Worker: "Uh, what does it do? Phineas: "That's the beauty part! It does absolutely nothing! Now it can be anything we want!" |
Perry the Inaction Figure is a wooden toy that is modeled after Perry. Phineas and Ferb pitch the toy idea to the Har-D-Har toy makers and it becomes a huge hit.
History[]
Development[]
The inspiration for this toy came when Phineas and Ferb visited their sister on the first day of her new job at the Har D Har Toy Store in the Googolplex Mall. Candace unenthusiastically tried to sell them a Shimmy Jimmy. Phineas assessed that it "seems like that would get old real quick". Candace sarcastically proclaimed, "Like you geniuses could make a better toy," which gave Phineas the idea to do such. So the boys headed over to Shermin's Hardware to build the toy. During the design, Phineas realized that what they need is "a toy so stupidly simple, so basically bland, so idiotically uncomplicated, that it can do absolutely anything."
Presentation[]
Hailed as "It's fresh, it's new, it's incredibly hip. Soon to be the biggest hit of the new toy season, Perry... the Platypus", the toy had its skeptics amongst the board members. Phineas was able to quickly win most of them over. "That's the beauty part! It does absolutely nothing! Now it can be anything we want!" Ferb demonstrated several things that could be done with it: pretending it was an airplane, a race car, bucking bronco, or even as a dance partner for a tango.
The head of the company, J.B., was very enthusiastic: "We could promise the moon without really promising anything!" The one person that objected to it was quickly dispatched into a pit hungry animals that quickly gobbled him up. The replacement "yes man" quickly added his approval, then asked, "What are we talking about?"
Production[]
A visit to the Har D Har factory revealed that the workers were not very motivated by their work. A quick remodel of the factory and the production line improved the employees' morale, and introduced some unconventional manufacturing methods that are comparable to Willy Wonka's factory.
Marketing[]
The "yes man" tried to jazz up the marketing campaign, coming up with posters for "Perry the Atomic Super Platypus", "The Mad Marauding Marsupial of Death" and "Secret Agent Perry Platypus". Each proposal was vetoed by Phineas and Ferb, who instead provided their own poster for "Perry the Platypus Inaction Figure. It does nothing!"
Later that day, Agent P landed in a trash bin containing other variations on his likeness. They include "Atomio Platypus", "Atomic Platypus", "Perry Noir", one misspelled as "Sceert Ocint Perry", and a figure wearing pajamas with a picture of a red toy space pistol on the front.
During the commercial for Perry the Inaction Figure, sixteen different backgrounds are shown, and the commercial makes note that "exotic backgrounds are not included". The backgrounds were:
- Purple, pink and green stars
- A western picture with a cowboy on a horse at the top of a mesa ( "The Magnificent Few")
- A fashion show catwalk ("Run Away Runway")
- Ice fishing
- In a room with randomly-shaped rectangles in shades of purple
- Standing on the sand in the boys' backyard ( "Lawn Gnome Beach Party of Terror")
- A desert scene reminiscent of Arches National Park in Utah
- Inside the boys' room
- The boys' backyard in front of their tree
- A field of flowers with a huge rainbow
- A jungle with a snake in a tree
- A ski resort ( "S'Winter")
- Blue background with overlapping blue ovals and the ever-present triangles
- A Mr. Slushy Burger stand in the Danville woods
- On the surface of the moon (with the ever-present triangles visible on the surface of the moon)
- The United States flag
At the official Har D Har Toy Store in the Googolplex Mall, the marketing included posting the toy's logo in the window, and having its employees wear a platypus costume. A poster in the back of the store is also understated, simply showing a picture of the toy with the caption "Platypus!" underneath ("Toy to the World").
Appearances[]
- "Toy to the World" (first appearance)
- "Tri-Stone Area"
- "Backyard Hodge Podge" (cameo)
- "O.W.C.A. Files" (cameo)
Gallery[]
Initial designs[]
Final design[]
Background Information[]
- It is probably a good thing that Phineas and Ferb didn't use the "Secret Agent Perry Platypus" toy as Perry's cover might have been blown. But Phineas may have been able to tell that it was Perry, seeing that he can easily distinguish Perry from other platypodes. ("Oh, There You Are, Perry")
- Technically, Ferb could not have tangoed with the inaction figure if the arms were attached with screws, which would only allow the toy very limited motion.
- This toy relies on the same properties as old toys, letting children use their imagination to let the toy come to life, not animatronics.
- When a child buys an inaction figure, all the toys have their face on the underside and are sitting upright. This is impossible with its design.
- Candace didn't realize it was based on Perry until she saw the news on the spectacular new toy.
- The toy's arms are orange, like Perry's bill and feet, despite the fact that Perry's arms are actually teal, like the rest of his body.
- A Perry the Inaction Figure toy is seen in Perry's destroyed lair in "O.W.C.A. Files".
Real World[]
- On August 14, 2010, local Disney Stores held a "Make a Perry the Platypus Inaction Figure" event. The kit was made of cardboard, and plastic. There were two sessions, and before each session "Toy to the World" was played.
- In this episode "Tri-Stone Area", the Inaction Figure was seen during the photo animation with Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh.
- An Inaction Figure is used as a hood ornament on the portable stage used in "Phineas and Ferb's Rockin' Rollin' Dance Party" at Disney California Adventure.
Previous: Shimmy Jimmy |
Har D Har Toy | Next: Brick |
Previous: Space-Laser-inator |
Big Ideas | Next: Bigfoot |