The monster cereals are a line of breakfast cereals produced by General Mills Corporation in North America. Since the line was introduced in 1971, it has been associated with three enduring brands: Count Chocula, Franken Berry, and Boo Berry. The brands Frute Brute (originally Fruit Brute) and Yummy Mummy have had more limited production and availability.[9] The Carmella Creeper brand was introduced in 2023.
| Count Chocula | |
|---|---|
 The current box redesign for Count Chocula breakfast cereal | |
| Chocolate-flavored corn cereal bits and marshmallows | |
| Mascot | Cartoon variation of Count Dracula |
| Introduced | 1971 |
| Availability | Still in production seasonally |
| Tagline | I want to eat your cereal! (1971–2010) |
| Notes | [1] |
| Franken Berry | |
|---|---|
 The current box redesign for Franken Berry breakfast cereal | |
| Strawberry-flavored corn cereal bits and marshmallows | |
| Mascot | Cartoon variation of Frankenstein's monster |
| Introduced | 1971 |
| Availability | Still in production seasonally |
| Notes | [2] |
| Boo Berry | |
|---|---|
 The current box redesign for Boo Berry breakfast cereal | |
| Blueberry-flavored frosted corn cereal bits and marshmallows | |
| Mascot | Blue cartoon ghost |
| Introduced | 1973 |
| Availability | Still in production seasonally |
| Frute Brute | |
|---|---|
 The current box redesign for Frute Brute breakfast cereal (originally Fruit Brute) | |
| Frosted fruit-flavored cereal with lime-flavored marshmallows; Relaunch: Sweetened cherry-flavored cereal with marshmallows | |
| Mascot | Cartoon variation of the Wolf Man |
| Introduced | 1974 |
| Availability | Discontinued (1983); Relaunch (2013); Discontinued (2014) Relaunch (2022) (In a box of four Monster Cereals) |
| Tagline | The Howling Good Taste of Fruit |
| Notes | [3] |
| Yummy Mummy | |
|---|---|
 The current box redesign for Fruity Yummy Mummy breakfast cereal | |
| Frosted fruit-flavored cereal with vanilla-flavored marshmallows Relaunch: Frosted orange-cream flavored cereal with marshmallows | |
| Mascot | Cartoon variation of the Mummy |
| Introduced | 1988 |
| Availability | Discontinued (1993); Relaunch (2013); Discontinued (2014) |
| Tagline | Yummy Mummy makes your tummy go yummy! Heh, heh, heh! (1988–1990) |
| Notes | [4] |
| Carmella Creeper | |
|---|---|
 The current box design for Carmella Creeper breakfast cereal | |
| Caramel apple-flavored corn cereal bits and marshmallows | |
| Mascot | Cartoon variation of a zombie DJ |
| Introduced | 2023 |
| Notes | [5] |
| Monster Mash | |
|---|---|
 The box design for Monster Mash breakfast cereal | |
| Artificial combination of chocolate, strawberry, blueberry, and fruit-flavored corn cereal bits and marshmallows | |
| Mascots | Cartoon variations of Count Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, a ghost, the Wolf Man, and the Mummy. |
| Introduced | 2021 |
| Availability | Released seasonally with variations |
| Tagline | 50 Years of Monster Cereals (2021-2023) |
| Notes | [6] |
| Monster Mash Remix | |
|---|---|
 The current box design for Monster Mash Remix breakfast cereal | |
| Artificial combination of chocolate, strawberry, blueberry, fruit, and caramel apple-flavored corn cereal bits and marshmallows | |
| Mascots | Cartoon variations of Count Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, a ghost, the Wolf Man, the Mummy, and the Bride as a zombie DJ. |
| Introduced | 2023 |
| Availability | Released seasonally |
| Tagline | A mix of all six Monsters Cereals flavors (2023) |
| Notes | [7] |
| Monsters' Frightful Friends | |
|---|---|
 The current box design for Monsters' Frightful Friends cereal | |
| Artificial berry cereal bits and marshmallows | |
| Mascots | Cartoon variations of Count Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, a ghost, and the Bride as a zombie DJ. |
| Introduced | 2024 |
| Availability | Released seasonally |
| Tagline | A mix of all four Monsters Cereals flavors (2024) |
| Notes | [8] |
History
editIn March 1971, the first two cereals in the line were introduced, the chocolate-flavored Count Chocula and the strawberry-flavored Franken Berry. In the commercials, the two monsters, Count Alfred[10] Chocula and Franken Berry, would engage in comic bickering over which cereal was better, when something or someone else (usually Boo Berry) interfered in their verbal sparring and scared them out of their wits.
