BAT BOGLINS ARE REAL.

Bat /bat/ noun: a mainly nocturnal mammal capable of sustained flight, with membranous wings that extend between the fingers and connecting the forelimbs to the body and the hindlimbs to the tail.

Boglin /boglin/ noun: a family of grotesque, monstrous hand puppets with realistic-like flesh released by Mattel in 1987.

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The idea of “BAT BOGLINS” was conceivably the best creature fusion since Jeff Goldblum accidentally transformed into a hideous human fly in 1986’s The Fly. Just imagine for a moment…your Boglins have wings. The dream of pretending to fly them around the house and laying waste to your sister’s American Girl collection is almost too good to be true.

Let’s back up for just a second. Everyone remembers The Boglins, so they need little introduction around here. We’ve been singing their praises for years and Uncle T has some serious nostalgia for these little creatures. My original childhood Boglin which was “lost” for many years actually was returned to me almost two decades later (a story for another time). Boglins are easily one of the coolest toys to ever exist. If you love Gremlins, Critters or Ghoulies and part of your childhood was wondering what it would be like to actually hang out with one of these little monsters in your bedroom, Boglins were the answer.

Boglins had quite the resurgence years ago in the collector’s market and original creator Tim Clarke has been hard at work this entire time bringing back the monsters in their original form. If you’ve been following Tim and his co-creator Maureen Trotto’s work, it’s been a long process trying to get the toys remade, reproduced and packaged in their signature, cage-like boxes, just the way they should be. It’s impressive to say the least.

Yes folks, it’s quite a time to be alive because Bat Boglins are real.

Revamped, remastered and more ruthless than ever, these creatures of the night are here to scare the bejesus out of your entire family (while also being your friend). For a very fair retail price of around $30.00 on Amazon you can own a Bat Boglin, which there are three of at the moment (Orlock, Drak and Vlad).

For the month of Halloween, I had to treat myself so I purchased Vlad at a still-functioning toy store at my local mall. To be completely honest I had forgotten Bat Boglins had actually launched and were available. When I was browsing through the store and saw this purple and red bastard looking out from his cage, I knew he would be flying home into the TNUC cave.

I’m thrilled to report that these “new” Boglins are virtually identical to the 1980’s run. From the stretchy skin to the realistic eyes and the ability to control their facial expressions, everything is the same! Only now there’s more options to complete your insane asylum of Boglins. So many times companies cash in on the nostalgia but fail to really capture the likeness and charm of the original product. This is NOT the case and hats off to Tim Clarke and co. for putting in the work and making it happen. Check out the full line at TheBoglins.com.

“Bat Boglins simply shouldn’t be. Although Boglin legend tells of these winged creatures, who would swoop down from the highlands to carry small animals (and sometimes young Boglins) away in the dead of night, these are the kinds of stories one tells children in order to get them to behave. There has, in fact, never been a confirmed sighting until VERY recently. Looks like the stories are true.”
– Bogologist Field Guide (4th Edition)