Back to School Ultimate Gremlin Figure by NECA Toys – Toyark Photo Shoot

In 1984, Warner Bros. released a series of newspaper advertisements for the film Gremlins. Each ad ran in different seasons, and featured different themes to promote the film. The ads featured art from Greg Winters, who had worked on the films poster (and a bunch of video game box art). NECA has been releasing a few figures based on these ads. The first was a Summer Games Gremlin, an an upcoming one is a Santa Gremlin. Sandwiched between those two releases is the Back To School Gremlin. The figure features one of the Gremlins in jeans, a t-shirt, and a baseball cap. Like the ad, the figure includes books, a baseball glove and ball, a bus stop sign, and a Gremlins themed lunch box. In the US, the Back to School Gremlin is a Target Exclusive, and will be hitting stores this month.

Our friends at NECA were kind enough to send over the figure for an advanced look. After the jump you can find a full gallery and my thoughts on the upcoming figure.

Gremlins – “Back to School” Gremlin Ultimate 7″ Scale Figure by NECA Toys

Pros

• Great take on the classic ad
• Fabric outfit works very well
• Baseball cap is attached to the head sculpt
• Lunch box actually opens
• Nice paint work

Cons

• Paint can easily scratch on the lunch box

Overall
The Back To School Gremlin features the flapped window box design we see for all of their Deluxe and Ultimate figures. The front of the box features a newly painted homage to the classic ad that the figure is based on. The back shows off the figure and accessories. The Gremlin sits in a plastic tray, where the accessories can be easily stored. The figure includes an interchangeable right hand, books, a baseball glove, a baseball, a Gremlins themed lunch box, and a bus stop sign.

If you have any of the previous Ultimate Gremlins released, the figure itself is basically unchanged from that standard Gremlin. So, the star of this set are the great accessories and really well executed outfit. The figure has a knit shirt, and denim jeans with  belt. The clothing is tailored really well, and doesn’t look or feel to bulky. They did a great job matching it to the original art. The clothing has enough give that it never hinters the articulation. Previous Gremlins releases have featured hats as a removable accessory. The problem is, getting those to stay on could be problematic at times. That issue was rectified with this release, as the baseball cap is actually attached the the head sculpt. The piece appears to be glued in, so removing it isn’t recommended, or really needed if you own any of the other Ultimate Gremlins. You could just swap out the heads if you so desired. The books and baseball glove look fine, and the Gremlin can easily hold them. The baseball is surprisingly detailed for the size, and the left hand can easily hold it. The bus stop sign is exactly that, so no surprises there.

The best accessory included is the outstanding looking lunch box, which is modeled after classic 80’s metal lunch boxes. One side features art of Gizmo, while the other features a Gremlin. The sides feature the classic Amblin logo, while the bottom has the rules for caring for a Mogwaii printed on it. It’s a great looking piece, and I love that it opens up (just need a thermos to go with it). Be careful when handling, as a few areas of paint did scratch off while I was handling the lunch box.

This is another fun Gremlins release where they thought outside the box a bit to give fans something a little different. The main Gremlin figure acts a a great blanks canvas for different accessories, and the ones bundled with the Back to School Gremlin look great. The set is almost worth it just for the lunch box. Look for this figure to hit Target stores before the end of the month. You can see some select photos below, and a full gallery after that.

CompaniesNECA
CharactersGremlin
Scale7 Inch

TagsFeatured NECA Toy Galleries

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