13 TINY NIGHTMARES - FRANKENSTEIN KIT

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Original Kit Issued: 1961 - 1968
Re-Issued: 1969-75, 1983, 1991,1998

The original plastic monster! When Aurora released this kit back inb late '61, they had to work around the clock, churning out three kits per minute, just to keep up with the orders!

According to Aurora lore, the molds were worn out from so much use and had to be duplicated and replaced a number of times to keep up with demand.

Boxed in packaging adorned with the amazing art of James Bama, this toy was the stuff of a monster kid's dreams! It still looks great today. This truly is the kit that brought a small model company legendary status!

"It is the hair-raising story of a monster created by the genius of a Doctor whose good intention it was to discover a formula rendering man invulnerable to disease. For defying the laws of nature, the Doctor was permanently entangled in a maze of horror worse than death itself!

"It was on the dreary night of November, it began. With an uneasy motion he opened his yellow watery eyes. He breathed hard and convulsive motion agitated his limbs. Monstrous in conception, he was a demoniacal resemblance of man!"

Original Promotional Copy from Instruction Sheet
See Entire Text

ORIGINAL

1961

LONG BOX

ORIGINAL SPECS:

KIT # 423

SCALE: 1/8

PLASTIC COLOR: Lt. Grey

BOX SIZE: (1st Ed.)13"X5"X1-1/2
(2nd Ed.) 13"X4"X2"

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GLOW KIT SPECS:

KIT # 449

SCALE: 1/8

PLASTIC COLOR: Black & Luminous
BOX SIZE: 8.25"X8.25"X3.25

MY FINISHED KIT:

This is one of the early re-issue kits I built, and I'm not sure I'm actually done with it. I've got some good detail in the face, but I want to get a more fleshy high-light to the skin of both the face and hands to get a truly cadaverous effect.

To this end, I turned the jagged edges of the final layer under Frank's jacket from the traditional cloth, to skin with the frayed edges now painted as the scarred seams left from the Baron's mix-n-match. The effect is sufficiently gruesome, if not completely authentic.

I'm happy with the painting and effects on the base, but it's sparseness may merit a Customizing Kit.

Monster modeling on the cover of Mad Magazine #89 Sep. 1964

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POSTER GALLERY

"Frankenstein"
1931

Studio: Universal

Starring: Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Dwight Frye,

Edward Van Sloan, Mae Clarke

Director: James Whale

The classic masterpiece which spawned the first monster franchise. The moody Gothic sets, the arch performances, the iconic cinematography, everything about it is still glorious to behold. And, it's now available with restored footage, such as the infamous scene in which Karloff tosses little Maria into the water - a scene which was removed for being too horrific for 30s audiences.

James Whale's masterful eye is evident in every elegant shadow-draped sequence. Bernhard Kaun's lush symphonic score caresses every scene. Boris Karloff's sensitive portrayal of the misunderstood monster is still imitated, but never duplicated.

Read the original
NEW YORK TIMES Review of the film

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Read more about the auther:
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley