Raymond Castile's Basement of Horror

From 2013 through 2020, the Bangkok-based boutique custom toy company Distinctive Dummies produced a definitive line of Mego-style, 8-inch action figures based on Hammer Studios horror characters. Though unlicensed, the line represented the first (and long overdue) serious attempt to produce an authoritative Hammer toy series. Product Enterprise had made a stand-alone Hammer Dracula 12" figure, and XoneX had made some knockoff Curse of the Werewolf items, but nothing as ambitious as the Distinctive Dummies 8" series. Among its very first offerings, Distinctive Dummies had made 12" figures of the main Hammer characters like Dracula, Frankenstein, etc. But in its subsequent Mego-style line, Distinctive Dummies systematically set out to produce an exhaustive lineup representing nearly every monster and villain in the history of Hammer horror films. Mego would later produce a licensed, factory-produced Hammer action figures series sold in mainstream stores, followed by 1/6th scale offerings from Trick or Treat Studios and Kaustik Plastik. Other custom toymakers, such as BrentzDolz, have made more recent Hammer figures. But the Distinctive Dummies series still stands as a landmark. For decades, collectors had clamored for Hammer action figures. But whether it was due to licensing complications or manufacturer disinterest, Hammer toys seemed an unattainable dream. Distinctive Dummies sliced through that Gordian Knot and gave collectors the Hammer figures they had long wanted. Continue the monster talk by joining the "Raymond Castile's Basement of Horror" Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/644618149275833 Just be sure to answer the two security questions or you will be denied membership! Very few people bother to answer the security questions, so very few people get into the group. We run a tight ship in the Basement of Horror.

In this episode, we look at pellet-filled stretchable rubber jigglers made by the Imperial toy company in the early 2000s. Imperial made two sets. The first was a generic monster series marketed for the Halloween season that included a vampire, werewolf, skeleton and witch. The second was a licensed Universal Monsters series with Frankenstein, Dracula, Wolf Man, Mummy, Bride of Frankenstein and Creature from the Black Lagoon. Continue the monster talk by joining the "Raymond Castile's Basement of Horror" Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/644618149275833 Just be sure to answer the two security questions or you will be denied membership! Very few people bother to answer the security questions, so very few people get into the group. We run a tight ship in the Basement of Horror.

Before we talk about toys, we pause to reflect on the life of Bobby Beeman, a good friend, extraordinary human, excellent musician and influential toy collector who recently passed away. After commemorating Bobby, we examine the Universal Monsters fast food premiums from the late 1990s and early 2000s. Burger King offered a beautifully designed set of four monster action figures in 1997, probably the best licensed Universal Monsters action figures since the 1980 Remco series. The lineup included Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolf Man and Creature from the Black Lagoon. Frankenstein and Wolf Man had Karloff and Chaney estate licensing. A few years later, fast food rival Jack in the Box released two sets of Universal figures. The first included Frankenstein, Dracula, Wolf Man, Mummy, Creature and Phantom of the Opera. The second series, which featured all-new sculpts and designs, included the same characters but dropped the Creature and replaced him with the Bride of Frankenstein - the only Bride figure in all three sets. All three series touted fun action features, including lights, sound and windup movement. Hopefully, we will have a Part 2 followup fast food episode next year with the White Castle monsters and Taco Bell Creature Crypts series. But this episode is more than enough fast food fun for you to pig out on in the meantime.

Exploring the 1990s knockoff horror wrestling toys made by Mannix.Continue the monster talk by joining the "Raymond Castile's Basement of Horror" Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/644618149275833 Just be sure to answer the two security questions or you will be denied membership! Very few people bother to answer the security questions, so very few people get into the group. We run a tight ship in the Basement of Horror.

The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical production of The Phantom of the Opera has spawned a sea of kitschy tchotchkes, knickknacks and souvenirs, but not many actual toys. In this episode, we look at a few delightful ALW Phantom "toys" made by Enesco, a company known for gift store items and collector novelties. We also take a peek at some classic Phantom of the Opera toys from past decades.Continue the monster talk by joining the "Raymond Castile's Basement of Horror" Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/644618149275833 Just be sure to answer the two security questions or you will be denied membership! Very few people bother to answer the security questions, so very few people get into the group. We run a tight ship in the Basement of Horror.

This video features a look at the expanding Dracula and Frankenstein monster toys made by Funstuf in 1978, part of the company's Ani-forms line that included the Rage Cage Incredible Hulk and expanding Ben Grim The Thing.Before we talk about the Funstuf monsters, we spend time reminiscing about Bob Burns, a beloved Monster Kid pioneer who passed away Dec. 12, 2025, at age 90.Continue the monster talk by joining the "Raymond Castile's Basement of Horror" Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/644618149275833Just be sure to answer the two security questions or you will be denied membership! Very few people bother to answer the security questions, so very few people get into the group. We run a tight ship in the Basement of Horror.

