Universal Monster Army

Pick the five Mattel Thingmaker sets you like the best!

8)

I chose the giant creepy crawlers (1965) and the fright factory (1966), as the coolest but had to add the after 1978 because i had the witches caldron set with the round green plastic trays, man i played with that thing alot! all i have left of it is one tray withthe octopus on it  :-[ . i need to search for one to fill that void. I do have a bunch of the older creepy crawlers and fright factory and other various old metal molds and a few old cookers. i prominately display them in my glass case. i have a few original bottles of goop with some stuff still in em, they are cool! I looked into buying some more vintage bottles, but man they bring a pretty penny,esp if they are still packaged.  i have bought my kids the newer sets and they love them! cant sem to buy enough goop to sate them! this is a toy that will always be fun no matter what.

I like the Creeple People and Giant Creepy Crawlers. Had them both in my younger days as well as the Fright Factory. I have a Creeple People set and a pile of molds I've picked up over the years.

The original Mattel Thingmaker was one of the many toys dumbed down due to pressure from the Hysterical Mothers of America Opposed to Just About Everything Fun. From Wikipedia:

Quote from: WikipediaIt is generally believed that production of the original Mattel Thingmakers was discontinued following consumer safety concerns over allowing children to use a small electric heater as a toy.

In 1978 Mattel released an updated (and safer) model of their "Creepy Crawlers" toy. Called the "Thingmaker II", this version used a very differently formulated Plastigoop, and utilized plastic molds, into which was poured the heated Plastigoop. In this set one heated the Plastigoop and poured it into the green plastic mold(s) to cool; the molds were not put into the heater, which looked like a small cauldron. The reformulated Plastigoop did not work well and the process of making bugs, etc. with these sets was painfully slow, taking an hour or so to make a creation. Needless to say, the late 1970s sets did not work as well as their predecessors, and the attempted revival was a short-lived one.

>:(

I also bought some of the seperate mold sets. I had Superman, Batman, and Green Hornet that I liked. Superman and Batman you could make a figure but the Green Hornet was just a green hornet that you put over a pencil and you could  make a ring.

Here are my votes ~

Creepy Crawlers 
Creeple Peeple
Fun Flowers
Mini-Dragons
Zoofie-Goofies


8)

Quote from: Hepcat on March 11, 2012, 12:58:01 PM
The original Mattel Thingmaker was one of the many toys dumbed down due to pressure from the Hysterical Mothers of America Opposed to Just About Everything Fun.

Of course, it's easy to dismiss safety concerns when we're not the ones directly impacted by an injury or some sort of harm.  It's like playing Russian Roulette with better odds.  Parents have a reasonable expectation that a toy is supposed to be designed and manufactured in a proper way.  Whether it was a Thingmaker or an Easy Bake Oven, kids did sometimes received burns, and while most were probably minor, I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't the occasional more serious one.

There's a popular internet email/Facebook post about all the crazy stuff we did as kids years ago and how "we survived and turned out fine" but this isn't necessarily true.  There were kids who fell out of trees and broke their necks, kids who crashed their bikes without helmets and got brain damage, lost fingers to fireworks, etc.  You just didn't hear about it because news wasn't as instantaneous as it is these days.  My mother had a cousin gorwing up and he did lose an eye when he and a friend or sibling were playing around with a wire coat hanger.  Sure, most tragic events are common, but if it happens to someone you know, it does have more of an impact.

When my daughter turned 3, one of my wife's friends gave her an Easy Bake Oven.   She hadn't looked at the age recommendation guideline on the package and probably just thought it was a play item.  She just didn't know any better.  We knew that it was something that she was too young to do on her own.  Luckily, they're designed much better than they used to be for others who might not as well-informed.  Protecting kids should always be first and foremost.

