Creature from the Black Lagoon (4/54) - Remco 9" Creature from the Black Lagoon (1981)

In 1980, Remco Toys released a series of licensed 9" Universal Monsters figures, featuring 'Monster Crush Grabbing Action' — or as I prefer to think of it, 'Monster Hugs.' 

I'm not the original owner of this particular Creature, as I never saw one on the shelves. Of the six characters produced (Frankenstein, Count Dracula, The Wolf Man and The Mummy in 1980, The Creature and The Phantom of the Opera joining the lineup in 1981), I only recall ever seeing three in stores (Frankenstein, Dracula and the Phantom of the Opera). The Wolf Man and The Mummy were similarly AWOL, as far as I was concerned. 

His scaly jumpsuit would benefit from some tailoring (it would be some years before we'd see a fully-sculpted articulated figure at this size or larger), and his legs could stand to be re-strung (or, better put, he could stand better if I had his legs re-strung!), but he still holds a special place in my heart, flaws and all. I wouldn't mind having a set of all six monsters in this series, but they have gotten to be quite pricey (Creech in particular — the sole loose example to turn up on eBay in the last several months went for $625!).

Right hand notwithstanding, he still produces an impressive glow when exposed to light. As you'll learn in the months ahead, The Creature was a common victim, er, candidate, for manufacturers to exploit when it came to glow-in-the-dark offerings.

Check back next week for another cool example from my Creature collection!