Author Posts

The Sweet Smell of Dracula

I couldn’t pass this up recently at a flea market, an early 80s Dracula air freshener and it glows in the dark (a total weakness for me). I’m not sure who thought Dracula = fresh smells but i’m a total sucker for this stuff. Because of me, they have to put that disclaimer.

1976 Ben Cooper Halloween Catalog

Ben Cooper was the leading manufacturer of Halloween costumes and Novelties in the United States during the 1970s. This extensive 1976 catalog really demonstrates the power house licenses they had from the Universal Monsters and Mickey Mouse, the Superheroes of both Marvel and DC to TV sensations like the Six Million Dollar Man and the […]

Atari Halloween

For some reason I didn’t add this page to the 1983 Collegeville Catalog when i did it and it only took me 7 years to figure that out. I can’t imagine the conversations when the designers were told tha they had to develop a costume for Asteroids but in the end, I can’t say I could do […]

Pencilstein!

I was elated this year to add another one of these oddball 70s pencil toppers to my collection. These things are totally copying the AHI Super Monsters but I’m not sure they’re licensed which makes them more appealing.  This year I found Frankenstein, which leaves only the Mummy and the awesome green Dracula to find. If […]

Costume Spotlight: Web Woman

I know it seems odd that I’m excited to own a girl’s Halloween costume but this is Web Woman, one of the seven of Filmation’s “Tarzan and the Super 7” fame that I’ve been obsessed with since i was 9. I’ve been looking for this costume for years and managed to get it for $20, […]

The 1975 Azrak Hamway Toy Catalog

In 1975, Azrak Hamway International (AHI) was a toy company on the move producing mainly, low cost rack toys bearing such hot licenses at the time such as Batman, Spider-Man, the Universal Monsters and Star Trek. It’s no surprise that the 1975 catalog is a real treasure trove for any 70s kids, there is so […]

Bendy Mummy meets the Bendy Wolfman

I’ve never blogged about these two, the jewels of my bendy collection, the Mummy (with card artwork swiped from the Aurora model) and the Wolfman! Not sure who this shirtless gentleman is but he’s no Lon Chaney Jr. Unless that money tree i planted blooms, this is the closest I’ll ever come to this lagoon […]

Monster Mania by Marx

Monsters seemed to have enjoyed a lot of popularity in the board game market, every year it seemed at least one company would put out a horror themed game of some kind. I can’t say I remember Monster Mania by Marx but i do dig it’s copyright infringing Frankenstein with rare neckbolts (most knock off […]

Squirtin’ Super Monsters

Over the years, I’ve waxed a good de about my desire to own these wonderful (and incredibly rare) creations by Azrak Hamway. Seeing them in their carded form (they were introduced in 1975, it seems) only exacerbates the issue. I’d love to own a carded Creature or Frankenstein one day but I am not sure […]