Big Frankie and the Monsters

Cheating a bit here as this item came out slightly before the 1970s but I've always been fascinated with Aurora kits and this wonderful item in particular. Basically it's a super deformed version of Boris Karloff and to my surprise, this wasn't a hit when released in the mid 1960s. I'm guessing the $6.49 price tag might have had a lot to do with it.

I can't imagaine how many of the regular Aurora Monster kits I've gone through in my 40 years on this planet. It's an annual tradition for my kids and I put together a set of these every October, I end up doing most of the work but it's a really fun way to spend a Saturday, if you have kids I highly recommend the experience.

This is from our display from two years ago, this year it's all about the Creature from the Black Lagoon, which I'm sure I'll share.

If you're into all things Aurora and monsters you might want to check out this recently released DVD  titled "The Aurora Monsters" Hosted by Zacherley the cool ghoul and features interviews with the people behind the cool kits like artist James Bama as well as famous Aurora Monster Model collectors.

I'd like to review it for the blog but I can't seem to find a way to get anybody to ship it to Canada. If anybody can enlighten me, drop a line!

Aurora Monsters Catalog and Gallery

Monsterous Mego

I can't go a Halloween season without extolling the virtue of this fun line of Action figures by 70s giant Mego. Despite not having the license to the Universal characters Mego created a truly fun set of Monster toys that embody the spirit if not the look of their silver screen counterparts.

The packaging and the fact they made the sole playset for Monster figures in the 1970s make these a cherished favourite of mine. For more on these little guys check out the Mad Monsters Gallery at the Megomuseum.

This cool Italian ad shows what really happened to Action Jackson, poor l'il guy.

Hobby Horrors

In the age of reproductions I really wish some kind soul would bring back the Rapco Monster bust sets. I'd love to have these bad boys on my extremely cluttered shelves...



From a previous Halloween the 1975 Rapco Catalog

Frankenstein's Chopper

I've blogged before about Ideal Scare Cycles, the ingenius combination of the Evel Knievel concept mixed with monsters but I've never actually seen the finished product. Well, thanks to Ebay, I've rectified that by stumbling upon the Frankenstein from the series.

Colouring Book Theatre: The Wolfman

‘Universal Monsters" by Golden

Continuing our Journey through this fun bit of Universal merchandise from 1990, we're going to take a look at the Lon Chaney jr classic "The Wolfman".

Like all the stories in this book, they are told in short vignettes devoid of any text. I really kind of like this approach although there isn't much for me to goof on, perhaps that's a good thing.

Anyway join Lawrence Talbot and me after the jump.

Tiny Hulk Smash!

John sent in this awesome picture circa 1978, I gotta say that Hulk costume is so full of righteousness probably because it's not a comic book Hulk costume, that's a Lou Ferrigno costume baby!

Still time to enter our Halloween Contest, send your vintage Halloween pics or Monster collections on down to me here and you're in.

1987 Imagineering Halloween Catalog Featuring Elvira

The one thing that was a constant for children of the 70s and 80s was as soon as the seasonal aisle of your local drugstore was done with back to school, it became filled with gory fun items in anticipation of Halloween.

There were items such as fake fangs and vampire blood that we all wished were made year round and the biggest producer of those items was a company called Imagineering.

Now for your reading pleasure this October we have what Imagineering had to offer in 1987 including their latest license, Elvira : Mistress of the Dark. 

Like a lot of males who grew up in the 1980s I developed an instant crush on the Mistress of the Dark the first time I saw her and pretty much still have it but even I've got to think this one is pushing it a little:





Click Here to Enjoy the 1987 Imagineering Catalog

Plus Co-Hits

Super Monsters on Sale

Time to dig through the vault and see some real Monster bargains when it comes to the many, many monster action figure lines we were treated to in the 1970s. Above is a great ad featuring the Azrak Hamway World Famous Super Monsters. As you can see they are mingled in with the Mego Super Foes (which makes sense) It looks to me like that early wolfman is shirtless but it could just me the resolution of the ad.

Many More
MONSTER DEALS after the jump.

My Reflection on Fear at the Terror Trap

I was asked this year by the  folks at the wonderful horror website The Terror Trap to contribute to a collection of horror memories and anecdotes titled "Reflections on Fear".

It was quite an honour considering my fellow contributors were some well known professionals including such notable 70s icons as actress/author Jessica Harper (who played Phoenix in what is one of my favourite movies "Phantom of the Paradise") and Captain Marvel himself, Mr. Jackson Bostwick.

My tale is about my descent into the world of Euro schlock cinema at the tender age of nine with a late (!) night viewing of the Paul Naschy opus titled Assignment Terror that I hope you'll enjoy.

Unexpected Halloween costume collection

I honestly never set out in this life to collect Halloween costumes, I blame working on this site because now I've got a bunch of these things littering my house and I thought I'd share.

It all began with the Ben Cooper Frankenstein above, which I bought two years ago yesterday at a toy show that took me a long time to get to and I didn't want to go home empty handed from. The beauty of the box with it's swiped Aurora art really spoke to me. I'll reveal more of my " new collection" after the break.

