2013 Monster Cereal Retro Boxes

Finally, Halloween 2013's number one attraction has been found.  Since the official announcement by General Mills, I've been looking everywhere for the new Monster Cereal boxes.  As you've read, Yummy Mummy was found fairly early.  Frute Brute evaded me for a bit longer, but nothing aggravated me more than Target and their lack of Halloween supply.  Seriously, it's sad how angry I got when I walked into Target and saw those giant pencils still hanging from their ceiling.  They mockingly pointed me in the right direction, only to disappoint me with aisles of folders, notebooks, and way too many images of Justin Bieber.

But, on Friday the 13th, we ventured out to a Target in Linden, NJ because they seemed to have their stuff much more together than Jersey City.  Oh and did they ever.  Halloween galore!!  But nothing more important than the main event!

My girlfriend ran toward the boxes.  I walked rapidly in an attempt to look cool and act like it's no big deal.  It's just cereal, right?  Yeah, okay.. in my mind, I was squealing like the little girls who bought those Justin Bieber folders.  I guess these Monster Cereal characters are to me what he is to 13-year-old teenagers.  Not sure what that says about me, but I'll own it.  I was excited and couldn't hide it.  We even took pictures in front of the boxes.  Even I won't post those embarrassments, but I will say that I was caught posing with Frute Brute and Count Chocula by a man who couldn't have turned the corner any faster.  No shame.

The head honcho.  The leader of the pack.  The most legendary and well-known Monster Cereal character of 'em all - Count Chocula!  I love this box, and all the boxes, for the fact that they're so simple.  No shadows, no shading, just classic 2-D illustration and color.  I'm also very happy that they didn't slap on any "Limited Edition 2013 Box" tag on the front.  Other than the cereal bowl  and some text, this is as close to the original as we're going to get.  I just feel bad for anybody who ever spent more than $50 on an actual retro box.  Ouch, that's gotta hurt when I picked this up for $2.50.  My only complaint is that the Count was a bit bent in the lower right corner.  Unfortunately, they were all like that.

Frankenberry has always been my favorite character.  I love everything about him, but his retro version is the best incarnation of the monster.  I've seen plenty of classic images, but the color in photos pales in comparison to the color in person.  As soon as we saw them on the shelf, this guy stood out to me most.  He's a hot pink color with strawberry nails!  How can you not appreciate this guy?  In terms of flavor, he's held my top spot for years, but Frute Brute and Yummy Mummy have been giving him a run for his money.  I'll admit, it's hard to be objective when they're so fresh and new with all this hype around them, but their flavor is just as good, if not better, than my favorite monster cereal.

Boo Berry gets a bum wrap.  He was even put on the bottom shelf for nobody to see or care about.  Honestly, that's how I feel about Boo Berry at times.  He's my least favorite character and his flavor is usually the last one I go to.  But I really don't know why because, when I do pour myself some Boo, it's delicious and I ask myself why I don't have more.  Maybe it's part of the mysteriousness that comes along with being a ghost.  He's hard to find, isn't given a second thought, but strikes hard and fast when it's time to be noticed.  We'll go with that so we don't hurt his feelings, but at least he has an awesome box.  I love how the blue color pops off the box and it's 100x better than the modern General Mills version.

He's baaaaccckkk!  I have to thank General Mills for this box because, not only is it classic, but it's a quadrillion times better than the modern box.  If not for this retro return, I would have complained throughout my entire Frute Brute review because, really, he looks nothing like this on the 2013 box.  This is the way he's supposed to look!  Here, he actually looks like a wolf who's more into eating cereal than slicking his hair back for all the chicks at Arnold's (Happy Days, anyone?)

Yes! Fruity Yummy Mummy back in a retro box!!  This is awesome for so many reasons.  As I've mentioned in the past, I've always wanted to own the original monster cereal boxes, but they're way too expensive on Ebay.  The big three are reasonable for their age, but Yummy Mummy is the one I've wanted most and there was no way to justify spending over $100 on a cardboard box.  I would have had to get lucky or hope for a re-release.  Who woulda thought I'd get my wish and General Mills would re-release this unbelievable box?  Now, I finally have it and for only $2.50!  That's a steal, in my opinion, and it's only one reason why I'm happy to see this box back on shelves.  The other is the design itself.  I love everything about Yummy Mummy and this exact image is one that I modified for The Holidaze Halloween banner in 2012.  It's very cool to see him rise from the dead to make thousands of children and adults happy.  Some happier over cereal than they should be. *Raises hand*

This was the biggest story of Halloween and I'm extremely glad to see it executed by General Mills.  They truly did an amazing job on these boxes and marketed everything perfectly.  As a fan of the season and these cereal characters, I couldn't be happier with the results.

