Horror Toys - The History of Spooky Action Figures

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There’s nothing better than holding a tiny plastic articulated nightmare in your hands. From small figures of classic horror movie monsters to highly detailed, lifelike action figures, horror toys have been a part of the toy industry for over a century. The history of horror toys is a fascinating one, marked by technological advances, cultural changes, and controversy. We’re going to explore some of the most popular and influential plastic monsters throughout history, from Dracula to Draculaura, Frankenstein to Freddy…Kreuger and Fazbear.

Let’s dig up the spooky history of horror toys!

Early Horror Toys

The first horror toy ever made may be Frozen Charlotte, the small, Victorian-era porcelain dolls that were inspired by the early American folk song “Fair Charlotte.” Based on the poem “A Corpse Going to a Ball,” it tells the story of a young girl who refused to wear warm clothes on the sleigh ride to the ball because she didn’t want to cover up her dress, and ended up freezing to death. These tiny figures came in silver coffins, were made of white porcelain – either glazed or rough raw porcelain – and were always naked because vain little Charlotte would rather freeze than cover up her beauty.

They tried all within their power, her life for to restore

But Charlotte was a frozen corpse, and is never to speak more.

They were originally sold in Germany in 1850 as a bath toy. In Britain, it became tradition to give these to children by baking them into a cake or pudding as a surprise.

Frozen Charlottes were popular into the 1920s. There was also a rare male version called Frozen Charlie. These dolls were also sometimes called penny dolls, because in some places they only cost one cent.

Universal Monsters

The early 20th century saw the production of numerous small plastic or lead figures featuring characters from horror literature and movies. The obsession with monsters began with Dracula, The Mummy, and other Universal Pictures films of the 1930s. However, Universal didn’t begin licensing their classic horror movie characters to toy manufacturers until the 1960s.

One of the earliest examples of horror-themed toys were the Aurora Monster Models, a series of plastic model kits released in the early 1960s that allowed children to build and paint miniature versions of Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, and the Wolf Man. The kits were a huge success and sparked a wave of interest in horror-themed toys and collectibles.

Another early example of horror toys was the Marx Toy Company’s “Horror Series” figures from the 1960s, which featured characters such as Dracula, the Mummy, and Frankenstein’s Monster. The figures were about 6 inches tall, highly detailed, and made of hard, colorful plastic. Some were even glow-in-the-dark. Despite their popularity with collectors, the Horror Series figures were not as widely available or as enduringly popular as later horror toy lines.

Another creation from Marx that some consider the Holy Grail of 1960s horror toys is the 12-inch, battery operated, remote control tin Frankenstein robot produced in 1963. They are highly sought after and go for a hefty price today – See for yourself on ebay.

Frito-Lay also had a line of Universal Monsters figures in the 1960s. They were small rubber figures under two inches tall that you got as prizes inside Frito-Lay snack products.

Creepy Crawlers Thingmaker

Mattel Thingmaker kits were a popular line introduced in the 1960s that allowed kids to make their own rubbery bugs and monster toys at home. The kits included metal molds, colored liquid plastic called “plastigoop,” and accessories to decorate the finished product.

The molds came in a variety of shapes, including spiders, scorpions, worms, bats, and other creepy crawlies, as well as the shrunken heads, bones, scars and more offered by the Fright Factory kit. Colored plastic could be mixed to create a wide range of hues. Once the mold was heated and filled with the liquid plastic, it was left to cool and harden, producing a rubbery and somewhat gooey toy that could be stretched and squished.

Thingmaker sets were popular with kids in the 1960s and 1970s. They were reissued in the 1990s, with updated molds and accessories, to creep out a new generation of fans.

1970s HORROR TOYS

Dracula, Wolf Man, Phantom of the Opera, Creature from the Black Lagoon and other Universal Monsters continued to dominate the horror toy market in the early 1970s with the ongoing popularity of the Aurora Monsters Models kits (rated X for excitement!) as well as the introduction of Remco’s Mini Monsters and Mego’s Mad Monsters line.

Ideal’s poseable King Kong action figure was also popular. The line also included various playsets and accessories, including a miniature Skull Island playset and a set of “jungle fighters” – giant insects designed to take on the mighty Kong.

But by the end of the decade the tides of horror were changing and new monsters were about to take over. In cinemas, 1978 saw the release of Halloween, igniting the slasher genre that would dominate the box office throughout the following decade, as well as horror collectibles for the foreseeable future.

Then, in 1979, Alien burst onto the scene.

Kenner released an 18-inch figure of everyone’s favorite xenomorph that same year with a glowing head, working mouth, and rotating tail. Sadly, it didn’t last long on the shelves due. The Alien was soon recalled due to criticism from parents that a toy from a violent R-rated film was being marketed to children. Today, these figures remain one of the rarest and most expensive horror collectibles.

[Take a look on ebay to see for yourself]

The Golden Age of Horror – 1980s Horror Toys

The 1980s saw a surge in popularity for horror movies with the massive horror franchises of Halloween, Friday the 13th, and A Nightmare on Elm street. Kids couldn’t get into the theaters to see them, but they still had the Jason mask and the Freddy glove, and were probably catching all the gruesome slasher goodness on late night cable TV shows like USA Up All Night and Saturday Nightmares. A number of popular toys were introduced during this period, which was marked by monsters and gratuitous amounts of slime.

Too Gross!

In the 80s, gross-out toys were a popular type of toy that featured disgusting or revolting themes, often with an emphasis on bodily fluids or other gross-out humor. These toys were a reaction to the more wholesome toys of the past, and became a popular trend among children and collectors alike. Some of the most popular gross-out toy lines from the 1980s include:

Madballs – These rubber balls were designed to look like gross and grotesque monsters with exaggerated features such as bulging eyes and rotting flesh. Each Madball had its own unique name and character.
Garbage Pail Kids – These trading cards featured characters with disgusting and graphic artwork, often depicting bodily functions or injuries. The Garbage Pail Kids were a parody of the popular Cabbage Patch Kids dolls.
Boglins – These rubber hand puppets were designed to look like grotesque monsters with bulging eyes, slimy skin, and other disgusting features. Each Boglin had a unique personality and name.
M.U.S.C.L.E. – These small rubber figurines were designed to look like wrestlers, with exaggerated muscles and grotesque features. Each M.U.S.C.L.E. had its own unique name and personality.
Food Fighters – These small plastic figures were designed to look like various types of food with arms and legs. The Food Fighters were often depicted in humorous or disgusting situations, such as using ketchup bottles as guns.
Mad Scientist – The Mad Scientist toy line from Mattel was all about creating experiments and crazy concoctions, with many of the sets and toys featuring a laboratory theme. One of the most popular sets was the Monster Lab, that allowed you to make “disgusting, gross monsters” using the monster skeleton and the green monster flesh, and then “sizzle the flesh off their bones.” With the Alien Autopsy set, you could slice open an alien and extract its organs from the goo within.
My Pet Monster – Kids were lonely in the 80s and needed a friend. There were Glo Worms and Cabbage Patch Kids. But what about the weird kids? That’s what My Pet Monster was for. It was a furry blue monster with horns and a toothy grin. The original Monster toy was made of soft, plush material and stood about 20 inches tall. He wore a pair of orange shackles around his wrists with a chain that “broke” apart. For kids who liked sports, there was My Pet Football Monster in helmet and jersey.

LJN Toys produced numerous lines of horror toys, including Gremlins action figures, “Squish ‘Ems,” and “Spitballs” of Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees that could squirt an 18-foot stream of water.

Kenner was responsible for some of the most creative horror offerings during this time, including The Real Ghostbusters series (with creative ghosts and monsters such as the Bug-Eye Ghost with the eyeball that popped out that made a cameo in Ghostbusters: Afterlife), Aliens, and Beetlejuice.

InHumanoids

The 1986 animated series about earth scientists fighting subterranean monsters spawned this unique toy line with big 14-inch monsters. D’Compose had a skull for a head, as well as exposed rib cage and entrails. Then there was a brown troll or demon-looking creature called Metlar, and a green, mossy thing named Tendril. There were other creatures, as well, such as Granite, a rock creature that could reconstruct itself, something called Redwood that could grow to twice its height, and Magnokor that could split into two different monsters.

Beetlejuice Action Figures

The Beetlejuice toy line consisted of a variety of action figures, playsets, and vehicles loosely based on the 1989 Tim Burton film. The brightly colored, cartoonish figures barely resembled the movie, but damn were they cool.

There was Shish Kebob who you stuck swords through, Harry the Haunted Hunter with an arrow through his head and a shrunken head inside, Adam Maitland whose head slid down his arm, Otho the Obnoxious whose head came off to reveal a small screaming head inside, the algae-covered Shipwreck Beetlejuice, and more. Each figure also came with a small monster like the Loathsome Lizard and the Terrible Tarantula.

