Universal Classic Monsters (also known as Universal Monsters and Universal Studios Monsters) is a media franchise based on a series of horror films primarily produced by Universal Pictures from the 1930s to the 1950s.

While the early films such as Dracula (1931) were created as a stand-alone films based on known novels, their success led to Frankenstein. The film was made with plans to have its characters potentially reappearing in sequels. Universal would create more horror film characters such as The Wolf Man in the next two decades. The studio made their first transmedia property in the 1940s and 1950s with the films Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943), House of Frankenstein (1944) and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, which united several characters together.

Following screenings of the films on television in the 1950s, several household products and toys were made based on the likeness of the Universal characters likeness, starting in the 1960s. Louis Feola was tasked in the early 1990s by Universal to make the series of Universal films "look like a line".^[1] Between 1991 and 1995, Universal released home video VHS editions of many of its horror films. This was the first time the characters were packed together as the "Classic Monster" line, with the addition of a newly designed logo. The home video release was followed by the release of Stephen Sommers' The Mummy (1999) and other films featuring various monster characters, such as Van Helsing (2004).

Steve Jones of USA Today described Universal's most famous monsters as "pop culture icons", specifically Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy, and the Wolf Man.^[2]

Universal's early horror films began with known adapting work from familiar authors and texts to give their films a prestige appeal. These included Dracula (1931), whose success led to the production of other works such as Frankenstein.^[3][4] Frankenstein's ending was changed by studio head Carl Laemmle Jr., who wanted Universal to be able deploy key characters from Frankenstein into subsequent films.^[4] Following the release of other Universal films like The Mummy and Bride of Frankenstein (1935), few horror films were released in the next few following years.^[5][6][7][8] Universal only returned to horror film production following a successful re-release of Dracula and Frankenstein which led to the release of Son of Frankenstein (1939).^{[5][6][7] [7][8]}

Universal would only introduce a few new monsters in the 1940s, with the most famous being Lon Chaney Jr. as The Wolf Man.^[9] The decade had Universal's horror output include many remakes and sequels to films often directly reused or recombined old sets, scenes and even footage and narratives to replicate certain moments in older horror films.^[10] Universal Studios's first transmedia property was from the 1940s and 1950s with the films Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943), House of Frankenstein (1944) and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.^[11] In these films, the monsters from the studio's earlier films "team up" against various characters. Author Megan De Bruin-Molé suggested that the Universal Classic Monsters film exists as a loose mash-up, which allowed for Dracula to exist and be watched separately from Frankenstein but allowed their characters to be systemically and consistently brought together and developed in other films and media.^[12]

The Universal productions made were often crossovers and sequels, such as Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943), House of Frankenstein and several occurrences in comedy films of Abbott and Costello meeting the monster starting with Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1945) and ending with Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955).^[12][13] De Bruin-Molé wrote that Universal's approach to combining the films was made for commercial marketing terms, as having all the monsters would establish the company as the "real" home of horror and that their films contain a world where potentially all monsters may dwell.^[14] The sole new monster movies Universal produced in the 1950s were the Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) and The Mummy (1959) which was co-produced with the British Hammer Film Productions.^[15]

Towards the 1960s the Universal monsters grew beyond film and became more consistent transmedial. Initially, this was in 1957 when Universal struck a ten-year television deal with Screen Gems to distribute 52 of their own titles.^[15] These television screenings and the films being included on Mel Jass' Mel's Matinee Movie (1958-1979) would also prove to be popular, with the director Stephen Sommers, director of The Mummy (1999) stating that his introduction to the series was owed as much to screening's on Jass's program as it was the film's directors.^[16] Universal became part of Music Corporation of America (MCA) in 1962. By 1964, Universal Studios tours would eventually include appearances from Frankenstein's monster.^[17] Several products based on the characters from Universal's film series were released, ranging rom plastic model kits, Halloween masks, figures, plush dolls, toys, drinking lasses, coloring books and postage stamps. While some of these objects bare similarity to the actors who portray them, others are more generic interpretations.^[18] Other mediums featured the Universal monsters in tandem such as Bobby "Boris" Pickett's 1962 popular song "Monster Mash" and the television series The Munsters (1964) was based on the Universal characters and likeness.^[17]

In 1990, Universal was part of a merger between Matsushita, now known as Panasonic, and several other corporations. Between 1991 and 1995 Universal released home video VHS editions of many of its horror films, and was the first time these films were packed together as "Classic Monster" line with a newly designed logo.^[17] Before this, these films featuring multiple monsters were called "Super-Shocker[s]" or later "monster rallies"^[19] Louis Feola was the head of Worldwide Home Video for Universal Studios and said in 1999 that "a couple of years ago" he decided to "reinvigorate and re-market" Universal's Classic Monsters catalog which included the series Dracula, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, The Phantom of the Opera, The Wolf Man, and The Mummy.^[20] In 1992, in an interview with Billboard, Feola stated that to market and sell home video, the most important thing was the packaging of their sales which was "probably our single biggest priority and has been for a number of years", and that it was key to make the series of films "look like a line".^[1]

The 1990s also saw a trend in the merchandising of Universal Monsters material as part of a trend for the decade of recycling and reinventing old material from the past.^[17] This led to the release of Sommer's The Mummy (1999) and a "monster rally"-styled film with Van Helsing (2004).^[21] Merchandizing of the characters in formats such as clothing and board games has continued into the 21st century.^[22][23] The franchise will be featured in the Dark Universe portion of Universal's upcoming Orlando theme park, Epic Universe.^[24]

The columns show the subsequent home video releases.