Monsterfink's Midnight Monster Spookshow

Superman vs The Hulk

2012-03-05T23:58:00.001-05:00

Good Lord watch this fan made short, this guy will go on to something big...

Remembering Frankenstein Jr

2012-03-05T00:01:00.000-05:00

To long time readers of this blog, you know I have an unnatural love of monsters and cartoons so when you combine the two I'm there in a heartbeat. The focus of this post though is Hanna-Barbera's classic Frankenstein Jr.

Premiering on September 10, 1966 the cartoon was part of the then current Hanna-Barbera formula of pairing two cartoons together on a single show and in this case the other cartoon was a humorous superhero show called the Impossibles. Frankenstein Jr told the story of boy genius Buzz Conroy and his super robot creation Frankenstein Jr as they protected Civic city from all manner of villainous plots.

Critics have compared the cartoon the Japanese cartoon Gigantor, also about a boy and his giant robot and there are many similarities however Gigantor doesn't speak with the fantastic voice of TV's Lurch Ted Cassidy or wear a stylish mask so take that Testujin 28.

1 The Shocking Electrical Monster Dr. Shock uses his Master Mix Monster Machine to turn his assistant Igor into an electricity-absorbing monster.

2 The Spyder Man Professor Conroy and Buzz unveil the blueprints for the Spy Detector XK-00-7 at a Maximum Security Building. Unfortunately, the blueprints are targeted by Spyder Man.
3 Menace from the Wax Museum Upon an encounter with Buzz at the wax museum, Mr. Menace uses his monsters Gadzonka, Gorillis, and Cyclaws in an attack upon San Francisco.

4 Alien Brain from Outer Space Part 1 A giant alien brain arrives on Earth and captures Buzz and Professor Conroy.
5 Alien Brain from Outer Space Part 2 A giant alien brain arrives on Earth and captures Buzz and Professor Conroy
6 UFO: Unidentified Fiendish Object The alien Zargon unleashes his warrior Destructo in his plans to conquer Earth.

7 Unearthly Plant Creatures Plant Man thaws the last three prehistoric plant creatures (consisting of Carnivorous Chewer, Creeping Crusher, and Fire-Breathing Snapdragon) from a glacier and then sprays them with his Obedience Ray in a plot to eliminate Buzz and Frankenstein Jr.

8 Deadly Living Images The Mad Inventor has invented the Double Identity Duplicator Projector to make copies of whatever pictures he inserts in it.

9 Colossal Junk Monster Junk Man creates the Colossal Junk Monster in a plot to eliminate Frankenstein Jr.
10 The Incredible Aqua-Monsters Buzz and Frankenstein Jr. guard the Navy's new Hydrotomic Submarine to prevent Dr. Hook and his aquatic monsters from stealing it.

11 Gigantic Ghastly Genie Zorbo the Great creates a genie and plans to use its three wishes in order to defeat Frankenstein Jr. and conquer the world.

12 The Birdman Birdman and his robotic birds Vulturo, Rodantus, and King Condor abduct two astronauts and holds them for a ransom of $1,000,000.

13 Invasion of the Robot Creatures Sertano the Satellite King, an alien from Galaxy X, uses a gravity ray in order to get Earth to surrender. Buzz and Frankenstein Jr. must defeat Sertano's robots in order to defeat him.

14 The Manchurian Menace Manchurian Menace steals a Space Camera Capsule that has just returned with photos from Mars.

15 The Mad Monster Maker To perform a crimewave in London, Baron Von Ghoul creates robotic versions of horror movie monsters Electroflying Firefly, Menacing Mummy, and the Wicked Werewolf.

16 The Monstermobile The Mad Inventor has invented the Monstermobile and uses its many gadgets to commit crimes.

17 Pilfering Putty Monster Mr. Menace uses his putty monster to steal a $1,000,000 coin collection and even kidnaps Buzz. It is up to Frankenstein Jr. to rescue Buzz and defeat Mr. Menace.
18 The Spooktaculars Dr. Spectro creates three giant ghoulish ghosts in order to take over Penciltrainia.

Avengers? Hells yeah!

2012-02-29T12:58:00.001-05:00

Remembering Crispy Creature Crunch

2012-02-28T00:10:00.000-05:00

I'm old enough to remember Fruit Brute cereal, there I said it. The almost forgotten monster cereal that featured the mufti fruit cereal and the cartoon werewolf with the colorful suspenders. Hey I still had my Fruit Brute secret compartment ring up until a few years ago. I'm sure there are quite a few others out there that remember him, he shows up in google searches and in the recent bobble heads but how many remember the regionally tested Crispy Creature Crunch?

A rare advertising image of the Crispy Creature

Crispy Creature Crunch was a test by General Mills in the north eastern United States in the mid to late 70's and could, to my knowledge, only be found at Stop and Shop supermarkets. The cereal was a vanilla flavored cereal with lily pad shaped marshmallows that were coated with a green sugar that when milk was added would dissolve and turn the milk green. The marketing department at General Mills created a cartoon sea creature to be the face of the cereal. Called "The Creature from the Bowl n' Spoon" in the comic on the back of the box where he interacted with Franken Berry, Count Chocula and Boo Berry. The Creature in the comic was depicted as the lazy eyed denizen of a green swamp outside the castle inhabited by the main three cereal monster characters.

Since the cereal was a regional test there was unfortunately no animated commercial to showcase the character however inside information and notes on the character design sheet list him as to have spoken with a voice similar to Rat Packer Dean Martin, making him truly a lounge lizard...sorry bad pun.

The cereal sadly was not a spectacular seller, it may be that the advertising campaign was lacking, virtually no advertising materials can be found, it can be that the cereal was tested in the dead of winter whereas a test in the fall when kids would be sitting down to the new season of Saturday morning cartoons or summer, when kids were off from school and cereal could be munched any time of the lazy day would have given a better market test. It could be that the cereal was sold only in one chain, and not a very popular one at the time, but I think the main reason was no one wanted to eat a cereal that turned their milk a sickly green color. The sugar was supposed to create a dark green color but only succeeded in making the milk a spoiled looking green that was visually unpleasant.

As a result of the poor sales the cereal was shelved along with the few other failed monster spokesmen like the Fruit Phantom and the Bride of Franken Berry. Although he did see another online test run in recent years as a nostalgia gimmick it is doubtful the Crispy Creature will ever rise from the Bowl n' Spoon lagoon again.

Come back to my childhood with me a minute

2012-02-23T13:22:00.000-05:00

I could always relate to Freddy's taste in food and films, even if he was a coward.

Godzilla: All Monsters Attack! The cartoon that never was

2012-02-22T01:01:00.000-05:00

Artist Matt Frank posted a link to an article over at Toho Kingdom about an artist posting art and detailed information on a proposed Godzilla cartoon, a humorous superhero series based around the heroic Godzilla of the 60's and 70's but with elements of the 90's and millennium series mixed in and done in a Transformers Animated style, it's not a real show but man I wish it was, check this out...

In a world ravaged by giant beasts and evil aliens, Earth's greatest defender is Godzilla, King of the Monsters the restless protector of man and land alike. Using an array of martial arts, and a mastery of atomic power, the stormin' saurian roams the world helping those in need wherever they may be. But he's not along in his fight. Pursued and monitored by the crew of the Douglas Gordon (voiced by Don Frye), Godzilla finds himself a man-made ally in the mighty flying battleship Gotengo and its squadron of Mogera-jets.

Along the way, Godzilla also teams up with other monsters allies in his efforts to fight crime. Among them are Anguirus, his best friend and burly enforcer, Rodan, his uneasy rival and respected ally, Mothra, his moral foil, Junior his adopted son, and Jet Jaguar, the living robot with a style all his own.

With all these allies, can Godzilla hope to defeat Doctor Mafune and his army of remote controlled monsters? Just what is the secret weapon of Doctor Dorat? Can Captain Gordan hope to overcome the forces of Red Bamboo? Find out on Godzilla: All Monsters Attack!

"The monsters don't talk, but they gesture and have mannerisms like humans. Every now and then you'd get hints that they're smarter than they're letting on, but it's all played for laughs. You'd see things like a basketball hoop in the back of Godzilla's lair for a shot, or Anguirus briefly wearing a scarf in colder weather.

Sometimes they'll do things like sitting just outside the window of a building on Monster Island just staring at people walking through the halls. It bugs the hell out of the staff.

Godzilla would act siginificantly smarter

than most monsters, kicking Anguirus into bad guys like a ball, or grabbing Rodan out of nowhere and throwing him like a boomerang.

The idea being that this is a lighter incarnation of Godzilla, you'd be seeing them egage in more cartoonish actions.

Jet Jaguar can't talk, but everybody seems to get what he's 'saying.'"

Godzilla

No one's quite sure where he came from or why he does what he does, but ever since he defeated the monstrous King Ghidorah, Godzilla has held up his title of King of the Monsters.

Originally thought to be a mindless beast, decades of study have shown Godzilla to be a very smart creature, able to use cognitive skills to gain the upper hand on his opponents.

His mouth based atomic ray can be fired with incredible control and precision, once bouncing it off a satellite dish to hit a monster in the back sending it flying into a clothesline he delivered.

No one is quite sure where Godzilla learned his "martial arts," only that he's been known to parrot moves commonly featured in everything from Jujitsu to Boxing.

Outside from his makeshift pack of monster allies, Godzilla seems to have an emotional attachment to Junior, his adoptive son, though not from the same species as Godzilla, the King took a liking to the little thing and raised it into adulthood on a steady diet of fish and G-radiation.

As to why it is that Godzilla seems so determined to ward off monster threats, no one is sure. Some believe he's a beast simply protecting his territory. Other believe he's an alien raised on Earth expressing his gratitude to his adoptive home world. Whatever the case, as long as Godzilla stands in the way of the end of the world, the earth is in safe hands-er, claws.

Rodan

To say Rodan is a jerk would be like saying the Pacific Ocean is wet. Rodan is a good flyer. He's the best flyer. And it's very important to him that everyone else knows this.

Despite his massive size, Rodan is one of the fastest monsters on Earth. Presently, he's the only planet born creature capable of attaining escape velocity.

He uses his powerful wings to generate massive tornado blasts and sonic booms. Rodan's body takes in heat like a sponge; he can sustain a seemingly limitless amount which leads him to be able to fly for days on end.

Despite this, he is extremely jealous of Godzilla's fire breath and has tried through many failed attempts to acquire his own powers.

He's okay with Godzilla, but that's all. He recognizes the king's dominance over him and will do his bidding. But he won't enjoy it.

Rodan likes to perch on Anguirus' back when not working, Anguirus doesn't seem to mind.

He is the loneliest monster. While Godzilla has a son, and Mothra her twins, even Anguirus has his darling niece, Rodan is the last of his kind and all alone in the world. Perhaps that's the reason he's remained so loyal to Godzilla and his crew, to feel like he belongs somewhere.

Anguirus

A gentle giant most of the time, the more arrogant monsters forget why it is that Anguirus is the oldest living thing on the planet.

He's spent eons fighting and digging, his impenetrable hide has kept him going through more than a few scrapes.

As far as monsters go, you won't find one more determined and loyal than Anguirus. That's probably why, after their first tussle, he and Godzilla have been the best of friends. Taking advantage of his ability to roll into a ball, they are a formidable tag team with a nearly spotless fight record. Victories are often won by Godzilla's propensity to smash his pal into their enemies like volleyball, or swing him by his tail like a giant roaring mace.

Angiurus' loyalty to his friend is only trumped by his over protective nature to his niece, Angilass.

This soldier may be old, but he's got more fire in his heart than the cockiest green horn.

Jet Jaguar

Unlike most super advanced robots that develop an independent mind, Jet Jaguar came to life deciding to become a hero.

With a catalogue of various fighting styles at his disposal, Jet Jaguar is the second greatest martial artist on Earth, rivaled only by Godzilla (3rd) and King Ceasar (1st).

His greatest weapon however, is his ability to change size which allows him to befriend human and monster alike.

Since his "birth" Jet Jaguar has continued serving as one of the world's greatest heroes, proving that this Tin Man has the biggest heart of all.

Mothra

There was a time when Godzilla wasn’t Earth’s protector. For the longest time, he was a rage filled engine of destruction, until he was confronted by the mysterious resident insect of Infant Island. Mysterious energies rained from her wings onto the King of the Monsters, soothing the atomic fires that were burning him inside out. From that day on, Mothra has been a moral compass to Godzilla, and any other monster that would have her.

Able to emit lightning like energy rays from her eyes, and paralyzing energy discharges from her wings, Mothra rivals Godzilla himself in terms of ranged fire power, probably to make up for her rather delicate frame. If she finds herself mortally wounded, she can shed her skin and revert back to her larval form, and must cocoon herself for a few hours before she can return to the skies. Mothra’s wings also emit healing beams of light that can mend almost any wound, on human or monster.

Apart from Godzilla, she is very amiable with practically every monster on Monster Island. On the other side of the coin is her associate, Battra, a black and purple moth that recklessly rips through cities and people in an effort to rid the world of invasive monsters. Mothra hopes to one day show her old friend the error of his ways.

Capt. Gordon

Every bit as mysterious as the creatures he fights, the stoic and reserved captain of the Gotengo makes sure the good monsters get where they need to go.

