by: -RoG-

Back in October 2016, 7-Eleven released a fantastic jack-o-lantern shaped Halloween Slurpee cup. That photo I snapped of it is still one of my favorite photos from last year, but it got me to thinking about the Slurpee cups of old. You see, before Slurpees were made available in sizes that rival aquariums, 7-Eleven originally produced very modest 8oz cups for them back in the seventies. However, to help get customers excited about their frozen treats, they started creating illustrated keepsake cups featuring their favorite characters from comic books, bands, sports, video games, cartoons, and more.

Well, from 1976 to 1977, horror fans finally got some Slurpee cups made just for them. 7-Eleven's Monster Slurpee cups!

So, why am I showing you this screenshot from The Gauntlet film? It's because I've searched high and low for any kind of promotional materials for the classic 7-Eleven Monster Slurpee cups, and I've yet to find anything. The only promo I've ever been able to find, was this sliver a sign, promoting the Monster Slurpee cups for a few seconds near the 33-minute mark in the movie. I had to get a copy of the movie just to capture this screenshot, and while the entire sign isn't visible, it still feels like a small victory. Gotta appreciate the little things, right?

Now then, while the promotions for these old 7-Eleven cups may be lost to time, the cups themselves are not. The cups were made of thin plastic, but still sturdy enough for people to collect them back in the day. 7-Eleven produced 20 Monster Slurpee cups, and while getting a full set isn't easy, I've managed to collect ALL of them. You know I live for sharing this kind of stuff with you, so let's dive right in to something far more terrifying than getting a brain freeze - Monster Slurpee Cups!

GHOST RIDERS

As you can see, the monsters on these cups weren't always the standard ones you'd expect to see, and that's what I absolutely love about them. Many of the monsters were obscure and/or generic - ie: much cheaper than having to pay hefty fees to license the Universal Monsters.

The Ghost Riders cup is a perfect example of this, and easily one of my favorite cups in the entire set. With fantastic hand-illustrated skeleton cowboys riding through the desert on their bony horses, what's not to love?

Now, on the back of all of the cups, there were blurbs about the featured monsters, providing some background on their folklore, so I'm also gonna transcribe what each cup has to say about 'em. After all, who doesn't want to learn about the history of monsters while guzzling down a cool Slurpee?

Here's the description from the back of the Ghost Riders cup:

"Red Barrett and his outlaw gang hold a unique place in history of the old west. The Cheyenne call them 'Tla-woo-se-nah'... the phantom wind. Following a stagecoach holdup, the outlaws came upon a Cheyenne medicine man, left to die in the desert. Rather than help the dying Indian, Red and his gang ignored his cries and rode on.

With his dying breath, the medicine man put a curse on the outlaws... they would ride the empty prairies of the west for all eternity. They would become THE GHOST RIDERS."

I have some questions about this tale - mainly, what actually turned the outlaws into ghosts? The description doesn't say that the curse killed them, just that it doomed their souls to roam the prairies forever.

DRAGON

And here we have Dragon. Sure, it looks more like Barney the dinosaur's angry, purple cousin attacking that lone, brave medieval knight, rather than the kind of Dragon we've seen Daenerys flying around on in Game of Thrones. That said, I love that the artist went with an elongated, forked tongue dragon, rather than depicting a fire-breathing one.

Here's the description from the back of the cup:

"Legendary history abounds with tales of all manner of fearsome dragons. These diabolical monsters have been said to wreak havoc on entire villages, devouring young maidens and laying waste to the land with their fiery breath. In battle, the reared their ugly heads, their small venomous eyes missing nothing, over the expanse of their hideously scaled serpentine bodies. St. George, the most famous dragon-fighter, defended a fair damsel against the onslaught of this taloned creature and thereby gave history its romantic legends of knights rescuing lovely ladies from horrible dragons."

BIGFOOT

Bigfoot appears to be startling this indigenous fellow warming his hands by the campfire, but judging by the smiling look on his face and his outstretched arms, I think our Sasquatch friend here just wants a hug. Either way, it's nice to see cryptids were included in the Monster Slurpee cups set.

