Universal Monster Army

Google Inc. has opened an online photo gallery that will feature millions of images from Life magazine's archives that have never been seen by the public before.

One of the first pics I searched for was the eye-popping photo from 1964 which featured a monster lover's dream come true. The photo was part of an article which featured the monster fad that was happening in America during the mid 60's. This picture has been shared here before, but never with so much detail and crispness.

I spy the 3D wall plaques. I spy the Target game. I spy the Jaymar Tricky Walker. I spy the Phoenix candy boxes .. etc.

The stats of the pic are as follows:

LIFE Entertainment Monsters: Frankenstein fad, toys, games, etc.
Location:   US
Date taken:   1964
Photographer:   Henry Groskinsky

Click this link for even a larger view - http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/6532/monstertoysle4.jpg


(http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/6532/monstertoysle4.jpg)

GREAT pic, thanks for posting. And I love seeing our 'ol pal Big Frankie prominently displayed in front.

What's the Friankie right under the Soaky label? Looks like he's sitting in a chair.

Quote from: MDG on November 19, 2008, 11:57:29 AM
What's the Friankie right under the Soaky label? Looks like he's sitting in a chair.

That's the Jaymar Tricky Walker.

(http://farm1.static.flickr.com/168/390513400_56ba3e3d08_o.jpg)

(http://farm1.static.flickr.com/131/390792828_20e9e509dd_o.jpg)

What's the Hunchback reaching up to grab....?

Quote from: Scary Terry on November 19, 2008, 02:01:50 PM
What's the Hunchback reaching up to grab....?

That would be the Big Frankie!  ;D

TMI General!

BK  :D

Woh cool pic! Shades of UMA toy clock.  I like the Dell comics right at Kong's head there.

OMG! When I saw the picture of the Jaymar Frankenstein I remembered I had one when I was a kid. What a memory rush. I remember you had to pull the string on the top of his head and he would bumble along on the floor until the ring at the end of the string went back to the top of his head. Thanks for posting. Great nostaligia!

The picture is great.  I love the Soaky wolfman.  I loved those Soaky bottles when I was little.

Quote from: Universal Steve on November 19, 2008, 11:22:27 PM
OMG! When I saw the picture of the Jaymar Frankenstein I remembered I had one when I was a kid. What a memory rush. I remember you had to pull the string on the top of his head and he would bumble along on the floor until the ring at the end of the string went back to the top of his head. Thanks for posting. Great nostaligia!

I've got a Dracula, but his walking mechanism doesn't work.  I wish I knew how to fix it.  I think the parts, or at least most of the parts are there; but I can't figure the thing out. :P

Quote from: fmofmpls on November 19, 2008, 02:05:04 PM
That would be the Big Frankie!  ;D

Gentlemen,
I am trying to drink a Coke, not spritz the Coke on my computer screen.

With monsteriffic love,
Claudin

Quote from: fmofmpls on November 19, 2008, 08:22:59 AM
I spy the 3D wall plaques. I spy the Target game. I spy the Jaymar Tricky Walker. I spy the Phoenix candy boxes .. etc.

I looked at this photo waaayyy too long last night! Here is what I see...

Aurora Mummy built-up
Aurora Dracula built-up
Aurora Phantom built-up
Aurora King Kong built-up
Aurora Creature built-up
Aurora Frankenstein built-up
Aurora Gigantic Frankenstein built-up
Marx Mummy figure
Marx Hunchback figure
Wolf man Soaky
Frankenstein Soaky
Hasbro Wolf Man pencil set
Hasbro Creature/Black Lagoon game
Hasbro Phantom/Opera game
Dell Frankenstein comic
Dell Wolf Man comic
Dell Creature comic
Hasbro large-version Frankenstein target game
Frankenstein Monstertoon iron-on
Frankenstein Speaker head
Jaymar Frankenstein tricky-walker
SPP Frankenstein monster wallet w/cards folded out
Bride of Frankenstein paper doll set
Hasbro Wolf Man binder
Jaymar Wolf man frame tray puzzle
The Monsters Horroscope magic slate
Monster paper mask set
SPP Mummy plaque
SPP Phantom plaque
SPP Wolf Man plaque
SPP Frankenstein plaque
AA LP record Famous Monsters Speak
Phoenix Frankenstein candy box
Phoenix Wolf Man candy box
Leaf Son of Spook card pack
Ben Cooper Wolf Man mask
Monster Old Maid cards
Halco Wolf Man mask/costume
Ben Cooper Bride of Frankenstein mask
Halco Phantom mask

AND...3 unknown/slim items~ 2 in a "V" shape and 1 alone (right above the Phoenix Frankenstein candy box and below the SPP Frankenstein wallet). They are NOT the stirs or spoons. Not Pez. Are they pens of some kind? What are they? Anyone have an idea?

Best,
~a tired~ Richard

Something is bothering me about this pic :(
What exactly is the Marx Hunchback doing to Big Franky to make him raise his arms like that ?;)
I'm Confused..

Best..
Tom

Also to the right are a few of the Monster Old Maid cards.

