The Roger and Jessica Rabbit Magnetic Salt And Pepper Shakers by Westland Giftware was teased way back in February of 2013. The release was scheduled for summer, but these didn't start showing up for sale until around November. It was a long wait for anyone hoping to add this too their collection - or to their kitchen. Do these live up to expectation? Read on to find out!
Westland Giftware gave us all a big surprised in the form of Who Framed Roger Rabbit merchandise in 2013. The previously reviewed Jessica Rabbit Cookie Jar is something fun and worth having if you're a fan who'd like to see her in the kitchen rather than only sitting on a display shelf. It's been a very long time since Jessica Rabbit housewares had been available. Disney Auctions did offer their own Limited Edition cookie jar of Roger, Jessica and Benny the Cab. There was also a set of salt and pepper shakers with Roger and Jessica, making this Westland set the second to ever be released.
Much like the cookie jar, the Westland Giftware Salt and Pepper shakers come in a colorful box featuring a dark blue Toontown skyline with Roger and Jessica on the corner. They are packed well in a plastic shell and also have the same tag that came with the cookie jar.
We'll start with Jessica and get the most obvious out of the way - her eye. It is pretty off and looks as though she's staring into your soul. The eye makeup and brow also are not as nicely painted as in the preview photo. The hair is also a bit darker than it should be. Her hair is about the same color as Roger. That said, the rest of the shaker is great from the neck down. This pose is actually from the
Scenes Of Jessica Pin Set. Jessica is sitting on top of a black and white film strip (a good choice rather than having her stand) and is holding a microphone. She's got one legs crossed over the other - and showing a lot of leg as always. The film strip wraps all the way around the back, acting as a seat for her to sit on and also more space to fill with. The strip has a bit of a gray wash to it, adding some dimension rather than being flat white. The paint is a bit uneven, but this really isn't a showpiece. This is something for everyday use.
Roger fares much better. He looks like he should with all the correct colors - though he's missing the green patch around his tail. Roger is sitting on top of the film strip also but we have the
Who Framed Roger Rabbit logo underneath. As with the Jessica Cookie Jar, the logo appears to be some sort of printed transfer and is not painted by hand. This is a better option since the details would be too small to paint on this shaker. My only concern for roger is that he could someday lose and ear during his adventures in the kitchen. I think that ear could have also been bent over like the other one for a bit more security.
These shakers don't simply sit together - the set is magnetic. The magnets are between the couple on the film strip. When placed together, the magnet has a very firm grip and should keep the two sturdily together in place. A for the salt and pepper holes, Roger has two on his back above his tail and Jessica has three on the back of her hair. It seems for here in the US, the salt is filled into the shaker with less holes, and pepper is filled into the one with more holes. This seems to vary everywhere you turn though, so there's no set rule on which one you can fill with which seasoning. I've not tested these yet, but the holes appear large enough for both the salt and pepper to come out easily, but it would appear the pepper might be better suited for Jessica.
At the very bottom of the shakers you will see the rubber stopper to remove for filling. The stoppers takes a little careful working to get out so you'll want to be careful when doing that. They are both about 4 inches in height and made of a sturdy ceramic. Each shaker is also stamped with the Disney/Amblin mark - and I noticed that the date is 1987. The movie was released in 1988 but the merchandise released in the early days of the movie was usually marked with '87. After that most merchandise used 1988. The correct date should be when the copyright was put into place, which would most likely make it 1987.
This was not the only the only magnetic salt and pepper shaker set to be released by Westland Giftware. Another set featured Roger and Benny the Cab. The Jessica Rabbit Cookie Jar was the only one released and was the second jar released of her, but the first to feature only her. There were also water globes released, one featuring Roger and Jessica out for a spin with Benny the Cab titled
Road Trip and one globe of Roger by himself standing on stage.
Westland Giftware has an extensive license with characters from The Nightmare Before Christmas, Popeye, Scooby Doo, The Flintstones and the Disney Villains.
The Roger and Jessica Rabbit Magnetic Salt and Pepper Shakers gets a 3½. They are very cute and certainly made to be used and enjoyed. However, Jessica's face could have matched that of the promotional photos released. There are some uneven paint lines but for the price and purpose this is still a great set to have in your home.
Jessica Rabbit Cookie Jar
