Egg Monsters…Are Transforming Egg Monsters?!

Friends, just a couple of weeks ago I was cleaning up my work space, down here in the Vault. When the telltale rattle of the mail chute made me look up from my writing. What came down the chute? Why, nothing more than three oddly transformable toy eggs. After a few seconds I realized these were transforming Egg Monsters. Right there on my desk where transforming versions of Jason Voorhees, Frankenstein’s Monster, and Dracula. Of course I still had no clue what Egg Monsters were!

Thankfully we have the internet, right? I will certainly admit that it took me a little bit to actually find out some actual information on the Egg Monsters. While those that were sent to me are actually a modern reissue. The first Egg Monsters appear to have been released by Bandai back in 1987.

Thanks to a blog and Google translator, I think I understand what these toys are. If I read it correctly, friends, they were a toy line known as Charan-Poran transformable eggs. It appears these toy eggs came in all manner of types. Not just Egg Monsters but even the likes of Dinosaurs were featured in the toy line.

I very much doubt they were ever made available here in the States, at least not back in the 80s. That is however until I took a moment and looked up the Meteorbs. From the Masters of the Universe toy line.

These are in fact a series of toys that were originally known as Tamagoras. Mattel bought some from Bandai I suppose and gave it that Eternian twist. Featurning names like Tuskor, Cometroid, Ty-Grr, as well as Gore-illa to name a few. Bringing these toys into the Masters of the Universe definitely made sense at the time. Especially since Transformers were making a killing in the toy wars.

Throw in the fact that for a moment, the Universal Monsters were actually contemplated for a “Vintage Horror Movie Series” branch of the Transformers. The idea of a series of transforming Egg Monsters doesn’t seem all that strange, right?

Egg Monsters - Universal Monsters - TFWiki.Net

Image courtesy of the Transformers Wiki!

Thanks to that Italian blog we also know there were more than three characters available. Besides Jason, Frankenstein’s Monster, and Dracula – there was also toys for The Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Mummy, and even The Wolf Man!

I suppose the question is how will I go about and obtain the rest of the toys in this series. I might indeed have an overactive imagination but I feel my Jason needs to square off against that Wolf Man!

The internet comes through for us again, friends, as here is an Egg Monsters commercial!

Secaturs Laid Low By Bugs…Coleco Confidential!

Holy cats, how long has it been since I’ve graced you boils and ghouls with a lil’ purple prose from your’s cruelly ’round these parts? Too long I say…and just why have I made my return with all of the award losing style and grace I am known for? Well, because ol’ vicious Vic Sage posted about those sexy Sectaurs the other day and that got my ol’ noggin juices a flowin’!

You see, I lived my misspent youth in a bucolic little industrial town nestled within the foothills of the Adirondack mountains…and what we lacked in big box retailers and solid gold roller skate rinks we more than made up for in poopy smelling factories; 99% of which were leather mills…but oh, the other glorious 1% was a manufacturing plant for none other than Coleco (which I guess isn’t so strange when you realize Coleco started life as the Connecticut Leather Company).

And what did those nimble lil’ fingers of those industrious workers put together? A bunch of stuff, but also Sectaurs…that is until the incident (cue dramatic music and thunderstorm f/x).

You see, those bodacious bugs our insect pals road around on were covered in fur, and said fur was flown in from parts unknown (perhaps Symbion itself…or China…I’m going with Symbion), and said pelts, though synthetic, were loaded…nay, infested with fleas…and that’s all she wrote on that one. Alanis couldn’t have come up with richer irony than a bug based toyline taken down by bugs…

There are other stories too, like every kid in school who’s parents worked at that plant had a talking ALF doll…it was like unto a furry Dr. Theopolis (Theopoli…biddi biddi biddi…whatevs) hanging off their person dispensing that beloved Melmacian wit.