In February 1972, Franken Berry cereal included an indigestible pigment that turned some children's feces pink, a symptom sometimes referred to as "Franken Berry stool".[11][12][13] The Count Chocula and Franken Berry recipes were reformulated to remove this pigment.[14]
Boo Berry, the first blueberry-flavored cereal,[15] was released in December 1972 (released nationally in February 1973), and Fruit Brute in 1974. Fruit Brute was discontinued by 1983, after a nine-year run. It was replaced in 1988 by Fruity Yummy Mummy, which was discontinued in 1993 after just five years.[16] During this period, Fruit Brute made conspicuous appearances in two films by Quentin Tarantino, Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs, as a visual easter egg.[17]
Starting in 1993, General Mills changed the recipe in the cereals from a base of oat and corn meal to corn meal only. This altered the flavor and texture significantly.
In 2005, Count Chocula was shown in MasterCard's "Icons" commercial during Super Bowl XXXIX, where many famous advertising mascots are seen having dinner together.[18] In 2010, Betty Crocker released Franken Berry, Frute Brute, and Boo Berry Fruit Roll-Ups.[19] General Mills released Count Chocula cereal bars.[citation needed]
Since 2010, Franken Berry, Boo Berry, and Count Chocula cereals have been manufactured and sold only for a few months during the autumn/Halloween season in September and October.[citation needed] As of late 2010, information such as nutrition data and historical facts can still be found on the official General Mills website at all times of the year.[15]
In August 2013, General Mills released all five monster cereals for purchase during the Halloween season. The renamed Frute Brute was being released for the first time in 31 years, while Fruity Yummy Mummy was being released for the first time in 21 years, both receiving updated packaging like the other cereals. Additionally, special retro edition boxes of all five cereals in their original packaging art were sold exclusively at Target stores.[20]
In 2014, General Mills enlisted the help of DC Comics to create new designs for the cereals in time for that Halloween. The designs, revealed on August 6, consisted of a Boo Berry design by Jim Lee, a Count Chocula design by Terry Dodson and a Franken Berry design by Dave Johnson.[21]
In 2021, it was announced that the company would celebrate the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the Monster Cereals by releasing an amalgamated cereal entitled Monster Mash.[22]
In August 2022, due to the resounding success of the 50th anniversary celebrations just one year prior, Frute Brute returned, and the covers of all four cereals that year featured artwork by street artist KAWS inspired by the vintage designs.[23]
In June 2023, a new monster named Carmella Creeper was revealed, being a zombie DJ cousin of Franken Berry and the first female monster in the mix. Her light green cereal is caramel apple flavored. General Mills also announced that a remake of the Monster Mash amalgamated cereal called Monster Mash Remix would be released as well featuring all six cereals.
In March 2024, street artist Kaws launched a collection of four figurines representing these monsters, Count Chocula, Boo Berry, Frute Brute and Franken Berry following the collaboration with General Mills in August 2022. These figurines are bigger than those found in cereal boxes, but retain the artwork design. In May of the same year, General Mills revealed a new integration animal characters (old and new) collectively named the Monsters' Frightful Friends. These additions will serve as the pets of the titular monsters including: Igor the guard-spider, Bennie the Franken-bat, Meow Berry the ghost cat, and Scratch the snake; each of which are the animal companions to Count Chocula, Franken Berry, Boo Berry, and Carmella Creeper, respectively. The new additions to the Halloween-themed breakfast cereals, will also be integrated into cereal-marshallows in the shape of these pets.[24]
Prizes
editUntil the early 1980s, the monster cereals were also known for their wide variety of both in-pack and mail-away cereal premiums. Many items, such as posters, stickers, paint sets, speedster cars, parachutes, and even vinyl advertising figures, were produced.[25] In 1979, three flexi-discs were made available via cereal boxes: "The Monsters Go Disco", "Count Chocula Goes to Hollywood" and "Monster Adventures in Outer Space".[26]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "TV ACRES: Advertising Mascots - Count Chocula". Retrieved 22 October 2012.
