Trick or Treat Through 31 Days of Toy Terror: Capt. Henry Rhodes from Day of the Dead by Trick or Treat Studios

 

   

   How about another figure from Trick or Treat Studios' Day of the Dead toyline? Since we've already covered a zombie (Bub), let's now take a look at one of the humans from the film: Capt. Henry Rhodes. While the zombies are certainly a problem in the film, Capt. Rhodes is the primary antagonist for our heroes as he's heavily armed, commands a group of soldiers, and is steadily losing his grip on reality. Inspired by the classic Kenner figures of the late 1980s and 1990s like Beetlejuice, The Real Ghostbusters, Police Academy, Aliens, Terminator, and Jurassic Park, these figures really impress me because they remind me of the toys I really grew up playing with. Of course, it doesn't hurt that I really like the Dead movies, as well. During a sleepover as a very young teen, a friend and I watched Tom Savini's remake of The Night of the Living Dead two times on MonsterVision with Joe Bob Briggs in one night; ever since, I've been obsessed with horror and zombies, so these figures "give me life" as the youth of today might say. Which is odd to say of zombie action figures, especially this guy, who gets killed by zombies. Spoiler alert, by the way. Let's check out Capt. Henry Rhodes as we Trick or Treat through 31 Days of Toy Terror....

Trick or Treat Through 31 Days of Toy Terror: "The Mummy" Rip Rod from Hot Wheels Silver Series: Universal Monsters by Mattel

 

   Just in time for Halloween Hot Wheels has released a set of five Universal Monsters inspired vehicles in the Silver Series. These cars are a little more expensive than your average Hot Wheels, but cheaper than some of the more specialized vehicles. Hot Wheels often does Halloween inspired cars and if I lived in a neighborhood and had Trick 'r Treaters, I'd be inclined to buy a bunch and give them out as treats as they're really quite neat. One of the first cars I found is the Rip Rod decorated in tribute to the 1932 Universal Studios film The Mummy. Is this a buggy that Imhotep could possibly use to cross the deserts of Egypt? Let's check out this speedy and scary car after the break...

Trick or Treat Through 31 Days of Toy Terror: Pumpkin Snoopy (Black & White) from Peanuts by Just Play

 

   Despite not being too frightening (though he has worn masks, been a were-beagle and a vampire bat, and even dressed up like the Frankenstein Monster), Snoopy is definitely a Halloween icon. Charles Schultz always played up the holiday in the Peanuts comic strip, knowing how important it is to children, and the release of the 1966 animated special It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown was a celebration of not just Halloween but so many other elements of that special time of autumn, too. While the minifigure I'm looking at today isn't specifically based on that special, it is fitting for Snoopy to dress up like a Jack o' lantern. This minifigure came out a couple years ago in full color at Five Below (and maybe other retailers; I'm not sure if he was an exclusive or not) and this year he has returned in a black & white colorway. I love Snoopy and have a shelf of different Snoopy figures both because of my love of the character and because he has long reminded me of my beloved jackabee (Jack Russell/ Beagle mix), Crouton, who passed away last summer. He was an old fellow when he died, but he came to us as a stray over 15 years ago and while we first thought he was brown, a bath revealed that he was white with black speckles, kind of like Snoopy. Crouton also had a red collar and he kind of sat in that vulture pose that Snoopy often took. Sure, Halloween is a time for candy and ghouls and watching terrifying movies, but it's also a time for nostalgia, and sometimes nostalgia is remembering those we've loved and lost. This one is for you, Crouton! Join me after the break...

Trick or Treat for 31 Days of Toy Terror: Michael Myers & Jamie Lloyd from Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers by Plastic Meatball

 

   With a theme of toys that focus on the holiday of Halloween for this year's 31 Days of Toy Terror you just know that Michael Myers will make more than one appearance. Today I'm excited to check out another figure from Plastic Meatball's retro inspired Halloween action figures though this time it's from Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers. This 1988 sequel continues the story from Halloween II and introduces Michael's niece, Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris) and is the first part of the fan-named "Thorn Trilogy" of films. While the rest of Plastic Meatball's Halloween releases have been focused on the original 1978 John Carpenter directed film, this release heavily shares tooling with those figures to create a 2-pack based on Halloween 4. It's an exclusive to Fright-Rags and released in late spring of this year. Ready to check out the frightening duo of Michael Myers & Jamie Lloyd? Then join me after the break...

