Magic Monster by Heartland
Well, it’s hard to believe, but I actually have a bunch of new info about that mysterious windup, musical demon lumberjack I was so excited about (and desperate for) weeks ago.
I’m not sure if you recall, but in that video, we saw a freaky, distorting, rubber face placed on an animatronic, musical lumberjack-type of character (I’m calling him a lumberjack because he’s wielding an axe and he’s wearing boots and overalls).
The thing was so bizarre, I could’ve sworn it was “homemade.” I kind of recognized the look of the rubbery-face and figured it was a finger puppet placed on some weird holiday toy or something.
That lead to my search and discovery of this generic set of rubber-faced finger puppets.
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Jackpot! Not only did I get some weird-looking little finger puppets, but it appears that the demon-looking character from the video is in the bunch.
Okay, now that I’ve acquired the rubber faces, all I needed is the strange lumberjack toy.
Well, thanks to the help of some of you readers and a little bit of detective work, I discovered that this toy is called “Magic Monster.” Once I’d acquired that information, it would only be a matter of time before the toy gods sent this Magic Monster my way.
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Luckily for me, when the monster reared its ugly face, it came fully-functioning and complete with its original box. (Thanks toy gods!)
It’s not a lumberjack toy at all. It is, in fact, simply a nonsensical, axe-wielding monster that sways back-and-forth to the tune of “When the Saints Go Marching In.” Who’d have thunk it?
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Not only that, but I also discovered the face on the original toy isn’t the one in the video, so I was correct in assuming the video was a “custom” job. I never expected this face to be on the toy.
Wow? That’s one ugly son of a bitch.
And just as I thought – the “head” of the toy actually has a few protruding pegs which stretch the removable, rubbery face stretch, bringing it to life.
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Here’s a full figure view for ya. I kinda feel that they cheaped it with the head sculpt. I know there were probably some technical limitations, but the round helmet dome thing just isn’t cutting it.
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And as you may have guessed, the animatronic head perfectly accommodates the “finger holes” of the various face puppets.
This is too perfect.
Do you know what this means? I can bring each face to life, giving the freaky axe maniac multiple personalities.
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We’ve got the demon-looking guy.
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The angry, mustached man, who actually looks like an axe murder (or angry lumberjack).
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The crazy old man (or is that Michael Berryman)
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And here we have the creepy child molester. (This guy’s probably scarier than the original monster.)
You think they look cool as stills? Wait ’til you see ‘em in action.
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I’ve gotta warn ya though. The music in these videos will get on your nerves. “When the Saints Go Marching In” plays loudly from a speaker in his feet. Not only that, but you have the obnoxious internal mechanism of the toy continuously grinding while the song is playing . It’s basically every parents’ nightmare.
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Also notice the axe has a light in it and glows red. Scaaary.
I noticed my monster toy’s axe is facing forward and not sideways as featured on the box and even in that other video. Hm.
So, which one is your favorite? I think I like the mustached guy best. He just looks right in those clothes… plus his mouth full of teeth really makes his head movements more pronounced and lifelike. Now all I need is some more cool rubbery finger puppets. Any thoughts on where to find them?
After seeing this toy and these puppets. it begs the question: Which came first? Were the faces/puppets made for automated toys like Magic Monster, or was the toy made to accommodate the finger puppets that were already being produced?
The finger puppets don’t have much as far as markings go. All I can see is “® 986012 Made in China.”
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Here’s all the info taken from the Magic Monster box:
- Magic Monster
- Face with a thousand changes
- An axe that lights up
- Moves from side to side
- Even plays music (the saints go marching in)
- 1/#21828C
- ©1985 Justen
- “transformable face”
(Check out that front panel. They’ve totally masked out the big dome head behind the monster’s face. Bull. The toy looks so much better with just the floating face. And did you notice the “©1985 Justen?” Weird, huh?)
Actually, there is one other question this toy makes me ask: What the hell?
• Buy rare monster toys on eBay!
• Buy rubber finger puppets on eBay!
great halloween post. oh wait. WEIRDEST SHIT EVER. I like chester the molester bester.
