Custom Monster Playset

[Hepcat]

The curvy victims are Marx Bathing Beauties.... They are so hot I had to use them.

But of course!

Undead knights on undead steeds just strikes me as damned cool.

You're not the only one! I'd venture to say everybody on this board thinks they're very cool.

[Haunted hearse]

I love the use of the MPC "Haunted Hulk".  Wish I still had mine. I'm not as familiar with some of what you used, as some on this board.  Who made the Haunted House that you used?

[horrorhunter]

I love the use of the MPC "Haunted Hulk".  Wish I still had mine. I'm not as familiar with some of what you used, as some on this board.  Who made the Haunted House that you used?

The house is made by BMC. It's actually for World War II playsets...a damaged French dwelling maybe. I wanted something that fit the look of the '60s playsets, and that I could decorate with spooky stickers for background and atmosphere.

In the storyline the house was built by the same religious folk who built the cemetery a few decades ago. They wanted to sanctify the area and destroy the evil reputation of Demon's Overlook as it was known then. After the cemetery, and later the house, was built the area became known as Cemetery Hill to all of the locals. It was just a normal spooky place until the Unholy Eight moved into the underground caves that ran through the hill back to the cliffside/seaside grotto. Kids used to go to Cemetery Hill and party. Hence, the graffiti sprayed on the cemetery sign. It used to read "Hillcrest".

Even before The Witch was hanged the area was besieged by negative energy. Going back thousands of years the hill was used for human sacrifice to The Dark Gods. That's the reason for the rock fence surrounding the cemetery. It is what is left of the Temple Of Agrezelh. That particular malevolent entity is Hagmar's main "sponsor" in her quest for revenge and chaos sowing.

BTW, the Haunted Hulk sticker on the front of the box is Hagmar. She is undead and wears a spectral noose from the hanging. Many people think all witches were burned, but many were hanged. And many were probably just stoned or murdered with axes or clubs.

Sorry if I tend to get a little carried away with all this rot. I dreamed up this background story to explain the playset. Too many monster movies and comics bouncing around in my head I guess.

[horrorhunter]

Fantastic job AND idea! This is actually something that should be made by a toy company right now!

I wish someone would market cool monster playsets, too. The economic environment would be a real obstacle to something like this nowadays. I have over $200 spent in parts for this one. I got a good deal on the original MPC monsters or it would be a lot more. The box took a ridiculous amount of time to draw, as well. Aside from a few weirdos (like us ) the sales potential would be very limited. Since not many units could be made and sold, the price would be very high...maybe as high as $400-$500. Not many people could afford that. I'm sorry to say the window of opportunity for something like this probably closed in the '70s. Marx really dropped the ball when they failed to produce that Haunted Mansion playset in the '60s. Can you imagine what a nice example of the Haunted Mansion playset would fetch today?! It boggles the brain.

[horrorhunter]

Here is another shot of some detail of the rock formation and victims. The cave leads back to the network of tunnels and chambers which form the underground monster lair. The pool WAS filled with water. Now it is filled with a summoned demon with the form of a green slime. The blood pool and streaks where a victim was being dragged down by the slime are not actually blood. It appears as blood the way walls bleed in haunted houses. It is a phantom death trace. The area is so charged with negative energy that when someone dies there they stay as a haunt. So, even if you get killed you don't get out of the place. You remain as a plaything for the Creature Of Doom (Grim Reaper).

[Hepcat]

What are those four legged pink beasts?

[horrorhunter]

What are those four legged pink beasts?

Large wolves. The Vampire has summoned wolves and giant rats. I know that you don't just see three foot rats running around everyday, but this area has been cursed since prehistory, and some strange things have happened to the fauna (and probably the flora as well).

BTW, the wolves and rats are red. The pictures just make them look pink. I hate photography.

[marsattacks666]

Large wolves. The Vampire has summoned wolves and giant rats. I know that you don't just see three foot rats running around everyday, but this area has been cursed since prehistory, and some strange things have happened to the fauna (and probably the flora as well).

BTW, the wolves and rats are red. The pictures just make them look pink. I hate photography.

Every playset should have wolves and rats.

[ilikemonsters]

Beautiful set man!
It must have been a lot of fun to make.
What is the Cemetery gate and fence from?

[horrorhunter]

Beautiful set man!
It must have been a lot of fun to make.
What is the Cemetery gate and fence from?

Thanks, dude. The cemetery fence and gate are made by Marx. It originated in an old playset, probably a dollhouse type set. I seriously doubt it was originally intended for a graveyard....but it makes a good one.

[Hepcat]

BTW, the wolves and rats are red. The pictures just make them look pink.

That's a relief. Pink wolves would be wrong. Very wrong.

Every playset should have wolves and rats.

Agreed. Just not pink ones!

[Darkside1]

  Love your Haunted Hulk! I want one so bad

[horrorhunter]

  Love your Haunted Hulk! I want one so bad

Thank you Darkside1.

It was a real struggle to get the HH up to speed. For decades it has just been a green hull as a base to display my MPC Unbreakable Weird Monsters. I finally ran across an evilBay auction a few months ago with the original sail, spiderweb, and skull standard. The guy knew what he had and set the minimum at $150. I bid on it and got them for that. Kinda breathed a sigh of relief that nobody bid it up, but I would have gone to $300 if I had to since nice Haunted Hulks sell for around $700. After that I just needed the wheel and the stickers (the sail I bought had lost the original stickers long ago). I got a MPC pirate ship's wheel, which is exactly the same as the HH wheel except for the color. I emailed a fellow who made old toy stickers and talked him into doing Haunted Hulk stickers. Really nice guy named Jon Olson. We emailed each other for awhile as I was giving him information on the dimensions of the sticker area. When he printed off some of the stickers for sale he sent me two sets free for helping him (one glossy and one matte). I put the glossies on my HH and used the mattes on this custom playset.

I don't know how many Haunted Hulks actually exist today, but they only come up on eBay every year or two. Most of them I've seen over the last few years have minor damage, nasty looking stickers, or other problems. Getting a nice one is tough. Hang in there. I wish you good fortune in finding yours.

[jimm]

Nice to see you nurse yours to it's current state!

[Hepcat]

The curvy victims are Marx Bathing Beauties. They are actually 60mm scale while the rest of the playset figures are 54mm, so they appear very tall. They are so hot I had to use them. Other female figs don't even come close. I guess the descendants of the men who originally hanged The Witch are just really healthy Amazonion female luchadore types.

I actually see no problem with scale there at all. People have grown over the centuries. Just check out any medieval suit of armour. People were little runts back then. That's why the Unholy Eight and the undead knights are so small relative to their chosen sacrificial victims.

And the Paladin Force? Specially chosen for their short stature in order to be able to pursue the Unholy Eight "into the underground caves that run through the hill back to the cliffside/seaside grotto".