Marx made many playsets through the 50's, 60's, and into the 70's. They had little figures, buildings, accessories, etc. The first ones came in cardboard boxes, and later in metal or vinyl cases. Some of them were really spectacular, like the Ben Hur set or the Blue and Gray Civil War set. The sculpts were amazing and the ingenuity that went into some of them was over the top. Today playsets enjoy a popular spot in the hearts of many toy collectors and the more desirable sets, figures, and accessories command high prices.
Marx proposed a Monster Mansion playset, but it never got off the ground. The prototype for it sits today in the Marx Museum. They used a castle, some accessories from other sets, and MPC monster figures for the prototype. If it had gone into production, it would have been very different, and Marx would have sculpted figures of their own, or even reduced the 6" figures. Anyway, it never happened, and monsters were one of the few popular kid icons of the day that never had a playset from Marx. MPC gave us the Pop Top Horrors and the smaller size monsters. They even made a pseudo playset with the Haunted Hulk ship, but that was as far as it went... and the Marx stuff was so far out in front of MPC it was just no contest.
Anyway, sometime in the late 70's or early 80's, MPC did put out a full playset with monsters in it. It's not a monster playset exactly, but they are an important element in it. It's called Dragon Crest. I've been trying to land a Dragon Crest set for a while, and finally did. The photos are the ones from the auction on eBay. They were so good and thorough I didn't think I could improve on them.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3171/2495719367_2e3e48c0d7_o.jpg)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3293/2495719421_28abd321dd_o.jpg)
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2101/2495719647_9558749cd4_o.jpg)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3014/2496544172_844345b7f9_o.jpg)
As you can see, the monsters won. All the knighs are dead, except a few of the ones on horseback. Most monsters are not all that fast.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2390/2496544182_452c0c9cdc_o.jpg)
Thin cardboard base, this is the cheapest made playset I've ever seen.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2176/2495719719_467342e976_o.jpg)
Even still, it's pretty cool. Dragon Crest, the only monster playset.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2386/2496543970_870586c0c5_o.jpg)
That is awesome. I'm glad the monsters won. They are just defending their castle, after all. Isn't interesting that the castle belongs to the monsters and the humans are the ones trying to storm it? Kind of a subversive playset. I like it.
I was watching this one, too. Neat playset and an interesting bit of monster toy history.
The glow monsters in this set are a little different from my other glow monsters.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2378/2497314376_e87e22f715_o.jpg)
The Dragon Crest glow monster is on the left in the picture.
Cool find...
Very impressive!
Never knew it existed.
I have seen that set before and if money grew on trees I would definitely start collecting select Marx playsets, this one in particular. It's a shame that Monster playsets are so few. I appreciate you taking the time to share this with us.
It pops up on ebay now and then, but I never tried very hard to get one because I just didn't know what to make of it. Bobby's photos definitely make it seem much more desirable. Instead of a D&D set that happens to include some monsters, it does seem like a bona fide "monster playset." Next time one pops up, I think I will be bidding!
It's really pretty interesting conceptually and I've done a little poking around trying to find reference to a medieval monster movie or tale. Obviously Vlad Tepes was alive in the 15th century and that places him toward the end of the Middle Ages, but all of the Dracula tales, Mummy, Wolf Man, etc. etc. take place in the 19th century or later. There are some relatively obscure books and stories set in the medieval period, but with the popularity of Beowulf movies (several in the past decade based on that), King Arthur Lord of the Rings, etc a good medieval monster movie with armored knights battling werewolves and vampires and such could be incredibly cool. Probably wouldn't be.... but could be.
"Vlad Tepes was alive in the 15th century"
Well, you can always push that date back by ascribing to the theory that Count Dracula was originally Judas from Kerioth.
Best,
-Craig W.
I think they were all Prof. Moriarty, or perhaps the Master. Or maybe J.R. Ewing.
Quote from: Wich2 on May 21, 2008, 10:17:25 AM
"Vlad Tepes was alive in the 15th century"
Well, you can always push that date back by ascribing to the theory that Count Dracula was originally Judas from Kerioth.
Best,
-Craig W.
Cool playset! Never knew it existed. Thanks for schooling us on monster playset history Bobby. You learn something new here every day. I want one too BTW.
