#7: Gremlins - Spider Gremlin

One of the things that made Gremlins 2 more fun than the original is wide variety of mutant gremlins that were introduced, thanks to a convenient mad science lab. One of the most memorable, and probably the most creepy, was the spider gremlin. It seems like I've been waiting for this figure for a long time. I don't remember when it was first announced, but I pre-ordered it way back in June, and this month it finally showed up. Out of the box, it requires a bit of assembly. The legs all have to be attached at the first joint, which requires a bit of doing. As is, they won't go in without a little soaking in hot water to soften up the ball sockets. Once everything is in place, the spider gremlin looks great. This is a very detailed sculpt with some very sharp pointy bits (my fingers are still a little sore from all the poking while attaching the legs) which remind you that this is definitely not a toy targeted at children. The paint is very detailed and it all looks good on mine. Articulation is pretty extensive with multiple ball joints on each leg. The jaw opens, and even the abdomen is articulated. Unsurprisingly, those spindly legs can't support the figure by themselves, so fortunately there is a display stand included that utilizes a transparent rod for minimal visual intrusiveness. There is also a flask of the mutant spider DNA solution, which fits fairly well in spider gremlin's hand. If this is the last Gremlins figure, then at least the line is going out with a bang rather than a whimper. I'll still buy the bat gremlin if they make one!

"I don't care what Jameson says, I had nothing to do with this!"

#21: Gremlins - Stripe

So, I already have the flasher gremlin from NECA's Gremlins line, I figure I may as well get a mogwai as well, since they are half the line. Gizmo is cute and all, but villains are more fun. All of the Gremlins 2 mogwais were more interesting when they morphed into gremlin form, but the main antagonist from the first Gremlins managed to be cool in both mogwai and gremlin form. So I waited, and they made Stripe as a mogwai. Stripe is the best because he has the coolest hair. Mohawks are cool, and Stripe had the only hair that stuck around after becoming a gremlin. The hair in question is realized by a tuft of fake hair here, rather than as a part of the headsculpt. I'm not sure if it would have been better or worse as a part of the sculpt, so as long as it doesn't shed, I'm okay with it. Much like Ewok figures, a mogwai  isn't going to have the greatest articulation. The limbs are too short and thick for there to be any meaningful limb articulation, so while there are elbows, they aren't terribly useful. Stripe does feature ear articulation, which may be a unique feature in my collection. That's actually pretty cool, and does add some expressiveness to the already highly charactered face. He's got a great evil looking smile. Some more uncommonly articulated body parts featured here are the eyes. Like the Hot Toys Joker I just got, Stripe's eyes can also be positioned. There's a little trackball on the back of his head that can be manipulated to position the eyes. Unfortunately, it's pretty loose, but it helps to keep the little plastic tab inserted to keep them in position. Now that I've got Stripe, I don't think I need any more mogwais, but if they release him in gremlin form, I may pick that up too. I'm really hoping for the spider- and bat-gremlins from the second movie too.

#132: Gremlins - Flasher Gremlin

The original Gremlins came out in 1984 when I was four. I'm not sure when I first saw it, but I'm pretty sure it was before 1986, when we moved into a different home. I never really had a problem with "scary" movies, and it was one of my favorites. NECA made a line of Gremlins figures before, but I missed out on them. Now they're back with a new line of Gremlins, based on the second movie, so I figured it was a good time to pick one up. Currently, there are some mogwai and three gremlins available. Mogwai are cute and all, but the gremlins are the real stars, so that's what I wanted to go with. Of the three currently available, George, Daffy and the flasher, I felt the flasher best represents the humor of the series. Fortunately, the Toys R Us website was running a free shipping on all toys deal (which is still going on), so I was able to pick this up without a hassle.

Basically, this is a great looking figure. The sculpt is the typical high quality detailed work you would expect from NECA, full of texture and detail. Articulation is kind of hard to judge. Because of the coat, the arms don't really get much movement, but you can adjust them a bit. I think the only way to get the coat off would be to pop the arms out, and I'm not going to try that. Otherwise, the legs are articulated at the hips, knees, and ankles, so you can adjust his stance. The head isn't super mobile, but it can be adjusted as well. Since the coat isn't easily removable (if at all) I don't count it as an accessory, to the flasher gets two accessories: sunglasses and a cigarette. The sunglasses are easily held in place by the spikes around the eyes, and the cigarette fits between the teeth. The cigarette doesn't stay in place tightly, so it would be easy to lose.

Assuming the Gremlins line continues, I would like to get some more of them, pending character selection. They showed a spider gremlin recently, which would be really cool to have.