Review of Mega Death Mittens - Creepy Cuddlers plush doll

Introduction

Ten years ago, you couldn't buy a zombie toy if your life depended on it. Ironic, eh? But now the popularity of zombies has boomed, and there's licensed and non-licensed characters in every scale, style, and format you can think of.

But don't zombies deserve to have that special best friend in their lives...er, deaths? That's what Mezco Toyz thought, and thus was born the Creepy Cuddlers.

This line of plush characters includes a few zombies, but its high point is the animals that aren't just zombie pets, they're zombies themselves. After all, who else could put up with the smell?

The regular cuddlers have seen three waves so far, and are usually about 6" tall. With their success, Mezco decided to tear a page out of the Palisades play book (although to be fair, they didn't invent it), and upscale certain characters. They've called them 'mega' as well, and tonight I'm checking out the Mega Death Mittens, the cute but very dead cat.

Mittens was actually part of the first wave of regular Cuddlers, and this Mega version is pretty much identical, with the obvious exception being size. He's double the original, coming in at about 12" tall when sitting on his butt.

This guy is currently shipping, and will run you around $20 or so depending on the retailer.

Packaging - Bupkis
Nope, no packaging, but he does have a hang tag on his paw with his basic info.

Design/Quality - ****
The idea here is pretty simple - this is one dead kitty. He (or she? Is Mittens more of a girl cat name?) has exposed damage on the head, arms and body. There's several red gaping wounds on the head, an exposed rib cage, a missing left eye, and a bandaged tail. His little tongue is even sticking out of his mouth.

The materials are all top quality, and the outer fur is exceptionally soft and fuzzy. The stitching is great, and this plush is very well made overall.

What sets it apart for me is how they've done the wounds. There's actually an interior plush covered in the red material, with the fuzzy fur covering that. They've left the edges of the fur loose at the wounds, rather than stitching it together. I separated it a bit in one of the photos of the top of the head so you can better understand.

While the wounds aren't disgusting, this separation makes them seem more realistic, as though the fur is separating from the flesh beneath. It's a nice touch, and one they could have easily overlooked.

As I said earlier, this is a big plush, coming in at a full 12" tall when he's sitting on his butt. That doesn't include the tail, either.

Fun Factor - ***
Is there any among us that doesn't have fond memories of our favorite stuff animal? Mine was a dog, and by the time I stopped sleeping with him, he was ratty, torn and well loved. In fact, he looked a lot like Mittens does right off the shelf, but that didn't matter.

I'm not sure if Mittens is really that kind of BFF though, although with the very soft fur he'd be a fine cuddle companion. He's more likely to end up with an adult fan of the undead and unusual, but even they will find a soft spot in their heart for this cuddly cat corpse.

Value - ***
It's hard for me to believe, but twenty bucks seems to be the going rate these days for a plush this size. In fact, it's a little cheap. Considering the quality of the materials and the likely low production numbers, I'm giving this a slightly above average score.

Things to Watch Out For -
Personally, I'd keep a close eye on any ten year old that wanted one of these to sleep with. I'm just sayin'.

Overall - ***1/2
While I personally won't be curling up tonight with this little ball of fur, I get the appeal. Like the Living Dead Dolls, there's something about these dark versions of our most beloved toys that speaks to us.

The quality on these wasn't sacrificed, and I like the way the fur separates from the underlying body. He's just so ugly that he's cute!

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - Bupkis
Design/Quality - ****
Fun Factor - ***
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has him for $18.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other plush reviews include the Happy Toy Machine make your own, Giant Microbes, World of Warcraft, and Shrek.

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