This monster (pun intended) will be available in late 2016 though Pop Culture Shock Toys and is limited to 800 pieces, 300 of which will have swappable heads with open and closed mouths. Either would make a great Thanksgiving dinner centerpiece (for a cool family only, Robertsons). (more…)
Tag: Figurines
Universal Monsters Select Wolf Man action figure perfectly renders a boring icon
Diamond Select Toys has given Dread Central an exclusive look at three upcoming additions to its licensed Universal Monsters collection: the Wolf Man, the Mummy, and an original take on Lucy Westenra from Bram Stoker’s Dracula. They’re detailed, articulated, and totally not for me. (more…)
Nine Excellent Gifts for the Discerning Werewolf Fan In Your Life
Shopping for one of those impossible “werewolf people”? Want to get them something that won’t just end up in the back of the closet next to that signed “An American Werewolf in Paris” poster? Relax– I’m here to help. Any one of these items will delight the werewolf-crazed lunatic (no pun intended) in your life, and the recipient will know you care enough about them to not just grab them a Blu-ray of “The Wolfman” and call it quits. I’ve linked to Amazon.com product pages wherever possible, since at this point in the month, most other online retailers have cut off their “will arrive before Christmas” ground shipping. These are in no particular order.
Zagone Studios Super Action Wolf Gloves – $24.99
The best werewolf gloves you’ll find anywhere for less than $100 are an absolute steal at $25. Light, comfortable, durable, dextrous and they look great. I own two pairs of these and will probably buy another pair next year. Available from Zagone Studios.
“The Wolf Age” by James Enge – $11.56
I have a half-finished review for this in the hopper, but I can’t leave it off the list simply because I’m bad at managing my time. This is a 500-page brick of solid gold– the best fantasy novel I’ve ever read, period. Enge takes the werewolves of horror lore and builds a unique and utterly convincing society for them to inhabit. A must-read. Available from Amazon.
“Werewolves: An Illustrated Journal of Transformation” by Paul Jessup and Allyson Haller – $7.79
One word: gorgeous. This book is an illustrated journal that documents the lycanthropic infection and transformation of a teenage girl. Another amazing book which needs reviewing on this site, and which deserves a place on the most prestigious level of your bookshelf. Contains a clever and believable story, with none of the cringe-worthy teenage drama of “Ginger Snaps”, and some of the best werewolf drawings & sketches I’ve ever seen. Highly recommended! Available from Amazon.
“Werewolves on the Moon: Versus Vampires” by David Land, Matt Fillbach and Shawn Fillbach – $10.78
Every page of this graphic novel is brimming with the ludicrous energy promised by the title and cover art (three werewolves staking a vampire to the Lunar surface with an American flag). Action, wry humour and clever dialog make this a gem. Great werewolf character design, too. Available from Amazon. By the way, I’m totally Stan.
“The Wrong Night in Texas” by Josh Boulet – $10.00
Allow me to quote from my own review of this excellent graphic novel: “Joshua Boulet has captured and unapologetically celebrated everything that makes the werewolf wild, dangerous and fun.” It “genuinely horrified me. It also thrilled me with its energy, charmed me with its lovingly-crafted aesthetic and, above all, satisfied that primal part of my brain that just wants to see a vicious, monstrous werewolf tearing shit up.” If you’re mature enough to enjoy R-rated films, you’re mature enough to have your stomach punched by Josh’s savage little book. Available from Josh’s web site.
Mezco “Wolfman” Stylized Roto Figure – $25.47
What can I say about this guy? Of all the werewolf stuff on my various home and office desks, he’s my favourite. It captures the Rick Baker wolfman design but the exaggerated proportions add a sense of playfulness that was sadly lacking from the film. Available from Amazon.
“The Werewolf’s Guide to Life: A Manual for the Newly Bitten” by Ritch Duncan and Bob Powers – $11.19
Once again, lifted from my review: “The Werewolf’s Guide to Life belongs right next to the Bible in every werewolf’s (or werewolf’s spouse’s) nightstand. Its subtitle ‘A Manual for the Newly Bitten’ accurately represents what lies between its covers: not a tepid modernization of werewolf myths peppered with pseudo-scientific explanations, but rather a no-nonsense (yet oddly humorous) instructional guide for newly-initiated werewolves.” Available from Amazon.
“It’s On Now” Werewolf vs. Unicorn T-Shirt – $18.50
Forget vampires. The real enemy? Unicorns. This shirt lets everyone know that you know the truth. It’s also designed and sold by one of the awesomest dudes around. This shirt. Available from TopatoCo.
Werewolf High Heels, Platform Heels, Flats and Clutch Wallet by Iron Fist – $24.99 to $49.99
Perfect for the fashion-conscious werewolf-lovin’ lady (or open-minded fellow) in your life. Get a bloody-fanged werewolf design on open-toed pumps, platforms, flats or a clutch wallet. All available from Amazon.
