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Hi! I've been shadowing the forums on-and-off for weeks now, and decided it was time to register and introduce myself, and put in my two cents about the new figures that are coming out.
First, a little background:
I didn't grow up with Mego. I'm a child of the '80s and grew up with Super Powers and Star Wars. But I did have a 12-inch Spiderman that my Mom brought home one day from a toy show, and she owned a Fonzy that I was curious about, and a KISS Paul Stanley in a beat-up box that terrified me when I was six. But my real introduction to Mego came by way of ToyFare magazine in the late '90s, through Twisted Mego Theater and especially an article about John Bonavita. I was hooked! But having limited funds, I collected what was convenient: mostly Famous Covers and the DC 9-inch. And I was never crazy about them. Famous Covers were sort of bizarre and severe-looking, and the DC figures were neat but they didn't make enough of the characters. And anyway, what I really wanted were Megos!
Why I like Megos!:
I like different kinds of toys for different reasons. I like the kitschy innocence of Fast Food premiums, and I like McFarlane figures because of their detail and realism. (Ditto Sideshow and Hot Toys.) I like Superpowers and Kenner Real Ghostbusters because they're on-model, but they also look like toys, and that's part of their appeal. (And because I played with them as a kid!) Megos are bright and happy and slightly goofy (and I mean that well). They're big enough to have real clothes, but small enough to use with vehicles and incorporate into playsets. Their uniformly-sized bodies and clothes make them easy to kitbash and customize. They sort of nicely consolidate everything you can love about toys.
The new stuff:
I think they're great! Yes, the Mattel figures have the disadvantage of immediately being compared to years of perfect customs and pre-conceived notions of what an ideal Mego should look like, and I can gripe about this or that. (I want to make a new bow for my Green Arrow. And I'm really not thrilled with the Wave 2 Batman... he's just too goofy looking. Here's hoping we get one later that gets much closer to the "essence" of the character.) On the whole, I'd say they're swell.
But having said all that, I think some properties are more appropriate for the Mego-treatment than others. Figures from Lost? I love the "Mego aesthetic," and Lost happens to be my favorite TV show, but the two just aren't a good match. In my opinon, McFarlane was actually the ideal venue for those characters and sensibility. (Same goes for the Big Lebowski.) Twilight Zone, on the other hand, I think is a great match. It fits with the retro aesthetic, and the black-and-white color scheme of the figures gives them a surprising, kind of eccentric quality that fits really well with the show. I would love to see Star Wars! (I would make customs if I had the time and resources.) Someone here made some really great Scooby-doo figures -- those are perfect! Megos from the Real Ghostbusters cartoon would be amazing! (Listening, Mattel?) And of course, Marvel. But '70s Marvel. For the new movies, I think the 12-inch Hot Toys treatment are the best outlet. (But from a monetary stand-point, the argument gets reversed!)
So, there's my two cents, and my first post. I look forward to talking/listening/arguing/debating/learning from/agreeing and disagreeing with everyone here! Thanks for reading.
First, a little background:
I didn't grow up with Mego. I'm a child of the '80s and grew up with Super Powers and Star Wars. But I did have a 12-inch Spiderman that my Mom brought home one day from a toy show, and she owned a Fonzy that I was curious about, and a KISS Paul Stanley in a beat-up box that terrified me when I was six. But my real introduction to Mego came by way of ToyFare magazine in the late '90s, through Twisted Mego Theater and especially an article about John Bonavita. I was hooked! But having limited funds, I collected what was convenient: mostly Famous Covers and the DC 9-inch. And I was never crazy about them. Famous Covers were sort of bizarre and severe-looking, and the DC figures were neat but they didn't make enough of the characters. And anyway, what I really wanted were Megos!
Why I like Megos!:
I like different kinds of toys for different reasons. I like the kitschy innocence of Fast Food premiums, and I like McFarlane figures because of their detail and realism. (Ditto Sideshow and Hot Toys.) I like Superpowers and Kenner Real Ghostbusters because they're on-model, but they also look like toys, and that's part of their appeal. (And because I played with them as a kid!) Megos are bright and happy and slightly goofy (and I mean that well). They're big enough to have real clothes, but small enough to use with vehicles and incorporate into playsets. Their uniformly-sized bodies and clothes make them easy to kitbash and customize. They sort of nicely consolidate everything you can love about toys.
The new stuff:
I think they're great! Yes, the Mattel figures have the disadvantage of immediately being compared to years of perfect customs and pre-conceived notions of what an ideal Mego should look like, and I can gripe about this or that. (I want to make a new bow for my Green Arrow. And I'm really not thrilled with the Wave 2 Batman... he's just too goofy looking. Here's hoping we get one later that gets much closer to the "essence" of the character.) On the whole, I'd say they're swell.
But having said all that, I think some properties are more appropriate for the Mego-treatment than others. Figures from Lost? I love the "Mego aesthetic," and Lost happens to be my favorite TV show, but the two just aren't a good match. In my opinon, McFarlane was actually the ideal venue for those characters and sensibility. (Same goes for the Big Lebowski.) Twilight Zone, on the other hand, I think is a great match. It fits with the retro aesthetic, and the black-and-white color scheme of the figures gives them a surprising, kind of eccentric quality that fits really well with the show. I would love to see Star Wars! (I would make customs if I had the time and resources.) Someone here made some really great Scooby-doo figures -- those are perfect! Megos from the Real Ghostbusters cartoon would be amazing! (Listening, Mattel?) And of course, Marvel. But '70s Marvel. For the new movies, I think the 12-inch Hot Toys treatment are the best outlet. (But from a monetary stand-point, the argument gets reversed!)
So, there's my two cents, and my first post. I look forward to talking/listening/arguing/debating/learning from/agreeing and disagreeing with everyone here! Thanks for reading.
-Tallahassee 
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