Some horror movie franchises have been extremely lucky, getting multiple shots at finally getting great toy lines or standalone figures. Jason and Freddy have had no shortage of action figures, with NECA finally giving Jason a worthwhile assortment of articulation, not to mention Freddy following suit with an upcoming “Ultimate” figure.
But there are other horror movie series that have been less than fortunate. While these movies will never have the mass-market, mainstream appeal of Freddy or Jason, they succeeded in producing visually distinctive villains that would make great action figures. Let’s take a look at these horror movie villains that deserve their own action figures. While there are some I’d love to include — Phantasm needs a full line of fully articulated toys to coincide with the upcoming FIFTH MOVIE! — I focused only on franchises without any toys at all. You will all hate me after this article.
5. Gingerdead Man
OK, I’ll admit it, this is on the list mainly because it’s the most ingenious title for a horror movie ever. But seriously, a gingerbread man that kills people — and Gary Busey does his voice. There is absolutely nothing about that concept that isn’t awesome.
And it has two sequels to show for its existence — and a completely separate movie in which he fights an evil bong, titled Gingerdead Man versus Evil Bong. I mean, that’s just…
4. Howling
With installments 7 or 8 — depending on if you count the last one — The Howling was the little werewolf series that could. Or could not, depending on how much quality you expect out of your horror movies. But there is a huge lack of werewolf action figures out there and some mid-transformation figures would look excellent.
3. Slumber Party Massacre
A dude with a drill kills teen girls who get naked at the drop of a hat. It’s not the most original angle, but it got the job done in four movies. While the tone varied wildly between them — the first one was supposed to be a slasher spoof, but it was directed straight, which shows, and the main themes of boobs and blood held through. The second movie in particular featured a weird drill/guitar hybrid wielded by a wannabe rocker that screams “toyetic.” Or screams something, I know that much.
2. Leprechaun
Warwick Davis played the title role in this movie series that stretched to six movies and a reboot. When a horror movie franchise has run out of ideas, they send the killer to space. Hellraiser did it, Friday the 13th did it (Although Jason X is what would be called a guilty pleasure I don’t feel the slightest guilt over) and Leprechaun did it.
This little dude deserves a figure just for somehow making it from space to “da hood” and back again. That is one badass Ewok.
1. Maniac Cop
While Bruce Campbell’s chin is legendary, Robert Z’dar has a chin that plays in Stan Smith’s league. When you put the two of them in the same movie, the resulting chin-off fractures the space-time continuum. Maniac Cop made it through three movies of fairly indiscriminate killing and increasing deformity. A wronged cop who was set up, sent to prison, and shivved by the scum he was sworn to arrest, Matthew Cordell returns to life to bring his own version of justice to the streets. Which usually involves a lot of killing. There’s not a lot of cop toys, and certainly not a lot of gigantically chinned murdering cop toys, so this would fill a much-needed niche in the toy world.
Needs alternate heads to show degradation of face.
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