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EN 
Series: Bravestarr
Year: 1986
Allegiance: Evil
Prelude: If you are a true 1980s cartoon villain, not only do you need a proper evil laugh and a horde of bumbling minions to do your bidding, you also need a really weird vehicle for yourself. Be it a flying snake throne, a skull-shaped helicopter, or, in case of Bravestarr baddy Tex Hex, a weird walker with a cow skull on top. So here we have Tex Hex, chief outlaw of New Texas, and his weird Skullwalker. Let’s say bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Tex Hex: As is often the case, the bad guy of a cartoon toy line is more or less a dark mirror image of the good guy. So where Marshall Bravestarr is a good cowboy dressed in light colors, Tex Hex is an evil cowboy dressed in dark colors. The body of the figure is actually the same one used for Bravestarr, just with darker colors, slightly different gloves, and a different head. He also wears a different hat and chest harness, the latter including two removable daggers, but carries the same weapons, a handgun and a rifle, just colored golden instead of silver. My Tex Hex is missing his handgun, but otherwise he is complete.
The resemblance to the cartoon character is pretty strong, though cartoon Tex Hex was almost gaunt in appearance and had longer hair, as well as a bushier mustache. Still, you clearly recognize Tex here. The articulation is identical to Bravestarr’s, meaning pretty good, and he has the same inherent problem as Bravestarr, meaning that the figure is really too large to properly interact with any other toy line from the time.
Bottom line, though: if you have Bravestarr, you need Tex Hex.
Skullwalker: The Bravestarr line was a weird sci-fi Western series, so you had flying coaches, pulled by robotic cattle, robot horses, and mechanical walkers topped with cow skulls. The Skullwalker, Tex Hex’ vehicle of choice, is basically a huge pair of legs connected to a saddle with, as mentioned above, a cow skull on top. The walker is mostly black and the legs can be moved in a walking motion by twisting the knob on the back. The Skullwalker can also adopt a sort-of flight mode, which really just means the legs are raised, with the toes pointing forward.
Bottom line: a weird vehicle that fits perfectly into the sci-fi Western aesthetic of the Bravestarr line. Very nice.
Remarks: In many ways Tex Hex was your typical 1980s cartoon bad guy, but unlike most other 1980s cartoon bad guys, he got a proper origin story within said cartoon. An entire episode was dedicated to showing as Tex Hex before he became Stampede’s enforcer, showcasing him as (gasp!) a complex character who committed crimes, yes, but was also deeply in love with a woman. A woman who even made him turn on Stampede in the end, if but for that one episode.
Honestly, the main reason I even have this figure is because my wife figured that Bravestarr could not remain in the display case all by himself and simply bought him for me. The Skullwalker was merely a bonus. Having him now, though, I really like him and am glad he’s here. As weird as the Bravestarr toyline was in many aspects, it is still something I fondly remember from my childhood.
So bottom line: if you have fond memories of Bravestarr, too, Tex Hex and Skullwalker should please your inner child, too.
Rating: B
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