Rob

Here are the top vote getters so far:

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/CreepyCrawlers.jpg)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/ThingmakerFR.jpg)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/AThingmakerCrP.jpg)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/AMini-Dragons.jpg)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/AThingmakerE.jpg)

8)

I only had the Creepy Crawlers set, but I would love to have owned them ALL!  Mmmmm, I can smell those bugs now   :)

Charp:

You need a couple of these ...

(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51PE8N%2B18%2BL.jpg)

Cool! A truly awesome concept!

8)

Ooooh, that would be cool to have. Edible body parts rule! Especially when you make them yourself  :)   

Quote from: charp13 on March 14, 2012, 09:42:08 AM
Ooooh, that would be cool to have. Edible body parts rule! Especially when you make them yourself  :)

You can also share them with others ..  8)

I'm surprised that the Zoofie-Goofies haven't received more support. A great concept and terrific graphics!

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/AMattelZ.jpg)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/MattelZ2.jpg)

:-\

I think my brother and I had the original design Creepy Crawlers and the Eeeeks! sets.  Personally, I think the Fright Factory had the best  artwork.  I think the problem with Zoofie-Gofies is that they look like they're silly with cutesy animals.  As a kid, I would have had no interest in such a thing.

Rob

Quote from: frankenstein73 on March 09, 2012, 05:20:43 PMI do have a bunch of the older creepy crawlers and fright factory and other various old metal molds and a few old cookers. i prominately display them in my glass case. i have a few original bottles of goop with some stuff still in em,

Post some pictures please! I'm sure that I'm not the only one who would like to see them.

;)

Quote from: monsterphile on March 14, 2012, 04:57:40 PMI think the problem with Zoofie-Gofies is that they look like they're silly with cutesy animals.  As a kid, I would have had no interest in such a thing.

Hmmmmm. You could be right about that! Eleven year old boys might very well have regarded the Zoofie-Goofies as sissy.

:-\

I still like the idea of edible creepy crawlies the best ...  :D

Here's my Incredible Edibles set........The cooker is a cool looking critter called the Sooper-Gooper. He cooks up the Gobble-Degoop..........

(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd344/bigbud3/IMG_1594.jpg)

(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd344/bigbud3/IMG_1595.jpg)

Well I would have bought it just to say the word Gobble-Degoop over and over!  I love this word  :)  All I know about is the infamous Plastic Goop.

Carp, you come on over and we'll cook us up some of the special items suggested on the box top sides....... Turtle Soup, Sweet Snakes, Gourmet Goldfish, Ginger-men and more. The Gobble-Degoop is unopened....should still be good........Buddy

Quote from: Universal Steve on March 11, 2012, 09:41:16 PM
I also bought some of the seperate mold sets. I had Superman, Batman, and Green Hornet that I liked.

Yes. Mattel issued a lot of very cool carded Accessory Kits including Squirtles, Gangly Danglies, Slitherees, Superman, Batman, Green Hornet, Tarzan, etc:

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/AThingmaker.jpg) (http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/AThingmakerSq.jpg) (http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/AThingmakerS.jpg) (http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/AThingmakerSu.jpg) (http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/AThingmakerB.jpg)

The graphics of these carded Accessory Kits weren't nearly as gaudy and eye catching as the graphics of the full fledged Maker-Paks/Play-Paks, however. There were also so many dozens of these Accessory Kits issued over the years that I don't believe they've even all been catalogued. There's no way therefore that I could have included them all in this poll.

:(

Some folks might not know this set, but it is really neat. Here's some pics of the Peanuts Super Cartoon Maker Thingmaker............

(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd344/bigbud3/IMG_1627.jpg)

(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd344/bigbud3/IMG_1626.jpg)

(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd344/bigbud3/IMG_1628.jpg)

(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd344/bigbud3/IMG_1629.jpg)

Nice set!

8)

But I wish Mattel had released Maker-Paks with other cartoon/comic characters as well. I'm just not a Peanuts fan.

:-\

QuoteI'm just not a Peanuts fan.

