Aurora’s Monster Scenes Scandal!
When I was growing up most boys went through a model building phase. Some kids liked cars others planes or ships, but I was always a fan of comic, movie, tv characters and monster models.
Aurora was the main company producing the model kits and in an effort to promote their product Aurora would hold…
…contests for custom kits, highlighting winners in monster magazines. By the 1960s, they had started noticing that a lot of submissions revolved around expansive, morbid scenarios: a mad scientist’s laboratory, or an execution motif. To Aurora, it was a clear indication that their consumers wanted context for their models… They began developing a line dubbed Monster Scenes. Using generic characters like the Victim, designers concocted elaborate scenarios that put the unfortunate captives in mortal peril.
What followed was a series of missteps…
- Models featuring torture scenes
- A Vampirella model that shipped unpainted and appeared nude
- Labeling each box “Rated X for Excitement!”
- and more
The model kits began shipping in 1971 and were an instant hit with kids, but parents and activist groups were up in arms even leading to a California law prohibiting the sale of torture toys.
If you’ve read this far you might want to check out Jake Rossen’s Nabisco’s X-Rated Toy Scandal of 1971 at Mental_Floss which provides a more in-depth look.
