The Mad Mad Mad Scientist Laboratory

[Hepcat]

So evidently the repro Mad Mad Mad Scientist Laboratory pictured in the Worthpoint link was listed and sold by Samjo123:

It's interesting to compare a few pics of originals of the Mad Mad Mad Scientist Laboratory:







To a couple of Samjo123's repro:





Now I can understand the chemicals and some of the other lab accessories not being the actual ones or exact replicas. I'm puzzled though as to why Samjo123 did not reproduce the labels on the test tubes. Moreover why was the chemical stain above Monster's Murk not Photoshopped away before the repro was made?

[Maceo1]

Home Lab was a Subsidiary of Aurora.

Interesting. I am making a catalog, could you verify that information please. Thanks.

[Monster Bob]

Talk to Kunstler, I guess.

[Maceo1]

Talk to Kunstler, I guess.

Is that an answer ? Mort and his family were very good friends of my Dad. He was freelancing back in the early days and was commissioned by many companies.
But this has no bearing on whether Aurora and Home Lab (Physio-Chem Corp. ) were ever connected. If you have any documentation to back up that info, I would appreciate it.  Otherwise...

[Mike Scott]

The Mad Mad Mad Magician set. Missing a few pieces.

[Monster Bob]

Is that an answer ? Mort and his family were very good friends of my Dad. He was freelancing back in the early days and was commissioned by many companies.
But this has no bearing on whether Aurora and Home Lab (Physio-Chem Corp. ) were ever connected. If you have any documentation to back up that info, I would appreciate it.  Otherwise...

Well, that's great, and yes, that is my answer. Mort Kunstler was the source, in his exact words.
Hard to believe you find it hard to believe, just looking at the sets. They reek Golden Age Aurora. Moreso than Aurora Monster Scenes even remotely do.

These sets were 90% thrown together with parts bought from other companies that made parts for science sets and magic sets, to supply companies that wanted to make....science and magic sets. The little labeled powder bottles are unique (but are in all sets), but most of the contents are generic, so missing a couple of generic pieces means nothing. Easily and cheaply replaceable.

[Maceo1]

Mort Kunstler was the source, in his exact words.
Hard to believe you find it hard to believe, just looking at the sets.

Do not recall stating that I find it "hard to believe". I was just looking for some proof of your statement that "Home Lab was a Subsidiary of Aurora". Do not care for making assumptions, word of mouth, or guesswork.  For a definitive catalog of particular toy companies such as Ideal, Aurora and Emenee, it would need some paperwork to document it, if it is true. So far in the Aurora company history files, it is not found mentioned yet.
Thanks for thinking about it though.

[Monster Bob]

I always thought it was general knowledge, but I guess not.

[Hepcat]

I'd never heard that Homelab was an Aurora subsidiary either. Worse yet I can't find any other reference that this was so

Mort Kunstler was the source, in his exact words.

...just looking at the sets. They reek Golden Age Aurora.

The Mad Mad Mad sets do indeed reek of Golden Age Aurora. Maybe Mort Kunstler was mistaken for precisely that reason.

[Monster Bob]

Pffft.

[BijouBob8mm]

These sets were 90% thrown together with parts bought from other companies that made parts for science sets and magic sets, to supply companies that wanted to make....science and magic sets.

Had to smile to myself as I read that.  To this day, just about any magic set you find in a toy store will still be made up of about 90% of the same tricks magic sets from the 1940s (on up) contained.  Even some of the more upscale sets, such as Chris Angel's "Mind Freak" magic sets, contain those classic plastic pieces with a few new twists tossed in.

[Monster Bob]

Yow. If you don't believe the words from the mouth of the guy that did the box art, please, get out of the hobby and don't be a schlong.

[Hepcat]

If you don't believe the words from the mouth of the guy that did the box art....

Show me where Mort Kunstler is quoted.

...please, get out of the hobby and don't be a schlong.

What the hell? This is a discussion board! And you're telling people to leave simply because they disagree with you about something?

[Hepcat]

I'd never heard that Homelab was an Aurora subsidiary either. Worse yet I can't find any other reference that this was so

The Mad Mad Mad sets do indeed reek of Golden Age Aurora. Maybe Mort Kunstler was mistaken for precisely that reason.

Interesting. So what we know for sure was that Homelab was a subsidiary or brand name of Physio-Chem Corporation in 1965:





Given that the Mad Mad Mad Scientist Laboratory would have appealed to precisely the same potential buyers as the Aurora monster model kits, perhaps Physio-Chem/Homelab arranged for Aurora to make the Mad Mad Mad Scientist Laboratory available through Aurora's own distribution network the same way that Universal Pictures distributed the monster flicks of Toho and Hammer Film Studios in the United States.

This could explain why Mort Kunstler might have gotten the impression that Homelab was an Aurora subsidiary.

[Hepcat]

Here are a couple of variants of the very cool ad for the Mad Mad Mad Scientist Laboratory:





The second one I scanned from my own copy of the 1966 Famous Monsters of Filmland Yearbook.