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Write a Review link for that item. Simpsons (McFarlane) (McFarlane Toys)The Simpsons has gotten plenty of great figures over the years, from the long-running and inclusive Playmates line to newer, more articulated figures by Super7 and Jakks Pacific, but in between those stood out a pretty unique line by McFarlane Toys. It was different as their products were less action figures and more "semi-poseable dioramas" like they were doing in the 2000s, but they did a great job representing select episodes and even the movie. I've gotten a few of their releases, both as a kid and as an adult, and my most recent purchase from said line is the Couch Gag deluxe boxed set, one of my most desired releases from the line (second only to the Itchy and Scratchy "Spay Anything" set). While most of McFarlane's Simpsons releases were in those annoying clamshells, this set came in a window box that looks pretty good, and has a better presentation than either motif Playmates used. The box uses orange and various blues for something that pops, and you can make out part of a concept sketch on the front and sides. The back has screenshots of select couch gags from the show (one that happened mid-episode) and the bottom lists some fun facts - some Simpsons-related, some not. You'll have to deal with a lot of twist ties in the tray glued to the inner cardboard, with the base being behind it, so it'll take a bit of time to get everything out. Starting off with the base, it's composed of two separate pieces - the floor and the couch. It scales about 7 3/4" long, 5 1/4" wide, and 3 1/2" tall (the couch itself is about 5" long and 3 1/4" tall). The couch is quite good, even having some painted outlines for a more flat, cartoony aesthetic (NECA wasn't the only one to do Simpsons like that), and some stuff attached to it, like two donut boxes on the top, and a remote and bag of "Porko Bits" on the right-hand side. The floor piece has the rug painted out, and two foot pegs - one wide and one thin - that can be used with the adults. The couch also has a wide peg, and the donut boxes have another thin one. There's also a can of Buzz Cola as a separate piece, but it can't be used with any of the included figures, so it really just sits there. Adds a little bit to the display, at least. Now let's get to the family, with Homer kicking things off. He's sculpted with his arms out in a "ta-da" pose and a cheerful grin, and stands a bit over 4" tall. McFarlane got the style of these characters down very well in three dimensions, and everyone here looks spot-on. Again, these are painted to look more cartoony, so Homer has outlines in various areas, specifically his eyes, beard, teeth, ears, shirt collar and sleeves, and pant cuffs. The paint is good and clean for the most part, though the eye outlines could've used some more touching up, and even though his pupils are supposed to be facing straight forward, mine are off to the side a little bit. Since this is a mid-2000s McFarlane release, don't expect much for articulation, as Homer just gets swivels for his neck, shoulders, and wrists. I would've liked a waist joint as well, but he still gets more than the others here. Next up is Marge, whose tall hair brings her up to 4 5/8". Her pose is a little unusual, and she's leaning forward slightly with her head being a tiny bit to the right, and her left arm is raised more than her right, with a joint at the shoulder so you adjust its position a bit (in addition to neck and wrist swivels). This set has a unique feature to fit the couch gag theme, and that combined with Todd prioritizing appearance over articulation at the time means everyone gets somewhat dynamic poses. I have no issues with the pose or sculpt, but the paint could be better. All of these figures have inconsistent outline thickness combined with small marks and slop here and there, but the work is decent for the most part, mainly because the colors and finish remain consistent. Marge is designed to plug onto the thinner pegs on the base, but she fits better on the donut box peg than the floor peg. Then we have the kids. Bart, standing 2 1/2" tall, is put into a skateboarding pose, with arms all the way out to the sides and feet spread apart. Of course, he comes with his skateboard, and he stays on it with the aid of two magnets in both the board and his feet (there's another magnet on the bottom of the board, which ties into the feature I'll go over later). Lisa stands just over 2 1/4", and like her father, comes in a "ta-da" pose, but with her right arm raised higher with the palm facing straight up. The pose and expression are good, but the paint around her necklace could be better, and she can't stand up on her own like everyone else due to her feet being angled. The youngest, Maggie, is just under 2", and is sculpted with a bottle in her left hand, in addition to being designed to sit on the adults' heads. Her head appears to be a little too small, so I guess they couldn't get them all perfect. Still, the kids are in good scale with the adults and each other, and they'll look great together. All three youngsters have neck joints, with Bart also having bicep swivels. In addition to the main five, we also get the family pets. Santa's Little Helper is 2 1/2" tall and is also designed to sit on people's heads. The chosen pose is good, but I'm confused by the mouth. Why is his tongue sticking out through his teeth? An open mouth would've made more sense if his tongue was out, but the expression still fits him well. Lastly, there's Snowball II/Snowball V, who's in a perched pose at 2" long and 1 3/4" tall and isn't quite happy about the situation she's in. The paint around the eyes is a little rough, but she and SLH both look fine in terms of paint, and both also get a neck joint, but it doesn't work as well for Snowball due to how hunched she is. Now we get to the special feature of this set: magnets! Everyone has magnets so they attach to one another, with Homer having three (head and hands), the girls each having two (Marge's hair and left hand, Lisa's right hand and foot, and Maggie's head and bottom), Bart having four (head, left hand, and feet), his skateboard having three (two on top, one on the bottom), SLH also having two (head and butt), and Snowball having just one in her feet. The magnets work quite well for the most part, and you'll be able to display the family (and the skateboard) in plenty of fun ways. There are two factors that play a big role in how you can set them up, and those are balance and what magnets can attract to one another and which ones repel each other. As long as you can work with the limitations, you'll still have plenty of fun putting the Simpsons in all sorts of crazy poses. You don't see a lot of people talk about McFarlane's Simpsons line, but the few I have are pretty good, and this couch gag set is a lot of fun. The great sculpts combined with magnetic action make it a standout release for them, and while I paid a good price for it, you'll have to do some looking for a good deal, at least one below $70-80. Still, it makes for one heckuva display piece. - 5/3/26    by Toasted Brains |
| Classic Batman |  | Submission Order |  | Robot Tokka and Robo Rahzar |
| None | | Simpsons (McFarlane) Series | | None |
| Classic Batman | | Written by Toasted Brains | | Robot Tokka and Robo Rahzar |
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