Monster Mez-Itz (Mezco)

Monster Mez-Itz
Mezco
2002

Mezco has produced a whole bunch of Mez-Itz in their time. While the concept of the line hasn't necessarily blasted off into orbit such as Funko's Pop line did, it certainly has its niche following of collectors. Of course with that said, much like Funko's Pop line, Mez-Itz aren't something you need to collect every single one of. Rather, you can focus on the ones that appeal to you. Mezco has produced the likes of DC Universe characters, movie characters, and in some cases even vehicles.

Today we're taking a look at Monster Mez-Itz, which was a small series released in 2002. No, these aren't based on the Universal Monster designs. Instead, they appear to be Mezco's own iterations on the characters.

(Photo shows series one)

There were two standard packs released in the first wave, and a second wave released shortly after. In total, there were eight characters produced; Vampire, Mummy, Frankenstein and Werewolf (for the first series), and Boris Creepola, Claude Clearwater, Dr. Mezitstein and Grim Grimly (the second series).

Truth be told, they're not the best we've seen in terms of monster character toys, but for what it's worth, they get the job done - Especially if you appreciate the Mez-Itz style.

The above photo is the repainted versions which were released as Chiller Theatre exclusives. For some, these actually stands out as the better iterations due to the use of more color. Unfortunately because they are exclusive, they are also a lot more difficult to track down.

Series two (below photo) brought with it Mezco's own characters (as noted in the names above). It also marked the last of the figures to be released in the "line".

In general the series failed to capture much of an audience, which is why it was only around for one year. Today the figures are slightly difficult to find, but this seems to be more so attributed to the fact that nobody really owns them to sell them. When found, prices typically hover around $15.00 for one pack of series one or two. As for the exclusive ones, we've yet to find them on secondary markets, so a price cannot be determined at this time (by us).

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Marsupilami (Jus Toys)

Marsupilami
Jus Toys
1992

Though we're sure there are a few of them out there, Marsupilami is officially the only character we know that has its own asteroid named after it - Asteroid 98494 to be exact.

Last week we looked at Imperial's Classic Movie Monster line. Today we're going to be taking a look at another company that knows how to do bendable toys right - JusToys. While you won't hear much from the company these days, JusToys was a major contributor to the bendable toys market from 1990 to 1995. They produced some really great lines such as; Mickey's Stuff for Kids (as in Mickey Mouse), Marvel Superheroes, Star Wars, Battletoads, and more. They're definitely a company worth checking out if you're in to bendable figures.

Many of you probably have never heard of Marsupilami, but that's okay. Being a Belgian comic / cartoon character, he's not that well known in most parts of the world. The character did have a brief stint as a Disney character in 1993 in an animated series which ran for thirteen episodes. This factor contributes to why the character was chosen as a Bend Ems line by JusToys (the company produced several Disney property bendable figures during its five year stint).

You can find the figure here and there for around eight to ten dollars, but it's not really in abundance. If you're in to unique characters, and bendable toys, this would certainly be a great one to consider adding to your collection.

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Classic Movie Monster (Imperial)

Classic Movie Monster
Imperial
1986

Since their inception, Universal has willingly been the gigolo for their trademarked monsters. These classic characters have been on everything from posters to coloring books to toy to <insert genre of collectible here, and keep going>. Rest assured, if you're a fan, there's something out there for you to collect.

While Imperial's venture into the realm of Classic Movie Monsters isn't the best iteration of toys to be found, they are certainly some of the more budget friendly ones to this day. Unlike the Remco line which will set you back not only a ton of money, but a lot of time and patience to obtain, Imperial's are relatively in abundance, and sell for as little as $10.00 a piece. Granted that's more than double of their original price of $3.99, but fairly on par with the cost of figures these days.

Imperial produced only four characters; Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy and Wolfman. The first thing you might notice with these is their unnaturally large hands. Yikes! Is that where the majority of the plastic went into these products? HUGE!

Still, there's something about these that we really love; The cardbacks work so well with the figures inside to give them a real appeal to the eye. They pop, if you know what we mean. It would be difficult to walk past these hanging on a store peg, and at least not glance at them. Their vibrant colors draw you in for at good look (at the very least).

The downer to these is that the back of the cards don't share in the amazing design of the fronts. Rather than make the backs leap out at you like the fronts, Imperial went with a bland black and white "drawn" look. They get points for the classic Meco type artwork for the available figures in the line, but at the end of the day it's rather bland, and leaves you wanting to quickly flip it back over to the figure side.

Beyond that there's not much more to say about this line. It has its appeal for being a Universal Monsters property, and of course you can't go wrong with a a well put together bendable figure - Which Imperial certainly does. This certainly wasn't their first outing in the realm of bendable toys, and it shows that they know what they're doing when it comes to producing a line of toys. In other words, there's quality (and care) there.

This is not one of the more well known toy lines to be produced based on Universal's monsters. This factor may contribute to its (relatively speaking) low prices on secondary markets. They're certainly a conversation piece, and fans of these iconic characters should definitely consider adding them to their collection.

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Alf (Coleco)

Alf
Coleco
1986 - 1987

Freakin' sweet! It's Alf!

Fans of the fury Melmacian know the character has been around for quite some time now. He began on television screens in the self titles show which ran from 1986 to 1990, while also appearing in a Marvel Comics series (50 issues), and an animated series which ran for two seasons. Let's not forget the 2004  Alf''s Hit Talk Show which sadly only aired for seven episodes.

Fans of the alien were in luck in the late 80's. Not only was the show a hit among viewers, but merchandise was everywhere. Shirts, school supplies, stickers, and of course toys (and more) could be found pretty much everywhere.

Today we're having a look at the Coleco stuffed toys that were prevalent during the hay days of Melmac's infamous alien. Four different versions of the character could be found, each with its own specific feature / function.

For the Alf purist, there's the ever trusty plush version. It came in a saucer style cardboard box that featured very little artwork, or color for that mater. However, out of all the toys, it's definitely one of the better versions released. Especially if you just want an Alf to snuggle with while you watch your cartoons, and eat cereal.

 Alf - Alien Life Form

For those who wanted a little more bang for their buck, there were also two "talking" versions.

The first was developed in the style of Teddy Ruxpin. I.E. it had a tape deck on the back of the "doll" which you could insert cassettes into. Each cassette featured a story on each side.

 Talking Alf - The Storytelling Alien

Talking Alf - The Storytelling Alien (as it was known as) came packed with one cassette, and offered three additional cassettes - Each sold separately.

 Talking Alf - The Storytelling Alien Cassettes

Then there was Wisecracking Alf which would speak one of his favorite expressions when you pressed his stomach. Of course, much like any talking doll of the era, it's prone to get squeaky over time - Not to mention that ever infamous tinny sound.

 Wisecracking Alf - The Outspoken Talking Alien

For the Alf fan on the go, Stick Around Alf was a no brainer for your car window. He didn't do much beyond that, but you could always depend on him to hang around (ba-dum tshh).

Stick Around Alf

Though Alf has been dormant for some time, it is possible that the character will one day return. A feature film has been proposed and in the works since 2012 which would involve a CGI Alf alongside human characters ala Smurfs style. Movie posters exist for the film, and have for some time. You can find them "HERE".

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