Monster in My Pocket (2006 series)

Official logo in the UK and series 1

Releasing on 22nd July 2006 was the latest series of Monster in My Pocket, the 2006 relaunch series, or "2nd Generation." This new series featured 48 redesigned monsters, now produced as highly detailed figurines with full colour painted finishes, unlike the single colours of the original series. While the majority of the remade monsters were from Series 1, there were also quite a few from Series 2, Series 3, and the Super Scary lines. The figures dispensed the traditional points value scheme - they had no points value stamped onto them, although a total points value could be found on each monster's respective collectable Game Card. A secret bonus points value could be found on each figure by use of the decoder lights, which used a UV beam to illuminate invisible ink. This bonus value was for use in the card game. The monsters were now organised into 8 groups based on shared factors and characteristics. The series was created by MEG, and distributed in the UK and Ireland by Corinthian Plc, by MEG in Australia and New Zealand, and by DTC in Brazil. The distribution of the figures was no longer in any way random - all packaging variations were predetermined. There was also various playsets. In Australia, the series was split into Series 1 and Series 2, each comprising 24 monsters (Series 1 featured the first 4 groups, Series 2 the remaining four groups). In Brazil, the series was marketed as Galerias de Monstros, (translating to Monster Gallery or Gallery of Monsters). As well as four packs, the South African, Australian and Brazilian markets also featured single packets as blind bags.

The monsters were not numbered on the figures or on the collector's leaflets, they were only numbered on the game cards. The game cards reverse repeated the numbering in the format ###/230, indicating that a much larger range of monsters may have been originally planned. Although MEG had promised there to be "around 60" monsters after August, the line never went beyond 48 in the end. The art style this time was more rough and had a late 90s - early 2000s edginess to it, as a lot of the monsters have bold brash complimentary colours, spiky features and looked realistic for the most part, taking away from the cartoony simpler designs of the older lines. Most monsters were based on more modern designs but some had traditional interpretations (i.e despite usually being described as a colossal squid monster, Kraken was designed more closely to its description and likeness in Greek mythology.)

Although the line was advertised as a full set of 48 monsters, three; Phantom #42, Grim Watcher #36, and Ghost #37, were never released to UK or South American markets. They were only available in Australia and South Africa. Along with the July 2006 release, a confectionery line that would also contain another 36 monsters was going to be released in August 2006, but this never came to fruition. Unlike the UK markets, the exclusive figures were not sold in playsets outside the country, all the figures were sold in regular packs. Australia and Brazil also had some Series 1 packs contain a "surprise" monster hidden behind plastic.

The actual full list of items released in the relaunch was:

#48 Monsters
#49 Playing cards (one being a rule card)
#5 Decoder lights
#3 Action accessories
#1 Collectors leaflet (5 variations known)
#3 Playsets
#3 Prototype monsters (3 currently known, 2 that definitely exist)
#6 Prototype variants (of standard monsters)
#6 Prototype cards

Ghost, Phantom and Grim Watcher were not released in the UK and South America because MEG was going to make another product (likely another playset) that would contain the 3 figures but the product was cancelled as certain parts of the line (specifically this item) had problems with distribution. Brazil had a completely different marketing direction with the series, as only the first 24 monsters were sold there.

Confirmed countries that sold this relaunch included:

United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Brazil.

There is speculation that Canada, Argentina and Peru may have had versions too.

List of Monsters[]

In total, there were 34 figures from Series 1, 4 from both Series 2 and 3, 5 from the Super Scary line, and 1 from the 15 unreleased monsters in Series 3, all picked for the relaunch. The figures for the relaunch are as follows:

The Beasts[]

Monsters that are of the bog-standard category, usually being grotesque, powerful and hideously bogus, some having little to no human resemblance at all.

1. Cyclops
2. The Beast
3. Centaur
4. Ogre
5. Cerberus
6. Gremlin

The Humanoids[]

Monsters that have a very human origin, have a human-like appearance, or can switch between a human and monster form.

The Ancients[]

The Ancients 13-18

Monsters that are mostly based in ancient world mythology, stories and details of whom have been around for thousands of years.

13. Hydra
14. Tengu
15. Manticore
16. 6-Armed Sorceress (formerly Kali)
17. Haniver
18. Charon

The Winged[]

The Winged 19-24

Monsters that are of avian nature, having wings or being air based.

19. Griffin
20. Harpy
21. Roc
22. Winged Panther
23. Cockatrice
24. Catoblepas

The Maniacs[]

Monsters that have gained abilities over time or through other monsters, were outcasted from society, or those who have some human origin but have deranged physically/mentally into a monstrous body and mind.

25. Windigo (aka Wendigo)
26. Monkey Man (formerly Hanuman)
27. Vampiress (playset exclusive in the UK)
28. Mad Scientist
29. Squarefoot (aka Jimmy Squarefoot)
30. Mad Gasser (formerly Mad Gasser of Mattoon)

The Dead[]

The Dead 31-36

Monsters that have died, and their bodies have been reanimated. Some of these haven't died already but are of undead morality - being dead forever as they were never born in the first place.

