For fans of classic toys, one of the most fun aspects of NECA taking on the Universal Monsters license has been their tributes to Remco action figures from the ’80s. Via glow-in-the-dark variants and vinyl capes, the company has cheesed up some of their detailed sculpts just enough to bring back those retro feels.
Decades ago, toys favored play value above all else. These days, photoreal detail and well-placed articulation tend to be priorities. NECA’s latest and perhaps greatest addition to the line combines both, putting a level of loving detail into their tribute to the retro line’s most original creation.
“It’s alive!”
Remco presumably wanted to make a Frankenstein creation table like in the titular movie, but realized it needed a play gimmick. Thus was born the Monsterizer, which featured a small light to “charge” the glow-in-the-dark figures’ glow effect. It didn’t have to be Frankenstein-specific any more, but a power-up for any of the monster figures. NECA has rebuilt it — because they have the technology — and as of today, it’s an exclusive preorder at their online store.
The new Monsterizer, built for NECA’s 7-inch figures and especially the glow-in-the-dark variants, features the classic charging effect as well as a hand crank to load the figures and glowing rods. Four different LED effects, including light-up panels, can activate, and there’s a storage container for all your extra NECA heads and hands. The Monsterizer takes three AA batteries and costs $79.99. If that seems like a lot, consider that the original goes for over $300 these days.
International markets will have the device at retail outlets. In the U.S., only the NECA store does. To showcase its functionality, they even made a stop-motion video:
Too fast? Then take a gander at more official images below. Are you ready for the collection to get monsterized?
