“With just a touch of my burning hand, I send my astro zombies to rape the land. Prime directive: exterminate the whole human race.” — The Misfits, “Astro Zombies”
Classic bands break up and then reunite all the time, but no band’s “reunion” is more decisive than The Misfits. Formed in 1977 by Glenn Danzig, who would go on to pen every song by the band until its demise in 1983, The Misfits became one of the most iconic and revered bands in the punk and hardcore scenes of the early ’80s, and they would go on to be a major influence on metal bands like Metallica and Slayer. Their logo, the ubiquitous “Crimson Ghost,” which would become known as “the Fiend,” has become as important a part of the band as any of its actual members, and it has emblazoned t-shirts, buttons, stickers, tattoos, posters, etc. for decades.
When the name was resurrected in 1997 by bassist Jerry Only, there was much rejoicing because holy MOLY! The Misfits were back! But then we learned they were back WITHOUT Glenn Danzig, and a line was drawn in the sand. To the fans, there was Danzig’s Misfits (the original) and there was Only’s Misfits (this new thing that confused a lot of people but was not without its fans and supporters). The two bands had little in common apart from the look and, of course, the name, and fans of one often wanted nothing to do with the other.
NECA has addressed this situation very diplomatically by releasing their 10-inch Mego-style Misfits Fiend in two flavors: black (Danzig-era) and red (Only-era). At least that’s my interpretation of the two versions, and it makes total sense for them to release both of these because it’s an opportunity to keep fans of both versions of the band happy. In many cases, fans are going to double down and pick up both versions anyway, so it’s also a smart marketing move on NECA’s part from that perspective.
So with the help of VeeBee and Snowman, we’re going to take a look at these two Fiends and see if they live up to the iconic Misfits image upon which they’re based.
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Now, this “Fiend’s” design is not original and unique to the band. It originally appeared in The Crimson Ghost, a horror serial from 1946. The likeness was then used on the band’s 1979 Horror Business EP and would go on to represent the band in a myriad of forms. It’s as seminal as the Black Flag bars or the Dead Kennedy’s “DK,” and now we’re seeing it in action figure form, ironically in a style that was big when the band actually first formed. So I have to wonder how the band came to be able to use this image since, technically speaking, it isn’t really “theirs.” I guess some kind of deal was worked out? Who knows?
The artwork on the card is taken from the American Psycho LP, the first release in the “Only-led” era of the band. I like that for the black figure’s card the image is in black and white, so that it at least recalls the original version of the band even though the image used is clearly from the modern era. The overall presentation of both figures in their packaging is sharp, and just holding the two in my hands made me feel all giddy. See, the Misfits (Danzig-era) is probably my favorite band ever, and I practically live in either a Misfits, Samhain, or Danzig t-shirt, so these are two more pieces to add to my Misfits collection. I’m stoked!
They’re not the most intricately designed figures of all time, but that’s OK. What’s really important is the face and the hands, and NECA nailed them both so perfectly that it’s hard to believe. From the neck down, both figures are just flowing robes that almost makes the Fiend resemble some kind of monk. Each figure comes with a swappable right hand designed to hold a candelabra pack-in, but, apart from that, these couldn’t be more straightforward.
The following set of pics are Snowman’s, and he’s really managed to capture the spirit of the character well. Seeing him with both Metallica and what looks like a custom Misfits-era Danzig is so cool:
VeeBee picked up the red version, and he is clearly having a ball snapping pics of his. VeeBee managed to make the red pop like crazy in these pics, and he’s making it very hard for me to pick a favorite between the two.
The Fiend’s head really is the logo come to life in 3D form. it’s just so perfectly done. It blows my mind every time I look at it.
The below pics are my own. I did my best to recreate the first appearance of each version. What surprised me the most with these figures is the fact that they have bicep swivels. Mego figures never had that point of articulation, so I was stoked to find it here so I could approximate the “Horror Business” pose. It’s not perfect because his arms can’t be crossed like they are on the EP cover, but it’s close enough for me and my shelves.
Aside from the bicep swivels, they have a pretty standard Mego articulation scheme: swivel head; hinge-and-swivel shoulders, hips, and wrists; a waist swivel; and hinged knees, elbows, and feet. The robes really don’t hinder his movement much at all, so it is fairly easy to get him in a variety of poses.
I am definitely glad I picked up both of these. Judging from their pics, it’s safe to say the same is true for VeeBee and Snowman. Any fan of the Misfits would love these, so this may be the perfect Xmas present for the punk-rocker in your life. But even if you’re not a fan of the band, this is a character from a classic horror serial, so he could easily fit in any collection of horror-based figures. His potential diversity, in terms of purpose, is certainly a key selling point.