Doctor Dreadful has been kicking around for the better part of a quarter century at this point – encouraging kids to experiment with all things gross & gooey. When he first hit the scene in the early 90s, he looked and sounded suspiciously like actor John Kassir (Tales From The Crypt) as he touted his line of terrifying toys produced by the late TYCO. After changing hands a few times over the years, Doctor Dreadful’s wares eventually made their way to Spin Master, who’s been producing them for a few years now, most recently revamping them with some disgustingly-delightful new packaging and branding – perfect for capturing the imagination of children. Released just in-time for Halloween, the refreshed assortment of Doctor Dreadful ZOMBIES toys have just hit shelves, and the folks at Spin Master sent us the Zombie Lab, Snot Shots and Parasite Lab kits to go hands-on with my budding “Mad Scientists” here at Rock Father HQ! What kind of eerie edibles could we create?
As you can see pictured above, all three of these sets can be displayed or played together thanks to interlocking “gears” that they stand on. The Snot Shots set is essentially a plastic syringe that comes with attachments for making “snot” (from a nose) or “ear wax” that emerges from an ear. Of the two, the chocolate ear wax was probably the tastiest.
The Parasite Lab features two molds that can be injected with solution that when refrigerated becomes “gummy.” In terms of what was actually eaten by our girls, this was the biggest hit, though we did find that sometimes the process would be messy. In cranking the top to cause the injection, sometimes some of the goo would leak from the base, but the kids still thought it was fun.
At the centerpiece of the collection, the Zombie Lab is a multi-purpose tool of culinary creeps, with drinkable Zombie Barf and Zombie Brains accompanying the edible Zombie Skin and Slimy Bugs.
Overall, the Doctor Dreadful ZOMBIES collection is messy fun that kids will love, though neither kids nor grownups found the created food and drink to be particularly appealing. That’s not to say that your kids won’t gobble it right up, as tastes will vary.
With refill packets available, the fun can be extended, and as we’ve already discovered here at our house, the kids will ask to play with these on a frequent basis. The only thing you need to supply is water, and some rags for clean-up.
Available now at major retailers everywhere!
