What me plugging?

I'm very proud to announce that the latest issue of Mad Magazine features a l'il blurb about my book Rack Toys.

I was a pretty loyal Mad reader as a kid (only straying to Cracked for those Monster issues) and I'm pretty sure at one point my parents told me I was rotting my brain with it. So it's extremely gratifying (and weird) to see my name in there. 

I also want to add that my ten year old stole this issue within the hour....

Col. Kentucky and Julius Lovechild

Funk meets Country all this week at the airport Ramada Inn...

Space:1999 The Alien

This is a piece I wanted to add to Rack Toys but it got a little wordy and too insider, so I saved it for here. Most Space:1999 fans are at least slightly aware of the fundimensions "The Alien" model kit, which  has no connection to the show. It is in fact, a revamped Goerge Barris concept car (more on it here). Fundimensions was good for that sort of recycling, that same year they re-released the Monkee's car as "Fonzie's Hot Rod" but what is cool, is the story doesn't end with that.

You see, the above black and white image comes from the AHI archives and it shows that the company handling the licensing of "Space:1999" shared information among their licensees and well, this happened:

AHI copied the kit, right down to it's weird 2001 inspired pilot and made it a rack toy a year later. It didn't matter that it had no relation to the series , let's get it on some slat wall people!

Here is an Italian carded version of said Alien, I like that the imagery is a mix of season one and two. Toys like this exemplify why I love Rack Toys, there is no attention to detail or research done, it's done purely on the level of "will a child like this?" and nothing more. 

We're in an era where there are literally hundreds of places that a new toy gets scrutinized and reviewed (sometimes joylessly), no doubt this piece would be lambasted were it new today. For me, it represents a simple joy and how I prefer to look at the hobby in general...



Space:1999 Rack Toy Gallery on PlaidStallions

Get our new book "Rack Toys" at our shop!

Space Lego Love!

True Confession time: As much as I go on and on about vintage Space Lego sets, I a) never had any as a kid (save for one small set I bought with my own money) and b) don't have any now.

 However, I am luckily married to a Space Lego collector and with the help of my daughter, I now have this scene to look at every day while I work on this blog.

I honestly remember going to the house of the biggest wiener on my block just to play with that ship pictured above. He was a year my junior and often slapped my fingers if i played too rough with it. I took this abuse, mostly because of the Lego and that even at nine, I knew life was going to be hard for him.



What I love about these sets is the spacemen are just so happy with their toils, everybody is smiling!

This is not the first Lego display my wife has set up in my office but it's been three long years since I stumbled in the dark and knocked over the castle. I still feel bad about that...

Release the birthday Kraken!

Christopher Elam of the great blog OWARI submitted this great bit of 1981, this being his ninth birthday he has received the Mattel Kraken. Being of a similiar age, I wax fondly at those blockbusters that diverted our attention from Star Wars, albeit briefly...

Lost Star Trek Merchandise

I was thumbing through the 1979 Southbend catalog the other night (click on it to enlarge) and correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think any of this stuff got made.

Southbend made some cool toys for the movie, particularly and electronic Enterprise that is still quite popular with collectors but I've never seen that figurine set.

That's a shame because I've explained before, I kind of have a low level obsession with Star Trek: The Motion Picture, not so much the movie but the merchandise. I was nine when it came out and TOTALLY got wrapped up in the hype. I gleefully read the Marvel comic adaptation while eating my happy meal, hoping to pick up more Mego figures.

I think I fell asleep during the movie but who cared?

UPDATE: I've been told by several folks they remember having these toys, so it looks like there's nothing lost about these except that I don't own them. That will change, oh yes, that will....

Other Star Trek Toy Links

Last minute Valentines suggestions

Hey, if you woke up this morning and thought it was a normal Thursday, don't panic, I've got you covered. You can thank me later. Here are a few items that are way better than gas station flowers (trust me on this).

For Her: Jewelry, the bigger the better, personally I'm going for the unhappy toad.

Ewww, I'd pick the French one, extra classy. 

How about the latest technological innovation, his and her Digital Watches in genuine gold plate. (Warning watches get extremely hot and should not be warn on skin or near small children/pregnant people)

Candles are always a mood starter and a bonus, you can pretend you're a wizard.

However, if you truly want to make sure that you've got company for breakfast tomorrow, take some advice from our fearless leader and spokes model. A true way into a girls heart is through your outfit, show how much this made up corporate holiday really means to you by wearing the exact same outfit today. And send me some pictures while you're at it.

Happy love making, I'm off to the gas station....

Hussla's Warmth 2

"Six more weeks of winter? I believe that groundhog might have a change of mind......"

The Ghost who walks (in pharmacy toy aisles)

The Phantom got a lot of cool Rack Toy love in the 70s, which is pretty cool considering he didn't have a cartoon show to back him up. 

