Super 7 "Official Universal Monsters Thread"

[MonsterBaker666]

The Universal Monsters Collection...(Karloff's) Frankenstein...The Creature From The Black Lagoon...um...that's it!

I guess we can include the Mole People.  But that's pretty slim pickins.

Looks like with the families of all these dead celebrities with their hands out, that the days of getting all the classic monsters under one banner may be over and done with.  Where does it end?  The actors families are saying they want a piece of the pie because you can sorta / kinda recognize their faces under the makeup.  But they were a work for hire.  Same as the costume designers / makeup artists.  Shouldn't THEY have a piece of the pie as well?  Same with the artists who sculpted the Universal Monster Aurora models - shouldn't they get a chunk of chain for all the reissues of those models? 

With everyone and their brother coming out of the woodwork with their hands out wanting a some of the money to be made, and the possibility of the films falling into the public domain in upcoming years, I think these current days might be the last time we see items under the banner "Universal Monsters."

[TheMadScientist]

...I think these current days might be the last time we see items under the banner "Universal Monsters."

I mean, Universal is dedicating a portion of their new Orlando theme park to the Universal Monsters. Which to me is at least indicative of an interest in keeping the brand around for the foreseeable future.

[Mike Scott]

I mean, Universal is dedicating a portion of their new Orlando theme park to the Universal Monsters.

Is that still on? I figured they canceled that when the UM Universe thing died.

[TheMadScientist]

Is that still on? I figured they canceled that when the UM Universe thing died.

I believe the only section of the park they've 100% confirmed is for Super Nintendo World, so I can't say it with absolute certainty, but from everything I've read and seen it seems pretty certain one of the sections will be for the Universal Monsters. I have a friend who works at Universal Orlando and he mentioned wanting to work at the Classic Monsters section, though I don't know if that's indicative of any insider information or him just seeing the same stuff online that anyone else could.

There are a couple youtube channels who focus on the Orlando themeparks, and they've talked about the new park consistently and treat the Classic Monsters section as a given. If you're interested, I'd check out some of them. Kinda cool, as the part of the park that's presumably for the Monsters is underconstruction.

[TheMadScientist]

Meant to edit my post above, not quote it in a new message lol. Anyway to delete this?

[Mike Scott]

There are a couple youtube channels who focus on the Orlando themeparks, and they've talked about the new park consistently and treat the Classic Monsters section as a given.

I hope they get it done! 

[aura of foreboding]

I've heard about some rumored attractions for the Universal Monsters area.  I hope there's a major E-ticket where you come face to face with all the monsters. 

[John Pertwee]

I am hoping for full on replicas that include non generic monsters. What is the point, if you don't stay faithful to the originals?

[MonsterBaker666]

I do hope the "Universal Monsters" will continue.  I'd hate to start calling this place the "Chaney, Lugosi & Strange Monster Army."

[aura of foreboding]

I do hope the "Universal Monsters" will continue.  I'd hate to start calling this place the "Chaney, Lugosi & Strange Monster Army."

Well, technically the forum is not referencing Universal as a company, more of the idea that we are a universe-wide army of monsters.  There's a long history about that.  "I'm sure Van Helsing will explain." 

[YoungestMonsterKid]

Quite honestly, and I'm not sure if this totally relates to this thread. But I kind of reject the "Universal Monsters" being a brand. If it's a brand, then it ended in the 50s. Everything after that is a corporation just merchandising a bunch of old movies they happen to own (that should really be public domain by now) to the last drop. Hot take, sorry. But it's kind of true.

I think I just prefer the term "Classic Movie Monsters". That way you can include other films that Universal never even made.

Actually, when did they really get dubbed as the "Universal Monsters", anyways? I notice back in like the 60s and 70s Universal licensed all the monsters, but never really called them that, anywhere.

[Mike Scott]

Actually, when did they really get dubbed as the "Universal Monsters", anyways?

Probably the '90s.

[aura of foreboding]

Probably the '90s.

There was a major branding launch for the Universal Studios Monsters in the 1990-91 season, with retailers being offered a variety of Universal Monsters merchandise, from masks to toys, all in an effort to boost sales for the home video releases of the Classic Collection VHS tapes.  There were big brochures sent to buyers in the major retailers.  From this point, the Universal Monsters were everywhere: Shopko, Walmart, later Target.  I'm sure Kmart had stuff too, but I can't recall specifics.  The collaboration with Pepsi and Mars further boosted them as a brand in the early '90s.  Then they had an official relaunch of the brand in 1997 with USPS, Burger King, and Hasbro, all leading up to the VHS/DVD release in 1999.  The '90s was a great decade, especially each year at Halloween.  The Universal Monsters as a brand didn't really disappear until the early 2000s.  Someone dropped the ball.  Don't know who, because there was major momentum coming out of 1997...  It's anyone's guess what happened.  But the brand went dormant for a long, long time with only a few Pepsi promotions here and there in the late 2000s and early 2010s.  It wasn't until the recent Dark Universe related relaunch that the Universal Monsters actually came back in a fairly significant way.  But we are living another great period of Universal Monsters, and I'm enjoying it.     

[Dr.Terror]

The 9" Remco Creech and Phantom are called "official universal movie monsters".    Prior to 90 there was the "Univesal classic movie monsters" branding  seen on the Imperial stuff.

[Subatomic_Matt]

I really hope they have a portion dedicated to the Universal Monsters at a park. I only was able to travel and go once, but in 1998 when I went I was pretty bummed that I didn't see any UM stuff other than a "Creature (1954)" poster in an "alleyway" area.