Now that Hasbro‘s Selfie Series 2.0 is starting to roll out to all the first folks who got scanned at San Diego Comic-Con, it’s time to take a look at which personalized action figure might be right for you. To do it, we’ll look at which one was most right for me — at the show, I received complimentary selfie sessions from both Funko and Hasbro for their latest personalized lines. The Funko POP Yourself figure arrived just a couple of weeks thereafter; Selfie Series 2.0 arrived recently. Considering how they get made, fans should understand the difference in wait times.
Another You
For many collectors, a “selfie” figure has been a longtime dream, and when Hasbro first made them available, I certainly ordered one right away. But there were limits. No facial hair, no plus-sized bodies (Ghostbusters’ loose jumpsuit came closest), and only a few hairstyles and colors. To ensure skin tone and tattoos wouldn’t be a problem, Hasbro only used base body figures who wear clothing head to toe, which explains the otherwise odd choice of Hoth gear for Princess Leia — it’s the only Leia figure with gloves.
As an old-school Boba Fett fan since the original trilogy, I obviously went for the Mandalorian body. And while I found it a passable likeness of a clean-shaven me, many friends disagreed.
Hello Me, It’s Me Again
By the time of this year’s Comic-Con, my beard had grown out. And that made the Funko POP Yourself a lot easier. Funko POPs simplify likenesses down to the very basics, which sort of allow you to fill in the details mentally. And since they’re made from a finite number of existing parts in multiple combinations, there’s no digital scan. Since any representation of me would probably be in a black T-shirt, the arms would inherently have the issue — dodged by Hasbro — of no tattoos. As for the shirt, it would be blank. You can get a sticker sheet with the figure, but it would involve taking him out of the box, and with POPs, the box really is part of the appeal. Especially since, unlike the Hasbro Selfie Series, you can print your name on it.
A nice touch with Funko is the addition of pets, who come as separate pieces, and character accessories, which don’t. I made my cat, which is to say I picked one of a few cat options that was approximately closest. For accessories, the choice was easy: sushi and beer.
When I sat for the Hasbro scan, I tried to go for an intense stare, but the eyes looked awful when I saw the digital output. Now that glasses are available, however, I could get shades! My scrubby beard’s a bit longer than any of their new facial hair options, so I went for the goatee I had when I was much younger. This time I’d be Snake Eyes, because (a) ordering at Comic-Con gave the buyer an exclusive logo base, and G.I. Joe’s was the best, and (b) having ordered the G.I. Joe HasLab vehicles, who wouldn’t want to put themselves in the driver’s seat?
Rolling Snake Eyes? That’s No Crap
It took a couple of months, but friends and family seem to agree this looks more like me. Even if he looks half my age. His sheer amount of G.I. Joe gear is probably the best value for money of all the body options, too.
Both have their appeal. The Funko sculpt is so simple, yet recognizably my type, that it achieves a universality any more specific sculpt won’t. Unless your features are super-distinctive, you can make one that looks enough like you to be right.
Selfie Series 2.0 beats 1.0, but the head still looks a slightly bit odd, especially with flash photography, which has the effect of making it look like a 2D Photoshop. But having yourself as a Joe with all that gear and an all-American figure stand that calls you a convention exclusive, well, that’s hard to beat.
Are the heads swappable? I’m not gonna risk breakage to see; I’m told they’re more brittle than standard heads. If you figure it out, let me know.
All About Cash
Then we get to the price. Hasbro has been offering a lot of discounts, but as of this moment, the Selfie Series figures go for $49.99. That’s better than a custom commission would cost, by far, but it’s double the price of the body. Funko POP Yourself costs $30, with $4 extra to include a pet. If you’re in for $34, in for $50 isn’t that much more.
That said, while both figures smooth out the lines on my face and make me feel much younger-looking, as a middle-aged graybeard, I think I found another Comic-Con exclusive figure that looks more like me as I am now…
Yep, that’s Entertainment Earth’s WWE Mattel exclusive Mick Foley, still available for $23.99 as of this writing. I still have my front teeth, but that physique is real.
The wife insists the Snake Eyes looks most like me, which is typically kind of her; you can look at my bio image below and decide for yourself.
