Toy-Ventures: AHI World Famous Super Monsters

[@RaymondCastile]

Thank you for the shout out! That was a very concise summary of the AHI monsters. I would not have thought it possible to sum up that universe so succinctly in just 11 minutes! I think this was the last word in KZbin AHI monster journalism.

[@BrickMantooth]

Glad you dug it, your SOMA video popped up while I was writing this and it just felt like that was fate.

[@patsparks8731]

@@BrickMantooth I see the opportunity to congratulate BOTH of you here on each of your videos on AHi Monsters....and I like both the “short” and “long” videos as well as the Toy Ventures Mag!! Well done and thank you both for all the hard work. I do realize just how much effort goes into making a well edited video. Many of us collectors love to watch, but do not post, so thankfully there are people like you two who provide wonderful entertainment for the rest of us! 👍❤️!!!!

[@doctordurantssanctum1977]

Great episode as always. I’m in full agreement the AHI Frankenstein is the best interpretation of the Universal monster. It’s the epitome of 70s monster toys. I really love this line , mostly due to what I learned from you!

[@michaelbest9941]

Highly impressive presentation: Congratulations. It is a clear and respectful love letter to the AHI collections' trajectory. *_Outstanding_*!

[@BrickMantooth]

Aw thanks, nice way of putting it.

[@briggscharleton6139]

Got the Frankenstein and Dracula for Christmas 1974. Barely remember the card. We moved the next summer and the figures were lost forever. Thanks for the memories

[@BrickMantooth]

thanks for sharing!

[@aaronleitner5630]

Thank you Brian for always creating joy with your videos and posts. I always look forward to October through December with Plaid Stallions.

[@BrickMantooth]

I really appreciate you saying that, thanks.

[@genesanford9412]

Man , seeing these every trip to K-Mart as a kid,& pickin up one every so often.We had them in the small toy aisle at Thrifty Drug too.Miss those days. :D

[@BrickMantooth]

Me too

[@genesanford9412]

@@BrickMantooth : D

[@jjmmyo1]

I think I have a telepatic connection to this channel. Earlier today (or maybe yesterday) I was in the search of a good video about this line and since there’s no much about it I thought how strange Birck Mantooth doesnt have a proper full lenght video about this line (i saw the short previous ones)

[@BrickMantooth]

We've got a "Shining"

[@thestorm99]

I remember seeing all of these on a rack at a store in the suburbs of Chicago during that stores grand opening in like 1974 or 1975 and wanting them. I did get the Wolf Man for Christmas, but he wasn't built as well as my Megos and fell apart. The Creature is still on the list of my most coveted items from childhood to, once day, possess. But I want him (and The Wolf Man) on their cards. So, as soon as I win the lottery, I'm getting them! On a side note, I did manage to pick up a Super7 AHI Creature last year and I cannot express the nostalgia it radiates from my shelf every time I look at it.

[@ikd3240]

These are awesome! I love retro toys of classic monsters. When I was a kid in the early 80's I used to have a rubber Creature From Black Lagoon that came on a card that had a dead kid laying on the beach. They also had Dracula, a Mummy and I think Frankenstein in that series.

[@BrickMantooth]

If you ever want to track that down it was made by company called Vic's.

[@ikd3240]

@@BrickMantooth Thanks for the info!

[@Gappasaurus]

Awesome video as always! 👍🏼 I wasn’t aware of the AHI / Soma connection (though Im guessing it was mentioned in TV#1... i got mine a couple weeks ago but haven’t had a chance to read it properly, just skimmed all the pics so far 😅). Soma made cheap KO figures well into the 90’s, like “Action Pirate” and “Sonic Ranger” plus generics like “remote control robot”. And that “Monster Man” packaging looks like they may have been channeling “Inhumanoids“ at the time 😅

[@BrickMantooth]

Yeah apparently they are inhumanoids KOs, who knew?

[@mattledbetter859]

This taught me more about the line in a few minutes than it would have taken me hours to Google. Bravo! Sorry 2 jackwagons voted you down. Smh

[@BrickMantooth]

Thanks man, i know who is doing it, and honestly, if my content upsets them, good! Instead of obsessing about what I'm doing, they should do something positive with their lives.

[@WeHadThat]

Yes, this video was a great overview of the line!