Here's the description from the back of the cup:

"Known as Sasquatch to the Indian tribes of the Pacific Northwest, Big Foot has become an intriguing legend. This almost human, hairy beast has been seen walking erect, leaving imprints of a massive foot 17" long, 9" wide with 4"claws. Measurement of his 41" stride suggests a height of over 7' and a weight exceeding 400lbs. 37 sighting in 1969 prompted the American Yeti expedition which captured him on film. Scientists confirm that Big Foot is neither bear nor ape, and is possibly a sub-human species, such as Java Man, who traveled across the land bridge between Alaska and Siberia and became isolated in the wilderness."

ROC

Behold, the mighty ROC! I know, it almost looks like it says "Rog", and perhaps my ancient ancestor is a giant pterodactyl-like creature, with an appetite for human flesh, but I assure you, the name is ROC.

Here's the description from the back of the cup:

"A full twenty feet from wingtip to wingtip, ROC's shrill cry struck terror into the hearts of men. Its scaly head ending in a tooth beak, its huge feet tipped with razor-sharp claws, ROC blotted out the sun when it flew.

Whole villages were wiped out to feed its ravenous appetite, as it carried its victims away to its mountain nest.

Even the great strength of Ulysses was not enough to vanquish ROC. They battled to a bloody draw, each retreating before a mortal blow could be struck. Legend has it that ROC still inhabits craggy peaks above the rocky islands off the coast of Greece."

Odd they never mention that last bit on any of the Greece tourism guides, eh?

GIANT SQUID

This Giant Squid cup is another one of my favorites, if for no other reason than it begs some big questions. For starters, why are these two sailors out in the middle of the ocean in a tiny rowboat? Did the squid already destroy their ship? And how come they don't have any oars for said rowboat? Lastly, I was unaware that rowboats come standard equipped with axes.

Here's the description from the back of the cup:

"From the whaling days of the nineteenth century, there comes a tale of a monster that lurks beneath the waves... the briny horror known as THE GIANT SQUID.

Over two-hundred feet long, it spends most of its time in the deepest waters of the Atlantic. But from time to time, its quest of the whale brought it up into shallower waters and into contact with wooden whaling ships. The harpoons of the whalers were no match for THE GIANT SQUID's long tentacles and incredible strength. It could break up the big ships like toys, and the fate of the sailors was too horrible to describe."

WEREWOLF

Always loved the illustration on this Werewolf cup. A fearsome werewolf, with glowing yellow eyes, stalking its terrified human prey during a full moon. Rather than clawing away at him, the werewolf is giving a big thumbs up. Perhaps the victim asked, "Are you gonna eat me!?" to which ol' wolfy responded with the thumbs up. Either way, I approve.

Here's the description from the back of the cup:

"The gruesome legends surrounding werewolves were conjured up by the superstitious minds of the Middle Ages. At full moon, the unwilling victim of this curse would grow long, curving fangs and hair on his face and hands. His mind, overwhelmed by the primitive and vicious nature of the wolf, would force his tortured half-man half-animal body to slink through the night in search of human prey to devour. In less civilized times, men were tried and hung for being werewolves, and the only known method of destroying this ravaging beast was a silver bullet."

YETI

I know Bigfoot is more popular, but I've always been more interested in the legend of the Abominable Snowman / Yeti. It's probably because I loved the Wampa monster from Star Wars when I was a kid, and they're practically the same in my mind. Regardless, the Yeti is another folklore legend that's totally befitting this set of Monster Slurpee cups.

Here's the description from the back of the cup:

"High in the Himalayas, the rare Yeti is said to co-exist peacefully with the Sherpas, a native tribe. The first discovery of Yeti tracks in 1887 was the forerunner of many sightings which prompted expeditions to this region. The Yeti, a massive humanoid creature, walks upright and shuns the company of man. Monasteries in the Himalayas have ancient Yeti scalps. Analysis of the hair and tissue proves that they belong to no known animal and seems to confirm Yetis' existence. This vast area is uninhabited and inaccessible, which is one reason that the nomadic, mysterious Yeti has existed primarily as a legend of the Himalayas."

