Atomic Joe Love

This page is from the 1975 Eaton's catalog and I'm pretty sure I burned it into my brain that year. Joe's world (and packaging artwork) has always captivated me and 1975 was a super special time for me...mainly because I was five.

Atomic Man was a childhood favourite of mine (though the appearance of Steve Austin did diminish Mike's appeal) and Sky Dive to Danger (the set where Joe lands into a giant spider web) will forever be my favourite GI Joe set of all time.

Vintage Barbie Love

I'll admit it, that camper van tempted me....

Fun Girl's Toys

Bionic Monday!

Christmas will forever remind me of the Bionic Man, mostly because he or his friends were a staple from 1975 to 1978. I didn't get everything on this page but I had Steve, Oscar and Maskatron and I played with those three for years.

I would feel remiss if I didn't extend the Bionic Monday spotlight to the Bionic Woman, a show my sister watched loyally (I'd watch the Fembot ones or when Steve did a guest star/crossover). While I personally never had any of this stuff, I remember how big a deal it was on the playground.

More Bionic Love

Captain Canuck storms the toy shelves

Canada’s Superhero gets his first action figure

Toronto, ON, Canada (Dec 12, 2013) – Following his new animated web series, Canada’s own iconic champion, Captain Canuck gets the action figure kids have been looking for since his debut in 1975 with a new release from Odeon Toys. 

He's been on a postage stamp, even the cover of Time, but for decades, Superman had one thing over Canada's Superhero… an action figure. Canadian toy maker Odeon toys in creative partnership with EMCE toys and Big B Comics are righting that wrong. The 8 inch tall figure which will retail for $24.99 will have the look and feel of a toy released when the first issue of Captain Canuck, by creator Richard Comely, hit news stands in 1975.

"We were looking for an iconic Canadian character for our first release, and I can think of none better than Captain Canuck, " said Sam Noir, project coordinator at Odeon. He added  "I was one of those kids who looked for a Canuck figure on toy shelves in the 1970s, I must admit, we're pretty excited to be doing this."

The Captain Canuck figure will be available in 2014 at Big B Comics (www.bigbcomics.com) locations and online at www.megomuseum.com andcaptaincanuck.com.

About Captain Canuck Incorporated: Captain Canuck Incorporated (CC INC) was

founded in 2012 by Fadi Hakim and Alex Sengupta. Entrusted with Richard Comely’s patriotic creation, the partners enlisted television industry veterans Dean Henry and Paul Gardner as Creative Directors to re-imagine Captain Canuck for a new audience.

www.captaincanuck.com

About Odeon Toys

Odeon Toys  produces  action figures and collectibles outside of Toronto ON. Formed in 2011, the company's first release were  the Mego Museum Super Collector and Brick Mantooth : the Plaid Stallion action dolls.

For Press information contact:

Odeon Toys

1981 Toys R Us Flyer

Toys R Us is one of the last toy chains we have left and the only one featured on this site that is actually still around. This flyer from December 1981 is a time capsule of what we could have expected under the tree, Barbies, Glamour gals, Atari games, Remco Monsters and Mego Superheroes.

It'll make you want to go shopping!

More Toy Store Flyers:

Childworld 1975

Childworld 1981

1975 Toys R Us

Christmas Adventure

Adventure People were a Christmas staple for me from '75 to '79, I'm not sure I ever even asked for them but they were welcome. The hours I spent playing with sets 1 through 3 probably outnumbered the amount I studied in college, so more than nine hours...

Other Fisher Price Links

The pointer suit

A pointer suit man knows how to treat a lady, especially when she's good 'n hammered. 

76 Superheroes

This page from Simpsons is pretty much all I thought about in 1976, Big Jim P.A.C.K, GI Joe Super Adventure Team and Mego Superheroes, throw in monsters and sandwiches and that's the brain patterns of six year old me.

I think it's ironic that the Mego heroes are so small on this page, their popularity influenced both Joe and Jim to change their looks and by 1977, they were the only ones left.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that I own 99% of this page as an adult collector now.  They are my happy place...

Canadian Star Wars

Or as I called it Star Wars, this page from 1979 shows a lot of the unique Star Wars items that could be found north of the US border.  From the cardboard deathstar to the regal plush ending with the (very collectible) cheap-o utility belts that recycled some pieces from Remco.

I want to add that I never partook in any of those unique items as a kid, not that I'm complaining (I did great!) but I just find it kind of funny.

The Incredible Dr Steel Commercial

Today is an epic day for Plaidstallions.  I finally tracked down the film reel to a commercial that has haunted me since 1975 and I get to share it with all of you.

 I remember it vividly, watching Space:1999 on my parent's black and white TV when this commercial aired. Already a fan of the Big Jim toy line, the concept of a villian (although he really isn't clearly defined as such) just captivated me. I needed this toy, I had to have it!

Sadly, my mother took one look at that bald head and tattoo and nixed the whole thing. It's another thread in the tapestry of why I'm a toy collector and also probably explains why I have no tattoos.
While I finally did get that Dr Steel, tracking down this ad makes me even happier. I'll be including it free with my DVD package going forward.

More Big Jim than you can handle!

The exciting suspender pant!

Forget those other boring suspender pants, these are the real deal. Why, you can already hear those panties hitting the dance floor!

79 Micronauts love

I love old Christmas catalogs, I love Micronauts but the 1979 Sears Canada catalog will always be a favourite of mine as it holds a special place in my heart.

My Micronaut love really piqued in 1979, spurred on by those glow in the dark aliens with gorgeous Ken Kelly package art. However, the real reason I love this catalog is that I used it's graphics for a detailed letter to Santa, probably my last and the only one still in my possession:

I didn't get everything on that wishlist (although I have most of it now save for the cat calendar and the remote controlled sand crawler.) I clipped a lot of images out of that wishbook but some were lost to time. Whenever I look at this thing, it brings me back to that great time.

Roadstars:1999

Road stars were a fun little series of cheap diecast vehicles that used popular licenses like Spider-Man, Archie, Hogan's Heroes (!) and Space:1999.

There is a lot wrong with this card, in today's world these would all have to be shipped back to the manufacturer or destroyed. First, Space:1999 isn't a Hanna Barbera production, secondly, this isn't a Hawk transporter, it's an Eagle. Hawks were only used in one episode and LJN never made one. They did however make the moon buggy and an alien craft from a memorable episode, more on those later.

Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings is a limited edition 144 page book from the creator of Plaid Stallions. We're offering a big bundle at the Mego Museum mall that includes Rack Toys and other items at a terrific price, it makes a great Christmas present!

Meanwhile on the coolest planet ever...

Here is the coolest pic you will see all day, make it your happy place.

Wishbook-A-Rama!

Seeing as it's December (which I'm actually surprised about, seriously where the hell did November go?) and this site is about catalogs, I am launching "Wishbook-A-Rama". Each week I'll post different Christmas catalog spreads, some you've seen, some you haven't and we can all make our respective wish lists. This will be combined with the usual Fashion mockery, rack toys and podcastery. I'll even have a Cyber Monday special for the first time in my life.

Enjoy and happy holidays.

-bRaIN