A skilled swordsman in his own right, Captain Gordon can take care of the smaller, more human sized, threats our heroes face with relative ease.

He doesn’t hate the monsters; on the contrary, he considers them an invaluable asset in protecting the world from the harmful entities that threaten it. If the day ever comes that Godzilla and company are no longer needed to defend the world, Gordon will be there right alongside them and spend his days living in peace on Monster Island.

Junior

An abandoned egg rolled out of the volcano on Monster Island and into the lap of Godzilla. What hatched out of it was a little blue and grey monster that followed Godzilla like a shadow. Over time Godzilla came to grow fond of the little tyke. He taught the creature how to fight, and how to trick humans into giving them more food.

As Junior, as everyone came to call him, grew, he absorbed the excess radiation given off of Godzilla, mutating him into a similar, though not quite as bulky form. Not as strong as his dad, Junior is incredibly fast and agile, able to move with a stealthy grace through massive city blocks undetected.

Junior can breathe a green erratic fire from his mouth; originally he could only manage to puff out radioactive smoke rings.

Some years ago, Godzilla Junior left for the East Coast of North America, where he and his handler, Dr. Nico Tautopolus handle the various monsters and mutates in the Atlantic, while Godzilla senior and crew handle the Pacific. Don’t call him Minilla, he doesn’t like that.

King Ceasar
It’s not so much that King Ceasar is a master of Martial Arts as it is that he’s the progenitor of structured combat. When man was young and monsters were old, it was observing the graceful movements of the benevolent lion defender that mankind first learned to take stances.

His vast arsenal of holds and throws and kicks and punches allow him to take down even the most tenacious monsters in the world. Chi focused through the jewel on his head can burn through the toughest of hides and metals.

He took great interest in a certain fire breathing dinosaur, after playfully trouncing him encounter after encounter; he realized that the saurian was far too stubborn to admit defeat. Observing how Godzilla diligently defended Earth against the great and bizarre monsters that threatened it, Ceasar began to reveal his secrets of fighting to the King of the Monsters. They’ve been good friends ever since.

He shares a fierce, but friendly rivalry with Jet Jaguar. The two often engage in pose offs and competition of any kind to prove one is the superior. Though he prefers to wander the world alone, when danger looms he’s always ready to stand with his best student.

Zone Fighter
Sometime in the late 70’s, Godzilla and Jet Jaguar were abducted by aliens from the far end of the universe. Escaping their bonds, the duo started their long journey to Earth, which led to many hilarious and heartwarming adventures.

Along the way, they encountered a strange silver alien who went by the name Zone Fighter. Locked in an eternal conflict with the creatures known as Garoborgs, Zone traveled from planet to planet trying in vain to stop their attempts at universal conquest. Years earlier, the Garoborgs had completely wiped out Zone’s race and family. He was the last of his kind, and his rage was completely ineffective against the Garoborg menace... until Jet Jaguar taught him how to grow into a giant. The trio carved a swath through the Garoborgs, wiping out their generals, and their king just as he was about to unleash the empire on Earth.

In 1985, Godzilla and Jet Jaguar returned to Earth, with their new friend to accompany them. Zone Fighter spends his days monitoring Earth from orbit, when he’s not secluded in his moon fortress. It’s funny though, for so many years he was devoted to a cause he was ready to die for, and at the end of it, he found a world he was willing to live for.

MOGERA

Reverse Engineered from the Mysterian super weapon of the same name, Mogeras are the eyes and ears of Monster Island. Piloted by two man teams, these burly weapons keep the more unruly monsters in line, as well as serve as the first line of defence during monster attacks.

Mogeras come in several flavors. Drill armed Mogeras strike a balance between melee and ranged offense with beam firing mega drills. There are also Saber Mogeras, Gunner Mogeras, and for dessert based combat, Mogera Cooler Ranch.

Gigan and Megalon

The Nebulan Space hunters poured all their resources into developing a pair of cyborg enforcers. But they ran out of funds half way through and began lending them out to various organizations throughout the universe to pay for their dues. Gigan and Megalon are armed to the teeth with blades, bludgeons, beams and everything in between. But there isn’t enough brain power between them to formulate kool aid.

Because they’ve known each other for so long, the duo has an unbreakable bond of camaraderie, and if one gets into trouble, the other follows without a second thought. And they get in trouble. Whether they’re hired muscle or hired hands, and time and again Godzilla and company hand them their tails.

And though they often get a tough break, as long as they have each other, you just can’t break ‘em.

MechaGodzilla

It takes a monster to beat a monster, that was the mindset that led to the creation of MechaGodzilla.

The Simians took great offense the G-Force Weapon known as Mechanikong. How dare those damned dirty humans use their hero in effigy to push back their own invading forces? The black hole planet of apes decided two can play this game and began to develop MechaGodzilla.

Armed to the teeth with lasers grenades, saws and force fields, MechaGodzilla can wipe out a planet in a matter of days. A hatred for all monster kind is etched deep into its core programming. A special place for Godzilla resides in its chest, where it plans to house his atomic heart once it rips it out of the King of the Monster’s chest.

A freak encounter with a space crystal storm altered MechaGodzilla’s programming somewhat... The machine was endowed with a degree of self awareness. Naturally its hatred of monsters has now permeated into hatred for all organic life. Time and again, it finds itself prone at the feet of Godzilla and his brood. Contemplating amongst the rubble of its freshly exterminated home planet, MechaGodzilla begins to think... it takes a monster to beat a monster; it takes an army to beat an army...

Destroyah

When the people of a seaside town began to grow bulbous red tumors en mass, authorities were getting concerned of an impending epidemic. What they got was much worse.

Destroyah is hungry. And nothing less than eating living creature will satiate him. His appearance deceives a writhing mass of trillions of aphid-sized crustaceans, controlled by a hive mind. These little microbes secrete a chemical spray that can dissolve any carbon based life it comes into contact with. The force of a billion of these little creatures’ digesting processes can be sprayed out of his mouth in a constant powerful stream, or released from his chest in an enormous explosion. The horn on his head radiates with enough heat to cut through steel.

Destroyah can regenerate wounds almost as fast as Godzilla by budding more microbes to replace the ones blown off his body. It can also separate these little tumors of crab into fully functioning scouts and henchmen.

Destroyah can be anywhere, in any shape, but one thing never changes: his appetite.

Orga

At one time, Orga was the most notorious, and handsome pirate in the known galaxy. His body was composed of a malleable substance that could be altered by a processing hub in his ship, allowing him to adapt to any situation. On run from the Zone Fighters, Orga made his way to Earth... and ran straight into Godzilla.

Pound for pound Orga was able to match Godzilla in combat, constantly shifting his mass into a form to counter any move. It looked like he was about to win... until Godzilla destroyed his ship.

Now Orga is stranded on Earth, trapped in a clumsy and hideous form. Still, his mind remains intact, and has begun selling his secrets of alien tech to terrorists like The Red Bamboo in order to attain the materials he needs to finally get off this rock... he just hopes he can escape before Emperor Ghidorah comes looking for revenge.

Baragon

Some monsters are good. Some are bad. Baragon does his own thing. This pudgy little guy isn’t the biggest or the toughest creature, but his burrowing and fire breathing were enough trouble to get him sent to Monster Island.

Now he spends his days wandering about and exploring. Godzilla doesn’t like him because he dug holes all over his cave. Anguirus doesn’t like him because he keeps chewing on his tail club. Mothra doesn’t like him because he follows her everywhere. Rodan likes him because he enjoys how much the mutt irritates his friends.

Whatever’s going on in his head is a mystery, but it’s probably not a very complex one.

Titanosaurus

Poor Titanosaurus never wanted this life. If it isn’t the Red Bamboo poking his brain with sonar commands, it’s the Kilaaks using high frequency pulses to alter his brain, or Planet X using magnets to control his body against his will, or anything else really, his super senses that were meant to be used to scavenge the seabed for food make him uniquely vulnerable to remote control.

A powerful swimmer, faster than Godzilla, Titanosaurus can cross the globe in a matter of minutes. His super strong tail can generate cyclones, and his high pressure acclimated body makes him impossible to harm. Maybe someday he won’t have to do somebody’s bidding. But for now, it would be enough to just be alone.

Biollante

A terrifying visage betrays the gentle and motherly care taker of Monster Island. Dwarfing other monsters in size, Biollante is responsible for maintaining the ecosystem that allows the Island to house so many species of giant creatures. She can extend her vines into any part of the globe that requires G-Force intervention, and is often capable of reducing damages caused by Godzilla’s opponents, and holding them until the Gotengo can transport them to Monster Island.

Manda

There is a legend that when 7 special artifacts are gathered together, they will summon a magical dragon that will grant its master’s wish. That dragon is not Manda, and he would really like it if people would stop mistaking him for the other guy.

Manda enjoys swimming the shorelines of Monster Island, electrocuting the hapless whales that get in his way. Mostly secluded, Manda is fond of Anguirus and King Caesar, being that the 3 of them are the oldest monsters alive.

When not being a jerk to the local sea life, Manda likes to lay on top of his favorite rock with Baragon, granting the little red monster’s wishes. He just doesn’t like to grant them for most everybody else.

Megagurius
Maine is a terrible place to live. Killer clowns and haunted cars aside, an eerie mist permeated the landscape for several weeks. When Godzilla and company entered the fog, they discovered a host of virulent giant insects harassing the townspeople. In the dead center of the fog rested Megagurius the virulent mutant dragonfly controlling all these creatures. It took Godzilla and Anguirus everything they had to bring her down, but not before her plasma stinger stole Godzilla’s fire powers and Anguirus’ armored hide.

Most monsters, after defeat are sent to live on Monster Island, free from invasive traffic, and given steady food to keep them happy. But bad, really bad monsters like Megagurius are sent to Ice Station X. Presently she remains freeze dried and in suspended animation deep in the sub levels of the prison, but if she ever escapes, she’ll have a veritable buffet of mutant powers to copy.

Varan
Varan the Unbelievable was, for many years, one of the most popular acts in the Tsuburaya Six Ring Circus, but as the years went on, the act grew stale. Soon enough, people stopped coming, and the manager couldn’t afford to take care of his favorite act forever. He’d heard about Monster Island, where giants are sent to be rehabilitated if they’re caught smashing through a city. The manager concocted a brilliant plan, the problem was, another monster had beaten him to the punch. There was Godzilla, fighting some amorphous grey blob thing. Varan would only get hurt. It was then that he realized that there were still a lot of people in danger in the area, acting quickly; he had Varan carry as many people as he could to safety. Casualties were below the average that day, Captain Gordon was so impressed, Varan found himself a full fledged member of the Monster Island team, now acting as a first responder for search and rescue missions.

Gabara
Gabara is a unique case on Monster Island. An insufferable jerk, Gabara irritates the residents of Monster Island, in ways only Rodan can dream of, but at the same time, prison life would DESTROY him.

Caught causing rolling blackouts through several major cities, Gabara quickly became the “favorite” amongst the monsters on Monster Island. Favorite in this regard refers to his status as the local punching bag.

Hedorah
The smog layer that blanketed Los Angeles had enough. A bizarre concoction of chemicals made their way into the air, and within moments a swirling cloud of pollution concentrated into the hideous monster Hedorah. The murky beast began swallowing humans left and right, spewing odorous toxic sludge from its folds. Thankfully, Godzilla’s atomic powers were enough to clear the pollutants, though some would read too much into it.

Gorosaurus
What’s worse that people thinking you’re Godzilla? Godzilla’s enemies thinking you’re Godzilla. Gorosaurus knows this all too well. Every other day has been mad scientist after radioactive gorilla trying to kill him over a case of mistaken Identity. Thank goodness his powerful legs were more than enough to hold them back while he escapes. Now that he lives on Monster Island, life’s become a little easier. At least he’s not stuck with those backwater hicks on Isla Sorna anymore.

Kamoebas
Kamoebas can’t fly, they can’t breathe fire, and they can’t do gymnastics. But there are lots of them. In fact, Monster Island is the only known habitat of naturally occurring giant snapping turtles. They’re quite handy. The staff on Monster Island uses them for everything from manual labor to soup. And the monsters use them for everything from soup to wave boarding. Specially bred Kamoebas have distinctive markings on their heads. Blues are alpha turtles and commonly lead their packs. Purples are known to be adept at machine labor. Reds are excellent guards, if unfriendly. Oranges tend to be more aloof and silly. King Ceasar keeps four of them as pets, and tries to teach them the disciplines of the martial arts.

Battra
Mothra’s abrasive foil has no love for humans, only the Earth. Battra is single minded in his quest to rid the world of monsters, and he won’t let anything get in his way, not humans, not Godzilla, not even the butterfly creature he once called friend.

Like Mothra, Battra can fire bolts of magic energy out of his eyes; his laser wings allow him to be something of a flying sword in aerial combat. Battra isn’t evil, but he is misguided. He’s yet to realize, as Mothra once did, that monsters and mankind alike are as much a part of nature as the trees and animals he wants to protect. Maybe someday he’ll realize that.

MechaGodzilla 2
The evil MechaGodzilla led an attack on Monster Island. Taking over the command hub, he planned to use G-Force technology to build a new body. Fortunately, our heroes were able to stop him from loading his consciousness into the new powerful frame. Now G-Force has control of the titanic monolith, though surprisingly, not for its vast array of weaponry, but its uncanny resemblance to Godzilla, which it uses to bring the dumber monsters into submission.