Ooooooooomigaaahhh…
I did have at least two or three of those rubber finger puppets back in the day, but just like a Creepy Bod or Head Popping Action Figure body, the demon lumberjack completes it so darn well. I am so frustrated that my own detective work fell short, but I’m glad it’s in your possession!
I will never listen to “When the Saints Go Marching In” the same way again.
The bearded guy is definitely the winner. His smile is so well done – he reminds me of Bluto from the old Popeye cartoons when he smiles really wide (http://www.ultimatedisney.com/dvdizzy/images/m-p/popeye1-56.jpg). Or maybe some scary, crusty old man at a fair who you know is trying to swindle you.
I can also assure you that the screeching horridness of the noise that comes out of the toy is much worse in real life. Also, the weird proportions of the toy are crazy and make the axe seem really really small.
Marvelous!
The mustachioed gentlemen also made an appearance as “Not” man in some of Anthrax’s promotional materials.
http://www.catacombscds.com/images/anthrax/anthrax_not_man_flag.jpg
justin i have a witch and a frankenstiens monster head that would work, just need to dig out the extras.
yooo! really glad you found out what it was in the end, brilliant toy,
i remember the witch and frankenstein head that duane talks about too! i am shure i had a skull face one back in the day too?!
hpours of fun, great update, keep em comin!
also,
I just updated my blog with a wikid electric dancing weirdo skeleton that you would love justin, would love you to go and check it when u have a minuit mate…
http://toxicfigureskingdom.blogspot.com/
theo
@ theo – Thanks for sharing the link. Great toys on that blog. You’re making me jealous
@ duane – Cool. I’d love to see those. If you could dig out some extras, that’d be great!
@ Old Man Foltz – Ha! I can’t believe Anthrax used that guy’s likeness. Hilarious.
@ BubbaShelby – Yep. It really is.
@ Eric Dodds – Yeah, his proportions are a bit weird. Also, glad you were able to experience the horrid grinding and obnoxiously loud music in person
@ Ben – Yeah. That’s a good point. Magic Monster finally puts the annoying rubber masks to good use.
@ the pizza – Chester is a bit freaky. Glad the toy could earn the title “Weirdest Shit Ever.”
old man foltz beat me to my comment! definitely the anthrax Not man is the best!
i had a few of those finger puppets when i was a kid, im 33 now so im talking @least 26/27 years ago!
had never seen them on the lumberjack, but i remember they felt kinda weird, like maybe they werent designed for fingers!
Shooo-wee! I had one of these lovelies back in the day. I can’t remember where I bought it but it was too bizarre to pass up. It went to college with me for the entertainment of many dorm dwellers. The absolute best is when the batteries start to fade and the tune gets just as maniacal as the twisting face.
Thanks for the further detail. I recall having one of the finger puppets — the one who looks like he needs eye surgery– at some point. No idea where I got it or where it went, though.
I referenced your original post about this weird (and disturbing) toy for an intro-to-Halloween message at my page, A Dinosaur’s Daydreams.
Link:
http://philosaurus.blogspot.com/2009/10/toy-from-hell.html
Congratulations on finally getting this wonderfully weird toy
the videos really give us the full taste of what this
toy is all about. Thanks for sharing with us!
HA! I owned the mustached puppet at one time! Never knew he could be used as an interchangeable face! LOL!
I’ts so weird i want one
Oh man! I loved those crazy finger puppets! I can still remember the super toxic plastic smell they would leave on your hands!
I haven’t been here in a while. Lots of great new posts and I’m really digging the video.
The funny thing is that while those puppets were clearly the inspiration for Magic Monster, his face only has three “finger holes”, rather than the four holes that regular ones do (perhaps because he was invented by a three-fingered cartoon character, though this is only conjecture). His face is also made of thinner, more flexible rubber than the regular ones (which are still available to this day). Also, the reason the axe faces forward on some is that the thin protruding peg on the axe that keeps it from rotating in its socket is easily (indeed, invariably) broken.