Jaws Goodies

I think one of the scariest things in the 1970s had to be the notion of a giant shark eating you. I'm slightly ashamed to admit this kept me out of lakes and occasionally pools as a pup. It's kind of hard to merchandise a shark seeing as he doesn't have any cool accessories or a vehicle of any sort but Imperial toys came up with a pretty neat selection for 1976.

Of course, even Imperial could resist the odd generic rubber animal and why not? To a kid, all sharks were Jaws!

Here is the Imperial Toys booth at th 1975 Toyfair, as you can see Jaws was a pretty big deal.

Godzilla Battles The Tricephalon Monster

A wonderful update as our Halloween Countdown progresses a look at the HG Toys classic Godzilla playset which includes a story of kindness and a tale of nerd vindication, all that and a new Plaidstallions Trading card, after the jump.

Colouring Book Theatre: Frankenstein

‘Universal Monsters" by Golden
Seeing as it's Halloween Countdown Month, I'm going to put up a CBT every week devoted to all things horror.

This week's entry is a segment from a 90s colouring book I recently found. I'll run a couple of monster specific ones over the course of the month.

I'm kind of nostalgic for this period in time because it seems like it was the last time we'll see the classic monsters sold to kids in their original format.

It's also kind of a trip to see a colouring book based on a (then) series of 60 year old films that most kids probably haven't seen (unless I'm your dad that is) So let's begin with the story of Frankenstein after the jump.

Friend Good!

Here are some of the first few fun pics submitted for our 2010 Halloween Countdown Contest (which is still open BTW) these come to us from Jon of  Pop Culture Central and it's him and his brother meeting the Frankenstein Monster at Universal stuidos in the 80s.

I rarely get sent classic Monster Appearances so it's blast to see stuff like this.

As a double whammy,  Jon has also sent a shot of over his Remco Monster collection, he has excellent taste if I do say so myself...

 

Thanks Jon for sharing and stay tuned every weekend for more submissions to the Halloween Countdown Contest!

1980 Funstuf Catalog

Naming a toy company "Funstuf" is a pretty bold statement, luckily the company more than lived up to it's namesake during the 1970s and 80s. During the late 1970s, the company was best known for it's "Aniforms' line of figures which were a unique concept that involved a rubber figure and an air pump.

Funstuff utilized the hot licenses of the day including the Marvel Superheroes, comic strip characters and the Universal Monsters. Seeing as they released figures of Dracula, Frankenstein and Monster Heroes Thing and Hulk, they were the prime company to kick off the monsterous month of October here.

OK Popeye isn't a Monster but he's kind of homely.....

1980 Funstuf Catalog

More Monster dolls and 1980 fun from Past Updates

More Underwear Horrors

This is scarier than most of the stuff I'll feature in October....

Blockbuster Toy Riot

A riot indeed, a lot of my personal toy favourites in this one, including Sky Dive to Danger, Atomic Man, mego Fonzie and I still have one of those "Ranger " walkie Talkies on my desk as I type this.

Sometimes I think I'm kind of immune, then I find something like this and I get chills.

Dressing Alike Can Be Cool

How you ask? If you're Brick Mantooth and you and your lady of the week are wearing kick ass Dragon shirts, that's how!

DVD ALERT: House of the Wolfman, the cool new movie that is a tribute to all things Universal Monsters (It even stars Lon Chaney's grandson) is finally available on DVD. I've been waiting over a year to see this, so I'm glad to see this day come. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

Almost Bionic

I'd never heard of the Funstuf Electrogenic arm until I started this blog but when it appeared on Ebay I had to have it. It's a crazy little item obviously meant to cash in on the popularity of the Six Million Dollar Man fad without paying a nickel for the rights.

What's great about it is, it really doesn't do anything. You roll it up your sleeve and it makes you look like Steve Austin, that's it, that's all. It comes with an "Electrogenic coil" (which looks like really nice string) and "Laser Beam Locator" (there it is!) but takes no batteries, so you have to provide your own "dun-nuh-nuh-nuh" sound effects.

Toymaker Funstuf made a lot of weird but addicting items like this, more on them very soon.

Halloween Countdown 2010 Contest

It's almost that time again, when me and many, many other bloggers participate in the annual event known as "Countdown to Halloween".

Click the link to learn more about how you can get involved.

While I have 31 days planned filled with Monsters, costumes and other fightful things I could really use your help, so I'm starting another contest.

Send me pics of your monster stuff!  If you have pics of a Monster or Halloween themed collection I want to see them. I'll feature them on the weekends.

Don't have a monster collection? Send me a vintage Halloween pic! Did you meet Frankenstein at Universal Studios? Awesome, that totally works too.

Send them on down to me here and you're in.

Le Grand Prize:

 

The Grand Prize is a Spectre Toys Barnabas Collins doll by Spectre Toys. Yours will come with a package and you'll have to get your own cool base.

Two Runners up will get a copy of 1978 ReImagined the fantasy Mego catalog published by the Mego Museum plus Plaidstallions trading cards.
 

The drawing will take place on Halloween, enter as often as you like!