Monster cereals

Count Chocula

A box of Count Chocula breakfast cereal
chocolate-flavored corn
cereal bits and marshmallows
Mascot: Cartoon vampire;
The name is a pun
on the vampire
Count Dracula
Voiced by Larry Kenney impersonating Bela Lugosi
Introduced: 1971
Availability: Still in production seasonally
Tagline: I want to eat your cereal!
(1971–2010)
Notes: [1]
Bowl of Count Chocula
Franken Berry

A box of Franken Berry breakfast cereal
strawberry-flavored corn
cereal bits and marshmallows
Mascot: Cartoon variant of Frankenstein's monster
Voiced by Bob McFadden impersonating Boris Karloff
Introduced: 1971
Availability: Still in production seasonally
Notes: [2]
Boo-Berry

A box of Boo-Berry breakfast cereal
blueberry-flavored corn
cereal bits and marshmallows
Mascot: Blue cartoon ghost
Voiced by Paul Frees impersonating Peter Lorre
Introduced: 1973
Availability: Still in production seasonally
Fruit Brute

A box of Fruit Brute breakfast cereal
Frosted fruit-flavored cereal
with lime-flavored marshmallows;
Relaunch: Frosted cherry-flavored cereal
with marshmallows
Mascot: Cartoon werewolf
Introduced: 1974
Availability: Discontinued (1982);
Relaunch (2013);
Discontinued (2014)
Notes: [3]
Fruit Brute cereal
Fruity Yummy Mummy

A box of Fruity Yummy Mummy breakfast cereal
Frosted fruit-flavored cereal
with vanilla-flavored marshmallows
Relaunch: Frosted orange-cream flavored cereal with marshmallows
Mascot: Cartoon Mummy
Introduced: 1987
Availability: Discontinued (1992);
Relaunch (2013);
Discontinued (2014)
Tagline: Fruity Yummy Mummy
makes your tummy
go yummy!
Heh, heh, heh!
(1988–1990)

General Mills Corporation's monster-themed breakfast cereals, collectively called the monster cereals, are five current, and formerly distributed, breakfast cereal brands in North America. The series includes Count Chocula, Franken Berry and Boo-Berry, in addition to the long-discontinued, but temporarily resurrected, Fruit Brute and Fruity Yummy Mummy.[4]

History

In 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 Chocula and Franken Berry, would engage in comic bickering over which cereal was better than the other when something or someone else interfered in their verbal sparring and scares 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."[5][6][7] Boo-Berry, reputedly the first blueberry-flavored cereal,[8] was released on December 1973, and Fruit Brute in 1974. Fruit Brute was discontinued by 1982 and replaced in 1987 by Fruity Yummy Mummy, which also had a short life as it was discontinued in 1992.[9]

In 2010, Betty Crocker released Franken Berry and Boo-Berry Fruit Roll-Ups.[10] General Mills released Count Chocula cereal bars.[11]

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.[12][13] As of late 2010, information such as nutrition data and historical factoids can still be found on the official General Mills website at all times of the year.[8]

In August 2013, General Mills released all five monster cereals for purchase during the Halloween season. Both Fruit Brute, which was being released for the first time in 31 years and Fruity Yummy Mummy, which was being released for the first time in 21 years, would also receive updated packaging like the other cereals. Additionally, it was revealed on I-Mockery that special retro edition boxes of all five cereals with their original packaging art would be sold exclusively at Target stores.[14]

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.[15]

Prizes

During the initial decade of production until 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, paint sets, speedster cars, parachutes, and even vinyl advertising figures were produced.[16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "TV ACRES: Advertising Mascots - Count Chocula". Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  2. ↑ "TV ACRES: Advertising Mascots - Frankenberry". Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  3. ↑ "TV ACRES: Advertising Mascots - Fruit Brute". Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  4. ↑ Ettinger, Jared. "General Mills Resurrecting Fruit Brute, Yummy Mummy This Halloween".
  5. ↑ Payne, JV. 1972. Benign red pigmentation of stool resulting from food coloring in a new breakfast cereal (the Franken Berry stool). Pediatrics. 49(2):293–4.
  6. ↑ Enid Gilbert-Barness; Diane E. Debich-Spicer (2005). Handbook of pediatric autopsy pathology. Humana Press. p. 288. ISBN 978-1-59259-673-7. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  7. ↑ Niemietz, Brian (October 31, 2009). "It's berry scary: This monster mash pretty yummy". New York Post.
  8. 1 2 "General Mills—Monsters". Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  9. ↑ Morioka, Lynne (Aug 20, 2013). "The return of two General Mills monsters". Retrieved March 26, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Franken and Boo Berry Fruit Roll-Ups!". X-Entertainment.com. October 8, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Count Chocula Treats 6 Cereal Bars (4 Pack) 24 Bars Total". Amazon.com. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
  12. ↑ General Mills representative Kendall J. Powell at General Mills Inc. 1370 Orchard Road Montgomery, IL on June 15, 2011
  13. ↑ "Hello Franken Berry, it’s nice to see you again.". Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  14. ↑ Barr, Roger (2013-12-19). "Fruit Brute And Fruity Yummy Mummy Are Back! Plus, All Five Monster Cereals Are Getting Retro Packaging!". I-Mockery. Retrieved 2013-08-20.
  15. ↑ Sunu, Steve (August 6, 2014). "Jim Lee, Dave Johnson, Terry & Rachel Dodson Redesign General Mills' Monster Cereals". Comic Book Resources.
  16. ↑ Jones, Jonathon (2016-10-15). Monster Cereal Box Premiums - The 1970’s: A Groovy Decade of Crunchy-Sweet Fun (2 ed.). Jonathon Jones.
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