ReAction Figures (from left): Predator, Firefly (Zoe), Goonies (Data), Back to the Future (Doc Brown), and *Terminator 2 *(the T-800 endoskeleton) KIMBERLY VERDE

IN 1979, Kenner Toys developed a line of action figures (for kids) tied to the movie Alien (for adults). Parents complained; the prototypes became a pop-culture lost ark … until last year, when toymaker Super 7's limited-edition version of the Alien line sold out at San Diego Comic Con. Now Super 7 is expanding its faux-vintage offerings.

KIMBERLY VERDE

The new line—ReAction Figures, a collaboration between Super 7 and bobblehead king Funko—features period classics like Escape From New York, nerd canon fodder like Back to the Future____ and The Goonies, and even Pulp Fiction characters. And Firefly, duh. “We make stuff we wish we'd had,” says Brian Flynn, Super 7's owner and creator. “Like we didn't know these existed, then pulled them from under the rafters.”

To find the sweet spot of throwback crudeness, ReAction started with Kenner's original Star Wars figure specs: single-color injected plastic with two spray-on colors. But as it tested prototypes, ReAction discovered that fans remember slightly higher quality—more detailed costuming, for example, which was a hallmark of the sequels' figure runs. The final product is higher production value, with limited articulation—“the proper level of shitty,” Flynn calls it. “That's not derogatory,” he says. “It's endearing.” He's right.