Introduction

Collecting Monsters

By Bradley Beard

Collecting movie memorabilia is a phenomenon that every American is familiar with and a hobby that a majority are involved in . It has been largely popular for the past 50 years . Prior to that however it had been a hobby that was limited to non-movie related items such as comic books, sports memorabilia, and toys . In the 1960’s Universal Studios changed the face of collecting forever .

In 1961, Aurora models began producing the first ever monster model by including the newly licensed Frankenstein monster in their current product lineup . It was an immediate hit with young children and they were being bought off the store shelves nearly as fast as the company could produce them . The demand prompted Aurora to produce them 24 hours a day allowing the company to turn out 3 kits a minute or 8,000 kits a day .

The success of the Frankenstein model led Aurora to develop and deliver a total of 13 monster kits in six years, 8 of which were under license from Universal Studios . The characters licensed from Universal in addition to Frankenstein included Dracula, The Mummy, The Wolfman, The Creature

From the Black Lagoon, The Phantom of the Opera, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and The Bride of Frankenstein .

With the high profile success of the Aurora models Universal Studios license, many other toy and novelty manufacturers sought to cash in on the success . Companies began to produce monster memorabilia in nearly every imaginable way . Companies produced puzzles, paintby-number sets, plastic wall art, wallets, t-shirt transfers, and toys in every shape and form . The most popular of this new monster craze was the Don Post studios calendar masks .

Don Post studios was a very popular and successful company that produced a line of Universal Monster masks known to collectors today as the Calendar Masks . This was a highly realistic line of latex masks that people could purchase in the back of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine . The Don Post line of Calendar Masks are the most sought after collectible from the Golden Age of monster collectibles, some of them demanding prices over one thousand dollars depending on their condition .

The Universal Monster collecting craze started to slow during the 1970’s but continues through to today . Nearly any item a collector can imaging has been produced during this 50 year period including chess sets, shot glasses, bobble heads, and even underwear sporting all your favorite monsters . Although production runs are nowhere near as high today for new Universal Monster items, a clear demand keeps companies producing high quality products for the fevered collector .

The Creature Walks Among Us

Limited Edition Lithograph Signed & Numbered by artist Bradley Beard

This is your last chance to own this beautifully reproduced acrylic masterpiece painted by the renowned monster artist. Visit our website to order yours today. www.bradleybeard.com