The series also included a couple vehicles – the Creepy Cruiser car and the Phantom Flyer – and the Gross-Out Meter playset so you could “get a reading on those gross people in your neighborhood and zap ‘em with the flying bug.”

One of the most best sets was the “Vanishing Vault.” It was a bed-shaped grave that slid open to reveal Beetlejuice’s home inside. You would put your Beetlejuice figure inside, flip the sign, and open it once again to reveal a tiny shrunken Beetlejuice.

Later additions to the series included the Neighborhood Nasties figures of the Street Rat, Old Buzzard, Hungry Hog, and Teacher Creature.

The Beetlejuice toy line was notable for capturing the quirky, offbeat aesthetic of the movie in toy form, even if it didn’t have anything to do with the plot. These days, you can find them all for good prices on ebay.

1990s HORROR TOYS

Slashers were out in the early 90s and The Addams Family were in. The 1991 film gave us NES and handheld video games, while 1992 animated series spawned a handful of goofy action figures from Playmates.

The animated Tales from the Cryptkeeper series brought a tame version of the popular HBO series to the Saturday morning cartoon lineup in 1993, and thus a line of action figures including the Cryptkeeper, a zombie, a gargoyle, vampire, mummy, and werewolf.

Then, in 1994, we got two talking Cryptkeeper dolls – one in a tux, the other in a straw hat, Hawaiian shirt, and shorts – complete with John Kassir’s signature cackle.

McFarlane’s Monsters playsets were released in 1997. These highly detailed figures were aimed at adult collectors. Series 1 included The Hunchback, Werewolf, Frankenstein, and Dracula.

McFarlane’s Movie Maniacs arrived in 1998 with the first truly grotesque action figure versions of Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, and Leatherface. The series also included Patrick and Eve from Species 2. An alternate version of Eve with exposed monster nipples made it clear McFarlane’s mature and graphic toys weren’t for kids.

McFarlane also released a series of X-Files action figures that year which included Mulder, Scully, an alien, a victim in a body bag, and two variations of humans with translucent skin and all their organs exposed inside.

Movie Maniacs series 2 was released in 1999 with killer action figures of Ghostface, Pumpkinhead, Norman Bates, Michael Myers, The Crow, and Chucky.

Haunted Happy Meals

Fast food was known to dip their toes into the spooky world once in a while, offering horror-themed toys in kid’s meals during Halloween. McDonalds introduced Halloween bucket Happy Meals for the first time in 1986 with the orange McPunk’n jack-o-lantern, the green McGoblin, and of course the ghostly white McBoo. The McBoo bucket made a glorious comeback in October of 2022.

In the 90s, McDonalds dressed their Chicken McNugget Nugget Buddies in classic monster costumes like Frankenstein, the Mummy, Dracula, a ghost, witch, etc. for their Halloween Happy Meal toy offerings.

In 1996, you could get one of four Goosebumps toys in your Taco Bell taco roll-up kid’s meal: SkullMobile, Cuddles the Horrible Hamster (who you turned inside out to see his glow-in-the-dark guts and monster blood!), Wrappin’ Mummy, and Slappy’s Candy Keeper.

Burger King offered up a fun set of Universal Monsters in 1997. There was Frankenstein with a light up head laboratory table, Dracula and coffin, Wolf Man in a cellar with a full moon, and a cool translucent green Creature from the Black Lagoon that squirted water.

The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror toys came to Burger King in 2001, 2002, and again in 2011 featuring Homer, Bart, and the rest of the Simpsons characters dressed up as various horror monsters and villains with spooky light-up and sound features.

HORROR TOYS OF THE 2000s

The rise of a whole new generation of horror directors (dubbed the “Splat Pack”) in the early 2000s brought with it a new interest in horror collectibles.

McFarlane continued to release their highly detailed monsters, including grotesque versions of fairy tale characters like Hansel and Gretel, Little Miss Muffet, Humpty Dumpty, a sexy Red Riding Hood, as well as historical figures such as Rasputin, Elizabeth Bathory, Jack the Ripper and more. In 2007, McFarlane released the Twisted Christmas series with monstrous versions of Santa, Rudolph, a snowman, Jack Frost, and Mrs. Claus in lingerie, pole dancing on a candy cane.