Toy Ranch I have wanted this ever since i saw this post! I finally Got one! i noticed the knight and horse figure colors are different in my set. and mine had 2 full sets of monsters. Plus my playmat is different. On my box front says colors and items may vary. I have i small red ladder but am missing the two tall brown ones, do you know if these are easy to find? were they used with other sets?
heres mine.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6793377399_6a8a72c4fd.jpg)
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6793548631_29dd929a2c.jpg)
Cool, sort of an Army of Darkness vibe to it!
Quote from: jimm on January 30, 2012, 11:58:22 PM
Cool, sort of an Army of Darkness vibe to it!
Good call, for sure. :D
QuoteThe glow monsters in this set are a little different from my other glow monsters.
Very cool set! How do you mean "different"?
Quote from: Toy Ranch on May 16, 2008, 09:54:24 AM
The glow monsters in this set are a little different from my other glow monsters.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2378/2497314376_e87e22f715_o.jpg)
The Dragon Crest glow monster is on the left in the picture.
Is the figure on the right a veriably MPC cast as well?
???
Quote from: frankenstein73 on January 30, 2012, 11:15:59 PM
Toy Ranch I have wanted this ever since i saw this post! I finally Got one! ...mine had 2 full sets of monsters.
heres mine.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6793377399_6a8a72c4fd.jpg)
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6793548631_29dd929a2c.jpg)
Cool! So your set has 2 X 8 different monsters = 16 monsters in all?
???
Quote from: Hepcat on January 31, 2012, 12:52:40 PM
Cool! So your set has 2 X 8 different monsters = 16 monsters in all?
???
Yep 16 monsters, 2 of each.
Quote from: Hepcat on January 31, 2012, 12:49:04 PM
Is the figure on the right a veriably MPC cast as well?
Did MPC ever release these in glow? I
thought it was just Miner.
Mine are all sporting the MPC stamp on the bottom, And from what im understanding MPC was a subsidiary under miner, and in the 80's just changed the name to MINER. The lighter colored glow ones I believe were a frito lay giveaway from what I remember.
Quote from: frankenstein73 on January 31, 2012, 08:19:26 PM
Mine are all sporting the MPC stamp on the bottom, And from what im understanding MPC was a subsidiary under miner, and in the 80's just changed the name to MINER. The lighter colored glow ones I believe were a frito lay giveaway from what I remember.
I'm curious to know if these were ever released in glow plastic by MPC in any packaging marked MPC, or if these 1980 sets were the first. I should've been more detailed in my post. I've read that Miner absorbed MPC at some point (mid '70s?), and I've got a bag of the glow figures produced by Miner from the same time they released the Dragon Crest set, but just I've never seen or heard anything that indicated these were released in glow plastic before that. Not that I've been told it didn't happen mind you, I've just never been privy to a conversation on it one way or the other. To my knowledge, the Frito Lay figures were non glow colors (black, orange, purple).
I had this set as a kid-it was my favorite present Christmas of fifth grade, so that was 1981. I got this set, plus a bag of glow monster as well, so I had a really big monster army, who ,of course, always won! I also had a similar set with a more D&D vibe to it with winged demons, knights on dragons, lava men, snake women as well as regular knights and vikings-anyone know what that set was?
Quote from: darkmonkeygod on January 31, 2012, 09:42:07 PMTo my knowledge, the Frito Lay figures were non glow colors (black, orange, purple).
What year was the Frito-Lay promotion? Were the figures enclosed in bags of chips or did you have to send away for them? Were the figures marked Frito-Lay? Is there any way to tell the Frito-Lay figures from the earlier MPC figures?
???
Quote from: Hepcat on February 01, 2012, 10:18:53 AM
What year was the Frito-Lay promotion? Were the figures enclosed in bags of chips or did you have to send away for them? Were the figures marked Frito-Lay? Is there any way to tell the Frito-Lay figures from the earlier MPC figures?
???
1 figure was included in each bag according to http://www.i-mockery.com/blabber/2011/09/21/fritos-mini-monster-gay-blade/ (http://www.i-mockery.com/blabber/2011/09/21/fritos-mini-monster-gay-blade/)
(http://www.i-mockery.com/blabber/pics/fritos-mpc-mini-monster-gay-blade1.jpg)
Quote from: darkmonkeygod on January 31, 2012, 07:43:32 PM
Did MPC ever release these in glow? I thought it was just Miner.
I used to have a set of the lighter glow monsters in a mailaway box. It was years ago, and I don't recall what was marked on it all.
The set i got for christmas in 1980 or 81 also had 2 of each monster
I have a few of these plastic figures, wondered what they were from.
