Gremlins. The mythical gremlin isn't just a car from AMC, but was British slang for mechanical malfunctions (as in some creature sabotaged some equipment) when the cause wasn't apparent. The tale goes that these strange and mischievous creatures would get into equipment and break it by chewing wires or other means just to suit their malevolent tastes. From there it was easy to adapt to drama, seen twice on the Twilight Zone (once on the series and then re-made as a part of the Twilight Zone movie) and then as a headliner in the movie Gremlins, and the sequel Gremlins 2.

The first movie appeared in 1984 and introduced audiences to the strange creatures, first in the form of the Mogwai. The Mogwai are cute and cuddly creatures that seem like a cross between the koala and a teddy bear. There are a few rules about keeping a Mogwai that you have to follow - 1) keep them out of bright light, 2) don't get them wet, and 3) never feed them after midnight. (Scroll to the bottom of the page for more details about these rules and Mogwai biology.) Now if you give a kid a pet, and tell him don't do three things, you just know every single one will happen. And they do, resulting in a swarm of pesky gremlins!

Just like the gremlins themselves, the film actually was able to reproduce. It didn't really take water to make another, just money. And so in 1990 they were back in Gremlins 2: The New Batch. The twist this time was that they took over a building in Manhattan and they also had a little more variety this time. This was thanks to the eclectic companies that leased space in the building, including a genetics lab run by Christopher Lee (movie bad guy extraordinaire).

The movies were produced by Steven Spielberg (who made a cameo in the first one) and written by Chris Columbus (director of the first two Harry Potter movies, not the holiday guy). Zach Galligan played the hero of the piece in pretty much the only roles anyone will remember him for. His lovely co-star was Phoebe Cates who always brings a stirring to loins of those who've seen Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Series 1 Gremlins

For the first series of Gremlins figures, NECA has hit on three big characters and the auxiliary regular Gremlin variant. First up is Gizmo, the Mogwai and father/mother of all the other creatures. Next is his firstborn and nemesis Stripe, followed by Stripe's depilitoried double the Poker Player. Rounding out Series 1 is the Brain, sort of like Anthony Michael Hall in The Breakfast Club, except Brain Gremlin is cuter. The figures are generally built around six inches tall, but they don't fit into any other toy line in scale.

If you're a fan of the movies you might also be interested in the Gremlins Head Knockers (of Gizmo and Stripe) and the Gizmo and Mohawk plushes. Aren't they cute? They are until you feed them late and they kill you.

Gizmo

Gizmo is the good Mogwai who just keeps having bad kids. He never even wants to be a gremlin (and that seems more fun really), though he does like to watch Rambo movies. He's also where all the other Mogwai and Gremlins come from and he could just be the first one who ever lived. Or not. The simple fact is that to stop the plague of Gremlins from returning, Gizmo must die, or be dunked in water sealant.

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Articulation:

• Wrists (twist)
• Shoulders (twist)
• Waist (twists and bends slightly to sit down)
• Neck (ball-joint)

Gizmo comes with three eggs that will eventually become new Mogwai. The eggs are what happens when he gets wet, and they are made of very squishy plastic. He also has a pair of 3D glasses (he's waiting for Gremlins 3-D) that he can hold but not wear. With a little poster fun tack you can stick the pair on his face, though, ensuring his vision will be ruined! Fun, fun, fun!

Stripe

Stripe was in the first bunch of Mogwai born to Gizmo in Gremlins and he's the worst of the bunch. It must be because he has that long hair... His namesake hairstyle is more to make it easy for the audience to have a single leader of the bad guys to keep track of since they all really do look alike. Stripe didn't make it to Gremlins 2 because he wanted way too much money. And he was dead. Mostly, it was the dead part.

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Articulation:

• Thighs (twist)
• Neck (ball-joint)
• Wrists (twist)
• Elbows (twist)
• Bicep (twists)
• Shoulders (ball-joints)

Stripe has a nice round saw blade that makes a nice projectile, and tons of candy. That's because he has a bad addiction to sugar and so to get his fix he is constantly eating. Plus he has many lucrative endorsement deals, so he keeps plenty of his sponsor's products nearby. They are all brands you've never heard of (like Nukes and Pop Corn), and you can see why they had to let him go.

