Cool Stuff: NECA's New 'Gremlins' Figure Is Inspired By An Obscure 1984 Summer Olympics Ad
There have been some great toys inspired by the movie Gremlins released in the 36 years since the movie was released, but the line-up of NECA action figures in recent years have been the absolute best. There have been several different variations on the monstrous form of the Mogwai, each coming with their own cool accessories. But the latest addition to the NECA Gremlins action figure line calls back to an obscure advertisement for the movie that was tied to the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Summer Games Gremlins Figure
The Unofficial Summer Games Gremlin figure, which can't use Olympics in the name due to trademark and copyright laws, comes with some nice sporty accessories that weren't in the movie at all. The Summer Games Gremlin figure itself is basically a repackged version of the Ultimate Stripe figure, but this time he comes with swimming goggles, a snorkeling tube faux leather swim trunks, and a pair of flippers. Plus, he's got an Olympic torch to hold too.
If you're wondering exactly where this figure came from, here's the 1984 advertisement that inspired it:
That packaging does a pretty damn good job of recreating the advertisement in color, so much that you might not want to open it, especially since it comes in a flapped window box. Making it even more collectible is the fact that this was meant to be one of NECA's exclusive releases at the 2020 San Diego Comic-Con. But now it will be available to everybody in Walmart stores starting on July 23, which is also when it will go on sale through NECA's online store.
However, you might want to keep an eye out at your local Walmart, because the reason this 2020 SDCC exclusive is being teased now is because one was spotted on shelves in the wild this week. So NECA just decided to let the Gremlin out of the bag ahead of schedule. You can see more photos over at ToyArk right now.