hello monsters mine was frankenstein.. my dad took me to a small hobby hardware store on milwaukee ave and fullerton ave...in chicago........love at 1st site to see so many kits on a shelf........and yes i still have it ...were you say on my sons shelf in his bedroom.........priceless..........big j..........
My first monster model was the Aurora glow in the dark version of Godzilla.
I had glow versions of Godzilla and King Kong and a bunch of the Prehistoric Scenes, but I don't remember which one was done first.
They are awaiting restoration. Someday...
Rob
I think mine was the Creature - 70's square glow box. Around the same time I got Godzilla and Wolfman, so I'm not totally sure which came first - but I definitely liked the Creature best. I will never forget building those with my dad.
Mine was the original Frankenstein. I was 5 so my Dad helped me build it. When I saw that Bama artwork on the box I was hooked!
My first monster model kit was DRACULA. Ah the memories. I can still smell the enamel paints and the glue. Mom reminding me to make sure I keep everything on the newspaper. Great times. David
Thin box Frankenstein.
Mine was the long box Franky. I must have been 5 or 6...i built it w/no assistance and did pretty well up until it was time to glue on the head. For whatever reason i decided it needed way more glue than the other parts did. [this was the gool old fashioned toxic stuff] I finished it just before going to bed and when i eagerly got up the next morning to admire my handiwork i noticed Franky's head had completely sunken into his chest due to the melting effect of too much glue... Luckily my older brother helped me with my second attempt and i still have it to this day.
Definitely one of the Aurora square boxed ones. Probably Frankenstein, Dracula or Wolf Man, can't remember which one.
Mike
Aurora Franky here. And then all the others. I was hooked!!!
Well, this is going to date me. :o
All were long box Aurora kits.
Frankenstein was the first, followed by Dracula, then King Kong, and then the Wolfman.
I was in the fifth grade and I recall paying less than a dollar for each. Testors pla enamel was 10 to 15 cents per bottle and adding a couple of dime brushes and a tube of model cement, I was investing almost all of my lawnmowing/dog walking/babysitting money.
In Later I added a guillotine, the Phantom of the Opera, Creature from the Back Lagoon, and Dr Jekyll, not to forget the Forgotten Prisoner of Castle Mare.
By the time I was in the 7th grade,I had added the entire line of knights in Armor from Aurora.
Those guys made the best kits.
Not a monster kit but a human body that you could see through and take the parts out put them back. I wait! I did a model of a human heart and how it pumped blood through the body. Cool, but neither were scary. I eventually put a model of the human head together. That was cool!
Quote from: ChattyLMS on June 04, 2009, 02:01:38 PM
Not a monster kit but a human body that you could see through and take the parts out put them back.
You mean this:
http://www.vintagetoys.com/toy/forsale/classified/107?imgdisplay=1 (http://www.vintagetoys.com/toy/forsale/classified/107?imgdisplay=1)
I had it too. There was also a cow and a dog, I beleive.
My first was a long box creature. I had most of the aurora monsters in original and glow versions, but they didn't make the move when we switched houses.
The other two models I remember having were Lindy Loonies "Road Hog" and one of the 2-piece + hair lindberg monsters.
Mine was the long box Aurora Frankenstein too but I didn't have glue or paint to put it together. I used rubber bands! I can't remember what happened to that kit. Looking back, my attention span must have been less than two minutes.
My first model kit was the MPC Barnabas Collins. (1969)
Quote from: OldTimey on June 04, 2009, 03:56:08 PM
My first model kit was the MPC Barnabas Collins. (1969)
You know, I'm glad you posted this, because I could have sworn I had a Barnabus model kit but wondered if I had just dreamed it up!
The only thing that survived all these years re: Dark Shadows are some of the paperback books I collected back then.
Mike
The square box "glow" Wolfman.
I may be splitting hairs, but the Prehistoric Scenes sabre-tooth tiger came along first.
