When it comes to figures and miniatures for the RoboCop franchise, plenty of figures, busts and model kits have been made of the titular RoboCop character. However, recreations of other robots from the franchise, such as the ED-209 and RoboCop MK-2 (a.k.a. RoboCain), have been much harder to come by and very expensive to purchase. Things are slowly turning around in terms of availability: NECA will be releasing an ED-209 replica this summer, while Hot Toys will be releasing an ED-209 replica in early 2014 to go with its new deluxe RoboCop figure. Yet with both versions of ED-209 costing a sizable chunk of cash--NECA is charging $50 and Hot Toys is charging $410--these new collectables may still be out of reach for many RoboCop fans.
Thankfully, I was able to add ED-209 and RoboCop MK-2 to my personal collection a few years ago for around $10 each, courtesy of the Japanese model and toy company Kotobukiya. Kotobukiya did a series of 3.5-inch figures based on robots from the original RoboCop trilogy. Each figure was pre-painted and only required minimal, snap-together assembly. Read on to learn more about these two fun and affordable RoboCop collectibles.
Looking back, discovering what Kotobukiya was releasing regarding RoboCop collectibles was dumb luck on my part, and I made it a point to take advantage of this cost-efficient opportunity as soon as I learned of it. I was not so fortunate when it came to Konami's figure series that was based on the Alien saga; by the time I discovered what Konami had done, several pieces from its Alien series had already become rare and expensive collector's items. (Between the work of Kotobukiya and Konami, I have to wonder: Why do the Japanese fans get such cool and affordable merchandise based on film franchises from America, while American fans of the same franchises don't get the same opportunities?)
Kotobukiya's ED-209 is remarkably detailed for such a small figure. It only has five swivel joints: two for the "hips", two for the guns, and one for the "waist". As such, it doesn't have the complete range of motion as the original ED-209 design. Yet because this figure is essentially a display piece--and an astonishing one at that--its lack of poseability doesn't matter.
In contrast to the ED-209 figure, Kotobukiya's RoboCop MK-2 only has two moving joints--one for each of the smaller arms, and that’s it. It comes with a small display stand that helps it stay upright and that's it. Nevertheless, this RoboCop MK-2 figure faithfully recreates many of the details of the original robot design.
These figures may still be available through some retailers on the Internet. If you happen to run across these figures--especially at their original prices--I highly recommend that you purchase them. It's rare when so much detail is put into a such small package and at such a low price, so don't pass up this opportunity if you can find it.
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