Mad Monster Mystery

[generic]

A few years back, I picked up two Mad Monster Dreadful Dracula heads in a lot of Mego, Mego-Like, knock-off parts, and reproduction pieces. I'm pretty sure that one of the heads is vintage Mego, but I'm not sure about the other one. I had just assumed it was a CTVT head, but I was researching the Dreadful Dracula page on the Mego Museum and the head doesn't look like it matches the CTVT head shown here.

DSCN3068.JPG
The one on the left has MEGO CORP on the back of the head, so I'm pretty sure it's a legitimate, vintage head.

But the one on the right has such faint printing, I can't read it. I thought it was CTVT, but notice the widows peak on mine is much sharper than the CTVT Dracula on the Mego Museum gallery. Also, mine seems to have a longer face with more detail than the one pictured. They both appear to have white painted eyes with a red painted dot, but the dots on mine are slightly bigger than the CTVT Dracula. Of course this could all be variations in the lighting or quality of the photos, but they just don't look like the same heads to me.

DSCN3070.jpg

Any ideas?

[hedrap]

I want to say there's a difference with the UK/Palitoy release of Mad Monsters. Other people here know the UK releases better than I, though.

[generic]

I want to say there's a difference with the UK/Palitoy release of Mad Monsters. Other people here know the UK releases better than I, though.

Oh, yeah. I hadn't thought of Palitoy. I had thought it might be Lion Rock though.

[palitoy]

Palitoy didn't release the mad monsters. They were sold in the UK by Cecil Coleman and likely were identical to the US stuff.

[generic]

Palitoy didn't release the mad monsters. They were sold in the UK by Cecil Coleman and likely were identical to the US stuff.

Ah, thanks for the info on those. Then I guess this head isn't a UK variation.

[PNGwynne]

CTVT Drac heads are chunky and molded in glow vinyl. Still, those painted eyes perplex me.

[Megotastrophe]

Any chance of Tim Mee?

[PNGwynne]

I want to say there's a difference with the UK/Palitoy release of Mad Monsters. Other people here know the UK releases better than I, though.

There is a difference in the vinyl colors between the Mego and Lion Rock issues. For example, the LR Drac and Frankenstein are paler, almost white, and the Mummy is taupe rather than tan. There are slight paint differences in the paint, too, like the Mummy's face and lip tones. They still have glow eyes, though.

[LonnieFisher]

It's one of the early CTVT heads. No mystery. The neck plug is your identifier. The painted eyes glow in the dark.

[generic]

It's one of the early CTVT heads. No mystery. The neck plug is your identifier.

Cool, thanks. It looks so different from the one on the Mego Museum Dracula page that I never would have known. What is it about the neck plug that makes it stand out as CTVT?

[LonnieFisher]

The round bottom.

[PNGwynne]

^I see what you mean about the plug, it matches other CTVT repros. Does the vinyl glow? I thought that was why the vinyl looks translucent.

[generic]

...Does the vinyl glow? I thought that was why the vinyl looks translucent.

The eyes have been painted white and they glow really well. The vinyl isn't really translucent, it just kind of looks old and discolored (which is part of the reason I thought it might be vintage), but the vinyl itself doesn't seem to glow. It's looks like they put a glow powder in the mold or on the face after the head was cast. It's like there's a glow-in-the-dark residue on the face and ears.

[Blue Meanie]

It's one of the early CTVT heads. No mystery. The neck plug is your identifier. The painted eyes glow in the dark.

Yup...neckplug on the CTVT is rounded on the bottom of the neckplug. It's also a lot lighter than an original Mego head I am assuming. Third generation copy with slightly less details means less vinyl/plastic...therefore lighter weight.

[LonnieFisher]

The head doesn't glow, but the eyes are painted with glow-in-the-dark white.