March 17, 2008

Frankenstein Decal

A dyspeptic Frankenstein Monster appears on a lacquer decal, circa 1960s, made by Baxter Lane of Amarillo, Texas. The company made novelty items, including popular travel-themed decals. You’d dunk these in water, which activated the glue, slide them off the paper support and stick ‘em anywhere. Anybody remember when luggage was plastered with colorful destination tags, or when car windshields were decorated with garish vacation spot logos?

The company cashed in on the Monster Boom with a series of monster decals including this classic flattop Frankenstein, without bothering to license the design from Universal Pictures. The Monster was already a pop culture artifact by then, as instantly recognizable for his neck bolts as the solid green skin color he had somehow acquired over time.

The color, you must admit, is appropriate for Saint Patrick's Day!

These decals came in transparent wax paper envelopes and were sold all over America in roadside convenience stores and truck stops. They can still be found on eBay, of course, like this one, from Toy Ranch of Dallas, Texas.


Thanks to The Drunken Severed Head for the decal!


4 comments:

Mr. Karswell said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mr. Karswell said...

Very cool... what other monster decals did this company release?

Art has a Coop vibe.

Pierre Fournier said...

Coop vibe, indeed!

I’ve heard a lot about these decals and I am told there was a series of monster characters. I’ve only seen one other design, a cyclops. There’s one on eBay, look for “Vintage Cyclops Decal”.

Max the drunken severed head said...

"Thanks to The Drunken Severed Head for the decal!"

You are VERY welcome!