I've always loved action figures, and thankfully it is now socially acceptable to collect them after the age of 10. Recently, I was given some new figures made by Strangeco, a San Francisco company, and based on the designs of Rocket World. The Figures are part of the Insurgents Wilderness Gruppo series, a series made up of armed animals that are fighting back against a human dominated world. Some portion of the proceeds goes to wildlife conservation groups, so the slogan - Save the world by Buying Dolls - can now be uttered with complete sincerity.
The backstory from the Strangeco website is classic:
"In the not-too-distant future, a strange cosmic retrovirus infects the Earth and spreads through the biosystem. The virus causes rapid evolutionary change and other mutations in a group of animals from around the globe. These new breeds organize an armed resistance against the plague that has been destroying their habitat for centuries - the human race! Meet the I.W.G - The I.nsurgents W.ilderness G.ruppo - and ¡viva la revolucion!"
My favorite of the group is the Rhino, Affonso, armed with an AK-47. Other classics include Desmond the Dolphin with an undersea mine and Irra the Owl with a bomb clutched between its feet.