[@Redfern42]

Here's my anecdote. It was 1974 and Mego released its first set of Star Trek 8 inch dolls. Now, ny buddy Kyle and I were rabid Trekkies (I was 11; Kyle was 9), so of course were craved him. Kyle was a tad more privileged as his mother would usually get him the toys he wanted. My father, on the other hand was a tad more fiscally frugal. He expected me to save my allowance for certain things and buy them myself. To be fair, he did buy me model kits on a regular basis as that was a craft oriented activity, so I had a boatload of miniatures sitting upon shelves. But action figures/dolls...? "No, Bill, you want that, you save your money." So Kyle got his Kirk figure tight off the bat. Okay, how does this tie into the AHI monster figures? Well, one day I spotted a jointed Lagoon Creature somewhere, a doll considerably cheaper that the Mr. Spock I really wanted. But I was also a big fan of the Gill Man. I had not yet seen the original movie, but I had the Aurora model kit that spurred my initial interest. So, I bought the Creature from the Black Lagoon. It was the "thin waisted" version with the "plug" fitted joints and the wire core, pliable vinyl limbs. So, for a while, Kyle and i pretended that Spock was on a mission by himself off ship somewhere while an amphibious being filled his position until the Vulcan returned (read: when I could finally buy the Mego Trek figure). Yeah, it seemed a bit silly to us at the time, though we "made do". However, ever since I saw the "HellBoy" movies and the highly intellectual fish man, Abe Sapien, I guess it was not so absurd after all! ;-) I also used that AHI figure to snap what several thought was a rather cool "Cryptid" photo. I placed the the vinyl doll with arms outstretched (rather like the Aurora kit) at the edge of a "pool" created by a storm drain "run-off" where we often played. I used a vintage "Swinger" Polaroid instant camera and popped a shot. The photo showed only the muddy bank, the figure, and the water behind, no other details to betray the true scale. It was also horribly out of focus. But that actually added to the supposed "candid" nature of the shot, as though some vacationing soul caught a glimpse of some "thing" very bizarre. I still have that photo stashed somewhere and retrieve it occasionally to reinforce the memories of my youth. Sincerely, Bill

[@BrickMantooth]

awesome memory, thanks for sharing. Glad you still have the photo too!

[@Larry]

The AHI Dracula looks like a really angry Harvey Kitel :P

[@Cameroo]

He just realized who Keyser Söze is!

[@neilm1155]

Great video! So glad you did a feature on this series of figures! I live in the UK and always have done. These figures made it over here in the 1970's and on spotting them in (I think) Debenhams which was our largest local department store was, allowed to pick one of the range by my Parents. Now I REALLY wanted the Frankenstein Monster but I thought it was SO unlike Karloff I went for the Wolf Man which seemed the best of the ones I was familiar with. Now interestingly, looking at the variants in this video, the Frankenstein's monsters look from really quite good to stunning for the time. I remember the one I saw having a very round head and pinky/reddish complexion. More like the Mummy in fact. Though the mummy was there and that had a different head. So long story short, if variants were available at the same time from different factories, I'm wondering whether some variant mummy heads got attached to Frankenstein monster bodies? Now THERE'S A figure to find still carded! (By the way, my wolf man was the one on the right in the picture of the three wolf man variants and is definitely still my favourite.)

[@BrickMantooth]

The UK got them via a company called "Red Box Blue Box" or RBBB and to my knowledge they were mainly the later KO versions which tended to get a little strange in their complexion.

[@neilm1155]

@@BrickMantooth Ah, interesting! Perhaps it was a less good likeness variant with a odd colouring that I saw. Thanks! Looking forward to the next video 😃

[@bio1656]

Another amazing collection .

[@BrickMantooth]

thank you.

[@skippermatt7939]

Guessing the Creature was left out of the post AHI figures because the factory didn't have a license with Universal. The other characters could be considered generic or based on public domain properties (Frank's neck bolts not withstanding) but there's no way to deny that the Gill-man is THE Universal character.

[@BrickMantooth]

I won't argue that theory, although the tooling for that unique body may not have been available.

[@mick_c_horror_and_pop_culture]

Thank you for this video. I dig collecting AHI Universal Monsters' figures. Love this channel and great episodes. Also, Raymond Castile's Basement Of Horror is a fun channel. His collection is so incredible.

[@BrickMantooth]

Glad you liked it, Ray goes way deeper into monster collecting than I ever will and I enjoy seeing what is in those tubs.

[@mick_c_horror_and_pop_culture]

@@BrickMantooth Definitely.

[@richardwatts4660]

Wow! that was very interesting to watch and superb to listen to, thanks for such a great video and doing Monster Month. I'm really enjoying it. I do sort of remember World Famous Super Monsters here in the uk, but alas never picked any up. If I did today, it would have to be that fabulous Karloff Frankenstein, which looks fantastic. Mind, The Mummy looks and reminds me of Dr. Evil from Austin Powers for some reason! Anyway, great history as well about AHI - I've always been curious about who they were, so this helped loads. Finally, a quick side question about AHI and Marvin Azrak - I knew of the Mego / AHI rivalry; Is the rumour true that Mego named the Micronauts "Baron Karza" figure after Marvin Azrak? I know it reads backwards the same as his surname, but is there more to that story than coincidence? Just curious...