Mezco Toyz introduced a line of horror movie action figures and collectibles in 2007 called “Cinema of Fear.” The featured 80s slashers in a variety of styles, from detailed action figures with gruesome accessories, to plush characters, and several sets called “Screen Grabs” showcasing iconic moments from the films, such as child Jason jumping out of the water from the end of Friday the 13th, Nancy in the bathtub with Freddy’s claw rising up out of the water from A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Leatherface smashing his victim with a sledgehammer in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

NECA’s Cult Classics line emerged in 2005 with tons of cool figures including The Crow, Patrick Bateman from American Psycho, the mohawk gremlin from Gremlins 2, Frank the Bunny from Donnie Darko, the Tall Man from Phantasm, Bubba Ho-Tep, Shaun of the Dead, Hannibal Lecter, Jigsaw, Medieval Ash from Army of Darkness, The Lost Boys, Beetlejuice, Regan spider-walking down the stairs from The Exorcist, Captain Spaulding, Pinhead, Michael Myers wearing the ghost sheet, and more.

Mezco Toyz introduced a line of creepy and cute dolls called Living Dead Dolls in 2000. The dolls were designed to look like undead children, with features such as pale skin, sunken eyes, and stitched-up wounds. The dolls came with various accessories, such as a coffin or a dollhouse.

In addition to their “Cult Classics” line, NECA introduced a line of horror movie figures called “Reel Toys” in the mid-2000s. The line included characters such as Billy from Saw, Chucky from Child’s Play, and Sam from Trick ‘r Treat. The figures were highly detailed and included various accessories, such as a tricycle for Billy and a pumpkin head for Sam.

HORROR TOYS OF THE 2010s

The 2010s saw continued growth in the horror toy market, with new franchises and characters being introduced to the market. One company in particular was set to take the collectibles world by storm.

Funko Pop! Vinyls debuted in 2011 with their distinctive “cute” style of oversized heads and big eyes. That year they released numerous horror Pops: Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, Blacklight Michael Myers, Beetlejuice, Gizmo, and Stripe, leader of the Gremlins.

NECA released a line of horror movie figures called “Ultimates” in the 2010s. The line included updated versions of classic characters such as Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger, as well as newer characters such as Pennywise from It and the Demogorgon from Stranger Things. The figures were highly detailed and included multiple points of articulation, as well as various accessories such as weapons and interchangeable heads.

Mezco Toyz introduced a line of highly articulated and detailed action figures called “One:12 Collective” in 2015. The line included characters such as Ash from Evil Dead, Nosteratu, Pyramid Head from Silent Hill, the Alien xenomorph, and Predator, as well as the usual 80s slashers.

Sideshow Collectibles is a high-end collectible manufacturer that produced a number of horror-themed figures in the 2010s. These included characters such as Pinhead from Hellraiser, Leatherface, and Dracula from Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The figures came with various accessories and interchangeable parts.

Mezco Toyz introduced a line of large-scale horror figures called “Mega Scale” with detailed faces and multiple points of articulation. The line included characters such as Chucky, Jason Voorhees, possessed Regan, and Pennywise. Some even include sound.

MONSTER HIGH

Finally, Barbie for spooky kids! The Monster High toy line was introduced by Mattel in 2010 and quickly became a popular line of fashion dolls with a horror twist. The line was based on the concept of a high school for monsters, where the characters were the teenage children of famous monsters such as Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, and the Mummy.

The dolls themselves featured a distinctive design, with exaggerated features and bright colors, and each character had their own unique style that reflected their monster heritage. For example, Draculaura was a vampire with pink and black hair, while Clawdeen Wolf was a werewolf with purple hair and a fierce sense of style.

In addition to the dolls themselves, the Monster High line also included a wide range of accessories and playsets such as the Frights, Camera, Action! Dressing Room, Freaky Fusion Catacombs Castle, and a double decker coffin jewelry box.

The popularity of the Monster High line led to a number of spin-off products and media, including movies, TV shows, and video games. The characters were also featured in a number of books and graphic novels.

One of the unique aspects of the Monster High line was its emphasis on diversity and inclusivity. The line featured characters from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and body types, and the characters were often shown to be proud of their individuality and unique traits.

Despite its popularity, the Monster High line was discontinued by Mattel in 2016.

DEATH BY DIECAST

Spooky diecast cars are few and far between, but there have been some notable offerings over the years. Hot Wheels has offered up a few spooky designs over the years, including monster trucks inspired by classic movie monsters, the Scary Dairy Delivery, Screamliner hotrod with a skull and crossbones on the hood, and Skull Crusher, a car designed to look like a skull with a ribcage hood. They’ve also produced several versions of the Ghostbusters Ecto-1.

