My love for the Gremlins runs deep. The movies, character designs, and merchandise have been favorites of mine for as far back as I can remember, and as we roll into the holiday season I already have my Gremlins movie viewing plans made with the tradition double feature with Die Hard. So, as you can imagine, I LOVE NECA’s Gremlins action figure line, and any time there is an announcement that they are continuing with it, it makes me happy. An upgraded Mohawk from Gremlins 2: The New Batch has been needed for a long time, so I nabbed him without hesitation.
I collect a lot of NECA lines, and they do such good work with everything from their Aliens to Ninja Turtles, but I have such soft spot for the Gremlins, and honestly, I think that line shows off some of their best sculpt and paint work across any of their lines. The mogwai and gremlins both (but the gremlins specifically), have such strong and detailed designs that the characters are a playground for sculpt and paint detail for action figures, if a company is willing to commit to it, and boy, does NECA commit to it. I own every figure from their Gremlins line, and as far as I am concerned, there is not a single dud within it, and I will but ANY figure/character they produce.
I have gotten accustomed over the past couple of years to only anticipate 1-2 Gremlins releases a year, and while I would, of course, love to have more, NECA has been taking advantage of that timeline to deliver so pretty amazing figures. I LOVE the Bat Gremlin that was released last year, and now that we have an updated version of Mohawk, I hope they can go back to the well and get us some more fan favorites like Veggie and Greta. That release pattern might look to dictate that we only get one swipe at any given character, but over the entire course of the NECA line, Mohawk has four releases (if you coutn the video game version of this figure), which, I believe, is second only to Gizmo.
Technically, the Spider Gremlin and Mohawk are the same character, but is hard to compare those two at a figure level, and that Spider might be the crowning achievement of the entire Gremlins line. However, I have had the original Mohawk from several years ago, and except for the articulation, I have always been pretty happy with him. That is, until this new version arrived on my doorstep late last week. Holy moly, what and upgrade this is, and he locks off the four “main” Gremlins from TNB is hideously beautiful fashion. Getting the full set of Mohawk, Daffy, George, and Lenny has been a big deal for me, and could not be happier with the results.
Like I said, I liked the old version of Mohawk just fine, but this one has shown me how badly we needed an update. Everything about this figure is superior to the last, from articulation, to sculpt, to paint, to fitting in with his friends, and it is funny because the overall shape of the figure is one of the biggest changes. The new Mohawk’s body is more naturally (for a Gremlin) shaped and his arms and legs seem much more screen accurate. Of course, the articulation is way better than the other version and it mostly matches what has come before with the second movie Gremlins. The posing aspect is really the big one for me, and with his gun, Mohawk is very expressive. Oh, and his “Mohawks” are not removable like before, much to my relief.
Like those that came before him in this line, the paint continues to really stand out for me, and the amount of applications alone on Mohawk is something that has become increasingly rare in mass marked toys. His deep greens, greys, blacks, and reds are just gorgeous, and that is a strength of the second movie designs – all of the Gremlins really felt unique. Sure, Mohawk is an imposing character, that is for sure, but the evil really comes from his eyes, and NECA did a fabulous job recreating that here. I can only imagine the colors and details that would be added to the Veggie Gremlin if we ever get him, he would be so impressive.
So, I am so happy to finally have this badly-needed update on Mohawk, but it also makes me sad. For one thing, the rest of my Gremlins collection is currently packed while I find a new house, so I apologize for the lack of group shots. But man, I really miss the rest of the guys right now. I am also sad because it will likely be another year or so before we get another Gremlins release (please let us get another Gremlin’s release), and I just love getting new additions to this line. Like I have said, I REALLY want Veggie next, but I would gladly take Greta, too, and there are still a lot of others for NECA to make, so hopefully this line will carry one for years to come. I suggest you pick up Mohawk ASAP, and you can do so from the fine folks at Big Bad Toy Store right now.