The Wolfman 70's glow kit.. and that nifty orange smelling glue....:)
Quote from: Illoman on June 04, 2009, 03:58:12 PM
You know, I'm glad you posted this, because I could have sworn I had a Barnabus model kit but wondered if I had just dreamed it up!
The only thing that survived all these years re: Dark Shadows are some of the paperback books I collected back then.
Mike
I was barely five years old when I saw that kit on the shelf at Gaylords, I just had to have it. Dark shadows was the first show that ever scared me, it introduced me to the horror genre. It was from that show that I learned that being scared could be fun. Barnabas was the first vampire I ever knew about. My love of monsters began with Dark Shadows.
There's a beautiful factory sealed kit on Ebay right now. This is my holy grail. I hope I can pick one up some day.
Ebay Item number: 400049320197
Here's a comic book ad for the Barnabas & Werewolf kits.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v708/jcmetalcoven/barnabas.jpg?t=1244152838 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v708/jcmetalcoven/barnabas.jpg?t=1244152838)
QuoteYou mean this:
http://www.vintagetoys.com/toy/forsale/classified/107?imgdisplay=1 (http://www.vintagetoys.com/toy/forsale/classified/107?imgdisplay=1)
That's the one!
Long box Aurora Frankenstein. . . Not only my first monster model, but my first model kit!
It was less than a buck, and my scrounging for bottles in the neighborhood quickly assumed a new level of intensity and purpose. I soon had Dracula, the Wolf Man, and--if memory serves--the Mummy. . .
Good times. . .
Long box Dracula.
As I'm sure I've mentioned in the past, models were not a part of my childhood so my first ever kit was actually the El Baron resin kit from Ultratumba, done just last year. (Ah... what memories...lol)
(http://www.collectiondx.com/gallery2/gallery/d/427487-3/P9288674.jpg)
I decided to add a little glow to it. That always helps...
(http://www.collectiondx.com/gallery2/gallery/d/427493-3/P9288684.jpg)
I just got the new Revell re-issues of Frankenstein and Dracula so I'll be trying my first plastic kits soon too... Then, glow Big Frankie after that.
My first model was the Aurora 'Forgotten Prisoner', a week later I bought 'Creature from the Black Lagoon' and a life sized 'Human Skull'. Not sure what order I got the other models. My brother and his friend blew up all my TV spaceship models with firecrackers. Thankfully all the monsters were left untouched.
My first model was definitely an Aurora, probably the Creature.
First Aurora Monster Model was Frankenstein and I was hooked...I eventually got them all as they were being released for the first time in the 60s' ...My all time Favorite that I still have today is the Addams Family Haunted House...I still have an Original one MIB...
Mcdee
My first model was very likely the Allosaurus from the Prehistoric Scenes line. You can see the box in this pic:
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2125/2070749527_9cf7636787.jpg?v=0)
The only two monster models I ever had were the Glow versions of the Wolf Man and the Forgotten Prisoner of Castlemare. I ended up getting almost all of the Prehistoric models.
George
The original Aurora Frankenstein was definitely my first. When I look at my 90's repro, it still makes me very nostalgic for the monsters of my childhood.
I built several around the same time, not sure which came first.
Blackbeard
Capt Kidd
Wolf Man
Frankenstein
The Phantom (Revell - The Ghost Who Walks, not Opera)
Flash Gordon (Revell)
1 Glow Wolfman 2 Glow Hunchback 3 Glow Creature 4 Glow Prisoner
I can remember getting a color add for the Monster Scenes in a few kits and getting all turned on by the Vampirella and Victim illustrations-lol.
This is a great place to post this photo again...
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c346/JimBertges/MODELS.jpg)
These are most of my original Auroras, circa 1966. My first was Frankenstein and he's the only original one I have left. All the others went to Goodwill when I moved to Los Angeles.
