09/19/2005 Entry: "Living Nightmare Monster Lab Dracula Kit!"

It's a Halloween Countdown Tuesday! The Living Nightmare Monster Lab promises artists of the ghoulish persuasion the chance to paint and worship their own half-sized Dracula head! It's the Halloween project for the thoroughly half-interested -- a completely easy but fun process involving paint, brushes and seriously secret notebooks. It's no Shrunken Apple Project, but few things are.

Chestnuts roasted by eight-bit @ 09/19/2005 09:07 PM EST

Matt, have you seen the MUTANT FREAKS by MGA ENTERTAINMENT? Similar concept but much more elaborate for the new millenium. I picked up the Bearded Beast and Freaky Frank for 2.50 each on clearance. Great stuff. Click the name for the link. I dont think they have a Ninja Warlord though...

Chestnuts roasted by The Manimal @ 09/19/2005 09:08 PM EST

I have seen those and was tempted to pick them up. Can't remember why I didn't. Must've been a long line at the store that day.

Chestnuts roasted by Matt @ 09/19/2005 09:11 PM EST

I was Dracula a couple times back in the day. Could never get my mouth blood to look right. I also didn't understand that the widow's peak thing was from Drac's hair line. I thought that he just combed his hair to a point. As you can imagine, I was a really horrible Dracula.

My Batman costume, however, was the best thing ever.

Chestnuts roasted by Jeff @ 09/19/2005 09:36 PM EST

Perfect timing...just today I started reading "Salem's Lot" with my grade 10 English class. I am so glad that I am now the teacher and can choose to read vampire books by Stephen King instead of Shakespeare!

Chestnuts roasted by Muppet Baby @ 09/19/2005 09:45 PM EST

These things kind of remind me of these paint a monster doohickey's they had up here for a while in the 90's
I think you made some kind of mix with water and poured it into a mold, then let it dry and it was a head you painted.

Chestnuts roasted by Gene @ 09/19/2005 09:51 PM EST

Ah yes, the classic monsters - Dracula, Wolfman, and a Ninja Warlord. That's pretty hilarious. Not that I wouldn't pee my pants if any of the three burst in thru the window randomly, but still, what were they thinking?
In other Dracula-related news, I read The Historian this summer; I totally recommend it. It's a little long, but full of Dracula action and ambience. Definately a delightful romp.
In more nerdy Dracula-related news, my only other real vampire-related interest was Buffy, and in the last two days I saw previews for two separate stupid-looking sitcoms with former Buffy actors (Alyson Hannigan and the guy who played Xander). Coincidence? Yes.

Chestnuts roasted by Gozer @ 09/19/2005 10:10 PM EST

umm guys...vampires are cool, but pirates are cooler today only...cause its International Talk Like a Pirate Day...YAR!

Chestnuts roasted by Jedimonkey @ 09/19/2005 10:38 PM EST

Matt, I think your vampire has malaria, or leprosy, or maybe some weird vampire combination from sucking bad blood.

Chestnuts roasted by The Family @ 09/19/2005 11:28 PM EST

Hey Matt, I just got back from Walmart and thought I should make sure you are aware of something I found there.

It's called "Blood Drops" in big letters, and "Filled Bubble Gum" in smaller letters. Imagine an unholy union of Gushers fruit snacks and bubble gum, only with the fake blood of Dracula instead of the fake blood of fruit. I'm not kidding either, the bag actually has a picture of these little guys that look like the chocolate chip monsters from Zelda (gels) drawing blood from Dracula.

They come in bags of 42 peices for 88 cents, so they are pretty cheap too.

Chestnuts roasted by Jeff @ 09/19/2005 11:35 PM EST

Dammit! This is the second year in a row that I fully intended to celebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day and missed it Oh well, there's always next year. Gozer, did you hear about the possibility of a TV movie with Spike? I would be so excited, I miss Buffy. I'm even writing about Buffy for my English honours project this year. Well, Buffy and Book 3 of Spenser's Faerie Queene, but still Buffy!

Chestnuts roasted by Gabbylicious @ 09/19/2005 11:38 PM EST

Matt, don't know if you read the comments this far down, but I have a toy in mind that you might love. I can't remember it exactly, but it consisted of a tank full of "acid" (water and powder) and a bunch of skeletons with organs. You put the provided "skin" (clay or whatever) over the skeleton and organs and dropped the monsters into the acid bath and watched their skin rot off. It was fucking incredible. I think the name had Dr. and Lab in it. I know that doesn't help much.

Good article.

