Hogan’s Heroes

In the early 1960s Bing Crosby Productions proposed to CBS a new comedy series based on the movie Stalag 13.

It featured a group of Allied prisoners at a German POW camp who ran a covert operation under the nose of the Nazi.

The series starred the one-time The Donna Reed show supporting character Bob Crane as Colonel Robert Hogan.

He led a ragtag group of misfits who constantly thwarted the Nazi; especially the camp’s Commander Colonel Wilhelm Klink and the bumbling Sergeant Hans Schultz.

I got excited when Sideshow Collectibles announced it were going to do classic TV series’ figures.  Sideshow also released some Twilight Zone and Outer Limit figures.  Unfortunately it looks thy were the last of the classic TV series characters.

Three figures were released in the Hogan’s Heroes series: Klink, Hogan and Schultz.

I’ll start with my favorite figure of the set: Sergeant Schultz.  There’s just something about this big, round and cuddly version of a Nazi POW prison guard that makes him lovable as portrayed by actor John Banner.

He certainly doesn’t look threatening.  In the TV series Schultz was a toystore owner who got drafted into the Nazi military.  He didn’t like being a soldier and really wished no harm to anyone-including the prisoners.

Still he knew his duty and tried his best to keep order in the camp.  Of course it didn’t help that he was a sucker for sweets and good food and was easily fooled.

If he did see something suspicious he would utter, “I know nothing, nothing!”

One of the most difficult things to sculpt is an overweight person.  Too often artists will unintentionally overemphasis a person’s girth and when sculpted a figure will look almost comical and unreal.

It’s important to know that underneath all that fat are muscles and bones.  The figure has weight (pardon the pun) and how the weight is distributed on the bones and muscles when sculpted will make or break a figure.

Sideshow has successfully duplicated Sgt. Hans Schultz considerable mass and did so a very good likeness with its 12-figure of him.

While it is obvious the Schultz figure has a few extra pounds on him his outfit is neither tight nor pulling at its seams and stitches.

The long green trench coat fits comfortably on the figure with plenty of room with no strained folds form the arms and shoulders and it drapes comfortably over Schultz’s potbelly.

His size is depicted in ore subtle ways such as with the coat’s slight oversize look that over emphasizes the figure’s weight.

A large brown leather belt with pouches sits slightly high on the figure above the waist.

Doing so makes it obvious that the belt is not so much to hold up Schultz’s pants or secure his coat but to keep the coat snug around his waist and to keep it closed thus revealing his girth.

The double breasted, high, fold over collar has yellow sergeant stripes and a double row of silver buttons down its front.

Large pockets with flaps are just below the belt and covers Schultz’s under jacket with small collar with stripes and flat buttons.

The inner jacket has shoulder decorations with buttons, several eagle insignia, medals and breast and lower pockets with flaps.

The figure also wears deep green slacks that end just below its knees above the black infantry boots that cover most of the figure’s lower legs.

The belt has a military insignia buckle and four leather pouches with strap over lids.

A Nazi pith helmet with insignia is included along with a long barrel, bolt action rifle with shoulder strap, a base with a Hogan’s Heroes logo and wire figure support complete the set.

Schultz’s face is a perfect match to its human inspiration.

Schultz’s characteristic, blond, close cropped hair, large eyebrows, thick brow, deep set blue eyes, pug nose, Hitler mustache and puckered mouth and round face are all Schultz.

His hands easily hold his rifle.  The figure is fully articulated and stands and/or poses with or without the stand and wire support.

Schultz comes in Sideshow’s flip cover box with clear plastic viewing panel and cocoon. and is decorated with photos of the figure and shots from the show featuring Schultz.

The Col. Wilhelm Klink figure looks exactly like the inept and easily duped Commander of the POW Camp Hogan and his men are incarcerated in.

The figure’s bald head with hair on each side of its face, long nose, dimwitted expression and its straight lips capture the look of the Colonel as portrayed by Werner Klemperer.  He even wears a monocle.

Articulation is tight making the figure easy to pose.  Look for full movement in all of its joints, neck and torso.

Klink is attired in a white shirt with tie, full Colonel jacket with collar and chest medals and insignia, two upper and lower pockets with flaps and buttons, five silver buttons running vertically and shoulder epaulettes.

The figure also wears flared riding trousers that end just below the knees and heavy black knee boots.

Included with the figure are a stand and support wire, a riding crop, a decorated cap and a long green trench coat with a double row of silver buttons, fur collar and pockets.

The clothes fit and move realistically on the figure with no binding or pulling of the fabric.  Wrinkles and folds look natural and the figure moves easily within the clothes with no restrictions.

The Col. Robert Hogan figures look like the actor Robert Crane who portrayed the character.  With his chiseled features, cheek dimples and strong chin, dark hair and eyebrows, smirk and amused eyes the figure captures Hogan’s facial expression.

The Colonel wears a khaki colored shirt with an open collar with buttons, pockets, a leather jacket with zipper and two pockets with flaps and turned up lower cloth lining at the waist and on the sleeves.

He wears dark brown slacks with dark brown, laced shoes and comes with his characteristic military cap with insignia.

A base and wire supported is provided along with one of the props from the show: the radio receiver coffeepot with inner canister/speaker and lid.

Both the Klink and Hogan figures come in the same type of box as the Schultz figure.  Figure articulation, clothing and color are of the same high quality.

I’ve got to say I love these figures.  Of all of the TV tie-in adaptations these are my favorite.

Sideshow hit it out the park when it comes to likenesses, outfits and accessories.