Toxic Toons (Mezco)

Toxic Toons
2005
Mezco

Mezco is a company we really don't support much (personally). Their lines, while high quality in design, don't really appeal to us. They never really seem to have a "strategy" in place when it comes to their lines. More so a throw it at the wall, see if it sticks mentality.

Toxic Toons was thrown against the wall in 2005, and no, it did not stick. The line remains relatively unknown to most to collectors.

Mortician and Corpse Boy

It would only be fair to say there is some charm to these figures. They're certainly uniquely designed and the black and red paint scheme work well together to make them pop.

The Nurse

Unfortunately, a lot of sellers have priced these figure well beyond their desired value. Most people seem willing to pay about $5.00 per figure (mint in the box), while sellers ask $50.00 or more. Needless to say there are a ton of unsold ones.

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TikiMon (Mezco)

TikiMon
Mezco
2003

TikiMon! Yet another oddball entry from Mezco during its heydays of the new Millennium. There is honestly little to say about this line as even packaging really gives no insight as to what the overall premise is. "Full of fun and Polynesian Pop!" is really all you'll find on the back regarding the series.

The back of the package also showcases all the figures from series one (AKA the only series), but even then beyond telling you the character's names and what accessories each one comes with there is no concepts shared behind the line.

 Bomboo*Indo*Kali

For further information we actually had to seek out other websites in an effort to uncover the mystery. What we found was Toynk.com who seem to still have an abundance of stock on hand. On their site, they note the following about the line;

"Where is TikiMon Island? Basically in the middle of nowhere. Until now no human has ever seen a TikiMon which is good because they're usually getting into trouble."

Still not very insightful, but we're further then we were.

 Monsoon*Ungowa

Each figure stands approximately six inches high and comes packed in with its own unique accessories such as surfboards, shields and even parachutes. Each figure also features six points of articulation.

Prior to the line dissipating into thin air, Mezco produced two San Diego Comic Con exclusives. Unfortunately, since the figures were packaged in a blue non-see through package collectors were essentially blind bag buying and hoping for the best.

Ungowa (2004 SDCC Exclusive)

The line is definitely unique and has a cool factor to it. Unfortunately, it's the lack of any real premise behind it which gives it the "meh" factor. The world of toys isn't just about sculpting something that looks cool. It's about creating characters people want to learn about and collect as a result of that expanded interest from knowing about them. When you just throw a line out on the market and give it little to no thought, you end up with little to no reception.

Think of how much cooler these guys would be with an animated series behind them?

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Gomez (Mezco)

Gomez
Mezco
(2008)

Any of you recognize Gomez? There's a hint right in the photo.

Give up, or guessed it?

Gomez was (or may very well still be) the official mascot for Mezco around 2008. This particular action figure was released only at San Diego Comic Con in 2008, and was limited to just 500 pieces. If that wasn't limited enough for you, out of those 500 pieces, the figure also came in four different variations. Gomez could be found with either a black or tan head, and either a turtleneck / leather coat or black suit and tie.

Mezco came up with a fairly unique (and somewhat corny) concept for the figure which is detailed on the back of the package. We'll help spare your eyes squinting at the small text. It reads;

"The mysterious syndicate known only as The Void operates within a level of secrecy so obscure the world at large is unaware of its existence.

The Voids operations sway the balance of the world as we know it. The Voids vast range of intelligence is felt from the fall of governments to why socks are missing from the laundry.

The Void utilizes the skills of a sole agent, Gomez.

His instructions are received by a combination of subliminal messages broadcast on his boombox combined with black martinis known as the "Cocktail Exchange". The Cocktail Exchange is only receivable by the antennas of Gomez.

Gomez, doer of missions, mover of information and eliminator of obstacles."

The figure itself features multiple points of articulation from the antenna at the top all the way down to its feet. Mezco certainly didn't skimp when it came to this aspect. Pretty much every piece of his body moves in some form or fashion. The overall quality is certainly there.