Thanks,
Paul
Quote from: Toy Ranch on February 01, 2012, 11:20:47 AM
I used to have a set of the lighter glow monsters in a mailaway box. It was years ago, and I don't recall what was marked on it all.
I recall those being sold on eBay quite regularly in the late 90's and it seemed like they had a bunch, I thought they came with a Frito lay paper with them,so I don't know if they were a later offer through they company,Or fakes. I always meant to buy a Set Or two but never thought they would run out. So I never got in any hurry to pick them up. Wish I would have now, I haven't seen a set for years now. Surely someone here still has a set Or remembers seeing them. They were on eBay for several years and pretty cheap.
As I remember it, the FRITOS monsters were packed one in each mutli-pack of small, lunch-sized bags. Think there were six bags of Fritos in a cardboard tray-like box without a lid, sealed in cellophane. The monster was tucked beneath the bags out of sight. It was '65 and I was only 5, so memory might be playing tricks, but don't think so, becuase these were a pretty big deal in our family of 4 boys, ages 5 to 12.
That's correct, GAK...I remember still buying them this way into 1969. I always think of these monsters whenever i see a bag of Fritos. Too bad they don't continue to offer similar premiums today.
Quote from: Toy Ranch on May 16, 2008, 09:54:24 AM
The glow monsters in this set are a little different from my other glow monsters.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2378/2497314376_e87e22f715_o.jpg)
The Dragon Crest glow monster is on the left in the picture.
The figure on the right looks like it's one of the repros sold by the Toy Soldier Company:
Quote from: Neoplastic on January 26, 2012, 06:29:40 PMThe Toy Soldier Company still sells those monster sets, I bought another one this past Christmas for a gift. I wish they sold a glow set, but all they sell is the neon green you see in the picture.
(http://img803.imageshack.us/img803/1458/img0998c.jpg)
;)
can i come over and play it with you ?? pleaaseeee???
Quote from: GAKENSTEIN on February 01, 2012, 09:00:10 PM
As I remember it, the FRITOS monsters were packed one in each mutli-pack of small, lunch-sized bags. Think there were six bags of Fritos in a cardboard tray-like box without a lid, sealed in cellophane. The monster was tucked beneath the bags out of sight. It was '65 and I was only 5, so memory might be playing tricks, but don't think so, becuase these were a pretty big deal in our family of 4 boys, ages 5 to 12.
Quote from: Gasport on February 01, 2012, 10:51:28 PM
That's correct, GAK...I remember still buying them this way into 1969. I always think of these monsters whenever i see a bag of Fritos. Too bad they don't continue to offer similar premiums today.
Do either of you fellows remember whether the Weird Monsters you got in these Fritos multi-packs were hand painted or a solid colour?
???
Hep, I bought a lot of those Fritos packages with the MPC monsters way back when and NEVER came across a painted figure. Just black, orange or purple.
(http://www.i-mockery.com/blabber/pics/fritos-mpc-mini-monster-gay-blade1.jpg)
[/quote]
The Gay Blade??? I doubt Fritos would call its slasher figure that today!! I had a set of these as a kid and my buddies and I spent weeks building a cool haunted fort for these guys using dirt and wood. To our horror, one day we discovered that some neighborhood creep had come along and smashed it all up. We put a curse on the figures so that they would come to life for real and destroy their tormentor -- don't know if it ever worked!
Quote from: Hepcat on April 20, 2013, 05:23:42 PM
Do either of you fellows remember whether the Weird Monsters you got in these Fritos multi-packs were hand painted or a solid colour?
???
Just to chime in here, the purple MPC Werewolf I got out of the Fritos box was unpainted. I'd never heard of any handpainted ones until Monster Bob posted about it. Those must be incredibly rare. Can you imagine the amount of time and effort to give a large quantity of MPC Weirds a quality paint job just to be given away as Frito premiums? It's a brain boggler! ???
I had those as a kid and never saw a factory painted one. I really don 't think they exsisted.
The Marx prototype is incredible love it anyone have idea on what potential value could be
Does not the prototype for the envisaged Marx Monster Mansion playset still sit in the Marx Museum? Has it now been put up for bids?
???
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Marx-Toys-MONSTER-MANSION-Prototype-Castle-Playset-1965-Never-Produced/142739220393?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Marx-Toys-MONSTER-MANSION-Prototype-Castle-Playset-1965-Never-Produced/142739220393?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649) $12,995 BIN
Can anyone determine the date and time the Marx prototype for a playset was listed on Ebay?
???
