Saturday, October 16, 2021

31 Days of Toy Terror: Skeletober! Count Chocula from General Mills by Jada Toys

 

   "I want to eat your cereal!"

  Listen, it's not everyday that I'm actually surprised by a toy found on a shelf at retail. With plenty of websites, Facebook pages, and blogs all dedicated to action figure and toy news it seems that we know about everything months to years in advance these days. A little over a week ago, though, my parents called me and asked if I had seen the General Mills action figures of Count Chocula and Franken Berry. I was shocked. How did I miss that these were a thing? Jada Toys definitely has started to market to collectors recently with their Universal Monsters line and the General Mills cereal monsters mascots seems like another cool, collector focused hit. I love these guys and I'm almost always down for them. So far Count Chocula and Franken Berry are the only two released but surely they won't deny us Fruit Brute, Boo Berry, and Fruity Yummy Mummy, right? Since Saturdays are my day during 31 Days of Toy Terror to go off theme let's spend today checking out the elder statesmen of the General Mills cereal monsters, Count Chocula. Join me after the break...



The Facts:

Height: 6 inches

Articulation: Swivel/hinge ankles, double hinge knees, thigh swivels, balljointed hips, balljointed waist, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel/hinge elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, balljointed neck, and a barbell jointed head.

Accessories: Two interchangeable portraits, cereal box, and removable cape.

Non-Scalper Price: $20-$25 dollars






The Positives:

* The packaging on these guys is excellent. rarely does the packaging count as a true positive but these come packaged in really nice, sturdy 5 panel window boxes with a magnetic clasp. They're fairly collector friendly though you'll still have to cut some tape and a plastic tie or two. The box is colorful with lots of great text like a comic-strip on the back and information about the figure where the nutrition facts would usually be.





* Jada Toys has done an excellent job in recreating Count Chocula as an articulated action figure. He has a fantastic Rankins & Bass feel about him that makes him look like he just stepped out of a commercial or the film Mad Monster Party. His outfit is simple and mostly brown but it looks great here. The cereal monsters have had some slightly updated looks over the past decade or so but this is a very classic and looks like the oldest depictions of the now 50 year old cereal mascot. He's wearing a very classic vampire outfit but in brown. Since the head pops off easily you can remove the cape if you want to.










* The headsculpt is awesome. It's definitely the best part about this figure and it looks just like the count. It's often difficult to get cartoon characters, especially those with exaggerated features, to look right when rendered as three dimensional figures but Jada Toys nailed it. I love the smoothness of the sculpt here and how clean the paintwork is.





* Count Chocula comes with two portraits and the second one is my favorite. He looks so crazy and excited here! Those of you who make little comic strips with your action figures oughta have a field day with this expression. Count Chocula looks like he's in the middle of saying "I'd buy that for a dollar!" Pose him near Elvira and watch Countess Chocula make him sleep on the couch tonight.

* Count Chocula is no Marvel Legend or Figma but he's quite nicely articulated for a character with somewhat irregular proportions. Lots of swivel/ hinge joints and a great balljointed head do allow for some nice expressions. He doesn't just have to  stand around in a static pose if you don't want him too. The quality feels quite nice, too. He's not quite of the quality or smoothness of a Hasbro figure but maybe somewhere along the lines of a Jakks Pacific offering like something from World of Nintendo. Maybe even a bit better? 


* What does Count Chocula come with? Why a miniature box of Count Chocula cereal of course! The image on the front is printed on and looks fantastic. It's very colorful. The box is a solid piece that can be placed in the Count's right hand. 




* Flip the box over and you can see the back. Guess what? There's a "cut out" mask! That's a fun little detail. 
The Negatives:


* My only complaint with this guy is that his legs feel a little weak. There's a lot of articulation but it doesn't hold him up in all poses. The knee joints are a bit floppy, too. That's a tough thing when dealing with a cartoon character with an oversized noggin. Maybe a stand would have been a good extra to include as well? 

   Jada Toys: You done well. This is a Great figure and really gives me some optimism that they might become another major player in collectible action figures sold at retail. He has an excellent design and two fantastic headsculpts. They're really both incredible and just dead on accurate to the source material. I'll be reviewing Franken Berry soon, too, so let's hope that Jada Toys has the rest of the cereal monsters crew planned out. It would be a real dream to have all five of the fruity and fortified fiends as 6-inch scaled action figures. Check these out! Mine were found at a Meijer but hopefully they'll be appearing at more stores soon.
 
 
 
If you're a fan of Count Chocula I've also reviewed the Funko Vinyl SODA Count Chocula.















6 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. I've seen him still up for preorder at BBTS, so that might be an option. I haven't seen or heard of them at any retailers other than Meijer.

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  2. Amazing. Quite a time to be a fan of the Monster Cereals!

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    Replies
    1. Yes, indeed. There is some great stuff out there. I was really hoping that all of the cereals would get a release this year. Fruit Brute is my favorite.

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  3. Looks real cute...definitely brings back memories

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    Replies
    1. It's crazy to think that these guys have been around for longer than I have!

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