The tank of beloved ’80s toys was bound to run low eventually. Both G.I. Joe and Transformers have been adapted for the big screen, the Jem movie is right around the corner, and audiences have already been subjected to two Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboots. Kids today are more interested in iPads than action figures, and most toy releases appear to be aimed towards man-children clinging to their childhoods like grim death. (Parents’ groups in the ’80s would have flipped out if a Mrs. Voorhees doll appeared on a Kay-Bee Toys shelf.)
It was only a matter of time before those second and third-tier action figure lines started getting a second life: Galaxy Laser Team toys have been re-released, Centurions should be back any day now, and now the Madballs are back as well. Mondo, best known for its creative poster designs for classic genre films, featured its take on three classic Madballs characters at Comic-Con International this past weekend: Skull Face, Horn Head, and Slobulus.
First Released by AmToy in 1985, the original Madballs were part of the ’80s “gross out” toy trend that also included Garbage Pail Kids trading cards, Boglins, and the Mad Scientist Monster Lab. Most of these toys came packaged with a tub of slime that would invariably end up all over the carpet, inciting the ire of moms across the nation. According to iHorror, the new Madball line from Mondo “will be made out of a soft-vinyl resin, allowing them to be much more detailed and brightly colored than the balls we all know and love.” The original line was made out of a soft foam, similar to that used in Nerf products.
The new Madballs will be available for pre-order this fall and retail between $10 and $15. Incidentally, this marks the second wave of Madballs nostalgia—Basic Fun and American Greetings first rebooted the toy line in 2007.