[@donl.l.15]

I dont know how I missed out on these as a kid but I did. I was however blessed with Remco monsters aroumd 79, and they were my favs! Great video.

[@baumer2504]

Hahaha this company truly was a horror story. I started to pick up the most recent Mego monsters, but went with the old Sideshow universal monsters instead. I did pick up both versions of NOSFERATU though. Loved the insight in this video.

[@bhamacuk]

6:00 I've still got the Frankenstein and Mummy from when I was a kid, which are identical to those ones. Also got Dracula.

[@patsparks8731]

I think it would be hard for the casual observer to actually see and hear (and therefore notice) how much work went into editing this video and just how much info you’ve included here in a short amount of time for new collectors. I’d encourage RE-watching in order to catch all the detail....well I’m a dork so maybe it’s just me🤓. With still more like....hairy body variants, card variants.... and on and on....all of which drive price and rarity.... Most collectors would agree that It’s just these “weird and nonsensical” things about how AHi did business that keeps us all intrigued. The snowflake phenomenon keeps me on the search for that special “look” I need to add to my collection even when my Wife would say...”why do you buy the same thing over and over” ? The attempt here is to pay you a compliment and thank you again for giving us collectors fun video content to enjoy. I like your magazine too. Next year will hopefully be a normal toy show year because I missed out on so much this past year and a half....plus. Someone must have a carded wide waist Creature they want to sell, and I intend to locate that person soon. LOL. Thank You again, Life is too serious and this is all in good fun....wonderfulness. Kind Regards, Pat

[@tracyrunyan3329]

Would have been awesome to have Count Dracula, Frankensteins Creation and The Werewolf and been able to play out adventures of the original "Monster Squad".

[@BrickMantooth]

I did that very thing with the Lincoln Monsters.

[@carlosescobar6973]

love ahi monsters i have two versions of frankenstein they are beautyfull wonderfull

[@BrickMantooth]

totally agree.

[@brettpugh7898]

Fabulous video 💜💙💜

[@BrickMantooth]

aw thanks Brett, appreciate that.

[@Nichole-440HP]

just checked ebay for the Frankenstein monster figure , not cheap ! life long Frankenstein fan here , love that sculpt !

[@MN-fc5so]

I own a set of these Version "A" .. all unplayed with .. top notch condition.

[@genesanford9412]

Wonderful ! watching this brought back SO many great memories .On the point of the creatures,i had both ,and knew a bit about skeletal anatomy ,so after i got the 2nd version,i added fish-breasts to the breeder-hipped ,& had the perfect female creature! customizing figs since the 70,s

[@BrickMantooth]

Wow, you were a pioneer.

[@genesanford9412]

@@BrickMantooth ...or just a weird kid with ocd ,as to my hobbies.I also grew up poor in a Latino area ,& had tons of KO,s.The two figs together looked cool.I made what i couldnt find,or afford.I learned to make latex masks the same way after Planet of the Apes.

[@GarysActionManChannel1970]

Surprised AHI didn't pick up licence for Hammer films version of Mummy, Frankenstein and Dracula

[@BrickMantooth]

those rights are not easily obtained i'm afraid.

[@GarysActionManChannel1970]

@@BrickMantooth Does anybody own the toy right to Hammer films?

[@BrickMantooth]

@@GarysActionManChannel1970 From what I understand the Hammer library is spread among several distributors, so some characters are available for merchandise but it isn't like the Universal Monsters. You can make figures of Lee Dracula and I believe Cushing Von Helsing is do-able.

[@GarysActionManChannel1970]

@@BrickMantooth Dracula AD 1972 - wonder who owns rights to Stephanie Becham 😁

[@andrewtaylor940]

The only thing I remember about these were how horrible the hands were compared to the Mego figures. Mego figs could at least make an attempt at holding things like their weapons. These guys? Nope!

[@BrickMantooth]

yeah i get that.

[@philashby2823]

Hi! I just ordered the magazine but the website made hard work of the process! A 30 second impulse buy on mobile felt like a 15 minute slog.

[@BrickMantooth]

Yeah, I've heard sorry about that, it's one of many things I'm working on in the background. Appreciate the support.

[@johnalucard7860]

I want these one day.

[@timfields7657]

So much fun !!!!!

[@BrickMantooth]

thanks, glad to hear it.

[@WeHadThat]

Great video! What awesome monster toys! :)

[@johncarnevale6763]

I would say the Creature turned up maybe a year and a half after the others. I only saw it once in Kresce. I didn’t get it they had three and I went home to get my money. Came back an hour later and they were gone.