As for the sculpt, it's rather unique and fun. Fans of roaches / bugs and James Bond will definitely see the appeal here.

Of course any good figure has good accessories, and Gomez has quite a few. The best aspect (for us) is the 1950's style alien blaster, which is made all the more a top choice by its weathered paint job. The figure also comes with a boombox (also weathered in the same vain as the blaster) and sword. The last, and really fun accessory is his martini glass filled with Cocktail Exchange. All the accessories fit nicely in the figure's hands, and as an added bonus, Mezco even threw in two additional sculpts for hands so that you can change them out.

The clothing is so far above standards that other companies producing nine inch figures should take notice. From the pleather jacket to the tailored suit, sweater and pant, everything works and looks great. The details are so fine that even the belt has a working metal buckle. The only complaint we have is that the shoes themselves are sculpted to the body. If you're going to go to such detail to get the clothing just right, down to a working metal buckle, then sculpt a pair of shoes too.

As for the packaging, we love it. Not only does it stand out from your typical white box that SDCC exclusives normally come in, but it's completely collector friendly. It opens at the top, and the figure / accessories all slide out neatly in place on their plastic tray. This not only makes for salvageable packing, but fantastic presentation.

When it was released, the figure was priced at $40.00 each. Sadly, unlike most SDCC exclusives which explode in price, Gomez didn't fair so well on secondary markets. These days you can find any of the four variations priced between $20.00 and $50.00 each. However, even at these prices the figures remains unsold.

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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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Kong (Mezco)

Kong
Mezco
2008

Today will be short and sweet.

One of the most interesting things to note about Mezco's 2008 Kong line is that the packaging is almost identical to that of Playmates Toys line from 2005. Coincidence?

Mezco produced three different variations of a fifteen inch Kong - The only difference being the facial sculpt. The "figure" featured limited amount of articulation - Limited to swivel joints in both the arms and legs. However, this worked rather well considering the poses that one would go for in a Kong figure. Additionally, the paint job was amazing. It showcased high details in particular to the flesh deep scratches all over Kong's body.

Beyond that, there's not much more to say. It's Kong - The eighth wonder of the world.

Kong (Fierce Face)*Kong (Somber Face)*Kong (Rampage Face)

If you're a fan of Kong, and looking to add this particular line you better start saving your pennies now. Loose ones have sold for upwards of $200.00, with mint in the box ones easily going for twice that.

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The Spirit (Mezco)

The Spirit
Mezco
2008

It's a real shame that 2008's The Spirit doesn't get the kind of love that other comic book movies have garnered. Quite honestly we thought it was pretty good. Mind you, we're also big Frank Miller fans, and love his style of films - Specifically the visuals.

Mezco produced a few items to coincide with the film's release, but sadly, they were as poorly received as the film. Items stayed on pegs for months before being shifted to clearance isles, where for many stores, select items continued to sit.

Overall, the line did a decent job of covering a fair amount of ground for being just one series of figures. There are glaring omissions, such as Scarlett Johansson's character - Silken Floss, Dan Lauria's character - Dolan, and one of the two main love interests of The Spirit, Sarah Paulson's character - Ellen. No doubt, these figures would have been an amazing addition to a second wave.

The Spirit*Sand Seref*Plaster of Paris

The Octopus*Pathos*Plaster of Paris and Sand Seref Black and White Two-Pack

Mezco also produced a twelve inch Spirit, which was available in two slightly different versions. The first features a straight tie, while the second features a tie that is depicted as flapping in the wind.

The Spirit (Straight Tie)*The Spirit (Flapping Tie)

Prices for the series flip flop all over the place these days. We've seen entire carded sets sell for as little as $8.00 for the whole lot. On other occasions, we've seen specific figures sell for around $15.00 on the card. This back and forth makes it incredibly difficult to pinpoint a price point. If there is anything to be learned from this, patience will pay off in money saved if you're hunting them down as there are cheap sets to be found.

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Edward Scissorhands (Mezco)

Edward Scissorhands
Mezco
2006

With the 25th anniversary of Edward Scissorhands just around the corner, we felt it appropriate to drop a little nod towards the cult classic Tim Burton film.