GOLEM

Just remove the wrinkles and add a few bolts to its neck, and the Golem almost resembles Frankenstein's Monster. Judging by the illustration, not even the town police are willing to face off against this giant creature, stalking them in the night.

Here's the description from the back of the cup:

"In the Black Forest of Southern Germany, they still speak in hushed tones of a huge monster whose man-like body was made from clay.

THE GOLEM. Living deep in the impenetrable Black Forest, THE GOLEM ventured forth only to satisfy its hunger. Usually gorging itself on local livestock, it was reported to have killed several men during its reign to terror. The monster disappeared mysteriously several hundred years ago, but even now, few who know the story of THE GOLEM are willing to venture into the Black Forest alone after dark."

I'm sure they meant to say "reign of terror" rather than "reign to terror", but strict adherence to the rules of grammar isn't one of the things these classic Slurpee cups were ever known for.

VAMPIRE

Now here's a monster I'm sure everybody expected to see. The Vampire isn't referred to by name, but with that cape and widows peak hair, we all know exactly who its supposed to be. And judging by the illustration, he's about to feast on that woman in her slumber.

Here's the description from the back of the cup:

"Vampires were said to exist in Europe in the Dark Ages. As a result of the threat of excommunication, the people believed that the bodies of these souls who had strayed from the church would not decompose after burial. There were incidences where graves revealed fresh corpses covered with blood which gave credence to the legend of Vampires as undead souls who wandered in the night preying upon the living for their blood. The only means of destroying these horribly fanged creatures was by exposure to the dawn, brandishing a crucifix, or pounding a wooden stake through their hearts."

CYCLOPS

Having watched the Voyage of Sinbad when I was younger, I loved the Cyclops monster created by Ray Harryhausen. His stop-motion work made all the monsters of legend come to life like no other filmmaker was capable of doing at the time. This depiction of the giant Cyclops attacking Greek soldiers inside a large cave is right on the mark for this legendary monster.

Here's the description from the back of the cup:

"These gargantuan creatures with their one wicked eye had various roles in Greek mythology. Best known was Polyphemus, who trapped Ulysses and his crew inside his cave planning to devour them at his leisure. Ulysses outwitted this terrible giant by contriving to put out his one ugly eye with a sharpened stake. Then he and his men clung to the undersides of the Cyclops' sheep as the giant rolled away the huge rock from the mouth of the cave to let his flock out to pasture."

HYDRA

Here we have the Hydra cup. As you can see, it has multiple heads and is engaged in a deadly battle with Hercules for another fun monster cup illustration.

Here's the description from the back of the cup:

"According to Greek Mythology, the Hydra was a fearsome, hideously scaled monster whose nine vicious, serpentine heads would, when severed, produce two in place of one. Hercules, the lusty, Greek warrior, was given the task of destroying the Hydra, and because it was believed to be immortal, the trial of strength and cunning proved to be awesome. Hercules prevented two terrible heads from replacing the one he had hacked off by cauterizing the gaping wound and burying the head beneath a large boulder."

MINOTAUR

While the Golden Fleece is nowhere in sight, I love that this Minotaur cup shows the bones of the many victims that it presumably devoured after defeating them in battle. And by the looks of things, he's about to have another meal shortly.

Here's the description from the back of the cup:

"On the island of Crete, in the Aegean Sea, there lived a monster half-human and half-bull renowned in legend as the fiercest of adversaries. THE MINOTAUR.

For centuries, adventurers attempted to steal the Golden Fleece from THE MINOTAUR's labyrinth, but its strength was too great for them. Even Jason, who eventually captured the Golden Fleece, was unable to kill THE MINOTAUR.

Even now, according to legend, THE MINOTAUR stands guard at the entrance to the labyrinth, gazing at the sunbleached bones of those who challenged its lair."

ZOMBIE

Zombie! I love seeing early depictions of zombies before they were all the rage and infecting every nook & cranny of pop culture. With shredded clothes and glowing red eyes, this zombie is lumbering from its graveyard towards some terrified men who clearly don't want to walk amongst the dead.