King Kong
One of the most cunning and tough monsters in the world was once the king of Skull Island. A terrible incident in 1930’s New York almost saw to the death of the 8th Wonder of the World, until Frankenstein’s research laboratories were barely able to save him. Replacing his heart with an artificial electric engine, Kong survived. Frankenstein over saw his rehabilitation on Monster Island, observing the simian growing 3 times its original size over 20 years. Coupled with his new talent to surge bolts of lightning from his fingers, Kong became the first in a long line of monster protectors, disarming rampaging behemoths.

In the 1950’s a powerful new threat emerged. An atomic dinosaur sighted in Tokyo caused havoc and destruction where ever it landed. It wasn’t long before this creature crossed paths with King Kong. The lizard and the ape locked into an explosive battle, atomic breath was met with lightning fist, ape agility met with reptile power, blinding rage came against brilliant strategy. It wasn’t until the intervention of Mothra, using her healing spores on the two creatures that they settled. A truce was called, for their greatest foe was on the horizon... King Ghidorah was coming to Earth!

King Ghidorah
There are close to 1,000 Ghidorahs roaming the universe, causing panic and chaos where ever they go. In the 1960’s the creature known as King Ghidorah came to Earth desperate to feed its humongous Emperor. But what it was met with was the combined forces of Godzilla, Anguirus, Rodan, King Kong, and Mothra. Five monsters gathered together in a desperate attempt to save the Earth. Their battle was long and arduous. Soon enough Rodan and Anguirus were felled by the 3 headed dragon’s gravity bolts. Soon Mothra fell as well. It came down to Kong and Godzilla to hold the line against a planet destroying juggernaut. When all seemed lost, fire rained down on the golden beast. The armies of the world had come their monsters’ aid. The battle raged on, man and monster fought together against the indomitable threat. In one last manic attempt to end the beast, Doctor Serizawa climbed his way onto King Ghidorah’s center head, raising his specialized Oxygen Destroyer bomb. To this day, no one knows why, but Godzilla seemed to understand what the Doctor wanted. Firing his atomic beam at Ghidorah’s center head, the Oxygen Destroyer detonated, reducing the doctor; and King Ghidorah to bones.

In many ways, King Ghidorah saved the world that day, because a grateful and loyal Godzilla looked at humanity in a more favorable light. From that moment on The King of the Monsters, and his bizarre monster brood became the world, and civilizations most fervent protectors.

Emperor Ghidorah

How can one monster be responsible for so much grief in the universe? How can a single creature inspire so much terror in the universe? It’s quite simple, there isn’t one King Ghidorah. There are a lot of them. And the biggest and meanest of all of them is Emperor Ghidorah. Rising from the deepest pit of the blackest hole, the Emperor feeds on the psychic anguish and terror that it can cause in its wake, forcing its weaker brethren across the universe to sustain its insatiable hunger by committing horrible acts, the one weakness the creature has is its boundless lethargy keeps it from getting too involved in panic spreading anymore.

The Emperor fires a continuous stream of gravity bolts from its mouths that can rend tectonic plates from the very ground they’re settled in. Its massive wings can push its equally massive body onto a planet with the force of a large meteor, that is, if it doesn’t just decide to propel a hapless world into its sun and feed on the inescapable dread as its native’s burn alive.

But something has troubled the mighty and fearsome beast. One of its agents, a Ghidorah it directed towards the Milky way hasn’t returned with his psychic meal. In fact, it could have sworn its subordinate sent out a plea for help before its life was snuffed out. Very few things can stir the emperor from its dead sun throne. But if a planet can be this tenacious... just imagine how delicious it will be to finally break them himself...

Gaigun
Family is important to monsters. Godzilla taught his son everything he knows. Mothra grooms her twins to someday replace her. Anguirus is overprotective of his niece. And Gigan’s brother hates his guys. The younger, smarter, taller and more successful brother of the cyborg duo, Gaigun has been in a one sided competition with his brother since they were hatchlings. Gigan got sword implants, Gaigun got chainsaws. Gigan became a hired thug, Gaigun became the top monster mercenary in the field. Time after time, Gaigun sets out to prove he’s better than his failure of a brother, if only to rub it in his face.

Angilass
To say that Anguirus is the oldest living on the planet is not technically accurate. He’s the oldest living thing on the planet by 4 minutes. When Anguirus left his herd to explore the world, his twin brother Anger-russ led their people to the center of the Earth to escape extinction. One misguided adventure to the planet’s core many years later, Anguirus discovered his brother was still alive. And after fighting off the mole people, asked if he could take his young and impressionable daughter with him to the surface. Angilass is like any other girl Angilosaur, she’s surly, belligerent and can take a hydrogen bomb to the face without so much as shrugging. So of course, Anguirus is very protective of his sweet little girl.

Miki Saegusa
Some people are just made for the job. Miki Saegusa has lived on Monster Island since she was a baby. Now that she’s all grown up she’s G-Force’s top handler and dispatcher when it comes to combating monster threats. While Dr. Jaguar and Dr. Raymond are well liked by the residents of Monster Island, Miki has a way with them that makes her amiable to all of them. Godzilla in particular has a fondness for her, he’s known her since she was little and empty nest hits extremely hard when you’re 50 meters tall. Miki is the first on scene when a new monster attack occurs and it isn’t long after when Godzilla will come crashing down to lend a hand.

Doctor Frankenstein
The Age of Monsters did not begin with the Atomic bomb, but with a bolt of lightning. Sometime in the late 18th century, a pioneer scientist by the name of Victor Frankenstein created a monstrous humanoid beast. Driven to rage by the horror of his own birth, the creature spent the rest of Victor Frankenstein’s life harassing and haunting him. But the day came that the good doctor died, and the creature felt a sense of remorse for its terrible deeds. Wandering the world for many years, the creature became something of an urban legend, and eventually a worldwide hero. Seeing fit to spend his life helping the innocent, to amend for the crimes it committed on its creator. The monster took on the name Frankenstein and dedicated his life to the pursuit of justice and science, like his creator. Frankenstein came to understand his body had contained fantastic powers he had not been aware of for centuries, the ability to generate electricity, the power to regenerate from any wound, even the power to grow to enormous size. It was at the dawn of the 20th century, that Frankenstein found his calling. Gigantic beasts like the Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, the Arctic Giant, giant octopi and titanic gorillas began to run rampant through civilization. But while humanity wanted to eliminate these beasts, Frankenstein had other plans. He believed that the key to advancing civilization lied in containing and studying these monsters. He built the research base known as Monster Island to hold these colossal beasts where they could live peacefully while he observed their habits and abilities. Because of his accomplishments, Frankenstein has helped conquer the world against the forces of evil.

Glenn and Fugi
Expelled from the space program for “causing too many explosions” Glenn and Fuji have since found a new vocation as the top Mogera pilots in G-Force. Glenn’s impulsive and smarmy attitude provides a counter to Fuij’s reserved and straight laced demeanor. Together, the duo pilot Maser Mogera, and are the top ranking (in skill and collateral damage) pilots in Captain Gordon’s fleet.

Steve and Martin
teven Raymond and Martin Burrbinski have the toughest job on Monster Island: keeping it running.

Steve is a caretaker for the various monsters on the island; his doctorate in mega-biology makes him Earth’s leading expert on monster behavior. He makes sure the monsters have enough space, food and addresses health issues when they arise.

Martin is the chief mechanic, he makes sure all the force fields are up and running, that the holo grids aren’t glitching, and that the toilets aren’t backing up.

They drive around the island in Martin’s pickup, Old Ironside. Generally, they are on good terms with all the monsters. Except Rodan, because he’s a jerk.

Godzilla Tokyo Vinyl

2012-02-16T23:29:00.001-05:00

With all the cool stuff coming out of Toy Fair this week, these little gems seem to have been lost in the shuffle...

pics from Figures.com

League of Extraordinary Bloggers - Hollywood Memorabelia

2012-02-16T22:44:00.000-05:00

Well the first League group posting was a big success, we have Cool and Collected to thank for that. If your not familiar with the League go check it our here, I'll wait...

Back? Okay, this week's topic:

You have an unlimited budget and space is not a problem. What piece of Hollywood memorabilia would you want hanging around in your batcave?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm what would I want? Grandpa's Lab from the Munsters? The Tim Burton Batmobile? To move into the Addam's Family's house?

Let's see....Grandpa's lab... ya'd have to completely renovate my house...add a sub basement and they would just be messy, let alone the fact that it would piss off the townhouse association ( shoulda heard 'em yell when I tried to dig out a secret underground lair in my backyard...buncha babies) so that's out.

The Batmobile, chicks dig the car... of course that'd piss of Mrs. Fink to no end. And that thing is basically a one seater, sure Vicky Vale got in it to but c'mon, the Batmobile with it's corvette inspired manliness is a single man's car and I'm a family Fink, so that's out.

The Addam's Family house... boy that would be sumthin' course I'd have to move... naw that's out.

So what would it be? No budget.... anything I want....

All I want is a piece of paper....

yep....

that's it....

of course printed on that paper is the legal contract signing over all rights to do so what I wish with the intellectual property hereby designated as the entire stable of Universal Monsters.

yes... you read that right... I want total control over every aspect of the Universal Monsters, licensing approvals, movie deals, television rights....everything...they are mine....

Tell ya what, Monster Cafe's would be in major cities.... new movies would get made.... a Universal Monster Fighting Game.... there would be merchandise in the FRIGGIN UNIVERSAL STUDIOS THEME PARKS...

Well that's what I want... here some of the Fink's friends want lists

Matt Can Draw (Time Bandits)

AEIOU and Sometime Why (Tron)

NatnotNate (Explorers)

Now ya'll excuse me, I'm gonna go start the script for House of the Creature

Big Frankie - Aurora to Mezco

2012-02-15T00:01:00.001-05:00

Let me regale you with the tale of Big Frankie.

Originally designed to be a toy, the manufacturer Aurora got cold feet and released the figure as a model instead. The fact that the sculpt was more of a caricature then a realistic version of Boris Karloff as the Monster made it less appealing to the kids that were buying the extremely successful line of monster models the company made. That and his price tag being five times that of the regular models resulted in poor sales and a short run. This results in the model being highly sought after by collectors.

This brings us to Moebius Models and their re-release of the model. The kit is beautiful and comes in a Glow in the Dark version as well, but carries a price tag of $109.99.....too much for this here Fink.

Now we have Mezco and their upcoming Giant Frankenstein. for all I know that could be the name but I'm calling him Big Frankie and he's gonna have a home here at casa de Fink as soon as he hits the market.

Mad Monster Party figures

2012-02-14T10:00:00.007-05:00

Holy crap, how long have I wanted figures from this movie. Probably since I first saw the movie as a wee tot. I know I know we had the vinyl figures years ago but I wanted more, and I finally got them.

Here's Uncle Boris Frankenstein as portrayed (vocally anyways) by Boris Karloff. The sculpt is FANTASTIC, you can see the sculpture work of the original stop motion model on this figure's face. And the accessories complete the package with the spider monster from Felix's tour of the castle and the test tube containing the Formula for Destroying Matter.

Dracula looks just like the movie and vicariously the Jack Davis artwork. He looks ready to crack his original Bat-man jokes. The bat accessory is great but now has me ready to track down an Iron Tail figure from the Here Comes Peter Cottontail line.

and here's Fang, The Frankenstein Monster, must i say anything here, just look at him.

I cannot wait for this line and I really hope it does well enough for future series so I get a Creature and Wolfie.

Photos came from cooltoyreview.com - go check them out

Munsters Wave 2 - Hot Rod Herman

2012-02-14T09:00:00.021-05:00

If you couldn't already tell I'm a huge Munsters fan, have been since I watched them in reruns on WPIX out of New York every morning as a child. So of course I bought the figures and I'll be buying the Marilyn/Eddie two pack coming soon, (as seen here) and now we have the latest additions to the line and they are from one of my top two episodes of the series - "Hot Rod Herman"

Here's Herman in his Punk Rods outfit. Poor ol' Herman got all hyped up on Eddie's talk about how his pop (Herman) could out drag his friend's dad. Unfortunately after Herman met the other dad and foolishly (it is Herman after all) got talked into betting the family car, better known as the Munster Koach he finds out the dad is a professional mechanic and racer. Naturally Herman loses and returns home to be scolded by Lily. Grandpa has a plan though...

Grandpa assembles his own dragster, the Drag-U-La, made famous in the Rob Zombie song of the same name. And the following weekend he puts the rail up against the Koach and of course wins it back. Of course how do you compete with a rail that plays "Oh Promise Me" in second gear? Anyway here's Gandpa in his racing gear. Man that is a perfect likeness.

Here's Lily with her sun umbrella to watch from the stands while Eddie chews his nails ( real iron nails)

Man I still really hope we get a Spot head in the staircase soon.

Photos came from cooltoyreview.com - go check them out

Monster High Reviews from Alex, Daughter of Monsterfink

2012-02-14T00:01:00.000-05:00

Hey all, yer ol' pal Monsterfink here with a special treat fer yas. Me little munchkin Alex is gonna sit in and give her opinions on the latest announced additions to her favorite toy line - Monster High. So without further ado, I'll hand this over to her...

