Beauty and the Beast is a classic story that is both loved and criticized. Stockholm Syndrome, anyone? But if you put the critical eye under a patch, you can begin to relax and simply enjoy the interesting characters and touching storyline.
Two standout characters from the film are Lumiere (Jerry Orbach) and Cogsworth (David Ogden Stiers). So be my guest as we take a look at these two frenemies as depicted from the Disney Showcase Collection as imagined by Miss Mindy and produced by Enesco… made in China:
It’s obvious early on in the movie that these opposites, although not attracted to each other, are certainly more appreciative of each other than they would ever admit! Just look at those smiles and winks.
Again, we see Enesco producing standard boxes that vary only in size from one another, but in every other way are identical.
Who is Miss Mindy? From the Miss Mindy website: “Miss Mindy creates in her home studio in Eagle Rock, CA. ‘Cartoon Folk Art’ is how many describe her work due to the old-timey feel, big eyes, and exaggerated proportions.” And now you know!
I think the style of Miss Mindy really suits Lumiere due to his flirty personality and bigger-than-life theatrics.
Each box, although the same in design, does have a label on the side to identify the character within.
I like the simplicity of the sculpt here. From the back the detail is scaled down but still beautiful.
On to the second of our Dynamic Duo:
Here is where I think the Miss Mindy style fails the character a bit. Cogsworth isn’t really known for happy or cheeky moods, rather tending towards tense and argumentative. And this can be a problem when an artist interprets Disney characters into their signature style (think also of Jim Shore or Romero Britto). Some characters will yield themselves very well to the treatment while others… no so much!
I really like the added detail for Cogsworth, especially from behind, where we get to see the woodgrain, winding key, and other accouterments.
And labels like this are how I manage not to share my toys… er, collectibles, with children who visit my home. Yes, I’ve always had a problem with sharing!
This line is quite extensive and expensive! I picked these two examples up for 50% off at a moving sale for a local collectibles retailer. Otherwise, they would not be a part of my collection!
If you can say nothing else about this line of figurines, it’s that they are not ‘gloomy or complaining’ but rather ‘bubbling and brewing’. Now if you’ll just shout “Enough, I’m done!” I’ll be able to end this post…
Thank you!
