Unpacking the Halloween decorations is always like a special trip down memory lane for me. As I began decorating this weekend I felt as though I was being reunited with some old friends. This is especially true when it comes to my collection of Telco Motion-ettes. These little animatronic figures have so much character and charm. They are yet another relic from the Halloweens of yesteryear. It really is a shame that Telco went out of business as they produced some of the best holiday decorations.
In my house, we have affectionately dubbed these, "Derp Machines." If you know the meaning of the word "derp" you'll get it. They have awkward, jerky motions, and let out a bizarre sound when turned on, but that's just part of their charm. Although remembered from childhood, we didn't really own any. We did, however, have Gemmy's animated Rocking Chair Witch. My Aunt Terry had the original Dracula Motion-ette and she would display him in her front window on Halloween. This was great entertainment for a kid with ADHD, I could just sit and stare for hours.
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| original Motion-ette Witch |
Motion-ettes came is 18" and 24" variations. The original line included stock Halloween characters: Witch, Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, Ghost, Scarecrow, Devil, Skeleton, etc. in addition to the ever-illusive Phantom of the Opera and Masque of the Red Death. Over the years, variations in the characters appeared. They even made some pieces that were different than the standard stand-up characters like a flying vampire bat, a fortune teller witch, and a flying witch on her broomstick. In the 1990's, Telco replaced their generic monsters with official licensed monsters from Universal including Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, the Bride of Frankenstein, the Mummy, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, and the Wolf Man.
The popularity of the Motion-ettes (and their priciness) inspired several companies to make imitations and sometimes blatant rip-offs for smaller retail outlets at more affordable prices. Companies like Rennoc made passable imitations called "Little People." Another, smaller company then made a knock off of the knock off and titled them "Special People." And all I can say is, "Yes, yes, they are quite special." There were also companies like Pumpkintime and Witchtime that put out animated figures, but they at least featured original sculpts for their characters. Regional distributers produced a plethora of extremely cheap knockoffs that have fallen virtually into obscurity only remembered, but not recognized, by periodical appearances at flea markets, antique stores, and rummage sales.
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| A common Witch knock-off |
In my opinion, Gemmy produced some of the best imitations. Their costumes were almost identical to Telco, which makes me question of the two companies had some sort of agreement. Also, they did not simply rehash the standard figures but put the characters into actions. These models included a flying Witch and flying Dracula, fortune teller witch, rocky chair witch, a witch stirring her cauldron, and so on.
Original Motion-ettes
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| Note that the monster came with variations in skin and clothing color. |
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| Oh, Frank, you're the derpest of all! |
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| A tan-skinned Dracula |
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| The original Dracula. Note the paleness and sunken eyes as opposed to later paint variants. |
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| Drac also had hair variations. He the jet black is replaced with a brindled gray. |
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| Dracula with a Bat |
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| My Dracula figure lit up |
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| Note the various face sculpts. |
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| The last Witch variant produced |
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| In her box |
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| Variant with a Pumpkin |
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| The Phantom as the Masque of the Red Death |
Universal Licensed Motion-ettes
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| Personally, I found the licensed Motion-ettes less charming. They are too cartoony for my taste. |
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| Wolfy, the only licensed Motion-ette I own. |
Gemmy Figures
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| A childhood favorite, which I still display to this day |
Knock-Offs and Imitations
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| I guess they couldn't decide on just one skin tone. |
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| One of the most common imitation witches. |
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| Well, this is just...um...quaint... |
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| Don't ask me what's going on here...he looks like Frank N. Furter gone horribly wrong. ("Love that Joker!") |
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| Actually a pretty valiant try |
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| No comment. |
Need More?
Stay Tuned!
We have more Top 10 Countdowns and vintage photos on the way! Oh, and if you have a Jamba Juice nearby, I highly recommend that you head on over and pick up a Pumpkin Smash Smoothie. I'm drinking one right now. Or if you're more of a caramel apple person, check out Wendy's new parfait!
Unpacking the Halloween decorations is always like a special trip down memory lane for me. As I began decorating this weekend I felt as though I was being reunited with some old friends. This is especially true when it comes to my collection of Telco Motion-ettes. These little animatronic figures have so much character and charm. They are yet another relic from the Halloweens of yesteryear. It really is a shame that Telco went out of business as they produced some of the best holiday decorations.
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