Review – Bits & Pieces

Shrunken Head Studios (website) is a new producer of 12-inch scale action figure accessories, but if this just-released Bits & Pieces set is any indication of what we can expect from them then I think we’ve got a manufacturer to watch; this is a fantastic set that was priced right and has nicely produced accessories. If you like the pics then just go ahead and order a set for yourself. I’ll still be here when you’ve finished placing your order.

Packaging

Opening the outer shipping box I was pleasantly surprised to see just how much effort Shrunken Head Studios put into the packaging design for the Bits & Pieces set. A colorful, beautifully-designed sleeve surrounds an inner window box that shows off the pieces and the overall presentation is far more successful and attractive than I expected from a first-time release. The EC-style cover on the box is perfect, and before I was even inside the box I could tell that I was holding a labor of love.

Six Plastic Bits

Inside the box hides the plastic accessories, each one of which is expertly designed and — as you can see in the photos — wonderfully weathered and bloodied. With shipping it works out to about $5/piece, which is a little high but not terrible when you compare the price to other 12-inch scale action figure accessories.

So what’s inside?

• Medieval Axe – The longest weapon in the set, this large axe is covered and blood and fits great in my World War Robot* Dropcloth’s (review here) robotic hands. Why did I use Dropcloth for these pics? Because the robot just looked like he was ready to chop into some people.

• Meat Cleaver – And now you can see Dropcloth carrying the meat cleaver. Not as massive and terrifying as the medieval axe, this still works just fine and should work well for anyone looking to create a gruesome scene. The rust-like look of the plastic weapon adds a nice touch and gives the accessory realistic depth.

• Machete – In my opinion this is the weakest weapon in the set, but I’m willing to admit that there are probably many people out there who find the look of the machete cooler than the medieval axe (crazy people, maybe). Hmmmmm. I hadn’t noticed while taking the photos but I didn’t even bother posing Dropcloth with the machete. I guess that shows what I was thinking as I took the pics for this review.

• Woodsman Axe – Anyone looking to create a scary Tin Woodsman will want to take a close look at this weapon. The bandages wrapped around the handle are a nice touch, as is the jagged edge of the blade, but again it has to be the rust and blood on the blade that really takes this from a fun accessory to a great one.

• Severed Head – Now we’re getting into the really bloody and disgusting parts in the set, with this severed head easily the nastiest work in the box. Great sculpt, excellent work with the paint, and the look of terror on the face are all fantastic. But the best part has to be how the various weapons slot into the notch in the forehead; see the pic below and let your mind start coming up with diorama ideas.

• Severed Arm – The last and weakest accessory in the box, this severed arm looks pretty good but it has some mold lines that I feel damage an otherwise incredible set of action figure accessories. The arm’s very nice, but it’s not at the same level of perfection as the other pieces in the box. But that’s probably just me being too picky so look at the pics and decide for yourself what you think of this bloody arm.

Closing Thoughts

From the first set of pics I saw of this set online I knew I wanted to get a look at the accessories, but I never imagined that they would be so masterfully designed and am still amazed at the quality of the work. Shrunken Head Studios (website) has created something wonderful here, and I hope that sales are strong enough that they can create a second accessory pack for use with 12-inch scale action figure accessories.

I highly recommend grabbing this Bits & Pieces set from their site, because if several of us grab one of these then maybe they can announce and release a second set sooner rather than later.

Congrats to the Shrunken Head Studios crew. Now get to work on more toys!

Philip Reed is now trying to figure out how to use all of these pieces with the 12-inch scale action figures displayed in his living room. Dropcloth is now armed with an axe, and maybe it’s time for a zombie to get its hands on a head.