Looking Back At Krugerfest 2026

Last weekend your humble blogger attended the second Krugerfest Action Figure and Collectors show at The Kruger Street Toy & Train Museum in Wheeling, and I did so as a civilian. Sort of.

I mean, I am writing about it, and I have a few photos, but I didn’t shoot video, and to be honest, I wanted to enjoy this show as more of a private affair.

Krugerfest grew out of a 2024 memorial for avid Mego collector and customizer, Roberto Ligotti, who passed away suddenly that May. His death shook the collector communities and his fellow MEGO collectors and customizers wanted to do do something in honor of the man who sometimes called himself, “The Blue Meanie.”

On very short notice a small gathering of friends was organized at The Kruger Street Toy & Train Museum in Wheeling, which was the site of the first ten MEGO Meet fan conventions. The “Friends of ‘Berto” gathering was small, intimate, bittersweet, but ultimately fun, helping some fans put aside differences and get together to honor the memory of a fallen comrade.

Chad Gordy was the primary instigator of this fun gathering and the show was such a great, if small, event, that it was decided to create an annual event to capture the sheer fun and friendship of the early days of MEGO Meet at Kruger Street.

Mel and I took Lee Harrah to the Friends of ‘Berto show, and last year we returned with Lee to the first Krugerfest. It was the last time we had a chance to spend a substantial amount of time with Lee.

We lost Lee last Thanksgiving, and this year’s Krugerfest was almost like an Irish wake, only with action figures instead of whiskey. Lee was on everybody’s mind, but it was not a sad gathering. We remembered our friend, told stories, and paid a fitting tribute to him, much as he did with ‘Berto at the first show. There was a lot of laughter and fond memories, because Lee would not have wanted his friends to be bummed out at a toy show.

Lee was at the show in spirit, and in action figure form, as his close friend, Tony DiTrapino, had a “self portrait” zombie figure that Lee made a few years ago, who watched over the proceedings with a couple of his Hulk buddies. It was almost like having Lee there, except other people were able to get a word in edgewise.

I’m not great at memorial services, but I can’t think of a better way to have celebrated my friend’s life than to have spent some time doing what he loved doing at a place that he loved with people who mattered to him.

Here’s a few photos…

Zombie Lee, flanked by a couple of Hulky stand-ins. Lee would have loved attending a pseudo memorial service for himself in zombie form.

Lee also would’ve wanted this action figure of Bub the zombie from Day of the Dead. He was Lee’s favorite, and he even had a tattoo of him.

Chad had several of his amazing “Ghosts of Kruger Street” series of custom figures, and I may have planted the seeds for next year’s entry.

Although the show was really a small gathering (but one which will only get bigger every year), there were really cool vintage toys and customs all over the place.