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 Hammer Horror -Dracula, Van Helsing, Frankenstein, The Mummy

 I am a fan of the Universal Monsters above any other modern horror characters, but I also admire the more visceral Hammer Films versions of those characters, a few of which I vaguely remember watch on TV as a child. The back of these Hammer Horror cards are unique, showing the actor's photo in character- actor Christopher Lee played all three of these monsters for Hammer Films, often costarring with costar Peter Cushing. I thought Mego solicited a Peter Cushing/Dr. Frankenstein but haven't seen any recent solicitation.

Christopher Lee/Dracula and Peter Cushing/Van Helsing were the big draw for me and did not disappoint. I wish we had snap buttons on these jackets instead of velcro, but Mego did a fantastic job with the decorative buttons, Dracula's feel like beads, while Van Helsing's are more like tampographed  rubber dots. Both have shirts and ties under their coats. Wonderful! There was an earlier release of Van Helsing, but I wanted this newer running change with the candelabra to ward off the Transylvanian vampire ...!

Frankenstein's double-breasted overcoat is fantastic, and his portrait is creepy! And while I like The Mummy's aesthetic overall, the bandaged seem as though they were dipped in paint to give him his muddy look, rendering him stiffly immovable from the way the paint dried into the fabric. I've slowly worked the limbs to loosen him up, even splitting the fabric at his knees, but is really bound up tight.

Below, Hammer Frankenstein and Mummy with Mego Universal Frankenstein and Mummy...

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! Every good boy's dream come true! I pick up Mego figures from several retailers, The Mummy and Van Helsing came from Movie Posters Etc. Recommended! 

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Happy Halloween!

Mego Universal Monsters Frankenstein, Bride of, Mummy, Creature from the Black Lagoon

I actually picked these Mego Universal Horror figures up last February in anticipation of this Halloween season, and inspired by Mego's release of 8" DC Comics figures. I had been collecting mostly the 14" line of DC Heroes until then, but my nostalgia for the World's Greatest Superheroes line paved the way for me getting back into Mego's 8" figures. As a kid, I was mad for the Universal Monsters, and though I didn't have any of the 8" Mego Mad Monsters in the '70s, I did have a couple of the 9" Remco monsters, as well as all of their 3.75" monster figures from around 1980.
 

Frankenstein's Monster/Bride of Frankenstein:

The Mummy:

Creature from the Black Lagoon:

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I finally sold my Universal Movie Monsters Aladdin lunchbox from childhood a few years ago, photographing it for posterity before parting with it. All the characters in this post are present on that lunchbox, and a few I will show in other Mego Horror posts in future posts this month. As stated previously, I was fascinated by the Universal Monsters as a grade schooler, checking out books about the movies at the school library, masquerading as Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolfman for Halloween, and collecting the surge of merchandise that came out there in the early '80s. Great memories!

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Happy Halloween!

Imhotep & Sarcophagus MiniMates

 

I can't remember if I saw this on the Cosmic Ark or another fellow toy-blogger's site, but I knew I'd have to pick up this Imhotep & Sarcophagus MiniMates set if I ran across it. Most of my interest in MiniMates involve their Marvel figures, but this was a fun little set to photograph during the season of All Hallows Eve.

 

The rest of this wave carry no real interest for myself, and let's face it, this set is great for the included Sarcophagus, face and arms sculpted is that familiar MiniMate style- great!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The bottom of the  sarcophagus is sculpted with cracks, painted in a stone gray- a detail I appreciate. The lid is painted in nicely muted base gold tone, with blue & red detailing- looks great! Imhotep fits easily into his sarcophagus as he should, though I'll not that the lid doesn't close very securely- missing is that satisfying "click" of lids that snaps shut. It seems to stay on okay for display however, so it's a minor quibble in my book.

 

 

Imhotep was special in his time, one of only a few commoners ever to be accorded divine status after death. A chancellor to the Pharaoh, he was considered to be the first architect and engineer and physician in early history, as well as revered poet & philosopher among his contemporaries. Imhotep's name was adopted by the title character of the 1932 Universal Studios film starring Boris Karloff, The Mummy. (Wikipedia)

 

While the Imhotep is a rather simple figure, his face does resemble the iconic features of Karloff in spite of the design limitations of the standard MiniMate buck, How do they do that? Some texture added to the bandages would have made it better, but with the cool little sarcophagus it's hard to complain much.  I felt he'd make a good opponent for my Beta Ray Bill, whose animal head topped in winged helmet almost feel Egyptian next to Imhotep   :D

This is a fun MiniMates set! I reluctantly passed on the Creature From the Black Lagoon set a couple months ago, but may have to pick him up if I get another chance. While I've grown somewhat distanced from past interest in monster movies, I was really into those Remco Universal Monsters figures from the 80's, and this little guy made me think how much I loved Halloween as a kid.

 

More Later- Make It FUN!