As it often happens when I'm on Twitter, I was chatting it up with fellow horror fiends
@FijiMermaid and
@FreddysFingers about the existential nature of #FF (Follow Fridays) when somehow our conversation turned into talk about time travel and a certain quintessential
Gremlins knock-off known as
Critters. This got me thinking that how cool it would be if there was more
Critters merchandise as I've never really seen any before, at least not on the level of
Gremlins. Lo and behold, Fiji knocks me on my felt-stitched butt by revealing that Fangoria (
issue #117 to be exact) once had an ad featuring
Critters handpuppets. HANDPUPPETS!
Of course my excitement immediately skyrocketed as Fiji provide a few links to some actual proof that these things existed and I've been obsessed over them ever since. Apparently there were two figures in all; the regular version ($50) was your average run-of-the-mill "crite" that sported a thin, rubber and some fake hair on its back, while the premium version was the same rubber shell with a different paint job and some additional body hair which retailed at $90. For a kid back in the early 90's that's a hefty price tag, especially when the end result looks like one of those
Land Before Time
Pizza Hut promos from around the same time.
I have to say that, given the awesome looking photo of these things in the color ad (
see above) I'd be more than a little pissed as a kid if I laid down my hard earned allowance on either of these things. Granted, the though of Critter handpuppets is cool no matter how you slice it, but when compared to a $20 or $30 Boglin (
see previous post) that's twice their size I'll have to stick with my Boglin.
Man I remember these ads in a few horror mags back then. I think the Chiodo brothers were the ones selling them. I always wanted one.