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KMFDM

Universal Classic Movie Monster (1987)

Imperial’s Classic Movie Monsters collection was just the best. These figures turned up everywhere. You could get carded versions at Toys “R” Us, but then you’d find the same figures with simple hangtags at your local pharmacy, on a shelf between miniature globes and dusty notebooks. Everywhere you looked, eight-inch rubber Draculas begged you to take them home.

Even by 1987 standards, the price on these was absurdly great. JCPenney sold all five of those figures for a mere 12 bucks. If you were the kind of kid who kept an eye on prices to maximize your gift volume, asking for this set was a no-brainer. Five giant action figures for the cost of one board game? Santa, we gotta talk.

Of particular interest is the inclusion of King Kong, who was technically part of this collection, but rarely presented as such. With the other figures being the same height, it was up to you to decide if you owned an especially short Kong or a freakin’ giant Frankenstein.