1. Yes
2. Blank... or a characterized Pig with a top hat, tux, and a monocle.
3. I think it needs to be a variety of things. Pirates seems to be dwindling, zombies doesn't seem too appealing for kids, but it must appeal to 7-12 year olds (as Lobsterman stated). Something that could stand out in a shelf filled with other action figures; usually kids are limited to $20~$30 at a toy store (excluding birthdays or similar occasions) and assuming the bank would retail at $20 your asking the kid to choose that one 'bank' over possibly 2~4 actions figures from his favorite tv show/cartoon/etc.
The first thing I would consider is color then find the right character to fit that color... never mind I think I lost my point.