Trigore (Power Lords) Review

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Trigore (Power Lords) Review

Trigore
Power Lords (Revell)Wayne Barlowe is fairly high on my list of artists. Having grown up reading his Guides again and again, I was thrilled to find out he'd designed a whole toyline, including this childhood favorite. This led me to jump pretty excitedly on a boxed specimen when it turned up, much to the joy of the seller, who was understandably worried nobody would recognize it, much less want it.
Many fond memories, tempered by the physical presence of it, allow for a pretty thorough review without undoing the twist ties. Here we go!
Firstly, the design. Grotesque and colorful, it resembles nothing so much as a horned chameleon eating a stag beetle. Except its organs are on the outside. And it's a tripod. With a single branching antler. Barlowe all the way, is my point.
Even a fairly indifferent airbrushing on the top or bottom would certainly have improved this thing, but this isn't Sectaurs; paint is simple, relegated to the eyes and organs, and everything is cast in color. The only articulation to speak of is the spring-loaded jaws, but for a "vehicle", that's not bad. Even Battle Cat can't claim that. The wheels clutched in its feet (?) are an odd touch, but again, not surprising given the designer.
As was typical at the time, it includes a hole on its back to accommodate figures with T-crotch hips. Not so typical is the option to cover it with a patch of skin, allowing toys to mount it somewhat more realistically, held in place by the antler over their shins.
It looks cartoonish and oddly stiff, but for the era, it's a pretty strong entry, if only for the fun design. I'm probably rating it higher than it ultimately deserves, but screw it. The thing is damn unique, and more than capable of mixing with numerous other toylines should you wish to do so.