Chestnuts roasted by Bryan @ 09/19/2005 11:41 PM EST

Aha! I found it. It was called The Mad Scientist Monster Lab, and in looking it up I also found the Mad Scientist Disect an Alien kit. They turned out to not be as Halloween related as my memory had made them, or at all, actually.

Both of those were awesome.

Chestnuts roasted by Bryan @ 09/19/2005 11:46 PM EST

See, this is why I love X-E: Matt can drop a Family Matters reference like nobody's business!

Chestnuts roasted by psyKlone @ 09/19/2005 11:47 PM EST

Gabbylicious:
I hadn't heard about the Spike TV movie. When I "discovered" Buffy last year, I watched all six (at the time) seasons that my friend had on DVD in like 2 months. I wonder when in the timeline it'll take place?
Small Buffy/Angel spoiler alert: I've never watched TOO much Angel, but I was a little peeved with Spike's resurrection after the end of Buffy, so I hope the movie doesn't involve more sacrilege.

Chestnuts roasted by Gozer @ 09/20/2005 12:03 AM EST

psyKlone: I can't believe I missed the Family Matters reference! Guess I've gotta go reread the article to find it.

Chestnuts roasted by Gozer @ 09/20/2005 12:04 AM EST

I couldn't find a Family Matters reference either. I saw the obvious Christmas Story one, the hair gel Dippity-Do reminded me of Dippity Do-Dog, where Ashley Banks worked on Fresh Prince.

And in an amazing coincidence, the kid/mad scientist on the box, he looks like what's-his-name from Christmas Story, the pole+toungue kid, who later made the porno. Scotty Schwartz is the name I'm thinking, but I know that's wrong.

Muppet Baby Do you actually read the swear words in class? And what about the Ruthie Crockett parts ? I'm all about King, but are there any parents upset that you read "those kind of books" to "their precious children"? Just wondering!

Chestnuts roasted by kidneyboy @ 09/20/2005 12:16 AM EST

Thanks for the reminder Jedimonkey. This'll be my fourth TLAPD, if I'm not mistaken...arrrrgh.

Chestnuts roasted by squee4242 @ 09/20/2005 01:06 AM EST

Ho-ly shit!! Rented two movies tonight. The first Nightmare on Elm Street, and the first Childs Play. Popped them in at about the same time the storm started...instantely thought of Matt's article about Freddy's 900 number. For that, I thank you Matt.

THANK YOU

Anyway, the movies were very very good, brought back good memories about being scared shitless. Good times, good times.

Chestnuts roasted by Boots @ 09/20/2005 01:47 AM EST

Ok, I can see a Werewolf and a b-side Dracula stunt double. I mean their scary right? Of course they are, but whats with the Ninja Warlord? Im not saying he couldnt kick the tar outta me, but that doesnt make him scary. Itd be like painting the head of a LA Crips Gang- banger. And youd still get a blue "doorag" or however you spell it.

Chestnuts roasted by Spectre1979 @ 09/20/2005 02:37 AM EST

That Jones soda I was talking about in the last comment section is a Target exclusive, just in case anyone is going to hunt for it.

Chestnuts roasted by Eddie Lightning Frog @ 09/20/2005 04:28 AM EST

"It's a rare condition this day and age to read any good news on the newspaper page, and to find Ninja Warlord homemade head kits at toy stores."

That is probably the best single sentence Matt has ever written. Bravo.

Chestnuts roasted by Brian @ 09/20/2005 04:59 AM EST

Okay, does anyone else thing it's a tad insensitive to have a Ninja Warlord listed as a monster? I mean, I know it's stupid. It's obviously stupid. But let's look at this. The dude isn't a monster. He doesn't even appear to be a ninja, in the traditional sense. He's just some shogun who has either gotten into his geisha's makeup drawer or belongs to a decidedly low-budget Noh troupe. We need to be understanding of those with alternative lifestyles, people. Even crossdressing ninja drama majors.

Chestnuts roasted by Jedoc @ 09/20/2005 05:20 AM EST

Just the other day at work - probably Friday, I saw these zombie heads that were really disgusting. I can't for the life of me remember what they were called, but as soon as I saw them I thought of Matt, and how he should have one... but then he goes and gets a Dracula head on us.

I'll try to remember to look at them better tomorrow and let ya know what they are.

Chestnuts roasted by Ryane @ 09/20/2005 10:08 AM EST

You know, that Dracula head is just the type of thing one might buy at Michael's to spite his girlfriend for taking too long.

