Monkgomery
Monkgomery was a children's puppet. It took the form of a talking monkey wearing a necktie, released by Hasbro in 1986. The toy was 17" in height and sat at approximately 14" tall. The toy had two Velcro strips on his hands allowing him to be hung from objects. The toy could also function as a cuddle buddy at night and a day time play toy. Additional speech modules provided 200 new words.
It was created by Hasbro to compete with Teddy Ruxpin before Hasbro bought Ruxpin, and Monkgomery's packaging draws deliberate comparison, describing him as "a unique and interactive, joke-telling, talking monkey with no on-off switches, no tapes to wear out or break and no solid state cartridges".
Monkgomery's vocabulary included jokes such as "Why did the monkey throw the clock out the window?", questions such as "What's your favorite part of the zoo?" and responses to the user, such as "Tell me more!". The range of phrases could be expanded with expansion modules, sold separately.
History
Bingo Bear and Monkgomery Monkey were part of a Hasbro Softies product line called "Yakity Yaks". Their debut in 1986 was not as strong as that of Teddy Ruxpin, but toy sellers pointed to them as a less expensive alternative for parents who could not afford Teddy Ruxpin.Design
The toy had a removable yellow tie with red polka dots, and was monogrammed with "Monkgomery".The puppets were more durable than other toys, since they did not contain gears or movable parts. The absence of mechanical parts made the puppets more cuddly for children. Its design made it versatile, safe and durable, compared to mechanical toys. Dr. Bingo and Space Bingo outfits for Bingo Bear were scheduled for release at the end of December 1986; a Safari Monkgomery kit for Monkgomery Monkey was scheduled to be released in January 1987. The Hasbro dealer catalog shows a Monkgomery Monkey Clown Outfit and Rock Star Bingo Bear Outfit. The toys sold for about $70 and the extra word module kits for $20.