Trick or Treat Through 31 Days of Toy Terror: Dr. Tongue from Day of the Dead by Trick or Treat Studios

 

   We're getting closer to Halloween and I hope you're enjoying these reviews from Trick or Treat Studios' Day of the Dead toyline. Today I'm checking out Dr. Tongue, the first zombie shown in the film. He's a creepy character with one of the best designs in horror. This guy might not be an iconic character but I think he's definitely a recognizable zombie. Even folks who neither know his name nor what film he's from can still recognize him based on his popularity. I've seen many masks based on him over the years. Why's he called Dr. Tongue? Well, because he's missing his lower jaw and his tongue is just hanging out. And he apparently has a medical degree. Can you believe that I scored this guy while walking around a Walmart earlier this summer? Action figures based on George Romero classics in the electronic department? What a crazy time to be alive! Let's check out Dr. Tongue after the break...

 

The Facts:

Height: 5 3/4ths inches.

Articulation: Swivel hips, swivel shoulders, swivel neck, and a hinged tongue.

Accessories: Alligator and newspaper. 

Non-Scalper Price: $30 dollars

The Positives:

* He's called Dr. Tongue but do we even really know if he was a doctor? He's dressed quite nicely, kind of like a physician from a number of years back, but he might also be a professor. What exactly does he have a doctorate in, anyway. Physics? Economics? Literature? His outfit is quite nice, though, and it looks like a rather swanky outfit with different pieces of clothing all in different shades. Everything has an excellent sculpt and the paintwork really brings it to life. While this guy is similar in style and aesthetics to figures like Kenner's Ghostbusters and Police Academy and Ace Novelty's Tales from the Cryptkeeper, the paint and sculpt crispness are far more modern and they look great. 

* The face is really nice and looks quite accurate to the film. The ripped and torn skin and missing jaw are extremely grotesque with plenty of visible gore, bits of bone, and ruined teeth. His skin is rotting and has a deathly pallor with plenty of pockmarks. And his tongue? Well, it's pretty long and wild looking. Dr. Tongue sounds like a nickname Gene Simmons probably used for himself at some point in time, right? Speaking of which, you can actually use a lever on the back of the had to make the tongue waggle up and down. Check out this video:

* Dr. Tongue has some wild hair in the film so Trick or Treat Studios decided to replicate it with soft hair. It's quite creepy and actually looks pretty good. There are even a couple blood streaks in the hair. Wouldn't it be cool to see Trick or Treat Studios do a Halloween line including a Michael Myers figure with similar hair? I think could could potentially turn out really well. 

* Here's a look at Dr. Tongue from the back. Check out the way his suit looks all tattered and torn. It's really solid work! Trick or Treat Studios has a great team working on these. 

* How's the articulation? Well, these guys are designed with only five points of articulation, like the vintage action figures they're based on, so that's just part of the style and aesthetic. While the hips are a bit restricted here due to the design of the waist and coat, the arms move fine. The neck swivel has a bit of motion, though it's also a bit restricted. 

* Dr. Tongue comes with a pretty cool and somewhat bizarre accessory: An alligator! This fellow is quite long and is based on a scene where you can see a pair of alligators roaming the city, showing that nature is reclaiming Fort Myers, Florida after the rise of the undead. There's no articulation here but it is a pretty solid figure with a cool sculpt. It definitely feels like something we would have received in the early 1990s, though the sculpted detail and paintwork is way better.

* Here's a closeup of the gator. He's pretty creepy looking! Maybe he could hang out with the Croc Master when he's not crawling down the steps of the First National Bank. 

* Lastly, Dr. Tongue comes with a newspaper. It's made from a very thin, glossy cardboard and it easily folds up like a regular newspaper. This shows up in the opening credits of the film and has the bold headline "The Dead Walk!"

The Negatives:

* Dr. Tongue can stand on his own but it's a bit tough since his legs aren't exactly even and posed in a way showing good posture. For long term display on a shelf you'll likely need a display stand. 

   Dr. Tongue is really quite cool and I'm a huge fan of this line and Trick or Treat Studios' range of figures in this scale and style. Besides being very nostalgic for this type of action figure, I also always love the transgressive nature of these; action figures that look and feel like classic kids toys but are clearly inappropriate for a younger audience. Many 1980s and early 1990s toylines based on 1980s properties were targeted towards kids (Kenner's Robocop, Police Academy, Terminator 2, Aliens, and Predator, Coleco's Rambo and the Forces of Freedom, and Mattel's Demolition Man) though the liens themselves were sanitized. These aren't, however, and that's what makes them great. They're quality toys with cool accessories and action figures that are sure to elicit a chuckle. Dr. Tongue looks fantastic and that alligator is a killer accessory. He's a Great and a 1/2 figure and probably the second best figure in the line. I've got one more Day of the Dead review coming up, so stay tuned!


This is the first figure of Dr. Tongue that I've reviewed. For more Day of the Dead figures from Trick or Treat Studios check out the following:

Bub

Capt. Henry Rhodes