- ^ "TV ACRES: Advertising Mascots - Frankenberry". Retrieved 22 October 2012.
- ^ Prince, Diana (September 30, 2021). "The Marbit Prometheus: The History Of The General Mills Monster Cereals". Fangoria. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
- ^ Squires, John (March 25, 2017). "The Brief History of Fruity Yummy Mummy Cereal!". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
- ^ Squires, John (June 1, 2023). "Carmella Creeper: Looks Like the General Mills Monster Cereals Are Finally Getting a New Character". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
- ^ Johnson, Hanna (August 1, 2021). The history of our monsters. General Mills. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
- ^ Squires, John (June 7, 2023). General Mills Officially Announces “Carmella Creeper” as First New Cereal Monster in 35 Years!. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
- ^ Squires, John (August 6, 2024). "General Mills Officially Announces This Year's Monster Cereals – with Monster Pets!". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
- ^ Ettinger, Jared (22 August 2013). "General Mills Resurrecting Frute Brute, Yummy Mummy This Halloween".
- ^ Bathroom Reader's Institute (2020). Uncle John's Greatest Know on Earth No. 33. Portable Press. p. 92. ISBN 9781645174141.
- ^ Payne, J. V. (1972). "Benign red pigmentation of stool resulting from food coloring in a new breakfast cereal (the Franken Berry stool)". Pediatrics. 49 (2): 293–294. doi:10.1542/peds.49.2.293. PMID 5059537. S2CID 6104019.
- ^ Gilbert-Barness, Enid; Debich-Spicer, Diane E. (2005). Handbook of pediatric autopsy pathology. Humana Press. p. 288. ISBN 978-1-59259-673-7. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
- ^ Niemietz, Brian (October 31, 2009). "It's berry scary". New York Post. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
- ^ Bruce, Scott; Crawford, Bill (1995). Cerealizing America: The Unsweetened Story of American Breakfast Cereal. Faber and Faber Inc. pp. 212–213. ISBN 0-571-19851-1.
- ^ a b "Monsters". General Mills. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
- ^ Morioka, Lynne (August 20, 2013). "The return of two General Mills monsters". Retrieved March 26, 2014.
- ^ "The Brief, Monstrous Life of Fruit Brute". Michelle Delgado. July 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ^ "Mastercard Priceless | Experiences make life more meaningful". Priceless. Retrieved 2023-01-19.
- ^ "Franken and Boo Berry Fruit Roll-Ups!". X-Entertainment.com. October 8, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2014. [permanent dead link]
- ^ Barr, Roger (December 19, 2013). "Fruit Brute And Fruity Yummy Mummy Are Back! Plus, All Five Monster Cereals Are Getting Retro Packaging!". I-Mockery. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
- ^ Sunu, Steve (August 6, 2014). "Jim Lee, Dave Johnson, Terry & Rachel Dodson Redesign General Mills' Monster Cereals". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
- ^ Bricken, Rob (May 11, 2021). "Count Chocula, Frankenberry, More Join Forces and Now Breakfast Is Doomed". Gizmodo. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
- ^ "Frute Brute Returns to the Monster Cereals Lineup!" (Press release). Advertising Week. Archived from the original on August 6, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
- ^ Squires, John (May 15, 2024). "The General Mills Monster Cereals Are Getting Pets This Halloween!". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
- ^ Jones, Jonathon (2016-10-15). Monster Cereal Box Premiums - The 1970's: A Groovy Decade of Crunchy-Sweet Fun (2 ed.). Jonathon Jones.
- ^ "Count Chocula". Discogs.
External links
edit
- "Frankenberry". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on May 25, 2024.
- "Monster Cereal". General Mills.
- Monster Cereal Box Premiums – The 1970's: A Groovy Decade of Crunchy-Sweet Fun].
- "Monster Cereal Facts and Commercials". Retroist.com. October 29, 2008.