Horror toys and collectibles, we love them, we want them and there’s never been a better time for them. For years the only way we could get them was to find one on a back shelf at Toys r Us, specialty store or order from a catalogue.
Horror movies have never been more popular than they are right now. Big Hollywood companies, small independents, & fan films are churning out horror movies left and right. So it makes sense that horror movie inspired collectibles are also being made more easily available. You can find them at Comic shops, book stores, Walmarts, Targets, Amazon, Entertainment Earth, etc…. Not only are they more readily available, there’s a wide variety of them, they’re beautifully detailed and they are cool as hell !
There are at least a dozen companies putting out horror themed collectibles. Since this is an article and not a book, I’m only going to talk about a handful of these companies. These are my personal favorites and not in any particular order.
If you’re gonna start talking about collectibles and toy figures, you gotta start with Mego. Originally founded in 1954 by Dave Abrams, Marty Abrams took over and is considered to be “the father of action figures”. Mego was quiet for several years but not any longer. Mego is putting out 8 inch clothed figures from The Twilight Zone, Star Trek and Texas Chainsaw Massacre to name a few. These figures add a major touch of retro cool to any collection.
Next we got Biff Bang Pow. Biff Bang Pow also has the 8 inch Mego style retro figures but they also have 3 3/4 in. figures, bobbleheads, prop replicas, tin totes and drinkware just to name a few. Legendary comic artist Alex Ross has contributed to the Flash Gordon action figure design. You can find Biff Bang Pow exclusively on Entertainment Earth
Super 7 is up next, founded in 2001, Super 7 has a very cool line of ReAction figures. They also have t-shirts, drinkware, puzzles and blind boxes. The variety of their licensed products is second to none. Alien, Aliens, MOTU, Transformers, Planet of the Apes, Robocop, Teenwolf, Toxic Avenger and many more. Figures range from 3 inches to 12 inches. The figures aren’t the most detailed nor are they all that posable but they seem to be stepping up with their Thundercats Ultimates line. These 7 inch highly articulated action figures are a Thundercats dream come true. I am honestly chomping at the bit to get my hands on these.
McFarlane toys is the home of super beautifully detailed figures. McFarlane has a long history of sculptured art work. From sports icons to video game characters to pop culture legends. I think by now everybody is aware of McFarlane toys and what they bring to the table.
Funko is another company putting out great horror themed collectibles. Their POP vinyl figures are quite addictive. They come with a cheap price tag (10.99 on average) and are made to be collected. Huge variety to choose from and they’re fun for everyone in the family. POP vinyls are found everywhere in my house. From Pennywise, Annabelle, The Exorcist, to Star Wars to (my favorite) Universal Monsters.
Finally we come to NECA. NECA is the leading creator, marketer and global distributor of licensed products. Their figures are 7 inch highly detailed and highly articulated pieces of awesomeness ! NECA has their hand in almost every brand of horror, sci-fi, pop culture available. Friday the 13th, Ash vs Evil Dead, Hellraiser, TMNT, Aliens, figures from Guillermo Del Toro, Quentin Tarantino, Tim Burton and more. NCEA has multiple variations of characters. For example NECA has a variation for almost every Jason Voorhees, from Part 2 with the burlap sack hood to Part 5 with “faux Jason” Roy Burns to Jason vs Freddy to the Ultimate Jason in Part 6. NECA is leading the way for horror collectible figures.
So whatever your taste in collectibles may be, highly detailed, retro, articulated, variations, or all of them. Now is the time to add to your collection or to start a collection. I will tell you this, myself and other Horror-Fix contributors have shelves full of collectibles we’ve bought, or found from all the companies above. We love them, we are always on the look out for more of them and we love showing them off.
