Kaustic Plastik / Infinite Statue - 1/6 Bela Lugosi as Dracula - Action Deluxe Figure

If it wasn't for the Mouse, the Universal Frankenstein design would be public domain by now. As it stands, we're just a bit over three years away.

vaanrose said:

If it wasn't for the Mouse, the Universal Frankenstein design would be public domain by now. As it stands, we're just a bit over three years away.

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How does Karloff's Frankenstein design have anything to do with Disney? I'm genuinely curious. I thought it was strictly a Universal property...seeing as they are currently building Universal Monster themed land centered on Frankenstein's castle.

batsheva said:

I vote for Frank and Wolfman!

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How I forgot about Wolfman, I'm not sure.. ( still lean toward the Mummy though). Regarding another of your comments, I have the Mondo Creature from the Black Lagoon and honestly really love it. I don't see us getting a better one any time soon.

Asta said:

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This is not at all my genre, but this is definitely a cool looking figure!

Ronin300 said:

How I forgot about Wolfman, I'm not sure.. ( still lean toward the Mummy though). Regarding another of your comments, I have the Mondo Creature from the Black Lagoon and honestly really love it. I don't see us getting a better one any time soon.

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I love the mummy as well, but I just want variations with the figure, so I chose to add Chaney instead of adding another Karloff, hahaha..

I do have the Creature figure as well, and I agree with you, Mondo did a good job with it!

So about the coffin, though - it's not screen accurate, is it? I feel odd saying this, but I think NECA might've nailed it with the one they previewed at SDCC. (There's probably a woodworking/gravekeeper pun somewhere in there... )

Ronin300 said:

How does Karloff's Frankenstein design have anything to do with Disney? I'm genuinely curious. I thought it was strictly a Universal property...seeing as they are currently building Universal Monster themed land centered on Frankenstein's castle.

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Mickey debuted three years before Karloff Frankenstein (1928 vs 1931). Disney's continual lobbying to extend copyright to protect Mickey also indirectly protects everything after it. Without the 1998 Copyright Act that extended the corporate copyright from 75 years to 95 years, Karloff Frankenstein would have been public domain in 2006.

Just from what I have read this one is Bela Lugosi and not necessarily Dracula. Neca's is Dracula. Bela is a cosplayer here. KP can not use what was on screen. Neca, I believe, has the Dracula license.

..and the Lugosi state's permission.

For this Kaustic Lugosi, can he actually fit in the coffin with the lid closed?

Dear God, this is confusing. (The licensing.) And watching DeanKnight's video again, it seems that - yes - he can fit entirely in the coffin.

Joda said:

Dear God, this is confusing. (The licensing.) And watching DeanKnight's video again, it seems that - yes - he can fit entirely in the coffin.

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That's very cool if he can fit entirely in the coffin.
Its just that I never seen any images (or videos) of it. Him being inside the coffin with the lid closed, I mean.

Of course, there's nothing that I'm aware of to prevent Universal from renewing their copyright on the Monster make-up(which they would be fools not to do)...

wax murderer said:

Of course, there's nothing that I'm aware of to prevent Universal from renewing their copyright on the Monster make-up(which they would be fools not to do)...

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There's no renewing copyright under the current law. 95 years after date of publication and that's that.

They can, and probably will, try to trademark the design; that's what will protect Mickey in the end, Disney's use of him as brand iconography. But I'd like to see that court case. Universal haven't been setting up Frankenstein as a potential trademark, the way Disney has Mickey. Disney has spent decades slapping the mouse ears on every product they release, Universal's use of the Frankenstein iconography is much more sparse and often entirely nonexistant.

JacktheRipper said:

Just from what I have read this one is Bela Lugosi and not necessarily Dracula. Neca's is Dracula. Bela is a cosplayer here. KP can not use what was on screen. Neca, I believe, has the Dracula license.

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Bela Lugosi played Dracula on stage long before there was a Universal Dracula film. In fact, the primary reason the Universal Dracula is as memorable as it is, is due to Bela Lugosi's presence in it. The figure is Bela Lugosi as Dracula. Not Bela "cosplaying". Neca has the rights to Universal's Dracula. They had to secure a separate agreement with Lugosi's estate to make this figure they have forthcoming. Otherwise, we would've got a generic style guide Dracula from NECA. That's what Universal has the ability to copyright. Which no one wanted. A lot of people have played Dracula over the years, but Bela will always be associated with him more than anyone else. Even Lee (who played Dracula onsceen more than anyone) admitted Lugosi was forever associated with the role more than anyone else.

The second video confirms this was a great buy and gamble. Exactly what I wanted and can't wait to see, probably next month. I still have the Sideshow Silver Screen Dracula and this will go nicely with it, taking center stage of course. As for future Universal Monsters figure releases I assume it will happen in dribs and drabs, here and there over the upcoming years, but perhaps not an established line from one manufacturer.

GhostBeard said:

The second video confirms this was a great buy and gamble. Exactly what I wanted and can't wait to see, probably next month. I still have the Sideshow Silver Screen Dracula and this will go nicely with it, taking center stage of course. As for future Universal Monsters figure releases I assume it will happen in dribs and drabs, here and there over the upcoming years, but perhaps not an established line from one manufacturer.

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Which version of this did you end up ordering? I still can't decide if I want that coffin...

I went with the basic version myself. If I decide I want a coffin or casket(they are not the same thing) I can build my own...

Dracula just arrived! Bloody Sunday!

Really only pulled him out of the boxes so far and I must say I am very pleased. The heads are fantastic. He has that pale Vampire skin that I just don’t think photographs well. A huge upgrade from Sideshow’s for sure in paint and sculpt.

The tuxedo is a little baggy in the legs but I’m OK with that as often times we see suits in this scale that are just too tight and hinder posing. It’s not like he’s wearing his Dad’s clothes. Maybe more off the rack than personally tailored. Again, huge upgrade to Sideshow’s.

He does have the paper covered stand but I imagine that has to do more with the magnetic feature than anything else. Only plopped him on there quickly to see if the ankles were floppy and they are not. Seems like it will function well.

I really like the hand options. The set with longer vampire nails is particularly nice. The nails have a nice sheen to them we don’t normally see with 1:6 finger nails.

The one thing I am a little disappointed with is the coffin. It looks fantastic but is all sculpted out of poly stone. The handles on the sides are sculpted in place and aren’t separate. The interior has no cloth, it all sculpted fabric, although very well done as I had touch it to confirm it wasn’t a silky cloth interior. So it will display beautifully but once handled has a lesser quality feel to it than it presents as. I wouldn’t not want to have it though! I think it will add to the display tremendously. Had the tombstone exclusive been Dracula’s rather than Bela’s I probably would have gone for that too but it just didn’t fit with the character of Dracula for me.

I’m glad this came out before Nosferatu went up. I’m definitely in for him now that I have Dracula in hand.

Joda said:

Which version of this did you end up ordering? I still can't decide if I want that coffin...

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Basic version directly from KP. The coffin and stand are nice and all but I highly doubted me ever posing it in the coffin much and I felt the figure was the centerpiece anyway.

Wow, based on these videos, this is one of the coolest 1/6 figures I've ever seen! The head sculpts look absolutely fantastic and those hands are so impressive. I may need to pick this up!