Categories
Toys & Collectibles

Green With Envy: Mezco Lagoon Creature Living Dead Doll Revealed @ NYTF 2014

Mezco Toyz, Living Dead Doll rendering of The Creature From the Black Lagoon at the New York Toy Fair 2014
Mezco Toyz, Living Dead Doll rendering of The Creature From the Black Lagoon at the New York Toy Fair 2014

It was great to get an early look at Mezco Toyz’ newest products as outlined in my previous post. Even so, one key piece was missing from the 2014 press preview. The prototype for the upcoming Creature From the Black Lagoon Living Dead Doll was not on view. With the catalog photo as a tantalizing tease I was dying to see it “in the flesh,” but it was unclear if “the creach” would be ready for exhibiting. As you might guess I was thrilled to find him grandly displayed, arms outstretched in his classic pose, at Mezco’s Toy Fair booth today. Now I’m dying to own one.
Mezco_Creature_LLD14_02
I’m a fan of Mezco’s stylized spin on iconic figures and I think they’ve done a fabulous job of translating the scaly stalker into an LDD. I love how this sculpt manages to imbue the monster with the Living Dead Dolls’ signature child-like look without blunting its inherent menace. The Creature’s amphibian “jumpsuit” covers a fully articulated body approximately 8 inches tall. I think this is easily my favorite of the LDD Universal Monster series so far.

Creach collectors can look to Fall of 2014 for its release.
Mezco_Creature_LLD14_03

Categories
Toys & Collectibles

New World Ardor… Living Dead Dolls Celebrate A Record Breaking Sweet Sixteen

Mezco Toyz, Living Dead Dolls Series 27. (L to R) Mephistopheles, The Banshee, Milu, Spring-Heeled Jack and The Hopping Vampire
Mezco Toyz, Living Dead Dolls Series 27. (L to R) Mephistopheles, The Banshee, Milu, Spring-Heeled Jack and The Hopping Vampire

Sweet Sixteen and Never Been Kissed, Any Wonder?…
2014 marks the sixteenth anniversary of Mezco Toyz’ Living Dead Dolls line. This milestone makes these creepy creations the longest continually produced series of horror themed dolls on the planet. Mezco’s Mike Drake informed me that the company will be honored for this world record at the Toy Industry Association’s 111th Annual American International Toy Fair which begins in New York City in just a couple of days.

The outre, coffin encased, dollies are the brainchild of Ed Long, Damien Glonek, and “Mez” Markowitz, whose artistic imagination must be commended on this long run of sardonic but fun characters. Damien notes, “I couldn’t be happier with the support and dedication our fans have given us throughout the years. The dolls have taken on a life of their own…” As for their inception, “There was never a thought out plan when we first started. Living Dead Dolls was built upon a do what we like attitude and it grew into something beyond our wildest expectations.”

Living Dead Dolls Series 27…
A world record calls for a world vision and so for Series 27 the creators have set their nets wide and come up with a cosmopolitan collection of characters of myth and legend. 

Spring Heeled Jack – The Victorian urban legend of penny dreadful fame that terrorized London. A creeper and a leaper.

The Banshee – The Irish fairy who heralds death with her mournful wail. If she sits with you for a pint of Guinness be sure your life insurance policy is paid up.

Milu – The Polynesian goddess and guardian of the land of the dead. Mess with this Tiki temptress and you won’t be drinking piña coladas at Trader Vic’s for long. She’ll fill you full of flys and feed you to her pet lizards.

The Hopping Vampire – The life force absorbing Jiangshi of pan-asian folklore and popular film series.

Mephistopheles – The devilish trickster and adversary of Goethe’s Faust. Sign on the dotted line at your own risk.

In addition, Colonial America will get it’s due with a Headless Horseman LDD, complete with malevolent looking pumpkin noggin, and Series 1 character Posey, comes back from the undead in a ghostly white special edition.

Mezco's LDD Creature is still in the working stages, but promises to be a real collector's treat.
Mezco’s LDD Creature is still in the working stages, but promises to be a real collector’s treat.

SkeletonPete Says…
Also announced, though not on display at Mezco’s early reveal, is an LDD version of The Creature from the Black Lagoon. It will join the already available Frankenstein, Bride of, and Dracula dolls. It’s going to be a must own for creach fans like myself. The still to be approved prototype is pictured in Mezco’s 2014 Toy Fair catalog and it is already too cool to pass up.

