Remote Controlled Extermination

Oh how I would have enjoyed such a toy as a lad. Doctor Who was on twice a week at 7:30 growing up and it had a big effect on me (having limited channels as a boy, I was pretty much spoon fed BBC shows via TVO) but the lack of merchandise was always disappointing to me at the time. Fortunately for my inner child, the guys at Bifbangpow! know my pain...

The Captains of Confidence

If the Sawitzky brothers are alone on a Friday night, it's cause they wanted to fly solo.

BYO Bionic Sound Effects

Running shoes with Steve Austin on them? Uber Cool.

Wellingtons with Steve Austion on them? Not so much (But your feet are dry so it balances out)

You lookin' at mah gurl?

"He was flirtin' with me, beat him up Big Earl"

Colouring Book Theatre :Stretch Armstrong and Stretch Monster

‘Stretch Armstrong and Stretch Monster" by Resource Publishers

I think every child of the 1970s at least remembers Stretch Armstrong. I've relayed my own childhood experience with the big guy several times here. Also, Stretch Monster is the vintage toy I just seem unable to own, I've tried for like 20 years to get my hands on one.
I was kind of excited to get this book because I thought maybe it would have some sort of grand backstory and adventure for the Stretch couple which is what you'd get from Whitman or Rand McNally.

Although, the Cincinatti based "Resource Publishers" (which sounds like a subsidary of Kenner) would introduce me to one of the strangest books I've seen in a long time 
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More after the jump.

Factory Brick

While I shared the Super Collector Factory test shots at the Mego Museum a while back, I never revealed the factory test shots for Brick himself. I put Brick's production into the careful hands of Paul "Dr Mego" Clarke and I gotta say, he treated my brain child as one of his own. When I first saw this, I got giddy.

No better time to share this photo than now, seeing as Brick is no longer in China but in the US of A. As soon as the Canadian mail strike ends (which as a collector  is KILLING ME) , I'll have him here, ready to assemble. The first 100 or so will be available exclusively through Odeon toys and the Megomuseum. The rest of the run will be available through many fine "etailers" that have expressed interest bless 'em.

There will be a lot of fun side projects with this figure, some oddball ideas that are coming to light thanks to a cadre of talented friends. I also hope folks who buy them customize them and share the results with me. Stay tuned for more in the coming days.

1982 Knickerbocker World of Annie Catalog

Annie was a film based on the hit 1977 broadway musical which in itself was based on the classic syndicated comic strip "Little Orphan Annie". Thankfully the movie didn't remove everyone's pupils for authenticity.

The film was expected to be a blockbuster smash and companies such as Knickerbocker hedged their bets by preparing a slew of merchandising. I certainly remember haunting Dominion Playworld looking for new Star Wars figures and getting shocked by all the red hair. The film was not a success but in 1982 it was impossible to ignore "Annie-mania".

 

You can click on the images below but don't expect much by the way of commentary by me, I'm just unprepared for the subject. I saw the film once at my buddy Will Park's house when I was 12 and we really were just waiting for his folks to go to bed to pop in "American Werewolf in London" which scared the hell out of me.

1982 Knickerbocker Annie Catalog

More Fun Retro Girl's Toys

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Summer's Here!

Who wants a Snow Cone? I'm firing up Frosty, sure the flavours are over 35 years old but I'm sure they're fine for human consumption. C'mon who's first?

Jumpsuit Love

I hereby reverse all my negative feelings towards jumpsuits, please forgive me you, sassy, sassy disco goddesses...

Leather Jacket Perfection

As much I enjoy the mockery, the one part I take pretty seriously are early to mid seventies leather jackets, to me, they are a zenith of cool. My closet is full of them much to the chagrin of my normally understanding wife. When she does eventually throw me out, my front lawn will look like a Serpico convention.

Behold Computron!

Elegant, classy and state of the art. Now with 60% less wrist fires!

Colouring Book Theatre: Marlin Perkins Wild Kingdom

‘Marlin Perkins Wild Kingdom" by Whitman
Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom will forever remind me of Sunday afternoons at my grandparents in that wasteland of TV that limited channels brought you in the 1970s.

It was an oasis between Lawrence Welk and golf. Oddly I am obsessed with Lawrence Welk shows now.

Even as a kid I knew the show was a little old fashioned looking and educational but it staved off boredom and it endeared itself to me.

I had high hopes for comedy gold with this book but I was in for a surprise when it arrived:

More after the jump.

Man E Faces hits the Mall

Also from Mathew is this shot of Man E Faces at the same Toys R Us Skeletor was in. Great costume! Also in the picture is the lessor known MOTU character, Clerk-o!  Thanks Mathew!

Send me your mall appearance photos!

1978 Mattel Codename: Galactica Catalog

Several months before it's TV Debut Mattel Toys debuted their merchandise based on the upcoming series titled "Code Name: Galactica" which we all would come to know as "Battlestar Galactica".

20th Century Fox would promptly ligitate the makers of Galactica for copyright infringement but the one thing that Galactica had over Star Wars was the availability of toys by the time the public caught their first glimpse of a cylon.

Click here to visit the 1978 Mattel Codename: Galactica Catalog

Also check out the 1979 Mattel BSG Catalog

For her leisure hours

If your leisure hours involve rubbing lipstick all over your face and body or perhaps, planning a crime spree on Gotham city....

Updated to Add:

I woke up this morning to find this cool snap from Sharry of her beautiful mother wearing her leisure gown on New Years eve 1971. Thanks Sharry!

To the Web Copter?

Here we have one of the last uses of the AHI Helicopter molds (which had been used for Planet of the Apes, Batman, SWAT even the Hulk!) in the mid 1980s AHI/Remco snapped up the rights to the Archie Red Circle comics heroes such as "The Web" here, the result were some pretty middling, kinda chubby, action figures and rack toys such as this.

While I see the "Mighty Crusaders" figures a lot on the secondary market, the rack toys seem to never surface. This copter is the first I've found in years. I should mention I used to own this on the card but I gave it to a good friend because in 1999, I didn't have an inkling that one day I'd have a website or be working on a book or anything...

Swank, for him

I always buy jewelry that sounds like middle of the road porno mags, nothing classier, nothing better for a fancy discerning gentleman such as myself.

"If he drinks right from the Carton and then puts it back in the fridge, totally empty, he's a Swank man"

Sclemeel, Schlemazel, what the &%*$ is this?

A real good example of the "What the?" nature of rack toys, this set depicts Laverne and Shirely, two brewery workers as secretarys but also has some scale issues. Is this for dolls? Then why the gigantic calculator and pencil? if it's a role play item what's with the tiny, useless book case,  I'm getting a nose bleed...

1983 JC Adventures in Toy Land Catalog

Another fun trip down memory lane courtesy of the JC Penney toy flier. The Penney Flier always kind of went a step up normal advertising and this 1983 brochure looks more like a cool comic book than an advertisement.

1983 is a great example to have thanks to the metric ton of iconic 80s toys in between these covers including, Barbie, He Man, GI Joe, the gang from Star Wars and the Adventure People.

Click on the images below to see larger pages with descriptions:

Click here to visit the 1983 JC Penney Adventures in Toyland Catalog

Other Toy Flyers and Circulars:

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AM radio joy

Father's day 1976 and the sentence "Now you can listen to the ball game in your den" come to mind.

Alan M was a fool

A life long Josie and the Pussycats fan, one of my earliest crushes was that of Alexandria Cabot, white streaked hair and bitchy attitudes have always enchanted me.

The silky soft luxury of Quinessa

If rashes occur, discontinue the silky soft luxury of Quinessa...

Ultraman Goes Bowling

From the other side of the world comes this wonderful and slightly strange piece of merchandise which gives you a peak into Ultraman's personal life. He's a regular Joe just like me!

Skeletor goes shopping

Mathew sent in a series of fun 80s mall appearance pics, starting with this fun one of a happier than normal Skeletor at a Toys R Us appearance. Thanks Mathew!

Send me your mall appearance photos!

1975 Transogram Catalog

Transogram isn't really a company I know much about, mostly because to my knowledge they never made action figures. However in 1975, they sure made a lot of things kids liked such as Doctor kits, target sets and Drum kits. Licenses include Planet of the Apes and a whole bunch of oddball M*A*S*H items I doubt were made.

Click on the images below to see larger pages with descriptions:

1975 Transogram toys Catalog

More Fun Links

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