Vintage Dracula composite bank

[Mord]

Exactly Craig,
                     They came pretty close to a Lugosi face, so maybe they figured they had better make it less so by painting the clothing differently in order to escape the legal wrath of Bela Jr?
                                                                                                            Regards ,
                                                                                                                           Mike

I was noticing that myself. The eyebrows, the hairline, the cleft...definitely Lugosi influenced.

[Monster Bob]

The sculptor was looking at the Aurora Dracula box. 

[mjaycox]

The sculptor was looking at the Aurora Dracula box. 

Bob-- correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the Mighty Monster Frankenstein ceramic bank the companion piece and 3rd piece to the Castle Dracula ceramic bank set?, (which also features the Wolfman and Dracula in poses based on the Aurora kits?) Or is it the companion piece to the Creepy Monster Dracula Bank?

Either way, I am missing the Mighty Monster bank and still actively on the search for one.

Matt

[mjaycox]

Here are the three banks I own.


Clearly all were inspired, in some way, by Aurora. The two on the left are inspired by the actual kits, in a nice little change of pace for 1960s monster iconography. The one on the right, by the box art.

They are among my favorite things. Some people say they are really rare, which I believe. Others say they are really common, and not particularly valuable, and likely just in end collections so they don't show up often... That latter theory doesn't hold much water with me (or nickels, as the case may be). Let me put it this way: I've seen alot more AHI Creature from the Black Lagoons than I have seen of the Wolfman bank.

I'm starting to think the "Mighty Monster" Frankenstein bootleg belongs with Creepy Monster Dracula, and NOT with the Castle Dracula set, as Kirk Hammet and other collectors would suggest. Nonetheless, it is an awesome piece. I wonder if the Castle Dracula set even HAS a Frankenstein representative..

Either way, these banks are awesome, and any collection is enriched by them. I was doing an internet search for pics of the Frank bank, and coincidentally enough, stumbled across two currently-active Ebay listings for the Dracula and Wolfman banks. I don't normally post active auctions, but these were too good not show. Plus I think the seller is a member here if I'm not mistaken, and would probably be glad of a boost in views.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-CASTLE-DRACULA-BANK-UNIVERSAL-MONSTERS-FRANKENSTEIN-SUPER-RARE-VAMPIRE-/111324501962?&_trksid=p2056016.m2518.l4276
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-WOLFMAN-CASTLE-DRACULA-BANK-UNIVERSAL-MONSTERS-FRANKENSTEIN-SUPER-RARE-/111324493640?&_trksid=p2056016.m2518.l4276

Best,

Matt