Figure Name: Captain James T. Kirk
Manufacturer: Art Asylum
The Cap'n here was billed as the 'Exclusive Premiere Edition' and was released as a boxed convention/ Art Asylum fan club exclusive.
The Rundown: When Art Asylum first announced that they had acquired the Star Trek license, I was floored. Art Asylum employs some of the best sculptors in the business and they were about to tackle Trek. Though Paramount dictated which of the series would be handled first, it wasn't long before figures based on the original series were shown. One of the first figures delivered into collectors' hands was this beauty here...
Art Asylum produced quite the gem here. Kirk stands 7" tall and is loaded with articulation. The body sculpt is top notch with articulation that doesn't 'break up' the look of the figure. AA tried something different with alot of their Trek stuff by implementing a rubbery shirt to hide the torso articulation. While alot of fans (myself included) are now worried about the longevity of this material, either from it becoming cracked and brittle or how the painted elements will react with it over time, it was extremely innovative. The head sculpt? Yeah, that leaves a bit to be desired. I personally feel it's the weakest of all of the AA TOS heads. Shatner is a tough likeness to nail. I thought Playmates handled it pretty darn well back in the day. This AA head sculpt may be a bit of a step back from what they did, but the body is light years beyond.
Other than 'so-so' head sculpt, the only other real problem is the color of the shirt. While it looks decent on it's own, the Sulu and Chekov releases were made in a different shade that don't match Kirk here. Sulu and Chekov look like they have fresh new uniforms, while the Captain seems like he washed his with darks, if he washed it at all. Yellow Shirt Kirk would see multiple releases later on, but those would either use a different shirt mold that fit improperly, or have 'battle-damage'. So without some customizing, this may still be the best overall Kirk to fit your yellow-shirted needs...
Accessories- Kirk's loaded with stuff! You get an extra hand, a tricorder, a phaser pistol, a communicator, and the truly awesome Phaser Rifle (for awhile there, this was the only way you could get it). Just about everything you'd need for a successful away mission...
-James
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