MEZCO TOYZ

Report by Matthew Greenbaum
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CRYPTOZOOLOGY: Remember the Cryptozoology toyline that Mezco unveiled at Toy Fair 2002? Well, they're back... or, actually, they're here again for the first time. Production delays kept the line out of commission last year, but now it seems they are back on track. The Mothman, Bigfoot, and Jersey Devil figures have been downsized since their '02 debut, now approximately 4"-5" in height; Nessie, however, is a grand 18" deluxe figure.

POPEYE: Another Mezco property, Popeye, had no new product in attendance. Though at one time concerned by its sales performance, Mezco is very confident that the Popeye line will enjoy a major boost in popularity after the all-new animated Popeye holiday special hits TV soon.

THE OSBOURNES: "Shaaaroooonn!" may be popular for fans of the zany hit TV series "The Osbournes", but of course the most popular of that brood is Ozzy himself. Mezco recognizes this, and plans to more strongly focus its Osbournes toyline around Ozzy, de-emphasizing the other family members.

LIVING DEAD DOLLS: Mezco is particularly proud of their Living Dead Dolls line, now enjoying its 5th anniversary. In addition to the normal (can you call it that?) lineup of new dolls for 2003, there will be special limited edition black-and-white variant dolls in closed-casket packaging. As if such limited product weren't enough for die-hard collectors, it turns out that limited recolor editions will be made for each of the doll styles in the 2003 lineup--and of course, with the casket closed fans can't tell which they're getting! Completists, beware.... they come for your SOUL!

Besides the dolls themselves, there will also be LDD merchandise such as:

• Pencil sharpeners. Stick a pencil into the empty eye socket of the decapitated doll head, and it slowly begins to drool pencil shavings out of its mouth.
• Night-lights. Plug the blindly-staring decapitated doll head into the wall, and its removable skull will light up!
• Tombstone displays. Place your beloved Living Dead Doll in its comfy little personal crypt. As smoke rises from around its half-entombed head, blood-red liquid oozes from the logo name on the tombstone. Scaaary!
• Board game. Who needs silly-colored paper money, when you can try to win the deeds to every other player's immortal soul?

Mezco also debuted several all-new properties at this event. They include:

TIKIMON: A team of zany-looking little walking heads with an obvious south-Pacific theme. Each figure has wired articulated limbs, and the ability to interact with the line's numerous vehicles and accessories. Let your Tikis race in a car you blast out of air-filled bellows... fly through the air in a plane you launch from a slingshot.... or rule the island in their spear-shooting tank!

SONIC ALLIANCE: An urban music-themed line, designed around the "Hong Kong" animation stylings similar to those of last year's Gorillaz toys. Each figure includes removable jewelry--and I don't mean any mere ring or necklace, but rather giant medallions and gold teeth.

GANGSTERS, INC.: Featuring a totally different look than Sonic Alliance, this line is rendered more like classic works of caricature aimed at 1920s pulp fiction. The initial lineup includes three figures: a boss (who comes with a derringer and blank contracts), a hitman (wielding both a machinegun and Fire Insurance "guarantees"), and a musclebound thug (equipped with a bucket and cement mix).

ANIMAL HOUSE: A caricature line like Gangsters, Inc., but without any of the sinister undertones. Mezco brings longtime pop culture legend Bluto Blutarsky and friends to life (or as close as plastic can get). Accessories include many, many empty beer bottles.

DARK CARNIVAL: Hmmm, maybe this is where all the "sinister" that was missing from Animal House has ended up. As if normal clowns weren't creepy enough, Mezco comes in and portrays them as deformed murderous freaks! A line that will definitely be marketed for older buyers only. Too bad: the set of characters who are 5 brothers fused into 2 bodies would really help young children how to add!

UNDERWORLD: Little is known of this property--a line of action-figures that tie into the upcoming Sony feature film of the same name. What we were told revolves heavily around an apocalyptic clash between humans, werewolves, and vampires, with some elements of "The Matrix" and White Wolf role-playing games suggested.

MEZ-ITZ: Kubrick-styled block figures were omnipresent at this Toy Fair. Here, Mezco presents its own version of the concept, with a slew of notorious nasties redone to be as cute as all get-out. Famous faces from "Aliens", "Predator," "Army of Darkness," "Dick Tracy," and classic Hollywood monster archetypes like the Mummy, all get the adorable block treatment. My favorite is the Cloaked Predator--one of the very few clear redecos of pre-existing product to have ever made sense!

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