The Universal Monsters, specifically Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolf Man, and the Mummy, have been part of the cultural fabric for nearly a century. And they are specifically ingrained in the iconography of Halloween. But these legendary monsters who once terrified millions of moviegoers have been tamed and kiddified over the decades. Some versions are downright adorable. But of these cute monsters, which ones are the best? We rank the most iconic versions of G-rated iterations of the Universal Monsters in popular culture.
Note: We only count characters designed to be riffs on the classic monsters from the get-go. So no Dracula as Mickey Mouse, or Bart Simpson as Frankenstein, or even the official Care Bears x Universal Monsters. Those are just famous cartoon characters in Halloween costumes in our book. Now, on to the actual ranking:
10. The Halloweentown Monsters from The Nightmare Before Christmas
The main characters of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas were all new creations, like Jack Skellington and Sally. But Jack’s home of Halloweentown was populated by several cute stop-motion versions of the classic Universal Monsters. We had the Wolf Man, the Mummy, and a vampire trio, short and squat versions of the Bela Lugosi Dracula. Ultimately, they are minor characters in the grand scheme of things. But they still sell a ton of merchandise, and appear in every Disney Parks Halloween parade.
9. Frankenstein Jr.
A very early “cutesy” version of Frankenstein was the 1966 cartoon show Frankenstein Jr. Although a reanimated corpse was too grotesque for the 6-11 age crowd, a Boris Karloff-esque design for Frankenstein served as the basis for this superhero robot. His show only lasted one season of 18 episodes, and “Franky” paved the way for almost everyone on this list. The show only lasted one season, and was a target of parents’ groups for being “too violent.” The opening credits narrator for Frankenstein Jr. and the Impossibles was Paul Frees, future voice of the “Ghost Host” on the Haunted Mansion attraction in the Disney theme parks.
8. The Mad Monster Party Monsters
Of all the entries on this ranking, Mad Monster Party is the only one that has the pedigree of one of the original Universal Monsters actors, Boris Karloff. This stop-motion animated film came out in 1967, and it is very Sixties. Karloff plays Baron Frankenstein instead of the monster, although his monster (as well as Dracula, the Wolf Man, and others) all come to his party on the Isle of Evil, where he announces his retirement as head of the Worldwide Organization of Monsters. Wackiness ensues, and groovy tunes are played. This movie was a direct inspiration for Tim Burton in coming up with The Nightmare Before Christmas.
7. Fangface
Animation studio Ruby-Spears tried to get their version of Scooby-Doo, with a group of mystery-solving teens on Saturday morning TV. But instead of a dog, their mascot was an actual Wolf Man. Teenage Sherman “Fangs” Fangworth would turn into a werewolf whenever he saw a full moon, even if just a photo of a full moon, and become the lovable Fangface. He was essentially a combination of Shaggy and Scooby, and his show lasted for two seasons from 1978 to 1979. To make the Scooby connection even more explicit, actor Frank Welker (Fred on Scooby-Doo) provided his voice. Fangface was never massively popular, but he feels due for a comeback.
6. Count Duckula
Millennial kids who grew up watching Nickelodeon’s British import cartoon Count Duckula in the early ‘90s. This undead fowl starred in a series that ran for 65 episodes, from 1988 until 1993. Count Duckula is more interested in carrots than blood, but his basic appearance drew inspiration from the Universal Monsters version of Dracula. Even though he’s essentially harmless, since it’s a kid’s show and all, his nemesis, Doctor Von Goosewing, is always giving him a hard time. Count Duckula also starred in comic books and was the premiere ’90s television family-friendly version of Dracula.
5. The Drak Pack
A decade after Groovie Goolies, Hanna-Barbera did their own kid-friendly versions of the classic monsters, only now as teenage superheroes. The descendants of the monsters, Drak Jr., Frankie, and Howler, united to make up for their ancestors’ evil deeds by fighting crime. Although, the original Count Dracula would appear at times, using the nickname “Big D.” (It was a more innocent time, kids). Running on ABC, they only lasted one season in 1980, but one can make a case that there’s a direct line from dreamy Drak Jr. to Angel on Buffy and Edward Cullen of Twilight. The complete series is available on Blu-ray.
4. The Groovie Goolies
In the early ’70s, Filmation decided to cash in on Scooby-Doo mania and created their own Saturday morning monsters, the Groovie Goolies. Living in a castle named Horrible Hall, our main characters are Drac, Frankie, and Wolfie, who is a hippie version of the Wolf Man. Together, they form a groovy rock band, The Monster Trio, with each episode featuring at least one of their songs. Sometimes, Archie characters like Sabrina the Teenage Witch would pop up, too. The show lasted two seasons, but was played in syndication for years. It’s a true artifact of its era, but it was another big step in making the monsters cuddly.
3. The Hotel Transylvania Monsters
In the 21st century, Gen Z’s version of the Universal Monsters has been the characters in Genndy Tartakovsky’s Hotel Transylvania franchise, beginning with 2012’s animated blockbuster starring Adam Sandler as Dracula. In this series of films, Drac owns a hotel that serves as a refuge for all sorts of monsters. But the main ones are (you guessed it) Frankenstein (Kevin James), the Wayne the werewolf (Steve Buscemi), and Murray the Mummy (CeeLo Green). The movie led to three sequels and a TV series, with another in the works. Sony Animation is behind this franchise, and you can’t help but wonder if Universal feels robbed. But for a whole generation of folks, these are the only versions of the classic monsters they know.
2. Count von Count
Bela Lugosi’s impact on the character created by Bram Stoker is immeasurable. Almost a century later, he’s still the template for a million impersonations and parodies. One of the longest-lasting of and most famous is Sesame Street’s Count von Count. He has been teaching children about math on public television in a thick, over-the-top Romanian accent since 1972. (Something was in the water in the early ‘70s with all these adorable Draculas). Two performers have performed the purple undead Muppet, Jerry Nelson and Mott Vogel. And he’s still going strong, making him one of the longest-lasting cute and kid-friendly vampires in popular culture.
1. Count Chocula, Franken Berry, and the Monster Cereal Mascots
Ever since 1971, the most ubiquitous family-friendly versions of the Universal Monsters are General Mills’ Monster Cereals mascots, led by Count Chocula and Franken Berry. These delicious versions of the timeless terrors also include Fruit Brute and Yummy Mummy, although Boo Berry doesn’t have a direct Universal inspiration. They’ve been making breakfast spooky and fun for over fifty years, and in 2025, they’ve even become Muppets. Although the Monster Cereals are now just seasonal offerings during spooky season, they still come back every year, and sell all kinds of merch. Others on this list have come and gone, but these guys are perennial.
The post The 10 Best Kid Friendly Versions of the Universal Monsters appeared first on Nerdist.
Source: Kiat Media
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