Quote from: Hepcat on March 31, 2018, 03:45:50 PM
Can anyone determine the date and time the Marx prototype for a playset was listed on Ebay?
I assume less than a month ago. BINs run for 30 days.
The auction ends on Apr-28 11:58PM, so it must of started 30 days prior on Mar-29
Quote from: RPM on March 31, 2018, 07:37:52 PM
The auction ends on Apr-28 11:58PM,
Where do you see that date?
Click on "Watch", then go to your Summary, and you can view the end date.
Quote from: Chiller zone on March 30, 2018, 10:55:25 PMThe Marx prototype is incredible love it anyone have idea on what potential value could be
Well since it didn't go on to be developed into a play set sold on store shelves, I'd hesitate to ascribe much if any historical importance to the prototype. There's also no fuzzy monster kid nostalgia associated with the piece since none of us had a play set derived from this prototype.
Moreover the prototype isn't actually very nice as a finished piece. It seems to have been thrown together at the last minute in a haphazard fashion. The wall pieces don't actually fit together and it betrays paint chips/scratches and glue residue. I wouldn't even call the piece a finished prototype therefore.
I'm accordingly concluding that the value of the "prototype" is very limited. Less than $100 I'd say.
:-\
Quote from: RPM on March 31, 2018, 08:16:05 PM
Click on "Watch", then go to your Summary, and you can view the end date.
Oooohh! Learn somethin' new every day! :)
That's quite an impressive prototype that I'm sure someone out there would love to own. Reading through all the information supplied by the seller it almost feels like you could recreate this play set yourself by sourcing all the parts that are used in it as it sounds like it was made up of pre existing parts.
I'm not sure anyone would go to the trouble of doing this but it might be a much more affordable way to own one of these and could be a fun project to spend some time on.
Ian
Quote from: frankenstein73 on January 31, 2012, 08:19:26 PMAnd from what im understanding MPC was a subsidiary under miner, and in the 80's just changed the name to MINER.
Miner Industries had acquired the Multiple Products Corp. back in 1967.
Quote from: frankenstein73 on January 31, 2012, 08:19:26 PMThe lighter colored glow ones I believe were a frito lay giveaway from what I remember.
Quote from: darkmonkeygod on January 31, 2012, 09:42:07 PMTo my knowledge, the Frito Lay figures were non glow colors (black, orange, purple).
Darkmonkeygod is correct. The MPC figures that Frito-Lay distributed as premiums were black, orange, purple and green. The first time the MPC Weird Monsters were molded in the glow colour was in the Miner Dragon Crest playset.
The Toy Soldier Company (https://www.toysoldierco.com/) has offered good quality repops of the MPC Weird Monsters in a neon green colour for a number of years.
Quote from: darkmonkeygod on January 31, 2012, 09:42:07 PM...I've got a bag of the glow figures produced by Miner from the same time they released the Dragon Crest set....
This one I presume:
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/DungeonDemons.jpg)
:)
Quote from: Hepcat on June 13, 2020, 08:00:33 PM
This one I presume:
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/DungeonDemons.jpg)
:)
I
think that is a photo I took of the very example I own.
I can't find where you originally posted that picture though.
???
Quote from: Toy Ranch on May 16, 2008, 12:00:19 AMAnyway, sometime in the late 70's or early 80's, MPC did put out a full playset with monsters in it. It's not a monster playset exactly, but they are an important element in it. It's called Dragon Crest.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3171/2495719367_2e3e48c0d7_o.jpg)
Even still, it's pretty cool. Dragon Crest, the only monster playset.
Sort of. A variant of the Dragon Crest playset appears in the 1982 Sears catalogue under the name Mysterious Castle:
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/g434/Balticprince/Mysterious_castle_sears_catalog_1982_pg608_3.jpg)
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/g434/Balticprince/Mysterious_Castle_2.JPG)
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/g434/Balticprince/Mysterious_Castle_3.JPG)
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/g434/Balticprince/Mysterious_castle_4.jpg)
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/g434/Balticprince/Mysterious_castle_6.jpg)
While the contents of the two playsets were largely the same, it's rather tough to say since there was actually some variance in the contents of Dragon Crest from one playset to the next. But the presence of the Mysterious Castle Playset in the 1982 Sears catalogue implies that the Dragon Crest playset was released in 1980 or 1981.
:-\
There are a few of the green Dragon crest figures going for $10.99 each on Ebay. That Mysterious Castle Playset is really cool looking. I've never seen either set for sale before.