Zuckuss - Jumbo Vintage Kenner Figures

One of the most relished vintage Kenner figures of all time was the classic 4-LOM figure. Back then we didn’t know he was really Zuckuss, but this action figure paved a way into our hearts that has never allowed us to let go of it. Zuckuss (previously known as 4-LOM and vice versa) is another standout release in Gentle Giant Ltd.’s warmly embraced Jumbo Vintage Kenner Figures line. What made the vintage 4-LOM so special was that he came with luxurious soft-goods. Kenner used a material for his cloak that was thick and relatively spongy that set him apart from all of our other action figures. What’s more, 4-LOM also came with a removable chest armor/backpack combination piece that kept his cloak closed and well as added multilayered look to his costume. He was a blast to play with as a kid because we didn’t really know anything about him and he looked just as cool with or without his accessories. Let us not also not forget about his unique blaster. That was one cool gun and it looks just as good now in one-sixth scale as it did in the Kenner line. Zuckuss is a long-awaited release for us in the Jumbo Vintage Kenner line and we couldn’t be happier to see it in a big scale AND on the “rare” The Empire Strikes Back card back. (It was a late release and the final TESB figure released in 1982.)

Zuckuss is made from the same typical roto-cast vinyl. It has more pliability than the original Kenner figures and sadly most of the sculpt is hollow. This should be nothing new to you. (We love you GG, but please cast these things in solid plastic already!) Zuckuss has five swivel points of articulation and has been replicated beautifully in a larger scale and has for the most part been faithfully replicated. If we had to nitpick on one of the more glaring things about Zuckuss, it would have to be the eyes. They just seem too bright and silvery when compared to the original Kenner figure. But the rest of the coloring looks pretty good to us. Amazingly, Gentle Giant Ltd. found a material which is so close to the original material used to create Zuckuss’ soft-goods removable cloak. They have also tailored it wonderfully and it isn’t too big, bulky or long for the one-sixth scale version. We’re thoroughly impressed with the final results. The cloak is held close thanks to the faithful replication of the removable “harness” which is comprised of chest armor and a backpack. There are even large-scaled “teeth” which lock the accessory in place with variable tightness. It’s like reliving your childhood all over again. It’s incredible.

Zuckuss finishes off the complete bounty hunter lineup from The Empire Strikes Back. It took quite a while for Gentle Giant Ltd. to knock them all out, but the wait has been worth it because they’ve done a really fantastic job recreating them in a different light. We still have to comment on the MSRP. We’re simply unable to understand why these beautiful figures can’t be budgeted into a $49.99 range. We don’t see too many of these selling for full price and most collectors seemingly don’t bite until the first or second clearance price. It is through this evidence that you have to watch the figures in this line like a hawk because once retail loses its attention span on these figures and mark them down, they almost instantly disappear. Hopefully there are enough collectors out there who have strong ties to Zuckuss like we do and that the figure will sell successfully. But with the ever increasing cost, we are also finding that more and more collectors are just getting priced right out of this line. If it’s in your budget, it’s out honest opinion that Zuckuss is one of the highlights of the Jumbo Vintage Kenner Figures line. There is no doubt this figure will take you back to the days when playing with Star Wars figures was blissful and we had few cares in the world. Goodness how things have changed.