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The original Monster Lab game concept for Disc to Web was concieved by Michael Pace and began to develop in 1996 with genuine Monsters drawn by Daniel Burton (yes Tim Burton's younger brother.) Danny and Pace were both creative yet production artists working together at advertising chop shop (everyone was a zombie, part or peice working for) Joseph Piemonte Advertising in Burbank. Until Pace struck out on his own to form EMA Multimedia. Dan soon became an EMA team member and as co-creator of Monster Lab we continued to evolve and pitch the game around HOLLYWOOD over the course of months...
The game play was to digitally create monsters from monster parts in your very own laboratory and pit them against other monsters made by the system or other players around the globe. Our slogan, "PUT'EM TOGETHER R.I.P. THEM APART!" was part of the demo created, along with monster renderings, game play, budget/timeline and marketing materials, T-shirts and even a real monster was sculpted by Danny. With these materials Pace presented a more developed game pitch to HASBRO, Warner Active, SEGA, MATTEL. FOX and HBO among other game companiessuch as Dreamworks Interactive and MGM Interactive for production funds to beathe life into the mad gaming digital collectibles creation...
Alas, no funds the evil Dr. Stein continued putting parts with parts until one day, knowing one day it would happen... "The first creation he thought to try was to grow an entire body from one single eye." The game play much like collecting digital pogs or Pokeman was dependant on having an educated marketplace, installed computer user base and also used a web connected to truly utilize the DTC based computer application... alas concept was so far advanced that no one really got it... until now.
Visit the WAY BACK MACHINE on Archive.org where you can visit links to published iterations, history of the Monster Lab website.
Check out the MONSTER LAB game trailer created for the pitch, it is voiced by the iconic Don La Fontaine
The Story
You'll never forget that first night... You were watching television, it was late, there wasn't really anything on... and then the doorbell rang. Odd, you thought, who would be dropping by at this hour?
Not thinking you opened the door and BANG... Your life will never be the same!
You found yourself frozen in fear standing in front of a three armed, one eyed monster. Oddly enough, you didn't feel threatened. He reached out and handed you a tattered manuscript notebook and then suddenly dissolved into slime at the base of your front door, with the exception of his eyeball, which remained, staring at you...
The manuscript opened in front of your face.
Hovering it mid-air it read...
You've been chosen to save the world from a terrible fate
Make up your mind before it's too late...
Evil monsters are lose, they're ugly indeed
Roaming under my castle in abundance like weeds...
I am Dr. Stein and they've torn me apart
They've left me in pieces with no place to start...
But fear not, 'cause beneath my castle and inside my lab
You'll find good monsters in need of rehab...
Kindly put them together and call them by name
They'll fight off the bad ones and drive them insane...
With courage, collect the clues along your way
I've left them for you in the words that I say...
Find the source to defeat evil once and for all
Shut them down and make them fall...
Pick up the eyeball and feel your fate
The night is young and the monsters await...
This power bolt will help you to fight
It will fly you to my castle on this very night...
The world is at stake so be on your way
Pick up the eyeball and save the day!
You looked down at the slimy eyeball and it looked back at you. You looked over your shoulder at the television you were watching, and with a shrug picked up the eyeball and put it in your pocket. A power bolt flew through your window, lifted you off your feet, and carried you to the castle of Dr. Stein.