Toony Terrors Svengoolie Not "Sventoonie," that's somebody else
Svengoolie ReAction Figure
Item No.: No. 966N040723 Manufacturer:NECA Includes:n/a Action Feature:n/a Retail:$15.00 Availability: December 2023 Other: Not Made in Berwyn
Hot on the heels of the sold-out Svengoolie ReAction Figure [FOTD #2,661], NECA's Toony Terrors Svengoolie figure is available now. Or was, it also seemed to have been sold out on delivery so good luck finding one. The ongoing horror series has been a staple of Target's "collector" toy spaces, and it's easy to see why - at fifteen bucks, these are basically tiny statues. This series also included Vampira and Captain Spaulding, an interesting mix of horror hosts and the House of 1,000 Corpses character. I don't know what the horror fan market is for a Chicago horror host who has found recent fame in national broadcasts and a horror host who may be better known for a turn in an Ed Wood movie, other than "it's me, I'm the customer." Get me Dr. Demento, Henry Rollins, and Iggy Pop radio DJ figures and I'm all set.
I don't buy a lot of NECA figures because they're great display pieces, rather than toys. This one I got specifically to stand on my desk and not play with. The rubber chicken is molded to the hand, and there are no accessories.
The packaging has a unique line look that doesn't really play up the specific character on the cardback. Some accoutrements are included under the bubble, drawn in so fas of the show will go "Oh, I get it." A wall of these look pretty uniform, and a few (very few) Targets around here have other figures in the range you can see as part of a greater collection.
The figure does a great job of capturing the spirit of the costume from the show. The black jacket, red shirt, rubber chicken necklace, hat, wig, and everything are all here. Sven's eye black is a little heavier under his eyes on the toy than it is on the show, but aside from that it's pretty much perfect. (Also cartoons are exaggerated, so they did a good job there.) The paint - which you can smell on opening - is mostly cleanly and evenly applied, but some fingerprints seemed to be painted on the jacket in front which can be seen at some angles. I assume that's unique to mine - and since he's sold out, I won't be finding more.
The pose seems to have been taken from some of the publicity photos for his appearances, which show Rich Koz as Svengoolie in the "joke door" and waving. This isn't something he does on the show, but neither is walking around with a rubber chicken on-set - that's something he does in the videos I've seen of his live appearances. His face, hair, hat, and general vibe have been curated to adapt the character, who seems to have gone from "funny vampire" to "affable spooky uncle," perfectly.
In terms of articulation, he's better than a statue - but is basically a statue. The shoulders, wrists, and neck swivel. And that's about it. The unique leg pose means he needs to be posed on a flat surface or he might face-plant forward. Anything more than that would probably compromise the look of the figure, which is incredibly clean and streamlined.
I wouldn't say I'm a convert to the Tonny Terrors cause, but I did buy a Vampira and will probably pick up a Zombie (or Cop) Tor Johnson, an Ed Wood, or a Nelvana-inspired Beetlejuice if one gets made. If you can find Svengoolie for retail price - I'll go as far as to say $20-$25 doesn't feel like a stretch for a 6-inch limited articulation niche horror host figure like this - fans will love it. In addition to a ReAction Figure, Figures Toy Co. made an 8-inch, Mego-esque Sven in 2016. I didn't get it because I wasn't able to see the show yet - now I can, and I wish I had it. My loss. I don't expect to be buying more Sven figures, but if he's making the rounds at various horror licensees with masks and other products? Maybe we'll see more! I don't know if he's too obscure for Funko, but they made orange Oscar the Grouch. Anything is possible.
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