Jim, that pic is too cool. What a blast from your past. Very cool. ;D
original Aurora Frankenstein was my first, too~
My first kit was the Aurora monsters of the Movies Rodan that built back in 75 and still have it to this day. :)
My first model was given to me already built. The Aurora Mummy. The first kit I built myself was the Aurora Frankenstein and I still somehow have them as well as all the original Aurora monster models.
Glow Box Mummy, Then a week or two later, Glow Godzilla.
Glow Wolf Man, as a for-no-special-reason-at-all surprise. Birthday a month or so later, Glow Mummy. Then a Phantom for Christmas.
I was too young to build them entirely by myself (I could hold parts together and follow the instructions but my older brother did the gluing).
Never lost the feeling and had them all growing up, and quite a few of each over time.
I also recall a Rodan and Ghidra (both MOTM?), but they are lost to time.
Mike C.
The first one i ever picked out (mommy bought it for me :D ), built, and painted all on my own was Godzilla.
Man, did i ever love that model!!!!
Mine was the longbox Frankenstein. Got all the rest after that as they came out. Only ones I never got were the Munsters, KK Thronester and Godzilla GoCart. Sadly I sold them all at my Aunt's garage sale when I was 18. I think I got less than $20 for them all at the time but thought I was rich then!!! Sure has cost me a lot more to replace them!!!!
Steve
Probably the Prehistoric Scenes Sabre-Toothed Tiger. My folks bought it for 50 cents. To this day it's been my favorite prehistoric animal.
The "Glow" Wolf Man was the first proper monster kit I built.
Hello to all humans - My first monster kit I built was the Frankenstein square box from a toy store called 'Karl's Toys' here in Ca.
As a short story go's in my teens I had all the square box monster kits ( glow ) displayed - on day my brother and I had huge
fight and Phil ( my bro ) walked in to my room and destroyed all my kits to get even w/ me - I can remember it like yesterday -
funny thing is that till this day I have never let him forget what he did to me and my monsters and I tell him he owes me new
monster kits - ha.. and yes during the years I have replaced all my square box glow monster kits..
You all have a GREAT day and stay kool w/ your family - ha ...
Royman..
Long box Frank. What memories!
One of my very earliest memories is of my Mom and I building the Aurora Glow square-box King Kong kit, probably in the late 60's, in Miller, IN, in our house on Miami Street. I remember her helping me put parts together, I couldn't have been older than 4. One of my favorite memories of Mom! RIP
Godzilla. At age 5 in 1972. Glow kit. Turns out the big guy was my 19 year old sister's fave and she got him for me--she built it and I held some parts as the glue dripped, er, dried. I recall we used Duco cement!
But my faves were the other monsters. Never had Frankie back then, but my only real fondness for Godzilla comes from the kit experience.
Have built 2 reissue Aurora Revell dinos with my son in the past 4 months (he's only a month into age 4), and he is begging me to do a Revell issue F'stein that justarrived in the mail. We'll be doing this up tonight!
frankenstein. also built dracula, mummy, wolfman, creature - square box glow versions (painted all). as an adult, did all of those but creature... plus the phantom of the opera and kong (luminators). we moved, so they are all in a box, still surprisingly intact.
i also built a slew of cars, tanks, ships, planes... not a lot of any category but altogether a bunch. and most comic scenes except never found cap and robin. such was the availability of models in rural south texas in the 70s.
i have so much stuff stockpiled for myself - or really the kids - to build. i did build an enclosed and lighted model workbench to work in. mostly to keep the animals out...
Glow Phantom was my first Aurora. I think I was six. Aaah the good old days.
It was the longbox Aurora Dracula. I remember building and painting it as best a 6yr old could do, and then proudly showing it to my cousin (several years older). He said it looked great but needed more blood.....and proceeded to dip a paint brush in the Testor's Gloss Red Enamel and 'blotch' it all over my Dracula! Ahhhh...fond memories!!!! I eventually bought all of the monster kits (except Forgotten Prisoner because he was not a 'real' monster).
