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First, a bit of history. If you played with G.I. Joe ("Mom, they're not dolls, they're action figures!") when you were younger, you probably know they were extremely popular in the 1960s, and they evolved into the Adventure Team in the 1970s. Then they changed into 3 3/4" (10 cm) figures in the 1980s. Hasbro's 12 inch (30 cm) action figures returned in the 1990s and are as popular today as ever.
In the 1990's companies such as Dragon Models Ltd.(DML), 21st Century Toys,
Dragon in Dreams, and others started producing 1/6 scale miniature posable
figures.
Initially, these were not as nice as G.I. Joes, with somewhat plastic looking facial
sculptures, odd colored flesh tones, thin fabrics, and other second-rate features.
However, with popularity and perseverance, eventually the figures from Dragon Models
started to outshine the Hasbro G.I. Joes, such that nowadays anyone looking
for historical accuracy and excellent detail should look at all companies.
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Dragon Models has changed its 1/6 scale miniature body style over the years. Olaf's body has quite a few more features than a Hasbro G.I. Joe. For one, there is a hinge at the bottom of the rib cage as well as by the hips. This makes it much easier for the figure to do a crunch as shown.
The femurs are connected to hip with a multi-way hinge and rotator that is about the same flexibility as the G. I. Joe ball and socket. The knees are two hinges with a nice knee cap molded in the middle which is much better approximation of the human knee than a G.I. Joe. Ankles have hinges and rotators that are very posable.
Olaf's upper body has plenty of hinges and rotators. There are detents in the shoulder joints that make a loud ratcheting sound as you pose him. His neck and head are ball and socket with a side-to-side twist, but because of the low connection of the head to the neck, Olaf cannot look up and down very far. He also has a bald head - a very nice feature. This allows a replaceable hair style. It also allows his bald head to fit better into his mail coif and helmet. Excellent, I like bald figures. However, notice his beard is molded into his face.
The hands are hard but flexible rubber in two poses. I do not know if they are replaceable, but they flex just enough to get items into his hands. I wonder why Olaf needs a detached trigger finger, maybe to test the soup.
Unlike a G.I. Joe, Olaf's body is mostly hinges and the legs are not connected
via elastic cord. Thus, Olaf holds most positions very well.
However, as is with many older G.I. Joes, my Olaf figure is quite "loose". Often, there
is not enough friction in the joints to hold against gravity in certain poses.
So, like an old G.I. Joe, Olaf can fall over in many poses.
I don't know if this looseness is a general problem or I just got a random
loose sample figure.
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However, this man preaches with a battle axe! It is a very nice long handled axe. This is the weapon of the huskarls - the King's body guard. It was also used in the Dark Ages shield wall formation. As the enemy lines clashed, each side tightly formed up men and shields so no spears or swords could be swung. A good long handled axe could be swung over the tops of the shield wall, crashing down on the heads of the enemy. The longer the handle, the farther the reach over the wall.
Olaf's axe looks very nice. The head is small and compact
which is historically correct.
Unlike fantasy barbarian axes, the real battle axe was small
so you could swing it in a crowd.
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However, like the old G.I. Joe scuba suits, the rubber mail is subject to tearing. I tore the front leg seam when I tried to remove the mail over his head. It is best to undo the rear laces and take the mail off down his legs. Another minor nit is his hauberk has a front center leg seam which is what horsemen usually wear to allow seating in a saddle. A foot soldier usually has two side seams to allow better leg movement when running.
The sword, the scabbard, the belt, and the sword frog are nicely done. My one complaint is the sword handle is a little thin for Olaf's hands. A few wraps of leather tape should fix that.
Notice the facial sculpt in this picture.
Definitely very expressive and life-like.
One of the nicer figure faces.
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The shield has two straps for the arm, and one long
strap for wearing slung over the back (as in this picture).
The straps are leather with tiny metal buckles. They
are somewhat fragile. I'm sure kids will break them. But they
look good.
The shield is somewhat non-historical.
There is no handle behind the central boss.
At least with all the straps you can still put it into place.
The shield is a bit big and heavy for Olaf.
As, I said earlier, it might be because I have a loose Olaf,
but this shield can really pull him out of position or make
him fall over.
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His cape is excellent. The inside has a tan acrylic fur. The outside is a rich red fabric. There are two nice long leather straps to tie around his neck.
He looks great here -
the stereotypical Viking ready for a fight.
He would fit right into the Hollywood movie The Vikings
with Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtiss, and Ernest Borgnine.
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More miniatures-related articles are at
Dan Becker's Miniatures and Models site
or the
Miniature Terrain pages.
Thanks for stopping by and reading about my miniatures.