First off, a couple of weeks ago, I was the proud recipient of a new Robotnik plush from E-Bay. Well you are probably guessing which Eggman plush I am talking about, and if your mind settled on the Moleman-esque Robotnik doll from Toy factory, then you are correct. Step up to claim your prize.

He arrived in mint condition, free from any blemishes except for what appears to be a thin stripe of decal residue from the factory. Needless to say, his supposed "gravity-defying" moustache is a pain in the ass, which I will get to later in the post.

And what can I tell you? This scientist is a MONSTER compared to the size of my other Robotnik doll, the SEGA branded Sonic-X one. He is around 22 inches tall, and apparently the biggest Robotnik plush to date. There are also 15 inch and 12 inch releases of the same doll from Toy Factory as well.

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(The first size comparison of both dolls outstretched in juxtaposition on my duvet cover. Yes, I have a pink India print cover, despite the fact that pink is one of my least favourite colors. I make Steven Tyler weep.)

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(Wario joins the brawl! My Hudson-Soft branded Wario doll in size comparison to the others. By the way, yes Hudson-Soft does apparently have a toy division alongside their game one. Also pay no attention to my large plush lizard collection behind them that stand in as headboard.)

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(My monster stands next to my old-fangled Tails and Sonic dolls from back in the days. Actually the size comparison between all three are perfect and are exactly the same proportions that the games use in height and width.)

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(Aaaaand the one big happy family picture. Wario not noted, being that he was on tax evasion for the time being and had to flee the country. Here is the size comparison of the Sonic-X Robotnik doll to all of the rest, which I might add, makes him the perfect travel size. My chubby hand needs no introduction, however, and is trying to prop Tails up in this picture after his last night bender. Also the Beatles say 'hallo'.)

So after seeing the pictures of "Saul of the Molemen", you can get a rough estimate on how big he is compared to other stuffed dolls. Well this story has a twist- apparently the dealer didn't know that the shoddy workmanship would unravel, and on his way or beforehand, he probably had a small hole under his armpit which expanded after handling him,causing the seam to unravel and spill the contents. Annoyingly those contents were small Styrofoam pellets, which cling to anything, and made the doll stiff and rough. Well after finding out about it, I was angry, sure. But I saw an opportunity in this misfortune. So what would make any seasoned collector froth at the mouth, I took all of those pellets out, saving only the material in the limbs.

Now what to do? I wanted a softer more cuddly scientist, and an idea sprung to mind. Why not take him to one of those Build-A-Bear Workshops that festoon North American malls? For the people who don't know what I am talking about (mainly non-U.S. residents) what they do is a many-level process. you purchase an animal of your liking, get it filled up with cotton, add a satin heart, then get it stitched up. You can also purchase clothing and accessories for your animal if you wish. So, after asking politely if they would take the job (which they do, all the time from freelance collectors)I took him in, stuffed him full of polyester cotton to my exact liking, inserted a purple heart (which you had to buy for only one U.S. dollar. The proceeds went to curing children with cancer) and stitched up the hole. Happily the lady was a big fan of Sonic and knew who the character was, and we chatted on the subject until the job was done. The surprising thing is that they do the service for free, which was a joy for me.

So now my Robotnik doll is a big old soft ball of proclamations and world domination threats.

Now here's a lowdown of the Pros and Cons compared to my other Eggman doll:

PROS:

Material for his black underlying catsuit is softer and more durable than the SEGA one.

Huge size.

Moustache is the right ginger tone.

Stripes cannot wear off on boots.

Decals are durable for tough-love. (And BDSM! Errr...i said too much there.)

Goggles are separate and more detailed.

CONS:

Shoddy workmanship. Stitching, most of the material, you name it.

Face is inferior to the house company's and looks like a mole (which is why I title him as 'Moleman.'

Moustache cannot stand up on its own, unlike the other one. One side constantly flops down.

Red coat is thin, near transparent up-close.

Ornamental bolts on shoes are cheap elementary-crafts grade felt and strung on by a string.

Filling was Styrofoam pellets and made him hard to cuddle ( A big no-no for plushes.)


Whew. Now that we got that out of the way I can talk to you lot about another plush that will be making his dues this December.

Waluigi.

I kid you not. There will FINALLY be a Waluigi plush to transverse as a partner in crime with your Wario one (and the trifecta of doom with your Robotnik one) and while the details about his size are yet to be seen, the company Banpresto will be releasing him this winter season.

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Whether or not he will be in American specialty stores will be unknown. Along with the release date of the Mysterious Serpent, we will also have Bowser Jr. his big daddy Bowser, and now Diddy Kong!

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And those mini-series figures produced by PopCo? Yeah, the third series is due April of 2010, and will include Fire Mario, Princess Peach, Goomba/Paragoombs (2 for 1?) a hammer brother, and the devious Wario! WHA-HA! And a mini vinyl figure of Dixie Kong is due in March! Next year sounds to be exciting indeed fellow Mario collectors, so keep your eyes peeled!