Dr. Frankenstein's Lab Playsets

Today we are taking a look at McFarlane Toys' Dr. Frankenstein's Lab Playsets from Series 1 & 2. These sets were released in the late 1990's and each featured a diorama and 2 character figures.

The first Frankenstein Playset, released in 1997, features a deformed, blood-splattered mad scientist (Igor?) and a slabbed Monster on a castle lab stand. The diorama in this set is a small section of castle laboratory - there's a stone wall on one side, and thick wooden planks for the floor. There's a grate on the floor for fluids to drain through, a few scraps of bone, some loose papers and even a rat. A short bookcase plugs in at the back and there's a silver Erlenmeyer flask that can sit wherever you like.

The Dr. Frankenstein Playset of 1998 is a variation of the original. Both playsets are designed to snap together and create a large, multi-character tableau.

This one featured another dungeons-like lab base, a different mad doctor (Dr. Frankenstein?), and a bizarre, two-headed Monster with accessories that include a bone saw and discarded intestines.

Like in the Series 1 set, the diorama here is part of Frankenstein's Castle. This one is larger and more complete, [another empty lab] with the same sort of wooden floor, stones along the left side and back wall, plus shelves and a swiveling desk on the left. Two silver bottles and a small pitcher can be stored on the shelves - there are notches in the shelf to make room for the bottle necks.

The rear wall of the set has a metal operating table, with a gutter on the front so the blood can be washed away - it even empties right above a drain in the floor! Two slots on the wall allow the table to be raised to whatever height you like, and a clear blue arc of electricity jumps between the two diodes. And then there are four thick pillars that plug into the underside of the base. With the pilars in place, the front of the Series 2 set will fit right over the bookcase on the Series 1 set, making for one double-sized, split-level playset.

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