Likenesses and the Monster Line

[hedrap]

[darkmonkeygod]

I just watched that again over the weekend and while I like his Wolfman, his Mummy doesn't work as well. I'd probably still buy one though.

It is a rather weak Mummy, but I want them to make one all the same! I'll buy any monster they make!

[monitor_ep]

For some reason this comic book was prepped for a movie that never got made:

The Shambler
Shambler1.jpg

Dr. Samuel Pratt is a multi-doctorate scientist who is obsessed with raising the dead. But just as Sam is about to perfect his colossal breakthrough, an unfortunate series of circumstances puts him in conflict with organized crime. The mobsters kill Sam and take off with his irreplaceable research, hoping to sell the secret of immortality to the highest bidder. Pratt’s desperate fiancé and his shady lab assistants use the remaining prototype formula to bring him back to life. Humor mixes with horror as Pratt is resurrected and mummified, wrapped in police scene crime tape and out for revenge against the criminals who destroyed his life'’s work. But time is against him. Sam must find a way to restore himself to true life before he denigrates into a mindless killing machine – the hulking anti-hero, who lurks in the shadows of LA’s underbelly, which the tabloids have dubbed: Shambler!

I have never seen the comic book but love the idea of a mummy being wrapped in police crime tape.

[Liu Bei]

The Monster of Piedras Blancas mentioned earlier would be a good legit "knock-off" Creature figure.

Chris

Or Gillman from Monster Squad. Still have no clue why no one, including Mego, has licensed this movie yet. Perfect way to make Universal style monsters without paying through the nose.

[Iron Mego]

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I would LOVE to have all five of the General Mills Monster Cereals as Megos get released next year for the October release.

These are awesome.

[PNGwynne]

Or Gillman from Monster Squad. Still have no clue why no one, including Mego, has licensed this movie yet. Perfect way to make Universal style monsters without paying through the nose.

I couldn't agree more, I love the Stan Winston make-up in that film. He also designed a nice TV-movie version of the Phantom of the Opera.

[thunderbolt]

It! would be great in the same vein as the Gillman and the Mutant from the Universal line.

[PNGwynne]

Again, I agree. Those had a great aesthetic and the fabrication was Emce at the top of its game.

[J.B.]

They could do Chaney Jr as the Frankenstein Monster from "Tales of Tomorrow". His look presages DeNiro's monster. Unfortunately Lon was so drunk during this live broadcast he thought he was still in dress rehearsal stage, and didn't bang up the breakaway sets like he was supposed to.



Chris

Cashing out in a burning windmill is a lot more dignified than taking 4 straight to the crotch. Can't blame the man for hittin' the sauce.

[VulcansFury]

Or Gillman from Monster Squad. Still have no clue why no one, including Mego, has licensed this movie yet. Perfect way to make Universal style monsters without paying through the nose.

I remember reading from someone awhile ago when this question was asked (I think it could have been Diamond Select Toys but I might be mistaken). But what I remember was that the rights to this were a very expensive mess. IIRC they were licensed from Universal in the first place, so you'd have to pay money to Universal, the LLC that owns Monster Squad, and I think Stan Winston Studios also owns a piece contractually for merchandising. Either that or the rights were just ridiculously expensive. But somebody (or several somebodies) HAVE looked into Monster Squad monsters and the fact that we don't have them shows there's something prohibitive in its path. EDIT: I was wrong, they didn't license from Universal. Perhaps they were still concerned about having legal issues with Universal? I'm still trying to find what I read so long ago with no luck.

[Avenging Robot]

There’s also the Hammer horror films as well.

[Liu Bei]

I remember reading from someone awhile ago when this question was asked (I think it could have been Diamond Select Toys but I might be mistaken). But what I remember was that the rights to this were a very expensive mess. IIRC they were licensed from Universal in the first place, so you'd have to pay money to Universal, the LLC that owns Monster Squad, and I think Stan Winston Studios also owns a piece contractually for merchandising. Either that or the rights were just ridiculously expensive. But somebody (or several somebodies) HAVE looked into Monster Squad monsters and the fact that we don't have them shows there's something prohibitive in its path. EDIT: I was wrong, they didn't license from Universal. Perhaps they were still concerned about having legal issues with Universal? I'm still trying to find what I read so long ago with no luck.

Yeah. As far as I know, they did not license anything through Universal, which is why, for example, the Monster’s bolts were in his temples and not his neck.

I think one of the documentaries on the DVD talked about everything they did to skirt the Universal copyrights.

It’s possible that the rights are expensive, but I honestly don’t see how they could be. If IP’s like the Goonies and Back to the Future can be had, or even Universal’s by EMCE, I honestly don’t see the Monster Squad somehow commanding a higher price than those.

Anyway, if you do come up with something, let me know.

[Earth 2 Chris]

^Yep. Amazingly, Universal passed on Monster Squad, so they don't have any stake in it. The creators just had to steer clear of certain Universal copyrighted design choices.

It was another one of those head-scratching moments where Universal REALLY didn't seem to know what to do with the monsters. They still don't, obviously. But why would you want someone else making a movie essentially with your characters?

The potential for Monster Squad merchandise is probably the biggest untapped nostalgia IP out there, in my opinion.

Chris

[palitoy]

Other than the Tskuda model kit of the Gilman, did anything ever come from "Monster Squad" with an official license?

[jwyblejr]

Would they do a Blackula figure?