The Incredible Shrinking 31 Days of Toy Terror: Vampire Organist/ Dracula from Haunted Haven by Caldor/ Four Star

 

   This isn't the oldest toy or collectible I'm reviewing for this year's 31 Days of Toy Terror but it might be one of the most unusual and uncommon. It's certainly not a rare or valuable collectible by any means, but it's not something commonly seen in reviews and collections. In fact, I don't even know the official name of the release, so Vampire Organist or Dracula is just my best guess. So what exactly is this guy? He's actually a polyresin collectible figure from a Halloween village collection sold exclusively by the now defunct retailer Caldor (the manufacturer is listed as Four Star) in the early to mid-1990s. Are you familiar with those little ceramic or porcelain Christmas villages (or Dickens Villages) that people set up and decorate with miniature figures, fences, trees, lamp posts and such? Well, Haunted Haven was like that but for Halloween. I was enamored with Dickens Villages as a kid and when I discovered they had Halloween villages as well I was even more thrilled. I've always liked dioramas and little village and town setups, so when I was younger my parents would by these for me around Halloween to make little scenes. I don't recall having any of the houses or buildings but I did have quite a few of the figures and little pieces and such. The best I can find is that this guy was sold in 1994, so I would have been 10 or 11 when I got him. I still have quite a few of my original ones from childhood and they're mixed in with my various horror collections and shelves. Should we take a look at this vampire organist who very well may be Count Dracula? Then join me after the break...

The Incredible Shrinking 31 Days of Toy Terror: The Mummy from Universal Studios Monsters by Jack in the Box

   Want some frights with your shakes? Then let's jump in and take a look at some good old fashioned fast food fright with a look at the Mummy from the 1999 Universal Studios Monsters promotional event at Jack in the Box. Yes, you heard me right: Jack in the Box! Most everyone is familiar with the famous Burger King Kid's Club Universal Monsters from 1997 (NECA even did a tribute to them), but you don't hear much about the Jack in the Box Universal Monsters promo. In fact, they did two promos: One in 1999 and another in 2002. I actually have a funny anecdote about that promotion, but I'll save it for later this month (*wink*). So, Jack in the Box with the Universal Monsters in 1999? What's the deal? Did they miss out on the Star Wars: Episode I License? Well, yeah, but 1999 was actually a big year for the classic Universal Horror license as the remake of The Mummy was released (and is still freaking awesome), there was a rerelease of the most prominent films with new documentaries included, and Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights 1999 features two haunted attractions based on the characters: The Mummy, based on the film from that year, and Creature Features, featuring the classic characters. There are six figures in the set (The Mummy, Frankenstein, Dracula, Wolf Man, the Phantom, and the Creature, all of which can be seen at Chris Does Comics) and I do have them all, but I picked the Mummy. He wasn't in the Burger King set and he's a pretty clever little toy. Ready to break an ancient curse and check out the Mummy? Then join me after the break...

Attack of the 7-inch 31 Days of Toy Terror: Van Helsing (Horror of Dracula) from Hammer House of Horror by NECA

 

   While it feels like these figures are only trickling out, NECA's classic horror has been one of my favorite things over the past year and almost every new release is worth celebrating. While the Universal Monsters action figures seem to be their primary focus, NECA has also released a number of public domain and silent film characters in their Classic Monsters line. They've also just started getting into the Hammer films with Christopher Lee's take on Count Dracula released last year. Peter Cushing's Van Helsing is a newer release from the past six months or so, now giving us someone to take on the Count.  I've watched a handful of Hammer horror films over the years but not all of them. My watch marathon of all of the classic Universal horror films is still going (as of my writing this review back in August I'm at 1953's It Came From Outer Space) but when I'm done there I'm still deciding if I want to  make my way through Vincent Price's filmography or the Hammer horror releases. NECA's pair of figures are based on 1958's Dracula, or Horror of Dracula, as it was titled in the United States. Starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Melissa Stribling, and Michael Gough (Alfred Pennyworth!), the film was a hit and spawned eight sequels, six with Christopher Lee returning as the Count. I don't know if NECA has plans to go all in on the Hammer House of Horror line or if they're only planning to do Lee and Cushing due to their popularity, but I'd love to see Ingrid Pitt and Madeline Smith from The Vampire Lovers, Raquel Welch from One Million Years B.C., Cushing and Lee as Baron Frankenstein and the Creature, Hammer's take on the Werewolf, and perhaps the Collinson twins from Twins of Evil.  I know there have been other Van Helsing figures made (along with other collectibles based on Cushing's Van Helsing), but this one is great because you can mix him with so many other classic horror icons. Ready to take a look at Peter Cushing's take on the heroic Dr. Van Helsing? Then join me after the break...