[@BrickMantooth]

Wow, you think a whole year?

[@johncarnevale6763]

@@BrickMantooth From what I seen yes. I looked in Kresces, K Mart, Korvettes, and Majors department stores. Nobody had them but they had all the rest. I went to a local toy store Smiling Sonnys and they told me that it didn't come in the cases they had but he had it on order. Then after I seen them in Kresces and they were sold out. I went back to the toy store. He said he had them and they sold out, he took my number and said when he got them again he would put one aside and call me. He never called, I followed up with him in the store about a month or two later, he said they hadn't gotten them they were only in a few cases.

[@deanpidone1922]

Great video! Makes the magazine even better! ;)

[@BrickMantooth]

thank you!

[@mickeythompson9537]

(Baron) Karza is, of course, Azrak backwards.

[@ronniemckinney6808]

Wow! I'm surprised that Mego never sued AHI. I guess Mego didn't care, lol.

[@BrickMantooth]

They sued over the Action Apemen.

[@ronniemckinney6808]

@@BrickMantooth Okay, I didn't know that.

[@cumberbatchpepperpot]

Azarath Metrion Zinthos is my favorite toy company

[@BrickMantooth]

well done.

[@Cameroo]

Love your videos but I have to complain that your audio/sound mixing is always so weirdly off. It goes from a high volume to a very low one and I always find myself having to adjust the volume back and forth. Same for your wonderful podcasts too! Hope you can get it looked at. :)

[@mczilla8628]

I remember the remco line i had the creature and i think dracula. I have a question why do alot of creature figures and statues give him red lips?

[@TheRealNormanBates]

It’s because he _vants_ to _suck_ your _blood!_

[@BrickMantooth]

all the early colour photography featured juicy kissable red lips.

[@mczilla8628]

@@TheRealNormanBates lol

[@mczilla8628]

@@BrickMantooth i always wondered that thank you i see your magazine is doing an article on godzillas gang that is awesome!!!

[@eltenda]

Very interesting !

[@BrickMantooth]

Glad you think so!

[@bootleggodzilla1]

that ahi creature is a personal grail of mine. im going to try to find one at the chicago toy show in 2 weeks. my bank account will be angry with me for a month im sure.

[@BrickMantooth]

best of luck!

[@bootleggodzilla1]

@@BrickMantooth yeah i know ive only seen 2 of em there in 20 years of going

[@Toygains]

That Frank is gorgeous

[@BrickMantooth]

it truly is.

[@mattledbetter859]

I need an AHI Frankenstein.

[@BrickMantooth]

it's a really terrific action figure.

[@davebooshty299]

Mad Cool.

[@BrickMantooth]

thanks for watching!

[@donw7571]

I have a Wolfman with a broken off foot and leg but super glue won't stick ..any ideas what glue will ?

[@kingerikthegreatest.ofall.7860]

Thin waist gill man is wearing a corset.

[@brotherkellymatthewbarnes8882]

Soma, as in the drug in "Brave New World" - Aldous Huxley?

[@BrickMantooth]

Their president is Helmholtz Watson!

[@brotherkellymatthewbarnes8882]

@@BrickMantooth The Alpha Male? Well I'm off to the Feelies.

[@BrickMantooth]

@@brotherkellymatthewbarnes8882 beats whipping yourself.

[@brotherkellymatthewbarnes8882]

@@BrickMantooth Was that Hemholtz did? It's been over 20 years since I read BNW.

[@BrickMantooth]

@@brotherkellymatthewbarnes8882 It's what John Savage did in response to their lifestyle. It's been over 30 years since I read it so I may be wrong there.

[@Gascan619]

Love the Collection!!! 2sicKkk!😝

[@BrickMantooth]

thanks

[@galloed1]

Did ahi ever make a phantom of the opera figure?

[@jinpayne]

Do you own any of the Super7 tributes

[@BrickMantooth]

carded creature.

[@tempestfury8324]

Man, I love your content but you really need to edit your volume levels because it's all over the place!

[@BrickMantooth]

doing the best i can but mindful of it.

[@danielshaffer4834]

Please make a

[@loganjorgensen]

8:40 That's silly on their part, look at those child bearing hips, shaped just like the Mego female buck. I'd love to have a female creature to pair with the other so not sure what they were complaining about.

[@OxBakerJR1]

I know that. Song. I have to know. I like to hurt people?

[@BrickMantooth]

Look for the movie "Monster Dog" it's on KZbin. All will be revealed.

[@davidpitkat6031]

Like a IDIOT I traded away a AHI thin waist CREATURE for some Kenner Super Powers figures in the early 90’s 😖 Worst Toy Decision EVER!