Terrible articulation but the accessories are cool

Could this be the world's first action figure? 

It's a 1,500-year-old Ceramic Maya Figurine with Removable Helmet, from El Perú-Waka', Petén, Guatemala. It is quite extraordinary.

Of course he (or she?) isn't an 'action figure'. The helmeted figure is actually a dwarf boxer and is one of 23 ceramic figures that make up a circular tableau of mourners inside a royal tomb. The scene includes the deceased king accompanied by his animal spirit companion - a magical deer wearing an oval pendant with a motif in the shape of a capital 'T' incised into it. For the ancient Maya, this was the Ik symbol, which represented breath, wind, and life. The deer was the deceased king’s guide in his passage through the underworld to his resurrection. 

I can't help thinking that the king looks like a modern rapper.

They are joined in a circle by other ancient Maya royals: the warrior queen who proudly holds a shield; a living king wearing the rich, multi-layered textiles befitting his station; the heir to the throne presenting an enema syringe to deliver hallucinogens integral to the ceremony; and dancers, scribes, and ladies performing in this sacred event. These actors are joined by other, more formidable beings, who have access to the supernatural and can conjure deeper power: a female shaman whose face is contorted in an ecstatic howl, dwarves with removable helmets ready to engage in ritual boxing to bring life-giving rains, and a chap with a deer helmet holding a conch shell trumpet that will be played not only for music, but also to open the portal to the underworld. 

These little figures are extraordinary.

The funeral figurines were unearthed in April 2006 when archaeologists discovered a masonry tomb chamber dating to 600–650 CE. It contained the remains of a ruler of the city and a rich array of funerary objects selected to accompany him into the afterlife. 

Oh, and the title of this blogpost? It comes from a website where fans of action figures leave reviews and where some guy reviewed these pottery figures. Genius.

I've always been fond of Mesoamerican art of the kind produced by the Aztec, Olmec, Mayan, Toltec, Zapotec, Totonac, Teotihuacán and other cultures. Considering how long ago they existed - the oldest, the Olmec, first appeared around 1600 BCE - their sculptures are very sophisticated and even modern-looking at times. I can't help spotting parallels of form with some modern art toys and vinyl collectables.

I would LOVE someone to create a series of figures based on traditional British folklore costumes. Sculptor Tim Shaw did create his Mummers series a couple of years ago (see blogpost here) but they are fine art and way beyond my pocket. 

An affordable 3D printed version maybe? 

There is already someone out there making a version of The Wicker Man (see here) ...