I like all of the toys but this set, this one is something I'm actively searching for. Seriously, if you have one of these for sale, I've got a Tarzan set that is ever so lonely.......

Get our new book "Rack Toys" at our shop!

Hussla's Warmth

Just because a playa is iced out, doesn't mean he has to be cold, dig?

Megabug Gladiators 1979 Catalog

Described by Kenner in 1979 as "Combat vehicles of the future....half insect, half machine" Megabug Gladiators were perhaps just too ahead of their time.

That's pretty much the only reason I can think of to justify why this cool toy line of insect tanks wasn't a hit with kids. Had it been spawned in the 1980s, Megabugs would have likely gotten an animated series to support the concept and been a bigger hit.

As it stands, it's one of those toylines that deserves more fanfare, mostly for being one of the most creative concepts of the decade.

Click here to see more of the Megabugs.

Comic 3 pack love

Back when I collected comics "seriously" (AKA when I was 11) the most dreaded thing to own was a "reprint". That Whitman symbol or a diamond price tag meant the comic was worthless and Willy, the local expert (and the only kid with an Overstreet Guide) was quick to point that out and shame you.

It's ironic now, some 30 years later that pretty much the only comics I collect are beat to crap Gold Key Star Treks and any Whitman 3 pack I can find. These 3 packs especially dominated every toy store and gift shop I visited as a kid and I bought a great deal of them.

Above is my latest score, the Black Hole three pack which includes the spell binding first chapter of "Beyond the Black Hold" Gold Key's attempt to keep the story line going.

Back in the day, my dad was actually friends with the guy who distributed these 3 packs in my area. One Saturday he went to visit him and I tagged along. In the giant warehouse full of these comics, I heard the man say "Take as many as you want" to me and he strolled back into his office. Just before my dad followed him, he turned to me and held up two fingers.

I spent the entire time trying to find two sets that had nothing but cool comics I didn't already own, it was heaven. 

Zig Zag

Years of working on this blog have likely obscured my judgement but I would totally rock this.

Lincoln Monster Mystery

I've been been pretty much under the assumption that I'd seen it all when it came to Lincoln Monsters. Well, that fell apart this weekend when I got this photo emailed me to me.

These are the four perfect as the day they were made Monster figures shrunk wrapped to a card. To me, it looks like some sort of Catalog item, but which one and when?

If anybody can sheld some light and remembers getting the monsters in this fashion, please drop us a line. I'm delighted to have another weird mystery with regards to these kooky figures.

I'd rather not be sailing

I think if you can tie you own shoes, you should be exempt from "Nautical Fashion Torment" as a child. 

Bugmen of Insecta

I thought I'd dedicate the Friday feature space to this odd little line of early 1980s obscurity. Not because I collect them but because they kind of fascinate me.

When Toys R Us first hit my town in 1984, the Bug Men came with it. Their cards looked warn already and it was sort of this weird "never heard of it toy line" that belonged in a pharmacy rack toy aisle more than a TRU action figure aisle.

There they sat and sat and sat until at least the mid 1990s when they seemed to vanish from every Toys R Us I visited, in some sort of clearance clean up. I almost never see them at toy shows either, they just vanished. That was until this past fall when I was at Burlington Toy Con and a fellow I know trucked by a box of them. 

Turns out the Bug Men are highly collectible now, commanding more than I'd pay for them, which is a shame because their mix of horror and cheapness are now intoxicating to me. Fortunately I was able to record them for posterity, more after the jump:

Bathtubbies

My love for this line knows no bounds.

Gold Brown Blam!

Now, that's  "Key Party" carpet brothers and sisters.....

George Kennedy goes on a rampage

I'm not sure why but Larami Toys really thought that kids would dig George Kennedy and his one and a half season series "The Blue Knight", which was the story of a veteran beat cop. They marketed all kinds of slightly ridiculous "actiony" items around the series including motorcyles with figures (which I assume means George did get an action figure) but my personal favourite is this pistol range.

The three "hardened criminals" shown must be Larami executives because none of them are particularly threatening in the least. This kind of looks like George Kennedy is exacting revenge on his accountant, his manager and his dad.

More Sesame Love

For the trillionth time I'd like to mention any of these in an adult size would be welcome in my house. Get on that anonymous corporation that doesn't read my blog!

This is not fashion mockery, this is fashion victory.

The Muppet Show 1981 Catalog

1981 and the world wide phenom known as the Muppet Show was still going strong buoyed mainly by it's second feature film "The Great Muppet Caper" that summer. Fisher Price, was still popping out the merchandise and made several new editions to line including Piggy in her Pigs in Space Uniform.

Click the pics or this link to see all the Hensony goodness of the 1981 Fisher Price Muppet Show Catalog.

Other Fisher Price Links

Meet Polly Flip!

She's a talker!

PS she kinda looks that aunt your mom doesn't talk to...