believability”) is a faux fur fringe at Morrigan’s bust line and armbands, and black lycra bodysuit. When a figure has so much real estate to work with – it stands over 18” tall – it’s really great to see that Pop Culture Shock went the extra mile with this detail.

A feature that is definitely not made apparent by the pictures on Sideshow’s website is that Morrigan’s wings – the ones on her back and head – need to be plugged into place. With a polystone figure I wondered how the wings would actually fit because polystone doesn’t give like plastic. Unexpectedly, there are magnets involved. All four of the wings have magnets on the plug that fit into the figure; inside the figure there is a piece of metal the magnets attach to (or vice versa). They’re not extremely strong but they do keep the wings in place. The only question here is how long will the magnets last? What happens when they don’t stick anymore? Well, I can’t speak to that right now, having the figure for less than a week. I’d imagine that the head wings would have no problems staying in place but the wings on the back.... I can’t say. I suppose the ultimate solution would be to make use of some liquid nails.

Without the wings, Morrigan is still a formidable presence. The sculpting and paint application are awesome. From the small details, like the loops around her middle fingers which would hold the armbands in place “in real life” to the larger details like – and lets not mince words here – the massive boobs, Pop Culture Shock pretty much nails the likeness and attitude of the character in one shot.

I’m sure there were many different sources utilized to sculpt Morrigan, but the main source appears to be a reverse of the shot below:

I’m constantly amazed that artists and sculptors can take a two dimensional image and manage to create something that’s 3D.

Praise is a constant with this figure – as is the argument with my wife that this is art – but there is at least one flaw with the head sculpt. There’s a very obvious seam from ear-to-ear across the top of her head (where the bangs hang down), which isn’t distracting but it’s the only aspect of the figure that needs a slight adjustment. Further, this may just be a slight flaw with this particular, numbered figure (321 of 400; the figure comes with a signed card from sculptor Jerry Macaluso).

You won’t be playing with Morrigan, so the next thing to consider is where you’re going to display her. The 8" diameter footprint is not really that big but she is tall and the wings create an invisible bubble, which means you need a fair amount of space to put her on a bookcase or shelf. Then you want to think about lighting, too. That’s really up to individual collectors – Morrigan looks good just about anywhere you put her. My long term concern would be with the possibility of dust build-up on the fringe and bodysuit.

For $274.99US, I’d say that you get exactly what you pay for. This is an awesome looking collectible in general but for fans of the Darkstalker games and Morrigan in particular – who appears on just about every list of Top Video Game Babes – this would be money well spent.

- Aaron Simmer

(September 21, 2009)