13 TINY NIGHTMARES

Original Kit Issued: 1963 - 1968
Re-Issued: 1969-75, 1983, 1991,1998

Fourth in the original line-up, this kit sports Jack Pierce's make-up for Lon Chaney, Jr. from the 1940's flicks like "The Mummy's Tomb," "The Mummy's Curse," and "The Mummy's Ghost."

Aurora's brilliant marketing blitz in Famous Monsters and popular comic book titles of the day helped firmly establish their product line in the minds of monster-loving kids.

By 1963, increasing demand for new kits led to the release that year of three kits based on characters from other classic Universal movies: The Creature (from the Black Lagoon), The Mummy, and The Phantom of the Opera.

"Examining the tomb further they discovered another door over which was an inscription in hieroglyphics. Deciphered, it read, "Death will come on swift pinions to those who disturb the rest of Anahnka." A sentinel figure guarded the door. On the mummy case of the figure were protective formulas of adjuration to "frighten away the enemy of Anahnka in whatever form he may come." Another inscription yielded the fact that the case contained the mummy of Kharis, a high priest, who was to protect Anahnka in death."

Original Promotional Copy from Instruction Sheet
See Entire Text

ORIGINAL

1963

LONG BOX

ORIGINAL SPECS:

KIT # 427

SCALE: 1/8

PLASTIC COLOR: Lt. Grey

BOX SIZE: 13" X 5" X 2"

GLOW KIT SPECS:

KIT # 452

SCALE: 1/8

PLASTIC COLOR: Grey & Luminous
BOX SIZE: 8.25" X 8.25" X 3.25"

MY FINISHED KIT:

This was the first Aurora classic re-issue kit I built. I hadn't been aware of the re-issues of the old monsters until I came across this Polar Lights re-pop in a Toys R Us.

Suddenly, I was transported back to my golden childhood days of glue and paint in the garage. Great times!

I remembered a pact I made with a couple of my grammar school chums; we promised to pool some of our allowance into a fund to purchase all the kits. We each had some that were our own, but planned to share the rest among ourselves.

(Sharing-such a subversive socialist concept!)

I don't think we ever completed the set to share, so that's what I'm doing now, and sharing it with you.

Enough schmaltzy reminiscing!

Enoug

Famous Monsters Magazine #36 Dec. 1965

Famous Monsters Magazine ad
promoting the Aurora Monster Model Contest
of 1964

CLICK TO
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POSTER GALLERY

"The Mummy's Ghost"
1944

Studio: Universal

Starring: Lon Chaney, Jr., John Carradine, Ramsay Ames

Director: Reginald LeBorg

The best and scariest of the sequels. Carradine's performance as the high priest is just short of over-the-top, and Chaney's Kharis the mummy is his best performance since The Wolfman.

This version of the titular monster with blind eye and withered arm, grasping out with a dusty hand and dragging a leaden leg is downright disturbing!

As usual, said mummy is in search of his late lover, Princess Ananka. He finds her soul trapped in a look-alike, and carries her off into the swamps in a terrifying climax which scared the bejesus out of me when I first saw it on TV at age 8.

Read the original
VARIETY Review of the film

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PHOTO
GALLERY

MORE GREAT SOUND CLIPS FROM THE CLASSIC FILM CAN BE FOUND HERE

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Read more about the auther:
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley