The Secret Origin of the Rust Monster

This metal-eating-armadillo-trilobite is a staple monster of the "Dungeons and Dragons" roleplaying world, but like several other creatures from the original game, it was shamelessly stolen from a generic, plastic toy:

Lord knows why, but this and other fictional creatures were once commonly included with bags of cheap, plastic dinosaurs from Hong Kong, and such a bag was used by game designer Gary Gygax in the earliest test-runs of his infamous creation. The dinosaurs can still be found in dollar stores to this day, but the original "Rust Monster" has become rarer and rarer. And it doesn't end there!

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