Geertyo
S-Mart Clerk
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2015
Too bad this never made it…does anybody own any of the series 2 figures?
Evil Dead Figures Thread
- Thread starter Reznar
- Start date
Too bad this never made it…does anybody own any of the series 2 figures?
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2008
I'm not a fan of oversized head figures plus this sculpt looks like one of those facebook vanity face filter pictures so I won't be buying it.Looks like this Evil Dead 2 Ash figure from MINIX flew under our radar:
So far, the figure seems to be only available for pre-order in the UK and Australia.
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2023
Seems like it's this fan made figure repackaged into a custom box. Head sculpt, paint, and clothes are the exact same.
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2008
The Linda figure's passable but that Shelly isn't, it looks nothing like Shelly.
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2023
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2023
So, I thought I would archive some of the images, questions, and comments from the former Palisades artist Kenneth Lilly about the Palisades Army of Darkness line, just so they're persevered in one place if something should happen to his Instagram. He's been really cool about answering my extremely specific questions about the behind the scenes process of this series, and maybe someday someone will do something with this info.
NOTE: All lines labeled as "REPLY" are from Kenneth. Minor spelling mistakes on the original posts have been corrected here.
ANSWER: It’s a good question. I did a quick mock up with the Deadite version of her in the concept phase but for the second series I didn’t really have the budget to tool her. There were no likeness issues at all with that license.
COMMENT: As a kid, my friends and I were all OBSESSED with this line, but living in the rural south, there was absolutely no where to get them. To this day we never ended up with those grails.
REPLY: Yeah I hear you. Distribution and overall production quantity on the second series was pretty weak. The first series (last time I checked) was able to be picked up on eBay fairly reasonably. Second not so much.
ANSWER: Sales we’re down across the board, so the sales guys wanted a few lines converted to blind box as they believed it would improve the overall sales numbers.
REPLY: There were Ash figures sculpted in the 2-up size. All of them actually. Maybe he wasn’t able to find those prototypes but they were created.
COMMENT 2: Of all the variations of Ash from the small figures? Classic, knight, S-Mart, ect.?
REPLY: Yeah they all started at the 2-up size.
REPLY: Nah…I just had better reference of the one from ED2.
QUESTION 2: Something else I just noticed was that there was an advertisement for Dynamite's Army of Darkness comics (which were just starting when these figures came out) on the back of the box. Was that something the licensor requested, or did you guys suggest it?
REPLY: We did. We had a great relationship with Nick Barrucci and Dynamite.
(UPDATE FROM JUNE 7, 2025)
From this post showing photographs of the Evil Ash figure:
QUESTION: What kind of reference material did MGM provide (if any) for AOD? I know people who worked with the Evil Dead 2 license have said that they're on their own when it comes to doing research or digging up reference photos, but I didn't know if AOD was different since it was a major studio film.
REPLY: Somehow, and I can’t remember exactly how but it wasn’t the licensor, I acquired an unbelievably good CD of a ton of reference images of the practical effects. Also took crappy screen grabs on my own.
FOLLOW-UP: So MGM didn't give you guys anything at all (save for stuff like logo elements)?
REPLY: Not much. It was 2003…there wasn’t a lot to be had.
NOTE: All lines labeled as "REPLY" are from Kenneth. Minor spelling mistakes on the original posts have been corrected here.
QUESTION: How come there was never a figure of Sheila? It seems like she's always left out of merch, especially figures, and I've wondered if there were issues regarding Embeth Davidtz's likeness rights, or the licensor just saying "no", or something else.You might remember that the Army of Darkness figures that Palisades made back in the aughts started out as 2-packs on blister clamshells. Series 2 was planned to be the same scenario. Somewhere in the middle of developing that second series we got a request from those doing the selling to switch to single unit blind box packaging.
There were a few figural casualties when that occurred, one showcasing Ash and Evil Ash in their ‘final battle’ look. Here’s the Evil Ash from that set. The first image is the 3.75 inch version, which is essentially new armor on an existing skeleton figure with a new head. The second image is of the original paint master by Jerry Macaluso back when he was the king of SOTA (State of The Art) Toys. That one was around 8 inches tall.
ANSWER: It’s a good question. I did a quick mock up with the Deadite version of her in the concept phase but for the second series I didn’t really have the budget to tool her. There were no likeness issues at all with that license.