Categories
Toys & Collectibles

Mama Weer All Crazee Now: Mezco Completes Pyscho Trio

Mezco Toyz' Adds Norman's Mother to Their Psycho Selection
Mezco Toyz’ Adds Norman’s Mother to Their Psycho Selection

Get Your Motor Running…
The good folks at Mezco Toyz revved up their engines for this month’s American International Toy Fair with a special press peek at their upcoming offerings. The company is not only celebrating the sweet sixteenth birthday of their Living Dead Doll Series but has announced a Sons of Anarchy figure and collectible line for release in summer of 2014. The advance viewing was a perfect opportunity to get some unfettered photos of this newest Mezco merch especially an unexpected Psycho treat.

Norman’s Mom Has Got It Goin’ On…

"Mad Moma" Norman Bates Gets the Mezco LLD Spin
“Mad Moma” Norman Bates Gets the Mezco LLD Spin

After focusing on the Sons of Anarchy and Breaking Bad characters, I peered across the room in Mezco’s sanctum sanctorum for an unexpected surprise. Perched on a display shelf, comfy in her rocking chair and shawl, sat Mother, the desiccated grande dame of the Bates family. The wonderfully creepy creation is rendered as a “roto-plush,” with molded cast hands, feet and head and a plush body, like dolls of old. She perfectly compliments the Norman and Victim dolls released last year. She’ll be ready for release this coming summer. Keep your Raggedy Ann away from the shower stall.

Mommy To Mummy…
Karloff's 1932 Mummy is the Next Universal Monster Emerging from Mezco in June 2014.
Karloff’s 1932 Mummy is the Next Universal Monster Emerging from Mezco in June 2014.

Not far from Mother stood her Universal Pictures kin, the equally shriveled Karloffian Mummy. The Mummy is the third in Mezco’s effective angular stylization of the classics. Frankenstein’s Monster and The Creature from the Black Lagoon are currently available with The Mummy slated for June of this year. Still in the works and pending design approval is Mezco’s Creature from the Black Lagoon Living Dead Doll.

SkeletonPete Says…
I expect to post a full gallery of images from Mezco’s Toy Fair preview on Thursday, including Living Dead Dolls Series 27 featuring “Myths and Legends from Around the World,” Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad, Axe Cop, 1966 Batman villains Mez-itz, and more.

I’ve also been meaning to share some fun “beauty shots” of the all white “test shot” Creature from the Black Lagoon I scored at the Mezco sale last summer.

Categories
Toys & Collectibles

Vault of Horror: Mezco Turns the Key for Collectors

Jason in a Colorfully Out of Character "Test Shot."
Jason in a Colorfully Out of Character “Test Shot.”

Hot off the Mez-itz 1966 Batmobile bash at Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Odditorium, Mezco Toyz held their first “vault sale.” The two day event was split between an August 15th by-invitation only media and sales gathering, while day two was an open to the public event. Archive items, including many pre-production tests lined the walls of the Mezco’s Long Island City facility. The vault clearing unearthed an array of unique and out of production items. These behind-the-scenes curios represented franchises like Hellboy, Friday The Thirteenth, A Nightmare on Elmstree, Halloween, Thundercats, and Universal Monsters.
Bits and Pieces: Various Cinema of Fear Test Shots
Bits and Pieces: Various Cinema of Fear Test Shots

Parts Is Parts…
Perusing the room on arrival was a sensory overload of all manner of production oddities. Mold “test shots” tend to be created with whatever plastics are currently in the machines, so the outcomes can range from unusual to outright psychedelic, like a headless paisley Leatherface. Cardboard boxes harbored bloody Benecio wolfman samples, bits of Michael Myers, and a headless 18” Abe Sapien with several variations on his noggin sitting at his feet. There were multi-colored collections of limbs, torsos, heads, and weapons from Mezco’s Cinema of Fear series, Heroes, Kick Ass, and of course Mezco’s Living Dead Dolls peered up malevolently from their coffins.

Several “paint masters” were also available. These are used as color and finish control guides during production. The trio of “Scream Grab” paint masters were really exceptional, and I came very close to adding them to my collection. I did however treat myself to a birthday present and scored a beautiful all white Creature from the Black Lagoon test shot. He’s waiting for his close-up and I’ll present him in a future post.

