Monday, October 10, 2016

Monster Maker


I know. The box says Mighty Men and Monster Maker, but I'm only here for the monsters!
Hubs got PB this 1979 Mighty Men and Monster Maker by Tomy several years ago for christmas. 

This vintage toy is the boy's answer to Barbie Fashion Plates but so much cooler!  It has several plastic plates with raised images of heads, torsos, and bodies along with some separate textures (fur, scales, ?, ??).  

It's easy to use: requires no batteries, no cords, and certainly no wi-fi.  Mix and match the plates together in the tray.  Place a sheet of paper over the top and rub across the surface with a black crayon.  Then go back and color in your creation with colored pencils.  Love it!  


I do wish it would have had some 'sold separately' plates offered.  The box says you can design hundreds, thousands, even millions of outrageous combinations...but I don't know about that.  There are really too many texture plates and not enough body parts ones.  Need more body parts!

(image source)

"This could be the start of something weird..."
Ad from 1979 toy catalog.


But wait!  There's more!
Don Post and Tor Johnson

I was doing some digging around for research (the only saving grace of the internet) on this toy and came across some cool (hopefully true) stuff.  The artwork on the plates was done by Dave Stevens, a highly celebrated comic book artist who worked for Hanna-Barbera on The Super Friends in the 1970s but more notably created the comic character of The Rocketeer.  I also discovered that the monster hands shown on the box were made by classic horror mask maker company Don Post Studios.  Don Post Studios created the celebrated Tor Johnson mask which became the company's top selling mask of all time!  I'm a big Ed Wood\Tor Johnson fan so I was super excited to discover the Don Post tie-in with the Monster Maker.

Added bonus! I found the commercial: 

I have been really thinking about ways to have more monster plates for this set and then it hit me!  Pick up some barbie fashion plates at thrift stores and add them to the mix.  Barbie could have four tentacle arms or the Mummy could be sporting a fun two piece halter bikini outfit.   Now that would be truly scary!
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4 comments:

  1. JennileeOctober 10, 2016 at 10:32 PM

    How much fun is that, Mary!?

    I never knew there was a boy version (I didn't have the Barbie one, but I did have something with a similar concept...I loved it!), but I have a feeling I missed out! Have fun with it!

    P.S. I think mixing it with the Barbie one is genius!

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  2. my house is cuter than yoursOctober 12, 2016 at 12:26 AM

    I wasn't aware of this boy version either! What was the one you had? Maybe it would mix even better than the Barbie!

    ~mary~

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  3. JennileeOctober 12, 2016 at 7:00 AM

    This is the one I had! Fashion Plates!

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/291668985160?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true

    Hmmm....wonder if it is up in my mom and dad's attic...aka the black hole!

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  4. my house is cuter than yoursOctober 12, 2016 at 1:35 PM

    Awesome! I didn't realize that those were made by the same company, Tomy! Man, they are going for a bunch on money though. I don't see these much at thrift stores truthfully. I did see a Bratz version a couple of days ago but that won't do. Maybe I'll hunt around ebay for someone selling just the plates and it could be cheaper.

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