COMMENT: As a kid, my friends and I were all OBSESSED with this line, but living in the rural south, there was absolutely no where to get them. To this day we never ended up with those grails.
REPLY: Yeah I hear you. Distribution and overall production quantity on the second series was pretty weak. The first series (last time I checked) was able to be picked up on eBay fairly reasonably. Second not so much.
Sculpt in progress for the Pit Deadite, one of the figures in the second series of Army of Darkness figures from Palisades Toys. Sculpted by Bill Mancuso over some pre-existing Pit Witch (from Series 1) parts sculpted by Jerry Macaluso.
Interesting side note. This figure’s basic body was originally intended for Sheila. I have a text sheet that lays out each body type and what variations can be built from the same body with add-on pieces. The first line I could really experiment with a process like that. After the Series 2 2-packs were canceled and the line switched to blind box packaging a lot of the plans got sidetracked.
QUESTION: What was the reason for switching to blind box packaging?
ANSWER: Sales we’re down across the board, so the sales guys wanted a few lines converted to blind box as they believed it would improve the overall sales numbers.
A variation (called Final Battle Henry the Red) of the Henry the Red 3.75-inch action figure from the Palisades Toys Army of Darkness line. Since the second series essentially limped to retail shelves most of the variants and repaints for it were shelved fairly early on.
Images featuring the paint master/factory model of the Army of Darkness standard issue Deadite shown up front (height is just under 4 inches) compared to the original paint master/tooling pattern shown at the end of the slides (sculpted at 8 inches). Initial sculpt by Jerry Macaluso at SOTA, with finishing by Johnny Apokolips.
COMMENT: Recently found a YouTube video of a collector who had the entire lineup of 8 inch AOD figs. Was really surprised to see there wasn't an Ash in that scale (although there were three versions of Evil Ash).Images of the original paint master/tooling pattern of the Army of Darkness Deadite Centurion (the last few photos, sculpted at 8 inches) compared to the revised and reduced (height is just under 4 inches) new paint master/factory model.
SOTA (State of The Art), who were sculpting these figures, gave us a reduced rate (since there were so many characters) in exchange for minimal articulation and static poses. It worked out really well as they provided a good 3D template we were able to use to re-make them as functional models overseas using some specs I created. Lots of detail in those little figures. This is a paint master so it’s meticulously hand-painted and not a production piece, but I’ve always been proud of what we did in the 3.75 inch scale. Would have loved to keep working in it.
REPLY: There were Ash figures sculpted in the 2-up size. All of them actually. Maybe he wasn’t able to find those prototypes but they were created.
COMMENT 2: Of all the variations of Ash from the small figures? Classic, knight, S-Mart, ect.?
REPLY: Yeah they all started at the 2-up size.
QUESTION: Did the licensor give any specific rules/requirements regarding the Necronomicon? Like, the book in this pack looks more like the Evil Dead 2 version than the one created for AOD, and I suppose they could get away with it since AOD does recycle footage from 2 in the opening, but do you recall if there was any dos and don'ts they had in place about it?Final product in packaging of the groovy Hero Ash & Deadite Scout Action Figure 2-Pack, from Palisades Toys and our 2004 series of 3.75-inch scale action figures based on the cult classic film Army of Darkness.
Army of Darkness was the 1993 Sam Raimi film which follows the adventures of Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) as he is transported back in time to 1400 A.D., where he must fight an army of Deadite
Soldiers (led by an evil version of himself) and retrieve the Necronomicon, The Book of the Dead, in order to return home.
These figures had unbeatable levels of articulation including double jointed knees, double jointed elbows and ball-jointed heads. Most of the figures had over 27 points of articulation each.
The Hero Ash & Deadite includes Ash’s Cape, Necronomicon, Chemistry 101 Book, Boomstick with Holster, Deadite Shield, Spear & 2 Figure Bases.
REPLY: Nah…I just had better reference of the one from ED2.
QUESTION 2: Something else I just noticed was that there was an advertisement for Dynamite's Army of Darkness comics (which were just starting when these figures came out) on the back of the box. Was that something the licensor requested, or did you guys suggest it?
REPLY: We did. We had a great relationship with Nick Barrucci and Dynamite.