Trick or Treat Through 31 Days of Toy Terror: The Wolf Man from Tiny Nightmares by Just Play

 

   

   OK, so while most figures this year will tie into the Trick or Treat Through 31 Days of Toy Terror theme of figures related to Halloween in some way, the Wolf Man is just one of my cheats. I mean, is there ever a real reason to not review one of the Universal Monsters? The Wolf Man is my favorite and I was really excited to see him pop up in Series 2 of Just Play's Tiny Nightmares minifigures. I reviewed the Creature from the Black Lagoon and the Bride of Frankenstein last year (from series 1) and I was pleased to discover that these aren't truly blind boxed. Instead, there is an alphabetical code on each one that corresponds to the character inside. The Wolf Man is letter "H" for the normal series that includes eight figures, so if you find that "H" then you have Larry Talbot. (Note: Last year Five Below did get a special set case of these figures with fewer characters that was lettered differently, so it's possible that there is a separate case assortment out there.) Ready for a fun treat for this Halloween season? Then join me after the break...

Check out Adora's Art: Anakin Skywalker

 

Usually I just review toys and action figures but right now I'm a very proud dad; my daughter, Adora, just showed me this piece of art she's been working on. I'm pretty impressed by it! Her talents have doubled since I last showed them off, right?

Trick or Treat for 31 Days of Toy Terror: Bub from Day of the Dead by Trick or Treat Studios

 

   What is this year's theme for 31 Days of Toy Terror? That's right: Toys that are connected to the holiday of Halloween itself! It's Trick or Treat for 31 Days of Toy Terror, baby! That can include toys that are based on things like Jack 'O Lanterns or action figures based on movies and such that take place at Halloween, sure, but what about toys from Trick or Treat Studios? You know what? I'm going to allow it! I've really taken a liking to Trick or Treat Studios various movie based toylines that are reminiscent of the five or six point of articulation action figures of the late 1980s and 1990s. They make me think of classic Kenner lines like The Real Ghostbusters, Beetlejuice, Police Academy, and even stuff like Aliens, Predator, and Jurassic Park. Sure, other companies released toys like these, too, but these really give me that old school Kenner vibe. I've got a bunch of these lined up for this month but I'm definitely going to be checking out all four figures from Trick or Treat Studios' Day of the Dead line. I'm a huge fan of George Romero's zombie films and I was amazed when I saw these at my local Walmart in their horror section in the late spring/ early summer. I'm starting off with Bub, the most recognizable zombie from 1985's Day of the Dead. Ready to check out Bub with his "Undead Salute" action? Then join me after the break...

Trick or Treat Through 31 Days of Toy Terror: Finger Lickin' Pistol Whippin' Captain Spaulding from House of 1000 Corpses by Trick or Treat Studios

 

   Today's review just might help set the tone for a lot of the reviews to come this October as it actually centers on two ways that the main theme for 2026's 31 Days of Toy Terror is applied: It's both from a piece of media that is set on or around Halloween (House of 1000 Corpses) and it's an action figure from Trick or Treat Studios, a company who has been putting out some incredibly delightful retro styled action figures that feel like they're based on action feature driven toylines from the late 1980s and 1990s, so it has Trick or Treat in the name. Is that a stretch? Ahh, who cares, right? I've admired these from afar for a year or two and with this year seeing toys from some of my favorites like Day of the Dead, Army of Darkness, and Trick 'R Treat, I thought these might be well worth a look as they're some of the coolest horror toys being produced today. I started working on these reviews back in June and I was expecting the Army of Darkness and Trick 'R Treat figures to be released in August but that doesn't seem to be the case now. That made it a bit tougher for this year, especially with having so many reviews already done prior to October, but I've tried to make it work (though this year does have some more random figures put in just for fun). Now, let's talk about Finger Lickin' Pistol Whippin' Captain Spaulding...

   Played by the late Sid Haig, Captain Spaulding is the most recognizable character from Rob Zombie's 2003 horror film House of 1000 Corpses. For years I basically avoided the film as it just didn't seem like something that would appeal to me. I do like some of Rob Zombie's music but outside of his two Halloween films, I had never seen seen any of his other films until the last year or two when I caught House of 1000 Corpses on a streaming service. It's a wild movie for sure. Not great and not terrible, but certainly very unlike anything else I can recall. Sure, it definitely draws inspiration from so many horror classics, but it really is a very unique and strange film. It's gross, yes, but it's kind of fun with a really impressive cast of oddballs. Trick or Treat Studios released this series of action figures in 2022 and they included five action figures and a carrying case with a build-a-figure spread across every release except for Captain Spaulding. I guess they decided that he would be so popular that they wouldn't need to do anything extra to push him. Let's check out Captain Spaulding, the patriarch of the Firefly family and the proprietor of a gas station and fried chicken joint that also houses Captain Spaulding's Museum of Monsters and Madmen, after the break...

