Monster Cereal Figures and An American Werewolf in London
Jada Toys - NECA
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“Doin’ the “Monster Mash” with ya on this beautiful Valentine’s Day!” “It’s kind of a love song. Monsters enjoying each other’s company…dancing…keeping their evil in check.”
No, I didn’t post the wrong review. It’s just another case of horror figures getting delivered waaay past the Halloween season. And as I have said before, February is typically a strange dumping ground for spooky movies to capitalize on a big date night holiday. Anyway, the monster cereal mascots were back this past season in a “Monster Mash” team up for your complete and balanced breakfast, and now they’re here to stay on my toy shelf!
Jada Toys has made some great die-cast cars and characters in the past, and their detail and quality has made the leap into articulated action figures with flying colors. These 6-inch figures of Count Chocula and Frankenberry feature all the appropriate joints and hinges to make a graveyard smash.
The paint apps are great, and the colors pop. They have two flavors of head sculpts: one classic, and one a more modern take. I prefer the classic look, but the eyes and mouths one the moderns are so expressive that it’s a tough call. You also get tiny cereal box accessories, in scale with the figures.
The boxes are keepers on these. They look just like the General Mills cereal boxes. There is a magnetic, opening front, in case you like displaying them in-box. The inside flap has the character’s large face, just like the old cut-and-wear masks of old. I love the “nutrition facts” on the side panels.
Count Chocula and Frankenberry were the original two cereals, so it makes sense that they are the first to get figure treatment. Boo Berry was next, and is probably my favorite to eat. Since he is a smaller, amorphous blob of a ghost that doesn’t merit the same level of articulation, he probably would have worked best as a pack-in figure. Because of this, I’m worried these two might be a one-and-done thing. I would welcome the less-popular Frute Brute and Yummy Mummy (especially after his delicious turn as an orange-flavored cereal some years back), but I’m not sure they are popular enough to cut a second wave. I hope I’m wrong, and that Jada toys’ folk are as big a fan as I am.
An American Werewolf in London’s Kessler Wolf was happy to stand in for Frute Brute. In typical NECA fashion, he didnt arrive in time for Halloween either. But, hey, full moons happen all year round, right? And that movie is one of my favorites. It’s probably the best of all werewolf flicks, and now I have the ultimate werewolf to display.
He’s a big boy, and has joints about everywhere you’d expect them to be. He also has two headsculpts: one closed mouth, one snarling. I love everything about him.
NECA made the Nightmare/Nazi werewolf figure last year, which is great but I didnt get around to reviewing. I would like to see a transforming David figure, with swapable, mid-transformation parts, and a zombie Jack figure, with alternate parts for various stages of decomposition…however, I’m betting NECA isn’t going to pay for the likeness rights. Or, if they do, they’ll “treat” us to 8-inch cloth clothes versions…GRRRR!
Are these worth the $20-25 price point? Do I have a pantry full of “Monster Mash” cereal hoarded from last Halloween? (Yes and YES!) Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your significant others!
