Who would have thought collecting Earthworm action figures could be so fun? I’ve managed to cover a few of the figures individually already, but I really wanted to check them out as a collection. For the most part, I’m happy with the figures I have here. I’m missing Princess What’s-her-name, Battle-Damaged Jim and the Pocket Rocket vehicle. But if you’re curious about the toy line, I’ve had a lot of fun setting these shots up and the characters from Earthworm Jim certainly have a lot of personality.
So the mighty Earthworm was created by a guy called Doug TenNapel for Shiny Entertainment and Playmates Interactive, the keyword there being ‘Playmates’.
Playmates know their stuff; after successful toy-lines like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Simpsons, the totally amazing Skeleton Warriors and Toxic Crusaders. Playmates decided it was time to (co)create their own franchise. Earthworm Jim was created as a creative outlet. A parody of platforming games and Superheroes. It’s a character they could develop from video game hero to morning television cartoon to action figure. I’ve had the chance to review the Earthworm Jim games on the Sega systems already. There’s a real charm and zaniness to the games. And they’ve certainly left an impression on me. Watch my latest Earthworm Jim review for the Game Boy Color here.
The Earthworm Jim Action Figure toy line only lasted one wave on shop shelves. A second series was planned to introduce some missing characters. Such as Queen-slug-for-a-butt and Professor Monkey-for-a-head. Fans of the worm did get Psycrow, Evil the Cat with Henchrat and Bob the Killer Goldish with #4 on the bad guys side. For the good guys, we got Princess what’s-her-name, Peter Puppy as well as 3 variations of Earthworm Jim; Regular suit with Snott, Battle-damaged suit (again with Snott) and an Underwater Suit with a fish shaped Snott.
Most of these Earthworm Jim figurines came with a different ‘action feature’, something unique to make them stand out. Playmates also released one vehicle, Earthworm Jim’s Pocket Rocket. Out of the figures available, this vehicle is particularly difficult to find and when they do pop up on eBay, the costs can be a hurdle. For a vehicle, the Pocket Rocket doesn’t have the same charm as it did in the video games, and overall, it’s awkward looking and doesn’t have many cool features. I’d love to get the chance to review it one day but for now, I’ll focus on what I’ve managed to add to my collection.
Check out the last 2D Earthworm Jim game
The Good Guys
Earthworm Jim
The standard Earthworm Jim action figure comes with his sidekick Snott, a blaster and a bigger gun, all molded from the same coloured plastic. The accessories have been fully detailed but they’re devoid of any paint or stickers. Earthworm Jim himself looks alright, plucked straight from the cartoon with articulation in the shoulders, hips and the forearms. Due to the design of Earthworm Jim’s legs, they remain static below the hips. His action feature was plucked straight out of the videogame with a head that shoots out of the suit (as seen in Earthworm Jim’s ‘defeat’ screen in the first game).
It’s really easy to appreciate a nod to the original game when the rest of the toy-line felt is so based on the cartoon series. The figure certainly feels plain (especially compared to some of the villains), but being the headlining figure for the series means it can get away with it. I paid $25 for mine (carded), including postage from the United States.
Earthworm Jim had two variants on the traditional suit; A battle-damaged version and a Special Deep-Sea mission suit. The battle-damaged suit first appeared in the cartoons revealing a complex array of servos and robotics. The figure comes packaged with essentially the exact same accessories as the regular Earthworm Jim Action figure, except, everything has been battle-damaged. Snott, Jim’s blaster and his massive ‘crow croaking’ gun all show signs of heavy wear. Earthworm Jim himself has a totally different pose with exposed sections of his suit and instead of an exploding head, the chest panel pops off revealing more battle damage.
Compared to the original Earthworm Jim figure, I feel this figures hunched look and extra detailing make him the stronger figure overall but I ended up skipping over him because I already got Special Deep-Sea mission suit in an eBay lot (along with Henchrat & Evil the Cat and Bob & #4) and I didn’t feel like I needed 3 Earthworm Jim’s.
Earthworm Jim Special Deep Sea Mission Suit with Underwater Snott
This Earthworm Jim action figure has been lifted straight from the TV cartoon. He comes loaded with a special deep-sea Snott (shaped like a fish), a blaster/spear-launcher, knife that mounts to his foot and his ‘big’ gun that doubles as the action feature, a water spraying gun connected to Jim’s backpack. The design of the figure is really on par with the rest of the Playmates toy-line. After seeing some of the photos, I was afraid the whole package might feel cheaper than other figurines in the line. Opening up the card and setting Earthworm Jim up, the clear dome over his head, the way his worm head is wrapped inside the suit and his overall pose makes him a great looking figurine. I don’t plan on loading his gun with water, but it does make an impressive looking weapon.
As far as the actual Earthworm Jim figures go, this one has the most accessories and the most detail in its sculpt but he’s probably near the bottom of the list for ‘must have’ Earthworm Jim action figures. He works well if you have Bob and #4, but otherwise, he feels a little too specific to recommend. Out of all three variations, it’s a bit of a shame the original Earthworm Jim didn’t get the same kind of attention as the Special Deep-Sea Mission suit. I can recommend that if you’re just after an Earthworm Jim figure to collect, you might want to check out what Mezco have been up to.
Peter Puppy
The good guys team is completed with Princess What’s-her-Name and Peter Puppy. Both these characters were in the Earthworm Jim games, but here they’re modeled after the TV cartoons. Both come complete with projectile weapons, but in the sense of ownership priority, I place these two towards the very bottom of my list. Not that I’m against the ‘good guys’, but owning Earthworm Jim and the ‘evil doers’ first was my priority. I could attest it’s because the Earthworm Jim videogame series appeals to me more than the TV cartoon, even though both these characters appear in the games, they weren’t really fleshed-out until the cartoons.