Released in December of 1990, the movie was immediately met with positive reviews from critics around the USA. Burton was praised for his modern take on Frankenstein, while Depp was praised for his ability to fully engross himself in the character as an actor.

Despite its massive popularity, Edward Scissorhands did not follow with a multitude of products such as toys, or trinkets. In fact, options remained fairly limited in general.

In 2006, Mezco released a small series of figures. It featured three versions of Edward, and one of The Professor. Sadly, this would be all for the entire run - If you don't include the four pack of Mez-Its.

The white shirt Edward was a Hot Topic exclusive, while the ice sculpture version was a SDCC exclusive. To date, these two remain the more difficult versions to track down. Despite this, the entire line can be found for around ten dollars for each figure.

Beyond that, there's not much more we can really say on this particular line.

Join us next time when we take a look at Star Wars Saga Legends / Mission Packs!

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Jack the Ripper (Mezco)

Jack the Ripper
Mezco
2004

The identity of Jack the Ripper is most likely never going to be discovered. It's possible that the murders "credited" to the killer may not have even been the work of one person, but rather numerous people killing in a familiar style.

Regardless of who Jack the Ripper was, one thing is for certain...A toy based on such a brutal killer is in rather poor taste - Which is what makes it so awesome that Mezco went with one - Two if you count the variant version.

What, how can you say that? Come on, it's 2015. The murders of Jack the Ripper took place in 1888. At this point it's no more relevant to society than that of a story containing the Boogie Man. The media in general has cashed in on the myths of the infamous serial killer for decades now, so why not a toy company?

 Jack the Ripper (Bowler Hat)

Regardless of where you stand on the whole idea of the toy, artistically speaking the sculpt is gruesomely delightful. This figure would work just fine as a sidekick to any of your horror icons produced in the same scale.

Jack the Ripper (Top Hat)

Prices to hunt one of these down are all over the map. We've seen them sell for as little as $15.00 for one new in the box, and upwards of $35.00. We've even seen a couple insane sellers plastering them with a $100.00 or more price tag - Those sellers still have them by the way.

Join us next time when we take a look at Prophet!

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Gangsta Babies (Mezco)

Gangsta Babies
Mezco
2008

It was kind of one of those "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should" moments in toy history. Gangsta Babies, though a nod towards Cabbage Patch Kids, more so resembled vicious little Garbage Pail Kids. The dolls were ugly, came with cliche names, and all and all sold pretty terribly to mass markets due to their unappealing nature.

The entire line consisted of four dolls; Rey Rey - From around the way way, a playa who is number one with all the shorties, Big Deuce - Who everyone knows is running things, Pookie - The green eyed baller and Benjino - A carrot-topped homie who is holding the fort down.

These days it's rather difficult to find these particular dolls on secondary markets. This isn't because collector's out there who bought them covet them so much that they're not willing to part with them, but rather because mainly nobody bought them to begin with.

Despite this "rarity", dolls don't sell for much, and even when they are made available often times don't sell at all. Your average doll will set you back between $15.00 to $20.00 mint in the box - Pretty sad when retail prices were twice that.

Join us next time when we take a look at Kurt Cobain!

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Underdog (Mezco)

Underdog
Mezco
2007

Underdog got his start as a General Mills sponsored animated television series in 1964 which ran for 124 episodes through 1967, and continued in syndication until 1973. It featured the hero of the same name, who would take to the skies in a mock Superman fashion when his love interest Sweet Polly was in danger - Which apparently was all the time.

The show borrowed generously from the premise of Superman, which included Underdog having the alter ego persona of the timid Shoeshine Boy who showed no signs of bravery or being a hero. As Underdog, the character would often speak in rhymes, such as his catch phrase, "There's no need to fear, Underdog is here!"

Since his initial inception, the character has been featured in numerous young reader picture books and comics. As of recent, Underdog has even been showcased in a full fledged feature film (2007) in an attempt to revitalize the character.