In addition to the more esoteric test shots, another part of the room was stacked with boxes of long out of production collectibles like Scarface, The Notorious B.I.G., and some Hot Topic exclusives.

Fan Favorite Tiffany, aka Mrs. Chucky, gets the Living Dead Doll Treatment
Fan Favorite Tiffany, aka Mrs. Chucky, gets the Living Dead Doll Treatment

Spiked, Not Impaled…
During an onsite SPIKE TV interview Mezco’s Director of Special Projects Mike Drake noted that licensing choices where less than an exact science, but staff favorites, such as the line of Breaking Bad products, has often paid off. The exclusive hazmat suited, fly swatter toting, Walter White figurine drew long lines of customers at the recent San Diego Comic Con. Alternately, fan requests can be the catalyst like the just announced Living Dead Doll version of Tiffany, The Bride of Chucky.

In informal conversation I asked Drake if it was hard to watch so many one-of-a-kind artifacts leave the archive. He told me that the Mezco decided it was better to have these rarities in the hands of collectors who truly cherish their uniqueness rather than boxed away and so the vault sale was formulated.

Several Flavors of Hellboy's Abe Sapien
Several Flavors of Hellboy’s Abe Sapien

SkeletonPete Says…
Mezco’s press release noted that, “Test Shots usually end up on public display at such institutions as The Museum Of The Moving Image, Geppi’s Entertainment Museum, or others. This is the only time the vault has ever been opened and multiple test shots made available to the public.” Despite their museum display level of rarity items were priced to sell and lucky collectors scooped up box loads in minutes.

I was really glad PiercingMetal Editor Ken Pierce – a longtime toy collector himself – and I arrived early as it afforded me the opportunity to document these uncommon goodies before they were whisked away.

Enjoy the gallery. Give me some feedback.

Click Any Image to Launch the Gallery

Categories
Toys & Collectibles

Biff – Bang – Wow: Mezco Toyz Classic TV Batmobile and Mez-itz

The Caped Crusader Shows Off Mezco Toyz 60's Batmobile Playset
The Caped Crusader Shows Off Mezco Toyz 60’s Batmobile Playset
Passersby in midtown Manhattan had a Ripley’s Believe It Or Not moment when what to their wondering eyes appeared in Times Square but the 1960’s Batmobile. The sleek black finned icon slid into the lobby of the 42nd Street Odditorium with the Caped Crusader tucked behind the wheel and caused quite a buzz as the stunned crowd snapped photos by the dozens.
Classic TV Batmobile Set Includes The Dynamic Duo Mez-itz (Photo Courtesy of Mezco Toyz)
Classic TV Batmobile Set Includes The Dynamic Duo Mez-itz (Photo Courtesy of Mezco Toyz)

The event was held to announce the launch of Mezco Toyz’ newest Mez-itz, 2 inch figures based on the Classic ABC TV Batman. That’s the Adam West and Burt Ward Batman and Robin. Items which collector’s have been clamoring for for ages. This year the clouds parted, the flood gates opened, the licenses were signed, and the faithful are being rewarded with an ark load of goodies to choose from.
MezcoTVBatman_002Another Fine Mez…
Mezco enters this market with a must have set that includes miniature West and Ward Batman and Robin characters and a sweet representation of the iconic George Barris designed auto. All the details of the black and red beauty are there from the cherry top, to the rear pipes and bat emblazoned hubcaps. The boxed set will hit the store shelves in July. They’ll also be a host of villains for the dynamic duo to thwart including The Joker, The Penguin, The Riddler and Catwoman. The TV figures join Mezco’s other DC Universe related toys, including their Dark Knight film series and, coming in August, New 52 Justice League of America and Girls of Gotham figures.
New 52 JLA  Mez-itz Are Due in August 2013
New 52 JLA Mez-itz Are Due in August 2013
SkeletonPete Says…
Like so many others my age, the 1960’s Batman TV series is fondly remembered. My family was one of the first on our block to have a color TV, and our living room filled up with friends, young and old, when the show aired in its first run. Displaying these little reminders of those days will be a great treat.

Click Any Image to Launch the Gallery