Art Design: This Sideshow Collectibles gatefold box has a photo of this 1:6 scale John Wayne action figure on the cover. The background of the box is an uninspired, fuzzy, sepia-toned skyline. On the other hand, it's what's inside this box that matters, not the illustrations. The back of the box has another photo of this 12" World War II Pacific Marine figure, and a brief biography of The Duke. The inside cover provides more information about John Wayne's life. The Duke is a near-mythical, larger than life American who has over 1000 books written about him! The Exclusive version of this figure includes a captured Japanese flag.
Headsculpt: Like most fans of The Duke, I have seen most of his films. I was hoping that Sideshow could have done a sculpt of Wayne that would show his no-nonsense, angry, combat face. However, Sideshow sculpted Wayne with a rather friendly, noble look on his face. The sculpt itself is very good. It captures the look that John Wayne usually had in most scenes. After all, the combat fighting did not happen until the end of The Sands of Iwo Jima. Even though the box does not state that the figure is based on Sergeant Stryker, Wayne only played a U.S. Marine in three movies. Without Reservations was a romantic comedy co-starring Claudette Colbert. In Flying Leathernecks, Wayne played a Marine Corps pilot. So the only time John Wayne played a Pacific Marine was in The Sands of Iwo Jima! Take look at the photos. Do you like how the John Wayne headsculpt looks? John Wayne was a gifted actor who played many types of roles, but I hope that Sideshow Collectibles will get to do a version of the pre-1960s John Wayne with his menacing, angry scowl.
Articulation: An ultra-articulated Dragon-style body. In my humble opinion, Sideshow's bodies are sturdier than the lighter Dragon bodies. However, the neck on this one is very stiff and does not bend much, even though it is on a ball joint. Another minor complaint is that the hands are on square wrist joints. As you can see from the photo, it does not look very natural. Some of the other Sideshow figures have a more rounded wrist-joint that has a better range of motion and looks more realistic. These two minor points do not detract much from the figure. As you can see from the photos, Wayne poses very well. The legs are tight, so Wayne can hold a pose for a long time and he is not a shelf-diver. Outfit: Wayne comes dressed in USMC Combat fatigues, high leggings, and short combat boots. The hooks and laces for the leggings are stitched on so tight that I am afraid they would rip or get stretched-out if I tried to remove them. By the same token, the reason they look great is precisely because they are so tightly wound. The short brown boots look good too, and the whole outfit looks authentic to what Wayne wore during the combat scenes in The Sands of Iwo Jima. The rolled-up sleeves are exactly how Sgt. Stryker wore his uniform.
Gear: Wayne's equipment consists of an M1 Helmet with the liner and a cloth camouflage cover; a Garand Rifle with a leather sling and working bolt-action; a Garand M1923 ammo belt with cloth pouches that actually open and hold cartridge magazines; eleven ammo mags; a small back pack; a haversack, a bayonet with scabbard; an entrenching tool with cover; two canteens with working cloth carriers; a first aid kit; and a commemorative John Wayne display stand.
Gear Issues: I had two complaints about the gear. The first had to do with the web-belt. As you can see from the photos, the actual belt holding the cloth ammo pouches together is very thin. Dave Matteson kindly provided information & photos of an M1923 cartridge belt; which is supposed to be thin. The M1936 pistol belt is the wider, grommetted belt. The second issue is with the tiny wires on the canteens, the bayonet scabbard, and first-aid kit. These are intended to hook into the grommet holes on the cloth ammo belt, but the wires are cut at such a tight angle that they do not fit through the grommet holes. So I had to straighten out the wires with a small hobby pliers. Of course, a couple of the tips broke off; which cannot be good for the re-sale value of this figure! Last note: how about tossing in a couple of WWII hand grenades instead of so many ammo magazines?
Overall: The uniform, helmet, leggings, boots, rifle, and most of the gear are of excellent quality and they look great. Of course, the best part of this set is John Wayne's headsculpt. This figure is a unique, one-of-a-kind collectible for any fan of John Wayne. It is a Sideshow limited edition of only 500 sets. Wayne displays very well inside the box; but if you are willing to add some 1:6 scale World War II items such as a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, photos, documents, and the rest of the gear that goes inside the back-pack; then you can customize this figure into a realistic Sgt. Stryker.
Grade: A