She's cool and she's a living plant she has a flytrap as a pet. As well I'm willing to get her. She looks like Franky, but she is a plant. She has a pretty dress and vines and hair and tights. She has pretty make-up. Her flytrap looks like a dog.

He's a musician. He has cool glasses. He has a nice shirt and vest. I like his blue shoes. He has a chameleon as a pet. The chameleon is colorful and named Crossfade. He's actually Holt Hyde and there is a figure for that.

She is gorgeous! She has a pet robot penguin and it's name is Captain Penny. He has a rocket pack and she has rocket boots. She looks like Clawdeen. She has a clock backpack, it's blue! It looks like an actual clock. She has blue hair and goggles. She's made out of metal. She's a robot.

She's gorgeous too! Her pet is a Gargoyle Griffin name Roux. I love her shoes and hair. Her dress too. And I love her wings! She has horns and a headband. She has a stone pocketbook with a pink bow.

I love the cafeteria and the Dee Jay booth for Holt upstairs. I love the lockers and the classroom. The fake windows are pretty too. It looks like the video game. I love the blue door in the classroom too.

Well there yas have it, straight outta the munchkin's mouth....and typing fingers....

Now what do you all think, like her reviews, wanna hear more from her? Let me know and be nice, she's only 6 and these dolls cost me a fortune.

Oh I know whats been making me cranky...

2012-02-13T19:11:00.000-05:00

No it's not PMS....ha ha

No it hit me today when I saw the pictures of the upcoming Mad Monster Party figures, the first thought that entered my head was "Oh man, Frank is gonna flip out over these." But he can't.

Ya see it was about this time two years ago when my wife's uncle and my best friend Frank was diagnosed with cancer. Really aggressive cancer. Cancer that took a long slow painful time to reach the end this past August.

The thing about is Frank loved monsters, alot, ya think i love him, I pale in comparison to this man. When I met him he had a museum of custom GI Joe Monsters on display in his Man Cave. Frank was an avid toy customizer and had published a magazine on the subject in the early 90's that was carried by Diamond. His collection of custom 2099 figures covered the entire universe. Well, for most of the the time Frank and I hunted toys, monster toys were scarce and far between, Ya had yer Monster Force and then the Sideshow lines but that was it. Every time I see a new line of monster related figures, be it the Diamond Direct retro Mego style figures or the Munsters line I'd think man he's love that and it makes me a little sad inside.

Okay enough of that, that cold breeze every time I rearrange the collection pieces I inherited from him lets me know he's still around. I just wish he'd stop knocking my iPhone on the floor all the time.

Aaaaahhhh Mego Style Creature and Bride figures

2012-02-13T12:54:00.001-05:00

Here Diamond Select, just take all my money and give me these and Mego style Metaluna Mutant!

Forgotten Hand Held Horrors: Gargoyle's Quest

2012-02-13T00:01:00.001-05:00

Hey it's a shiny new feature here at the Spookshow that's gonna feature some lost horror and monster themed classics of the hand held video game systems like the Game Boy. We'll start this off with the first game I bought for the Game Boy back in '90 - Gargoyle's Quest.

A long time ago, the ghoul realm barely escaped great peril. A large army of destroyers came from a neighboring universe. The creatures of the ghoul realm were no match for the powerful destroyers. Just when everyone had given up hope, a great fire swept over the realm, wiping out the destroyers army.

Several hundred years have passed and the realm is threatened once again...

Those words start the game Gargoyle's Quest, a side scrolling/ RPG game spun off from the arcade classic Ghost n' Goblins. In the game you play as Firbrand, a gargoyle destined to become the hero Red Blaze and save the Goblin Kingdom from the evil King Breager and his invading armies.

The game consists of two types of play areas - an overhead view where Firebrand traverses the Ghoul Realm, either on the world map or in towns, and individual side-scrolling levels that feature a boss fight at the end. While traveling the overhead map, Firebrand can experience random encounters. He must defeat the enemies in the these encounters to return to the overhead-view map. There are also ghouls that can be encountered that start a small battle level that must be completed in order to move on.

Firebrand can walk, jump, cling to walls, fly, and spit fireballs. The player starts with one type of projectile: it does not travel very far, and has limited power. As the game is played out new projectiles are found that increase Firebrand's attack each has different traits or specialized uses. The Blockbuster, for example, which is the first projectile obtained after the Firebrand's starting projectile, is twice as powerful, travels further, and can break special blocks the player may need to pass. Another projectile temporarily ceates objects which Firebrand can jump from to reach necessary locations. This block-breaking power and other useful abilities leaves a use for such projectiles throughout the game, even when more powerful projectiles are obtained. Projectiles can be selected one-at-a-time from the select menu, as can items such as healing vials.

As the game progresses, various power up items are found, some items increase Firebrand's abilities outright. The Fingernail of the Spectre increases his jumping ability for the remainder of the game, and there are several items that increase the length of time which Firebrand can fly, the final of which allows for him to fly infinitely. There are also items which can be used as needed, such as items to restore health.

In the final boss battle, the player makes a choice which results in one of two scenarios for how the final battle is played. In one scenario, the player is stripped of all ability boosting items and powers, leaving him virtually unable to win, and must then fight the final boss. In the other scenario, resulting from the other choice, the player maintains these items and powers, and attempts to defeat the final boss and win the game.

Here's a video of the entire game played out by someone way better at it then I ever was...

The League of Extraordinary Bloggers - Saturday Matinee

2012-02-09T12:41:00.003-05:00

So I joined up with the League of Extrordinary Bloggers founded by Cool and Collected where each week we're tackling a different subject and this week that subject is your go to movie, the movie you watch over and over and know every line verbatim to the point that is drives those around to screaming madness.
Now I know, you're all out there expecting me to pull some monster movie out of my hat since that is what this blog is primarily about (my love of monsters, not hats or magic tricks involving hats) and I hate to disappoint you all. I mean I could say it's Destroy All Monsters, House of Frankenstein or Phantom of the Paradise...but it isn't.
It's Yellow Submarine.

I know I know, "What? Yellow Submarine? The Beatles cartoon?" Yeah, I love that movie, have since I first saw it as a kind on one of the local channels here in Jersey on a Fourth of July night. I dunno if its the sheer oddness of the story or the face that it had a Sea of Monsters in it but something caught my attention back then. I finally secured a VHS copy when I was in High School and I watched that thing so much I had it memorized. Of course by then I was a fan of the Beatles music so adding in the weird visuals just sweetened the deal.
Here's two of my favorite scenes;

If you've never seen the movie and you're looking to grab it on DVD you may have a hard time as I believe it is out of print, but do yourself a favor and get the uncut copy. It includes all of the Sea of Monsters sequence, the full freeing of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band sequence and the song "Hey Bulldog".

Stylized Universal Monsters Figures

2012-02-08T08:43:00.002-05:00

Dread Central is reporting from Toy Fair 2012 that Mezco is set to release stylized vinyl figures of the Mummy, Creature and the Frankenstein Monster along with a jumbo sized vinyl Monster along the lines of the old Big Frankie from Aurora Models,

Skylanders Sequel - GIANTS

2012-02-07T19:34:00.002-05:00

The whole Fink clan loves Skylanders and we all play together which is rare as most video games I play are beyond my wife let alone my 6 year old. We have fun hunting down the figures to add to the game and we're all pretty excited about the announcement of the sequel...mainly cuz it's got giants in it.

Hey I found some pictures of the Giant figure and some screen shots from the demo

DinoFroz

2012-02-07T00:01:00.004-05:00

Okay, monster toy fans hold onto yer hats, ya think Monster in my Pocket was sumthin' ya ain't seen nuthin'

That is the commercial for DrinoFroz, a series of 24 Dinosaur toys made of slightly super deformed hard rubber dinosaurs figures that come blind packaged inside "frozen" eggs. The egg is broken open and water added which makes "snow" from which the dinosaur toy can be retrieved. Sound cool? it gets better. The other half of the egg contains a collector’s book to encourage collectability while a printed spinning top gives scientific details, characteristics and trading value of the creature. The spinning top can be used in gameplay; pitching one dinosaur against another with friends in a trading game from the ice age.

Sounds pretty damn awesome right?

Hold on...

The line was pretty successful and became DinoFroz World, where the egg idea was dropped and the game aspect of pitting the ferocious flesh-eaters against the horrifying herbivores in a never-ending battle...

Now if that weren't cool enough the line expanded again to DinoFroz Combact and DinoFroz Duels and introduced not just prehistoric mammals to the battle, but a bizarre mutation in the dinosaurs causing all kinds of fun freaks with extra horns and tails.

Head hurting yet? I saved the best for last...

That's right...giant bugs now fighting mutant dinosaurs and prehistoric mammals.....couldn't ya just shit? I mean come on yer not playing fair now, look at these designs...

The Rock Tribe...

The Bone Tribe...

The Crystal Tribe,,,

The Prehistoric Insect Tribe...

Awesome as Hell, am I wrong?

Now, here's the killer, you can't buy these here in America, they are UK only.....go ahead cry...I know I am...I'm gonna go lay down for a while now....

Monster in my Pocket Part 2

2012-02-06T00:01:00.003-05:00

Okay let's pick up where I left off before getting a miserable headcold with Series 4 - Super Scary

The Super Scary series came in glow in the dark green and yellow plastic and in purple, orange, green and yellow. You could get them in six pack and twelve pack display sets.
The series included:

97. Charun

98. Thunderdell

99. Hanuman

100. Yama

101. Ghilan

102. Astaroth

103. Dybbuk

104. Lamia

105. Grave Watcher

106. Creature from the Closet

107. Slaughterford

108. Jenny Greenteeth

109. Houngan

110. Mad Gasser of Mattoon

111. Drude

112. Boogeyman

113. Alu

114. Fachen

115. Jersey Devil

116. Wurdulac

117. Poltergeist

118. Umi Bozu

119. Wildman of China

120. Imp

A few unusual entries starting to show up am I right? Nice to see the inclusion of cryptozoological monsters like the Mad Gasser and Jersey Devil...but that is not the Jersey Devil..

Series 5 was the Super Creepies line and consisted of monstrous insects that seem more like associated of the old Horrible Hamilton and the Hamilton Invaders then any real insect.

121. Tarantula

122. Black Widow Spider

123. Jumping Spider

124. Wolf Spider

125. Turret Spider

126. Crab Spider

127. Soldier Beetle

128. Soldier Fly

129. Robber Fly

130. Armoured Cockroach

131. Vampire Leaf Hopper

132. Lightning Bug

133. Eastern Toe Biter

134. Stink Bug

135. One Eyed Jack

136. Clubtail Dragonfly

137. Dog Face Butterfly

138. Horntail Moth

139. Scarface Scorpion

140. Mexican Bed Bug

141. Lady Bug

142. Horsefly

143. Cave Cricket

144. Hunchback Beetle

Series 6 opted for a return to slightly more serious fare with Dinosaurs

145. Tyrannosaurus rex

146. Apatosaurus

147. Triceratops

148. Stegosaurus

149. Ceratosaurus

150. Spinosaurus

151. Iguanodon

152. Plateosaurus

153. Woolly Mammoth

154. Cave Man

155. Pteranodon

56. Dimetrodon

157. Sabre-Tooth Tiger

158. Ankylosaurus

159. Chasmosaurus

160. Teratosaurus

161. Styracosaurus

162. Deinonychus

163. Struthiomimus

164. Kentrosaurus

165. Monoclonius

166. Parasaurolophus

167. Lambeosaurus

168. Baby Protoceratops

In 1994 a series titled Space Aliens was released in the UK only and consisted of :

169.Space Dinosaur

170.Floyd the Android

171.Blaster of the Universe

172.Full Moon Freak

173.Nova Scorcher

174.Jumbo Jupiter Junkeater

175.Laser Blaster

176.Asteroid Attack Android

177.Venus Booby Trapper

178.Creature from the Black Hole

179.Meteor Monster

180.Star Scorpian

181.Saturn Scumsucker

182.Sun Poisoner

183.Martian Maniac

184.Radioactive Uranian Rodent

This was the end of the Monster in my Pocket line as a toyline trying to represent monsters, from here on the line become fodder for comical wrestlers and ninja figure, hey it was the 90's and those things were big then so can't really knock the company for trying to grab some cash as it were.

iPad blog posting test

2012-02-03T21:19:00.001-05:00

Just a test of the new toy, carry on

Monster in my Pocket

2012-02-01T00:26:00.001-05:00

Back in 1990 while perusing the toy aisles after work at K-Mart I found a small peg display of boxed figures with the colorful logo of Monster in my Pocket printed on the dark blue box. I picked up a pack and headed for the checkout. When I got home and tore into the box I was immediately taken back to my younger days of finding Trashcan Full of Monsters at my local Toys R Us. That started me on a mad dash to "collect them all".

The actual line released by Matchbox was a line of rubber figures cast in bright colors and depicted famous monsters of Legend, Mythology and Cryptozology, each with an assigned point value for a game that could be played with them and to denote how rare the figures were.

