Return To The Love Shack

I may have grown up on Cactus Jack and Mankind certainly took the wrestling world by storm in the late '90s, but I will always have a special place in my heart for Dude Love. The least utilized of the "Three Faces of Foley," The Dude grew out of a character that Mick Foley created as a teen. The WWF version, who debuted in 1997, took on a more colorful vibe than Foley's original adolescent creation. This look is well represented in Mattel's recently released action figure, the first of Dude Love in over ten years.

Dude Love joins several releases of Mankind and Cactus Jack, not to mention a modern day Commissioner Foley figure. He's part of the Elite collection and definitely the highlight of his particular series. I still love the current packaging for the Elite figures. It's basically a showcase for the figure. No more, no less. Let the figures themselves do the selling. A standout figure will have no issues in that department. Dude Love does just that.

I'm still not a fan of the cheap cardboard backdrops and flimsy plastic stands that are being included with these Elites. As Mattel goes deeper into including more accessories such as alternate hand sculpts, perhaps these will be dropped altogether. They serve no purpose for children (who are going to be playing and not necessarily displaying) nor collectors who will find better ways to display. The marking advertising the backdrops is also the main detractor from the packaging and, thus, the figure.

Dude Love had several looks and shirts, but the latter portrayed here
definitely has a tinge of blue. Any fan will remember when this shirt was readily available from the company at the height of Dude Love's initial run. Dude's pants are also blue and I don't necessarily recall him wearing any other ones. Who remembers the shot of his boots "strutting" in the back just before his debut? The Summer of Love for the WWF, indeed.

Accessories included are Dude's headband and sunglasses. Like his shirt, the headband changed several times but the color scheme works. This isn't the look that is in the better remembered publicity shots, but I'm sure they took it directly from somewhere. The sunglasses stay on well enough, which is always a plus. Dude's "tattoo" is also here, which disappeared somewhere along the way. I definitely remember it in the days of Dude's short-lived segment called "The Love Shack." I must also mention how much I appreciate the inclusion of "The Love Handle," the short lived and often forgotten Dude Love version of "The Mandible Claw."

Last but not least, the facial likeness is on point. I believe that it is a completely new one for Foley, and captures Dude Love perfectly. In a year of great figures, we have another challenger for the title of best. I don't know that Mattel will give into temptation and do a Three Faces of Foley set, but I could see more of Dude down the line since he did alter his look a bit as the character went on. Needless to say, the fact that this long-awaited figure finally saw the light of day can be summed up in one word...

...groovy!