Kenner | Vintage Action Figures

Winston Zeddemore – The Real Ghostbusters Super Fright Features

The Real Ghostbusters Super Fright Features: Winston Zeddemore

Of all The Real Ghostbusters action figures in the Super Fright Features toy series, in which the heroes of the long-running TV animated show sport wacky space suits and looks of terror, Winston Zeddemore – played by Ernie Hudson in the movie and voiced by Arsenio Hall in the cartoon – is probably the most imaginative of the lot!

There’s a lever on the action figure’s back which makes his head disappear – only to reappear when a flap then opens in his chest, to reveal a giant screaming Winston head, complete with tongue hanging out! Whilst this 5 inch action figure by Kenner is described as having 5 points of articulation the extra “fright feature” more than makes up for any other limits in movement.

Who you gonna call? Ray Stantz and The Real Ghostbusters!

Until the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles burst upon the action figure scene and won the hearts of flaky kids everywhere who instantly, en masse and seemingly across the entire planet, dropped what they were playing with and started nagging their parents for one of those four adolescent reptiles, Ghostbusters figures ruled the roost.

The Real Ghostbusters action figures were produced by Kenner under license from Columbia Pictures and were based on the animated television series, which was in turn based on the smash hit 1984 film starring Bill Murray and Dan Ackroyd – Ghostbusters.

Star Wars variations: I lost my heart to a Star Wars Stormtrooper!

Kenner’s sculpt for the Star Wars Stormtrooper (later renamed Imperial Stormtrooper on the repackaged The Power Of The Force card back) was one of its most accurate action figures. Like many of the vintage Star Wars figures there are, however, minor variations in moldings and even stance – collectors should keen an eye out for varieties that may fly under the radar of less-informed sellers.

Star Wars action figure variations: My, what small eyes you have, Chief Chirpa!

Love them or hate them (or even love-to-hate-them by joining those who have formed a Facebook group dedicated to their eradication) the Ewoks are very much part of the Star Wars trilogy and for the action figure collector provide a few harder to find variations to track down.

Being the characters that so many – even die-hard Star Wars fans – loathe, as well as being figures that are not so instantly recognisable to the uninitiated, means that you can often pick them up for mere cents in the bargain bin at markets where they’ve been simply overlooked, like this Chief Chirpa action figure that I found the other day.