Monster Cereals facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Count Chocula |
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A box of Count Chocula breakfast cereal
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| Chocolate-flavored corn cereal bits and marshmallows | |
| Mascot | Cartoon vampire |
| Introduced | 1971 |
| Availability | Still in production seasonally |
| Tagline | I want to eat your cereal! (1971–2010) |
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| General Mills – Count Chocula – Chocolatey Cereal with Monster Marshmallows, with milk | |
| Franken Berry | |
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A box of Franken Berry breakfast cereal
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| Strawberry-flavored corn cereal bits and marshmallows | |
| Mascot | Cartoon variant of Frankenstein's monster |
| Introduced | 1971 |
| Availability | Still in production seasonally |
| Boo Berry | |
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A box of Boo Berry breakfast cereal
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| Blueberry-flavored corn cereal bits and marshmallows | |
| Mascot | Blue cartoon ghost |
| Introduced | 1973 |
| Availability | Still in production seasonally |
| Fruit Brute | |
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| Frosted fruit-flavored cereal with lime-flavored marshmallows; Relaunch: Frosted cherry-flavored cereal with marshmallows |
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| Mascot | Cartoon werewolf |
| Introduced | 1974 |
| Availability | Discontinued (1982); Relaunch (2013); Discontinued (2014) Relaunch (2022) (In a box of four Monster Cereals) |
| Tagline | The Howling Good Taste of Fruit |
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| Fruit Brute cereal | |
| Fruity Yummy Mummy | |
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| Frosted fruit-flavored cereal with vanilla-flavored marshmallows Relaunch: Frosted orange-cream flavored cereal with marshmallows |
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| Mascot | Cartoon mummy |
| Introduced | Autumn 1988 |
| Availability | Discontinued (1992); Relaunch (2013); Discontinued (2014) |
| Tagline | Fruity Yummy Mummy makes your tummy go yummy! Heh, heh, heh! (1988–1990) |
The monster cereals are a fun line of breakfast cereals made by General Mills Corporation in North America. They started in 1971. Each cereal has a cartoon version of a classic movie monster. There are five main kinds: Count Chocula, Franken Berry, and Boo Berry. These three are usually sold around Halloween time. The other two, Fruit Brute and Fruity Yummy Mummy, were stopped for a while but sometimes come back for special events.
Contents
History of Monster Cereals
Early Days: The First Monsters
In March 1971, the first two monster cereals came out. These were the chocolate-flavored Count Chocula and the strawberry-flavored Franken Berry. In their TV commercials, Count Chocula and Franken Berry would playfully argue. They would debate which cereal tasted better. Often, another monster, like Boo Berry, would pop up and scare them!
A Colorful Discovery
In February 1972, something unusual happened with Franken Berry cereal. It contained a special color that could sometimes change the color of children's waste. This was called "Franken Berry Stool." Don't worry, the recipes for both Count Chocula and Franken Berry were quickly changed. They removed this color so it wouldn't happen again.
More Monsters Join the Fun
Boo Berry was the next monster cereal to arrive. It was the first cereal with a blueberry flavor. Boo Berry was released in December 1973. Then, Fruit Brute, a fruit-flavored cereal, came out in 1974.
Monster Cereal Changes Over Time
Fruit Brute was stopped by 1982. Later, in 1988, Fruity Yummy Mummy took its place. This cereal was also stopped in 1992. Even after it was discontinued, Fruit Brute cereal appeared in two movies by director Quentin Tarantino. These were Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs. It was a fun hidden detail for fans to spot.
New Monster Treats
In 2010, Betty Crocker made Franken Berry and Boo Berry Fruit Roll-Ups. Also, General Mills released Count Chocula cereal bars. These were new ways to enjoy the monster flavors!
Seasonal Spooky Fun
Since 2010, Count Chocula, Franken Berry, and Boo Berry cereals are mostly sold for a few months each year. You can usually find them in stores during the autumn and Halloween season. This makes them a special treat for that time of year!
Monster Cereal Comebacks
In August 2013, General Mills brought back all five monster cereals for Halloween. This was exciting because Fruit Brute had not been seen in 31 years! Fruity Yummy Mummy had been gone for 21 years. Both cereals got new packaging designs. Fruit Brute was even renamed Frute Brute. Special retro boxes with the original artwork were also sold at Target stores.
Artistic Cereal Boxes
In 2014, DC Comics helped General Mills create new designs for the cereal boxes. Famous comic artists drew the monsters. Jim Lee designed Boo Berry, Terry Dodson designed Count Chocula, and Dave Johnson designed Franken Berry. In 2021, the company celebrated the 50th anniversary of the monster cereals. They released a special mix cereal called Monster Mash. In August 2022, Frute Brute returned again. This time, the artwork on the box was done by the artist KAWS.
Prizes and Collectibles
Until the early 1980s, monster cereals were famous for their cool prizes. You could find these prizes inside the cereal boxes or get them by mail. Many different items were made. These included posters, stickers, paint sets, and even toy cars. In 1979, three special records called flexi-discs were available. They featured fun songs like "The Monsters Go Disco" and "Count Chocula Goes To Hollywood."
