Art Design: This box has a nice patriotic Stars and Stripes design which shows photos of the 41st President (1989-1993) at the White House with wife Barbara Bush and their dog. A brief biography and talking phrases are printed on the sides of the box.
Headsculpt: As you can see from the photos, the sculpting is very accurate. The resemblance to the President is uncanny. The face has deeply etched lines, a broad smile and sparkling blue eyes. George Bush has never looked better! The only drawback is that the hairline is not perfectly painted. At some points the hair color bleeds slightly into the scalp, and at other points the hair is fleshtone color.
Articulation: This figure is similar to the old Gilbert's dolls or early Ken dolls. The arms and legs do not bend at all, but they do move up and down. The neck also swivels. The hands and the feet almost lack any detail at all. This body would be perfect for an android or clone lab diorama.
Neck-Post: The head uses the modern GI Joe neck-post so that you can easily transfer the head to any GI Joe action figure. The voice box is in the body. If you transplant the head to a better action figure, you will lose the talking feature.
The Outfit: President Bush is dressed in a gray suit, black shoes and socks, a white shirt, and a red accented tie. The suit is similar in quality to the Formative Soldiers of the World presidential figures. The material is thin, and the tailoring is not great, but it displays well. The tie looks very good. The dress shirt has no sleeves. This seems a bit cheezy, but then the figure seems to be designed to be kept on a shelf as a commemorative decoration.
Talking Feature: The President says fifteen different phrases, including the famous "Read my lips, no new taxes." The voice is very clear and relatively loud.
Market: This figure is still sold online by Talking Presidents for $29.99. I found it for $5.00 at Big Lots along with Bill Clinton, Dennis Miller, and Donald Rumsfeld. The original $30 price seems expensive considering the quality of the action figure.
Overall: The headsculpt is great, but it could use some touch-up on the hairline. The voice feature is outstanding. Unfortunately, this action figure is really a Ken doll! The feet are tiny and the Prez is a shelf diver! I transferred the Prez' head to a GI Joe body, but the suit does not fit very well on it. I put an Action Man head on the doll and he became a talking Secret Service Agent for the Presidential Barbie. The George Bush doll is fun, entertaining, and educational. It will provide a good history lesson for kids and for collectors!
Grade: B
