AHI Official World Famous Super Monsters

[raycastile]

I haven't seen much discussion about the good old AHI monsters lately. They were the toys that inspired me to collect monsters, and they were my favorite toys from childhood. I collected them pretty heavily in the early and mid 1990s. At my peak, I had around 22 carded figures. Now I'm down to just 10. There are only five characters in the set. But there are so many variations, you could collect 50 of them and no two would be alike.

Even after the Sideshow and Diamond figures, the AHIs are still my favorite Universal Monster toys. They capture the spirit of staying up late Saturday night to watch a monster movie on your local independent TV station. They look like they came from the same planet as Forry Ackerman and Famous Monsters. Even though they were made 30 years after the original films, they seem contemporaneous. They are the original Universal Monsters action figures. Not models, not robots, not statues, but action figures. The first time these characters could come alive in your hands, flex their arms, twist their necks, kick their legs, fight each other without breaking.

Here are some photos of my carded AHIs.


Mummy (version A)





Wolf Man (version A)





Dracula (version A)





Frankenstein (version A)





Creature (version A)
Unlike the others pictured here, which are all on original cards, this Creature is on a repro card.

[raycastile]

This is a complete set of all five "version B" AHI monsters on original sealed cards.


Mummy (version B)




Wolf Man (version B)




Dracula (version B)




Frankenstein (version B)




Creature (version B)

[Palifan]

Great thread and fantastic collection you have! Out of interest did these ones come in a box also (I'm pretty sure they did but would be good to know if they did and if you ever owned any).

Really love these figures and only own a loose Frankenstein so very impressive to see them all together. Oh and out of interest what's the difference between the A and B set?

Ian

[Wich2]

Figure-wise, much cheaper that the Mego "Official" figs that they ripped off - but great fun, by way of the Aurora sculpts and garish colors.

My Frankenstein, tweaked a bit to look The Monster from SON, was the villain in an animated Super 8 film with the Superheroes.

-Craig

[raycastile]

The only one that has surfaced in a box is Dracula.

[raycastile]

Let's see everyone's AHI collections!

[mjaycox]

Ray and his Ahi monsters were directly responsible for me becoming a monster collector close to 20 years ago.

So I will definitely be contributing to this thread. Gotta take some pics though-- hang on

Matt

[Mike Scott]

The only one that has surfaced in a box is Dracula.

Weren't there foreign ones that were in boxes, or am I confusing them with something else?

[Mike Scott]

Why do you call the "male" Creature "version B"? Didn't the "male" come out first?

[glane21]

Surprised to see the Walt Disney World price sticker/on that Dracula.  I didn't thin they sold any merch at the a
Parks that was not their own intellectual property or licensed.  Wonder what the story is there,

[raycastile]

Why do you call the "male" Creature "version B"? Didn't the "male" come out first?

Nobody really knows. But people have reasoned that the more detailed and complex versions with riveted joints came first. The female Creature belongs to that set.

[raycastile]

Weren't there foreign ones that were in boxes, or am I confusing them with something else?

You're thinking of the boxed Lincoln monsters. The boxed AHI Dracula was a European release. Maybe the same company put out all the AHIs in boxes, but Dracula is the only one that has been found.

[raycastile]

Ray and his Ahi monsters were directly responsible for me becoming a monster collector close to 20 years ago.

So I will definitely be contributing to this thread. Gotta take some pics though-- hang on

Matt

I'm glad my efforts bore fruit! I'm looking forward to your photos.

[Mike Scott]

Nobody really knows. But people have reasoned that the more detailed and complex versions with riveted joints came first. The female Creature belongs to that set.

I don't know why, but I always assumed the MALE came out first. Gender bias, I guess? 

[Mike Scott]

You're thinking of the boxed Lincoln monsters. The boxed AHI Dracula was a European release. Maybe the same company put out all the AHIs in boxes, but Dracula is the only one that has been found.

I think I was mashing both of those together.