NECA Ultimate Phantom of the Opera

I actually picked this up from a local Best Buy last year but never got around to looking at him until now- fitting in that I've only recently seen the 1925 film starring Lon Chaney. the Man of a Thousand Faces. I was unaware how villainous this character was! NECA packed every configuration of hands and portraits within this Ultimate package, even including a hat, cape, and breathing rod the monster used to sneak up on his victims in the canals under the opera house. 

Below, NECA Phantom with my NECA Count Dracula, Carfax Abbey Edition- a beautiful figure that pairs nicely with the Phantom! Other companies may have simply shared a lot of parts for these characters, but NECA made them wholly unique as far as I can tell. These are quality action figures that have some of the truest facial portraits I've ever seen- outstanding!

More Later- Happy Halloween!

Mego Phantom of the Opera

I bought these Mego Phantom of the Opera figures back in February, assembling an all-star Mego Horror line-up for this Halloween season. The Lon Chaney figure was going up in price on the secondary market and purchasing him with the Masque of the Red Death figure from one particular seller saved me from overpaying. I was completely unfamiliar with the Masque of the Red Death Phantom, but little explanation is needed with a character that visually striking.

Below, Lon Chaney and Bela Lugosi live again as 8" Mego Horror figures! While these characters never appeared in a movie together, my youthful imagination created a partnership between the two when playing with my 3.75" Remco figures. As a kid I didn't know much about the Phantom of the Opera, but he was ever present among the Universal Monsters merchandise...

Below, Lon Chaney is reunited with his fellow Universal Monsters, Mego Mummy, Frankenstein and his Bride, and Bela Lugosi Dracula...

Masque of the Red Death Phantom fits right in, aesthetically, with my Funko Primal Age Batcave- he's so crazy looking. This figure doesn't have the hinged ankles other Mego figures have, but some strange, high-heeled boots with a swivel above the ankle instead, like he borrowed feet from some other doll. He's a fantastic and bizarre figure!

Like my Mego Medusa, this Masque of the Red Death Phantom is so outlandish looking that he doesn't need to belong to any categorical grouping. There's an almost bootleg quality to them, amplified by Mego's unique styling. 

I was always enamored by Lon Chaney's portrait in this character but was charmed by the bootleg charm of the Masque of the Red Death Phantom. I had been looking forward to opening these for eight months, and they did not disappoint. More Mego Horror to come in this last week before Halloween- stay tuned!

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Happy Halloween!