Matchbox has produced a few diecast versions of a 1959 Cadillac Fleetwood hearse, including black, white, and hotrod styles.

FRIGHTENING LIGHTNINGS

Johnny Lightning produced a series of spooky diecast cars called Frightning Lightnings. These horror-inspired toys combined classic car designs with horror motifs. Each vehicle was designed to look like a classic hot rod or muscle car, but was adorned with horror-themed graphics and decorations, such as skulls, zombies, and other creatures of the night.

Some of the standout models from the Frightning Lightnings series include the ’69 Oldsmobile 442 Hearse, which is a hearse that has been modified to look like a muscle car, and the ’58 Plymouth Fury “Christine,” which is a replica of the iconic car from the Stephen King movie.

Other models in the series include the ’70 Dodge Super Bee “Super Horror Bee,” the ’69 Mercury Cougar “Deadly Cougar,” the ’70 Pontiac GTO “Creeper,” Elvira’s Macabre Mobile, and the Drag-u-la coffin hotrod from The Munsters.

LEGO HORROR

Alien Conquest

LEGO Alien Conquest was introduced in 2011. The line featured a range of sets and minifigures that revolved around a conflict between humans and alien invaders. They ranged in size from small sets featuring a single minifigure and a small build, to larger sets that included multiple minifigures and detailed spaceships or vehicles.

The minifigures in the Alien Conquest line included various types of alien creatures, as well as humans. There were even Alien Clingers that attached themselves to human heads (which included alternate facial expressions to reflect the true horror of the situation).

The sets included a variety of interactive features such as firing missile launchers, spinning rotors, and opening cockpits. The large Alien Mothership spinning outer disc, abduction claw, and a sound brick for eerie UFO sounds.

One of the standout sets was Earth Defense HQ, which featured a mobile human space command center with a laboratory trailer, mini rescue vehicle, prison pod, and toxic cleanup scientist.

Alien Conquest was discontinued in 2012, but it’s still one of the coolest lines LEGO ever released. You can still find them on Amazon – Check prices here.

Monster Fighters

The LEGO Monster Fighters line was introduced in 2012. It was based on classic horror movie themes and featured a team of monster fighters battling against an array of ghouls, ghosts, and other supernatural creatures. The minifigures included classic monsters such as a werewolf, a vampire, and a mummy, as well as original characters like Dr. Rodney Rathbone and Major Quinton Steele.

Sets included the Vampyre Castle haunted mansion with a working elevator and a sliding bookcase that revealed a hidden room, a hotrod Vampyre Hearse with coffin catapult, the Crazy Scientist lab, and the Ghost Train.

Lots of glow in the dark pieces, bones, monsters, ghosts…this series was perfect.

An accompanying LEGO Monsters Series 14 minifigures included a zombie businessman, ghost pirate, werewolf, gargoyle, zombie cheerleader, the fly, and more.

The line was discontinued in 2014. You can still find Monster Frighters on Amazon right here.

Hidden Side

LEGO Hidden Side is a theme of augmented reality (AR) sets that blend physical building with digital play. The sets were released in 2019 and are based on a fictional town called Newbury that is haunted by ghosts and spirits. The premise is that the player must work together with the characters Jack and Parker to uncover the hidden side of Newbury and defeat the supernatural creatures lurking there.

Each set includes a physical Lego model that can be built and played with in the traditional manner. However, the sets also include a free app that can be downloaded onto a smartphone or tablet, which allows the player to enter the world of Hidden Side through the use of AR technology. Once in the Hidden Side world, the player can explore Newbury and interact with the ghosts and spirits that haunt the town. The app features a variety of puzzles and challenges that must be completed in order to progress through the game.

Hidden Side has a variety of eerie sets, including the Wrecked Shrimp Boat, Ghost Lab, Paranormal Intercept Bus, Subway, Graveyard Mystery, Lighthouse of Darkness, Haunted Fairground, Haunted High School, and the Phantom Fire Truck. Each set has its own unique features and challenges. Some include larger, more intricate builds, while others focus more on the AR gameplay aspect. Some sets also include hidden clues and secrets that must be discovered in order to progress through the game.

Marvel Legends

Marvel has produced several horror or monster themed toy lines featuring its iconic characters. One of the most popular is the Marvel Legends Monsters line, featuring intricately detailed action figures of Dracula, Frankenstein, Zombie, and Werewolf by Night.

