Be the Monster

"Kids always like the villain..." — La-Juan Browning, World of Toys

Discontent with monsters who hide under beds, some kids want to confront ghoulish creatures face-to-face. Starting with dinosaurs when they’re 4 to 7, boys soon graduate to Godzilla and other dragons. Girls go for vampires (doesn’t everyone?) and zombies are back in a big way for adults, manufacturers and retailers told TDmonthly Magazine.

Human beings’ fascination with monsters dates back to ancient times, said Corinne Pache, assistant professor of Classics at Yale University. She told TDmonthly that most Greek monsters exhibit animal and human characteristics that “represent nature at its scariest, that is, a lack of self-control, violence and disorder.”

Dr. Mary Ann LoFromento, retired pediatrician and author of a series of “Simply Parenting” (ToyDirectory) books and DVDs, agreed. She believes that children are attracted to monsters partly because they need to control their anger and subdue their own aggressive “internal monsters.” Stories and play where they either conquer or become monsters, she said, help them manage hostility and fear, much as Max does in Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are.”

“Children have always responded to stories where there are monsters or evil forces,” said Dr. LoFromento. “When there have been attempts in recent years to ‘soften’ fairy tales, they seem to lose their effect.”

Even grownups need their dose of terror. Retailers said their biggest monster customers are adult collectors.

“Horror movies are popular right now, so the toys have just taken off,” noted Bob Webster, a manager at Meltdown Comic in Los Angeles. “Every time there’s a war going on, the horror movie market gets more expansive.”

Films such as George A. Romero’s 2005 flick, “Land of the Dead,” and Danny Boyle’s 2002 apocalyptic, “28 Days Later,” are bringing the undead back to life for retailers. “Land of the Dead” action figures by Sota are scheduled for release in May 2006.

Del Howison, co-owner of Dark Delicacies in Berkeley, Calif., said that men are zombies’ biggest fans. The unlicensed Living Dead Dolls always sell well for him. But the store’s number-one monster for 10 years still vants to suck your blood.

“Vampires appeal to both sexes,” Howison told TDmonthly. “They have an erotic appeal.” Figures from the “Buffy the Vampire” TV series sell well for him. McFarlane Toys has a line from Bram Stoker´s "Dracula" scheduled for 2006.

Sexy monsters date back to the Greeks, said Pache. Lamia was “a horrible vampirelike creature (with) the ability to transform herself into a beautiful young woman in order to seduce young men … Another famous one is Scylla, who eats several of Odysseus´ men in the Odyssey.”

A more benevolent monstrous heartthrob is Hellboy, who first appeared in Dark Horse Comics in 1993, said publicist Lee Dawson. Hellboy starred in his own movie last year, with Ron Perlman playing the giant red paranormal investigator. New comic monster figures from Dark Horse’s zombie-fighter “Goon” books are also available.

Almost all of today’s top monster toys crept into the public consciousness through comic books, movies or TV shows, retailers agreed. Villains from “Spider-Man” and “Batman” are big sellers with kids at World of Toys in Reno, Nev., said La-Juan Browning. “The Thing” from the recent “Fantastic Four” movie was mentioned as a good seller by several retailers.

Classic monsters such as Frankenstein and the Wolfman are also coming back, according to Luke Rook, owner of Lulubell: A Toy Bodega in Tucson, Ariz., who’s noticed that kids like them, too. Carolyn Stevens of Collectibles ‘n’ Toys in Wayne, N.J., already had King Kong merchandise in her store in August, though the movie wasn’t coming out until Fall.

“Kids always like the villain,” commented Browning, who calls herself the “store grandmother” at World of Toys. “If they’re buying dinosaurs, they want the Tyrannosaurus Rex. They’re still into the mean one.”

Howison has pointers for stocking monster toys: “Don’t over-saturate; maintain the regular pace no matter what blockbuster may appear. Set a good price-point and pick just one or two items — the scariest.”

The following products help nurture the monster within: