Monday, October 10, 2011

From the Cereal Aisle: Fruit Brute







Fruite Bruit
Company: General Mills
Years: 1974-1983

You didn't expect me to completely ignore the fact that it's October, did you? I mean, Halloween is only a few weeks away, so I thought I'd try to "Dig up" (pardon the graveyard humor) a few fogotten "Spooky" treats....you know, monsters, ghosts, aliens and the sort. And I don't think I'd be doing my job here at GBNF Groceries if I didn't clear a spot on the shelves for a long time (but long gone) favorite: Fruit Brute.

Fruit Brute was one of the original 4 Monster Cereals General Mills Rolled out in the 70's (Count Chocula, Frankenberry, Boo Berry, and Fruit Bruit). Fruit Brute, unfortunately, was the first to get scared off the shelves. (Yummy Mummy actually was created later on to replace Fruit Brute - Don't worry Yummy Mummy, we'll be talking about you soon enough...).

Fruit Brute was a fruit flavored cereal with lime flavored marshmallows and it's mascot was a cartoon Werewolf (who was usually wearing multi-colored overalls that he must have gotten by traveling though time to 1992 and stealing from a hip-hop artist). The cereal lasted 8 years before being shelved (or pulled from the shelves, as it would turn out), though after being gone for 28 years, still has quite a cult following. It can be seen in several Quentin Tarantino movies and is still one of the most desired vintage Cereal boxes on the collectors market. If you had an original box (just the box) you could fetch about $500 and up on ebay.
People love their Monster Cereals, especially around Halloween, so it's a fitting time of the year to add them to the archives and get them in the mix with the rest of the GBNF groceries.
Image by Waffle Whiffer

2 comments:

  1. While Quentin Tarentino still has the Fruit Brute box, stand in Froot Loops had to play the role in PULP FICTION.

    Paul

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  2. Don't remember whether it came in the box or we got it otherwise, but just after the cereal hit the shelves we got a switch plate sticker promoting energy conservation that we put on the basement light switch. It read something like, "Fruit Brute says, 'Keep this light turned off!'"

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