And on a Family Matters note, I used to watch that show every Friday without fail. The Full House/Family Matters block? TGIF heaven. Man, in my opinion, that show did not age well. If I even try to watch an episode in syndication now, I can't believe how bad and almost unwatchable it is. I mean, I always knew that Urkel was annoying on some level, but his obnoxiousness seems to age like fine wine (or, more appropriately, cheese.)

Chestnuts roasted by Lori @ 09/20/2005 10:57 AM EST

The closest Monster-type model kit I ever owned was one that looked like a Big Daddy Roth character driving a hot rod made from a outhouse. Big bulging eyes, long skinny arm reaching for the gearshift, the whole bit. I've always wanted one of those Aurora Monster kits. There was even a Vampirella kit! Anyone out there seen/owned one?

Chestnuts roasted by kingklash @ 09/20/2005 11:24 AM EST

"...Mother Nature and her lover, Sun Man."

Ha ha ha! Jesus, this struck me as so hilarious...

Chestnuts roasted by B-Dawg @ 09/20/2005 12:19 PM EST

I know what I want in my stocking this year.. a ninja warlord head!

Chestnuts roasted by Review the World @ 09/20/2005 12:48 PM EST

Kidneyboy- Well, let's hope I do not get too much flack about reading "Salem's Lot" with my grade 10 students....it WAS in the selection of books for me to choose from, and I have told the kids that I can always make them a seperate unit plan if they feel uncomfortable...still, I am a wee bit worried- Parent/Teacher night is Sept.29th!

Chestnuts roasted by Muppet Baby @ 09/20/2005 01:03 PM EST

On my way home yesterday, some guy called into the radio station I was listening to and was like "Ye be playin' some good songs, ARRRRR!!!" To which the DJ replied, laughing, "Thanks for celebrating National Talk Like a Pirate Day with us!"

...and I thought they were kidding!!!! TLAPD? When did this happen? Why didn't someone get me out of the cryogenic chamber sooner???

Chestnuts roasted by bad karma @ 09/20/2005 01:03 PM EST

On the Family Matters topic, I heard a rumor recently that Family Matters was in fact a spin-off of Perfect Strangers! Can anybody verify this? (Or it's possible that it was vice-versa.) I was a moderate viewer of both shows in their hey-day but never realized/knew of a connection.

I always go into "Talk Like A Pirate Day" thinking how awesome it'll be but I never truly take advantage of the day. Or I just don't want people to stare at me and make me explain the holiday.

Chestnuts roasted by Gozer @ 09/20/2005 01:45 PM EST

You know how a certain type of emo douchebag likes to wear t-shirts of things like Super Mario Bros.1 and He-Man,and wax nolstalgic about those things,even though they weren't alive at the time? Well,one of them decided pirates were funny,because they say b0OTy L0L!!!!!1! And when one of those kids says something,it's a rule that the rest must agree. So now we have talk like a pirate day.

Chestnuts roasted by kid nicky @ 09/20/2005 01:50 PM EST

Yes, FM was a spinoff of PS. Poppa Winslow was a recurring character where Larry and Balki worked, or something.

Chestnuts roasted by kingklash @ 09/20/2005 01:53 PM EST

It was a spin off perfect strangers, but not in huge storyline crossing ways.
http://www.poobala.com/familyandperfect.html
Sorry Matt, I have no idea how to make that smaller.

Chestnuts roasted by kb @ 09/20/2005 02:05 PM EST

Calling shenanigans on kid nicky...Firstly, Talk like a pirate day predates the days of rampant emo douchebaggery. Secondly, twas a couple of middle aged-ish dudes who came up with it. (You can check my livejournal archives for 9/19 if you're interested in piratey links).

Chestnuts roasted by squee4242 @ 09/20/2005 02:32 PM EST

Family Matters was a spin-off of Perfect Strangers. Harriet Winslow was the elevator attendant in the building they worked in! Although, now that I think of it, I don't know if it was actually "Harriet Winslow" or just JoMarie Payton-France-Whatever in her pre-Harriet acting days

Chestnuts roasted by james anthony ktu @ 09/20/2005 02:34 PM EST

squee4242: Maybe,but I still hate those kids. And even if they didn't invent it,I'm always going to associate them with it,the same way I don't think of messengers when I see a messenger bag.

