NECA has been on an absolute roll lately with their action figure offerings, thinking more and more outside of the box in their never ending quest to bring to us collectors the most unique toys we've ever seen, based on the popular properties that they've got licenses for.
Thankfully for horror fans like ourselves, two of those properties are Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th, and NECA recently beefed up their lines of Freddy and Jason toy offerings with versions of the characters based on the way they appeared in their respective NES games in the 80s, giving us two of the most original and totally awesome toys we've ever seen of the characters. Not an easy task considering how many toys those two have spawned over the decades, to say the least.
What do they have up their sleeves next? Well, they're going old school once more, traveling even further into the past and taking inspiration this time around from the 1970s; the time when toy company Mego reigned supreme.
Hate to bore you with a history lesson, but I feel the need to bore you with a wee bit of a history lesson right about now. Founded in the 1950s, the Mego Corporation started out selling cheap dime story toys and moved into the action figure market in the early 70s, when they started scooping up licenses to popular properties like Star Trek and Wizard of Oz. They also struck deals with Marvel and DC Comics, releasing the very first figures of the superheroes under those banners.
Their revolutionary 8" figures became the standard in the action figure market at the time, and thanks to their focus on releasing toys based on hot properties, Mego became the kings of the toy game throughout much of the 70s, before the company's downfall in the early 80s.
Though the company is long gone, the Mego style of toy has become more popular than ever over the years, with countless companies releasing their own Mego inspired toys, in an effort to capitalize on the undying popularity of those original action figures from the 70s. What's old is new again in today's pop culture climate, and NECA isn't going to sit back and let everyone else have all the fun.
Of course, Freddy and Jason weren't around back in the 70s, but that didn't stop NECA from imagining a world wherein they not only were, but also wherein Mego made toys of the characters. Prototype images for their retro style 8" Freddy and Jason toys were originally shown off at this year's San Diego Comic Con, and now we've got a full image gallery to drool over, as well as complete release details.
So let's take a closer look at these retro offerings, which are fully posable and feature real fabric clothing, true to the Mego style!
Based on his very first appearance in the original Nightmare on Elm Street (note the lack of stripes on his sleeves), Freddy comes with a removable hat and is of course rocking his signature razor glove.
As for Jason, his toy is based on his look in Friday the 13th: Part 3, rocking the mask that he stole from Shelly. He comes with his trusty machete and harpoon gun, and the mask is removable, revealing his ugly mug underneath.
Both toys are currently available for pre-order from online toy outlets, and can be purchased for around $25 a piece. They're set to begin shipping in October, and shots of the period authentic packaging will soon be unveiled, over on NECA's website. So be sure to keep those eyes of yours peeled!