The Mausoleum of Madness, Part II!
Welcome to Dinosaur Dracula’s MAUSOLEUM OF MADNESS, PART II! Every day through Halloween, check back for another vintage creepy collectible – everything from deep cut toys to ancient store displays to at least one totally insane costume. Probably ten cereal boxes, too.
I won’t be plugging this on social media much, so you’ll have to remember to visit on your own. Maybe stick an orange Post-It on the fridge. (Yes, it must be orange.)
PS, if you missed last year’s Mausoleum of Madness, it’s over here.
#63: Topstone Animated Ghost! (Late ‘80s)
Before anyone gives me shit, no, this is NOT another Telco thing. Not technically, anyway. This beautifully bizarre ghoul is from Topstone, one of the many companies who saw how successful Telco was with their Motionettes, and decided to make cheaper, jankier versions of them.
I actually just got home with this. Spotted something familiar poking out of a bin in a yard sale preview photo on Facebook Marketplace, and I knew that oddly-shaped head could’ve only belonged to the Topstone Ghost. Begged the kind strangers to meet up with me tonight, to avoid Saturday morning traffic, plus the very real threat of some dumbass picker grabbing him first.
Though rare, the Topstone Ghost is wildly unpopular in the Motionette community. I’ve seen one collector remark that he looks like a condom, which is admittedly accurate. But I love him. I love his goofy tongue, his ill-fitting sheet, and the fact that he’s curiously choking himself. He was worth the 15 bucks and the 80 minutes of driving. Welcome home, bud.
#62: Basement Halloween Party! (1970s)
I bought these two photo slides of a total stranger’s Halloween party, staged from a basement in what I’m guessing was the late ‘70s. (It couldn’t be much older than that. The box of Nabisco Swiss Cheese crackers is a telltale time-marker. God I miss those.)
I love how this decidedly adult soiree was decorated like a third grade class party. We’ve got the orange-and-black streamers, die-cut Beistle decorations, and a couple of classic blow molds. These were my kind of people!
In keeping with the trends of the time, every flat surface was covered in chaos. Neither rhyme nor reason squirreled their way into even one square inch of that basement. If you sneezed, you’d knock forty things over, and that is exactly the vibe I strive for.
While I can’t identify the various foods strewn about the mismatched tables, I remain confident that cocktail weenies were on the menu, and that they were explicitly, repeatedly referred to as such.
#61: Telco “Kong” Motionette! (1980s)
Of all my many Telco scores this season, I consider this my greatest. From the late ‘80s, this is the 24” Telco “King Kong” Motionette – in quotes because they never actually called it that, even if it’s clearly what they were going for.
I picked him up early in the season when I was just starting to get into these, and it was a classic case of beginner’s luck. He’s easily worth over a grand, but I didn’t pay nearly that much. Not even close. It was such a good deal that I doubted the seller would ever ship the thing.
Even then, Kong exceeded all expectations. This guy is in gem mint condition, and looks like some scale replica animatronic a theme park might’ve used to pitch an expansion. He’s huge, with glowing orange eyes, animated arms, and a head that continuously swivels back and forth.
He works perfectly, too. Course, I don’t turn him on very often, as he’s damn near irreplaceable and I don’t want to tempt fate. Kong wasn’t even on my radar when I began collecting these, but if my place caught fire and I could only save one Motionette, it’d be this gorilla.
I’ve had him for weeks now, and the novelty hasn’t dissipated. Just one of those things that feels too exquisite to own. It boggles my mind that these big, heavy, expensive-looking apes were ever mass-produced and in stores like Kmart. He FEELS like a one-of-one, you know?
#60: My Pet Monster Decoration! (1986)
This thing is so obscure, even the diehard My Pet Monster fans haven’t heard of it. They’ll lie and say they did, but that’s just pride. From Carlton Cards in 1986, here we have an INCREDIBLY HUGE die-cut My Pet Monster Halloween decoration, with jointed limbs.
It absolutely dwarfs the stuffed toy, which is no easy feat. Really wish I’d included something in that photo for scale, but barring a 2024 GMC Hummer, I’m not sure what could’ve truly conveyed how big he is.
Mine was a lucky Facebook Marketplace find. If you see this on eBay, it’s usually hovering around $250. I wish I could tell you it’s worth that, but even a giant pile of cardboard is still just a pile of cardboard. With something like this, the play is to wait for some know-nothing to list it as “BLUE CREATURE PAPER DECORATION.” Read More…
Dino Drac’s Halloween Funpack is here!
Okay guys, it’s finally time to show you the goods! Dino Drac’s 2025 HALLOWEEN FUNPACK is here. The TWELFTH annual, and always one of the year’s most anticipated boxes!
Good news for all subscribers: Your boxes were shipped between Thursday and Monday, and all of them are now on the way!
Subscriptions are currently closed, but if anyone who isn’t a subscriber wants one, I have a VERY LIMITED number left to sell on an individual basis. ($25 shipped! Zip to the bottom for info, while supplies last!)
There’s a massive amount of eerie nostalgia in this one, so let’s get to it! Read More…
1992 Broadcast of Texas Chainsaw Part 2!
The latest episode of The Purple Stuff Podcast is here, and baby, we’re takin’ ya to Texas. It’s an episode that felt right for the Halloween season, and I’m not just saying that because it references a Dunkin’ Donuts commercial where Fred the Baker played Dr. Frankenstein.
In October of 1992, a FOX affiliate out of Boston implausibly decided to run The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 – a grisly, unrated movie loaded with blood and mayhem – right there on broadcast television, in prime time. What chutzpah!!
Join me and Jay from Sludge Central for an hourlong examination of this ancient television event. We’ll tell you about the film (which we love), how this FOX affiliate handled airing such a gnarly movie, and we’ll even get into some of the commercials that played during the broadcast. (Including some that were Halloween-themed!)
If you’ve seen the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre but never the sequel, boy, it’s a WAY different movie. Loud and over-the-top as a rule. It must be seen to be believed, but playing this episode is the next best thing.
Click here to listen to this month’s show!
…which you can also find on Apple, Spotify, and wherever else you listen to podcasts.
As a reminder, The Purple Stuff Podcast is also on Patreon, where we drop an exclusive bonus show every month. When you join, you instantly gain access to our entire back catalog, which goes back years. There are over 80 exclusive episodes waiting for you over there!
Oh, and here’s a little video we put together showing the film’s awesomely ominous television intro, plus all of the commercials we discuss on the show.
Enjoy! The Purple Stuff Podcast isn’t done Halloweening, so when you’re through listening to this, it won’t be long before we’re attacking you with chainsaws again. Stay tuned, stay vigilant.
Dinosaur Dracula’s GLOOM BOX is here!
Got another surprise drop for you today! It’s Dinosaur Dracula’s GLOOM BOX, a package stuffed with creepy collectibles from the ‘80s and ‘90s that are sure to make your October feel more like October.
Dino Drac’s GLOOM BOX will run you $31 – one dollar for every day in October – and that INCLUDES SHIPPING to anywhere in the United States. (I can only ship to the U.S. – sorry!)
Included are five frightful items that nobody in their right mind would try to live without. Please note that the GLOOM BOX has nothing to do with my monthly Funpacks. This is a separate thing, and the October Funpack is coming later.
Supplies are limited! Zip to the bottom to order, or keep reading to learn more about what’s inside! Read More…