Kenner Alien action figures finally released –after 34 years!

Here's a surprise spawned from Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi horror flick, "Alien": the tie-in action figures are finally coming out, after 34 years in stasis.

 

San Francisco-based toy and apparel company Super7 is coming out with the long-overdue figures after getting the rights to the items from toymaker Kenner.

 

"Kenner created five prototype figures, but they never proceeded with making molds for manufacturing. The Super7 ReAction Figures are exactly what was planned to be released in 1979 – we do not want to change the toys or intentions in any way at all," Super7's Frank Supiot told MTV's Geek News.

 

Supiot said they acquired actual castings of some of the original figures, but had to use photos or reference material for the other characters.

 

He said he learned of the aborted plans for 3.75-inch "Alien" action figures from an article in Tomart’s Action Figure Digest in 1995,

 

"It was mind blowing to realize what we were denied as kids!  We should have had epic 'Aliens vs The Empire' wars in backyard battlefields across the country," he said.

 

Also, he said the toys never appeared in a catalog or were exhibited at any toy fairs.

 

He said reviving the "Aliens" line "has always been in the back of my head" when he entered the toy industry.

 

Next step

 

Once they had the reference material, Supiot approached friends at 20th Century Fox and made many presentations to acquire the licenses to "make these 'dream toys' for real!"

 

Supiot noted the castings of the "Alien" prototypes had even small costume details in the figures that he never noticed in the films.

 

Playsets coming soon?

 

If the initial batch of figures becomes successful, Supiot and Super7 plan to do more "Alien" figures in this style, MTV said.

 

This may include additional characters and playsets -- and possibly even some toys from the sequel "Aliens," it added.

 

"Fans have come out of the woodwork asking us to 'right the wrongs of toy history' and revive cancelled lines, extend incomplete lines, or create figures which were overlooked by the manufacturers of the time,,  he said.

 

Catalog

 

Super7 said it will include free "vintage style" catalogs of the toys with any purchase made at www.super7store.com, but added quantities are limited.

 

"Formatted exactly like the 3 3/4” space-figure booklets of yesteryear, this 12-page catalog features brand new information and photos on all five of the ALIEN ReAction Figures.    Much of the catalog text and imagery is adapted from original toy packages and sales materials from the 1979 ALIEN product line, continuing the fun, retro vibe of the ReAction Figures themselves," it said.  — TJD, GMA News