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Toys & Collectibles

Are We Not Men? NECA Limited Edition “Apes” Lawgiver Statue

planet of the apes, neca action figures, lawgiver statue
NECA’s Lawgiver Statue strikes an imposing vision over their stunning Ape City diorama
Dear (Juris) Prudence…
The extraordinary sculpt work produced for NECA’s (National Entertainment Collectibles Association) classic Planet of the Apes (1968) action figures truly imbues them with the personality of their on-screen analogs and is what makes them some of my favorite collectibles. This week the toy company brings another key piece to original PotA fans in the form of the The Lawgiver Statue. The visage of the wizened orangutan was featured at NECA’s New York International Toy Fair 2015 booth as part of the jaw dropping diorama pictured below.
planet of the apes, neca action figures, lawgiver statue
At Toy Fair 15, NECA presented an amazing setting for their classic “Planet of the Apes” action figures.
Goin’ to Ape City, Gonna Have Some Fun…
At a foot tall, the highly detailed resin statue is scaled proportionally to the toy maker’s classic Apes 6” action figures. As you can see it is a perfect compliment to any Ape City tableau. Word to the wise…, it’s expressly limited to a single run of 1700 pieces.
planet of the apes, neca action figures, lawgiver statue, maurice evans, dr. zaius
NECA’s 6″ Dr. Zaius action figure doles out a few rules of his own.

SkeletonPete Says…
As an early teen “monster kid” I well remember the Lawgiver statue being a prominent prop in publicity shots of actor Maurice Evans sporting make-up man John Chambers’ then state of the art prosthetics. I was apparently impressed enough to paint this fairly large Dr. Zaius portrait which I recently discovered during a home basement “dig.”
planet of the apes, neca action figures, lawgiver statue, maurice evans, dr. zaius
Dr. Zaius publicity photo inspired this teenage artistic endeavor.

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Categories
Film & Television Series Toys & Collectibles

Too Much Monkey Business: NECA Shapes “Apes” Series 1

NECA's 7" Caesar, King of the Apes Action Figure
NECA’s 7″ Caesar, King of the Apes Action Figure

Mr. Mojo Risin’…
20th Century Fox’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes opens July 11, 2014 and early reviews are promising a spectacular addition to the solid reboot of the much loved franchise. I will admit that after the misstep of the 2001 “re-imagining” by Tim Burton I was skeptical about future films, but the James Franco and Andy Serkis performances in 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes won me over and I have been looking forward to this sequel.

Since the denoument of the original 1968 film revealed the apes’ planet to be Earth itself, the question was always “how did we get there.” “Rise” and “Dawn” tell that story in a thoughtful and effective narrative. A third, currently untitled, installment is set for summer 2016.


Sneak peaked at last winter’s New York Toy Fair, NECA Toys already has their first wave of articulated action figures on the shelves. Series 1 includes 6 inch renditions of Caesar, Koba and Maurice. Each comes with interchangeable hands and appropriate weapons. Check out NECA’s site for some really great posed studio shots of these three.
Dr. Zaius, as played by the late Maurice Evans, is perfectly portrayed as part of NECA's Classic "Planet of the Apes" Series 1.
Dr. Zaius, as played by the late Maurice Evans, is perfectly portrayed as part of NECA’s Classic “Planet of the Apes” Series 1.

Classy Classics…
NECA is also poised to release beautiful likenesses of the original film characters this month. Planet of the Apes Classic Series 1 includes 7 inch Cornelius, Dr. Zaius and an armed Gorilla Soldier.

Skeletonpete Says…
Follow NECA on Twitter for their #monkeymonday communiques and news about their other great collectibles.