Today we travel from the realm of fan-made "kustom" action figures, to the seedy underbelly of Mexican bootlegs! This one comes courtesy of our friends at Pop Culture Shock Collectibles -- a far cry from their high-end, professionally finished statues! [See; All New 1:4 Scale Sub-Zero]
The offending figure [above] is part of a brazen world of unlicensed merchandise and foreign knock-offs. Back in my day, you expected your average dollar store bootleg to have wacky neon repaints, and unsettlingly hazardous (possibly toxic) additions! That's domestic bootlegging, though. Unlicensed international merchandise is an industry unto itself, stretching from Argentina to Turkey. Purists can count on shoddy workmanship and unfaithful flourishes, but occasionally something truly interesting slips through the cracks.
Here; Sub-Zero's non-union Mexican equivalent -- [we'll call him Señor Hell-Ado for the purposes of this article] -- looks positively sensible! Even easily recognizable! Dare I go so far as to say: Safe for children between the ages of 5-12?!
You may have seen this lumpy Lin Kuei warrior around the web, and may have thought he was an official Jazwares figure [read more]. Make no mistake: Señor Hell-Ado is about as icey as a snowman, and as deadly to his opponents as a Slurpee headache. Accept no substitutes!
Have you seen this bootleg action figure in stores? Have you had experiences with weirder and wackier knock-offs? Share your unlicensed stories with us on the Media & Merchandise forum. There you'll find more info about legitimate merchandise! Be sure to join us in the extended realm: @MK_Online or on Facebook.