Burger King Universal Monsters 1997

Sometimes a fast food premium or series comes along and it is so awesome it transcends it's meager 'free with food purchase' beginnings and becomes something of a legend amongst collectors. The DC Superhero Looney Tunes, Muppet Babies with ride-ons, transforming fast-foodstuffs, Deiner space aliens, and so many others are true great toys and not simply free trash that shuts the kids up for five seconds and then ends up clogging a landfill or choking a sea turtle.

The Universal Monsters from Burger King are such toys. I have known about these for years due to other collectors talking about how great they are, but honestly I've not experienced these two up close until now, and had not realized before today that they came in coffins/crates with a lever on the side for the monsters to rise from the dead and kill you in your sleep. HOW COOL IS THAT?!?!

I found Dracula and Wolfman at a garage sale this weekend, and got them for fifty cents each! Complete with their crypts! I actually once had the water squirting Creature from the Black Lagoon but I don't believe I do so anymore. I do have the Frankenstein's Monster hanging around Toyriffic Central, which was given to me by Space Mason of D.I. Treasures, but he doesn't have his 'base' (which was a table with a light in it to light up his translucent noggin) - unfortunately I didn't have him on hand for the photo shoot.

The thing that makes these guys stand the test of time and elicit so much joy and praise from toy fans is that they are as good of a five point of articulation 3 3/4" action figure as you are going to find on any toy store shelf (some might even argue that they are better than many). They are classically designed and well detailed. Dracula's skin even glows in the dark!

Not to mention the coffin. It's gorgeous. I want to be buried in a coffin exactly like this, except it can say BubbaShelby instead of Dracula across the front.

Each figure pops up and the lid flies off or the doors fly open when you turn a lever on the side of the box. The figures are also removable and can pop on and off the base for playtime fun!

Obviously Dracula was, well, obvious...when I found him in his coffin at the garage sale. But I wasn't sure who was hiding in this crate when I found it (I first assumed Frankenstein's Monster. I was wrong.)

Aw yeah Wolfman! My favorite classic Universal Monster! I love this figure and his rickety crate. There's even a little pop-up tab that has a sticker with a glow-in-the-dark moon on it that rises when Wolfman comes out of the crate!

The doors of the crate are a little snug, but I suppose when you have a werewolf in a box you want those doors to hold tight!

I can't believe it took me almost twenty years to find, and find out, how groovy these ghoulies are! I can't wait for Halloween!

Harleyween Quinndown 2012 Part 5 :: Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!!!!!

Before I get to the 'big reveal' you've all been waiting for, I just wanted to thank everyone for stopping by throughout this year's Countdown. Whether you're a new reader or a seasoned Toyruffian, I hope you found something to entertain you and that you come back during the rest of the year (especially November (my birthday month) and December (Christmas) which both mean lots of new toys!) to read my insane ramblings.

Speaking of insanity, all my Universal Monsters TMNT figures (joined by a couple spare Slash figures who are now zombie minions of Bride of Frankenstein April!) wanted to see you all off in style...

'Y'all come back now, y'hear?'

And now, for the moment you've all been waiting for...I once again turn the blog over to Miss Kiss herself:

"So I went outside on this lovely fall day to take this final picture for all you wonderful people....just as a very little boy and his mother (?) come around to deliver the papers. And when heading back inside, my Neighbour walks by with her dog. So Harley was out and about to scandalize the block once again! Ha! Enjoy! And I hope you all have a fantastic Harley-Ween full of belly aches from too much candy and restless sleeps from too many horror flicks!

xxmiss kissxx"

Wowzers.

Once again, a million billion trillion thanks to Miss Kiss for sharing her costume and creation process with us all. She is no doubt in the Great Pumpkin's good graces for all eternity!

And a Happy Halloween to everyone!

Harleyween Quinndown 2012 Part 1
Harleyween Quinndown 2012 Part 2
Harleyween Quinndown 2012 Part 3
Harleyween Quinndown 2012 Part 4

And don't forget to follow Miss Kiss on Facebook! 

Invisible Mikey and Metaluna Raph :: Countdown to Halloween 2012

After reviewing all of Series 1 and one figure from Series 2, I just couldn't let 2012's Countdown to Halloween end without picking up more of the Universal Monsters TMNT that I still needed. So I snagged Michaelangelo and Raphael for a really good deal on eBay, both mint on card (which didn't last!)

I now only need Leonardo as The Creature from the Black Lagoon to complete the collection! But on with what I do have:

I'm not generally concerned with 'complete' TMNT figures. They came with so many accessories and were an unabashed 'kids' line (as opposed to modern day 'collector' aimed toylines) so for the most part the only way to find them complete is to find them mint on card. That of course means they are a few to quite a few bucks more than a loose version, and most TMNT figures are easy to find loose and cheap.

But sometimes I have to break with tradition because an accessory is an absolute 'must' - integral to the character/version etc. In Invisible Man Michaelangelo's case, that accessory would be his bandaged face mask. Such a pivotal part of the Invisible Man characterization, a loose IM Mike without a mask would simply not have sufficed.

 "ARRRGH! AAACKKK! OOOOG!"

 "TAA-DAAAAAAA!!!! Now for my next trick, I'll eat a pizza in half."

But mask aside, IM Michaelangelo is pretty spectacular in that he actually has 'invisible' parts! A hand, a foot, and his whole head...

 - which sports a painted on bandana for extra invisible Turtle effect!

Series 2 lacks Series 1's 'glow-in'the-dark' gimmick, but Mikey's invisible bits more than make up for it.

And as per my silly 'realism within the genre' fetish, an Invisible Man Michaelangelo could actually be canon. Maybe Don created a potion for ninja stealth purposes and Mike drank it on accident and voila! Invisible Turtle!

IM Mike is definitely a high point in the Universal Monsters TMNT series', and in the whole TMNT line itself!

I also obtained Metaluna Mutant Raphael (or 'The Mutant Raphael' as the packaging depicts with no sense of irony) this time around. Raphael is my favorite Turtle, and even though I own everything from a Troll Raph to a Toddler Raph, Metaluna Mutant Raph is the wackiest Raph yet.

Still, this version of Raphael could be canon. Krang zaps Raphael with some sort of space ray and Bob's your uncle: Space Mutant Raph!

 Ok, maybe not, but that scenario is far more likely than a mummy Raph!

Although I thought I would like this one a lot, he comes across as sort of 'plain.' I suppose it's because Series 1 all have glowing bits and Mikey up there has neat invisible bits. I do like the hot pink weapons, very 'nineties' of course but fitting for such an oddball alien version of my fave Turtle.

So now all that's left is to track down a Black Lagoon Leo for a good price, which I'm confident will happen sooner or later. Until then...stay spooky, because Halloween is only four days away!

Bride of Frankenstein April :: Countdown to Halloween 2012

"Wait, does this mean I'm marrying Michelangelo?!?!"

Bride of Frankenstein April O'Neil was actually part of the second wave of TMNT/Universal Monsters figures. She's the only one I have from that series, but I hope to someday rectify that issue! Other figures in the series were Invisible Man Michelangelo, Creature from the Black Lagoon Leonardo, and Metaluna Mutant Raphael. Yeah, they hit the bottom of the barrel on that one. Which probably explains why there wasn't a Donatello in the second series. Still, they are all pretty neat looking and I hope to gather them all together someday soon - maybe by next Halloween?

April here doesn't glow in the dark at all, like the series one figures, unfortunately. But she did come with a lot of themed accessories, including a can of 'scare spray' to keep that 'do in check.

She also came with a trading card and she (and/or the series one turtles) all came with a discount coupon to Universal Studios, which I added to the shot for posterity's sake. It expired in 1995.

Interesting that they made her hair black instead of red. Not sure why they went that way, except that maybe a huge red bouffant looked even more ridiculous than she already does.

Thus concludes my collection of TMNT/Universal Monster figures (EDIT: Not true, I was able to procure two of the three I needed, tune in later this month to find out who!)

And tune in tomorrow for more creepy goodness as Countdown to Halloween 2012 trudges on through the fog!

Frankenstein's Michaelangelo :: Countdown to Halloween 2012

"RRraanngggnnggRRaannggGGrraaannNNaaaGGHH...dudes!"

Okay, now this is just too ridiculous! Michaelangelo as Frankenstein's Monster.

Maybe this could happen if Krang kidnapped Mikey and forced him to undergo some sort of brain transfer experiment or something with...aw who am I kidding. This one is just silly.

Silly but fun. Frankenstein's Michaelangelo comes with an ankle shackle stuck to as piece of wall, a torch, a bubbling vial and a bolt/chain nunchaku.

"Frrrieeennnd? Piiizzzaaa? Bosssannnoooovvvvaaaa?"

His eyes, teeth, nails stitches and bolts all glow.

Donatello Dracula ::Countdown to Halloween 2012

"I vant to suuuck your pepperoooooniiii...wait, that didn't come out right..."

Donatello Dracula. Okay, unlike yesterday's Wolfman Leonardo, this one is a bit of a stretch. Still, I suppose Donatello could have been bitten by a vampire and turned into one himself, right?

Although I doubt, if he had, he would have dressed himself up so silly. Hey, at least he doesn't sparkle.

Donatello Dracula came with a vampire amulet (for you to wear!) a pet bat that hangs out on his wrist, a wooden stake and a staff with bat blades on the ends. His fangs, nails, eyes and white shirt glow.

Where's Buffy when you need her?

Wolfman Leonardo :: Countdown to Halloween 2012

AROOOOOOOOOO! Werewolves of...the New York sewer system!

This is Wolfman Leonardo, part of the first TMNT/Universal Monsters Mash-up series (there were two series, for those of you keeping score) that we'll be looking at all this week! I have all of Series one and one from Series two to share with you, five figures in all. SPOOKY!

Wolfman Leo is my second favorite from series one. I like the fact that, as ridiculous as these figures are, this could actually happen - Leonardo could be changed into a werewolf just like anybody else, right? So this figure fits just fine into normal Turtle continuity in my eyes.

I received all these figures in a trade with jboy of Revenge From the Cosmic Ark, and I believe they are all complete. Wolfman Leo comes with some sort of dog headed bone stick (a chew toy maybe?), a bone handled sword, a trap and a gun - I really like the fact that not only do these figures come with themed weapons based on their monsterous appearance, but they also come with weapons to defeat them (one hopes the gun is loaded with silver bullets!)

Another thing that makes these toys tops is that they have glow-in-the-dark paint apps! Wolfturtle has a glow-in-the-dark shirt and claws/teeth/eyes. GROWL, daddy-o!

Tune in for more Universal Monsters/TMNT all this week...unless you are too scared!

Upcoming Lego Themes!

I've already reported about the upcoming Lord of the Rings themed Lego sets, and we all know about the Avengers themed sets due for release this summer (when the big blockbuster hits I assume,) but I was quite pleasantly surprised to learn about Universal Monsters themed sets coming soon!

EDIT: Actually, it appears these will be part of a new series called 'Monster Fighters,' and sound like they will be a Monster themed Ninjago-esque series. Cool!

And here's your first look at the Fellowship of the Ring. These look like so much fun!

Finally here's The Incredible Hulk and Captain America from the Avengers releases coming this year. The thought of Marvel vs. DC battles that can be created and waged in Lego form has me all giddy!

Info from London's Toy Fair 2012 via That Figures via ComicBookMovie.com