31. Zombie (playset exclusive in the UK)
32. Mummy (playset exclusive in the UK)
33. Skeleton
34. Grim Reaper (playset exclusive in the UK)
35. Headless Man
36. Grim Watcher (formerly Grave Watcher, never released in the UK)

The Ghosts[]

The Ghosts 37-42

Monsters that are dead but exist in a spiritual form, monsters that were born as ghosts, or those that whose physical body doesn't walk this world anymore.

37. Ghost (never released in the UK)
38. Invisible Man
39. Siren
40. Poltergeist (playset exclusive in the UK)
41. Boogey Man
42. Phantom (never released in the UK)

The Sea Monsters[]

The Sea Monsters 43-48

Monsters that are aquatic and roam in the sea, or are water based.

Playsets and Accessories[]

Decoder Lights[]

The 2006 series had 5 different decoder lights that came bundled with the monsters. Like mentioned above, the decoder lights would use a UV beam to highlight hidden bonus points painted onto the monsters for the playing card game. The following lights were:

Haunted Mountain Playset[]

This playset is very reminiscent of the original Series 1 Monster Mountain display case. However, instead of having designated slots for each monster, this version was more of a playset to place monsters and play around with it. It's made in the style of a skull, with wooden doors that swing open. When battery powered, red lights and creepy sounds would play if someone would press the button on top. There is also a lever that collapses the stairs when pushed. This playset was the only package to include Vampiress and Poltergeist in the UK.

Skull Carry and Display Case[]

This playset was a very efficient portable way of storing monsters and displaying them. It came with Zombie in the UK with the snake decoder light, this particular decoder light was exclusive to this playset. It had 3 shelves with red LED lights that glowed like the haunted mountain playset, also made in the style of a skull. This playset also came with a bundle of 6 cards.

Monster Showdown[]

The monster showdown playset included the Grim Reaper and Mummy, with the eyeball decoder light, and also a bundle of 24 cards too. It has a thin plastic platform that has stands for the cards and monsters you would want to battle.

Australian and South African Accessories[]

The release of the series in other countries had different accessories. There was 3 "action accessories" that would sling and catapult monsters when placed on them.

Prototypes[]

Prototype pack containing the prototype Griffin and Haniver

Just like the 90s series of Monster in My Pocket, the 2006 line had a few prototypes. The most famous one is a 4-pack including Red Cap, Vampire, Haniver and Griffin, and a second pack with Cyclops, Ogre, Cerberus and Hobgoblin. In the former pack, the prototype version of Haniver and Griffin are inside. These versions are slightly different to the final, the difference being a slightly different paint job, plastic mould, and having no @MEG 2006 copyright printed anywhere on them. The prototype packs use a different art style, and packaging information. It's important to know these packs don't have a barcode printed on them, meaning they were never sold in a store, with the only known ones obtained by a Corinthian marketer selling them on Ebay.

On the promotional image for the 2006 line, an unidentified green and pink monster can be seen in the background. It has long thought to have been Swamp Beast or Hobgoblin, but the closest guess is to it have been a prototype version of Jimmy Squarefoot. To record, no other photos of this prototype figure have ever been found. Because it was only seen in the promotional image, it is likely this figure was purely exclusive to MEG.

The Cave (scrapped item - potentially never existed)[]

It is possible this item never existed at all because it was presumptuously made to fill space on the pack. The first ever "playset" made for the 2006 series actually dates back to the start with a scrapped item called "The Cave." The only known proof of this product is a display for it on the back of the prototype packs. According to the description, it was a dark display case big enough to fit one monster and it would use a UV light to reveal hidden bonus points, much like the decoder lights. If it was real, this item was most likely scrapped because it was replaced by the more practical and efficient use of smaller handheld decoder lights.

Prototype Cards[]

The prototype cards were, like the prototype figures, the earliest versions of the playing cards, 4 have been found to record, including Cyclops, Centaur, Cerberus and Bigfoot. The cards have no photographic backgrounds, the monster art is more zoomed in, and the biography is slightly different to the final, although they have some slight grammatical errors. These cards also use the prototype logo and Ogre art. All of these prototypes listed above appeared at the DTC toy fair in Brazil 2007.

Card Game[]

To connect with the kids of the newer generation, the cards that were included in the packs had a top-trumps style game tied into them. Each monster had an elemental alliance (fire, wind and earth) and 4 factors based around brains, strength, scariness and speed.

The "How To Play" card as its written:

All players start with the same number of cards. Each player may arrange their deck in any order. Once decided, you cannot change the order of your cards. A player can only challenge one other play at a time. Choose a player and issue a challenge. Hold your top card facing you, your chosen opponent does the same.

Round 1: The Elemental Challenge.

Call out the earth, wind or fire symbol that is your monster's elemental alliance. Now see who wins the elemental challenge. Wind beats fire, fire beats earth and earth beats wind. If both players have the same element, move these cards to the back of the deck and challenge the same player again with the new top card. The winner of the first round elemental challenge chooses which skill will be used in round 2.

Round 2: The Battle!

The player who won round 1 looks at their monster's skills and decides which skill to use in the battle: brains, strength, scariness or speed. Once the challenge is issued, both players place their cards back to back. When placed back to back, players will have an instant comparison to see who has won the challenge.