In this episode, we meet the Louis Marx battery operated Whistling Spooky Kooky Tree, an iconic and infamously frightening mechanical toy from the 1960s. Probably inspired by the haunted trees in the Wizard of Oz, the Marx Spooky Tree waves its arms, rolls its eyes, open and closes its mouth and "runs" around unpredictably as it emits an eerie whistle. But after years in storage, will this vintage toy work when I put batteries in it?Continue the monster talk by joining the "Raymond Castile's Basement of Horror" Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/644618149275833 Just be sure to answer the two security questions or you will be denied membership! Very few people bother to answer the security questions, so very few people get into the group. We run a tight ship in the Basement of Horror.

My friend Matt Jaycox sent me a delightful gift box, full of wonderful wrapped Christmas presents! I don't receive many Christmas gifts, so this was quite a pleasure. In face, I'm not sure I've experienced anything quite like this since childhood.Matt's daughters, Shelley and Emily, picked out one of the gifts. They have been very excited to see this video, so I hope they enjoy it! Thank you Shelley and Emily! I hope you have a really fun Christmas!And thank you, Matt! I tend to spend Christmas antsy, isolated and disappointed. You have made me want to stick my head out the window and throw some money at a boy on the street so he can go buy a plump goose that's still hanging in a shop window.Regular viewers should be assured that there are plenty of things in these boxes to pique their interest. You will not want to miss some of these amazing items—things you would never see on this show if not for Matt.Continue the monster talk by joining the Basement of Horror Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/644618149275833Just be sure to answer the two security questions or you will be denied membership! Very few people bother to answer the security questions, so very few people get into the group. We run a tight ship in the Basement of Horror.

What does it take to bring a licensed toy to market? What is the process, and what are the pitfalls? Toy industry veterans Mike Drake and Barry Eldridge provide a behind-the-curtain glimpse into the world of licensed character toys and collectibles. Have you ever wondered why a licensed toy doesn't look quite like the character does in the movie, TV show or comic book? Why are the colors off? Why doesn't the face resemble the actor? Why do companies make so many of certain characters, while ignoring other characters from the same franchise? What forces guide the decisions of studios, IP rights holders, retailers and toy companies? It's a mysterious business, when observed from the outside. Authoritative, first-hand information is elusive. This in-depth interview with two industry insiders provides a rare opportunity to learn what kind of hurdles must be jumped before a new licensed action figure, doll, plush toy, model kit, statue, game, prop replica, lunch box, latex mask, T-shirt, poster, or any other official product hits the market. It can be a wild ride, and these two gentlemen have lived it. Thank you to Mike Drake and Barry Eldridge for generously providing their time and expertise to make this special episode of Basement of Horror possible.

In the first half of this episode, I talk about my adventure flying to Atlanta to appear as a guest on The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs on the Shudder streaming network and AMC+. It was a great honor to be invited, and a thrill to be interviewed by Joe Bob Briggs and Darcy, and great fun to appear as Coffin Joe in a U.S. television show. In the second half of this episode, I interview the amazing Shane Morton, a special effects makeup genius who has worked on feature films and television shows, the creator of the Cheddar Goblin from Mandy, a long-time horror host, and one of the driving forces behind the scenes on The Last Drive-In. Shane and I discuss how an episode of The Last Drive-In comes together, what it's like working with Joe Bob and the crew, and spend time evangelizing about Coffin Joe. We also discuss Spook Shows, horror hosting and other creepy topics. The interview begins at 1:38:06 I hope you enjoy this special holiday weekend episode, and I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving! Joe Bob Briggshttps://joebobbriggs.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoobJDOtrM8o6evbvbczwIdLIr08aAglx_q2D9tifnbX1FCCaj4a&v=2ecd53e541df Shane Morton/Silver Scream Spook Show https://www.silverscreamfxlab.com Diary do Demonio (My diary of working with Coffin Joe in 2006 and 2008) https://www.stateofhorror.com/demonio.html

Happy Halloween! In this video, we looks at some fun Halloween novelty "decorations," or at least that's how they were marketed. Between you and me, these are toys. Dolls. Foam-filled dolls with latex skin. They were produced by different companies, but we will focus on seven dolls made by Paper Magic Group during the early 2000s, plus a couple made by Lanka Novelties around the same time, and some Universal Studios theme park dolls shown as examples of the toy genre.Continue the monster talk by joining the Basement of Horror Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/644618149275833 Just be sure to answer the two security questions or you will be denied membership! We run a tight ship in the Basement of Horror.

Review of the new Shock Monster and Beast of Blood Mego-style action figures from Trick or Treat Studios. These are the first 8-inch costumed figures from TOTS, a company best known for producing Halloween masks. Continue the monster talk by joining the Basement of Horror Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/644618149275833 Just be sure to answer the two security questions or you will be denied membership! We run a tight ship in the Basement of Horror.

At the end of the millennium, Don Post revisited their classic 60s/70s Universal Monsters masks, known as the "Calendar" masks because of their use in a famous 1960s monster-themed wall calendar. The masks had been out of production for decades and original examples were rare or extinct. Through a painstaking process, Don Post sculptors recreated the classic masks and made them available as deluxe collector editions.

