When the world seems dreary, when life seems difficult, it is a beautiful thing when a show as originally hilarious as Mike Tyson Mysteries comes along. The show was first brought to my attention during San Diego Comic Con; which is when the show got its first big promotional push!
Well, now Mike Tyson Mysteries is here, with is first several episodes having aired on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim on Monday night at 10:30 PM. Every episode is 10-15 minutes, and I am happy to say that not only does the show not disappoint, it excels in every way possible.
The premise of the show is simple; it is Mike Tyson meets Scooby Doo. Mike Tyson stars in the show, much like the Mister T cartoon of the early 1980s, but this show pokes fun at its titular character with unrestricted glee. Mike Tyson voices himself. And also solving mysteries along with him is Pigeon, a former human whose ex-wife turned him into a pigeon and he can’t be turned back. There’s The Ghost of the Marquess of Queensbury, the guy who invented the modern rules of boxing. And then there is Yung Hee, Mike Tyson’s fictitious adopted daughter who was left on Mike Tyson’s doorstep when she was a child. In each episode, Mike Tyson gets a message from one of his pet pigeons, not to be confused with the human-Pigeon mentioned earlier. And the four of them race to their Mystery-Mobile, raring to solve the hilarious mystery of the week!
As soon as the show was announced in July, I did some minor investigating to see if there was going to be any merchandise to go along with the launch of the show. I was very pleased to see that the toy company “Bif Bang Pow!” made very clever, well-done toys of Mike Tyson, as portrayed in the series. There are two versions of Mike Tyson that are being released, one with boxing gloves and one without. The one without boxing gloves features Mike wearing a hoodie, while the other is a jacket without a hood. The one that I received is without boxing gloves.
Iron Mike also comes to the world of toys as this retro Mike Tyson Mysteries Mike Tyson 8-Inch Action Figure from Bif Bang Pow! Featuring Tyson’s trademark tattoo on his face and a rich blue-and-white cloth sweatsuit with boots. This 8-Inch Action Figure is a must-buy from Bif Bang Pow! Like I said earlier, the alternative is a Mike Tyson Mysteries Mike Tyson with Boxing Gloves 8-Inch Action Figure – Convention Exclusive, with stuffed red vinyl boxing gloves. But honestly, the boxing gloves don’t make Mike Tyson look more menacing, so as I said, I highly recommend the basic action figure of Mike Tyson. But hey, you can always get both! Each action figure boasts multiple points of articulation and a retro style reminiscent of the best-selling action figures of the 1970s and 1980s. Limited quantities available before the holidays, each with this MSRP of only $24.99!
The Mike Tyson figure is as highly-detailed as the marketing depicts. Mike is not constricted from massive movement, despite being covered in the cloth that makes up his Mike Tyson Mysteries attire. Mike Tyson is designed with old-school soft plastic, just like the He-Man figures of old, where if you squeeze Mike Tyson’s head, it will actually constrict. But the rest of the toy is built with strong plastic, with articulation where you really want your figure; in the elbows, arms, knees, waste, and legs. The character is very limber, so if you want to see Mike Tyson do the splits, go for it!
The figure is an otherwise perfect reflection of how Mike Tyson looks in his animated series, but the real mystery is why there is no question mark on his sweatsuit. But maybe this is Mike Tyson asking us to get into all the fun from his show so we would inquire about his mysterious missing emblem. There haven’t been any official announcements yet, but there are photos on the front and back of the action figure card with pictures of The Marquess of Queensbury and Yung Hee, implying that there are action figures of these characters on the way!
I can’t recommend this figure enough. The fact this it exists is unbelievable to fathom. But to have such a well-made figure of a product that is so mind-blowingly amazing makes this toy worth every penny! (But for all completests out there, my true recommendation is to get both figures!)