Mezco Toyz

Last updated
Mezco Toyz
FormerlyAztech Toyz
Founded2000;23 years ago (2000)
FounderMichael Markowitz
Products Action figures, Plushies and Apparel
Website mezcotoyz.com

Mezco Toyz is an American company that makes action figures and other collectibles based on original and licensed properties. One of the popular products is the cult hit toy line Living Dead Dolls. [1] The more popular line is its One:12 line, which has licenses to popular brands such as Marvel, DC, and Godzilla. Other popular licensed properties include Family Guy , South Park and Hellboy . Outside of action figures and doll releases, Mezco is also known for their original block-style figures line Mez-Itz.

Contents

History

Mezco Toyz was created by Michael Markowitz (Mez), the President of Mezco, who maintains himself as the driving force behind all aspects of design and development. [2] Working with the best talents in the toy industry, Markowitz conceives and directs each line from start to finish.[ citation needed ]

Mezco Toyz was established in 2000 from the ashes of the short-lived toy production company Aztech Toyz, which obtained recognition for its stylized line of Silent Screamers action figures based on classic black and white silent pictures from the beginning of cinema. The Silent Screamers line was renewed as one of the original releases from Mezco. [3]

In 2022, Mezco announced the Wednesday Living Dead doll. This was released shortly after the Netflix series started streaming. This Wednesday doll also includes Thing. [4] Along with many other pop culture toys, Mezco announced in August 2023 the released of their Wednesday figure. The figurine is in a dancing pose and modeled after Jenna Ortega's portrayal of Wednesday Addams in the Netflix series, Wednesday. [5] [6] [4] [7]

As of March 1, 2023, the company offered products from over 60 brands. [8] In May, Mezco released their new Superman figure. The new Superman is in a Recovery Suit Edition which is outfitted in all-black and a part of The One:12 collection. [9] In June, Mezco Toyz One:12, announced the release of new action figures, Storm Shadow, Snake Eyes, Destro, Roadblock, and Firefly. [10] [11]

June 28, 2023, Mezco released an Indiana Jones figuring complete with a gun, multiple whips, troch with blow darts, a spiderweb, a bag of sand, a gun, and a pedestal with the fertility idol from Raiders of the Lost Ark. Indiana also comes with four interchangeable heads, five sets of hands, and a base to stand on. [12] [13] In August 2023 Mezco Toyz received the licensing to do a Raiders of the Lost Ark figure. The figure was of Major Toht, the German Nazi spy. [14] The figurine is portrayed by actor, Ronald Lacey in his movie outfit. The black trench coat, striped suit, fedora, and black from glasses. The figurine also comes with multiple face changes, including the iconic face from the end of the movie where his face is melting. Also included are nine interchangeable hands, a pistol, the Staff of Ra’s headpiece, and four pairs of glasses, as well as a light up Ark of the Covenant and an unholy ghost. The figurine is on pre-order and will be shipped in August 2024. [14] [15]

In October 2023, Mezco released a new G.I. Joe action figure with the field commander Duke. This action figure is part of the One:12 Collective by Mezco. [16] The action figure has a grenade launcher, machine gun, hand gun, six hand grenades, a knife, and multiple weapon FX. It also features three interchangeable faces and thirteen interchangeable hands. [17]

In November 2023, Mezco announced The Golden Age Joker will be part of the One: 12 Collective. The Golden Age Joker has three interchangeable heads, three interchangeable hairs, and ten interchangeable hands. [18] The figure will be released in August 2024. [18]

Products

Original creations[ citation needed ]

Licensed products[ citation needed ]

Mezco One:12 Collective[ citation needed ]

Past products[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indiana Jones (character)</span> Title character of the Indiana Jones franchise

Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., also known simply by the nickname Indy, is the title character and protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise. George Lucas created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials. The character first appeared in the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark, to be followed by Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1984, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in 1989, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles from 1992 to 1996, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in 2008, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny in 2023. The character is also featured in novels, comics, video games, and other media. Jones is also the inspiration for several Disney theme park attractions, including Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril, the Indiana Jones Adventure, and Epic Stunt Spectacular! attractions.

