MULTIPLE TOYMAKERS' POP-TOP HORRORS

While I was looking for something else, I stumbled across a range of plastic figures made by MPC (Multiple Products Corporation) in the US in the 1960s, depicting various horror characters. They are not directly based on the old Universal horror monsters, but are clearly from the same nightmare world. Some of the characters are rather unusual, there are not many toy lines that include a hooded Executioner. Pretty bizarre, and rather a gruesome collection.

The Pop-Top Unbreakable Horrors with interchangeable heads were large figures, variously described as five or six inches high. The body is moulded in one piece, with a separate plug-in head, which comes joined to the body by small tabs which you cut off. The eight figures came in several colours. They were available on a single large card, or in four twin-packs originally priced at 29 cents each.

126A - Witch and Executioner holding a severed head.

126B - Creature of Doom (Death with a scythe) and Mummy

126C - Wolfman and Monster

126D - Vampire and Skeleton

There was also a range of smaller Mini-Monster figures, about two and a half inches tall, moulded in one piece. According to the Universal Monster Army post the smaller figures were also given away with Fritos Corn Chips, but all were given new names.

The small figures were included in various playsets. The Horror House Target Set came with a plastic revolver that fired plastic pellets - so you could Knock Down the Horribles! The Horror of the Seven Seas - Haunted Hulk was a pirate ship with a crew of monsters.

Apparently, they were also sold as cake decorations.

There have been re-issues and copies of these figures over the years.

Universal Monster Army has three pages on these figures, and lots of good photos.

Which are your favourite MPC Pop-Top Horrors? (universalmonsterarmy.com)

This site gives the release date as 1964

60's Wing (thegalleryofmonstertoys.com)

Too Much Horror Business - The Kirk Hammett Collection, by Kirk Hammett and Steffan Chirazi, Abrams Image, 2012 has a couple of pages of photos (134-135). The book shows the horror collection of Kirk Hammett, from the group Metallica. An amazing collection, posters, toys, props, artwork.

The photos here are all from Worthpoint, and show the various twin-packs.

Paul Adams from New Zealand