Chestnuts roasted by kid nicky @ 09/20/2005 02:52 PM EST

Anyone in a decidedly cryptic mood should check out snopes' archive on halloween related urban legends click my name to check'er out

Chestnuts roasted by Diarrhea Dave @ 09/20/2005 03:10 PM EST

Kind of off-topic but you guys would be interested. Today I got 20 packets of sharkleberry fin from the UK. THe new package art is not as good as it was, first off sharkleberry fin himself is gray and not pink! Sharkleberry also has googles on instead of his cool shades. And kool-aid man is wearing a yellow speedo! Anyway if you want some go to kool-aid.co.uk. Family matters would probably been canceled early if it wasn't for urkel. Urkel was just supposed to be a small character at first but when everyone liked urkel and didn't care for anyone else, Family Matters practically became The Steve Urkel Show.

Chestnuts roasted by Ghoul-aid Man @ 09/20/2005 03:37 PM EST

does anyone remember this:
http://www.parnasas.com/PopArena/Articles/face.html

i wanted one of those so badly as a kid, but my mom said noway. and now i'm a shell of a man.

Chestnuts roasted by big jerm @ 09/20/2005 03:41 PM EST

Wasn't Ninja Warlord a Lon Cheney Jr. character? Who can forget Dracula, Frankenstein, The Gillman, and The Wolfman Meet Ninja Warlord.

Ad Ninja Warlord won.

Chestnuts roasted by The Wukong Effect @ 09/20/2005 04:03 PM EST

Kid nicky- I don't like emo peole ether but "wear t-shirts of things like Super Mario Bros.1 and He-Man,and wax nolstalgic about those things,even though they weren't alive at the time?" Are you saying that because I'm sixteen I can't say how the original star wars movies were far superior to the new ones because I wasn't even alive when the original trilogy came out or that I can't spread the word of Moss Man and Sound Wave far and wide? Are you saying that Matt can't talk about anything that was created or released before 1979? Sounds like someone is going through a mid-life crisis eh "kid" nicky.

Chestnuts roasted by Darth Poop @ 09/20/2005 04:22 PM EST

Matt,
Have you ever seen the Mighty Men Monster Maker kit? It consisted of a tray and 3 sets of tiles: a head, a torso and legs of various superheroes and monsters that one could mix and match to create all sorts of creatures like frankenstein monster clad in sexy flash gordon-like tights on his legs by affixing the tiles in whatever combo you want and placing a sheet of paper over it and rubbing with an ink block. That toy provided days of entertainment when you have pneumonia twice and are quarantined to an oxygen tent, which is actually kind of cool. It can be scene at samstoybox.com which is a cool toy site I just found whilst looking for a pic of this kit.

Chestnuts roasted by funky booberry the 70's ghost @ 09/20/2005 04:43 PM EST

I, as one of the old farts of X-E, don't mind the younglings liking the stuff from my youth.
The Snopes 'Ween stories was pretty cool. I totally dig the one about the five-story haunted house. Maybe no one couldn't find it because it moves from city to city in a supernatural fashion! Like a yearly Brigadoon, but with rubber bats and spider rings. Hey, that sounds like a future book series to me!

Chestnuts roasted by kingklash @ 09/20/2005 04:49 PM EST

Holy crap, booberry. The Mighty Men Monster Maker kit was the only thing that kept us sane at family gatherings after my great grandparents banned us from the pool table at their house. It's really amazing how funny we thought the entire process was back then. "Look at me, I made an astronaut with a squid for a head, hurrr!"
It's a bit sad, but on the other hand if I still had that threshold for entertainment, I'd save a ton of money on cable internet and video games.

Chestnuts roasted by Jedoc @ 09/20/2005 05:02 PM EST

I still have a MIGHTY MEN MONSTER kit minus a few tiles. It will always be held in high esteem because it was my older brother's first, then passed down to me. Hadn't thought about it for Halloween but it would be a good addition.
Played songs from the jukebox in class today while the student's did some work. I didnt tell them what it was but they still liked it.

Chestnuts roasted by The Manimal @ 09/20/2005 05:24 PM EST

Wolfman looks like a Bee Gees reject. Gotta love that 'fro.

Chestnuts roasted by Allison @ 09/20/2005 05:29 PM EST

Have to say I enjoy the jukebox. Keep that chin up.

Chestnuts roasted by Mike The Great @ 09/20/2005 05:47 PM EST

Darth Poop raises a good point I didn't have the chance to make...though I was going to use The Beatles as the example
On pirate worship in general...some of us are just Jimmy Buffet fans, and/or enjoy talking like idiots.
The "her lover Sun Man" reminded me of an old article from somewheres in the archives where Matt talks about paganism as the materialistic religion...anybody got the Googlefu to bring it up?