Also in 2007, Mezco released a handful of figures based on the original cartoon version - Though it was in very limited release, and came and went before most people even knew it was available.

Underdog (Serious Face)

 

Two versions of Underdog were made available. The first showcased a serious look on the characters face. The second had the character giving a big grin.

Underdog (Smile)

 

Sweet Polly Purebread

 

Simon Barsinister

 

Riff Raff

 

The 2007 Comic Con exclusive set is one of the more elusive pieces to track down, but despite this it doesn't typically sell for a lot of money. If you're patient enough, you can typically nab one for around $35.00 - However, be prepared to deal with sellers who are asking three to four times more than that for it.

Underdog 2007 Comic Con Exclusive

In general this is not an easy line of figures to track down. The most common one you'll find is Simon Barsinister. Unfortunately the rest of them are rarely found. Much like the Comic Con exclusive, this doesn't necessarily make the figures valuable. On average you can pick them up for $8.00 to $15.00 each mint on card. It's just a line that is going to take patience to track down.

Join us next time when we take a look at V The Resistance!

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Kick-Ass (Mezco)

Kick-Ass
Mezco
2010

Kick-Ass will forever be that comic book movie that we consistently ignored because we knew nothing about it. After finally getting around to seeing it, we kicked ourselves for not having seen it sooner.

Based on the comic book characters and story created and developed by Mark Miller, the film follows Dave Lizewski as he sets out to become a real life super hero. Unfortuantely for him, he can't fight, he's not menacing, and worst of all, no criminal will take him serious. That is until he meets up with the mysterous Big Daddy and Hit-Girl who show him that crime fighting isn't just a game to be played, but serious business with serious consiquences - Especially for the bad guys.

In 2010, with the craze of comic book movies running strong, Universal and Lionsgate teamed up to produce a film based on the 2008 publication. Featuring a relatively unknown cast, with the exception of Nicholas Cage, the film debuted on March 26, 2010. It was immediately panned by advocate groups for it's gratuitous violence, and the very fowl mouth of it's then eleven year old actress Chloe Grace Moretz (Hit-Girl). In addition, some critics claimed the movie glorified violence and sexualized the young child actress. Though not all critic reviews were bad or against the film.

Mezco produced a very small line of figures based on both Kick-Ass and Hit-Girl to coincide with the film's release. Much to the dismay of collectors, the figures came pre posed with bent knees and necks which left little room for poses beyond what you see in the shots below.

Due to these stances, many collector's also had great issues with getting Hit-Girl to stand for more than a few minutes. The cuts in her leg for posing could never seem to come together to provide for a well balanced figure. As a result, she was often times on her back.

Kick-Ass

 

One of the smartest things that Mezco did for the series was to incorporate the characters over the double "S" of the title in a way of censoring it. They knew that retail stores would be hesitent to stock the toys, if not flat out refuse to should the packages be uncensored. They also censored the name of Kick-Ass himself by putting splotches of paint to resemble the double "S" in his name.

 

Hit-Girl

It was a shame to see that only these two figures were produced. A Big Daddy figure would have been an amazing item to have alongside these ones. It also wouldn't have hurt to have a couple of the "villains" from the film.

Join us next time when we take a look at Captain and Tennille!

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The Goon (Mezco)

The Goon
Mezco
2005

The Goon is a series created, written and drawn by Eric Powell in 1999. When the series first debuted under the banner of Avatar Press, Powell was unhappy with the quality of their books, and soon stopped turning in work for publication. When his contract expired, he instead moved to self publishing where his series caught the eye of Dark Horse Comics who picked it up and continue to publish it to date.

Many of the stories take on a comedic approach which is intertwined with heavy violence and a touch of the supernatural. The average story will contain various undead creatures such as zombies, mutants, ghosts, etc. As a result, The Goon is very much so an adult themed comic.

In 2005, Mezco produced a very small series of figures based on the books. The series included only four figures, five if you include the chase variant of The Goon himself, and six if you include the build a zombie figure which could be made by purchasing all four of the basic figures.