The First Series consisted of:

Great Beast

Hydra

Werewolf

Behemoth

Griffin

Tyrannosaurus

Cockatrice

Cyclops

Tengu

Triton

Kraken

Jotun Troll

Monster

Manticore

Karnack

Coatilcue

Bigfoot

Baba Yaga

Kali

Catoblepas

Harpy

Haniver

Hobgoblin

Windigo

Red Cap

Medusa

Goblin

Cerebus

Zombie

Chimera

Ghost

Ogre

Vampire

Roc

Gremlin

Vampiress

Ghoul

Phantom of the Opera

Mad Scientist

Winged Panther

Mummy

Charon

The Beast

Witch

Spring Heeled Jack

Invisible Man

Skeleton

Hunchback

Series 2 consisted of:

49. Dragon

50. Jabborwock

51. Warlock

52. Ymir

53. Swamp Beast

54. Golem

55. Scorpion Man

56. Loch Ness Monster

57. Tarasque

58. Bishop Fish

59. Herne the Hunter

60. Ancient Gorgon

61. Ectoplasmic Phantom

62. Ganesha

63. Elbow Witch

64. Minotaur

65. Merrow

66. Nuckelavee

67. Spectre

68. Bloody Bones

69. Sebek

70. Dryad

71. Undine

72. Gargoyle

Series 3 monsters came as premiums for three different products. #73-80 were premiums for Nabisco Shreddies in Canada and Bob's Big Boy had a Secret Monster Pack with Series 3 figures #73-80. #81 was a premium for the Nintendo M.I.M.P. game.

73. Leviathan

74. Abominable Snowman

75. Anubis

76. Amphisbaena

77. Centaur

78. Orobas

79. Siren

80. Jimmy Squarefoot

81. Blemmyea

We'll Pick up with Series 4 - Super Scary tomorrow, in the meantime here, suffer the pilot for the unsold Monster in my Pocket cartoon

New Mego style KISS figures on the way

2012-01-27T13:05:00.001-05:00

Figures Toy Company has announced new KISS figures in the same style as the the 1970's Mego dolls. The figures will be available in World's Greatest Heroes 8 inch scale and in 12 inch scale as the original figures were. Back when I was a young fink my brothers has the original dolls and I wasn't allowed anywhere near them, shoe will be on the other foot this time. Check out the pictures below.

Frankenstein by Night goes live...

2012-01-26T00:44:00.000-05:00

The webcomic version of my "Ode to 1970's Monster heroes" starts now over on Ink Outbreak, go check it out leave comments, like it and make me feel good about myself....

I get so depressed

New Lego Monsters on the Way UPDATE

2012-01-25T07:26:00.003-05:00

Reports out of the UK Toyfair state a new monster-centric Lego line is coming this year but reports are mixed as to wether this is a Universal Monster official line or a line inspired by the famous monsters called Lego Monster Hunters. Either way I'll be buying them....and the Lego Hulk.

We now have confirmation that it is Lego Monster Fighters Nd we have video of the line

The Munsters are a Family Again

2012-01-25T00:00:00.002-05:00

Diamond Select has announced a two pack to be released this summer of Eddie and Marilyn Munster to complete the first family of fright. Eddie is based of the likeness of young Butch Patrick and Marilyn off of Pat Priest. Eddie comes with his toy "Woof Woof" and Marilyn with a collar for the family pet Spot. I'm still hoping for a staircase with Spot tail to be released.

Avengers Movie Toys!

2012-01-24T21:44:00.001-05:00

We've got our first look at the toys based on the upcoming Avengers movie.

The Avengers action figures will be released in both 3 3/4" scale (Marvel Universe scale) and also in scale for the returning Marvel Legends line. Super Hero Squad will see Avengers movie figures as well. Over 15 different figures are planned for The Avengers 3 3/4" line, however Hasbro has many more within Marvel Universe, as well as figures at other scales within the Avengers line. Like the Captain America line the Avengers line will be mostly movie related characters but expect some "comic" characters in the line for die hard fans. (Vision, Black Panther, Wonder Man, Ant Man, Wasp more then likely)

Also we're getting vehicles - Stark Tech Battle Vehicles, Avengers' Quinjets and a 3 foot Shield Helicarrier

Bigfoot and Wildboy: Birth of the Titan

2012-01-24T00:00:00.004-05:00

Gather round the computer screen kiddies, ol' Monsterfink is gonna tell ya about growing up in the 1970's. Back in the time before computers were on every desk and in your phone there was a cultural phenomenon where the strange and the unusual took center stage. We had shows like "In Search Of..." and "Project: Blue Book" on the television and the stores were full of Easter Island Moa heads and Bigfoot merchandise. Lets take a closer look at Bigfoot...

We're gonna start off with Sid and Marty Kroft's Bigfoot and Wildboy. Basically this show as a Weekly World News Tabloid come to life, I you boy is orphaned in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest (?) and is found by the Bigfoot. Bigfoot raises the boy as his own and the two fight various monsters, aliens and super villains. Apparently the Kroft brothers really like the Bionic Bigfoot from the Six Million Dollar Man show as their Bigfoot has similar "bionic" noises when he lifts heavy object, runs in slow motion and super leaps. Here see for yourself as Bigfoot and Wildboy face off against a dime store Hulk -

SOPA/PIPA BLACKOUT

2012-01-18T10:07:00.001-05:00

Hostess Comic Book Ads

2012-01-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

Recent news of the Hostess company, maker of Fruit pies and Twinkies had me pull out my old Watchamacallit Comic ad parodies and whip up a new one. They're a bit NSFW so I'll put em after the break.

Raquel Welch: Space Girl Dance

2012-01-11T00:31:00.000-05:00

Not really sure what the hell Raquel was thinking when she made this video...or smoking for that matter. Hey somebody wanna tell me how the hell did the Buggles get in there to dance with her? Ah who cares, just watch it and bask in the 70's-ness of the whole thing.

Monster Toys from the Past - Godzilla vs the Tricephalon Monster

2012-01-10T00:43:00.002-05:00

In 1978, Godzilla was at his height of popularity, his Hanna Barbera cartoon was on Saturday Mornings, Marvel Comics was publishing his comic and he had joined the ranks of the Shogun Warriors. That Shogun Warrior figure is the piece of american Godzilla merchandise that gets the most attention, but lets not overlook a playset put out by the smaller company HG Toys.
The playset depicted a battle between the King of the Monsters and a three headed aquatic monstrosity named the Tricephalon Monster. Kids (or adults) could enact a massive battle between the two titans in the middle of a major city. The playset included :

Godzilla
the Trcephalon Monster
18 Soldiers
18 Civilians
2 Jeeps
2 Tanks
3 Civilian Vehicles
2 Jet Fighters
1 Ambulance
1 Automobile
1 Police Car
Shell Firing Battle Ship
22" x 28" Diorama
30' x 30" vinyl play sheet
1 Bridge

I remember finding this in the aisles at Toys R Us back when I was a kid, I was so excited I nearly dropped a brick. Of course my parents got the playset for me and I wore that thing out playing with it. I had the Godzilla and Tricephalon for years after the rest of the playset went the way of all things, Unfortunately the pair were lost during my move from my parents house to my first apartment but I still have the memories.

And I will reclaim those figures again.....oh yes I will.

Just as an aside, HG Toys made a series of Godzilla puzzles with some killer artwork like the playset box.

Dinosaucers the Cartoon and Toys

2012-01-09T00:01:00.001-05:00

Back in the late 80's (88 -89) I used to start my morning before High School watching a cartoon about alien dinosaurs that came to Earth to check on a colony of their kind that had been sent here centuries ago. The show was a production of DIC called Dinosaucers and followed the adventures of the heroic Dinosaucers -

Allo is an evolved Allosaurus and the leader of the Dinosaucers. Allo is calm, collected and serious. He wears blue and teal armor, a teal helmet, and has brown skin. He has a wife named Vera and a daughter named Alloetta. He is the nephew of the Dinosorceror and Dinosorceress (rulers of Reptilon).

Dimetro is another member of the Dinosaucers and Allo's assistant. Dimetro is the scientist/mechanic of the group. He wears brown and red armor, a blue mask on his head, has aqua green skin and speaks with a slight Scottish accent. Dimetro is an evolved Dimetrodon, which is a synapsid or mammal-like reptile, rather than a dinosaur.

Bronto Thunder is an evolved Apatosaurus. Often considered to be the second-in-command of the Dinosaucers, he usually takes command when Allo is away from Lava Dome. Bronto Thunder has a girlfriend back on Reptilon named Apatty Saurus, and was a "rep" for a ceramic tile shop before he became a Dinosaucer. Physically considered the strongest of the Dinosaucers.

Stego is an evolved Stegosaurus and a rather dim-witted recruit when compared to the rest of the team. He tries to be brave, but is prone to panic attacks and general cowardice. However he often manages to get through this and has come to the rescue of his friends.

Tricero is an evolved Triceratops. He had a history for doing investigative work back on Reptilon, and provides a voice of calm reason. Tricero was a member of the law-enforcing Tricerocops on Reptilon before he became a Dinosaucer. Tricero has a vibrational super power that emanates from his 2 brow horns. He is a mortal enemy to Styraco.

Bonehead is Allo's nephew and, as his name suggests, is not particularly bright. Has a baby brother named Numbskull (Nummy). Mother Bonehilda is a famous scientist, and Allo's sister. Bonehead is an evolved Pachycephalosaurus. He is good natured and innocent, without a doubt the stupidest Dinosaucer, even though he has great combat ability as a Pachycephalosaurus.

Ichy is an evolved Ichthyosaurus, a prehistoric aquatic reptile. He has a pointed beak, a tail with fins or flukes, grey skin and wears green armor. He also wears dark greenflippers on his feet, rather than boots. Ichy (and Plesio) can talk to sea creatures.

Teryx is the only female Dinosaucer. She is an evolved Archaeopteryx. She has white, blue, and salmon-colored plumage and unlike the other Dinosaucers, wears a simple backpack in lieu of armor. Teryx has a crush on Ichy, but fears it won't work out because she is a flying creature, while Ichy is aquatic. Teryx used to be an actress on Reptilon's daytime television before she became a Dinosaucer, but shows other talents and abilities during the course of the show.

in their battles against the villainous Tyrannos -

Genghis Rex or usually referred to as simply "Rex", is the leader of the Tyrannos, as well as Allo's evil counterpart. He is an evolved Tyrannosaurus, has red skin and wears orange and blue armor. His first name is based on Genghis Khan the famous mongol. Living up to his species' reputation, he is brutal and tyrannical, and has a violent temper. Typically, Rex will insult his compatriots with plays on dinosaur words or names, such as idiot-tops or tail-for-brains, whenever things do not go according to his plans. In exchange, Rex endures being called many flattering and important sounding names by the other Tyrannos, such as Bossasaur and Your Scaliness. As a villain, he tends to be staggeringly inept, always losing to the Dinosaucers in the end.
Genghis Rex had deep feelings for Teryx and even attempted to kidnap and marry her, but she resisted since she was in love with Ichy. Rex also has an equally evil sister residing on Reptilon, named Princess Dei. His name is a reference to Genghis Khan

Ankylo is Genghis Rex's dimwitted, sycophantic assistant and is another member of the Tyrannos. Ankylo bears a resemblance to a warthog and exhibits porcine characteristics, often snorting when he speaks. He wears grey armor, has red skin and has a special weapon called the Anklebuster which creates a chain made out of energy, often used to disable the Dinosaucers. Ankylo is an evolved Ankylosaurus.

Quackpot is an evolved Hadrosaurus. Quackpot is the practical joker of the group, much to the ire of the other Tyrannos. Like Ankylo, Quackpot is red. Quackpot makes a quacking sound like a duck in comparison to his appearance. Quackpot was the star of a children's television show back on Reptilon called Duckbill's Playhouse, under the stage name T.B. Duckbill.

Brachio is an evolved Brachiosaurus. Brachio is the archetypal thug of the gang and is gray. Brachio is the evil counterpart of Bronto Thunder.

Styraco is an evolved Styracosaurus. Styraco is the evil counterpart of Tricero and was formerly a dentist working at the office of Pinchem, Pullem & Yankem before joining Genghis Rex on Earth.

Plesio is an evolved Plesiosaurus, a prehistoric aquatic reptile. Plesio is cunning and shifty, looks like a pink dragon, and is the evil counterpart of Ichy. Like Ichy, Plesio can talk to sea creatures. Plesio used to work for Slither, Slither & Shark, Attorneys at Law on Reptilon before becoming a Tyranno. He once had a romantic relationship with the Loch Ness Monster. He serves as the scientist/inventor of the group.

Terrible Dactyl is the flying member of the Tyrannos and the evil counterpart of Teryx. He speaks with a British accent. He wears a pilot mask, purple armor, and a white scarf and has orange skin. Terrible Dactyl is an evolved Pteranodon.

The Dinosaucers operated out of their base the Lava Dome while the Tyrannos used a base beneath a Tar pit and through 65 episodes the two factions battled with the heroic Dinosaucers having the upper hand thanks to their ability to Dinovolve into the primitive state of the dinosaur they resembled, The Tyrannos did not have this ability but instead were in the possession of Devolver raygun which could force anything shot with it to devolve to their primitive state.
Galoob planned to release a toy line based on the cartoon, going as far as to make prototypes of the 8" figures and the 2" figures with vehicles and a Lava Dome playset to show at the '87 and '88 toy fair. The line was never produced but the molds were sold to a Brazillian toy company that made knock off toys of the line.

