The Weird World of Aurora

In 1971, a model company called Aurora was struggling. They had made a good name for themselves with awesome kits based on classic monsters, dinosaurs, and the like, but sales were waning, so they decided to up the ante with what was arguably the most offensive and shocking toy sets ever marketed to kids.

The snap together kits featured Frankenstein, Dr. Deadly, and Vampirella, which wasn't that outrageous, but they came with an array of torture devices and a figure cleverly marketed as "The Victim" that caused an uproar.

The centerpiece of the campaign was an ad which ran in DC comic books and Warren comic magazines of the era.

Taking the form of a comic strip, the ad details Dr. Deadly sending Frankenstein and Vampirella (sporting a camel toe, no less!) out for “a girl victim for the experiment.” Frankenstein chuckles?!

The trio then abducts said girl victim, to whose cries for help Vampirella simply responds “Don’t Worry. This is New York. No one will help her.” (This was a grim and totally inappropriate reminder of the horrible case of Kitty Genovese, who was stabbed to death while several witnesses in the apartment building next door looked on but did nothing.)

The girl is taken back to the lab where Dr. Deadly plots to turn her into a fly. Vampirella is creeped out at the apparent fate of the poor Girl Victim while the boy at the end gleefully snaps the Girl Victim together (or is he creepily pulling her apart?)

Here I have recreated the original comic ad that launched the set to America. I replaced each panel with photos of the actual models in the style of Twisted Toyfare Theater.