The Real Ghostbusters Monsters!
Well Happy Ghostbusters Day, everyone! 40 years of this marvelous and outrageous world we love so much. And what a ride it’s been! I’ve done a lot of blog entries and even a podcast episode about The Real Ghostbusters so I guess at this point it’s hard to find something new to talk about but I’m always looking to try! And I think I found something absolutely perfect to discuss: The Real Ghostbusters Monsters!!!
Released in January 1989, this line consists of Kenner’s unofficial depictions of some of the famous Universal Monsters with various action features to frighten our heroes. Cartoony, exciting and a little scary, this wave was a perfect addition to the RGB world. While villains like SamHain and The Boogeyman weren’t released as toys (SamHain would come later in the Extreme Ghostbusters line) there’s part of me that is ok with that because we got these Monsters. I’m sure that’s blasphemy to many fans who are ready to revoke my fan club membership card after saying that but I really think these figures are fantastic substitutes.
Going down the line, it’s a who’s who of frightful icons. Let’s take a gander at this rather infamous gaggle of ghouls!
Dracula:
The leader of the pack. Essentially you’re looking at the big daddy of the Monster clan. Decked out in a very stylish Joker inspired suit, Drac Napier here is ready for some spooky fun. With his blue face, the ability to spread his arms out and take a “bite”, Drac sets the standard for what the rest of the line will be.
The Mummy:
The Mummy, in my opinion may be the most accurate of the Monsters. It doesn’t seem like a figure you would see in the RGB line but it fits. Bonus points for the top wraps that come off and show off his shrunken head. Nice touch that only true diehard Mummy fans would recognize!
And yes I too noticed the dick in the his wrapping in the front. I see you, Kenner. You think you slick.
Frankenstein:
While the Mummy may be the most accurate, I’d argue this is the closest resemblance to a greeting card commercial character. Or even later depictions of Herman Munster. It’s not bad by any stretch of the imagination but I wouldn’t exactly say it’s Frankenstein’s best figure. However for this era and style, it’s a great figure and even if you don’t collect Ghostbusters figures, this would be one you’d want on your shelf. I’d prolly say he’d be the best *fit* for this wave.
Wolfman!
I wrote about this figure many many moons ago…no pun intended…and my option hasn’t truly changed. I feel like Wolfman doesn’t get enough love as a whole and as cartoonish as this is, I do believe it’s a great figure. Great facial expression, the torn up shirt and pants are a perfect look and the feature of him tilting his head back and howling is top notch. I really do think this may be my favorite of the line and considering how great these figures are, that’s not an easy decision!
Hunchback:
It seems I’m rather critical since each figure has a very distinct feel and look. I’m almost convinced these figures would’ve been used in other toy lines like Beetlejuice or even Bill and Ted and Quasmimodo here is a shining example. I think it’s a good figure but it looks more like a Muppet version of the Hunhback to me. Which is certainly not a bad thing. The colors are perfect and his action feature or breaking his chains ala David Naughton in his song “Makin’ It” are a great touch as well. I can see this even being featured in an episode of the cartoon as well, it just looks that good.
Now…this guy on the other hand…
Zombie???
Well…that’s what it says on the card at least. Remember how I said I’m of the mindset these figures were created for other toy lines? Here’s a shining example. I can’t exactly say it doesn’t fit in with the spirit of the line RGB line but…something’s just off. It almost feels like it was pitched for the Beetlejuice toy line and got rejected. Good sculpt, stands out and will make you do a double take for sure but this could be my least favorite of the line. Which is a shame because being a zombie, I feel like they’ve been through so much already. I hate to beat a guy when he’s down. Even if down is 6 feet under.
Best Real Ghostbusters wave ever? I’ll let you be the judge but imo this is certainly a wave that stands on its own while maintaining the integrity of the line. Great addition and I’m sure was a huge gateway to The Universal Monsters for lots of kids. Good timing too since we would see a huge Monster renaissance in later years! See, Egon and the crew were ahead of their time!
-Chad
