Super Ropes

I love the card art on these Imperial jump ropes but it's kind of funny how once you take your "super pro jump rope" out of the power, you've removed any and all relationship it had to Spider-Woman. It is now just "ordinary jump rope with red handles".

Check out our upcoming book!

Mantique : A new name for terror

How does one market some of the oddest, unflattering ensembles ever put to thread? By giving them the worst, slightly homoerotic name ever. Feast your eyes ladies and gents on someone looking to get fired.

Seriously, this would be a good time to close up shop here at PS, I've discovered attrocities for six years but truly I will never surpass the Mantique.


The bar has been set.

A girl and her Gaiking

Marty sent in this fantastic family portrait and as she explains "I was maybe one of the few girls who preferred robots and Star Wars toys". This family portrait from her eleventh is proof of this, pictured are Marty, her mom & dad, cat Tiger and "new baby brother" Gaiking.

I'm at a loss for words to describe how awesome I think this is.  Marty, I wished you had been my neighbour. Not only because you had a Gaiking but mainly because you dug robots and Star Wars toys.

If you've got shots of vintage toy love, send em on down!

Planet of the Apes store display

My pal Corey, a purveyor of amazing treats and the guy who gets a majority of my pay cheque (Seriously check out his Ebay auctions) sent me this photo of a Planet of the Apes store display from 1974.

As a lover of all things POTA, it was a joy to see but the name "Deka" didn't exactly ring any bells when it came to Ape merchandise. So I had to do some digging.

Turns out Deka made Planet of the Apes cups, mugs and bowls like the one pictured below. Honestly, how did anyone have the foresight to save this store display?




I swiped this photo from Ebay, in case somebody wants to buy this swell cup, all you need do is click this link.


More Ape goodness...

TV Superstars

Looking at this vintage licensing ad stirs some emotion in me. I mean seriously, why were we not treated to "Bigfoot and Wildboy" action figures?

We live in a world where got toys of "The Waltons" but the "Space Sentinels" seemed too risky? Agggghhhh, I'd almost be filled with rage were it not for that delightful image of late actor, Lenny Weinrib as "Magic Mongo".

Oh Lenny, I can't even stay mad at you for being the first Scrappy Doo....

Lanny Strikes Back!

Oh Lanny, it's just been entirely too long...

Parachuting Supermen

click to enlarge


My pal Steve from CollectingSuperman.com sent in this cool retrospective of Azrak Hamway Parachuting Superman figures.

The one on the left is the last version (around '79) while the one in the middle is first. The one on the  right is most definitely an after market knock off, as DC and Marvel don't cotton to the mingling of their characters. Nothing "official" about that.

You may ask yourself, what does superman need of a parachute? I think the bigger question is, when did he get the bright red gloves? Ah, the days of "loosey goosey" licensing....

If you dig the man of steel then you should fly over the Steve's new site Collecting Superman. He's got neat stuff!

Future Funk

Transported into 1975, Doctor Finger and his associate Professor Lovechild have only one mission : Protect the Bar-Kays at all costs!

Ken of the Apes

From down under comes this awesome shot of Ken, clutching an Astro Ape having a Mego Planet of the Apes adventure that includes a Big Jim Gorilla and Frankenstein(!) The joys of imagination and the "Megoverse"....

I miss having that kind of fun.

If you've got shots of vintage toy love, send em on down!

Mall Batman Roundup

The Dark Knight opensthis weekend and I'm still busy working on my book but I wanted to do something "Bat Themed" for the occasion. What better than to mine the Mall Appearance Archive for shots of the caped crusader in action? This one from a 1980 Columbus car show that Larry sent in is one of my favourites. More Dynamic duos after the jump!

JLAWWWWW

"We foiled your evil scheme Wex Wuthor!"

The Burgundys

There isn't an inch of natural fibers between the two of them.

Battlestar Pinball

I think the extra points on this are all due to the fact that this piece has Ralph McQuarrie concept art on it, seriously that is cool.

Toughskins Power Activate

"Form of....adorable!"

Seriously, there were Manimal toys

 

I don’t think this would be headline news anywhere else but here. If you recall NBC’s “Manimal”, the TV show that kind of made a laughing stock of the network for a period in the 1980s. The show revolved around a crime fighter who just happened to be able to turn into animals.

So it was a lot like that video Yes did for “Owner of a lonely heart” but slightly longer. Each week, our hero would save the day by turning into a snake, panther or eagle. He could turn into other animals but the budget only let you see the aforementioned snake, panther or eagle transformations, which were well done but I digress.

The series got crushed in the ratings and only aired 8 episodes, so merchandise was out of the question, or so I’d thought. I’d heard rumors that a toy company did have the license but only recently came across them in person


More after the jump.

Build your own Star Fleet command!

Anyone who has read this blog knows how many of these kits I ruined with my lack of talent/patience as a kid. I think that bridge got reissued in the early nineties and I still messed it up! These days, I just love them from afar...

Visit the 1975 AMT models Catalog

Super 7 goes retro with Alien

I rarely post SDCC news here (mostly because it's about stuff I don't collect) but this announcement from Super 7 is so huge it can't be ignored.

Super 7 has the Alien license which is not really earth shattering in of itself but it's the fact that they're going retro with it that's so exciting, what are they doing you ask?

1) They're doing a series of "Burger King" type glasses that are so freaking full of win that I wish they'd get every 70s sci fi license. I want to start my day with OJ from a "Westworld" glass and guzzle down my fifth "lunch beer" staring at Sean Connery from "Outland".

2) THEY'RE GIVING US THE 3 3/4" ALIEN ACTION FIGURE LINE THAT KENNER STUPIDLY DID NOT RELEASE! A HUGE WRONG IS FINALLY RIGHTED.

>

Here is the Kane figure prototype in it's vintage glory.

Oh and if that wasn't enough, they're doing Boba Fett as a Jumbo Machinder as well.

I am not sure I'll be reporting anything else from SDCC but I'm also not sure I have to either....

Warrior's Battle Jacket

This vintage ad used to perplex me as a kid, mainly, why would they make adult sizes? Granted, I grew up slightly rural but I could not fathom an adult that would wear a warrior's battle jacket, certainly not an adult woman.

I wish I could send comic con footage to my nine year old self sometimes...

Martin Landau Bot

At one point, this item was my white whale. I never have actually owned one.
It's a pretty rare higher dollar item from AHI, much of their Space:1999 offering could be had with an allowance.

Trek Jammies

I think the world would be a better place if we all spent our evenings lounging in Moonbase Alpha pajamas...

King Kong VS Alien

John, a frequent contributor of awesome things sent in this fabulous vintage shot of him holding two movie heavyweights, namely a Mego King Kong and a Kenner Alien. Happy times!

Look for more vintage goodness from John in the coming weeks, as well if you have some vintage toy love to share drop me a line.

Synergistics Superheroes

I vaguely remember these target sets from toy shows, the art is classic DC style guide with the exception of that very disgruntled Wonder Woman. However, the sets below are not only a total shock but I now have a new quest in life...

I absolutely LOVE the mingling of Spider-Man with the characters from the Electric Company on merchandise. The teaming up of Spidey with Fargo North doesn't happen often enough for me. They should do a big treasury edition together, it'll sell dozens!

If you have these in your collection, let me know they exist, please?

The headache that keeps on giving

Behold the Hurdy Gurdy machine for children. Speaking as a father, I can honestly say that other than a megaphone I can't imagine a less neccesary toy for a child to have.

Seriously, I would choose the "beercan helmet", complete with two Pabsts over this thing.

If Funkytown was a place....

Meet it's Mayor and Chief of Police.

The other Mantooth action figure

Oddly, even though i named Brick Mantooth after Randy, I'm not the world's biggest fan of Emergency! The show and the toys do have a ravenous following to this day however.

Ruffled

"you know what this shirt lacks? Some clip on ruffles"-
A sentence that has never been said aloud.

TV Comix: The Incredible Hulk

I can't believe it's been three years since I last did a "TV Comix" segment on this blog. To make up for it, I have a pretty big deal from 1979 in the form of the Incredble Hulk.  Put on your purple pants and join me after the jump: