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.
#51: Telco Devil Motionette! (1989)
When I got into Telco’s Halloween Motionettes, it seemed like I’d only ever admire the Devil from afar. I’d probably never even see it in person, much less have one in my possession. He was too rare. Too valuable. TOO RED.
But, somehow, he’s here. There are a few versions of the 24″ Devil Motionette; this particular example is the 1989 “bug-eyed” edition, distinguishable by his psychotic yellow irises. I paid what some of you might consider a lot, but what a Telco collector would instantly recognize as a wild bargain.
There’s good news and bad news. The good news is, he’s in fabulous condition. Even came with the original pitchfork (not pictured), still in its factory bag. The bad news is, his motor ain’t working, so at present, he doesn’t move. I knew this when I bought him, though, and at the price I paid, he was still worth getting.
He could be fixed, but I’m not emotionally prepared to handle Motionette surgery. Not gonna press my luck. He’s a beautiful, demented, two-foot devil, and that’s good enough for me. This week, at least.
The crazy thing is, I’m not even sure that this would qualify as my biggest Telco score of the season. It arguably was, given the Devil’s popularity, but I’ve found a few others that might be even more impressive. I’ll tell you about them later, though. Today is all about the impish lord of the underworld. Give the Telco Devil his due.
#50: Pac-Man TV Guide Ad! (1982)
Pac-Man indeed had his own Halloween special in the ‘80s, but before you seat him at the Big Shot table with Garfield and Charlie Brown, know that there’s an asterisk.
When we hear “Halloween special,” we think of prime time, but ABC ran this as a regular episode of Pac-Man’s Saturday morning cartoon. You had to make it to the couch by 8:30 AM if you wanted to take part in this unprecedented television event.
Not exactly the sort of pomp and circumstance that makes you hear Macho Man’s theme in your head.
In Pac-Man’s defense, Saturday morning cartoons meant more in 1982 than they would later, and they meant 500,000 times as much as they do now. Plus, his show was a hit! I’m just sayin’, Coca-Cola probably wasn’t dropping any new commercials at 8:30 AM.
Like every other episode of Pac-Man, the Halloween special combined two distinct segments to reach the 22-minute finish line. Included were Trick or Chomp (very Halloweeny) and Pacula (less Halloweeny, but included a vampiric Pac-creature, so that’s okay).
#49: Super Naturals Ghostling! (1987)
I’ve written about Tonka’s Super Naturals before, but as a refresher, the eerie-but-opulent toy line worked functional holograms into every action figure. The technology still looks sleek and expensive in 2025, so you can imagine how it hit in 1987.
The taller figures were the stars, but there was also an army of “Ghostlings” – pint-sized ghouls that kept the holographic technology, but lost their legs.
Shown here is Hooter, whose holographic image switches between a wizard and an owl. With Super Naturals, every character had a “normal” mode and then a “spirit” mode, which they could call upon in moments of distress. So like, if you messed with Hooter, he’d switch to owl mode and peck the shit out of you.
Truly some of the best action figures of the ‘80s, and as fun as they are to fiddle with, it’s nice to have one in the original packaging. It’s so… I dunno… occult? 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.