If you’ve been eyeing a particular type of creepy hand puppet on the secondary market, hold that thought and check this out: The Boglins are back!
Originally released by Mattel, Boglins have amassed a cult following over the past 30 years, and next year, kids and collectors can welcome some new characters and reinvented favorites into the fold. Boglins co-creator Tim Clarke is leading the relaunch of the line in all of its original glory. The hand-controlled figure puppets have a rubbery feel and moveable glow-in-the-dark eyes, and are inside packaging that recalls the originals with “wooden” crate-like boxes with bent plastic jail bars. TriAction Toys — which launched this summer under the guidance of former Jazwares and Melissa & Doug exec Chris Cofoni — will release the updated line.
“What was cool in the ’80s is about to be a hit again with the much-anticipated release of the Seven Kings from the Seven Bogs of The Boglands,” says Cofoni, founder and CEO of TriAction Toys.
The Boglins official launch is on Kickstarter this Friday, but as an early Halloween treat, the Pop Insider, alongside the Toy Book and the Toy Insider can exclusively reveal that the campaign is open right now.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ccofoni/boglins-world-domination
Boglins were co-created by Clarke and Maureen Trotto, both of whom met while working with Jim Henson on The Dark Crystal and later created the Sectaurs: Warriors of Symbion action figure line for Coleco.
“The only difference now is that Vlobb, Drool, and Dwork have evolved to become Kings in the Boglin kingdom,” says Clarke. “I’m really looking forward to seeing how fans respond to this new and amazing adventure.”
Kickstarter backers who pledge $39.99 or more will be able to bring the Boglins home in March, a full month earlier than their debut at specialty retailers across the U.S. Production will be limited to foster collectibility and the thrill of the hunt. Early backers will receive a boxed Boglin that includes one of Clarke’s illustrated maps of the Seven Boglin Kingdoms.
The 2021 Boglins launch collection includes
- King Drool: Reigning King of the Land of Gaul.
- King Vlobb: Overseer of the Land of Gourch.
- King Dwork: Ruler of the Land of Fergus.
TriAction Toys plans to bring all seven kings to market next year along with a pair of Halloween 2021 exclusives, including the sought-after Bog-O-Bones and Blobkin figures.
Over the next few months, Boglins content is expected to roll out across Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and additional digital platforms. The promotional effort includes a series of comedic short films that will feature the Boglins creating mischief for Clarke and others.
The Boglins World Domination Kickstarter campaign runs through Dec. 17.