Quote from: dlhenderson on November 21, 2008, 01:41:18 PM
Also to the right are a few of the Monster Old Maid cards.

Oops! You're right!
I missed posting them from my written list. I updated the list now. Thanks for the heads-up :D
Best,
Richard

Quote from: Richard on November 21, 2008, 10:51:36 AM
??? Wolf Man mask/costume (don't recognize this)

Same as this one in the gallery, but it's not identified.

(http://universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/gallery/0/4_29_12_07_11_32_14_0.jpg)

Believe that's the Halco Wolf Man costume, the Halco Phantom mask (possibly the Ben Cooper one, but pretty sure it's the Halco - the wart above the right eye convinces me), and unless memory is flawed, the witch like mask was released as the Bride of Frankenstein by Ben Cooper (and reissued as something else over the years). As for the three cylindrical objects, I've never been able to ID them.   

Thanks Mike & Shannon!
I'll make an update to my list.

Now....WHAT ARE THESE?

(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg232/mnroo/monstertoysle4WHATISIT.jpg)

Best,
Richard

Universal Monster rectal thermometers ?

Quote from: Gasport on November 22, 2008, 12:10:29 PM
Universal Monster rectal thermometers ?

:D :D :D

You can take your monster collectibles and stick 'em up your butt! Is that what your telling us Gasport?  ;D

Quote from: Richard on November 22, 2008, 11:17:15 AM
Now....WHAT ARE THESE?

(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg232/mnroo/monstertoysle4WHATISIT.jpg)

I was wondering the same thing Richard. At first I thought they were the stir sticks, but after looking more closely I'm no longer sure. The one on the right looks like a stir stick, but the one on the left appears to be some kind of ink pen?

I'm bumping this thread back up to the top because it's just such a cool photo, I'd hate for anyone to have missed it...

if its your 1st time seeing it, enjoy!
If not, enjoy it some more!

Quote from: Richard on November 22, 2008, 11:17:15 AM

Now....WHAT ARE THESE?

Best,
Richard

That question was posed about the thin cylindrical objects between Big Frankie's right hand and the Halloween masks:


I may have stumbled across the answer this June on eBay! Behold:

         


It's very difficult to tell, the proportions don't seem quite right for the clip, but that might be the lighting. Any opinions on this 46 year old mystery?

hey shannon i seen that auction too there was 2 that came on last year frankenkid brought one and tricity1794 brought the other  it does look like the munster pen but it hard to tell by the pic  also i was thinking what if the same company who produced the pen made monster ones too maybe they could be the monster ones in the pic just a thought  ;)

Cool stuff.

Holy cats - I WANT THAT PEN!  Never knew it existed!

This thread's just too cool!

Quote from: poseablemonster on November 20, 2008, 12:53:12 PM
I've got a Dracula, but his walking mechanism doesn't work.  I wish I knew how to fix it.  I think the parts, or at least most of the parts are there; but I can't figure the thing out. :P

It needs blood Andy, lotsa blood.

That pen is awfully cool in the package.  With 60s stuff in particular, I find that the package is often as cool or cooler than the toy itself.  The pen is cool, but presented in its package it's 10 times cooler.

Quote from: raycastile on January 28, 2010, 03:06:02 AM
That pen is awfully cool in the package.  With 60s stuff in particular, I find that the package is often as cool or cooler than the toy itself.  The pen is cool, but presented in its package it's 10 times cooler.

Do you think these pens are the UMO (unidentified Monster object) lurking up there in the photo all these years, watching, waiting...

Shannon, I think you may have identified the UMO right here at the UMA. Looks like 'em to me alright. Very friggin cool too. As already noted, the package is the main event here. The pens without the original packaging make a stunning collectible only mildly interesting.

Me wanty!

And thanks for sharing this Shannon! Salute.

Quote from: fmofmpls on January 28, 2010, 08:58:58 AM
Shannon, I think you may have identified the UMO right here at the UMA. Looks like 'em to me alright. Very friggin cool too. As already noted, the package is the main event here. The pens without the original packaging make a stunning collectible only mildly interesting.

Me wanty!

And thanks for sharing this Shannon! Salute.

Heh, thanks General. Funny enough, even though I am usually a package guy, I think the pen is pretty cool by itself. Wish they has made the movie monsters as well - and that I owned them all already, of course.

There's a matching Addams Family pen, too.

http://www.hakes.com/item.asp?Auction=199&ItemNo=84093 (http://www.hakes.com/item.asp?Auction=199&ItemNo=84093)

(http://universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/gallery/1/8_28_01_10_9_15_44.jpeg)

Whoa! Cool! It just keeps coming. Thanks Mike!

So now I'm wondering if the third pen was a different one or just an additional Munsters or Addams?

Quote from: Tom Smith Monsternut on November 21, 2008, 12:10:18 PM
Something is bothering me about this pic :(
What exactly is the Marx Hunchback doing to Big Franky to make him raise his arms like that ?;)
I'm Confused..

Best..
Tom

One word. CREEEEEEPPPPPPYYYYYY!!!!!!!  :P