The Incredible Shrinking 31 Days of Toy Terror: Spring-Heeled Jack from Monster in My Pocket by Matchbox

 

   It just wouldn't be 31 Days of Toy Terror without looking at a Monster in My Pocket minifigure, would it? Not only are they one of the best horror toylines from the Golden Age of toys but they're also also perfectly fitting for this year's theme: The Incredible Shrinking 31 Days of Toy Terror! Today I'm looking at another of my favorite MIMP minifigures, Spring-Heeled Jack. I love the Victorian Era and Spring-Heeled Jack's period of activity very much followed it as his first appearance was in October of 1837, just a couple months after the beginning of Queen Victoria's reign, and his last noted appearance was in 1904, just a few years after her death in 1901. Was Spring-Heeled Jack a malevolent supernatural entity, a mischievous and ill-willed prankster, an extremely acrobatic pervert, an extraterrestrial being, or the devil himself? Perhaps he was the real-life equivalent of someone who just put all of their RPG stats into agility or acrobatics? He was a pop culture juggernaut during the Victorian Era, eventually even turning into more of a folk hero and precursor to the superheroes that would come about in the early 20th century. I have a shelf or two of various horror icons and other characters from the Victorian Era and that's where this guy likes to hang out. Ready to check out Spring-Heeled Jack? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Christopher "Law" Lavigne & Order from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   Another G.I. Joe: Classified Series review? You'd better believe it! This line just keeps giving and giving and giving and today I'm really excited to check out a modern take on another of my childhood favorites: Law & Order. I loved any G.I. Joe figures that came with animals as a kid, especially dogs, and since I didn't get into G.I. Joes until 1986-ish, Law & Order (1987) was my first set of a Joe with a canine companion. Hasbro has released some incredible sets of Joes and Cobras with animal companions (dogs, wolves, crocodiles, eagles, giant scorpions, warthogs, macaques, iguanas) and this one is another good one. They've gone full out with most of these, offering some excellently articulated animal action figures rather than just a solid plastic animal companion like the vintage toys had. Law & Order did appear in the comics and they've had a few action figures over the years, but I think they're probably best known from their appearance in the animated film where they're part of the Rawhides. Ready to check out the team of Order and Law? Order finds the bombs and Law drives the car. They tried it the other way around but it didn't work. Join me after the break...

 

The Incredible Shrinking 31 Days of Toy Terror: B3A5TBOT and Atomic Terrana-Claw from MrBeast Lab Hybrids by Moose Toys

 

   It's always fun to check out something different during 31 Days of Toy Terror so today I'm looking at these fairly new MrBeast Lab Hybrids action figures by Moose Toys. While YouTube personality MrBeast has the most popular channel out there, I'm guessing a lot of collectors aren't terribly familiar with his various toylines produced by Moose Toys. I've seen the various lines like the MrBeast Lab Swarms, MrBeast Lab Mutators, and the various MrBeast Goo Jit Zu releases in stores but I was never really tempted to pick any up until stumbling on the MrBeast Lab Hyrbids back in early August. Remember the vintage Matchbox Con-Nec-Tors  or the various Mashers lines that Hasbro puts out every few years? These remind me of those, though the figures on their own are just quite good, too. Nothing crazy, but they're fun smaller figures (between 4 and 4 1/2 inches) solid in large plastic Erlenmeyer (conical) flasks. The standard figures are in smaller flasks and are blind boxed but the two-packs and the 5 figure Mega pack have set figures (the Mega-Pack does have a chance for a rarer figure, though). I only saw this two-pack the day I grabbed it and it features the B3A5TBOT and Atomic Terrana-Claw. A killer robot and a nuclear dinosaur skeleton? That's 31 Days of Toy Terror material for sure! Let's check out this 2 pack of Lab Hybrids after the break...

The Incredible Shrinking 31 Days of Toy Terror: Captain Heinous (From Uranus) from Monster 500 by Creata

 

   Today I'm not just checking about a spooky smaller figure; I'm also checking out a spooky smaller vehicle! How about a flying saucer? Yes, it seems we have aliens again but today it's not a threat from Mars. Instead, it's Captain Heinous (From Uranus)! If you don't remember Monster 500 (who eventually became Monsters 500, I believe, due to a legal challenge based on the similarly named energy drink), don't be surprised; they didn't last long and seem to have only been sold at select Toys 'R Us stores. I could go on about the history of the line but there's an incredible fan site with everything I could tell you and more! I reviewed one of these guys over 10 years ago and I guess it's time to get to the other one in my collection. Ready for a slimy little alien in a hot rod that is reminiscent of the fabled Savage Mondo Blitzers that were loved by kids and reviled by teachers and the general public? Captain Heinous (From Uranus) was listed as Super Evil on a scale of "Not That Evil" to "Pure Evil" and is known for his "Craftiness." Get it? Crafty. Space craft. The bios for these guys had puns galore. Ready to roll with this extraterrestial? Then join me after the break...