Who doesn’t like large, super articulated monster action figures? Jean St. Jean sure does, as evident by his exciting new project called CreatuReplica. A skilled veteran on the toy sculpting scene, Jean St. Jean has made a living creating action figures and collectibles for companies such as McFarlane Toys, Diamond Select, Mezco and many more. Odds are that if you’re a serious figure collector, you own at least one action figure sculpted by Jean St. Jean.
However, CreatuReplica isn’t about action figures for other companies. CreatuReplica is a personal project for Jean St. Jean and his team – specifically action figures of cryptids, creatures whose existence has yet to be—or else cannot entirely be—proved or disproved by science.
The first assortment of CreatuReplica action figures includes the Himalayan Yeti, Louisiana Rougarou (think werewolf), North American Sasquatch (aka Bigfoot), and the HorrorHound, the werewolf/Frankenstein’s monster mash-up mascot for the horror magazine of the same name. These retail for around $34.99 each, but you’re getting a lot of action figure for your buck.
These are BIG action figures, the cryptids ranging in size from 7.5 – 8 inches for Sasquatch and Yeti, to a towering 8 3/4″ for the wolf creatures. Their massive clamshell packaging is the first thing to clue you in on this fact. You’d be able to hang maybe two packs on a peg at retail, they are that large. The figure and display base take up most of the front bubble, while a backer card features personalized figure photography on one side, along with a small introduction and a shot of the entire CreatuReplica line on the back.
Those who grew up collecting action figures in the late ’90s, early 2000s are going to LOVE these new CreatuReplicas figures. Remember huge, chunky figures from McFarlane and SOTA Toys, figures that often came with an equally large environmental display base? That’s CreatuReplicas in a nut shell, but with modern sculpting techniques and advanced articulation.
Speaking of sculpt, each cryptid stands unique, despite Jean St. Jean’s clever re-use of two distinct body types. The Yeti and Bigfoot share body parts, as do Rougarou and HorrorHound, but there’s tons of individual detail between the two that make them stand apart. For starters, each figure gains its unique identity through a head sculpt specific to that creature. My favorites here are the Yeti and its savage snarl and the Rougarou with its opening and closing jaw, a very cool feature that I wish all these figures had.
Paint also goes a long way in capturing each cryptid’s personality. In addition to sculpted bullet holes, stitches and exposed guts, the HorrorHound stands out from the pack with a more traditional brown werewolf (Frankenwolf?) color scheme. Sasquatch shares this earthy coloration, minus the gore. Rougarou goes grey for a timber wolf-like appearance, while the Yeti really pops with its snow white deco and piercing red eyes. Shading is used to great effect, adding even more depth and realism to these figures. For example, the Yeti may appear all white, but a closer inspection reveals the subtle use of baby blue and yellow (don’t eat the yellow snow! 🙂
The excellent paint applications on these figures extends to the included environmental base each cryptid comes with. A hefty piece of solid plastic, these detailed bases often feature a separate plug-in part, such as the skeleton totem for Rougarou or tree trunk for Sasquatch. I should note here that once these pieces are plugged in, they stay plugged in. It’s a tight, secure fit. My favorites here are the ice base for the Yeti, some of the ice chunks being translucent, and the tombstone base for HorrorHound. Monsters in a graveyard setting are a winner every time. Each base also includes three display pegs which not only anchors the figure securely, but gives you a few more display options.
As mentioned, articulation on these figures is extreme. The Sasquatch and Yeti star the least amount, if you consider 18-19 points too little. The wolf creatures clock in at whooping 23 points of articulation each, the extra joints being found in their canine-like legs. Articulation is firm and fluid on all these figures, not a floppy joint to be found. What is most impressive is how well each figure stands on its own, even the wolf creatures and their bent-back legs! Yes, you can even get the Sasquatch in his classic Bigfoot photo pose.
Articulation on the cryptids is a smart mix of swivel, hinged and ball joints. Swivel points include the heads and wrists on Bigfoot and Yeit, as well as the waist, biceps, and mid-thighs in the case of the wolves. The werewolves also feature combo swivel-hinged wrists. Tight ratcheted hinged joints include the elbows, knees and thighs on all the creatures, along with the extra “knees” on the were-creatures. Extreme ball-joint action can be found on the two were-monster heads, as well as the shoulders of all the cryptids. These figures are a blast to play around with.
They just don’t make action figures like this anymore. Jean St. Jean and his CreatuReplica team have a lot to be proud of. This was not a Kickstarter funded project, which goes to show the amount of time, energy and money that went into making CreatuReplica a reality.
Who doesn’t like large, super articulated monster action figures? There’s a lot to love with CreatuReplica.
CreatuReplica’s cryptid action figures are available NOW directly through CreatuReplica.com priced at $34.99 each including show exclusives, or $139.99 for the full set of four (with a bonus free t-shirt!), or at many fine retailers, including BigBadToyStore.com.
Scroll on for even more photos!
Review and Photos by Jeff Saylor
Review Samples Courtesy of Creatureplica
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Bruce
Hey Jeff, loved your insightful review. Your post is the reason why I decided to look into the line. I ordered Rougarou and the Yeti. I know it’s two years post-review, but I was wondering if you could post some more photos of the Rougarou and the Dog soldier side-by-side or facing one another. Hopefully you can see this message.
Thank you
Jeff Saylor
I fixed the photo gallery for this review. You’ll find some pics in there of the comparison. Glad you found my review helpful, they are some awesome figures!
Bruce
Wow, what a quick response. Thank you so much for adhering to my request. Can’t stress enough about how helpful this review was. I’ve basically spent 11 years looking for the perfect werewolf figure and without this review I might never have found it. Thanks again and best wishes.