By: Heather Seebach
Freddy in Space came up with another awesome article idea - what 10 items would you keep in your Monster Squad treehouse? That is to say, if you were like the horror-loving kids in the 80s classic Monster Squad (and let's face it, you were), what posters, toys, etc. would have been your must-haves? Other bloggers were challenged to participate in this query as well, so I scraped my brain for childhood memories and here's what I came up with:
Goosebumps Books
Like most people my age, these books by R.L. Stine were a staple of my
childhood. Maybe they weren't the scariest books out there (looking at
you, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark), but they were so much
fun! Remember "Give Yourself Goosebumps", the
choose-your-own-adventure-style series? I'm pretty sure I owned every Goosebumps book, or damn near close.
Dinosaurs Attack! Cards
Post-Jurassic Park Heather was (and still is) obsessed with dinosaurs. That was my introduction to Dinosaurs Attack! cards. I had not heard of Mars Attacks! cards yet, and while the graphic nature of the Dino cards startled me at first, I had the entire set. Just don't ask me to look at the Crushing A Canine card...
Stay Puft Marshmallow Man Plush (with glow-in-the-dark face)
Maybe they have made better-looking Stay Puft dolls since this one, but this 80s-made plush with glow-in-the-dark eyes and mouth (and a Ghostbusters logo on his bum) was the one I had and loved. I think mine ended up on a yard sale table at some point, but it's too painful to think about.
Nightmare VHS game
I'll always have fond memories of playing this in my friend's basement on sleepover nights. We got such a kick out of the Gatekeeper calling us maggots and we'd eagerly step up to scream, "Yes, my Gatekeeper!" when he beckoned us. I have since played the DVD version with friends and, guess what? It's still awesome.
"Feed Me"Game (Milton Bradley)
For licensing reasons, this game could not officially be associated with Little Shop of Horrors, but we all knew it was anyway. This was the closest thing I got to a real Audrey II as a kid, and I played it endlessly at my grandmother's house.
Touchdown Terror (Madballs)
All the Madballs were fun, but Touchdown Terror was my favorite. Probably because I've always known football is more interesting than baseball. And because size matters. And because it hurt way more when I threw this at my brothers.
TV Trays
Okay, this is not horror technically, but these geeky television trays were another staple of my childhood. I loved them, especially my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles one. Besides, it may be a horror treehouse, but I gotta have something to eat my Count Chocula on, amiright?
Boglins
I only ever had one Boglin (Dwork, pictured) but I loved him dearly - even if I always left him in the box/cage because I thought it looked cool. I miss my Boglin so much in fact I'm starting to considering buying another one. Side note - somebody crack Boglin rubber technology and make me a Belial (Basket Case) Boglin, mmkay? Thanks.
Halloween Happy Meal Toys
Yes, McDonald's is terrible for you (especially children), and I haven't even eaten meat in 15 or so years, BUT, I used to love the shit out of McDonald's. Especially Happy Meals, and especially around Halloween. Who didn't love McNugget Buddies? And those trick-or-treat pails?
Movies (VHS or Betamax)
Of course, I would have some of my favorites in the treehouse! Let's see, back then that would be VHS or Beta recordings of films such as Ernest Scared Stupid, Monster Squad (duh), Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Ghostbusters, Little Monsters, House 1 & 2 etc.
Bonus (wishful thinking): Evil Dead on Commodore 64
This bonus one is just wishful thinking because I neither had Evil Dead on C64 back then, nor could I hook that ancient beast up in a treehouse BUT I did love my Commodore 64 (and yes I'm old enough to know wtf that is sadly). But since this is my pretend treehouse, I do what I want! A girl can dream, can't she?
Now I'm gonna go cry myself to sleep because it's not 1990 and this isn't real. Meanwhile, tell me what items YOU would have in your Monster Squad dream house, or if you have a blog, send me (and Freddy in Space) your link!
