Show us your pedigree!

[dlhenderson]

Dare I open THIS can of worms?
I have lamented not having any photos of my monster material from the boomer days. Recently I was going through some slides taken by my older brother back in the day. Happily I found a couple of shots of said monster stuff. This is my desktop around '65 or so. The color shot shows from left to right:
- Yours truly doing his homework.
- Big Frankie helpin' me out.
- Aurora Frankenstein.
- a few jigglers
- a Remco Herman Munster.
- difficult to see jiggly bat and skeleton (on the lamp).
- a wax skull candle.
- and a Creeple Person.

In the second pic you can see the gorilla jiggler and the Herman Munster more clearly. Also two Big Daddy Roth kits (Surf Fink and Mr. Gasser). Also visible is one of the set of promo posters from NBC for their Fall line-up. In this case, I Spy.
Oh, and also one of those unfortunate stuffed little alligators, and a fortune-telling 8 Ball.
So, chime in with those vintage pics folks!

[Anton Phibes]

I was born 1970, dad was a 60's monster kid (mom and dad married at 15!!!!) Note the AHI's, Stretch Armstrong, Kenner Alien, etc. Those were the days. Last pic is my room at halloween time.  All the pics I have as we moved alot.....

[Scatter]

These pics are great!! Man, I have NOTHING........NOTHING from back then. Very messy parental divorce, left the State with mom in the middle of the night to get away from some pretty dangerous situations. Left SO much behind.

[dlhenderson]

Most things get away from us, Scatter. That's for sure. At least you have the memory file.
Nice pics, Anton...

[raycastile]

I was born 1970, dad was a 60's monster kid (mom and dad married at 15!!!!) Note the AHI's, Stretch Armstrong, Kenner Alien, etc. Those were the days. Last pic is my room at halloween time.  All the pics I have as we moved alot.....

I like this picture because it adds to our understanding of AHI monster history.  All four of those are what I call "style C" cards, or "third series."  These are the ones that do not have the AHI logo.  They have Dracula pictured on the front.  Some people speculate that AHI did not really make these, or that they were foreign issues, or that they came out in the 80s, and other urban legends.  Obviously, they are U.S. issues from the 1970s.  This photo proves it.  Do you know what year this photo was taken?  My guess is 1979.

[michblk]

Sweet Anton, you were spoiled!  Lol

BK

[Anton Phibes]

I like this picture because it adds to our understanding of AHI monster history.  All four of those are what I call "style C" cards, or "third series."  These are the ones that do not have the AHI logo.  They have Dracula pictured on the front.  Some people speculate that AHI did not really make these, or that they were foreign issues, or that they came out in the 80s, and other urban legends.  Obviously, they are U.S. issues from the 1970s.  This photo proves it.  Do you know what year this photo was taken?  My guess is 1979.

You are right on with the date Ray.  I was 9 years old and living in California at the time. Star Trek the Motion Picture and Alien were both new and relativley successful, and the Universal Monsters were bought at a local pharmacy by my dad. They are definitely AHI's.  Dad made me a graveyard for them.  He took a tray from an old Monopoly game and painted it it black. Made ground out of modeling clay and real dirt.  Took a tree branch and coated it to make a Wolfman tree. Made a Mummy sarcophagus and Dracula Coffin out of cigarette cartons.  Cut a gate and tombstones from cardboard and painted them all up with classic actor's names and dates of birth and death.  I loved that thing.

Now, I make little dioramas similar to those for my 9 year old.  But they usually consist of Camp Crystal/ lake woodsy areas as he is more into the whole Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street arena. One day he'll appreciate the fine wine that is Universl Monster though.  I just know it.

[Anton Phibes]

Sweet Anton, you were spoiled!  Lol

BK

During the time we lived in California I was.  When we moved back to ohio it was pure hell for years.  Unemployment for dad, mom and dad's marriage hit the roughest point in their history, and I got into a lot of fights just to survive living in the ghetto. But here I am approaching 40 and came through relatively unscathed.

[ChattyLMS]

Hi Dr Phibes!
I don't, maybe you were "scathed"?  You turned out to be a real monster.  Ok that was a horrible joke about a horrible situation.  Well my friend, You can be very proud of your resiliency, courage, and strength among many other good qualities.  You are one in a million!

[Wich2]

Great thread, guys!

Here's one I've posted big, as it's only an average snapshot, & I thought a game might be fun -



This my kidhood desk. How many '60's/'70's genre things can you find in the clutter (that's how The Wife describes it, anyway...)?

I'll start with one of the most difficult: on the top right, on the wall, is the bottom left corner of the old Spencer Gifts b & poster of Bela as Drac, coming down the stairs with cape held high!

Good luck,
-Craig W.

[Trap-Door Maker]

This doesn't show any of my old stuff, but here are a few of my childhood drawings. I guess that I've always had monsters on the brain. I'm quite fond of "Drasla"







http://www.neckboltpublishing.com

[ChattyLMS]

Those are such cute pictures, Trap!  I really like them!

[dlhenderson]

Yes, I see evidence of pedigree there, Craig.
Aurora Frank, Hunchback, Phantom (hiding there me thinks), and Drac.
Oh, and a nice albino magnetic flashlight up top and some historic smiley faces down below!

Those are fun "kidrawings", Trap-Door. That threatens to open another proverbial can of jiggly worms!
I've got plenty of ammo...

[monsterphile]

Craig is that an Avon bottle train?  and the plane too maybe?

Rob

[Wich2]

"Aurora Frank, Hunchback, Phantom (hiding there me thinks), and Drac."

Bingo, DH - but there's one more Aurora there, too... (by the way, mine were all Glow era.)

"a nice albino magnetic flashlight up top and some historic smiley faces down below!"

Ray-O-Vac flash, I think; and the smileys (on top of a stack of Silver-Age comics) were stickers, I believe.

"Craig is that an Avon bottle train?  and the plane too maybe?"

Rob, the train was indeed Avon; but the Snoopy plane (see the doghouse base?) was a model (Snap-Tite, I think.)

There's more kid fun there - including, among the books...

Best,
-Craig