Brain

Brain is one of the new batch of gremlins that is highly adapted and individual. Nearly all the gremlins in the second movie are unique, but having the voice of Tony Randall makes the Brain even more rare because this guy can talk, quite articulately. He also has bad eyesight and modesty, poor chap. And he likes to stay clean. Very clean.

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Articulation:

• Thighs (twist)
• Neck (ball-joint)
• Shoulders (ball-joints)
• Elbows (twist)
• Wrist (twist)

Brain has a few accessories with him, starting with removable glasses (they peg into the back of his ears). He also carries a copy of "The History of Civilization" used mostly as a weapon. He carries a beaker full of the mysterious brain formula that mutated him into his charming self. Only 120 calories! They're still working on 'Brain Formula Lite'. Brain's hands are made of s softer plastic than the rest of him, so they don't hold the accessories that well (they are too heavy for the soft hands).

Poker Player

Ahh, the obligatory variant figure! He's basically the same as Stripe with a hole in his ear and no swath of hair. That and he's a bluffer, so never trust him. Oh, and he hates to lose so if you beat him he'll kill you. And he cheats. This poor fellow really doesn't have any redeemable qualities, though he does have a suite reserved at the Bellagio in Vegas.

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Articulation:

• Thighs (twist)
• Neck (ball-joint)
• Wrists (twist)
• Elbows (twist)
• Bicep (twists)
• Shoulders (ball-joints)

What would a poker player have with him? Well, a nice translucent green visor just to look cool, and an Ace behind his ear (having no sleeves). He also has a hand with four cards, and he's going to want to get some new cards because he has nothing in his hand! To finish off his look is a conglomerate of popcorn and poker chips in a nice large lump.

Credits

Just like at the movies, there are many talented people who worked hard to make these toys, so they get their names immortalized on the internet! All four of the figures were developed by Randy Falk with Art Direction by Ed Repka and photography and package design by Nicolle M. Puzzo. The sculpting and accessories were divided between the figures. Infinite Mindz created the accessories for everyone but Brain, and he was accessorized by Oliver Brig. Kyle Windrix (McFarlane fans know him as Tankman and he did much of the sculpting on the Hellraiser figures) sculpted Brain all by his lonesome, and helped out on the other three figures. His partner in art is Rudy Garcia on the other three figures: Rudy's done work sculpting for Diamond Select on their bust lines (such as the Ultimate Storm Bust). The consumer will be played by you.

Click on an image below to see "the Big Picture" of that action figure.

Gizmo

Stripe

Brain

Poker Player

Where to buy Gremlins Figures: The Gremlins action figures retail for about $9.99 to $11.99 USD each and are available in comic book stores and specialty stores such as Suncoast, Hot Topic, Game Stop, and Spencer Gifts, as well as various online toy retailers. One such online stores is RTM sponsor The Outer Reaches. (Be sure to check the other RTM sponsors, listed on the Shop Center.)

Mogwai/Gremlin Biology

For those interested in biology, the three rules basically outline the three parts of the Mogwai life cycle - birth, transformation and death. Water is what causes reproduction, or a process closer to mitosis (technically more like meosis since there is genetic variance). In English, this means that when wet they create young that split off from the adult and make brand new creatures. On canines, wetting creates stink.

Now, bright light is bad for the Mogwai because it will kill them. Clearly artificial lighting seems safe, so you have to figure it's those UV rays from the sun. Or possibly mind control rays from a stealth satellite in geosynchronous orbit over the earth. It's got to be one of those.

The third bad thing is feeding them after midnight, because if they eat after midnight then they transform into the gremlin form that isn't so cuddly and loveable. They are downright mean if you want to get right down to it. So in essence, they are like women. Usually they seem soft and cuddly, but once you violate the rules they just get nasty. Usually for a week every month...

All of the gremlins seem to be male type creatures, though male in the sense that the Ken doll is male - they are all smoothies. They could be androgynous, though the behavior tends towards the male gender (as anyone in a fraternity could attest). There was one seeming female gremlin in Gremlins 2, but that seems to have been a cross-dresser.

Did we mention that the Mogwai came from China? Kind of explains why there are over a billion Chinese people.