Recently posted on the Kenner ALIENS Toy Blog is an interesting article regarding the existence – or rather, non-existence – of one of Kenner’s rarest ALIENS toys released in the 1990s, the extremely elusive red variant of the Gorilla Alien! It looks like there is a solid reason for this item’s scarcity. It never existed. 
So, for collectors who are agonising over why you can never find a sample of the rare red Gorilla Alien at toy fairs, second hand toy dealers or eBay, you can stop hunting now. You simply won’t find one. Eric Fisher has explored the non-existence of this decidedly fake figure along with several other suspicious items you may (or may not) be able to add to your collection. Sadly, this appears to be the case. It’s not real. If you are interested in anything relating to Kenner’s ALIENS toys of the 1990s, especially obscure facts and information on the toy line, the Kenner ALIENS Toy Blog is worth a visit.
-windebieste.
I’m not an autograph hunter so I’m not familiar with some of the names scrawled across the outer surface of the box. Nonetheless, among at least seven signatures present are actors Tom Skerritt (Dallas), Veronica Cartwright (Lambert), Mark Rolston (Pvt. Drake) and William Hope (Lt. Gorman). Also present is 20th Century Fox advertising consultant, Charles Lippencott. This item will be a wonderful addition to someone’s collection. It’s way outside the scope of my finances but no doubt it will eventually go to a deserving home where it will be appreciated.
Here’s what Funko have o say about this item, “An extraterrestrial threat is scoping out your Aliens collection! This black light Pop! Heralds a neon blue and green colour way whilst showcasing the Xenomorph’s poised attack stance, ready to prove its might as an apex predator. Be sure to act quick and add this incredible Pop! Vinyl figure to your collection today!” This item is some kind of “store exclusive” probably intended for the US market. It’s a safe bet though, you’ll find it anywhere Funko POP! figures are sold. …and that’s just about everywhere. I gotta say it. While I am not a fan of POP! items and don’t own any, the lurid colours is very appealing and I may yet add one to my collection. Maybe.
This head is missing some critical features with parts such as the upper dome and both tongue halves being absent. The chrome finish on the teeth is chipped and worn. On the other hand, the mouth trigger still works and the jaw opens. That’s always welcome. The upper head surface paint is still present, if a little rough in places, but it will continue to serve its purpose, function as intended and glow in the dark. It’s an unusual green custom paint job, probably done on the toy four decades ago by a creative child wanting to further embellish the toy – or possibly done by some basement stoner, bored with life. I’ve heard enough such stories to know it’s well within the realm of possibility. It’s definitely an ideal piece if you want to further customise one of these old toys and this is a perfect sample to exercise further creativity if that is your inclination. There is absolutely nothing wrong with transforming degraded samples of these vintage toys into an Objet d’Art. Just don’t attempt to remove the 3rd party paint with chemicals – you’ll risk damaging and dissolving the features – and that kind of damage is significantly uglier result than the hand crafted highlights that have been applied to this piece. Worth US$50? You have to decide that for yourself. I know if I needed a head in this state (it still works!) I’d buy it. Maybe for no more than US$40, though.
At a glance, this item appears to be a near perfect example of the toy but the dome is in less than desirable condition for the asking price. Large cracks at the rear of the dome along with a pair of minor cracks towards the front mar its near perfect presentation. Sadly, these cracks will always be present regardless of how well they have been repaired. Make an offer. There’s no telling how long this item will remain available but he won’t last long, regardless of the negotiable asking price.
I’m not even going to attempt to speculate on how errors of this nature happen during production. They just do; but there appears to be a great many samples of figures boasting anomalous features out there in the real world. A lot of them. I’ve only been able to document just a small sampling which are known to exist. Go check out the ALIEN freakshow where other 
Obviously there’s a lot of parts missing from this toy and it’s not priced to be sympathetic to anyone who may want to ‘DIY’ their own Kenner ALIEN. Nonetheless, it’s a good base for a complete rebuild. There’s signs of wear throughout the figure and you’ll need to spend a substantial amount of more coin just to acquire the parts necessary to complete it’s presentation. To do so, you’ll need: both arms, both legs and the tail just to get it to a basic presentable state. Those are relatively easy to find. The more elusive parts such as the head dome, dorsal crest and both tongue parts may present a challenge, both to your patience and your wallet. Nonetheless, some of these parts necessary to rebuild this item can already be found on eBay.