Special Bonus Power Points

If you have a monster figure that is the same as the card you are playing, you may use the monster's special bonus power points. Find the points hidden on your monster and add them to any challenge score for a power-up! If you win a challenge, place your card to the back of your deck to fight again. If you lose a challenge, discard that card. The winner of the game is the last player to lose all of their cards.

2006 Series Website[]

To promote the release of the series, MEG made a interactive flash website on their website in July 2006. It included a list of all the monsters, monster biographies, downloadable wallpapers, TV commercials and a where-to-buy page and contact page. Since Adobe Flash shut down in 2021, the website no longer works, however with the Wayback Machine website, versionss of it can still be seen. The domain expired in June 2017.

After the series[]

Through a press article released by MEG later after the series, it was revealed that the 2006 line was eventually going to be made available in the United States sometime around 2008, but this never happened (which was one of the major faults as to why the relaunch line wasn't as successful as the older lines.) The line was first released in the UK in 2006, and then overseas countries received it in the following year. The choice not to sell the relaunch series in the States was because the line had big problems with distribution, and MEG having chosen to work on their other properties at the time, specifically Puppy and Kitty in My Pocket. It was also going to be released in France in the same 2008 year but the series got held back for the same reasons.

Why the relaunch ended

Both distributors of the line have since been terminated for the reasons stated below.

MEG (UK) was dissolved on 6th September 2011. Their main US headquarters are still in operation but they are defunct in the UK.

Corinthian was dissolved on 12th October 2017.

In April 2011, the entire "in my pocket" line was discontinued by MEG and was taken off from store shelves, this was to do with poor marketing, customer consuming and distribution problems. In the summer of 2011, MEG stated on their website that they lost a large amount of delivered items to customers due to the heavy snowfall of winter 2010. Online ordered items made up a large part of Corinthians share hold which forced MEG to go under administration. Unfortunately the trade between MEG and Corinthian had to be executed which in turn terminated the "In My Pocket" lines as Corinthian was MEG's only distributor in Europe. Another reason was the generational divide of the 2000s which lead kids (mostly boys) to turn more to video games and action toys rather than mythical toys and collectible figurines. The line was not released in the United States which was the main factor to why the series fizzled. As of the time of writing, the 2006 series was the last line in the entire Monster in My Pocket series that was released by MEG as Corinthian now no longer owns the rights to the series. It is unlikely Monster in My Pocket will be revamped or continued.

Most recent information (2023)

In 2021, MEG made some announcements that hinted at a new animated show about Monster in My Pocket targeted at younger kids to be released by the end of 2022, however there has been no further planned release date. Also more, while not official, one of MEG's marketing directors has announced there to be a "complete relaunch" of the series planned for 2024, however some fans are not on board with this statement as MEG has claimed to bring back the series before but to no avail. There is more information to be supposedly released in the coming year.

External links[]

The Monster in My Pocket main official site (domain no longer active)
Toypedia article on relaunch series
https://youtu.be/q-k5Lj0Jwxk - TV advert for the relaunch
https://youtu.be/HEL5MEPeY5k - Website for the relaunch

Gallery[]

A display used in a shop (not commercially released)

Trivia[]

Quick Facts

Did you know:

The 2006 series was the last line in the Monster in My Pocket series since the time of writing (August 2022.)
There may have been 230 monsters originally planned for the series.
The icons for the monster groups and elements found on the cards are clipart from the internet.
On the prototype packs, Hobgoblin and Ogre had a more dark and gritty art style compared to the final art used for them.
A confectionery line with an additional 36 monsters and a TV series was originally planned to go alongside this series but no such products were released, because the confectionery company MEG had aligned with had gone into administration.
Leviathan (#48) has the highest stats of any of the monsters in the card game which is 225, while Bishopfish (#47) has the lowest stats with a score of 130.
The collector's leaflets that came in each pack had 5 variations (known). The UK leaflet listed all 48 monsters and used their artwork whereas the overseas countries split then into 2 leaflets each of 24 monsters, but used pictures of the actual figures instead of the artwork. Unlike the original 90s series, the 2006 leaflets were more based on monster groups rather than points or statistics.
While Kali was name changed to 6-Armed Sorceress to avoid controversy and religious up cry, her name was still listed as Kali on the back of the prototype packs. The Beast was also listed as Great Bea s t on the pack as well, causing some confusion as to whether the 2006 redesign of The Beast was supposed to be The Beast from Series 1, or the Great Beast from the same line. It is likely the latter however as the 2006 version never embraces the connection the Series 1 version had with Beauty and The Beast.
The Mad Scientist and Mad Gasser both had parts of their names dropped for this series. "Mad Scientist" was his nickname for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Mad Gassers full title was Mad Gasser of Mattoon. The 2006 line never mentions or references their full name or connection that the original lines embraced.
The official monster mountain artwork and the designs for all 48 monsters were drawn by Mike Butkus, a famous multimedia artist who has worked on over 3000 projects over his lifetime, mostly spanning film, video games, toys and media franchises.