Unproduced 8" Figures

Ankylo

Bronto Thunder

Genghis Rex

Plesio

Stego

Allo

Bone Head

Quackpot

2" Figures and Ships

Lava Dome Playset

All in all it was a good 80's cartoon and those toys would have looked sweet on the shelf, if only they had been produced.

Dali kills me

2012-01-02T14:30:00.000-05:00

I was never a huge modern art fan, I'm more of a renissance era fan myself but Dali was just plain cool and a full on nut, or so he'd have everyone believe. I bet this dinner party would rule..oh and that is the future Uncle Fester sitting next to Bob Hope...AWESOME

Could this be a sign of the End of Days?

2012-01-02T13:10:00.000-05:00

Steven Tyler, Alice Cooper and Weird Al singing a cover of Beatles "Come Together"

I'd be more excited about an album with these three together then the Van Halen reunion album, and I'm pretty stoked for that

New Jersey Night Riders Shirt

2011-12-29T09:00:00.002-05:00

For all you fans of Weird NJ and Cryptozoology comes my home state's resident monster out to rip up the roads less traveled. Make this your default shirt when searching out Midgetville, the Marlboro Slaughterhouse, the Pine Barrens and all the other famous (or infamous) locations best gone to at night. You can pick up the shirt here

Thunder Tankin' Shirt

2011-12-28T23:54:00.001-05:00

The most bad ass cat in the Lair out for a joy ride Ed "Big Daddy" Roth style! For sale here

Further thoughts on the Rankin Bass Timeline

2011-12-22T00:54:00.000-05:00

It was pointed out to me that in Rudolph, Sam the Snowman (who I theorized might have been telling a slightly skewed version of what happened since he never actually interacted with the other characters) actually took part in the story by claiming to have sent Yukon and Herbie after Rudolph. Right, he claims he sent them, did you see him do it? I think Sam is just trying to make himself seem important....wait why the hell is Sam alive? Frosty is because of that magic hat and his family because of the charms they wear....hmmm maybe Sam is the far distant future Frosty and bitter at being cast out by Santa so he tells a story of him that is less then flattering?

And I put the Jack Frost special early in the timeline since I figured he was bitter about that blonde dumping him for the pretty boy so his hatred of happy couples led to the whole hatred of Frosty and Crystal, plus you never see the Snow gypsies again...bet he killed them all in his rage over being dumped for the knight in the fancy gold armor.

Unproduced Toy Heartbreak

2011-12-19T10:00:00.002-05:00

Oh the things we could have had, behold the unproduced Inhumanoids toys, the Gagoyle and Slither

Apparently Slither made it to the prototype stage and there have been some bootleg figures made from resin castings of this prototype, I would LOVE to get my claws on one

Star Wars Holiday Special - well the Good Part anyway

2011-12-19T09:00:00.002-05:00

The part with Boba Fett...

Dr Steel Christmas Special

2011-12-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

Christmas Comic Book Covers

2011-12-17T12:44:00.000-05:00

Some of the oddest Christmas/Mainstream comic crossovers I've ever seen

Pee Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special

2011-12-17T09:00:00.001-05:00

Men in Black - The Black Christmas Syndrome

2011-12-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

TMNT - We Wish You a Turtle Christmas

2011-12-15T12:00:00.007-05:00

Yer ol' pal Fink keeps searching the webs for the weirdest and wildest Christmas Specials and boy is this a doozy,

found thanks to Shit Movie Fest...

Arcade Attack

2011-12-15T10:00:00.001-05:00

From 1982, SilverBall Heroes vs the Arcade Invaders

I caught this once on HBO as an in between their movies and I finally tracked it down so that others can enjoy...so enjoy it already!

The Real Ghostbusters - Xmas Marks the Spot

2011-12-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

Inhumanoids - Decompose

2011-12-14T22:01:00.000-05:00

I really gotta finish this guy, then move on to Tendril and Metlar

See More art on my new Portfolio page, The Gallery of Unnatural Art

Christmas with the Addams Family

2011-12-14T09:00:00.011-05:00

The Most Horrible X-Mas Ever

2011-12-13T19:28:00.001-05:00

Creepmas - A Krampus Carol

2011-12-13T17:43:00.001-05:00

From the twisted mind of Chef Anthony Bourdain comes, A Krampus Carol

Creepmas - Boris Karloff reads The Year Without a Santa Claus

2011-12-13T11:00:00.002-05:00

Presented on this last day of Creepmas, the story of "The Year Without a Santa Claus" as read by the legendary Boris Karloff. I know what you're all thinking, no Fink, he narrated "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and, yes, he did narrate that but he also recorded a narration of the original story that became the Rankin Bass classic. Now you may be disappointed to find out that, even though the basic story is the same, the stop-motion animated special we know and love added quite a bit to the story. There's no Heat Miser or Snow Miser here, no Jingle or Jangle the Elf, no Mother Nature, not even Mrs. Claus. The only characters that appear in both the story and the animated special are Santa and the little boy named Ignatius Thistlewhite. Now sit back and let Grandpa Boris read to you....

Listen Here

Creepmas - The Witch's Christmas

2011-12-13T09:00:00.003-05:00

From Norman Bridwell, creator of the Clifford the Big Red Dog books, comes 1970's The Witch's Christmas

Creepmas - Rankin Bass Krampus Night

2011-12-10T01:12:00.001-05:00

Krampus Night is almost impossible to find with Rankin Bass disavowing any knowledge of the 25 minute cartoon's existence. I have been searching for years to find an actual copy and the closest I can come is this DVD mock up for the unreleased title.

From information collected from various sources the special focused on a modern (early 80's) toy company exec Filmore Clutch, that used his fortune to release the hot toy of the year and to release it for free but only to kids who could prove themselves naughty and therefore would not be receiving presents from Santa. Since kids all over the world want the toy, thanks to subliminal advertising, they all behave as naughty as possible to receive it from "Uncle Clutch". The influx of naughty ratings of children into the north pole results in the weakening of Santa Claus who travels to New York to confront "Uncle Clutch". The weakened Santa is easy prey for Clutch who locks the Christmas Icon away in his own private jail. With Santa gone and the naughty list set to go critical an ancient fail safe is activated and, as Mrs Claus states, the List Keeper is being unleashed.

From a cavern under Santa's Castle comes, according to the back story we are given, the last of the Kringle Elves - Krampus Kringle - who toiled for years with the task of keeping the list of naughty or nice and doling out the punishments to the naughty until his body twisted into a red skinned coal eating abomination that lives only to punish. Santa had him locked away centuries ago to protect the children of the world from his overzealous actions. It is alluded to that Krampus played Judge, Jury and Executioner to the naughtiest of children, one of the reasons the special aired only once. Mrs Claus pleads with Krampus about what has happened and with great flourish and a fantastic musical number set to Alice Cooper's "No More Mister Nice Guy" the Krampus leaps into action. In the end Santa is saved, the children released from the spell of Clutch's subliminal advertising return to being good and the Krampus drags off an unrepentant Clutch into the caverns under the castle. It can be surmised this is the Rankin Bass version of naughty children being dragged to Hell by the Krampus.

There are several factors as to why this special aired only once and has never seen a release on home video or DVD. First is the a fore mentioned scene depicting Krampus appearing to execute children he deemed naughty, second was an unfavorable reaction to injecting the Devil like Krampus into the very happy world of Rankin Bass Christmas specials by the Parent/Teacher Decency League who also took offense to the use of Alice Cooper music and the Krampus being voice by KISS bassist Gene Simmons. Most however feel that the special has been buried due to the threat of legal action by Donald Trump, who took great offense to the character of Clutch and his appearance closely matching the real estate tycoon's own image. As fans of the many holiday specials of Rankin Bass continue to hope that one day Krampus Night will be released to the public those with inside knowledge remain steadfast in their belief this day will never come.

Rankin Bass Continuity Timeline

2011-12-08T21:03:00.000-05:00

Best as I can figure it...

Santa Claus is Coming To Town
Night Before Christmas
Leprachaun's Christmas Gold
Jack Frost
Year without a Santa Claus
Frosty
Frosty's Winter Wonderland
Rudolph (problems arise here as this Santa is different and so is Mrs Claus, lets assume that this is merely because of the point of view of a Snowman who may have little regard for the pesky warm bloods, think about it, Sam does not interact with any characters in the story he tells)
Rudolph's Shiny New Year
Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July (Rudolph's real origin is told and seems more in line with other Rankin Bass Specials and includes appearances by Big Ben from Shiny New Year and Jack Frost)
Rudolph and the Island of Misfit Toys
Miser Brother Christmas

Creepmas - How to Survive a Zombie Holiday

2011-12-08T14:00:00.001-05:00

From the lovely Team Unicorn comes this instructional video

Creepmas with Elvira

2011-12-08T12:00:00.003-05:00

Creepmas - Nightmare Before Christmas Decorations

2011-12-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

Okay...I'm jealous...

31 Years Ago...

2011-12-08T08:25:00.001-05:00

31 years ago an asshole robbed us of a genius...

Creepmas or Geekmas?

2011-12-07T16:00:00.003-05:00

Who cares it the Lobo Paramilitary Christmas Special!!!!!

A Creepmas Commercial for Captain Spaulding's Museum

2011-12-07T12:00:00.001-05:00

Ahhh Gotta love those local access Creepmas Commercials right kiddies?

Creepmas - Haunted Mansion Holidays

2011-12-07T09:00:00.008-05:00

Every year in Disneyland the Haunted Mansion is shut down so the illustrious characters from The Nightmare Before Christmas can take over the Mansion and add a little Creepmas Cheer. I've never been fortunate enough to attend as I've never been to California but I have hopes that one day the trend will spread to Disney World's Haunted Mansion, until then, be like me and live vicariously through this POV video of the ride.

Weird NJ Creepmas Jersey Devil

2011-12-06T09:00:00.002-05:00

Oh, you believe in Santa but not the Jersey Devil?

Did this a few years ago for the guys from Weird NJ

Another Reason to HATE Universal Studios

2011-12-05T09:00:00.001-05:00

My wife's Uncle Frank, some of you may know as Uncle Freak, was one of my closest friends and a huge Universal Monster fan and a HUGE Creature from the Black Lagoon fan, I mean that was the majority of his collection of monster memorabilia. He passed away in August after a long and painful battle with cancer. If he were alive today he'd be one livid mother f'er, I's sure he's raising Hell in the afterlife over this.

By this I mean the fabulously stupid and demeaning Universal Studios Creature from the Black Lagoon - A Raging Rockin' Show...excuse me a minute...I just threw up in my mouth...

Okay I'm better now...

Anyway, apparantly the same bone heads that decided no one that visits Universal Studios wants Universal Monster merchandise got it in their think friggin heads that what the world needed was a rock opera based around a Universal Monster. Now I'm not talking about the Beetlejuice Rocking Monster thing or whatever it's called in Florida, we'll let that one slide because the Bride in it is a hot little number and I have a thing for the Bride of Frankenstein anyway. No these bone heads said lets make a musical, Hey! Let's make it with the one Universal Monster that can't friggin talk...cause he's a fish man....Yeah! Then we won;t have to make a new movie with him because everyone will hate the character....jerks...

What? Think I'm being harsh? Here's the actual plot synopsis of the show;

"Universal Studios Hollywood introduces “Creature from The Black Lagoon—A Raging Rockin’ Show,” featuring an all-original score and dazzling Broadway-level production values in a hip, musical stage adaptation of the Universal horror classic, opening exclusively at The Entertainment Capital of L.A. on July 1.

The new musical attraction has an approximate 25-minute running time and a storyline that has been updated from the original screenplay to infuse romance and comic relief with extravagant stagecraft, acrobatic choreography and a hilarious and contemporary musical score certain to keep the production moving at a sizzling pace.

Audiences will be immersed within a menacing Amazon environment, completely enveloped by the exotic sounds of the jungle as they watch the twisted love story between beauty and beast unfold. From the production’s first moments, guests will be thrust into an unexpectedly outrageous, bizarrely romantic, melodic and often outlandishly comic adventure as this monster classic is re-imagined for the 21st Century.

“Creature from the Black Lagoon—A Raging Rockin’ Show” is being realized for the stage by Universal Creative and an award-winning theatrical production team drawing from the best of Broadway that includes, Director Gerard Alessandrini, best known for creating, writing and directing all editions of FORBIDDEN BROADWAY and FORBIDDEN HOLLYWOOD; Tony Award®-nominated Choreographer Lynne Taylor-Corbett, whose credits include Footloose, starring Kevin Bacon and Bewitched, starring Nicole Kidman; Scenic Designer James Youmans, whose credits include Broadway’s WEST SIDE STORY and GYPSY, starring Patti LuPone as well as Barry Manilow’s Showstoppers International Tour; Creature & Puppet Designer Michael Curry, one of the world’s leading production designers and whose credits boast THE LION KING the 1996 and 2002 Olympic opening and closing ceremonies and Cirque du Soleil®; Fly Sequence Designer Paul Rubin, whose accomplishments include elaborate aerial stunts for WICKED, PETER PAN, and the Tony Awards®; and Producer Marc Routh, whose Broadway credits include, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, GYPSY, starring Patti LuPone, Mel Brooks’ YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN and THE PRODUCERS."