This sample is a little rough around the edges with some burring along the connectors with other minor imperfections present. Nonetheless, this item is a genuine piece salvaged from a forty year old vintage toy and not a reproduction part. Prices like this are commonplace, matching the demand for these elusive parts. Along with the dome that sits on the head (and to a lesser degree, the dual tongue halves) this item is the most sought after body part for collectors wanting to complete their own Kenner ALIEN toy. An estimated 60-70% of surviving samples of the toy released in 1979 now lack this odd shaped piece. It’s worth watching just to witness the duration of the sale and see how long it takes to sell. Someone will buy it. It won’t take long, even at this price.
Intriguingly, this isn’t an isolated instance of this package error. I know of at least one other sample where this same error has occurred on this exact same product item. This item has now been added to this blog and become a resident of HIDEOUS PLASTIC’s section dedicated to production errors,
Not only is this old toy cheaper by a keen Au$300, it’s considerably more complete. Both tongue parts and the dorsal crest are present; and importantly, all are original pieces. The only body part missing from this sample is the dome on the head. Everything else is present. There’s a small stress fracture in the location of the dorsal crest where it attaches to the body and three of the four the “weird tubie things” on its back appear to be broken at the base and rotate freely. Nonetheless, this is a reasonably easy fix can be made to get them back into situ so it’s not too much of a problem.
Photos courtesy of Matt Porter. Thank you for permission to use these images.
Baptiste Coudert has provided us with all we need as a solution. Well, maybe not everything; but the essential printable components to make a Nostromo play set for yourself is now a reality. Here’s a link to a set of 
The tail appears to be neat, clean and tidy and also includes the serrated circular clip to hold it in place. The quad appendage piece appears to be a little rough around the edges but is otherwise complete; and both legs display no breaks but do appear to have been touched up with silver painted highlights on the toes and other areas of the lower leg. These pieces are priced thusly:
Yes, there is more. That is, there’s still four more days remaining on the clock before this auction closes. At this stage, it’s difficult to determine what this item will sell for. As this much sought after piece is in very good condition and the sale started at a low US$3.99, the outcome is anyone’s guess at this stage. I’m thinking this dome could easily sell for upwards of US$100. NOT SO CHEAP – BUT THEM’S THE FACTS! It’s not a precedent, either, as they can easily top that mark. Nonetheless, the low start price will attract buyers and at the end of the sale, it will be the last hand in the air that determines its value. Will it sell for more than three figures? Let’s watch and see!
But, hey… what are XENOMOFOS, anyway?
Derived as it is from the older 1979 action figure, this listed item is a built version of Halcyon’s 1991 vinyl kit. It draws an indirect relationship with the Kenner ALIEN toy as it is a recast of the intermediate Tsukuda Hobby ALIEN repressing released in 1984. So, it’s not a Kenner at all but rather a third generation re-pop of the nefarious toy. It’s not complete either. It’s missing the (very) pliable rubber dome that should be present on the head along with the rear glans-like cranial posterior. These are both parts typically associated with this version of the 1991 ALIEN model kit. 
It certainly becomes blatantly obvious when the back of the package is inspected. This wonderful unopened inverted Dog Alien action figure now has a permanent home here on HIDEOUS PLASTIC in a section dedicated to 
While the items on the left and middle were released in correct colour schemes, the item on the right is simply inexplicably painted the wrong colour. As this curiosity may be an error (or potentially some kind of paint test/product development sample) it’s now been ceremoniously added to the page full of 