Universal Monsters?

[thunderbolt]

^^^ Only on full moons, the rest of the time he's Larry Talbot.

[The Bat]

Ya know what one of the COOLEST things about this is? I get to own a Wolfman for around $20 to $25!

[bizzaro megomauler]

A Peter Cushing Mego head? Now we're Tarkin!

AHHH those powerful puns!

[spamn]

Put my vote in for Hammer versions of the Universal monsters too. Love to see a Lee Dracula, Mummy & Frankenstein as well as Peter Cushing as Van Helsing. They had some hot lady Vampires, too.

Rich

A Peter Cushing Mego head? Now we're Tarkin!

[The Bat]

Put my vote in for Hammer versions of the Universal monsters too. Love to see a Lee Dracula, Mummy & Frankenstein as well as Peter Cushing as Van Helsing. They had some hot lady Vampires, too.

Rich

Yeah!! Christopher Lee Baby!!!!

[EatTheseCrackers]

So if I understand correctly, it will take me two years at least to collect four Universal Monster figures? And why was that release model chosen?

[Meule]

Put my vote in for Hammer versions of the Universal monsters too. Love to see a Lee Dracula, Mummy & Frankenstein as well as Peter Cushing as Van Helsing. They had some hot lady Vampires, too.

Rich

Ingrid Pitt

[EMCEtoys]

That's fine, as long as everybody is aware that the AHI Mummy head is a recast of the Aurora Mummy model kit head. I just don't want to see you guys get in trouble with Revell (the current owners of the Aurora monster kit molds).

Technically, Universal property is Universal property, so any current owner of a sculpt is merely the custodian of the licensor. Universal could easily have just handed us the Aurora head and said, "Just work with this" and whoever owns the Aurora molds would have no say. I created the Starfleet Academy logo millions of years ago, and Paramount has handed it out to countless licensees who have made truckloads of money on it without my seeing a dime. Part of the job.

That said, that's not what happened, and my assessment of previous Mego-izations of the monsters led me to say that the AHI sculpt was the only thing that would survive from that period. It's a dead-on Kharis.

It does look softer than the Aurora, but I'm sure that's from generational recasts; when we look at a sculpt we usually pick four or five points to determine whether or not it's been recast, and softness or not, this sure looks like one (the slight pushing in at the bridge of the nose, the connection point of two forehead wrinkle lines above the right eye, the exact duplication of the crippled eyelid, etc, etc).

I'm kind of embarrassed that, as a self-professed "expert" on this line that I didn't see it. So, pending a review of any potential legal ramifications, we're gonna see if we have to resculpt or alter it.

Thanx for pointing this out, and especially before the damn things went to production. I would have expected no less attention to detail from this group.

J

[SciFiGuyLA]

1. the mummy head is an exact recast of ahi, which we think out of all the attempts to do mego monsters was the only think that was actually done right (even though the paint sucked)

Ah ha! So it is a recast of the AHI Mummy head. That's fine, as long as everybody is aware that the AHI Mummy head is a recast of the Aurora Mummy model kit head. I just don't want to see you guys get in trouble with Revell (the current owners of the Aurora monster kit molds).

I'm really surprised at how blatantly AHI ripped off Aurora's Mummy. Even the illustration on the back of the AHI card is a poor reproduction of the Aurora box art.



Here's the EMCE prototype head next to the Aurora Mummy head (painted by me! ).



The detail is not as crisp, some detail has been altered (look at the earlobe), and some work has been done to the neck to create the neck plug, but it's looking pretty close to me. Again, I'm not trying to take a shot at EMCE, or imply any shenanigans on their part. I'm simply shocked that AHI did so little to hide their source material.

Otherwise, I just want the fine folks at EMCE and Diamond to know how happy I am that these figures are being produced! I've been wishing for Mego-style Universal Monsters for years. I've always felt like the Mego Mad Monsters, while charming in their own way, were a bit too cartoony and goofy looking for my taste. Oh, and I'm glad to hear that the Creature is on the radar for a future assortment. He's my second favorite Universal monster, right behind Frankie.

[The Bat]

hi guys, this line was my personal pet project so i think i can answer some questions:

now that everyone knows that we're working on this property, i can say that the creature is indeed on our radar and didn't want to do it until we could take the time to get the engineering right. but the creature is a toughie.

j

YES!! The Creature is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE monsters!!! I like that you're not rushing him...do him proud Boys!!

[EMCEtoys]

hi guys, this line was my personal pet project so i think i can answer some questions:

1. the mummy head is an exact recast of ahi, which we think out of all the attempts to do mego monsters was the only think that was actually done right (even though the paint sucked)

2. our understanding is that 2 will be released each october: frank and wolfman in 2010, drac and mummy in 2011

3. now that everyone knows that we're working on this property, i can say that the creature is indeed on our radar and didn't want to do it until we could take the time to get the engineering right. we did these first four relatively quickly, and some parts are not quite as i envisioned them, but still the best damn mego monsters to date. but the creature is a toughie.

in addition, these will be part of a "100 Years of Monster Movies" promotion we're doing through our FearWerx brand. Fans of monster toys will want to attend the Monsterpalooza convention in Burbank in April, where we're putting together a "Monster Toy Museum" on site.

For more info on the promotion, bookmark the web hub (FEARWERX presents 100 Years of Monster Movies -- under construction since we were TOO DAMN BUSY ON TOY FAIR to finish it), or join the facebook page (Incompatible Browser | Facebook).

cheers,

j

[Meule]

I think a Creature figure with head, hand, and feet sculpts, green EMCE body, and gillman body suit would not only be cool, but also very Mego-esque.

Something like this, but maybe a little less detailed.

[hedrap]

I think we're reading this wrong. Why would Diamond make protos for figures that weren't going to be released this year? That's contradicts the whole point of ToyFair being a yearly event.

IMO, it's a new series each fall quarter, not one of each over three years, especially when we were shown four. So the big four should be this September with another new run in 2011 and 2012. That would cover the bulk of the Universal library a company gets when they retain the lease.

Drac/Frank/Wolfman/Mummy

Creature/Bride/Phantom/Invisible Man

Igor + derivatives

Hopefully, someone will grab The Fly and Dr. Hyde to round it out.

[PNGwynne]

Love them all, accurate yet pleasantly generic... the fabric they used for the Mummy suit/wrappings is excellent!

Here's hoping for Wave 2:

Gillman--I think, too, that a suit is both doable & appropriate
Phantom of the Opera
Bride of Frankenstein
Invisible Man, Quasimodo, or Hyde

[spamn]

I think a Creature figure with head, hand, and feet sculpts, green EMCE body, and gillman body suit would not only be cool, but also very Mego-esque.

Ditto. The look worked fine for the Remco Creature. If they wanted to get a little fancier, they could do some kind of screen printed suit with some molded rubber attached in some key areas - like the chest, abdomen and the ridge down the back. Definitely think it's doable mego style.