I believe the first model I built was the Bachmann Birds of the World Owl kit. I loved those Bachmann animal kits...especially the bird series.
For many years, I thought it was the Aurora long box Frankenstein. My mom had bought me the kit and showed me how to put it together. I went on to buy and build most of the rest of the Aurora kits.
In 1999, my mom had by then developed one of the dementia diseases. I had taken her out of the nursing home for lunch and a movie and we were walking through Toys R Us and saw the reissued Aurora long box kits. My mom remembered how she showed me how to build the kit and all the kits I had built since then and it was then that I returned to kit building. Before she passed away, I'd take pictures of the kits I was building and it would take her and I back to better times.
When I had purchased one of the Aurora books, I saw the Aurora Sailor and knew I had won that years ago on a local childrens TV show, Skipper Ryle in Cincinnati, Ohio. My mom and I were in town visiting relatives and she had gotten me a ticket to be on the show. I don't remember why I won it but I did and can't remember if I won it after I had built Franky or not.
Michael
My first kit was Frankenstein and I to was hooked.I coudn't get enough of monsters.Waiting for the next copy of Famous Monsters of Filmland to come out,watching Chiller Theater on WPIX chan.11 NYC Sat nights.Also buying monster flip cards,anything monster.I'm so glad that there is a army of fellow monster lovers out there.I now know that I am not the only 55 year old still buying and building models.This is my first post and as soon as I get the hang of it I'll share some of my photos.
Back in 1967 when I was 5 years old I built Frankenstein (non glow) on my own. I put his hands upside down (I couldn't read instructions- I'm still not good at reading them-lol) and I painted his flesh copper and his shirt metallic green! I still have an arm left!
Quote from: Fester on June 04, 2009, 01:03:15 PM
Well, this is going to date me. :o
All were long box Aurora kits.
Frankenstein was the first, followed by Dracula, then King Kong, and then the Wolfman.
I was in the fifth grade and I recall paying less than a dollar for each. Testors pla enamel was 10 to 15 cents per bottle and adding a couple of dime brushes and a tube of model cement, I was investing almost all of my lawnmowing/dog walking/babysitting money.
In Later I added a guillotine, the Phantom of the Opera, Creature from the Back Lagoon, and Dr Jekyll, not to forget the Forgotten Prisoner of Castle Mare.
I was also in fifth grade in 1961-1962 which were the years when Aurora issued the Frankenstein kit and then in 1962 the Dracula and Wolf Man kits.
:)
Aurora Frankenstein.
JP
Same here. Aurora Frankenstein.
Aurora Frankenstein for me too- Roughly 1965 or so.
RF
Aurora itself was a bit before my time. Monogram Luminator Frankenstein was my first.
I first built a kit around 1996 or 97 and it was the Hunchback. I remember gluing the legs on backwards, lol, then trying to fix it the next day.
Definitely an Aurora glow. I remember carrying around a paper bag of parts as a very little kid trying to scare away spiders on the ceiling.. I know I had Godzilla, Dracula, Monster of the movies Ghidorah & Rodan for sure. So it was around 1975. Fond memories of Duco cement glue.
Quote from: Gojirafan on July 17, 2020, 01:43:42 PM
I remember carrying around a paper bag of parts as a very little kid trying to scare away spiders on the ceiling.
How, exactly, was that suppose to work? ???
Quote from: Mike Scott on July 17, 2020, 01:55:19 PM
How, exactly, was that suppose to work? ???
Must have been the affects of duco cement inhalation.
Quote from: Gojirafan on July 17, 2020, 01:57:19 PM
Must have been the affects of duco cement inhalation.
I thought maybe you rattled the bag of parts? ;D
Aurora Dracula- $.98 in the long box. Followed rapidly by The Mummy. Then The Man From UNCLE Kits- Napoleon Solo and Ilya Kuryakin: Good times!
