Redmond Gore

Recognizing that not everyone wants full-sized stuffed bears, the guys at Applehead Factory have turned their creepy cool Teddy Scares into something more collector-friendly: the 6" Morgue Minis. And since there's no place like SDCC to show off your product, they did just that, bringing along an exclusive variant of Series 1's serial killer, Redmond Gore. Last week, Redmond's body was found lying near a dumpster with an axe by his side. No one is really sure how he died. Some say the cause of death was murder; murder of the mind. The Morgue Minis all wear different outfits than their full-sized counterparts. The original Redmond Gore wore a blood-spattered blue jumpsuit, while the standard Mini wears tattered pants, a sweater and a greatcoat. The SDCC '05 variant shares the pants, but traded the sweater and coat for a flannel shirt. The clothes are real, since you couldn't very well put plastic outfits on a plush toy. An examination of the stitching reveals no loose threads - everything's done up right. The bear body underneath those clothes is black and furry, and tremendously soft. Yes, despite the fact that he's a psychotic killer and his fur is "matted with various blood types," Redmond is cuddly and adorable. His head, in particular, is pleasantly smishy. His paw pads are no longer leather, but a short-weave material. It's not a great disappointment, but the black pads can get lost on the black feet. No matter the size, all versions of Redmond do have one element in common - the burlap sack that covers his face. The cloth is as real as the rest of his outfit, and if you're insane you could probably remove it. The thread on the seams is stitched like normal, but the X's that form his ears are actually embroidered on, rather than just looped. There's a rope around his neck, sewn serruptitiously to the back of his mask. Redmond's listed as having no distinguishing facial features, and if you poke around inside his head-bag, you'll find that to be true: no need to sew on eyes and a nose when they're just going to be hidden, anyway. Redmond Gore is the Teddy Scares' Jason Voorhees, so of course he's got a weapon - a nifty little plastic axe that attaches to his hands via rubber bands. The axe handle is detailed with wood grain that's sculpted in and has a paint wash to add to the look. The head is plain, but it's painted a nice steel grey with appropriate blood stains. This is a standard accessory for the character, just scaled down from his bigger brother. The Morgue Minis come in "body bag" packaging, a plastic bag that zips up the front. Redmon's head pokes out through the front, and the zipper is held in place by the sort of plastic tab that you have to remove when you take the tags off a new shirt. A cardboard insert behind the Mini explains the idea behind Teddy Scares and presents the Medical Examiner's departmental summary. Redmond? Died a violent death. Who'da thunk it! Six loops are anchored to the sides of the package, to help sell the body bag theme. Overall, very cool. The Teddy Scares are a neat idea, and are truly well-made. Dropping the size (and the price) down will only help introduce these guys to even more fans. Buy yourself a Redmond Gore, and have him stalk your Beanie Babies. It doesn't matter which version you get: Redmond Gore is killer. You gonna buy any Morgue Minis? Tell us on our message board, the Loafing Lounge.

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