Chestnuts roasted by squee4242 @ 09/20/2005 06:20 PM EST

Matt did you intentially paint him to look like he just puked on himself? Just wondering.

I gotta get one of these.

Chestnuts roasted by Dolph Lundgren @ 09/20/2005 06:50 PM EST

Holy shit- Dolph Lundgren visits the blog!

I just got a new apartment and today I bought a He-Man/Skeletor pillow for my couch, complete with detachable sword, held on by velcro! Nice!

No connection to painted monster heads, though, sorry....*hangs head in shame*

Chestnuts roasted by Muppet Baby @ 09/20/2005 07:27 PM EST

I didn't really mean that someone 15 years old CAN'T like something from a certain time period,but do you think most customers walking out of Hot Topic are really big fans of NES/Transformers/whatever,or are they liking what it's "cool" to like right now,the same way they liked Weezer last year,and they'll like whatever the cool thing is next year?

Chestnuts roasted by kid nicky @ 09/20/2005 07:50 PM EST

oh,and Dolph,I loved you in "Punisher". A timeless performance.

Chestnuts roasted by kid nicky @ 09/20/2005 07:51 PM EST

kid nicky- I agree with you there . Its just that you didn't specify in your first post and it got me so angry. I just wanted to rip your face off and put it back wrong. And I'm 16 not 15 darn it!

Chestnuts roasted by Darth Poop @ 09/20/2005 07:56 PM EST

It's contentious around here lately!
Dolph's posted before under that handle, IIRC.
Speaking of younglings (incidentally, I think we get a real cross-section of demographics here so I wouldn't disparage anybody on age), whateva happened to TOM, our resident tween blogger? You still around, guy?

Chestnuts roasted by squee4242 @ 09/20/2005 09:38 PM EST

Contentious is one way to put it. I say we put a ban on anyone who isn't best friends with everyone else.

Chestnuts roasted by Matt @ 09/20/2005 09:50 PM EST

OMG I luv the new smilie
We usually get along well, but it takes effort and willpower not to let things get all interdrama-y. I still feel bad about that Thomas Haden Church debacle all those months ago
(While I'm on the subject, and shouting out old bloggers: AngeFaitore, if you're still around, I'm sorry I picked on your THC obsession. I even bought Sideways out of guilt!)

Chestnuts roasted by squee4242 @ 09/20/2005 10:29 PM EST

Dolph!!!! Welcome!

Muppet Baby, my bf bought the He-Man DVDs over the summer, and we ripped the cartoon apart. Where did u buy your pillow at? I swear, when I get my own place, it's gonna have some crazy stuff in it.

Chestnuts roasted by Allison @ 09/20/2005 11:54 PM EST

Dude, thanks for posting this one! I'll always remember this nightmare I had one night where I woke up in the room of the daughter of my father's friend (insert crude jokes here), and there was this Evil vampire head staring at me that looked just like this! And now I think there must've been one of these lying around at their house, hence the nightmare. Awesome. Well the story actually sucks but, whatever..

Chestnuts roasted by Wade @ 09/21/2005 09:58 AM EST

1) I too didn't spot the Family Matters reference. What was it?

2) Eddie, I first mentioned the Jones Halloween Sodas around 5 or 6 threads ago. I still need to pick them up myself.

3) Haven't got a chance to check out the new Jukebox yet, but i'm still reeling in awe about the original version.

Chestnuts roasted by Invader Norbert @ 09/21/2005 02:53 PM EST

Darth Poop, i know exactly what you are talking about my brother had that skull thing. It was from Goosebumps, but never actually in any of the books. BTW Whats emo?

Chestnuts roasted by Sonny @ 09/21/2005 05:25 PM EST

I retract my statement that I dislike emo people. I dislike people who act like they are emo in order to gain social acceptance instead of being themselves. In other words "posers".

Chestnuts roasted by Darth Poop @ 09/21/2005 05:34 PM EST

Ninja Warlord?
Not something I'd really place on my top 5 lists of classic monsters. I don't recall seeing Abbot and Costello meet the Ninja Warlord. Nor do I scour the shelves of my supermarket for "Ninja-berry" cereal.

This isn't to say the Ninja Warlord isn't groovy in his own right, but it's sort of like putting pee-wee herman in the middle of Planet of the Apes.

Entertaining, yes...but still inappropriate.

Chestnuts roasted by dantewyrmfoe @ 09/22/2005 02:17 AM EST

I'm lovin' that Ninja Warlord's handlebar moustache.

Chestnuts roasted by Gooble74 @ 09/22/2005 04:18 PM EST