Coming next month is the Weird Al – White & Nerdy 8″ Mego Style Figure from NECA Toys. This figure is the second Weird Al Yankovic figure from NECA. They released their first figure back in Summer of 2016. With the new release, they celebrate the 2006 song “White & Nerdy”, a parody of “Ridin'” by Chamillionaire and Krayzie Bone. The figure is part of their 8″ scale retro line, which pays homage to the classic Mego action figures of the 70’s. It feature Weird Al in a zip up hoodie, with a gold chain and a bandana, throwing nerdy gang signs. The White & Nerdy Weird Al will begin shipping to retailers October 2nd, and should hit toy shelves about two weeks later. NECA will be releasing the figure on their Ebay and Amazon stores beginning tomorrow!
NECA has provided us with an early sample of the figure to review. After the jump, you can check out my photos and thoughts on the figure.
White and Nerdy Weird Al Yankovic 8″ Scale Mego Style Figure by NECA
Pros
- Works great as a Mego style figure
- Head sculpt looks great
- Zip up hoodie is removable
- Can swap heads with previous Weird Al figure
- Solid articulation
Cons
- No extra accessories or swap out parts
Overall
The White & Nerdy Weird Al figure comes packaged in a collector friendly window box. The packaging takes imagery and lyrics from the video s design inspiration. the back includes a single photo of the figure. Weird Al sits on a plastic tray and includes a gold chain. No additional accessories are included with the figure.
Some of the best Mego style figures from NECA have been their releases celebrating comedy and music. Figures like their Clark Griswold’s, Home Alone and even their Iron Maiden Eddie releases have all felt particularly right at home as cloth figures. The previously released Weird Al worked especially well, as the exaggerated details on the head sculpt and the slightly oversized outfit worked great as an additional comedy element. The same applies with the release of the White & Nerdy version of Weird Al. NECA went with a slightly more stylized and exaggerated portrait, paying homage to the over the top nature of Weird Al’s parody video. The particularly puffy zip up hoodie looks great, and has a nice printed on patch and even includes functioning pull strings on the hood. The faux gang sings used for the hands should bring a smile to fans, and the joints in the wrist allow for a proper “Live Long, and Prosper” salute. The clothing doesn’t hinder the articulation, as the hoodie has plenty of room to pose, and the t-shirt underneath is loose enough to offer full range of motion. The jacket does make the figure a bit top heavy, but the ankles were nice and tight here, so balancing wasn’t too much of an issue. I would love to have seen an additional set of hands included for additional posing options, but it’s not a big issue.
The jacket is removable if you’d like to display in just his tee. The more fun option is that you can swap heads between this version of Al and the previous release. The White & Nerdy portrait, combined with the gold chain, makes a surprisingly great looking addition to the older figure. I did try to pop off the hands on the White & Nerdy Al, but those pegs wouldn’t budge, and I didn’t want to snap the hands off at the joint.
I’m a big fan of Weird Al and the NECA Mego style figures. I really enjoy the combination of the two, as I feel their Mego line is at it’s best when it’s portraying a more comedic character. If you’re not into the Mego line or aren’t a fan of Weird Al, then I don’t see this swaying you too much. But those that are will find a fun figure to display with some nice touches that do both Weird Al and the video justice. Check out some select photos below and a full gallery after that.