Friday, February 28, 2014

Hodor (Game of Thrones) Funko Pop!

While we're counting down the days until season 4 for HBO's Game of Thrones, we might as well check out another Game of Thrones Funko Pop! figure!  Brienne of Tarth was a nice representation of the character with some really interesting detail. Can this series keep it up? Today we're taking a look at a character who manages to say a lot with only one word. Think of him as Westeros's Stark carrying Pokemon. Yes, today we're looking at fan favourite, Hodor!


Hodor!


When you try to explain the character of Hodor to people who haven't read the books or watched the show, he sounds ridiculous. A simple, almost giant who can only say his own name (which isn't really his name) and carries one of our crippled protagonists around in a basket (or cart). It's crazy, and yet the wonderful Kristian Nairn has created someone interesting and likeable. He may not be that chatty but with one "Hodor" we all know what he's thinking.


Hodor is #15 of the Game of Thrones Funko Pop! and he fits in well with the rest of the line.The box art cartoons are adorable as always. It's interesting, however, that Hodor's colouring on the actual figure doesn't match the box. In the artwork it looks almost as if his belt and tunic have been reversed.

Hodor's face has been broken down into its basic parts in pure Funko fashion. He has a nice little beard going all the way to his ears and slightly shaggy sideburns, giving him a somewhat sad look. My favourite detail it the scar over his right eye. Without it I'm afraid he'd look too much like Barristan Selmy. I can absolutely visualize Funko using the same hair and beard sculpt if they get to that character. The likeness for Hodor isn't perfect but still fun. I might have added an under eye shadow like the Ned Stark Figure in Series 1.


Unlike the Brienne figure, I'm not crazy about the paint on this one and should have looked closer before I bought him. The off-white hair colour is flecked with dark smudges and the painting around the bangs is really messy. On the back, you can see that the lower part of his hair is slightly lighter than the top and clearly didn't receive the same number of coats as the rest. You can also see the glob of paint on his ear. My fault, really. I wasn't paying attention.

That said, I like the pattern of his tunic. It looks rough and worn, like burlap. The cowl neckline is perfect for the cold weather and the simple brown belt has just enough detail not to be boring. He wears the same standard black boots as many of the figures. Hodor dresses like a man of the North, simple, practical, and...well...stark. I do like the forest green of the box art more than the light grey of the end result but both are true to the character.


I was fortunate enough to meet Kristian Nairn at Atomic Lollipop in Toronto last year. I had a fantastic time chatting with him about the show, the city, and the Game of Thrones twitter followers. Too bad I couldn't stick around to watch him DJ the closing party.


I can't help but wonder what it would be like to have my own action figure. The closest I'll ever get is probably this Big Bang Theory, Amy Farrah Fowler blind bag figure. The height difference seems to be accurate!






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