Custom Monster Playset

[Haunted hearse]

Occasionally toys would contain small comic book styled instruction sheets like the Monster Scenes kits by Aurora. If this playset had have actually existed in 1969 it would have been totally awesome if an 8 page comic book were included explaining the plot behind the Unholy Eight and the Haunted Graveyard. Since we're dreaming let's dream big...interior art by newcomer phenomenon Berni Wrightson (later Bernie), and cover by Neal Adams, with a scary cool House Of Mystery vibe. Since MPC was really behind producing this thing it's highly doubtful they would have sprung for a comic book extra...but hey, that would have been a little slice of monster heaven were it real.

The story and cast you've developed for this playset would require a lot more than an 8 page comic.

[horrorhunter]

  The story and cast you've developed for this playset would require a lot more than an 8 page comic.

Yeah...I got a little carried away. Maybe a little ashcan type comic could just introduce the villains and briefly summarize the plot. If something like this were done today there would probably be a several issue tie-in to milk the thing for every penny. Things were a lot simpler back in '69.

[Haunted hearse]

Yeah...I got a little carried away. Maybe a little ashcan type comic could just introduce the villains and briefly summarize the plot. If something like this were done today there would probably be a several issue tie-in to milk the thing for every penny. Things were a lot simpler back in '69.

The best way to do it, might be to break the playset down to the 8 prinicpal components, and do one page on each. 

[horrorhunter]

The best way to do it, might be to break the playset down to the 8 prinicpal components, and do one page on each.

That is a possibility. That 8 pages includes the covers so it would have to be a full size comic in height and width to have the space to do anything. I was thinking a full page for The Witch since she is such a plot driver, and 1/2 page each for the other members of the Unholy Eight, 1/2 page each for the Fist Of Satan and the Paladin Force, and the remainder (including the back cover) for a very condensed overview of the plot. It could be done but it would be text heavy with a little room for some gruesome illustration. If I ever feel obsessed to the point of delirium I may give it a shot one day. Sure would be a crapload of work though.

A couple of points for anyone who gives a rat's *ss:

Devil Bat is a sidekick for The Skeleton, so he doesn't count as a full member. Otherwise it would be the Unholy Nine and that just doesn't roll off the tongue the same. I had to come up with a reason for the MPC Skeleton carrying that bat around so I made them both demons who work as a team. Thought I'd show one of our favorite poverty row flicks some love, too. The demon's true names are guarded to avoid undesirable control.

In the fictitious background for MPC and Marx teaming on the playset it is really MPC who puts the thing out. They just temporarily conned Marx into providing them with parts and box branding (Black Magic Marxie, etc.). The Haunted Hulk would be a companion piece sold separately. Not much is known about The Haunted Hulk today. It is shrouded in mystery like the ghost galleon it represents. It was released in 1963 and must not have been available for very long. Maybe the profit margin just wasn't there, or maybe the stickers were considered too gory for a 6 year old. We don't know. Anyway, MPC would have had to rerelease it in 1969 to tie in with the Haunted Graveyard Playset. In 1969 I bet it would cost more like 5 bucks instead of the 3 bucks in '63. If MPC had have released an offensive (for the time) playset like this they certainly would have had no qualms about rereleasing The Haunted Hulk to make a quick buck. Had that happened at least they wouldn't be so damned hard to find now.

[Hepcat]

Skeleton and Devil Bat are demons which work in tandem.... Devil Bat relies on speed and maneuverability to put a diseased bite on it's foes and victims. Devil Bat thirsts for blood, but is strangely attracted to sweet smells like cologne and aftershave.....go figure.

Hagmar the Witch's bat familiar feels aggrieved since you've not fleshed out a back story for him as well.



Is he Devil Bat's identical twin or some sort of diabolical variant?

[horrorhunter]

Hagmar the Witch's bat familiar feels aggrieved since you've not fleshed out a back story for him as well.



Is he Devil Bat's identical twin or some sort of diabolical variant?