Man, I sure am! I went to a KC flea market late in the day........there sits a guy with 8 original Peanuts strips. I couldn't believe my eyes! I bought all 8....pronto! But besides that, Peanuts is a great strip........love Snoopy!   Buddy

The Fright Factory was the only set I had as a kid , but it was the coolest toy ever !
I blame it completely for inspiring me to become a sculptor and make-up FX guy.
It taught you the basics of molding and casting that the FX industry uses constantly.
And who could ever forget the taste of Plasi-goop fangs in your mouth for hours at a stretch !

Bongo my friend......you may be onto something there. I too am a sculptor. And I too enjoyed my Fright Factory and Creepy Crawlers. That may have been the beginning of my sculpting motivation.......Buddy

My votes:

Creepy Crawlers
Fright Factory
Mini-Dragons
Eeeeks!
Zoofie-Goofies

8)

Coolness!  I had the Tarzan & Superman packs, along with CC & FF.  Did anybody else ever make fishhooks with the bugs from CC?  I did - and sold some to my uncles!

QuoteDid anybody else ever make fishhooks with the bugs from CC?  I did - and sold some to my uncles!

Oh, that's funny! I still have a childhood memory of the distinct smell of goop cooking. Got several burns from hot molds too....

Those were the days!

Here's a Mattel Creepy Crawlers TV commercial from 1964:

Vintage Creepy Crawlers Thingmaker commercial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuezJgqP2Fc#)

8)

That's the model I had........and wish I still had.

As a kid I had the Fright Factory and Creepy Crawlers sets, so I voted for them. I love the artwork on the Fright Factory box. I still have my Batman and Superman molds from when I was a kid and some other molds, too. And there's even that old photo of me scaring my little sister with the Fright Factory
stuff on my face, I've posted it a couple of times.

Wow. I didn't know there were so many variants.
Pardon my braggin', but here are pics of my mint, unopened sets (the tops slide off; the insides are sealed).  :D

(http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/9127/crawer4uma22cz8.jpg)

(http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/135/creeple4uma4zf6.jpg)

Quote from: dlhenderson on June 07, 2012, 07:17:39 AM
Pardon my braggin', but here are pics of my mint, unopened sets (the tops slide off; the insides are sealed).  :D

Wow! I'd brag too. Those sets are just too awesome!

:o

Quote from: dlhenderson on June 07, 2012, 07:17:39 AM
Wow. I didn't know there were so many variants.
Pardon my braggin', but here are pics of my mint, unopened sets (the tops slide off; the insides are sealed).  :D

(http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/9127/crawer4uma22cz8.jpg)

(http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/135/creeple4uma4zf6.jpg)

Dude, those are gorgeous! Zombie In Luv

Here's my other set. I got these from a guy at a flea market back in the 80s. He was selling old store stock out of the back of his van. I paid five bucks apiece for 'em.

(http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/3961/thingmakerfight4uma.jpg)
(http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/9562/thingmakerfight.jpg)
(http://img802.imageshack.us/img802/2400/thingmakerfight4uma2.jpg)

Quote from: dlhenderson on June 07, 2012, 05:24:47 PMI got these from a guy at a flea market back in the 80s. He was selling old store stock out of the back of his van. I paid five bucks apiece for 'em.

Oh man! A find like that comes once in a lifetime.

:o

When I was a kid I had Creepy Crawlers and Creeple Peeple; also a carded skeleton piece with a giant bottle of glow-in-the-dark goop. I'd love to see a pic of an intact carded skeleton mould...

Here's one:

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/MatttelSkeleton.jpg)

hmjfym

Quote from: dlhenderson on June 08, 2012, 07:47:06 AM
When I was a kid I had Creepy Crawlers and Creeple Peeple; also a carded skeleton piece with a giant bottle of glow-in-the-dark goop. I'd love to see a pic of an intact carded skeleton mould...

Here's my very molds that I've had since I was a kid...