Marvel Zombies features grotesque flesh-eating zombie versions of Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, and Captain America. The Diamond Select series includes gory, decomposed versions of Magneto, Hulk, Spider-Man, Captain America, and Sabretooth.

Marvel Avengers Mech Strike Monster Hunters

The Marvel Avengers Mech Strike Monster Hunters toy line is a series of large, monster-themed action figures produced by Hasbro in 2021. They’re based on the popular Marvel Comics superhero team, the Avengers, but with a unique twist – the Avengers have been transformed into giant mech suits to battle massive kaiju monsters.

Figures include Thanos, Iron Man, Black Panther, Captain America, Doctor Doom, Thor, and Loki. Each one has an eye in its chest and a special attack action. A great addition to any collection of monster-themed toys.

INTERNET MONSTERS

We’re still waiting for a Backrooms playset, but in the meantime certain creepypasta monsters and Internet legends have already been made into toys. They’ve grown increasingly popular in recent years, particularly among younger audiences who have grown up with the internet as a major part of their lives. Some of the most popular include Slenderman, Sirenhead, and the Rake, among others.

One of our personal favorites is the official plush Salad Fingers based on the eerie animated series created by David Firth.

HORROR VIDEO GAME TOYS

We don’t have any clickers, bloaters, or other cordyceps zombie action figures from The Last of Us yet, but there have been numerous monster toy lines that are based on popular video game franchises. Resident Evil collectibles, including lickers, Nemesis, and the recent Lady Dimitrescu, are among the most popular. For younger audiences, Minecraft’s unique brand of voxel-based horrors have brought a number of blocky zombies, creepers, skeletons, spiders, Enderman and other mobs to the toy scene in the form of blind box minifigures, action figures, and plush.

Terraria, another popular sandbox game, produced a small run of awesome toys that have since fallen into obscurity. Among them was the Eye of Cthulhu action figure with bonus Demon Eye, and the Skeletron floating skull with a secret compartment.

FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S

Those of us who grew up in the age of Chuck E. Cheese knew how terrifying animatronics could be, but Five Nights at Freddy’s brought it to a whole new generation. Even if kids hadn’t played the games, they probably had one of the hugely popular Funko plushies of Freddy Fazbear, Foxy, Chica, Bonnie, Cupcake, and so so so many more.

Funko also produced FNAF POP!, Mystery Mini Figures, and more.

McFarlane Toys even got in on the FNAF action, producing a number of detailed LEGO-like construction sets of scenes from the games and books such as the Scooping Room and the stage of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza.

SUPER7

Super7 is possibly the top indie toy company producing retro style toys and collectibles today. Some notable offerings from their ReAction series include The Munsters, Vomit Splatter Regan, The Metaluna Mutant, My Pet Monster, Garbage Pail Kids, Godzilla, Alfred Hitchcock, Vincent Price, the melted Toxic Waste Thug from Robocop, Astro Zombies, They Live, Mars Attacks, and Toad Chet from Weird Science.

They’ve also produced action figures based on metal bands such as Papa Emeritus and the Nameless Ghouls from Ghost, the Napalm Death Scum Demon, the Misfits Fiend, various versions of Iron Maiden’s Eddie, Motorhead’s Warpig, King Diamond, and an undead version of Slayer.

The ReAction logo is designed to resemble Kenner.

Super7 also has their own brand of monster toys called “The Worst” with action figures who put their “worst foot forward” like The Four Worstmen, Cortex Commander, Captain Deadstar, Gas Phantom, and Shedusa.

TOONY TERRORS

Launched by NECA in 2019, Toony Terrors is a collection of 6-inch figures featuring popular horror and sci-fi characters reimagined in a cartoonish style similar to the original Scooby Doo animated series. The line features classic and contemporary horror icons such as Freddy, Jason, Michael Myers, Leatherface, both versions of Pennywise, Chucky and Tiffany, Pinhead, Ash, Count Orlock, The Nun, Beetlejuice, Victor Crowley from Hatchet, Sam, The Creep from Creepshow, Ghost Face, the Grady Twins from The Shining, Elvira, the Miner from My Bloody Valentine, Herbert West from Re-Animator, and Jaws.

CONCLUSION

The history of horror toys is a fascinating journey through the evolution of our collective nightmares and pop culture paradigms. From the early days of classic movie monsters like Dracula and Wolf Man and the iconic slashers of the 80s, all of which are still reproduced endlessly in articulated plastic today, to the modern world of video game monsters and internet legends, horror toys continue to bring tiny, grotesque versions of the things that scare us to our shelves and toy boxes.