Mondo Long Johns

My pal Steve sent in this winning page, which finally provides me a Brick Mantooth/Lanny crossover I've so desired. I can finally retire!

Manta & Moray Bubble Animal

Yet another addition to my burgeoning Tarzan and the Super 7 collection of Rack Toys, Manta and Moray were the Aquaman and Mera of the Filmation superhero universe.  DC sued Filmation which is why we never saw more of the duo.

Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings is a limited edition 144 page book from the creator of Plaid Stallions. Order from us and get three free promotional post cards.

Back to the cornfield

My pal Steve sent me this over the weekend, yet another sighting of the Hee-Haw overalls in the Sears Catalog. Never has there been a more authentic bit of merchandise albeit a slightly bewildering one. 

For added bonus, the kid modelling them looks like the eerie combination of Roy Clarke and Buck Owens.

More Pre School Trek

Sarah who submitted this awesome shot of her brother last fall strikes again, this time he's dressed as a science officer at Mesa Verde. She admits that "the Rio Grande rail road hat somewhat spoils the effect -- or enhances it...depends".

Sarah is the big sis standing behind him, in a very un23rd century attire.

The Top Ten Coolest 70s Star Trek Toys

Vintage Toy Store Photos Volume 15

 

Seeing as it's the site's birthday, it's no better time to drop a new installment in what is one of my favorites, vintage toy store photos. A journey back to the days of oddly named department stores and independent mall toy stores and chains that are fondly remembered but sadly mostly gone. 

Vintage Toy Store Photos Volume 15 gets all Bionic up in here with some smashing shots of Kenner Six Million Dollar man and Bionic Woman displays, joining them will be Godzilla, The Sunshine Family, Barbie and the Lone Ranger. All in the late 1970s/early 1980s glory.

Check out Vintage Toy Stores Volume 15 here

And if you haven't already, Volumes 1-14 are a pile of happiness, click the image for the full gallery.

PlaidStallions 8th Birthday Contest!

I say this every year but in addition to being pleased that I remembered the site's birthday a whole two days prior, I'm grateful for the entire experience. A new contest and a whole bunch more of my babble after the jump!

Shirt Feud

Things escalate quickly when a Polyester meets a member of the Rayon clan.

Chewgum Warriors

Basically it's a dollar store Star Wars action figure filled with gum. HOW THE HELL DID I MISS THIS AS A KID?

Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings is a limited edition 144 page book from the creator of Plaid Stallions. Order from us and get three free promotional post cards.

Look out world!

This vest isn't taking any crap today!

PodStallions 16: Buck or Starbuck?

Episode 16 finds us going "Full On Glen A Larson" with a delving into his seminal science fiction works. Even though we touched upon both of these shows in episode 7, neither Jason nor Brian felt we did either justice.

Episode 16 goes deeper into both Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers and sees our hosts divided on which is their favourite, Jason uses cubits as currency whereas Brian wears a lot of white spandex (it's not pretty).

As always we get into merchandising, particularly toys, discuss Canadian television, Major Matt Mason, colouring books, 1966 Batman, Marvel comics, Mego's Micronauts and Kenny Everett along the way. We have focus issues.

Download the Show Here

Listen here

Show Links:

• The Buck Rogers Coloring book mentioned in the show was made by adults who did not care.
• The Marvel comics BSG title ran longer than the series.
• Original commercial for the Battlestar Galactica Colonial Warrior figure
• Captain Lazer has his own website.
• Larami made some crazy Battlestar Galactica toys.
• HG Toys Buck Rogers catalog.
• Commercial for Mego's different 3 3/4" science fiction lines like Black Hole, Buck Rogers and Star Trek.
• The crazy repackaged Micronauts Star Defender became the Buck Rogers Star Searcher, if anyone has one of these for sale, email me.
• Bendy Toys Buck Rogers and Twiki are foam rubber goodness.

Plenty more content on the PodStallions Facebook page!



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Sunday best

If either of these babies come in purple, it's going to be an Easter to remember in my house!

Bulletman International

My passion for Hasbro's Bulletman knows know bounds, the figure in the foreground is the first thing I ever purchased at a toy show (sadly almost 30 years ago). The other two are international variations of the figure that I'm proud to now own, more after the jump!

Sleestak Jiggler

Pretty overjoyed with today's Rack Toy showing, something I've been after for years. The Ben Cooper Sleestak jiggler, the closest thing we ever got to a Land of the Lost action figure and honestly, I'm not sure how many of us ever knew this thing existed?




This excerpt from the '76 Ben Cooper catalog showcases the costume, Ben Cooper often released jigglers in conjunction with costumes. However this one must have been brief! 

He's dressed like Enik but totally green.



His tail got snipped but I ain't complaining, I've probably seen two of these in the last few years. One of these days I'd love to see the display box.

Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings is a limited edition 144 page book from the creator of Plaid Stallions. Order from us and get three free promotional post cards.

Dawn of the Double Knit

You know, I do want to wear something that has "looks left over" after work. So often, I leave the office and poof! I'm wearing a garbage bag and a bungee cord. Thanks 88% polyester!

Blue Thunder Prototypes

While I remember the Multi Toys Blue Thunder Helicopter from the Toys R Us clearance center, I didn't lnow how far they planned to take the series. This page from their 1984 catalog shows (kind of crude) prototypes for Bubba Smith, Dick Butkus, James Farentino and even Dana Carvey.

There was even plans for non helicopter toys! More on Multi Toys later on this Spring.


More Unreleased Action Figures:

The Top Ten Cancelled Toy Lines of the 70s/80s

Fashion Plates

Over the years I've known women who have told me they asked for Tomy's Mighty Men and Monster Maker only to receive this, the so called "girl's version", Fashion Plates. My wife was one of those people, luckily her brother got the MMMM, so she still got to play with it.

Not to put down Fashion Plates (I'm sure it was a fun toy) but Monsters aren't gender specific, they're just cool.

Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings is a limited edition 144 page book from the creator of Plaid Stallions. Order from us and get three free promotional post cards.

The Man from P.E.P.T.O

 

 A Killer on the streets and between the sheets. 

Now Playing at the Regent, Odeon, Marks, Brock and Cumberland Cinema 6.

Marvel Superheroes Air Force

The Incredible Hulk may be the most "unpilot like" superhero character ever born. Advantage Ben Grimm....

Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings is a limited edition 144 page book from the creator of Plaid Stallions. Order from us and get three free promotional post cards.

Carpet the kitchen!

 

 The fad of carpeting the kitchen didn't take off in the 1970s. While not as gross as carpeting the bathroom, it's sole benefit were the deeply hypnotic patterns often made you forget why you were in the kitchen, thus discouraging snacks between meals.

Chez Frankenstein

Aw yeah more 70s Frankenstein submissions! This one is from Seth who met the monster outside the House of Frankenstein wax museum in Lake George, NY the summer of 1977. I've always wanted to visit the House of Frankenstein, which is still in operation and opens next week.

Thanks to Seth for the awesome photo.

Send me your mall appearance photos!

Diana from V

I picked up a vintage bit of merchandise relating to the "V" mini series that has to be seen to be believed. Peel back her skin after the jump:

The Jogger Suit

 

 Being a player means keeping in shape and every player knows that the best marathons are run in six inch platform heels.

Fisher Price Wild Animal Safari

I wish I could say this is mine but it belongs to a good friend of mine. This is was my first FP Adventure People set as a kid and while most my original set remains intact, I gotta think it's been almost 40 years since I've really looked at the box.

Looking at it just makes me happy.

The comic strip on the back sent me into a nostalgia tailspin, I don't know how I've resisted searching ebay for this!


More Fisher Price Toy Love

TOYFINITY Presents: The Return of the Greatest Villain from ALL of the 70's Space Franchises - ROBO FORCE'S THE KNIGHT OF DARKNESS!

For immediate release - April 1st, GROVERS MILL NJ - 

Somber. Powerful. A grim-masked menace that strikes terror into the bravest heart. A perfect bad guy for long hours of imagination and excitement. - Ideal Toys Catalog 1978 So read the official description of the awesomest bad guy from the greatest space franchise in the 1970's, Ideal Toys' SPACE TRAVEL AND RECONNAISSANCE (S.T.A.R.) TEAM™ - THE KNIGHT OF DARKNESS™. And now, HE'S BACK. 

