Do the Monsters Cereal mash with this Henson crossover

August is over, which means it’s time to start thinking about one of the most glorious holidays in the world of candy and snacks: Halloween. Targets across the country should hopefully be disassembling their back-to-school seasonal sections to make way for rows and rows of spooky treats.

I’m kicking off the Halloween season over here at Snackology with a look at the fun crossover between General Mills’ Monsters Cereal and The Jim Henson Company.

“This is more than a cereal box, it’s a piece of art,” Mindy Murray, brand experience director for morning foods at General Mills, said in a statement. “We know that fans have an incredible love for Monsters and anticipate their return every year. That’s why we knew the partnership with The Jim Henson Company was the perfect way to deliver surprise and delight — and the first-of-its-kind fuzzy Franken Berry box.”

If you’ve browsed the cereal or seasonal aisles at any point over the past half century, you’re familiar with at least one of the classic Monsters Cereal brands. Count Chocula, Franken Berry and Boo Berry are the recurring stars of the show, but General Mills has also added Frute Brute, Fruity Yummy Mummy and even Carmella Creeper at times over the decades since these cereal mascots premiered.

Those first three cereals are getting extra special treatment this year, with their mascots given “a monstrously magical makeover” to celebrate the 70th anniversary of The Jim Henson Company.

Longtime subscribers to Popculturology have likely read my definitive interview with Jim Henson biographer Brian Jay Jones discussing the iconic A Muppet Family Christmas special. When I found out that we were getting Henson-inspired takes on Count Chocula and his buddies, I knew I had to get my hands on them.

What they cost

Not sure of the prices for the standard boxes of Count Chocula, Franken Berry and Boo Berry, but the limited-edition fuzzy Franken Berry cereal box will cost $7.70 when it’s available on Walmart’s website.

My thoughts

I love this crossover. There have been some pretty generic-looking computer-generated versions of the Cereal Monsters mascots in recent history, so seeing this trio in all their Henson-y glory is a massive upgrade.

“For 70 years, The Jim Henson Company has brought some of the world’s most memorable and adored characters to life and our incredible team at Jim Henson’s Creature Shop especially enjoyed realizing these beloved Monsters as puppets for the first time ever,” Nicole Goldman, executive vice president of branding for The Jim Henson Company, said in a statement. “This irreverent and funny take on these well-known characters will make this Halloween especially memorable for the amazing and loyal fans of both Monsters Cereals and The Jim Henson Company.” 

People really do love the Muppets. (I’m begging Disney to use its vast resources to figure out the rights issues surrounding A Muppet Family Christmas and put the full version on Disney+. Also, I dunno, give Brett Goldstein creative control over the brand.)

Anyways, the cereal ...

I'd say Count Chocula is my favorite of the Monsters Cereal. Chocolate cereal with marshmallows, a classic combo.

My daughter refused to try the electric-red Franken Berry cereal — but she did help herself to one of each colored marshmallow.

You don’t get many blueberry cereals, do you? We bought the Bluey cereal earlier, and I was surprised to learn that they didn’t even both to max it blueberry flavored. It was just rebranded Kix!

Snack score

🍪🍪🍪🍪 (4 out of 5 cookies)

It’s hard to go wrong with a classic trio of cereals like these guys, especially when they’re given a makeover by The Jim Henson Company. In addition to the fuzzy Franken Berry box coming to Walmart.com on Oct. 7, fans of Monsters Cereal and Henson can snag some merch celebrating the crossover.

The best part of buying Count Chocula, Franken Berry and Boo Berry? You can create your own unofficial version of Monster Mash. General Mills sold versions of this mix in both 2021 and 2023.