There are many reasons why Comic-Con weekend is a great time to be a horror fan, as big reveals are the name of the game at the annual show. This year alone we were treated to countless trailers and tasty news tidbits that got us excited about the future, but we can’t forget about the toys.
Toys are as much a part of Comic-Con as movies, TV shows, and comic books, and this year was particularly awesome when it came to the unveiling of upcoming horror toys. Companies like NECA and Sideshow Collectibles gave us peeks into the future, and oh boy is it looking bright.
Now that Comic-Con has sadly come to an end, let’s reflect on the 10 coolest horror toys unveiled at this year’s event!
1) Easily the most unique toy NECA showed off this past weekend was an upcoming Leatherface action figure based on Wizard Video’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre video game, which hit the Atari 2600 back in the early 1980s. Due out in October, the repaint depicts the horror icon as he was in the wacky video game, his entire body (and chainsaw) painted a nauseating shade of green. It’s the latest in a long line of video game-inspired toys from the company, which started with their Comic-Con 2013 release of NES Jason Voorhees.
2) Speaking of NES Jason, NECA later this year will be releasing an upgrade of that original Comic-Con exclusive toy, and this time purple and baby blue Jason will be packaged alongside Mrs. Voorhees’ 8-bit severed head. But that’s not the only change they’ve made to the fan-favorite toy, as the packaging has also been slightly modified. When you lift open the front flap on the packaging of this particular Jason toy, you will hear music from the NES video game, which makes this one extra special. It will be out in October.
3) NECA recently released an ‘Ultimate Edition’ Freddy Krueger toy, and in addition to a similarly deluxe upcoming figure of Leatherface, they’ve now added Jason Voorhees to the mix. Based on his appearance in Jason Lives, the Ultimate Jason Voorhees figure is still in the prototype stage, which would explain why this one doesn’t yet have a fresh coat of paint on it. Ultimate Jason will include a handful of weapons and even Mrs. Voorhees’ headstone. A release date hasn’t yet been provided.
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4) NECA’s relatively new retro-style line has given birth to a handful of awesome Freddy Krueger toys, including ones based on Wes Craven’s original and its sequel, Freddy’s Revenge. At last year’s Comic-Con, a ‘Super Freddy’ retro figure was even put up for grabs, inspired by The Dream Child. Up next, Dream Warriors Freddy joins the line, and the 8″ figure features real fabric clothing and even has a detailed ‘chest of souls’ sculpted into the torso. You’ll find this version of Freddy on shelves in October.
5) Fans have for years been begging NECA to make a toy of ‘Bat Gremlin,’ who was of course seen in Gremlins 2: The New Batch. The company responded to those requests by showing off their coolest Gremlins toy to date at Comic-Con, finally bringing Bat Gremlin to life in a truly impressive way. With a massive wingspan, the mega-sized Bat Gremlin figure is sure to be the highlight of any Gremlins fan’s toy collection, and no matter what the price is, I’m pretty sure it’ll be worth every penny.
6) Based on the original 1987 film, this massive new Predator action figure marks the return of the Jungle Hunter to NECA’s 1/4 scale line. Long out of production, their very first Predator toy has been updated to include LED lights in the mask’s targeting system and in the wrist computer, which flips open. The figure stands an impressive 19″ tall and is entirely accurate to the movie design, with over 20 points of articulation and mesh body suit netting. Look for this one in October.
7) NECA is all about making toys of horror icons not just from the movies, but also from many other forms of media. Due out in November, the Ultra Deluxe Red Queen is based on the Aliens: Genocide comic book series of the early 90s, and stands over 15″ tall and over 30″ long. With over 30 points of articulation, including a spectacular poseable tail, the deluxe figure is completely in scale with NECA’s current Aliens action figure line, and features a new head crest and all-new deco.
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8) The terrifying video game Alien: Isolation makes its way into NECA’s Aliens line this coming November, with three figures based on the game seeing release. In addition to a Xenomorph, Ellen Ripley’s daughter Amanda gets two action figures, one in a jumpsuit and the other in a spacesuit. Both figures come with a handful of accessories and weapons, and they mark the first time that Amanda Ripley has been brought to the toy shelf. So thank you for that, NECA.
9) Sideshow Collectibles recently announced that they had acquired the Evil Dead 2 license, and they have plans on making a slew of collectibles based on the film, including a replica of Ash’s iconic Oldsmobile Delta 88. At Comic-Con they showed off a 1/6 scale Ash figure that is quite frankly to die for, as it looks to be the coolest and most must-own Evil Dead collectible we’ve ever seen. We don’t yet have a release date, though I think it’s already safe to say that “toys” don’t get much groovier than this.
10) We round out the list with a pair of wrestling toys from Mattel, which are quite unlike any other wrestling toys that have ever been made. WWE heroes John Cena and Hulk Hogan get the undead treatment with these unique zombie toys, which depict both superstars as rotting monsters. Mattel didn’t announce when these would be out or if other wrestlers would be included in the line, and we can only hope that the infection spreads through the WWE roster. Undertaker zombie toy, please.
What’s your favorite upcoming horror toy that was shown off at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con? Comment below and let us know!