I have managed to snag an incomplete Peter Puppy. He’s got an awesome, wild look. Covered in spikes, torn clothing and a bulking form. It’s the smaller Peter Puppy however that fits the line better. Peter Puppy serves alongside Earthworm Jim and Snott. As something like a second buddy figurine. However, it’s the bad guys where the real magic of the Earthworm Jim Action Figure collection shines.
—
The Not So Good Guys – Earthworm Jim Action figure Collection
Evil the Cat with Henchrat
Henchrat comes packaged with Evil the Cat. Evil the Cat was a boss in both Earthworm Jim 1 & 2. Henchrat came onto the scene during the TV Cartoon. And together they’re one of the best Earthworm Jim action figure duos. Evil the Cat is provided as a small molded PVC figurine. But he comes fully painted.
Henchrat is the one packaged with all the firepower. A large Bowie knife and a grenade launcher made from cheese. As well as an extra small gun that attaches to the top of Henchrat’s shoulder. I loved the abstract rat look and the squat stance of the toy. His armour is made from separate layers of coloured plastic. It makes him a personal stand-out in the bad guys lineup. Henchrat has great articulation at the base of the neck, the head, the hips and the arms. His armour is cut out around these areas in a very practical way.
I loved Henchrat’s grenade launcher. Compared to the ‘gimmicks’ in the other figures, a simple projectile-launcher looks great. Playmates went through the effort to build the gun out of two different coloured plastics. A small touch, but compared to the solid coloured weapons for other characters, it stands out.
Bob the Killer Goldfish with #4
Bob the Killer Goldfish is another reoccurring villain in both the games and the TV series. With his feline cronies appearing alongside him every step of the way. The Bob figure is encased in a clear plastic fishbowl to be held up by #4. #4 himself is one of the ‘beefiest’ figurines in the toy-line (Alongside monstrous Peter Puppy). #4 comes equipped with a saber and a massive molded plastic gun.
The feature of this figurine is the ability for #4 to throw Bob using a switch on his back. My main issue here is trying to balance Bob. #4’s hand can only be used for throwing Bob, so there’s also no way for it to hold a weapon. Bob featured heavily in the cartoons, but his boss fights were a literal joke in the games. So depending on how you remember Earthworm Jim, this could be a figure you ‘need to have’ or one you could probably skip over.
Psycrow with Major Mucus
The final villain is Psycrow. A character that showed up plenty throughout the games with reoccurring stages. He stands as one of Earthworm Jim’s greatest arch-enemies. The figurine comes packaged with Major Mucus. Another one of the bosses from the video game. A jetpack, a small grappling gun and a large spring mounted hook gun.
Psycrow has quite an abstract look when compared to other characters in the Earthworm Jim universe. His black head is in stark contrast with the yellow jumpsuit. The action figure has more detail than both the cartoon and the video game. Playmate’s achieved a great look with this figurine by really adding more. Psycrow comes with a small hook gun molded from a solid yellow plastic. As well as a larger spring-loaded hook firing gun and his jet-pack and antenna.
Conclusion
Playmates weren’t the only ones who had a crack at recreating the squishy Earthworm as hard plastic. Very recently, a company called Mezco made two Earthworm Jim action figures. A standard version and a con special that comes with a silver suit and different expression. Each of them come packaged with a fully painted blaster and a bendable Earthworm Jim worm.
The big difference between the Playmates line and the Mezco release is going to be the audience. Playmates figures were released to tie-in with the cartoon, aimed at that age-group who played the games and watched the cartoons. Mezco focused their Earthworm Jim action figure for the collector market in 2012.
The Mezco Earthworm Jim is well-detailed. There’s a lot of love in his blaster, facial expressions and defining his super suit. I love the Playmates figures but after seeing the detail put into the Mezco release, I apologised to my wallet and got both. The Mezco Earthworm Jim action figure has a lot of subtle details in the sculpt and the suit. And it’s really easy to appreciate the homage Mezco paid to the original video game box art.
Full Mezco Earthworm Jim review here
The Mezco Earthworm Jim has a ball-swivel neck and some good articulation in the arms. His hands are sculpted and aren’t movable and his only articulation below the chest is a swivel waistline. Earthworm Jim’s legs won’t budge but tend to hold him up well considering his much higher centre of gravity.
Mezco produced a 6″ Earthworm Jim action figure. So it won’t blend in with the Playmates 1995 5″ figures. It’s a shame we can’t pair our hero with some Playmates villains. The Mezco figurine is a one-off. So don’t expect anymore variations on the figure or other characters from the series in the future. The Earthworm Jim franchise has been on hiatus for a while.
Playmates were quite a formidable toy manufacturer in the 90’s and they’re still producing. They are well known for handling the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toy lines today. They also worked on the Skeleton Warriors figures, easily the most bad-to-the-bone toys for any toybox. The Skeleton Warriors are hyper-detailed with very little articulation. But the Earthworm Jim action figures are a lot of fun. Playmates managed to strike an amazing balance of detail and playability. Taking inspiration from both the videogames and cartoon.
For any collectors out there, I can completely recommend the Mezco Earthworm Jim action figure, but there’s a lot of charm in the original Playmates toy line. The roster of characters and accessories especially. The villains in particular were handled with a lot of care and look great.
Snip & Keep Bios
