Toy Fair features ReAction Figures' expanded line with Hitchcock, Nosferatu, Universal Monsters
ReAction product at Toy Fair
Super7’s ReAction Figures line, which launched in 2013, is now really in the groove, proof on display this week during Toy Fair 2018.
“For Halloween we came out with Alfred Hitchcock [with signature cigar in hand and packaged with a crow], Nosferatu, and The Misfits [the ‘horror punk’ rock band’s skeletal figure mascot]--and they were huge hits,” said Super7 sales manager Daniel Sant, proudly pointing to ReAction’s 3.75-inch action figures, themselves proudly standing in a big display case.
“We thought Nosferatu would be a sleeper--and it sold out in less than a month!” he noted of the figure depicting the title character—Count Orlok--of F.W. Murnau’s 1922 German Expressionist horror film classic.
Also prominent in the company’s Toy Fair exhibition space was ReAction’s Iron Maiden mascot “Eddie” figures and forthcoming ReAction product including a full range of classic Universal Studios’ original monsters (Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy, etc.) merchandise, such as “retro style” figures, Halloween candy buckets and “super soapies” soap bubble bottles, all available--along with apparel—in September.
Super7 also showed new licensed items in the offing from franchises including Pee Wee’s Playhouse and Planet of the Apes—the original film series, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
The company actually formed in 2001 as a magazine about vintage Japanese toys, its principals steeped in punk and skate ‘zines, design and production. Each issue included a mail-in coupon for exclusive recolored toys, these enabling them to create their own. The success with both the magazine and early recolored toys led to the opening of a Super7 store in San Francisco in 2004, and in addition to carrying their own toys and other offerings (t-shirts, posters, books, etc.), the owners debuted that year their first original toy line, the Neo-Kaiju Project mini-figure set.
Super7 has since left the magazine business and focused on new vinyl figures and other toy projects, most notably including Super Shogun Stormtrooper. A second store opened in downtown San Diego in 2015, and in 2016 new Masters of the Universe and Street Fighter ReAction figures were introduced.
But Super7’s first ReAction figure evolved out of Kenner’s canceled 1979 Alien film figure prototype.
“It was never made since it was too scary!” said Sant. He likens the ReAction line to what would have been had Kenner continued in that mold.
“We like to think we’re giving our contemporary licenses the nostalgia vibe of opening that kind of figure on Christmas Day, 1984,“ said Sant.
Indeed, the ReAction collection focuses on the design details reminiscent of those ‘70s and ‘80s action figures, deliberately featuring limited articulation and color palette in achieving that nostalgic feel.