Zarak (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons) Review

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Zarak (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons) Review

Zarak
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (LJN)Zarak is not at the top of anyone's list. I get that. He's also stupid cheap compared to most, so here he is.
At a glance, he doesn't look like much. The gloss plastic doesn't do the sculpt any favors, but in soft light, it's alright. The clothes seem a little baggy for a rogue, and he lacks the satchel and knife sheaths shown in the art. We do get a few fun extras on the back: a bundled rope and belt pouch.
And then there's the color. Oh, it's laid out well enough, no slop. The red is well integrated. And then you get to the head, with its primary blue hood and lime-green face with angry red.... warts? It's like the toy people had never seen comic art before, and thought the blue highlights were actually blue cloth. Or maybe it's because the head was gang-molded with other figures' parts, I dunno.
Anyway, the usual 5-point articulation spread feels more appropriate with such a small toy. Unfortunately, because he's only armed with a dagger, he's mostly limited to standing there looking like he's cold and trying not to show it. Attack poses are just too clumsy. I get that these were intended to be either actively played with or left on a shelf anyway, and diorama displays were rare at the time. Still unfortunate, as is the lack of a matching dagger and empty sheath. The card art lies!
Now, this thing is shoulder-high to a GI Joe. Everyone else gets two accessories at least, sometimes a bit of softgoods, even. I said in an older Tumblr post that I couldn't figure out what else he might have, apart from a thieves' tools kit or grapnel. It occurs to me that a lot of the PVCs came with some sort of treasure. That could've worked, I think. Anything to offset the price.
Overall, he looks okay skulking about near the back of a display, but that's about it. I give a decent rating out of respect for that fallen combatant in the toy arena of the 80s, LJN.