Our lineup includes Jen, Kira, the Skeksis Chamberlain, Aughra, and Ursol the Chanter (along with the San Diego Comic-Con exclusive Land Strider, and the unfortunately impossible to find New York Comic Con exclusive Garthim). From the 3.75″ scale, to the five point of articulation design, the character selection and even the buildable Dark Crystal, virtually every aspect of Funko and Super7’s new toy line is rooted squarely in the vintage concept. And while these ReAction figures may not have been based directly on those unreleased prototypes, they do a great job of paying tribute to that lost line, and display a strikingly authentic 80s aesthetic. Hasbro produced prototypes baed on the Jim Henson cult classic when it hit theaters, but the toy line never saw the light of day. In this regard, The Dark Crystal ReAction figures are the first legitimate successors to the Alien wave that started the ReAction trend. When Super7’s toys were finally released, I was able to actualize that fantasy. When I first learned of their mythic existence, I dreamed of what it would be like to actually have Kenner’s canceled Alien toys in my hands. The initial conceit of the ReAction line was to fulfill long-time promises, to finally realize toys that had long been abandoned in the prototype phase. Aside from Alien, none of their properties had any place in actual history of pop culture, and that was the missing piece of the puzzle. I feel the real reason for this was that many of the Funko/ Super7 collaborative pieces focused on the retro aesthetic, rather than a genuine sense of nostalgia. It was cool, and was fun… but by and large, ReAction wound up as a passing fad. The concept was so meta, and so well received that it drew the attention of Funko, who quickly collaborated to release an entire catalogue of shoulda/ coulda/ woulda properties in the Kenner retro aesthetic. But they made it to the prototype stage, and Super7 managed to track down those initial sculpts and replicate them to bring the long-lost toy line to life. Due to a litany of extenuating circumstances (not the least among which, Alien was a R-rated horror movie, and not exactly kid friendly), those toys never saw release in the film’s prime. A then-virtually unknown company called Super7 decided to follow through on a decades old promise by Kenner, to finally release the long-ago abandoned action figures based on Ridley Scott’s masterpiece, Alien. Let’s go back in time to about half a decade ago. The spiritual sequel to Super7’s outstanding Alien ReAction toys is finally here.
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