Here's testimonial from a poor sap that had to sit through this:

"The show opens with a massive screen over the stage, and we watch a clip from The Today Show with Matt Lauer, and they're talking about the Creature. And they set it up as if Universal made the film based off of a real creature, and how a new team of explorers are going after it. HOWEVER, when we finally see the new guys and gals, they're still dressed as if in the 1950's... So that's a little confusing!
The first song, "BLACK LAGOON" is horrible! It sticks in your head all day and haunts your nightmares even! This is CapitanA Miranda's song...yes, Capitana! They made the captain a woman. This song goes on to tell "even the water smells like cheese in the Black Lagoon... Even the Disney Cruises flee from the Black Lagoon." It's horrible!

The second song is Kay's song, and it's actually really good. It's part of the swimming portion, which is done with wires above the audience. The Creature comes out and swims with her as she sings, and that number ends when he starts grabbing at her. So that's a good scene... the only one in the whole show. I mean it's really good and feels like the film! But it can't save the show!

The next song is "Prime Evil," which is everyone singing about the Creature! And then the Creature climbs onto the boat and starts singing too! They even poke at it during the song, "Oh no, he's going to sing!" I mean really?? Come on! This is a doo-wop number too!

Then the Creature kidnaps Kay and takes her back to his lair, which now has a little couch type seashell for her to sit on, and even a mini-bar type area! And of this is where they do their duet, "Strange new hunger." OH, I forgot, this is also where the Creature speaks, and for whatever reason, he's British! After the song, Mark and David rush in to save Kay. Before she goes, the Creature tells her his name....GIL! He gets shot with a speargun, and that ends that scene.

The next scene, they're all back onto the boat, but now we hear massive footsteps... think King Kong! See the image of the Creature on the poster above where he's massive and holding the boat? Yeah, that's the ending. How's he get that big you ask?? Well one of the guys on the expedition shoots him with a speargun, but the spear fell into his mail order supply of male enhancement cream! I SWEAR TO GOD! Kay realizes she loves Gil, and goes to him. He lifts her up, she sits in mouth and sings a little more, then he eats her. That's the end of the show! "

WOW....JUST WOW....

Ya know what, you all be the judge...watch it yourself...

Ho ho ho, the Creature grows to 25 feet tall because of penis enlargement medication, what comedic genius, this type of comedy brilliance is so wasted here, this brain trust needs to be writing on feature films. What really burns my ass...it's a pretty nice Creature design.might have made a decent version for a serious film....Gah...MUST SMASH SOMETHING...

Monster Art for Charity

2011-12-04T13:05:00.000-05:00

I'm working with MonstersForCharity to raise money for Toys For Tots by auctioning off signed prints and sketchcards...

Devil Dinosaur vs the Herculoids Print starting at $10

Great Cthulhu Print starting at $10

Marx's Great Garloo and Son Print starting at $10

Ideal's King Zor Print starting at $10

Ideal's Odd Ogg Print starting at $10

Remco's Horrible Hamilton and his Invaders Print starting at $10

Snappy the Bubble Blowing Dragon Print starting at $10

Cereal Monster Puzzle Sketch Cards Set starting at $10

You can go here or here for info on bidding

Creepmas Decorations

2011-12-04T12:39:00.000-05:00

Just can't bear to decorate your tree with happy field mice in light up tea cup houses, candy canes, colorful reindeer and adorable snowmen? Welcome to my world....so here's some ornament suggestions from yer ol' pal Monsterfink..er...Sandy Claws.

TOM TAGGART

We'll start off with the amazingly talented Tom Taggart. I have been privileged enough to see Tom's work first hand at the Chiller Conventions before and I gotta tell you the pictured don't do them justice and they are some nice pictures. I cannot stress enough how quickly you should run to his Etsy site and get some.

I'll be perfectly honest, if I can scrape some cash together the Alien, Black Cat and Frankenstein Monster or headed to my Creepmas Tree.

NEATOSHOP'S GORENAMENTS

Over at NeatoShop.com they have three outrageous ornaments or gorenaments for sale. The Gingerbread Zombie, Zombie Stocking and Zombie Misletoe. I'd like to bet my claws on the Gingerbread and Mistletoe ones.

Fun with the OLD ONES

Can't forget the Elder Gods this Creepmas..er..Yule..er..Solstice..Eh whatever those gibbering horrors are on about this time of year...

Ger yer Cthulhu Plush Wreath fer hangi' on the Tomb Door here

Creepmas Ghost Stories - Jerry Bundler

2011-12-04T11:32:00.001-05:00

When a group of travelers got together at The Boar's Head Inn, mixing drinking with ghost stories probably wasn't the best idea. In the short story by W.W. Jacobs, which went on to become a stage play, the travelers learn of the ghost of Jerry Bundler, a London thief who had, according to legend, met his end in one of the inn's very own bedrooms some eighty Christmases prior. The travelers soon learn of the horrifying price they must pay.

Read the story here

Creepmas - H. P. Lovecraft's The Festival

2011-12-03T09:00:00.001-05:00

I was far from home, and the spell of the eastern sea was upon me. In the twilight I heard it pounding on the rocks, and I knew it lay just over the hill where the twisting willows writhed against the clearing sky and the first stars of evening. And because my fathers had called me to the old town beyond, I pushed on through the shallow, new-fallen snow along the road that soared lonely up to where Aldebaran twinkled among the trees; on toward the very ancient town I had never seen but often dreamed of.
It was the Yuletide, that men call Christmas though they know in their hearts it is older than Bethlehem and Babylon, older than Memphis and mankind. It was the Yuletide, and I had come at last to the ancient sea town where my people had dwelt and kept festival in the elder time when festival was forbidden; where also they had commanded their sons to keep festival once every century, that the memory of primal secrets might not be forgotten. Mine were an old people, and were old even when this land was settled three hundred years before. And they were strange, because they had come as dark furtive folk from opiate southern gardens of orchids, and spoken another tongue before they learnt the tongue of the blue-eyed fishers. And now they were scattered, and shared only the rituals of mysteries that none living could understand. I was the only one who came back that night to the old fishing town as legend bade, for only the poor and the lonely remember.
Then beyond the hill’s crest I saw Kingsport outspread frostily in the gloaming; snowy Kingsport with its ancient vanes and steeples, ridgepoles and chimney-pots, wharves and small bridges, willow-trees and graveyards; endless labyrinths of steep, narrow, crooked streets, and dizzy church-crowned central peak that time durst not touch; ceaseless mazes of colonial houses piled and scattered at all angles and levels like a child’s disordered blocks; antiquity hovering on grey wings over winter-whitened gables and gambrel roofs; fanlights and small-paned windows one by one gleaming out in the cold dusk to join Orion and the archaic stars. And against the rotting wharves the sea pounded; the secretive, immemorial sea out of which the people had come in the elder time.