<i>Raiders of the Lost Ark</i> 1981 film directed by Steven Spielberg

Raiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. Set in 1936, the film stars Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, a globetrotting archaeologist vying with Nazi German forces to recover the long-lost Ark of the Covenant which is said to make an army invincible. Teaming up with his tough former romantic interest Marion Ravenwood, Jones races to stop rival archaeologist Dr. René Belloq from guiding the Nazis to the Ark and its power.

An action figure is a poseable character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game or television program; fictional or historical. These figures are usually marketed toward boys and adult collectors. The term was coined by Hasbro in 1964 to market G.I. Joe to boys.

The Mego Corporation is an American toy company that in its original iteration was first founded in 1954. Originally known as a purveyor of dime store toys, in 1971 the company shifted direction and became famous for producing licensed action figures, celebrity dolls, and the Micronauts toy line. For a time in the 1970s, their line of 8-inch-scale action figures with interchangeable bodies became the industry standard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Action Man</span> Action figure

Action Man is an action figure launched in Britain in 1966 by Palitoy as a licensed copy of Hasbro's American "movable fighting man", G.I. Joe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marion Ravenwood</span> Indiana Jones character

Marion Ravenwood is a fictional character who first appeared in the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark. Played by Karen Allen, she enters the story when Indiana Jones visits her in Nepal, needing her help to locate the Ark of the Covenant with a possession originally obtained by her father, Dr. Abner Ravenwood. After 27 years of absence, the character returned in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023), portrayed by Allen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sallah</span> Character in the Indiana Jones films

Sallah Mohammed Faisel el-Kahir is a fictional character played by Welsh actor John Rhys-Davies in three of the Indiana Jones films: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. He also appears in various comics and novels, and is featured in the Disney theme park attractions, the Indiana Jones Adventure and The Great Movie Ride.

Firefly (<i>G.I. Joe</i>) Character in G.I. Joe

Firefly is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and animated series. He is a mercenary who works for the Cobra Organization as a saboteur. He is portrayed by Ray Stevenson in the 2013 film G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

Indiana Jones is an American media franchise consisting of five films and a prequel television series, along with games, comics, and tie-in novels, that depicts the adventures of Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., a fictional professor of archaeology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hot Toys</span>

Hot Toys Limited is a Hong Kong production house for designing, developing, and manufacturing highly detailed collectible merchandise to worldwide markets. Established in 2000 in Hong Kong, the company initially focused on producing 1:6 scale US Army Special Forces action figures. It then transitioned to production of high-end figures based on media properties, primarily under their Movie Masterpiece Series brand. Their team of artists is led by sculptor Yulli and painter JC Hong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Idol</span> Fictitious artifact

The Chachapoyan Fertility Idol, more commonly referred to as the Golden Idol, is a fictitious artifact that appears in the opening sequence of the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark, the first entry in the Indiana Jones franchise created by George Lucas. It is the first relic that the audience sees the protagonist Indiana Jones acquire, establishing him as a treasure hunter. The idol's likeness has become iconic in popular culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero 25th Anniversary</span>

2007 marked the 25th anniversary of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline. To commemorate the event, Hasbro released a G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero 25th Anniversary collection of newly sculpted 3¾" figures based on classic and new designs of many of the line's best known and most popular characters. The 25th Anniversary figures added a swivel chest feature to replace the traditional O-ring construction, and they added swivel wrists, ankles, and double-hinged knees in addition to the usual shoulder, elbow, and knee articulations.

Living Dead Dolls is a line of horror dolls first produced as handmades in 1998 in the United States by Ed Long and Damien Glonek, and commercially manufactured by Mezco Toyz since 2000.

Lt. Stone is the name of three different fictional characters from the G.I. Joe franchise. Each one of them are featured in a different continuity: two Lieutenants, and a Sergeant. In addition to these each of them have an action figure in the line of toys by Hasbro.

G.I. Joe is an American media franchise and a line of action figures owned and produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier, Action Sailor, Action Pilot, Action Marine and later on, the Action Nurse. The name is derived from the usage of "G.I. Joe" for the generic U.S. soldier, itself derived from the more general term "G.I.". The development of G.I. Joe led to the coining of the term "action figure". G.I. Joe's appeal to children has made it an American icon among toys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sideshow Collectibles</span> American collectible manufacturer

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References

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  19. "Rumble Society :: MEZCO TOYZ". rumblesociety.com. Retrieved 2023-03-01.