Neca Ultimate Flasher Gremlin review

Go back a decade or so, Neca toys made figures more akin to statues: articulation kept to a minimum for the sake of preserving the integrity of the body sculpt and high quality paint apps because it wasn’t like the adult collectors were going to play with them. But time moves on, attitudes change, and collectors want more articulation-in no small part due to the rising popularity in toy photography (aka the part of Instagram that isn’t D-list celebrities on their holiday, or animal abuse) and over the years Neca figures have gone from glorified statues to fully articulated action figures with the same level of detail that put them on the map. So it’s no surprise Neca would revisit characters they made figures of in the past with added articulation and new accessories with their “ultimates" line. So avert your eyes,  and warn the neighbourhood watch: the flasher's back!

Neca Toony Terrors Ash review

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Neca toys are well known for their well detailed action figures based on cult sci-fi and horror films aimed at adult collectors. So it’s a bit a departure for Neca to introduce the “Toony Terrors”, a line of horror figures based on popular and classic horror movies but using a design that looks more at home in an episode of Scooby-Doo than on a shelf of high end collectables. So I went and ordered one of the line's latest figures, Ash from Evil Dead 2. Will it be a fun, new kind of retro style toy, or will it turn out to be a cynical cash-in that should be locked away in a cabin in the woods? It’s time this meddling reviewer found out.

London Toy Fair 2020: Neca, Mezco, Cobi

That's London Toy Fair 2020 wrapped up. But not before I show a mixed bag of extra stuff I saw courtesy of Star Images, who distribute Neca and Mezco products (amongst others) to the UK. On display were the yet to be released Warriors four-pack in Mezco's 1:12 line, as well as the 1:12 Freddy Krueger. Another figure yet to see UK shelves is Neca's "ultimate" Pinhead and the retro style Candyman.  Also there was a new brand of building block toy from a Polish company, Cobi, that specialised in World War 2 era planes and battleships (and the titanic), and some tank sets branded with the mobile game World of Tanks.

Neca Ultimate Gamer Gremlin review

You gotta hand it to Neca, they know how to get the most from the Gremlins line. OK, they've not made every Gremlin from the two movies (hello, Greta or the veggie gremlin) but who else would of made the electricity or the spider gremlin?And, as of late,  they've really tried to get the most into the scant releases there's been. This isn't a  re-release to squeeze more juice (or whatever that yellow stuff is that comes out of a gremlin) out of a previously made figure. As part of its "ultimate" line, Neca has updated the base gremlin with a bunch of accessories to kit out your army builders.  so turn on all the lights, check all the closets and cupboards, look under all the beds, 'cause you can never tell. There just might a gamer gremlin in your house.

Out for a country stroll