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 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!

NECA Ultimate Creature from the Black Lagoon

I've been waiting for this one to come in stock forever and bumped into this NECA Ultimate Creature from the Black Lagoon on an endcap at a local Target recently.  The box art is fantastic and collector-friendly so I'll probably hang onto it for storage of the figure. I should probably think hard about picking up a few more of these Universal Monsters NECA figures while I can- the details are top notch.

This Ultimate Gill Man includes four pairs of hands and three heads- one with a partially open mouth, one closed, and a third with an articulated jaw. Trick! Honestly, NECA should have given us a different accessory, maybe a net, since the articulated jaw renders the two static portraits moot. The colors on this figure are relatively saturated, the highlights a metallic gold- the original film was black and white, but the deco on this Ultimate version is obviously informed by the movie posters. A fantastic figure- recommended!

NECA Gill Man with my 8" Mego Creature from the Black Lagoon 

and 14" Mego Creature from the Black Lagoon...

The Gill Man with my NECA Classic 1933 Kong and glow-in-the-dark Wolfman ...

And finally, for size comparison if not mutual aquatic theme, NECA Gill Man with McFarlane DC Multiverse Justice League Aquaman and comic book Aquaman and Ocean Master...

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More Later- 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 Invisible Man

Like many of the 8" Mego Horror figures I've posted on over this Halloween season, I found this boxed Invisible Man this past winter in preparation for my favorite holiday. I had the reissue of the first, suited version with a clear head sculpt on preorder at BBTS until it was canceled, but this version in his plaid lapel housecoat and bandaged head has its own vibe.

I've only seen clips of the Universal Pictures Invisible Man, but the purchase of this figure is based on its merits as an action figure alone. One of the best attributtes is the clear body underneath his fantastic outfit- nice touch. Why a company like Hasbro has such a hard time giving me an Invisible Woman made of translucent plastic, unless it's a Pulse Exclusive, is beyond me. Mego has been working hard since it's 2018 return, and this figure is a great example.

Below, the Invisible Man with my Mego Mole Man- 

another Walmart-exclusive window-boxed figure...

And finally, the Invisible Man with his Mego Universal Monsters counterparts here at the Super-DuperToyBox: Frankenstein and the Bride of, Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Mole Man, Dracula, Phantom of the Opera, and the Mummy ...!

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! As the month of October finishes, I'll conclude the celebration of my 12th Halloween here at the Super-DuperToyBox with at least one more BIG Mego Horror post!

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Happy Halloween!

Mego Mole Man

The Mole People (1956) doesn't appear to be a horror masterpiece, according to the internet, but this action figure has an irresistible B-movie/bootleg quality. These window-boxed Mego Horror figures were sold at Walmart along with the Toxic Avenger, The Invisible Man, and Valak the Nun, among others. 

While my Funko Primal Age Batcave isn't really the same scale as my 8" Mego figures, I've certainly got some mileage out of it this Halloween Season! The dungeon jail worked well with a variety of characters...

Below, Mole Man with my Mego Creature from the Black Lagoon and The Fly.

The Mole People was a Universal Picture property, part of the movie monster craze of the '50s and a cult favorite. While the idea of a group of subterranean people lost in time is interesting, I am mostly enamored by the creature design here, B-movie monster goodness boiled down to its very essence. With a character like this, who needs a backstory? Recommended! 

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Happy Halloween!

Mego Phantom of the Opera

I bought these Mego Phantom of the Opera figures back in February, assembling an all-star Mego Horror line-up for this Halloween season. The Lon Chaney figure was going up in price on the secondary market and purchasing him with the Masque of the Red Death figure from one particular seller saved me from overpaying. I was completely unfamiliar with the Masque of the Red Death Phantom, but little explanation is needed with a character that visually striking.

Below, Lon Chaney and Bela Lugosi live again as 8" Mego Horror figures! While these characters never appeared in a movie together, my youthful imagination created a partnership between the two when playing with my 3.75" Remco figures. As a kid I didn't know much about the Phantom of the Opera, but he was ever present among the Universal Monsters merchandise...

Below, Lon Chaney is reunited with his fellow Universal Monsters, Mego Mummy, Frankenstein and his Bride, and Bela Lugosi Dracula...

Masque of the Red Death Phantom fits right in, aesthetically, with my Funko Primal Age Batcave- he's so crazy looking. This figure doesn't have the hinged ankles other Mego figures have, but some strange, high-heeled boots with a swivel above the ankle instead, like he borrowed feet from some other doll. He's a fantastic and bizarre figure!

Like my Mego Medusa, this Masque of the Red Death Phantom is so outlandish looking that he doesn't need to belong to any categorical grouping. There's an almost bootleg quality to them, amplified by Mego's unique styling. 

I was always enamored by Lon Chaney's portrait in this character but was charmed by the bootleg charm of the Masque of the Red Death Phantom. I had been looking forward to opening these for eight months, and they did not disappoint. More Mego Horror to come in this last week before Halloween- stay tuned!

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Happy Halloween!