Mattel’s “Clawdeen Wolf”: a Bratz-style werewolf toy who shaves her legs
Mattel’s new “Monster High” dolls are your typical Bratz-style teen divas, but as the name indicates, they’re also monsters. All the usual suspects are represented, including a werewolf girl named Clawdeen Wolf. So we’ve got another toy franchise that seems geared towards training 10-year-old girls to be rail-thin airhead fashionistas… but by making these dolls monsters, is Mattel is also saying “it’s okay to be different”? Perhaps! In a recent LA Times article, Mattel Brands general manager Tim Kilpin said “They’re fun characters to build a world around. Who doesn’t feel like a freak in high school? It started with that universal truth.” Okay, so there’s some positive empathy, which seems promising… but now read Clawdeen’s bio. Am I crazy, or does it only mention her monstrous aspect in neutral or negative terms? This line is particularly worrisome: “Plucking and shaving is definitely a full time job but that’s a small price to pay for being scarily fabulous.” In other words, “I am different and unique, but through constant painful effort I can change myself to fit in.” Great. Picture Clawdeen locked in the bathroom, shaving her legs and crying, “Ginger Snaps” style. Hurry, Clawdeen! If you do a good job and get all that icky hair off, your friends will still like you, and then you can get back to your favourite activities– “shopping and flirting with the boys!” Nice work, Mattel.
There’s a great post about Clawdeen and Monster High at the She-Wolf blog that’s well worth reading, especially if you love to get annoyed about children’s toys like I do!
Funko releasing movie monster plushies, including a furious-looking Wolfman
I saw this over at Dread Central: toy company Funko is creating a line of plush toys based on the classic Universal movie monsters, to be released in October of this year. You’ll have your pick of The Wolfman, Frankenstein, The Mummy and The Creature from The Black Lagoon (I note with more than a little glee that Dracula is not on that list). Entertainment Earth is taking pre-orders for $12.99. Look at that Wolfman plush. He looks like an angry 5-year-old who just got told it’s time for bed, and that endears him to me. I don’t know why.
A Brief History of Werewolves in Plastic
Here’s a run-down on werewolf toys and figures on “Idle Hands”, the awesome toy blog of Paul Nomad (who also writes for Dread Central.com). Paul showcases 11 werewolf figures, including Vereticus from Stan Winston’s “Blood Wolves” line, one of the nightmare wolves from “An American Werewolf in London”, and Yellow Submarine’s Howling Wolfinica, which I may or may not have owned in 2002. It’s interesting to see how many different ways the werewolf has been interpreted in plastic (although I think McFarlane should have dialed back the “grotesque” a bit). Check it out!
DC Unlimited Announces World of Warcraft Worgen Figure, Ensures My Appearance on A&E
Thanks a lot, DC Unlimited. My home and office desks are already covered with werewolf figures so densely that I haven’t unboxed the last three I obtained. Now you’re announcing a World of Warcraft Worgen figure. You’re telling me he’s a spy named Garm Whitefang, but he looks like a steampunk aristocrat who pissed off the wrong gypsy. He’s striking the classic werewolf “what is this, my HAND?” pose. These are things I can’t resist, and yet by pre-ordering it I am effectively sealing my fate as the subject of a special werewolf-themed episode of Horders. I blame you, DC Unlimited. I also blame Worgen.info for making me aware of this figure, and Guillaume B for making me aware of Worgen.info. Damn you all.
Target has Two Werewolf Halloween Props For Sale
When the time for Halloween comes around each year, I’m always disappointed by how little werewolf paraphernalia there is available. There’s plenty of vampire, ghost, mummy, and Frankenstein decorations, but the werewolf always seems to left behind.
Thankfully, Target stepped up to the plate this year and has introduced two werewolf statuettes for their Halloween decoration line.
This one is a werewolf “gargoyle” made out of polyester and painted to look like bronze. He stands 11.88 inches high and can be used both indoors and outdoors.
This one is a werewolf bust made out of the same material and features red LED eyes. The bust measures 10.2 inches high.
There are also smaller versions of the two figures available, but for some reason they aren’t listed on Target’s website.
SDCC Photos of Mazco “Wolfman” Figures
ArcLight wrote in to let me (and all of you) know that Bloody Disgusting posted some close-up photos of Mazco’s official Wolfman figures. Three versions of a wolfed-out Lawrence Talbot were shown at the San Diego Comic Con, including an awesome “bloody” version. They say that you need to visualize the future you want, in order to achieve it, so let me say this again: I will have these. Click through to Bloody Disgusting to see more photos!
More Mezco Wolf Man Photos
Figures.com has posted some new photos of the 7- and 12-inch Mezco Wolf Man figures, including wicked-looking “bloody” variants of each. Mezco’s detail pages for these figures don’t include any info on the bloody versions, so I’m not sure when or how they’ll be made available, but rest assured, when I know, you’ll know. Of further note is Mezco’s ship dates for these: the 7-inch version now ships “mid to late October 2009″, probably to coincide with the film’s release date, but the 12-inch version apparently still ships in late April. I’m not sure if that’s an oversight or a deliberate decision, but in any case you can still pre-order both versions. Thanks for the tip, ArcLight.