Here's the description from the back of the cup:

"Soon after the sun settles beneath the horizon, a strange scraping noise emanates from the musty mausoleum. It's THE ZOMBIE.

Cursed to wander eternally in the nether regions between life and death, THE ZOMBIE knows no rest. Night after night, he stalks the shadows, doing his ghastly work before the sun's rays force him back to the crypt. One touch of the ZOMBIE's clammy, decomposed hand and his victim's fate is sealed. He too becomes a ZOMBIE and takes his place among the living dead for all eternity."

So these zombies only had to touch a living person to turn them into one? Man... The Walking Dead would've ended loooong ago if they had these kind o' zombies on the show!

THE CAVE THING

Of all the cups in this set, The Cave Thing feels like the most made-up one. This big, blobby creature just hangs out waiting for lone fools to wander into their caves so it can presumably devour them? Hey, you know what? It works for me.

Here's the description from the back of the cup:

"Deep in the bowels of the earth, is a creature so horrible, none who have seen it can describe it. THE CAVE THING.

Hideously formed in the deep prehistoric caverns, it subsists on the rotting flesh of its victims. Explorers venturing deep in caverns and abandoned mines have seen THE CAVE THING, but few have escaped with their lives. Those who do survive are unable to speak their experience. Its mystery is a well-kept secret, as dark as the eternal blackness of the deepest caverns."

Yeah, with an ambiguous description like that, I'm 100% certain The Cave Thing is something 7-Eleven made up at the time.

TROLL

Ah yes, a classic bridge Troll. At least, that's how I interpreted it after first seeing this illustration. Then again, I assumed most bridge Trolls would stand on their bridges, rather than under them. Much easier to collect tolls that way.

Here's the description from the back of the cup:

"Years ago, the life of Dr. Amos Beardsley, a respected chemistry professor, was changed to misery and shame. The force of one careless chemical combination shot the good doctor through his roof, landing him beneath a rotting, insect-infested bridge, turning him into the hideous TROLL.

So intense is his bitterness, that the TROLL lets neither man nor beast pass over the bridge unterrorized. With an inhuman howl, he raises his hideous head, the sight alone causing instant death by shock to all unfortunate souls who traverse the rotting bridge of the man-turned-troll."

Wow. Instant death upon seeing him? Who knew bridge trolls were worse than Medusa?

LOCH NESS MONSTER

Aye, the legendary Loch Ness Monster is Scotland's favorite cryptid! While we've all seen the classic, silhouette of its head poking out of the water, I love this giant, dragon-like depiction of Nessie on the Slurpee cup. The kilted Scotsman jumping out of his rowboat is a nice touch as well.

Here's the description from the back of the cup:

"It is certain that there is a creature hitherto unknown to modern science lurking in the depths of Loch Ness. The first reliable account was recorded in AD 565 and many more sightings have occurred over the centuries. Investigators have recorded the presence of this huge beast on film and by sonar, and confirm the existence of a forty foot long marine creature with a serpentine tail and neck crowned by a small head. Unfortunately, mystery still surrounds the Loch Ness Monster because the great depth and murkiness of the Loch and the dark underwater caves prevent detailed research."

MUMMY

With some of its gauze wrappings dangling from its arms and body, the Mummy illustration is spot-on. You've probably noticed that a common theme on some of these cups are frightened victims running towards the foreground. Then again, what else are people supposed to do when being chased down by monsters? Run towards them? Not a good idea.

Here's the description from the back of the cup:

"The archaeological explorations of Egyptian tombs in the early 1900's revealed ancient mummified bodies of the nobility wrapped in cloth and herbs to preserve them for life after death. These tombs were carefully sealed and disguised in the heart of the pyramids, and to further insure that they remained undisturbed, curses upon those who dared to plunder their treasure were inscribed across the seals. The restless souls of mummies not granted passage into the hereafter, because their tombs had been violated, were doomed to be revived by the tana leaf and roam the earth, wreaking vengeance on their tormentors."

