REVIEW: SLUG Zombies Holiday Series - Johnny Hammer-Stix

Produced by JAKKS Pacific | Released December 2012

Previous Job: Drummer Boy

Likes: Fresh Cut Grass

Dislikes: Rain on his Parade & Broken Drumsticks

Favorite Food: Carcass Casserole

The SLUG Zombies Holiday Series

The Holiday Series of SLUG Zombies has landed at retail, just in time for a festive fright! Featuring four, three-figure packs the line includes a number of new - and returning - characters, the first of which we're looking at today, the deadly drummer boy, Johnny Hammer-Stix.

A Review Review

We're also trying something a little different with our Review here. Rather than breakdown each point of draw attention to the minutiae of the figure, we're going to let the images do the talking. I'm sure it's all well and good me singing a toy's praises or pulling out its weak spots but I know personally I always jump straight to the images. So instead of boring you with words and stuff, I'm simply going to present the images without comment and then, once you've taken a good look, you can check the Final Thoughts for my Review summary. And be sure to let us know what you think of this - do you prefer more images or more words?

Johnny Hammer-Stix

Johnny Hammer-Stix is - as the name suggests - a corrupted, undead version of that festive favorite, the little drummer boy. Check out this musical monstrosity!

Final Thoughts

Johnny Hammer-Stix is a strong introduction to the SLUG Zombies Holiday Series, featuring the grisly humor of the line and adding a holiday twist. What's particularly good about Johnny Hammer-Stix - and the Holiday Series as a whole - is the way JAKKS Pacific has taken a traditional Christmas icon and corrupted it into something quite dark. It's a shame the tradition of the Christmas ghost story has been abandoned by most, as the Winter nights provide the ideal backdrop to a tale or two of terror and so it's nice to see JAKKS Pacific honoring that tradition with the Holiday Series of SLUG Zombies.

Of particular note are the nice, warped details. I love that the drum skin is smashed and the bottom rim has snapped loose and of course, the fact that he's replaced his drumsticks with, well, human drumsticks is a lot of fun. And again, as with all SLUG Zombie figures the ''base'' sculpting and detail is superb, with his buttons, epaulets and feathered drum major hat all being very neatly finished. He's also one of the most diminutive SLUG figures so far and that, combined with his cool zombie stance and grisly details, really make him stand out on the shelf.

A great bit of frightful festive fun.

Final Score: B+

Order your SLUG Zombies at Entertainment Earth!