While some of you may have anticipated a masked figure for the Friday the 13th edition of Figure Friday, this probably wasn’t the masque you expected. While I do love me some Jason Voorhees, I didn’t have any recent figures to review. However, my friends at Four Horsemen studios were right on time with delivery of their latest from the world of Figura Obscura, The Masque of The Red Death!
Figura Obscura is one of my most anticipated releases whenever a new figure drops. The Masque of The Red Death is the fifth figure included in the line which specializes in bringing the worlds of legends and lore, literature and more to figure form. We’ve already seen holiday-lore centric figures like Krampus, Father Christmas and The Headless Horsemen. Masque is the second literary figure following Sun Wukong The Monkey King. From their website:
Death comes for everyone. Riches and power and noble birth mean little to the cold embrace of the grave. In death all are equal, and none can escape its touch.
First published in 1842, Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death” is a Gothic fiction that relates the tale of a horrible plague and a group of wealthy nobles’ doomed attempt to escape from this dreaded disease. Of course, trying to hide from death is impossible, and the end is never in question, for as the final line of the short story states – And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all.
The Red Death is only vaguely described in Poe’s short story, leaving The Horsemen with a near blank canvas on which to create their grotesque masterpiece. Red Death is shrouded in tattered red robes. A skeletal facemask with blood running down from the cheekbone peers out from beneath a red hood. Removing the ornately decorated blood red mask reveals a gaping void of nothing. A nice Easter Egg if you’re familiar with Poe’s short. The figure itself is corpselike with one exposed necrotic arm with a bloody red hand. It’s a simple yet effective look. The wired soft goods are once again provided by CJESIM and effectively convey a peasant’s robes. The red hood gives me Mumm-Ra The Ever-Living vibes. I imagine someone in the Legions community will be turning out a custom very soon.
From an accessory standpoint you get four sets of hands, a dagger and a beautifully decorated ebony grandfather clock that stands on a pool of blood. The detail work on the grandfather clock is incredible. The Raven perched atop is a nice nod to Poe. The clock is a great addition and really helps tell the story of The Red Death. It’ll provide excellent figure photography and display options.
The packaging is once again a highlight of the offering featuring artwork by the amazing Nate Baertsch. The fact this Figura Obscura was inspired by an Edgar Allan Poe short story also presented The Horsemen with an opportunity to take that amazing artwork and create a mini comic with a reprinting of Masque. It’s a great addition. One that I hope they continue to provide on the Figura Obscura releases. They’ve always provided a great bio on the website for each release. To have that bio or excerpts from the bio, or short stories like Masque with the artist’s work as the backdrop would be something I’d look forward to as much as I would the incredible figures.
Overall, I’m really pleased with Red Death. The Horsemen’s quality never disappoints. Their figures capture my imagination and inspire my creativity. I could spend hours taking pictures of Red Death and still find a new angle or little detail to highlight. It’s elegant and gruesome. You want to look away but it draws you in until the darkness and decay creeps in. Red Death has arrived just in time to hold illimitable dominion over 31 Days of Horror and I couldn’t be happier.