Join Emmy Award winning makeup artist Barry Koper, Wētā FX Creative Art Director Gino Acevedo, and the legendary founder of Imagineering, Larry Liff, as they tell the story of how they created the greatest Halloween makeup and novelty company of all time. Hear them go into detail about the development of Vampire Blood, Evil Teeth, Scar Stuff, Creepy Skin, Incredible Melting Man makeup kit, The Face, Talking Through Boris, the Cine Art Universal Monsters busts, and much more. The Imagineering company inspired a generation of Monster Kids to use their creativity to turn themselves into the creepy characters of their dreams. Many special effects makeup artists and filmmakers have cited Imagineering as a formative influence. All three of our guests have had amazing careers and fascinating journeys that extend well beyond an Arizona factory churning out plastic fangs and fake blood in the 1970s/80s. This is a rare opportunity to hear them tell their stories and shed light on this important corner of Halloween history.

Welcome to the eighth season of Basement of Horror! Thank you for sharing your Halloween season with us. In this episode, we examine the classic blue Monster box Halloween costumes issued by Ben Cooper in the mid-1970s. The series included Frankenstein, Wolf Man, Mummy, Creature, Bigfoot, Cousin Eerie, Uncle Creepy, The Thing (Ben Grimm), Female Vampire, King Kong, Godzilla. If you have seen other characters in the blue Monster boxes, please let us know! A very special guest joins us in the second half of the program - Rich Hurley from Doctor Durant's Sanctum! Rich explores some of the rare Ben Cooper Monster costumes in his collection. Thank you, Rich! Visit Rich's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@UCRhm5EdND8m8QJngozkbH-w Thank you Matt Jaycox for supplying photos of Cousin Eerie and Uncle Creepy Ben Cooper costumes! I'm always a little rusty when I return from hiatus. This time, I'm so rusty I need a tetanus shot. If this is your first Basement of Horror episode, please judge us gently! I realize the audio is not up to our usual standards. A lot of hiccups and bugs to iron out after a few months of not producing shows.

Welcome to our third "Monster Kid" panel discussion! Our guests in this episode are author, podcaster and musician Lyle Blackburn; author, influencer and Randomland host Justin Scarred; and super collector, MeTV personality and proprietor of the Crimson Ghost Mask Room, Rudy Munis. All three are lifelong monster fans with extensive monster memorabilia collections. We talk about everything from AHIs to Hemi Cudas, Disneyland to Boggy Creek, tiki masks to Don Post. It's a great conversation, so settle in and take the ride. Check out our guests' magnificent YouTube channels: Lyle Blackburn - MonstroBizarro https://www.youtube.com/@UCW5IbDI6xgrYF8YkK8Cg04w Justin Scarred - Randomland https://www.youtube.com/@UCZ_d0QNVKLOEhEud9Ble6IA Rudy Munis - Rudy's World https://www.youtube.com/@UCz_n8Ob00rGbr3bFdTVMuvw Thank you so much, Lyle, Justin and Rudy!

Another fantastic Monster Kid panel discussion! In this installment, we issue a Halloween season post-mortem and look ahead to the Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday season. We show off some recent monster toy scores, talk about childhood Christmas monster memories, and go off on whatever creepy tangents enter our minds. We are pleased to welcome a new guest - the Rondo Award-winning Danielle Gelehrter, also known as Penny Dreadful! Danielle hosts the Terror at Collinwood podcast, which explores the characters and storylines of the classic gothic soap opera, Dark Shadows. She is also an accomplished and acclaimed TV horror hostess, headlining the long-running Penny Dreadful's Shilling Shockers. Thank you, Danielle, for joining us in our horrifying basement! And thank you to our returning guests: Brian Heiler, Rich Hurley, Andy Halloween and Amy Vampi! Please check out their YouTube channels using the links below! Panelists: Raymond Castile (host) - Basement of Horror https://www.youtube.com/@RaymondCastile Danielle Gelehrter (aka Penny Dreadful) - Terror at Collinwood https://www.youtube.com/@TerroratCollinwood Brian Heiler - Brick Mantooth https://www.youtube.com/@BrickMantooth Rich Hurley - Dr. Durant's Sanctum https://www.youtube.com/@doctordurantssanctum1977 Andy Halloween and Amy Vampi - Dark Ride Dracula https://www.youtube.com/@darkridedracula

The first in an irregular series of panel discussions with fellow monster enthusiasts. We discuss our Monster Kid origins, Halloween memories, and how monster collecting and fandom have evolved over the last 35 years. Panelists: Raymond Castile (your humble YouTube host) https://www.youtube.com/@RaymondCastile Brian Heiler - Brick Mantooth https://www.youtube.com/@BrickMantooth Rich Hurley - Dr. Durant's Sanctum https://www.youtube.com/@doctordurantssanctum1977 Andy Halloween and Amy Vampi - Dark Ride Dracula https://www.youtube.com/@darkridedracula Thank you to my wonderful panelists! It was a great conversation. I hope viewers will find it interesting and entertaining. Please be sure to check out the YouTube channels listed above. They are full of wonderful Halloween-friendly programming.

Originally uploaded to YouTube Oct. 28, 2023