Hagmar's bat is just a manifestation of her clairsentience spell (she can sense through it). Since she is a crazed undead sorceress driven by revenge she has a number of psychological problems. One of those problems is that she talks to her bat frequently, even though it is only a magical special effect created by her subconcious. She calls it Gregory. If it were attacked with sufficient damage it would simply disappear until she casts what she imagines to be a resurrection spell. She would really just be wishing it back into existence. Pity the poor Witch on this Friday The 13th. If my mom had named me Hagmarion I might turn out to be a rotten person, too. 

[Scatter]

  Yeah, right (ya basterd).

[horrorhunter]

I know I keep bringing this up, but the job that Marx would have probably done on that Haunted Mansion playset would have blown everything else away. If it existed it would be THE Holy Grail Monster Toy for many of us.

Pics of the Marx Haunted Mansion prototype. Notice the MPC Monsters standing in for what would have been Marx 54mm monster figures. One wonders if Marx would have reduced the size of their Universal Monsters, or made all new sculpts of various undead, lycanthropes, and creatures. This prototype is what inspired me to create my custom playset featured in this thread. Marx product was always top quality. If the Marx Haunted Mansion had gotten to the release stage it would have been the monster version of other classic Marx sets like Battleground, Fort Apache, and Blue And The Gray. In other words it would have been awesome!





There are articles on the Marx Haunted Mansion playset and the MPC Haunted Hulk in issue #11 of Playset Magazine.

[Haunted hearse]

Pics of the Marx Haunted Mansion prototype. Notice the MPC Monsters standing in for what would have been Marx 54mm monster figures. One wonders if Marx would have reduced the size of their Universal Monsters, or made all new sculpts of various undead, lycanthropes, and creatures. This prototype is what inspired me to create my custom playset featured in this thread. Marx product was always top quality. If the Marx Haunted Mansion had gotten to the release stage it would have been the monster version of other classic Marx sets like Battleground, Fort Apache, and Blue And The Gray. In other words it would have been awesome!


This could be the basis of a great playset for the Palmer monsters.  The use of Dracula is interesting, considering Marx never made a Dracula.  Considering the size of the Marx Monsters, I can't imagine that they would have made a playset that would be big enough to accomidate the full size figures, so I think you're right they may have made smaller figures to go with the playset.  By the way, it might be interesting to see a stop motion animated film, where you use the toys as the cast, to tell your story.



There are articles on the Marx Haunted Mansion playset and the MPC Haunted Hulk in issue #11 of Playset Magazine.

[horrorhunter]

(*at*) Haunted Hearse (I couldn't quote you because you inserted your reply in my other quote. No big.):

I've considered doing custom monster playsets using Palmers. A King Kong set with Marx dinos would be cool. A Creature set using the Black Lagoon setting would also be cool. A Marx Bathing Beauty could be Julie, with Palmer Divers for Richards Carlson and Denning. It might be hard to find a boat for the Rita, and good figs for some of the other guys, but natives were made by MPC and Marx. Some Prehistoric Times palm trees, ferns, and dead trees, and a lagoon playmat with a Marx logs for Creech to block the boat's escape, and crocs, and a custom drawn box, and you're in business.

Doing custom playsets is a crapload of work, but the payoff is that you can add something cool to your collection that is truly unique. Even if someone were to duplicate all of your parts (which is expensive and a lot of trouble), they still couldn't exactly duplicate a hand drawn box. They could copy it but I don't think they could get it exact. And if someone went to all the trouble to do a custom box they would probably do their own design anyway. So you have a one-of-kind collectible which isn't just one piece, but a well planned set of complimentary pieces.

The stop-motion video idea is very cool. I'll leave that for someone far more photography savvy than myself.

[horrorhunter]

[horrorhunter]

[vtoys]

I can't get over how awesome that is, I would buy one in a heartbeat =)

[horrorhunter]

I can't get over how awesome that is, I would buy one in a heartbeat =)

Thank You.

Most of the pics aren't very good because I was getting used to my new (cheap) digital camera when I took them. The set looks much better in person. I do have another pic or two that I took before I put the set up a few weeks ago. I'll probably post them soon.

Maybe someone else will put together a custom monster playset, and post pics for us to enjoy. The Palmer Monsters would be cool to star in a playset.

[vtoys]

I have a few ideas in mind, but promised myself I'd do a Mego scale one first- problem is with a fresh baby in the house, my 'free time' is next to nothing anymore =)