Official Universal Movie Monsters (Remco, 1979) PART ONE

 

In 1979, Remco issued Universal Monsters figures in two scales.  One was the 3.75-inch, 5-points-of-articulation variety, very much like Kenner's flagship Star Wars line.  These came in regular and glow-in-the-dark variety, and fit right in with your Star Wars/Adventure People...adventures.  These were super-cool in their own right, and we will cover them another day.

Today, however, we are interested in the second variety, which were 9-inch figures in cloth outfits, more akin to Mego's World's Greatest Superheroes line.  These had hands and faces that glowed in the dark, and included a cool and ingenious action feature that allowed their raised arms to grasp (or crush) their prey, by pushing down on a hidden button in their backs.  This is named "Monster-Crush Action" on the back of their boxes!

I am lucky enough to have my originals from childhood.  I've said this before around here, but the big Universal monster fan in my house was actually my mother, and she is the reason I have these things, and that they survived! There were actually six figures produced.  I never had the other two--Phantom of the Opera and the Creature From the Black Lagoon--but unfortunately, neither did most kids.  They were later additions, I believe, and were rare even back then, and as such are mega-rare today.  I know my own mom loved the Wish Book Christmas catalog sets and multi-packs for their convenience, and I'm sure that the original four must have been available that way.

First up, in no particular order, is the Frankenstein Monster.  (Points to Remco for adding the small "Monster" under FRANKENSTEIN on the box.)  In short, they couldn't have done a better job.  You can't really see this in the photos, but he even has an olive green shirt under his jacket.  

He has just the right amount of menace, and big clunky boots to complete the look.

Also, the grasping action feature seems to be the very best-suited for him.  Both of Remco's lines had a special accessory that was most suited to the Frankenstein Monster, which we will see momentarily.

Next up is Dracula.  He is sort of the deluxe figure of the group, because he has a fancy, two-sided cape, and a printed undershirt, which is kind of a clever way to depict extra details.

I was never a huge fan of his face, but then again, this was back in the days when the legalities of using the Lugosi likeness weren't worked out.  He's just a little bit too cartoony.  He has the only human face in the line, which may have something to do with it.

His cape is held to his wrists by two elastic loops, which is a nice touch but hinders the posability a bit.

We will look at the last two figures next time, but right now, let's take a look at the awesome MONSTERIZER, which was an accessory as well as a playset!

This awesome piece of equipment condenses the whole Frankenstein lab into one piece! I mean, look at this thing.  Glow-in-the-dark poles, wires and gauges...it's the perfect addition to the line (there was a four-inch scale version of it too)!

When you turned the crank, it made an ominous and spooky sound, causing the platform to extend and the cage to open.  You would then use the restraints to hold down the monster of your choice.

Turning the crank the other way slid your figure into the machine, as the top came down.  Then the fun began--holding down the large black button caused grinding electrical sounds to be heard, as the bight, flashing light did its work of energizing the monster of your choice with its power! The lightening was harnessed, and you were tampering in God's domain.

Of course, this was a super-fun way to utilize the glow-in-the-dark features as well, which meant you could use it on any of the figures!

Although these are quite rare, a boxed example actually turned up on Ebay this very week, and I can't resist sharing what the mega-rare box looked like.  Note the prototype used for the photos too, which is fun:

Seeing a Service Merchandise price tag makes my squeal with excitement, in ways the 21st century just can't supply.  Do I need professional help?

Next time, we will look at my other two figures, as well as some special (and very valuable) pack-in bonuses that were included with them!