Review and photos by Scott Rubin
Squishy toys are nothing new, and long have they delighted kids and frustrated parents. But these days the king of the squish is Tech 4 Kids with its ultra popular twin lines of Mash’Ems and Fash’Ems. Found in toy stores, Targets, Walmarts, and more, these fun and stylized toys bring everyone’s favorite characters from world famous licenses to kids’ hands in sturdy and colorful containers. Plus, there’s the “blind box” collectability to keep kids coming back for more and to collect ‘em all. One of the most recent big hits from Tech 4 Kids is the Guardians of the Galaxy Mash’Ems series with six iconic characters from the Marvel Comics universe.
If you’re reading this then chances are excellent that you’ve seen Mash’Ems or Fash’Ems (or both) at your local big box store. They come in big, brightly colored boxes covered in graphics and logos, and from those pop out the little pods containing the single figures. The Guardians characters come in purple containers, and like all of the rest they’re two piece re-closeable cylinders (my son calls them “Sleeping Pods”) perfect for traveling with your Mash’Ems or just keeping them safe from getting stepped on or covered in dust. Out of the display box the pods are wrapped in a sheath with the set’s logo and images of all of the figures in it.
Who did Tech 4 Kids include in the Guardians lineup? Well, they certainly had a lot of characters to choose from, as well as source material from the various comics, the films, and more. This series of Mash’Ems has six cosmic characters: Star-Lord, Drax, Gamora, Groot, Rocket Raccoon, and Ronan the Kree Accuser. These are specifically based on their appearances in the Guardians of the Galaxy animated series airing now on Disney XD. The specifics are subtle, though, and the heroes and villain could certainly pass for the film or comic book versions too.
Out of six blind containers we didn’t have the most stellar pulls, yielding three copies of Ronan, two of Rocket, and one of Groot. So, I can’t comment specifically on Star-Lord, Gamora, or Drax, but we can take a closer look at this trio. The little dudes are surprisingly well sculpted with lots of detail even on their super deformed style bodies. They’re almost entirely head with tiny bodies beneath, and Rocket even has a tail sticking out to the side.
In the front each figure has his fists clenched next to his face and little feet at the bottom, and there are character-specific accents in 360 degrees like Ronan’s dome helmet that goes all the way around and Groot’s tree-like protrusions on his back.
Ronan’s big blue face is appropriately stern with his mask covering his eyes, Rocket has a mischievous smirk captured by his eyebrows arcing over his eyes, and Groot is adorably innocent with a slight smile and big, round eyes. Each of these figures has at most three colors, just enough to bring the character to life without making them too complicated.
Mash’Ems are super squishy, able to take a huge amount of abuse and still pop back into their original forms. You can mash them, squeeze them, slap them, or do pretty much anything you like. The material is a bit tacky and will pick up dirt, so make sure to clean ‘em off now and again. Guardians of the Galaxy Mash’Ems are super cute, and they’re great for the collector who seemingly has everything but may not be familiar with little kids’ toys… and of course children love these little dudes! My 2 ½ year old can name all of the Guardians characters and loves to line up the Mash’Ems and put them in and out of their “sleep pods.” You can find Guardians of the Galaxy Mash’Ems from Tech 4 Kids at stores everywhere now, and each blind boxed figure retails for about $4. Collect all the a-holes!
Review and photos by Scott Rubin
Review Samples Courtesy of Tech 4 Kids
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