Frankie

Joey the Ball

The Goon*The Goon (Chase Variant)

Zombie Priest

Zombie

The Goon probably isn't one of those series that your average collector would pick up, but all and all it's not a bad toy line.

Join us next time when we take a look at Kick-Ass!

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Hellboy (AKA Hellboy Comic Book Figures) (Mezco)

Hellboy (AKA Hellboy Comic Book Figures)
Mezco
2005

With the mild success of the 2004 Hellboy (movie) figures, Mezco fired up 2005 with an all new series based on the comic book renditions of the characters. Much like the prior series, this particular line was big on variants that for the most part were subtle differences to Hellboy's face. However, this time there weren't as many.

SERIES 1

Hellboy*Hellboy (Gritted Teeth)*Hellboy (Open Mouth)

SERIES 1

Kriegaffe Number 10*Liz Sherman*Lobster Johnson

SERIES 2

Alien*Hellboy with Rocket Pack

Johann*Roger

One of the more coveted figures from the series is the 2005 San Diego Comic Con exclusive Lobster Johnson. While the overall figure is nothing more than a clear blue plastic, the packaging, which was a really nice two piece box, really helped to sell this thing.

EXCLUSIVE FIGURES

Lobster Johnson (Clear) - 2005 San Diego Comic Con

Exclusive figures were a big part of the series, but were mostly limited to SDCC.

SAN DIEGO COMIC CON EXCLUSIVES

Hellboy with Heads*Hellboy (with Trenchcoat)*Abe Sapien 

FIGURES.COM EXCLUSIVES

Hellboy (Battle Damaged - Open Mouth)*Hellboy (Battle Damaged - Clenched Teeth)

Join us next time when we take a look at The Walking Dead Television Series 3 and 4!

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Hellboy (AKA Hellboy Movie Figures) (Mezco)

Hellboy
Mezco
2004

Hellboy is a highly underrated comic book movie if you ask us. Because the character isn't necessarily mainstream, or at least wasn't prior to the movie, many people passed on it, and those said people missed out. Ron Perlman captures the look of Hellboy perfectly, and as an actor comes through as someone who is actually enjoying playing the part on screen.

The film is based off of the character's first mini series, Hellboy: Seed of Destruction from Mike Mignola and John Byrne, published by Dark Horse Comics. Since its original inception, Hellboy has expanded to numerous other story arcs in comic, television and movie form.

To coincide with the movie's release, Mezco produced a small line of action figures. Variants were the name of the game, most of which contrived of various incarnations of Hellboy with simple changes to his mouth position or various clothing.

SERIES 1

Abe Sapien*Hellboy (with Big Gun)*Hellboy (with Trenchcoat)

SERIES 1

Hellboy (with Trenchcoat) Variant Chase with Teeth Showing*Kroenen

Rasputin with Hellbaby*Sammael

SERIES 1.5

Anung Un Rama*Abe Sapien (Battle Damaged)*Hellboy (with Stockade)

SERIES 1.5

Hellboy (with Trenchcoat - Open Hand)*Hellboy (with Trenchcoat - Closed Hand)

Officer Kroenen*Hellboy (Shirtless with Dumbbell)

In addition to the regular waves of figures, Previews released their own package variations. These were denoted with small stickers which labeled them as being from Previews. The figures were no different from those released in the regular line.

PREVIEWS EXCLUSIVE

Abe Sapien (Black Suit)*Hellboy (Battle Damaged)

Hellboy*Hellboy (with Trenchcoat)

PREVIEWS EXCLUSIVE

Kroenen*Rasputin (with Hellbaby)*Sammael

The last two pieces produced were San Diego Comic Con exclusives. Much like the other variants in the series, the only difference between the two are the mouth positions.

SAN DIEGO COMIC CON EXCLUSIVES

Hellboy (Open Mouth)*Hellboy (Closed Mouth)

Join us next time when we take a look at yet another Mezco Hellboy series based on the comic book series!

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