(UPDATE FROM JUNE 7, 2025)
From this post showing photographs of the Evil Ash figure:
QUESTION: What kind of reference material did MGM provide (if any) for AOD? I know people who worked with the Evil Dead 2 license have said that they're on their own when it comes to doing research or digging up reference photos, but I didn't know if AOD was different since it was a major studio film.
REPLY: Somehow, and I can’t remember exactly how but it wasn’t the licensor, I acquired an unbelievably good CD of a ton of reference images of the practical effects. Also took crappy screen grabs on my own.
FOLLOW-UP: So MGM didn't give you guys anything at all (save for stuff like logo elements)?
REPLY: Not much. It was 2003…there wasn’t a lot to be had.
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- Joined
- Dec 26, 2023
Pre-orders are now LIVE, and a website exclusive variant (featuring the chainsaw instead of the gauntlet) is also available.
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2023
Back again with more Palisades AOD pictures.
First up is tooling model S-Mart Ash
Followed by the final version of him
And we wrap up with the winged Deadite
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2023
Remember the Zombie Sailor Toys' Army of Darkness figures announced last year? They're finally shipping, and some folks have already gotten theirs. Apparently a promotional card that comes with it reveals two more figures that have not been officially announced yet: Evil Ash and "Mechanical Hand" Ash. I'm genuinely surprised that their first Ash variant is from that scene and not his knight costume or S-Mart uniform.
evildeaddude
S-Mart Clerk
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2009
I got mine in the mail today with that promotional card included.
DyD
Spinach Chin
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2015
- Location
- Votuporanga, Brazil
I know I'm in the minority on this, but I genuinely adore those goofy looking figures and would buy them in a second if I stumbled upon one of them in the wild with a reasonable price tag. From the pictures I've seen of the already released Ash figure, the only thing I don't like about it is that the head seems to have a different finish or be made from a different type of plastic than the body, which doesn't look very good and makes the figure look kinda cheap. But other than that, I really like them – and I specially like that "mechanical hand" Ash, precisely because it's a look from the movie they almost never use on figures (even though one of the most recognizable promotional images for the film is from that scene and has Ash sporting that look).
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- Joined
- Dec 26, 2023
I'll tell you this: I literally did not notice until you pointed it out. The skin paint on Ash's neck/torso piece is just a smidge too red (like, suntan red), but his head and arm (with the ripped sleeve) match in color tone. Going by this video on Instagram, it certainly appears that the torso uses a different type of plastic than the head/arms/legs, so that may be to blame.
Now that we know "deep cut" costumes are on the table, I can see there being one to two Ash figures per wave. I'm really hoping for an S-Mart uniform Ash.
DyD
Spinach Chin
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2015
- Location
- Votuporanga, Brazil
This Instagram video here is where I first noticed something off about it, although I admit it could be mostly due to the lighting there. I'd need to see one in person to confirm if it's anything really that noticeable.
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2023
More Palisades AOD stuff.
Deadite skeleton:
Classic "Chainsaw" Ash
(QUESTIONS UPDATE FROM AUGUST 14, 2025) (SEE THIS POST FOR PREVIOUS QUESTIONS)
From this post depicting the classic "chainsaw" Ash Williams figure:
QUESTION: Was Army of Darkness ever considered for a PALz line?
REPLY: Yeah I think so. I think we asked about every licensor we had in an effort to expand the brand.
FOLLOW-UP: That's a shame. It seems like AOD likes to thrive in the miniature figurine front: Palisades, Super7, Mezco, so PALz would have been a good fit.
REPLY: Unless the Mezco stuff kinda filled that need. Coulda been why the license wasn’t able to be acquired.
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- Joined
- Dec 26, 2023
Damn, I didn't even notice the shoes are the right color and have the little "sideways teardrop" shape thing! Seems like this figure and the new Infinite Statue really went out of their way to include the green highlights (which is a really weird thing to complement, but it just goes to show the detail some people give this stuff!)
Looks like the Zombie Sailor Ash figure is back in stock:
zombiesailor.com
Ash - Army of Darkness
This handsome, shotgun-twirling, chainsaw-armed department store clerk from S-Mart's housewares department has come to send Deadites crying back home to mama! A premium must-have collectible for any Army of Darkness (1993) fan, featuring artisan hand-painted detailing from head to toe! Nicked-up...
zombiesailor.com