Trick or Treat Through 31 Days of Toy Terror: Hooded Vampire/ Dracula from Flexy Halloween Creeps

 

   I'm really excited to show off today's installment of Trick or Treat Through 31 Days of Toy Terror: The Hooded Vampire/ Dracula from the vintage Flexy Halloween Creeps toys. Have you ever seen or heard of this guy before? I've had this vampire for as long as I can remember, and I think I have a few more of these floating around somewhere in my haunted house. What's the deal here? Well, the "Flexy Halloween Creeps" were sold out of big cardboard box that was set right on the shelf of a drugstore or novelty shop.  The assortment included the vampire, a witch, a skeleton, a scarecrow, and a mummy. At some point they were re-released by a company called Tony USA in 2-packs under the title "Halloween Bendy Monsters Scary Friends" and a Frankenstein's Monster figure was included, too. These were purchased in bulk boxes and were imported from China to the USA and UK for dirt-cheap between the 1970s and early 1990s with the figures receiving different color updates every so often. These figures don't have any official names so I'm using the names I found on Dinosaur Dracula when Matt gave these out as part of the 2018 Halloween Funpack (Tall Skeleton, Hooded Vampire, Green Scarecrow, Rainbow Mummy, and Ugly Witch) as those seem like as good of names as any. Ready to check out the spooky Hooded Vampire who is clearly based on Dracula? Then join me after the break...

Trick or Treat for 31 Days of Toy Terror! Ghost Bob from John Carpenter's Halloween by Plastic Meatball

 

  

  Since the theme of this year's festivities, Trick or Treat with 31 Days of Toy Terror, is looking at toys that are really tied in with Halloween in some way, you can bet your black licorice that figures based on the Halloween series are going to show up on this list more than once. Today I'm checking out a release from earlier this year: Ghost Bob from Plastic Meatball's retro inspired John Carpenter's Halloween. I've reviewed a couple of these in the past but it's been a few years since Plastic Meatball has released anything new. This year they've had a few exclusive releases through Fright Rags: Ghost Bob, Young Michael Myers, and a Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers 2-pack. Ghost Bob isn't really Laurie's friend Bob Simms; instead, it's Michael Myers wearing a sheet with eyeholes and Bob's eyeglasses overtop. It's one of the only times that Michael Myers wears a unique outfit or disguise in one of the films and it definitely captures a weird part of his character that some of the later films are missing: Michael is somewhat of a practical jokester who will do weird, theatrical things for effect. Why? Who knows, but he does put some effort into his menace. Let's take a look at "Ghost Bob" after the break and see if this guy is worth adding to your collection...

Trick or Treat Through 31 Days of Toy Terror: Jack-O'-Lantern Pickup Truck by LEGO

 

   Happy Halloween 2026! Welcome to this year's installment of 31 Days of Toy Terror which is titled: Trick or Treat Through 31 Days of Toy Terror! I love horror themed toys but not all of them are really themed around Halloween, are they? No, of course not! This year, my focus is on toys that are directly connected to the holiday in some way. Pumpkins and Jack-O'-Lanterns? Absolutely! Toys that are based on media connected to the holiday like Trick 'r Treat and Halloween? Bring 'em on! Toys designed to be little Halloween tie-ins and impulse purchases? Sure, load them in the cart. Toys from the aptly named Trick Or Treat Studios, a company who produces lots of horror themed action figures? Hey, I gotta fill this list somehow, so I'm sometimes playing fast and loose with the rules. This year, I'm starting things off by delivering you a giant Jack-O'-Lantern. LEGO always puts out some fun and spooky stuff each Halloween and I really like this Jack-O'-Lantern Pickup Truck set that was released last year. It's not a huge set but it is pretty cool, featuring a farmer delivering a giant Jack-O'-Lantern in a pickup truck that has been decorated for some autumn fun. Maybe the farmer is taking this guy to a competition, parking him outside of a haunted hayride or a haunted corn maze, or perhaps taking part in a Halloween parade? Let's get the spooky season rolling after the break...