(http://i853.photobucket.com/albums/ab97/monolith_06/sc0e7dca0d.jpg)

Very cool! I have a few of the old used pieces too. I've also got a few pieces from the Vacu-Form that preceded the Thingmaker. I think they pretty much used the same oven tech. Curiously, of the millions of bugs and skeletons and bats that I made (many with a complex "parfait" effect that I used) only ONE skeleton has survived! And Hepcat, thanks for posting that tantalizing and minute (!) image of the skeleton card! I'm gonna have to poke around and see if I can find a bigger one...

ENVYENVYENVY!!! Man, I love all these sets!!

No better artwork on the lid than the Fright Factory.......
DL, those are sensational sets you have! .......Buddy

Fright Factory and Creepy Crawlers are still neck-and-neck here!

:)

Here's another cool Mattel Thingmaker commercial:

Creepy Crawlers Commercial Thing Maker Set (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z1DheTiQVY#)

8)

Quote from: frankenstein73 on March 09, 2012, 05:20:43 PMthis is a toy that will always be fun no matter what.

Agreed!

Quote from: frankenstein73 on March 09, 2012, 05:20:43 PM...had to add the after 1978 because i had the witches caldron set with the round green plastic trays, man i played with that thing alot! all i have left of it is one tray withthe octopus on it  :-[ . i need to search for one to fill that void.

Any luck in your search?

Here's a pic I found of another great mini-set:

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/Balticprince001/Thingmaker_zps3dc03839_1.jpg)

cl:)

FRIGHT FACTORY!!! ONLY 1%......????????????????????????????????

im sorry to all! im not TOO blind huh! time to go to the eye doctor again! LOL

Wait a minnit, wait..a..minnit. The dragons are LOW on the voting scale? Aw, shucks. They were great! My sister and I only had the Fun Flowers and the Mini dragons. I would have loved to have the shrunken head. Fun stuff!

-mh

I agree that the Mini-Dragons deserve more votes! Great figures could be made from the set. Check out Nick Zervos' efforts here:

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/General%20Album%203/Mini_zps9m7yyufc.jpg)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/General%20Album%203/Mini2_zpszcnk5bo3.jpg)

Some more great Mattel Thingmaker creations are pictured on the following site:

MJ Thompson's Creepy Crawlers (http://austinthompson.org/thingmaker/gallery.shtm)

8)

What great memories of these things. I had Creepy Crawlers along with the Superman and Batman molds. My friend had the Fright Factory which was my hands down favorite! My mom wouldn't let me have one so I had to borrow my friends molds. She wouldn't let me have FMOF magazine either. I was forced to enjoy these things on the down low as she thought they would corrupt me and she was probably right.  ;D That skeleton mold looks really cool too.

 Fond memories here, too. I don't know it it's just me, but I loved the smell of that goo as it cooked.

Here's mine:

(http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b552/horrorhunter/Thingmaker1_zps44aaf045.jpg)

(http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b552/horrorhunter/Thingmaker3_zpsb91f2386.jpg)

(http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b552/horrorhunter/Thingmaker4_zpsbaa34c5f.jpg)

(http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b552/horrorhunter/Thingmaker5_zps96120dd8.jpg)

(http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b552/horrorhunter/frightfactory2_zps6953cde4.jpg)

I posted these previously in the Thingmaker And More thread, but thought I'd throw 'em in here for the peeps who missed 'em. BTW, I voted for Creepy Crawlers, Fright Factory, and Creeple Peeple, because those three are dear to me. I made many a bug, monster makeup piece, and pencil person when I was a creepy little kid. The ones in the pics above are complete and sealed, but I bought a Creepy Crawlers set to use off evilBay and filled up that Collectors Case with the creations (though some of the bugs are original to the '60s).

