Animal Collective – a 28th series of CMF photo review

Animal costumes have popped up here and there in CMF (Collectible Minifigures) series before, but they were usually isolated cases (google the phrase “CMF costume fan”). The newest, 28th CMF series is made up entirely of such “costume fans,” and it offers a cross-section of practically all vertebrate groups (with the exception of Cyclostomata — but trust me, we really don’t want a lamprey minifigure, for example); from fish, through amphibians, reptiles, and birds, all the way to mammals — the closest to us (and the most numerous in this series).

Such a fundamentally homogeneous theme required, in my opinion, a slightly different approach. So I looked at each minifigure and thought about which other figure it reminded me of. And in this photo review, I tried to follow each and every first association.

Some of them are obvious, some a bit less so, and some are (quite literally) out of this world!

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Peacock Costume

Series 28 starts on a high note with the peacock itself — one of the most ornamental birds. My association here followed the trail of elements. The peacock shares its tail mold with an earlier minifigure — the turkey. The emotional tone was also fairly straightforward: jealousy of the peacock’s beautiful feathers and colors. Even the turkey’s face expression fit perfectly, as if it had been created specifically for this duo!

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Fluffy Cat Costume

Admittedly, a more obvious companion for this minifigure might have been the Cat Costume Girl from series 18, but my thoughts drifted toward the earlier, 27th series and the Cat Lover minifigure. Because how could they not? A small story of fascination immediately emerged here… with cats? With a person? Or perhaps with knitting together?

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Goldfish Costume

This adorable minifigure is my favorite in the series — the head and tail molds are spot on. On top of that, the minifigure shares the same head as the Mushroom Sprite from series 25.
In this case, my association dove into the dark depths of the ocean, all the way to the Barracuda Guardian minifigure from the Atlantis set 7978-1. I found this pairing particularly interesting. And the story? Just read the caption under the photo…

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Monkey Costume

“Monkey business” was my first association here — but business with a twist, because someone clearly cheated the monkey! Interestingly, it’s the Gorilla Suit Guy from CMF series 3, who doesn’t seem to have very comfortable working conditions, unlike his younger colleague, who apparently negotiated a much better deal.

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Frog Costume

The frog is my second favorite minifigure in this series, right after the goldfish. There are many possible ideas here (and I’ll probably return to some of them), but this time my first association flew far into outer space. More precisely, to the Alien Pilot minifigure from the Alien Conquest theme and the UFO Abduction set 7052.
Is this a chance close encounter of the third kind, or did the frog costume guy plan everything? Maybe one day we’ll find out… After all, the truth is out there.

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Koala Costume

The koala is a very charming subject — especially when one of its facial expressions shows it in deep sleep, with eyes covered by a sleep mask and a suggestive “ZZZZ” print. Instinctively, I paired this figure with the Conservationist from CMF series 24, and a small story from a koala reserve emerged, with the reserve’s mascot playing the main role…

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Dog Costume

I was surprised myself by the direction my thoughts went when I saw this dog. Because it wasn’t 101 Dalmatians — it was Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. After all, it can’t be a coincidence that this good boy is named Spot…

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Crocodile Costume

Crocodiles are unlucky creatures — their similar, though unrelated reptilian cousins, dinosaurs and dragons, steal most of the spotlight. But let’s not shed crocodile tears for them. Together with the Lizard Man from CMF series 5, they’ll cause so much chaos as kaiju that they’re sure to grab our attention!
Spiky backs unite!

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Dolphin Costume

Dolphins are cool! The designers of this minifigure clearly knew that, giving it an awesome pair of sunglasses. In such an outfit, this character is guaranteed to make a splash at the beach. My first association wasn’t an orca at all, but the Shark Suit Guy from CMF series 15. True, the tail fin layout is different, but the color is similar — and so is the vibe. With such a duo, jaws will definitely drop all along the beach!

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Cute Bunny Costume

When you put a beautifully decorated Easter egg into the hands of a cute bunny minifigure, it’s hard for associations to go anywhere beyond Easter themes. So I reached for set 5005249 Easter Bunny and Egg to create this small father-and-child scene.

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Lion Costume

The lion looks impressive with its massive headpiece and tail, and that’s exactly the trail I followed — all the way to… Hogwarts! That was my first association: Luna Lovegood from the second Harry Potter CMF series, dressed in her lion costume. This way, Gryffindor gains a new mascot — and 50 points!

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Parrot Costume

Last but not least — the parrot. It’s a pity that the tips of this figure’s wings aren’t green and the beak isn’t yellow; then it would match perfectly with the iconic parrot from the classic Pirates sets. Because pirates were my very first association. And since the parrot is quite large, it’s loud enough to scare even Captain Brickbeard himself!

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Summary

The 28th CMF series is a collection of interesting and genuinely inspiring minifigures, although when viewed as a whole, it could use a bit more color — white, green, various shades of brown, and of course yellow dominate the palette. Still, this menagerie has plenty of potential for fun and creative photos!

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