Reviewing only the newest of new toys!
Jakks Pacific first released Simpsons action figures in the middle of 2024 - but I didn't get them because I confused Jakks with Jazwares, and Jazwares is bad. No stores anywhere seemed to get anything beyond that first series (Homer, Bart, Otto, Groundskeeper Willie), so I assumed the line was another non-starter. So imagine my surprise when I learned there had actually been multiple series already, and that they were suddenly starting to show up in Q4 2025! Target was for some reason putting out toys that were supposed to have been released like a year prior. But the important thing is that those figures were finally available, and so I decided to give the line a try.
I never got a normal Marge from Playmates' World of Springfield line: just Giftsmas Marge and Witch Marge. So when I saw this figure on the peg, I decided to add to the existing family and give her a chance.
Unlike McFarlane Toys or Super7, Jakks Pacific is making their Simpsons toys in the same, roughly 4.5"-scale, as Playmates' action figures. (That's good!)
But unlike NECA, who also did their toys in the same scale as Playmates', Jakks is giving theirs full articulation. (That's even better!)
The sculpt is impressive. Yes, this is based on the cartoon, so the design isn't very complex, but there's more to it than just making sure the eyes are the right size, or figuring out how to turn her hair into 3D. Since the Playmates figures famously didn't have much articulation, Marge's legs were one solid piece, but here the lower edge of her dress is a PVC slip over plastic legs beneath, meaning there's a conspicuous slit up the sides. However, the toy nicely duplicates Marge's stoop-shouldered, slumping posture, which does a lovely job of making her look like the show.
As we said, these modern toys have the benefit
of articulation - what a concept! Marjorie moves at the ankles, knees, hips, wrists, elbows, shoulders, and neck, an ammount that was unthinkable the last time The Simpsons had a successful toyline. Her dress by necessity blocks the legs from doing very much, but even "not very much" is more than "nothing at all." Clearly the inclusion of joints breaks up the smooth lines of the sculpt more than solid limbs would, but we're willing to make that tradeoff for a Simpsons toy that can actually move. Still, how sad are you that you'll never be able to get Marge in her krumping pose?
This line has been pretty good about giving the figures accessories, but Marge doesn't get any - not even a potato! She does, however, share space in the box with Maggie Simpson, meaning this is the line's first two-pack.
When Playmates made a Maggie, she was also included with Marge: they both came with the Family Living Room playset. But given her size and the way the toys were made in the year 2000, her only point of articulation was a swivel neck. 25 years later, though? Swivel neck, swivel/hinge shoulders, and a balljointed waist. All on a figure that's only 2" tall! She's wearing her formless blue sack, of course, but it's sculpted so we can tell she's attempting to walk inside it, with one leg farther forward than the other.
This line does suffer from that normal action figure problem, where kids are made too big in comparison to the adults. But judging by official size charts, Maggie is close to how big she should be, but still decidedly oversized - when standing up, the tips of her hair-spikes should be slightly below Marge's fingertips, which does mean Maggie is at least more in-scale than Bart or Lisa are. Way to go, kiddo! Still, losing, like, a quarter-inch would have been an improvement.
Jakks Pacific's Simpsons line is apparently more successful than it appeared to be. The first series never went anywhere, but they're reportedly about to do Series 6 - convenient that Series 3 finally made it to stores now, eh? These new toys don't blend in with the older ones perfectly, the way NECA's did, because the style isn't a direct intentional copy of what was done a quarter-century ago; but it's very close, so these toys should have appeal even to fans who were collecting all the way back then. In short? I just think they're neat!
-- 01/04/26
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