Quote from: horrorhunter on May 08, 2015, 04:48:25 PM
Here's mine:

(http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b552/horrorhunter/Thingmaker1_zps44aaf045.jpg)

(http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b552/horrorhunter/Thingmaker3_zpsb91f2386.jpg)

(http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b552/horrorhunter/Thingmaker4_zpsbaa34c5f.jpg)

(http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b552/horrorhunter/Thingmaker5_zps96120dd8.jpg)

(http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b552/horrorhunter/frightfactory2_zps6953cde4.jpg)

I posted these previously in the Thingmaker And More thread, but thought I'd throw 'em in here for the peeps who missed 'em. BTW, I voted for Creepy Crawlers, Fright Factory, and Creeple Peeple, because those three are dear to me. I made many a bug, monster makeup piece, and pencil person when I was a creepy little kid. The ones in the pics above are complete and sealed, but I bought a Creepy Crawlers set to use off evilBay and filled up that Collectors Case with the creations (though some of the bugs are original to the '60s).

Fantastic!! Love the Fright Factory!

Quote from: Gory Glenn on May 08, 2015, 05:04:56 PM
Fantastic!! Love the Fright Factory!

Thanks, Glenn. I think the Fright Factory is my favorite as well (although the FF pic isn't as sharp because it was made by my old camera). The Fright Factory box art rivals the very best Monsterkid toys IMO.

Quote from: horrorhunter on May 08, 2015, 04:48:25 PMHere's mine:

(http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b552/horrorhunter/Thingmaker1_zps44aaf045.jpg)

The ones in the pics above are complete and sealed....

Did you get the sealed sets off Ebay? How much do you think complete sealed Thingmakers and Maker-Paks would fetch these days?

Quote from: horrorhunter on May 08, 2015, 04:48:25 PM
(http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b552/horrorhunter/Thingmaker4_zpsbaa34c5f.jpg)

... I bought a Creepy Crawlers set to use off evilBay and filled up that Collectors Case with the creations (though some of the bugs are original to the '60s).

Oh man, cool move!

8)

Quote from: horrorhunter on May 08, 2015, 05:09:29 PMThe Fright Factory box art rivals the very best Monsterkid toys IMO.

I definitely agree that the Fright Factory had fabulous box art!

8)

Still seeing the creations on MJ Thompson's site is now causing me to lean toward the Mini-Dragons as the wildest set of them all.

:-\

I like the Skeleton Thingmaker best but would love to have them all. Anyone have one for sale? It would be the first piece in my collection, so it would kinda make you my master or something like that lol. No really, if anyone has one for sale, I'm interested.

I ordered mine from John Nettles, the Thingmaker Guru, here:
http://creepycrawlers.homestead.com//setsforsale.html (http://creepycrawlers.homestead.com//setsforsale.html)

You end up paying nearly as much as John charges for incomplete sets with usually badly damaged boxes off eBay. That guy even makes his own Plastigoop. The sealed sets aren't cheap but they display well. You won't find sets anywhere near complete on evilBay.

So then do your sealed sets have some replacement parts?

???

Quote from: Hepcat on May 09, 2015, 01:35:50 PM
So then do your sealed sets have some replacement parts?

???

All of the parts are original except for the Plastigoop (He even has original unused Goop for sale). Everything is functional if someone wanted to open the set and use it, and most importantly the sets are complete. I couldn't complete a set off eBay even if I got extremely lucky and found all of the parts in acceptable condition because I just don't remember every little part included. John refurbishes these things and includes everything including all of the paperwork. He repairs the Styrofoam bottoms which are usually badly damaged on used sets. It's the only acceptable way I've found to get complete sets with original parts which display well. Original sealed unused sets would be preferable but aside from a warehouse find (and HEFTY price tag), or Wayback Machine trip, there is no better alternative.

Fair enough and fully understandable.

8)

I cannot vote as creeple peeple and creepy crawlers were tied for 1st place for me all of my neighbors back in NY in the 60's.

That's why I let people vote for their top FIVE!

;)

 Only two I know are Fright Factory and Creepy Crawlers, so I only voted for them.