 Originally created by a nameless Ideal executive in the late 70's as a way to revive the long-dormant IDEAL'S ZEROIDS WORKER ROBOTS OF THE FUTURE™ franchise and their own SPACE TRAVEL AND RECONNAISSANCE (S.T.A.R.) TEAM™ franchise of the early 70's, Ideal Toys' SPACE TRAVEL AND RECONNAISSANCE (S.T.A.R.) TEAM™ was a completely original concept revived by Ideal because they knew kids of 1978 were dying for some awesome space-based action figures for some reason.

 With impeccable sculpting prowess, THE KNIGHT OF DARKNESS™ was formed from the imagination of one of the artisans of Ideal Toys to provide the key figure in the franchise which the heroic ZEM-21™and ZEROID SCOUTS™ could battle in endless original adventures throughout a child's imagination. Along with their human friend KENT AND HIS COSMIC CRUISER™ and their S.T.A.R. TEAM SPACE HAWK™, ZEM-21™ and the ZEROID SCOUTS™ battled THE KNIGHT OF DARKNESS™. His magnificent black and silver uniform encased THE KNIGHT OF DARKNESS™ in a cloud of mystery, as his futuristic weapon cut a path through the toy shelves of the time, destroying all the cyborg and military heroes that were his competition in the 12-inch action figure market. But THE KNIGHT OF DARKNESS™ had one problem - he was just too evil and imposing for the children of the time, who had never seen such an evil and imposing character in any medium ever. He's just so evil and imposing and dark and knight-ish. 

So after only one series, Ideal Toys' SPACE TRAVEL AND RECONNAISSANCE (S.T.A.R.) TEAM™ disappeared from the shelves, never to return. Or so everyone thought.

 Now, after multiple years of complex legal matters, Toyfinity Toys has removed Ideal Toys' SPACE TRAVEL AND RECONNAISSANCE (S.T.A.R.) TEAM™ from the scrapheap of toy history and they will now be part of the revamped ROBO FORCE™ franchise. Toyfinity CEO and Owner John Kent said, when reached at his new mansion in Grovers Mill, NJ, "I couldn't be happier with the acquisition of Ideal Toys' SPACE TRAVEL AND RECONNAISSANCE (S.T.A.R.) TEAM™, which will now be known as ROBO FORCE'S SPACE TEAM™. I mean, Starriors wasn't available and I wasn't paying six more figures for the rights to MANTECH™ and STARCOMM™, so this was the next best thing, I guess. At least until we finish up the DOCTOR DETROIT™ license." 

 To mark the occasion, Toyfinity Toys has prepared a special piece of artwork showing ROBO FORCE'S THE KNIGHT OF DARKNESS™ dispatching some type of robotic entities and reclaiming his territory on collectors' shelves, in a piece done by Robby Musso, acclaimed artist who has worked on many, many comic book projects. Additionally, ROBO FORCE'S ZEM-21™ and ROBO FORCE'S SCOUTS OF ZETON™ will appear in an all-new ROBO FORCE'S SPACE TEAM™ comic book on Toyfinity.com to continue their adventures in the cosmos later in 2014. 

The very first ROBO FORCE'S THE KNIGHT OF DARKNESS™ action figure will appear later in 2014 utilizing the revolutionary GYLOS™ System from Onell Design , with ROBO FORCE'S ZEM-21™ to appear in 2015, maybe. ROBO FORCE'S KNIGHT OF DARKNESS™ - dare you add him to your shelves? Your other toys will be terrified as #DARKNESSFALLS. About Toyfinity Toys, LLC Toyfinity Toys, LLC is a New Jersey-based toy company who legally acquires the rights to old franchises and then makes new toys from them. 

Buy some at Toyfinity.com. Trademarks are legal right and property of the various companies that own or owned them, copyright the years they were valid. No one reads these sections anyway, right? 
Special thanks to PlaidStallions.com for their scans of the Ideal 1978 Catalog.

Dr Shrinker!

This toy would have grabbed my childhood money quicker than a vacuum although i would have been pretty bummed it wasn't an actual shrink ray (I wasn't class valedictorian) .

It's just one in a series of somewhat series relevant rack toys from Harmony who seemed to have the license for Krofft Supershow, here is the magnifying glass.

What can I say? I'm a sucker for toys with Jay Robinson's face on them. I'm also impressed with the amount of thought went into these, they're really well done.

Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings is a limited edition 144 page book from the creator of Plaid Stallions and it's full of stuff just like this. Order from us and get three free promotional post cards.