Or the fact that enterprising scamps would scale the fence of the factory, steal Colecovision eproms from the dumpsters and sell them to kids sort of like (but definitely not for legal reasons) me. But that is a tale for another age my fine fiends!

[Via] Scottith Games

Speaking of Melmacian wit, cast your peepers on this vintage Coleco commercial for one of their dolls!

[Via] PhakeNam

It’s Time For 1985’s The Sectaurs To Take Wing!

By 1985 there were certainly quite a few massive hits in the toy market. For example, you had Masters of the Universe, Transformers, Jem , G.I. Joe, and Gobots to name a few. However for each of those successes there at the likes of Crystar, The Wuzzles, Advanced Dungeons and Dragons as well as Sectaurs!

[Via] RetroWinnipeg

Now in no way shape or form am I disparaging those toy lines. Especially in the case of the Sectaurs. They just sadly failed to connect with kids at the time. As a matter of fact in my youth I can recall only seeing the Sectaurs on the toy shelf once. That was at our local Sears department store. While my Grandparents were shopping I was getting to know the heroic Dargon and his flying stead Dragonflyer!

You can probably already guess that shopping trip didn’t end with me taking any of the toys home. Far from it in fact. Pants though…boy…did I get some exciting pants. Sigh.

That isn’t to say I didn’t become a little more familiar with the characters, thanks to the Marvel Comics series.

Indeed there turned out to be an animated series for Sectaurs. Thanks to the wonders of the internet you can watch it too!

[Via] William Sweeney

Coleco obviously did their best to push this new toy line. It just wasn’t to be and soon they vanished. That isn’t to say they didn’t leave a mark. Because as a matter of fact they are about to make a return, thanks to a successful Kickstarter by ZICA toys!

The new toys while obviously not including those epic puppet insect steeds. Will at least be released in 1/18 scale, more in fitting with current toy lines. As well as having interchangeable hands and be packaged on a blister card. The original Sectaurs were 7″ tall, that’s only four inches shorter than a Barbie doll! Actually, fellow Retroist author Doug McCoy had something to say about the height of the toys too.

At the time of this post, there is still 3 days left for you to pledge to the Kickstarter. ZICA toys set a goal of $40,000 and have hit a little over $43,000 so far.

Now for a more revealing and professional look at the Sectaurs, why not watch this video by Toy Galaxy?

[Via] Toy Galaxy

Did You Play Milton Bradley’s Downfall?

Downfall is a game of many names, friends. As well as being offered in many countries since it was first published in 1970. While I will certainly admit that I have no recollection of this particular game. The play mechanics have me absolutely captivated. Apparently it was picked up by Hasbro and is being produced today under the name New Downfall.

The design might be a little different but the gameplay certainly remains the same.

While as you can plainly see from the box art, Downfall was a Milton Bradley game. I have however found a version by Whitman that definitely has the groovy vibe of the 1960s. Having said that this game was indeed released in 1970.

Now obviously Downfall is known by different names in other countries. Such as Nouveau Dix de Chute, Dix de Chute, Slotter, Cascadix, and Combi 5-2-5 to name a few. For myself though I am partial to the Dutch version of Onderuit! as well as it’s grim commercial!

[Via] The Toys Channel

That is some Hangman level of creepiness there, all it needed was Vincent Price, in place of the child. Now the point of Downfall is to take your ten numbered discs and get them to the bottom…in order. This is accomplished by turning one of the five dials on the “board”. Although each Player naturally cannot see the other side of the board, which means they have no clue if their opponent’s turn will hinder or aid them.

Downfall really seems to offer an amazing amount of strategy to the Players. I might have to keep my eyes peeled on eBay to add this game to my collection. Also of interest was how Milton Bradley made sure to show it was fun for the whole Family. With at least two different covers!

If I am being totally honest though, I truly love the Japanese version of Downfall by Whitman

Now then, how about the German Commercial forDownfall aka Slotter? Definitely looks like there is a hesit going on!

[Via] Crazy Merch Lady