The Flintstones Meet the Monsters

Initially when you think about it, you don’t think about it. “Oh, really? Okay.”

Then, maybe for just a moment, you stop and, say, “No, you’re thinking of the Gruesomes.”

No, not a mistake.

“How the heck could that happen, and where?”

Okay, since you’re so polite about it, here’s how Fred and Wilma Flintstone met Dracula and Frankenstein.

Time wise it would seem impossible, but Fred Flintstone did meet face-to-undead-face with Frankenstein, Dracula, the Mummy and the Wolf Man. How in the seven circles of cartoon hell could this happen? Sit back, read and all shall be revealed.

It should be noted that in the real, non-cartoon world of the 60s, monsters, particularly the classic Universal versions, were extremely popular. The Shock Theater movie packages, as well as programs like The Munsters and The Addams Family, served to make creatures of the night solid hits on kiddie radar. The result was a plethora of tie-ins, including model kits, toys, books, trading cards, comics, and much more.

Specifically regarding comics, there were official licensed Universal Monster comics, including Frankenstein, Dracula and The Creature From the Black Lagoon from Dell Comics, which were nicely doen books. However, Dell also published some truly awful superheroic versions of Frankenstein, Dracula and the Werewolf. DC and Marvel had monster fascimilies turning up in their superhero, humor and mystery comics.

And it was in April 1966 when the modern stone-age family encountered monsters. On the TV series, Fred had already encountered the Gruesomes, who lived in the spooky old cavehouse over the crumbling rock fence called Tombstone Manor. More Addams Family than the Munsters, the Gruesomes appeared through the 5th season, but vanished in the 6th and last season when the Great Gazoo appeared on the scene.

The 33rd issue of The Flintstones comic series, published by Whitman under their Gold Key Comics emblem, had an atypical cover. Rather than the usual nondescript gag cover, this issue featured a blurb for the unlikely meeting of caveman and monsters, promoting the lead story of the issue, titled "The Flintstones Meet Frankenstein and Dracula."

Now, it should be noted that these animated versions of the horror icons didn't just pop up out of the blue. All the Hanna-Barebera versions of our favorite monsters appeared on the cover of an album released through the animation company’s music subsidiary, designed to cah in on the 60s monster boom. The record album was titled Monster Shindig. While the cover art for the album was classic HB, the title song was so so. Besides the monsters themselves, the main characters featured in this album (and having to carry it) were Super Snooper and Blabber Mouse). For what it's worth, the Gruesomes are also there mixing in with the monsters.

Okay, back to the comic story...

Just as a reminder,we shoudl always keep in mind with Fred Flinstone that not only is a he a thinly veiled take on Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kramden in The Honeymooners, but he is, in general, a cloddish oaf.

The story opens with a group of Wilma's cousins leaving after a visit. Fred makes a big deal about how eccentric they were and suggests his relatives are superior. Just at that moment, a telegram arrives declaring that Fred's cousins, "The Chipstones." are coming to visit, with no further details. Fred's never met them before, but still maintains his relatives are more normal than Wilma's.

Meanwhile, in the secret lab of crazed mad scientist, Dr. Frankenfurter, work on his ultimate invention continues. The Doctor is working on getting his time machine functioning by scooping something out of the distant future. That something is four monsters: Frankenstein, Dracula, the Mummy and the Wolf Man. Seeing these creatures, the scientist faints, allowing the creatures to run rampant.

The monsters immediately come upon the Flintstones residence. Of course, regardless of how hideous they look, Fred assumes that they are his cousins and lets them in an effort to keep his neighbors from seeing them. In addition, by calling them "cousins," the monsters immediately take a liking to him...though they didn't like his tidy home all that much.

Wilma comes home and encounters these creatures in a string of flat, bad gags, including encountering the Mummy in a broom closet (it's sort of like his tomb home), the Wolf Man chasing Dino, and Frankenstein, talking in a Boris Karloff accent, looking for black widows in the basement (the Flintstones had a basement?). Fred and Wilma then decide to get these creature cousins out of their house by taking them on a picnic, and that's where this already strange story gets loads stranger.

Out wherever they are, Fred suggests a game of hide-and-seek. Fred counts while the monsters hide. In a disturbing twist, what none of them realize is that there's an escaped criminal with a primitive gun hiding out in the area. He takes Fred and Wilma hostage and makes them row a piece of petrified tree over a lake of bubbling, hot lava to an island. The monsters, who have already become quite affectionate with the Flintstones, decide that they must rescue their friends. Dracula sends Frankenstein to walk across the lava, which he does with no problem. Frankenstein finds that the crook has trussed up the pair in a tree over the lava and threatens to cut the rope holding them above it if the big green guy does anything foolish. Frankenstein backs off and goes back over the lava. The Mummy steps up, climbing into a tree and tying one of his bandages up to a branch. He then swings the very long way across, wrapping his bandage around the Flintstones so that cutting them down quickly is impossible. The Mummy moves quickly (?) tying up the bad guy, too, just as the police arrive to take him into custody.

As coincidence would have it, the revived Frankenfurter also arrives immediately afterward to take back his monsters. The monsters leave with the scientist, no doubt returning to the 20th century. Back home, Fred's cousins have arrived... and in all sizes they each have an exact copy of Fred's limited animation head. Wilma gets in the last word on the whole story, as shown here...

Just a note on the above: I'm not sure what this comic sells for in today's unfortunate, phoney baloney price guide propelled market, but you can bet Wizard magazine doesn't include The Flintstones in their silly guide anyway. I'm guessing, like a lot of Gold Key's disposable kiddie oriented (and read repeatedly) product of the era that finding this comic in decent shape might be hard to do. Good luck!

-- Franklin J Kurtz

The Flintstones, Hanna-Barbera’s Monster Shindig are © & TM the rightful owners of these properties. Images are posted here under fair usage and to provide information to our readers.