For an absolutely gooftacular monster, basically a dimestore (dollar store now, I guess) version of Manda, Reptilicus has sure gotten a lot of play. Barring a remake (which could NEVER recapture the charm of the original), just about everything that it could inspire has come to pass:
First, there are two versions of the monster with discrete powers. The original Swedish Danish (thanks, Robert Denby!) version of Reptilicus flew with those wings he sports. This was so risible that when they brought over the film for the American market they excised this footage. And consider the stuff they kept in. Instead, to give the puppet a Godzilla-like range attack, the American version animated in acidic green phlegm that Reptilicus now spewed. Hilariously, this foreshadowed the grumpy addition of flame effects when Emmerich and Devlin pissily added in after they FINALLY realized that fans were not going to stop demanding “Godzilla” have an actual breath weapon, not just blow things over like the Wolf in Three Little Pigs.
Charleston Comics gave Reptilicus (ditto also for Konga) his own comic book series. They quickly lost the rights, though, and after just two issues they changed the monster’s name to Reptisaurus. The book lasted eight issues in total.
Also, Reptilicus was, again along with Konga (and Gorgo and Brides of Dracula) given a paperback novel adaptation by author Dean Owens and published by Monarch. The books remain infamous for a fact that they contain a lot of softcore sex that didn’t appear in the actual films.
Back in (maybe) the ’90s, there was a self-published book featuring the film’s script, production history, examination of the various media adaptations listed above, toys and the famous poster. The book also had an introduction by Reptilicus producer Sid Pink. I’m pretty sure I still have a copy of that floating around here somewhere. I also think I have a copy of the Dean Owens paperback, but I’ve never looked at it for fear the tome’s glue would give up the ghost if I ever opened it and it would disintegrate.
As a kid, especially when the show was stripped daily in syndication, Reptilicus would make regular appearances on The Monkees as a quick gag. Apparently the beastie also appeared in a South Park episode, and Jethro saw the film at the drive-in in an episode of Beverly Hillbillies. More likely to be remembered is that the film inevitably made an appearance on Mystery Science Theater 3000.
So really, that’s pretty good, I’d say.