Continued after the jump

Beside the road at its crest a still higher summit rose, bleak and windswept, and I saw that it was a burying-ground where black gravestones stuck ghoulishly through the snow like the decayed fingernails of a gigantic corpse. The printless road was very lonely, and sometimes I thought I heard a distant horrible creaking as of a gibbet in the wind. They had hanged four kinsmen of mine for witchcraft in 1692, but I did not know just where.
As the road wound down the seaward slope I listened for the merry sounds of a village at evening, but did not hear them. Then I thought of the season, and felt that these old Puritan folk might well have Christmas customs strange to me, and full of silent hearthside prayer. So after that I did not listen for merriment or look for wayfarers, but kept on down past the hushed lighted farmhouses and shadowy stone walls to where the signs of ancient shops and sea-taverns creaked in the salt breeze, and the grotesque knockers of pillared doorways glistened along deserted, unpaved lanes in the light of little, curtained windows.
I had seen maps of the town, and knew where to find the home of my people. It was told that I should be known and welcomed, for village legend lives long; so I hastened through Back Street to Circle Court, and across the fresh snow on the one full flagstone pavement in the town, to where Green Lane leads off behind the Market house. The old maps still held good, and I had no trouble; though at Arkham they must have lied when they said the trolleys ran to this place, since I saw not a wire overhead. Snow would have hid the rails in any case. I was glad I had chosen to walk, for the white village had seemed very beautiful from the hill; and now I was eager to knock at the door of my people, the seventh house on the left in Green Lane, with an ancient peaked roof and jutting second story, all built before 1650.
There were lights inside the house when I came upon it, and I saw from the diamond window-panes that it must have been kept very close to its antique state. The upper part overhung the narrow grass-grown street and nearly met the overhanging part of the house opposite, so that I was almost in a tunnel, with the low stone doorstep wholly free from snow. There was no sidewalk, but many houses had high doors reached by double flights of steps with iron railings. It was an odd scene, and because I was strange to New England I had never known its like before. Though it pleased me, I would have relished it better if there had been footprints in the snow, and people in the streets, and a few windows without drawn curtains.
When I sounded the archaic iron knocker I was half afraid. Some fear had been gathering in me, perhaps because of the strangeness of my heritage, and the bleakness of the evening, and the queerness of the silence in that aged town of curious customs. And when my knock was answered I was fully afraid, because I had not heard any footsteps before the door creaked open. But I was not afraid long, for the gowned, slippered old man in the doorway had a bland face that reassured me; and though he made signs that he was dumb, he wrote a quaint and ancient welcome with the stylus and wax tablet he carried.
He beckoned me into a low, candle-lit room with massive exposed rafters and dark, stiff, sparse furniture of the seventeenth century. The past was vivid there, for not an attribute was missing. There was a cavernous fireplace and a spinning-wheel at which a bent old woman in loose wrapper and deep poke-bonnet sat back toward me, silently spinning despite the festive season. An indefinite dampness seemed upon the place, and I marvelled that no fire should be blazing. The high-backed settle faced the row of curtained windows at the left, and seemed to be occupied, though I was not sure. I did not like everything about what I saw, and felt again the fear I had had. This fear grew stronger from what had before lessened it, for the more I looked at the old man’s bland face the more its very blandness terrified me. The eyes never moved, and the skin was too like wax. Finally I was sure it was not a face at all, but a fiendishly cunning mask. But the flabby hands, curiously gloved, wrote genially on the tablet and told me I must wait a while before I could be led to the place of festival.
Pointing to a chair, table, and pile of books, the old man now left the room; and when I sat down to read I saw that the books were hoary and mouldy, and that they included old Morryster’s wildMarvells of Science, the terrible Saducismus Triumphatus of Joseph Glanvill, published in 1681, the shocking Daemonolatreia of Remigius, printed in 1595 at Lyons, and worst of all, the unmentionableNecronomicon of the mad Arab Abdul Alhazred, in Olaus Wormius’ forbidden Latin translation; a book which I had never seen, but of which I had heard monstrous things whispered. No one spoke to me, but I could hear the creaking of signs in the wind outside, and the whir of the wheel as the bonneted old woman continued her silent spinning, spinning. I thought the room and the books and the people very morbid and disquieting, but because an old tradition of my fathers had summoned me to strange feastings, I resolved to expect queer things. So I tried to read, and soon became tremblingly absorbed by something I found in that accursed Necronomicon; a thought and a legend too hideous for sanity or consciousness. But I disliked it when I fancied I heard the closing of one of the windows that the settle faced, as if it had been stealthily opened. It had seemed to follow a whirring that was not of the old woman’s spinning-wheel. This was not much, though, for the old woman was spinning very hard, and the aged clock had been striking. After that I lost the feeling that there were persons on the settle, and was reading intently and shudderingly when the old man came back booted and dressed in a loose antique costume, and sat down on that very bench, so that I could not see him. It was certainly nervous waiting, and the blasphemous book in my hands made it doubly so. When eleven struck, however, the old man stood up, glided to a massive carved chest in a corner, and got two hooded cloaks; one of which he donned, and the other of which he draped round the old woman, who was ceasing her monotonous spinning. Then they both started for the outer door; the woman lamely creeping, and the old man, after picking up the very book I had been reading, beckoning me as he drew his hood over that unmoving face or mask.
We went out into the moonless and tortuous network of that incredibly ancient town; went out as the lights in the curtained windows disappeared one by one, and the Dog Star leered at the throng of cowled, cloaked figures that poured silently from every doorway and formed monstrous processions up this street and that, past the creaking signs and antediluvian gables, the thatched roofs and diamond-paned windows; threading precipitous lanes where decaying houses overlapped and crumbled together, gliding across open courts and churchyards where the bobbing lanthorns made eldritch drunken constellations.
Amid these hushed throngs I followed my voiceless guides; jostled by elbows that seemed preternaturally soft, and pressed by chests and stomachs that seemed abnormally pulpy; but seeing never a face and hearing never a word. Up, up, up the eerie columns slithered, and I saw that all the travellers were converging as they flowed near a sort of focus of crazy alleys at the top of a high hill in the centre of the town, where perched a great white church. I had seen it from the road’s crest when I looked at Kingsport in the new dusk, and it had made me shiver because Aldebaran had seemed to balance itself a moment on the ghostly spire.
There was an open space around the church; partly a churchyard with spectral shafts, and partly a half-paved square swept nearly bare of snow by the wind, and lined with unwholesomely archaic houses having peaked roofs and overhanging gables. Death-fires danced over the tombs, revealing gruesome vistas, though queerly failing to cast any shadows. Past the churchyard, where there were no houses, I could see over the hill’s summit and watch the glimmer of stars on the harbour, though the town was invisible in the dark. Only once in a while a lanthorn bobbed horribly through serpentine alleys on its way to overtake the throng that was now slipping speechlessly into the church. I waited till the crowd had oozed into the black doorway, and till all the stragglers had followed. The old man was pulling at my sleeve, but I was determined to be the last. Then I finally went, the sinister man and the old spinning woman before me. Crossing the threshold into that swarming temple of unknown darkness, I turned once to look at the outside world as the churchyard phosphorescence cast a sickly glow on the hill-top pavement. And as I did so I shuddered. For though the wind had not left much snow, a few patches did remain on the path near the door; and in that fleeting backward look it seemed to my troubled eyes that they bore no mark of passing feet, not even mine.
The church was scarce lighted by all the lanthorns that had entered it, for most of the throng had already vanished. They had streamed up the aisle between the high white pews to the trap-door of the vaults which yawned loathsomely open just before the pulpit, and were now squirming noiselessly in. I followed dumbly down the footworn steps and into the dank, suffocating crypt. The tail of that sinuous line of night-marchers seemed very horrible, and as I saw them wriggling into a venerable tomb they seemed more horrible still. Then I noticed that the tomb’s floor had an aperture down which the throng was sliding, and in a moment we were all descending an ominous staircase of rough-hewn stone; a narrow spiral staircase damp and peculiarly odorous, that wound endlessly down into the bowels of the hill past monotonous walls of dripping stone blocks and crumbling mortar. It was a silent, shocking descent, and I observed after a horrible interval that the walls and steps were changing in nature, as if chiselled out of the solid rock. What mainly troubled me was that the myriad footfalls made no sound and set up no echoes. After more aeons of descent I saw some side passages or burrows leading from unknown recesses of blackness to this shaft of nighted mystery. Soon they became excessively numerous, like impious catacombs of nameless menace; and their pungent odour of decay grew quite unbearable. I knew we must have passed down through the mountain and beneath the earth of Kingsport itself, and I shivered that a town should be so aged and maggoty with subterraneous evil.
Then I saw the lurid shimmering of pale light, and heard the insidious lapping of sunless waters. Again I shivered, for I did not like the things that the night had brought, and wished bitterly that no forefather had summoned me to this primal rite. As the steps and the passage grew broader, I heard another sound, the thin, whining mockery of a feeble flute; and suddenly there spread out before me the boundless vista of an inner world—a vast fungous shore litten by a belching column of sick greenish flame and washed by a wide oily river that flowed from abysses frightful and unsuspected to join the blackest gulfs of immemorial ocean.
Fainting and gasping, I looked at that unhallowed Erebus of titan toadstools, leprous fire, and slimy water, and saw the cloaked throngs forming a semicircle around the blazing pillar. It was the Yule-rite, older than man and fated to survive him; the primal rite of the solstice and of spring’s promise beyond the snows; the rite of fire and evergreen, light and music. And in the Stygian grotto I saw them do the rite, and adore the sick pillar of flame, and throw into the water handfuls gouged out of the viscous vegetation which glittered green in the chlorotic glare. I saw this, and I saw something amorphously squatted far away from the light, piping noisomely on a flute; and as the thing piped I thought I heard noxious muffled flutterings in the foetid darkness where I could not see. But what frightened me most was that flaming column; spouting volcanically from depths profound and inconceivable, casting no shadows as healthy flame should, and coating the nitrous stone above with a nasty, venomous verdigris. For in all that seething combustion no warmth lay, but only the clamminess of death and corruption.
The man who had brought me now squirmed to a point directly beside the hideous flame, and made stiff ceremonial motions to the semicircle he faced. At certain stages of the ritual they did grovelling obeisance, especially when he held above his head that abhorrent Necronomicon he had taken with him; and I shared all the obeisances because I had been summoned to this festival by the writings of my forefathers. Then the old man made a signal to the half-seen flute-player in the darkness, which player thereupon changed its feeble drone to a scarce louder drone in another key; precipitating as it did so a horror unthinkable and unexpected. At this horror I sank nearly to the lichened earth, transfixed with a dread not of this nor any world, but only of the mad spaces between the stars.
Out of the unimaginable blackness beyond the gangrenous glare of that cold flame, out of the Tartarean leagues through which that oily river rolled uncanny, unheard, and unsuspected, there flopped rhythmically a horde of tame, trained, hybrid winged things that no sound eye could ever wholly grasp, or sound brain ever wholly remember. They were not altogether crows, nor moles, nor buzzards, nor ants, nor vampire bats, nor decomposed human beings; but something I cannot and must not recall. They flopped limply along, half with their webbed feet and half with their membraneous wings; and as they reached the throng of celebrants the cowled figures seized and mounted them, and rode off one by one along the reaches of that unlighted river, into pits and galleries of panic where poison springs feed frightful and undiscoverable cataracts.
The old spinning woman had gone with the throng, and the old man remained only because I had refused when he motioned me to seize an animal and ride like the rest. I saw when I staggered to my feet that the amorphous flute-player had rolled out of sight, but that two of the beasts were patiently standing by. As I hung back, the old man produced his stylus and tablet and wrote that he was the true deputy of my fathers who had founded the Yule worship in this ancient place; that it had been decreed I should come back, and that the most secret mysteries were yet to be performed. He wrote this in a very ancient hand, and when I still hesitated he pulled from his loose robe a seal ring and a watch, both with my family arms, to prove that he was what he said. But it was a hideous proof, because I knew from old papers that that watch had been buried with my great-great-great-great-grandfather in 1698.
Presently the old man drew back his hood and pointed to the family resemblance in his face, but I only shuddered, because I was sure that the face was merely a devilish waxen mask. The flopping animals were now scratching restlessly at the lichens, and I saw that the old man was nearly as restless himself. When one of the things began to waddle and edge away, he turned quickly to stop it; so that the suddenness of his motion dislodged the waxen mask from what should have been his head. And then, because that nightmare’s position barred me from the stone staircase down which we had come, I flung myself into the oily underground river that bubbled somewhere to the caves of the sea; flung myself into that putrescent juice of earth’s inner horrors before the madness of my screams could bring down upon me all the charnel legions these pest-gulfs might conceal.
At the hospital they told me I had been found half frozen in Kingsport Harbour at dawn, clinging to the drifting spar that accident sent to save me. They told me I had taken the wrong fork of the hill road the night before, and fallen over the cliffs at Orange Point; a thing they deduced from prints found in the snow. There was nothing I could say, because everything was wrong. Everything was wrong, with the broad window shewing a sea of roofs in which only about one in five was ancient, and the sound of trolleys and motors in the streets below. They insisted that this was Kingsport, and I could not deny it. When I went delirious at hearing that the hospital stood near the old churchyard on Central Hill, they sent me to St. Mary’s Hospital in Arkham, where I could have better care. I liked it there, for the doctors were broad-minded, and even lent me their influence in obtaining the carefully sheltered copy of Alhazred’s objectionable Necronomicon from the library of Miskatonic University. They said something about a “psychosis”, and agreed I had better get any harassing obsessions off my mind.
So I read again that hideous chapter, and shuddered doubly because it was indeed not new to me. I had seen it before, let footprints tell what they might; and where it was I had seen it were best forgotten. There was no one—in waking hours—who could remind me of it; but my dreams are filled with terror, because of phrases I dare not quote. I dare quote only one paragraph, put into such English as I can make from the awkward Low Latin.

“The nethermost caverns,” wrote the mad Arab, “are not for the fathoming of eyes that see; for their marvels are strange and terrific. Cursed the ground where dead thoughts live new and oddly bodied, and evil the mind that is held by no head. Wisely did Ibn Schacabao say, that happy is the tomb where no wizard hath lain, and happy the town at night whose wizards are all ashes. For it is of old rumour that the soul of the devil-bought hastes not from his charnel clay, but fats and instructs the very worm that gnaws; till out of corruption horrid life springs, and the dull scavengers of earth wax crafty to vex it and swell monstrous to plague it. Great holes secretly are digged where earth’s pores ought to suffice, and things have learnt to walk that ought to crawl.”

Creepmas - Christmas Scarols

2011-12-02T14:00:00.005-05:00

Sick and tired of listening to "The Christmas Shoes", "I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas", "Jingle Bell Rock" or Bruce Springsteen's "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town"? I know I am, so join me in over powering that garbage with some delightfully evil Creepmas Scarols...

Creepmas - Christmas Creeps - The Krampus

2011-12-02T12:00:00.006-05:00

To every Ying there must be a Yang...to every Light, a Darkness...to every reward, a punishment.

In Europe when Saint Nicholas visits to reward good children with gifts, he is trailed by the demonic Krampus - a throwback to the pagan Goat-Man and the bearded Old Man Winter. The Krampus was the partner that handled keeping the list of naughty and nice with St Nicholas rewarding the nice children. The Naughty children were dealt with by Krampus in the form of a whipping from his switch or for the worst offenders a ride in the cage on his back that ended in Hell.

While still a major factor in Kampus Night celebrations in Europe where costumed men scare children and adults alike the Krampus never made the leap to America with St Nicholas and was wiped out of the legend while Santa Claus was given the talent of "knowing if you've been bad or good"

In recent years the Krampus has seen a resurgence in his status and his legend is growing with the help of the Low Brow Art community and things like the 13 Days of Creepmas. Maybe one day we'll finally see a Krampus Christmas Special?

Creepmas - Rankin Bass How the Watchamacallit Saved Christmas

2011-12-02T09:00:00.003-05:00

It's a true holiday classic that seems to have gotten buried by Rankin Bass Productions....might be because of all the cursing...

okay no, it's not real it's my comic character the Watchamacallit in Rankin Bass style

The 13 Days of Creepmas - War of the Misers

2011-12-01T09:00:00.001-05:00

A joint venture between Rankin Bass and Toho studios in 1974 War of the Misers released in Japan as Miser Brothers: Heat vs Snow. It introduces two giant humanoids called The Miser Brothers, which spawned from the ancient titans of mythology and are described as brothers. The Red Brother is violent and savage, preying upon human beings; as he lives in a volcano, he is given the name Heat Miser. The Blue Brother is more docile and gentle; because he resides in the Japan Alps, he is called Snow Miser. The film follows the investigation and military engagements of these creatures until their climactic confrontation in Tokyo.

Several ambiguous references are made to previous Rankin Bass and Toho productions, such as the appearance of Santa's Castle, the main reference to the Toho series are the appearance of the military vehicles and weapons such as the Maser Cannon and the Markalites used to battle the Misers. War of the Misers features Hollywood actress Shirley Booth as the lead in Mrs Claus and Mickey Rooney reprising his role as Santa Claus.

The film itself is rather vague as to where (if at all) The War of the Misers falls in regard to the continuity of Toho's other kaiju films, or even if it should be considered a canonical part of the Godzilla series. In 2002's Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, however, specific reference to the Misers is made, indicating that (in this variation on Godzilla continuity, in any case) The War of the Misers is considered by Toho to be a legitimate part of the Godzilla universe.

The 13 Days of Creepmas - Day 1

2011-12-01T00:01:00.011-05:00

And here we go, The first day of out taking revenge of Christmas' encroaching on Halloween. Lets kick this off with a brief look at the Monsters enjoying the holiday...

1977 Gig Poster for the Riverbottom Nightmare Band

2011-11-30T23:56:00.000-05:00

Can you identify the bands playing with them?

Giant Monster Playset

2011-11-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

No, I'm not talking about the Godzilla vs The Tricephellon Monster playset...though that thing was cool. No I'm talking about Director Greg Pope's new movie which takes the concept of Sympathetic Magic - the belief that one thing or event can affect another at a distance as a consequence of a synchronistic connection between them, and applies it to the giant monster movie genre with Giant Monster Playset.

The film features a young boy named Collin (Finn Pope), who receives a mysterious package. Upon opening it, he innocently plays with its toy monster contents. Simultaneously a gigantic beast appears, bent on the destruction of his own small town. The boy’s older brother Martin (played by Asher Pope) discovers the connection between the two and realizes only he can stop it.

Here are the two Teaser Trailers for the film

Looks cool right, great concept and a great Green Gargantua vibe from the monster. If you want more information about the film you can check out the official website

And in the meantime you can buy the soundtrack for the film on CDbaby or iTunes after checking it our here

I know what's on my Creepmas list...Godzilla Puppets

2011-11-25T09:57:00.000-05:00

Just look at these puppets of Godzilla, Baragon and Gaira. Judging from the one video there appears to be puppets for a whole lot more of the Toho Kaiju then get featured. These had best find their way under my tree this year or headin' for the north pole with my brass knuckles.

Black Friday used to mean Godzilla

2011-11-25T09:00:00.001-05:00

Like my previous post about WWOR Channel 9 in the New York area showing King Kong and other giant ape movies on Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving that channel belonged to Godzilla. The movies would alternate slightly over the years but Godzilla vs the Thing, King Kong vs Godzilla and Godzilla vs Mecha Godzilla were always popular. I could post the trailers but we all know those movies, instead I'm gonna honor the King of the Monsters with the artwork appearing the past few months in Space Magazine Uchusen - a Japanese magazine covering sci-fi/fantasy in film and television.

Godzilla Raids Again

Monster Zero

Godzilla vs The Sea Monster

Son of Godzilla

Godzilla's Revenge

Destroy All Monsters

Godzilla vs The Smog Monster