Godzilla Glow kit, only because I couldn't find the Creature 1st.
BK
Aurora Creature and Wolfman. Early 1960s (I was 10 in '64).
Aurora, Godzilla.
I started model building way back in the early '60s. My first kit I can remember was the Aurora Superman. I recall my mom made me paint it with my three or four colors of Pactra 'namels on the doorstep in case I spilled the paint. I moved on from there to fantasy and show cars, Silly Surfers, and Weird-Ohs. But I loved the Aurora monsters and don't know why I didn't get a bunch. However when The Witch was released around '65 me and two buddies went to the hobby shop 15 miles away and we all bought a witch. I remember going to one of the other guys houses and sharing out paints and glue and building them together. Because of that it kind of holds a special place in my memory. When I started model building 10+ years ago again I did it fairly soon in my building. I sold the first one and here is the one on my shelves now.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/cJTK0rYwV3vWV25yeuEEQNFlC8eGsYNmjb4Skggkw4uPXULNPgLY6swGUkHUbhNfGR0jt27QM-7evGr4va7rPqeSQrfoe3-h_7a1E0lbBs9us2T17beMYvEZmFxkZh2CDbcjD5dAEPKLSnZeKUJX-FuMrzEOG8pPXyyKzgXadKbziSkJkMnjGnUObjVT8e7x7VEnwSwblqKaT04reh3UTOy8JUW3gILbQZ41ABRXNXsvpQHLeqMUgeLakkackM7_y6XN4x7eVeLfRIQotmVw0ybP8jfAV7lz3fGqmkwOls9XNMrUtkTRmqwZ-B4j_pKTDj-O4r_VXZRFQERlM0vppz0nyicQSp84TW9nm3bLaXJjajV5UrQOmc1d-y7uROwIYgtDiT6fII47JbFIEEXesiWlRhCHIj7G52fssBoJCUSpNvD7eZGxU4CmDiyiAxqz-O72H_Hz-C7MvA-0W-GWQiECCEgdBsTk5_ePbONgW7ZaxFtNYr1kv-sCI-7b3lCWHBNZycap1fH1oGcIrHdeTk7LJctQKNAAVHMqxA-oPZCSDBBlZxI-IuVh7u7k8AMN7-SMi4y_spQKUolpDwAgWNAtERgaQGR9bXryicVL81E1FPGAbFV3V7yl3kb9A_c5OvYSCmBcMrlMIziAE9TqEbg0pqZzAGfgfNdGvk7cjBBSUVcpP0dUtQ=w939-h768-no?authuser=0)
I think I was six and my older sister had an unopened Aurora Dracula stashed in a closet.I found it and attempted to build it.Got a severe beating over that.She said she nver intended to open it.Well that started what I call the sickness of collecting them.When I got old enough to mow grass I took every dime and bought a monster model.I had all of the original long box and glow kits and went on to get every figure model Aurora put out.Of course my teen years turned to other interests and I gave them all to a young kid in the neighborhood.
Quote from: gcbike on October 09, 2020, 01:23:57 PM
Of course my teen years turned to other interests and I gave them all to a young kid in the neighborhood.
Teen Years! Destroyer of monster collections!
Quote from: gcbike on October 09, 2020, 01:23:57 PMI think I was six and my older sister had an unopened Aurora Dracula stashed in a closet.I found it and attempted to build it.Got a severe beating over that. She said she nver intended to open it.
A well deserved beating I might add!
Quote from: gcbike on October 09, 2020, 01:23:57 PMWell that started what I call the sickness of collecting them.When I got old enough to mow grass I took every dime and bought a monster model.I had all of the original long box and glow kits and went on to get every figure model Aurora put out.
Were you building them?
Quote from: gcbike on October 09, 2020, 01:23:57 PMOf course my teen years turned to other interests and I gave them all to a young kid in the neighborhood.
A sad but typical story. We all go strange in our teens.
:(