Marvel Legends Dracula

 

I preordered this Marvel Legends Dracula loose from Nerdzoic awhile back, forgoing the BAF figure piece to build Blackheart as part of the recent "Strange Tales" Wave. A few others interested me, but you can't have everything. I'd love to see a '70s Gene Colan Tomb of Dracula figure from Hasbro, but I liked the sculpt on this newer version in medieval armor. I really appreciate the alternate head accessory with a neutral facial expression and love the sword. That ponytail is articulated/has a swivel. I've not seen this version of Dracula in Marvel Comics, but I purchased it based purely on its merits as an action figure.

Below, Dracula with my Marvel Legends Venompool Wave Morbius .... 

...and finally, Dracula with some other recent figure acquisitions, MOTU Masterverse Emperor Hordak and his Horde Trooper, and my Super7 Thundercats Deluxe Mumm-Ra...

More Later- Make It FUN!

NECA Ultimate Count Dracula (Carfax Abbey)

I picked this Ultimate Count Dracula up at a small discount in February, having long mulled over the decision to buy this black and white "Carfax Abby" edition, or the colored version. The top hat and cane accessories won me over, but I was also interested in photographing it in black and white. My box is a little beat up, but I love the old movie poster art on the front.

All three portraits are dead-on Bela Lugosi- a top shelf likeness...

Below, NECA Dracula with my Mego Bela Lugosi Dracula, also a variant with its own cape lined in gray. There have been other fantastic actors that have portrayed The Count, but Bela brought a seductive quality that was unique.

Below, Carfax Abbey Dracula with my NECA Retro Card Glow-in-the-Dark Dracula- just like the 3.75" Remco Dracula I had as a kid in 1980! Getting this Retro Dracula and the NECA Monsterizer this year has been so much fun!

My only two complaints are the collar holding the cape around the figure's neck no clipping more securely, and lack of variety in the extra hands- we should have got an alternative gloved gripping left hand for the cane instead of two pairs of nearly identical "clawed" hands. That said, the figure did not disappoint overall and was fun to photograph in black and white.

Happy Halloween! Make It FUN!

NECA Ben Cooper Monster Figures (Dracula & Witch)

Regrettably, I was late to the party on the NECA Ben Cooper Monster Figures, but I managed to grab a couple at a somewhat reasonable price on the secondhand market. A third wave of '80s themed figures like Aliens and Gremlins has more recently gone up for preorder, but I was more interested in the '70s themed figures like this Dracula and Witch.  

The packaging is fantastic all around on these, and collector friendly- I'll be keeping mine for storage. The figure can me nestled back into its tray and slid right into the box, which hasps closed neatly at the top. The charming Ben Cooper Costume Shop box insert even doubles as a backdrop diorama.

The little pleather costumes aren't the same material as those old Ben Cooper costumes, but they really look like it! The masks aren't removeable, and that's fine by me. You can see their human eyes behind the masks in the right lighting, which is slightly creepy. The attention to detail in the styling and rendering of the costumes is fantastic- I didn't know I needed one until I saw them!

 

Looks like our trick or treaters have run into the Universal Monster gang, running 

Frankenstein's Monster through the NECA Monsterizer! It's going to be a great Halloween!

Happy Halloween! Make It FUN!

NECA Monsterizer & Retro-Card Universal Monsters

I've had most of these NECA Retro-Card Universal Monsters on ice for a while now, the Monsterizer and Bela Lugosi Dracula arriving from preorder just this March. As a child, I had the Remco 3.75" Universal Monsters, two or three of their clothed 9" counterparts, and a dungeon playset/carry case for the smaller figures, but no Monsterizer. So, getting this NECA version was really a thrill! Check out the video:

The only sounds the Monsterizer makes is the clickety-clackity of the laboratory table when winded in and out. The light options are more diverse, culminating in a flashing of the four conductors. The sculpt and drybrushed/washed patina on this toy is really great and will pair nicely with your more realistically painted NECA Ultimate Universal Monsters figures. I was impressed with its quality. That said, this isn't a toy for rough play- it has fragile parts that could be vulnerable.

It was only a little sad cracking into these beautiful retro card backs, but mostly fun! There's none of the extra hands, heads or accessories the Ultimate versions enjoy, but their glow-in-the-dark faces pay homage to the Remco 3.75" figures of the early '80s, making these attractive to kids my age, particularly the Dracula with that vinyl cape. My NECA Ultimate Series Creature from the Black Lagoon also makes an appearance in the video above!

Below, my childhood Universal Monsters lunchbox!

I could only be happier with this if it made electrical sounds when engaging/lighting the conductors, but this updated Monsterizer is a terrific accessory for the NECA 7" Universal Monster figures- particularly the glow-in-the-dark retro card back versions. You might even be able to put your 8" Mego figures in this, I'll have to try that. Recommended!

Happy Halloween! Make It FUN!

Mego 14in. Dracula, Frankenstein, Creature from the Black Lagoon

I started picking up these Mego Horror 14" figures last winter, the precursor to my foray into Mego's smaller 8" Horror figures. I have been a big fan of Mego's 14" DC Heroes for a while, also leading me into their 8" DC figures. These are some beautiful figures, check out the video...

Below, Mego 14" Horror figures with their 8" counterparts, Mego Dracula, Frankenstein, and Creature from the Black Lagoon. Fow whatever reason, the 14" Dracula's portrait isn't based Bela Lugosi, while Frankenstein and Creature from the Black Lagoon do resemble their Universal Monsters look.  

With very few nitpicks to object, I am in love with these 14" Mego Horror figures and would love to see a Wolfman and Mummy produced, maybe a Phantom of the Opera. The price has risen from $20.00 to $30.00 for these larger Mego figures, but I feel like the quality has improved enough to justify that- I predict these will rise in value on the secondary market, so I'd recommend you pick them up if you are interested. Top shelf!

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Happy Halloween!

Mego Bela Lugosi Dracula

I had been on the lookout for this Bela Lugosi Dracula ever since BBTS cancelled my preorder placed months ago- he was a reissue of a red-caped version I regretted not picking up the first time. I get my Mego figures from a variety of sources, this Dracula purchased at ZLC Collectibles along with the Mego Medusa from my last post- good prices and great service!

Below, Bela Lugosi with my Mego glow-in-the-dark Dracula, and Hammer/Christopher Lee Dracula- it would be hard for me to choose between these as a favorite, they each have unique attributes and outfits that make them really fun!

Below, Bela haunts my Funko Primal Age Batcave with my other Mego Horror figures, the Wolfman, Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Mummy, Frankenstein, and his Bride! The Batcave isn't really to scale with my 8" Mego figures, but I certainly have got some mileage out of it this Halloween season!

Like my Mego glow-in-the-dark Dracula, this Bela Lugosi Dracula really takes me back to the 9" Remco Dracula I had as a kid. Bela was my first impression of the character, and like a lot of people, I'm tied to that experience. The Universal Monsters have a revival from time to time, one such example being around 1979-1980, smack dab in the middle of my childhood, when Mego re-released their Mad Monsters line, and Remco produced both a 3.75" and 9" lines of Universal Monsters figures. What a time to be a kid! 

See my October 2010 post on the 8" Classic TV Toys Mad Monsters figures! Visit the online Mego Museum to see all the history on Mego action figures, and what's new since the return of Mego in 2018! Be sure to check back through the month of October as I continue to celebrate my 12th Halloween here at the Super-DuperToyBox!

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Happy Halloween!