Otto (The Simpsons)

If any action figure comes close to capturing the likeness of the Armchair Empire’s Commander of Website Forces, Mr. Nash, it’s Otto. Sure, Mr. Nash would rather play Diakatana for a ten-minute stretch than wear anything pink and I can’t remember the last time I saw him wearing shorts, but Otto has something about him that reminds me of Mr. Nash. It must be the hair and guitar.

Otto needs no introduction, but I’ll provide one regardless. He’s the head-bangin’ school bus driver that takes the gang to school – sometimes taking some weird side trips. While most of the Simpson figures have a standard goodness about them with a certain number of articulation points, good sculpt and paint job, Otto shows some innovation. Because he’s got such a mess of hair that covers his shoulders, the designers have given him a "spring-loaded" neck of sorts. It’s not really spring-loaded – it’s more a thick rubber band inside his torso that keeps his head in place. The result is that, his head can be turned regardless of the hair. Most figures that have cascading hair have solid necks or useless neck articulation, so I’m glad to see such a simple solution.

He does have the standard good sculpt – the likeness if terrific – but the paint job is slightly lacking, especially where his hair meets his head and hat. There’s oversplash going both ways which is disappointing considering how good the rest of the Simpsons line is. In contrast, his guitar has a great paint job with the individual strings clearly visible and straight.

Otto wouldn’t be complete without his Walkman and headphones. They are included. The unit has a peg that plugs into Otto’s hip which helps avoid losing it. The headphones aren’t exactly snug to his ears but it 

achieves the desired effect. He doesn’t look so good when he’s got the Walkman on and holding his guitar. The guitar itself is too big in proportion to Otto. It could have been made smaller, but as it is, with the detachable strap, it’s a good addition.

Playability is right up there due to his compatibility with the rest of the Simpson figures but when it comes to installing him on one of the Intellitronicä bases, he’s only so-so. It leads to the thought that Otto should have been packaged with his own base. What about a school bus playset? A lot of the kid figures – Nelson, Milhouse, Bart, Lisa, etc. – could have extensive sound bites as well as Otto. Anyway, Otto’s a tough figure. I had worries that the band holding his head to his body would snap under excessive use but so far nothing has happened.

Another good figure to help round out your Simpsons collection.

- Omni