Of course, the thrill is in the hunt and that's over, so now I need to find something else to do with my free time.  I highly doubt that this will be the last time you see the Monster Cereals, because I have a few ideas in mind as we progress toward Halloween, but scouring store after store is done.  I'm just relieved that I actually found them.  There was so much hype attached to these cereals that I expected Ebayers to wipe Target out and sell them two-years from now.  That still may be the case, so make sure you get your boxes when you see them!!  We don't know if Yummy Mummy and Frute Brute will be back next year and, personally, I highly doubt the retro boxes will be released again, so let's enjoy this while it lasts!

Frute Brute is Back!

As I noted in the Fruity Yummy Mummy review, the legendary Monster Cereals have made their return to store shelves.  On that day, I luckily found Yummy Mummy just as Walgreens received their shipment, but Frute Brute was nowhere to be found and, since, all 5 monsters have alluded me.  I thought that marked the beginning of their return, but it was just a tease.  For as happy as I was to find Yummy Mummy, especially in such an awesome way, I was bummed by going another two-weeks before anything else appeared.  Now, finally, for the first time ever, Frute Brute is mine!

Much like Yummy Mummy, Frute Brute's flavor has been changed since the original last lived.  Also, like Michael Jordan returning with a new number after retirement, Frute Brute has had a name-change.  Once known as "Fruit Brute," the iconic werewolf has returned from what we thought was his extinction and is now cherry flavored.  Because the cereal was discontinued in 1984, three years before I was born, I can't tell you what the original flavor tasted like.  Similar to Fruity Yummy Mummy, the original was an overall fruit flavored cereal and, from what I read, it was extremely popular.  My love for these characters didn't come from their flavors, it was due to their appearance.  I absolutely loved the artistic style and personality applied to these guys and while Frute Brute doesn't look anything like his original incarnation, his reputation precedes him enough for me to overlook his appearance.  I'm willing to overlook the fact that he looks like wolverine.. and Elvis.. and Fonzi.. and John Travolta.  I'm also willing to overlook his snout, especially with the retro boxes on the horizon.

As soon as I opened the box, I was surprised by the smell.  The cherry flavor flies right out of the bag and tingles your neurons.  Yummy Mummy had a healthy scent, as if you were really sniffing oranges, but Frute Brute is sweet, sugary, and seductive.  Yes, I just compared a breakfast cereal to seduction.  That's how good this is.

As for the flavor, I liked this a lot more than Fruity Yummy Mummy.  See, Yummy Mummy is cool because it tastes unlike anything else I've ever had.  The orange flavor is so distinct that you know it's new, different, and unique.  Although Frute Brute isn't anything out of the ordinary, it still manages to separate itself from cereals like Trix and Froot Loops.  It definitely reigns in a league of its own and I thought it was delicious.  Between the two of them, it really comes down to what you're in the mood for on that day and time.  This is why I'm happy they changed the flavors from the original to their new varieties.  Instead of buying two boxes for exactly the same results, we now have two new tastes to dance on our buds as we progress through the Halloween season.  Can't ask for much more from General Mills.

For the first time ever, the legends are together!  I might have mentioned it before, but these two have never been available at the same time.  Years ago, Yummy Mummy screwed over and replaced Frute Brute to make them bitter rivals.  But now, like Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart, the hatchet has been buried and they've made amends to join forces, reunite with their Monster Cereal brethren, and make this Halloween one of, if not the, greatest of all-time!

But, the question remains, what would cereal taste like if we truly did "unite" Frute Brute and Yummy Mummy?  Only one way to find out..

Combining all 5 Monster Cereals has already been dubbed "The Monster Mash," but I don't think I'd like that.  Between the chocolate and four fruit flavors, it just sounds like a waste of highly sought after cereal.  But, bringing Frute Brute and Yummy Mummy together to somewhat recreate what these two might have tasted like in the 80s sounds like a great idea.  However, it needs a name.  Yummy Brute? Fruity Mummy? Classic Crunch? I don't know, I used up all my creativity on the Hi-C Horror Boxes (cheap plug.)  But I can at least tell you what if it's any good!

It's difficult to tell the difference between the two cereals because they both share the same red "ghosts."  But Frute Brute has more of a yellow ghost while Yummy Mummy has orange.  Even though you may not be able to tell them apart visually, you will definitely be able to taste it.  Throwing them both into a bowl was a wonderful idea because, now, I've created more of a "fruit" flavored cereal.  As you're chewing, your tongue goes from orange to cherry and back again all in seconds.  If there was ever an "orange cherry" cereal, this is it.  I doubt this is what the original tasted like, but it may be as close as I'll ever get.  It's worth doing yourself if you buy enough boxes to waste a bowl.  By waste, I mean love.

Next up, the Retro Boxes.  When?  I have no idea.  If Target has given me any indication, probably by Christmas.