“You’ll take my life but I’ll take yours too
You’ll fire your musket but I’ll run you through
So when you’re waiting for the next attack
You’d better stand there’s no turning back.”
— “The Trooper”
If heavy metal had a face, it would look like Eddie. Iron Maiden’s infamous and ubiquitous mascot Eddie was everywhere in the glory days of NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal). Along with Judas Priest, Motorhead, Saxon, and Def Leppard, British heavy metal took the early ’80s by storm, and Eddie’s visage could be found in virtually every corner of the world — from t-shirts to posters to jean jackets to album covers and single covers to cheesy mirrors that could be won at the fair in the summer. Basically, it was impossible to be anywhere outside your house and not be greeted by Eddie’s face staring back at you. He was a symbol of youthful rebellion and defiance, and that made him impossibly cool back then. I can remember spending whole afternoons on my back with my headphones on listening to Number of the Beast, Powerslave, etc. while studying the album art — Iron Maiden’s album art always featured Eddie. Long before I was introduced to punk and hardcore, Iron Maiden was my youthful call-to-arms, my middle finger to the middle-class suburbs where I grew up. I loved them.
So, naturally, NECA’s figure based on Iron Maiden’s Eddie dressed as “The Trooper” was an instant must-have for me. So let’s take a look at Eddie and see what NECA’s take on this heavy metal icon is all about.
Video:
Text and pics:
The packaging is of the resealable “collector-friendly” variety — I think. It looks as though it’s supposed to be resealable, but I had a heck of a time getting it open and pretty much destroyed a good portion of it. I was hoping I’d be able to put Eddie back in the shell, but oh well! In the trash it goes! Still, it’s a sharp-looking presentation, and I’m almost sorry I opened it because it does display nicely like this.
Eddie is an 8-inch figure done in the classic “Mego-style,” meaning he’s a plastic action figure adorned with a soft-goods costume. Unlike the old Mego figures, however, Eddie’s outfit restricts his articulation enough to be annoying, particularly in his upper body. The soft goods look cool, though, and the weathering effects are almost convincing in spots, but mostly he looks as though he’s been fixing the lawnmower all afternoon. Granted, I’m being facetious, but I guess the weathering style matches the figure’s overall aesthetic — cartoony and not supposed to be totally realistic. To that end, it works and looks great.
His head sculpt, however, is completely, COMPLETELY awesome. This is Eddie. NECA nailed it. The sculpt is so perfect that I can’t offer any suggestions as to how if could be improved. Bravo, NECA. Every time I look at this head sculpt it makes me smile.
For accessories, Eddie comes with a bloody sword (awesome) and a torn and tattered Union Jack flag. Both are constructed with a strong attention to detail with realism in mind and both look great. I’m pleased to see that he can hold both securely and that his shoulders and wrists can support the flag. It’s got some heft to it, so that is a relief.
Now, I’m not sure what the piece of the sword is called, but the “hand guard” can be removed so the sword can be inserted into Eddie’s fist. It’s a snug fit that requires a little force, but it works. The sword can also be stored in his scabbard, but there’s not a lot of clearance under his arm, so in his hand it will stay.
I’m happy to see they went with a sculpted flag rather than a soft-goods flag because it looks much more convincing. It holds it’s shape and is identical to the artwork upon which the figure is based. For me, the figure was worth the cost almost for the flag alone. I love it.
His articulation is pretty basic. However, due to his clothing, it’s difficult for me to determine exactly what sort of joints he has, so the following breakdown is mainly just a guess:
- Ball head
- Swivel and hinge shoulders
- Hinged elbows
- Swivel and hinged wrists
- Waist swivel
- Ball (?) hips
- Hinged knees
- Hinges ankles
He’s missing crucial points like bicep swivels, thigh swivels, and ankle rockers, so it’s tough to get many poses out of him. In fact, the above pic was the best “action” pose I could get since I couldn’t keep him standing doing anything else.
This version of Eddie (there are more coming) can currently be found at Toys R Us stores and online at Big Bag Toy Store. He runs about $25-$30, but if you’re an Iron Maiden fan, I feel he’s worth it. My Toys R Us store sold through about 12 on them in less than a week, so it looks like there may actually be a demand for Mego-style Eddies. I know I’m in for every version of this guy NECA chooses to make, so I can’t wait to add more to my shelf.