SWAMP CREATURE

The Swamp Creature was clearly a way for 7-Eleven to make something like the Creature from the Black Lagoon without having to pay the licensing fees for it. While the Gillman is my favorite Universal Monster, I'm still digging the art for this Swamp Creature and the story behind it. I just hope Swamp Thing doesn't mind sharing his swamp with it.

Here's the description from the back of the cup:

"From the uncharted regions of the Great Dismal Swamp, there emerges a creature unlike anything ever seen on earth... THE SWAMP CREATURE. Lurking beneath the murky waters, cooling its scaly body with mud, it stalks unwary animals who venture too nears its lair. THE SWAMP CREATURE must stay near the water, to keep its scaly skin damp. But on humid, misty nights, it emerges from the swamp to prowl the lowlands in search of larger, more delectable prey."

"Larger, more delectable prey" is a nice way of describing humans.

HEADLESS HORSEMAN

I'm sure Ichabod Crane would agree that the Headless Horseman deserves to share the spotlight in the pantheon of classic monsters far more often than he does. Thankfully, 7-Eleven saw fit to include him in their set of 20 Slurpee Monster cups, and I think they did a fine job with it. A demonic, red-eyed steed, with blowing smoke plumes out of its nostrils comes dashing out of the woods, as the Headless Horseman rides atop it - a severed head in one hand, and a bloody sword in the other. Perfect.

Here's the description from the back of the cup:

"It is said that the Headless Horseman is the ghost of a Hessian trooper, whose head was blown away by a cannon-ball, in some nameless battle during the Revolutionary War. According to legend, this fearsome apparition gallops through the forest in the gloom of the night on a foaming, black charger, hurling his head at unwary travelers."

Well, if ya gotta go, at least "I got my head blown off by a cannon ball" is a hell of a story to tell in the afterlife.

MONSTER OF THE MOORS

Lastly, we have my favorite cup of the entire set - The Monster of the Moors. The artwork on this one is absolutely killer, featuring a faceless cloaked creature with monstrous green hands wandering through the fog towards a castle. Also, it's probably the most obscure of all the monsters in this series, and I always love it whenever companies promote unsung monsters instead of the same ones we always expect to see come Halloween.

Here's the description from the back of the cup:

"When the fog rolls in over the Scottish Moors, when the moon is full and the air is heavy... the MONSTER OF THE MOORS is stalking.

Up from the peat bogs it rises, man-like, but hideously inhuman... the MONSTER OF THE MOORS crouches by the highland pathways and those who venture into its clutches never live to see another sunrise. Many have tried to track the MONSTER OF THE MOORS to its lair, and destroy it, but none have succeeded. Even now, as evening falls over the moors, the Monster singles out its prey for tonight. And for its victims, there will be no tomorrow."

Seriously, how can you not love everything about this cup? I'd drink Slurpees from any cup that mention "peat bogs", wouldn't you? Of course you would!

Pretty great, aren't they? There's also a JAWS Slurpee cup that's not part of the Slurpee Monsters set, but it's from the same era, and JAWS is a monster if you ask me, so let's call Bruce an honorary 21st monster cup.

Thanks to a collector by the name Matt McAllister, the other thing I learned about these during my research was that there was a set of 10 Shrinky Dinks based on the same Monster art from the cups. While the cups aren't impossible to track down, good luck finding all the old Shrinky Dinks monsters. As you can imagine, most of them were lost to time.

It took quite a while to photograph all of these cups for this article, but I'm glad I did. The set is an awesome part of monster (and Slurpee) history, but for some reason, they were never properly photographed online until now. The fact that 7-Eleven went with a handful of random & obscure creatures, rather than just the standard Universal Monsters, makes this Slurpee set all the more memorable.

I hope you've enjoyed looking at all of these vintage Monster Slurpee cups. Here's hoping 7-Eleven will release a new set of Monster Slurpee cups like these for Halloween at some point in the future for horror fans to collect. Also, here's hoping a representative from 7-Eleven will read this article and grant me a year of free Slurpee refills. After all, I'm a very, very thirsty monster, and if they don't provide me with Slurpees, I just might have to drink their blood instead.

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