Toyco Alien Attack

Today's update is the answer to one of those riddles that plagued for years. The play set you see above has been something I've been trying to track down for well over 20 years and it's a wealth of toy history (and re-used molds) inside, more after the jump.

Junior Furley's of America

lllllllllllladies.....

The Man of Steel becomes the man of gold

I couldn't get over the sincerity of this licensing advertisement for Superman from 1983. which states that Superman 3 will "Make box office history for the third time in a row" and "we're expecting the strongest sales ever".

I remember seeing Superman 3 with my best friend, we were both 12 and I remember being really excited for a new Superman movie. 

The robot lady gave me awful nightmares and the popcorn had me throwing up all night. So, I don't have fond memories of Superman 3 (Unlike Trading Places, the film we saw the week prior which made men out of us, ahem) and likely didn't buy any merchandise that summer.

I think it's so weird to see a spread of Superman merchandise that doesn't include an action figure but with Mego going out of business that year and one year until Super Powers, this was a weird void.

My kids have never known a world where they couldn't go to a store and see a Superman action figure in some form. That's a weird concept because i certainly remember "the dark times"

Charlie's Angels Mobile Unit Van

I swear if i ever write a TV series (and I have ideas Hollywood!) I'm going to make certain the cast drives around in a van with the show logo on it.

Flocked Houndstooth sets the scene

This wonderful ensemble instantly shouts "THE ALPHA MALE IS HERE" wherever you go. Remember, with great power comes great responsibility....

ERTL Star Trek 3 Figures

I thought it would be fun today to talk about a Star Trek action figure line that nobody really ever does, from 1984 let's explore the ERTL toys Star Trek 3 line and I've even got prototype shots! More about this fun (and very affordable) line after the jump!

Star Wars....exclusively at Sears

While I personally don't remember the Rebel Command Center (which surprises me) I do recall the weird loyalty you had to have to Sears in order to "collect" Star Wars figures as a kid.

Sears wasn't close to our house, so I'd have to tag along with my mum to get groceries or other mundane tasks in order to get my hands on the all important Ugnaught (which was exclusive and came on a weird card in Canada).

They also closed for inventory at 6pm every Thursday, that shouldn't be a fact a ten year old knows but dammit, it was a hard lesson!

The ribs have it

Ribbed.....for absolutely no one's pleasure....

The Dinky Space Fleet

One would be foolish to go up against the Dinky armada in the late 1970s.....

Maxi Suits are making it this year!

That guy in green is the greatest "Doctor Who" that never was....just sayin'....

Goodbye to the World's Coolest Basement

This week got a l'il emotional as I bid goodbye to my grandparent's home. Even though they both had passed a while back, my whole family was a bit attached to their place and it took some time to finally decide to let it go.

For me, the hardest part about it was that it was a perfect time capsule complete with wood paneling, funky carpets and even rotary phones (which now reside in my home). It was like stepping into my childhood every time i went there:

I played with my Mike Power: Atomic Man in this corner, wrote my first post college resume on that desk and more recently filmed the Brick Mantooth toy commerical here.

The house was built in the mid 1960s and honestly I think they stopped decorating around 1972. They kept everything perfect so it was museum quality and it was also filled with weird "high tech" items like electric space heaters and intercoms in every room!

Seriously, what kid wouldn't play with this for hours? It was like living in the Venture compound!

This house will forever remind me of catalogs (my grandmother kept them for years, so yeah I got it from her), the Lawrence Welk show (which I hated then but now cannot get enough of) and Dean Martin records. I'm sorry to see it pass but I'm also taking all of those things with me, so it's never truly left has it?

Speaking of "taking it with me" I did manage to inherit something, somehow my siblings, parents and even nephew didn't fight me from getting what was truly mine.

Yes, this magnificent belt massage device works and it's all mine! Those fools just let me have it.

Thanks for reading, have a terrific weekend!

Sales will climb with Spider-Man!

It's fitting that i found this ad as i recently discovered the destroyed remains of my  corgi Spider-Copter in my kid's room recently. It made no comic book sense and even at 7 years of age  I knew it was aerodynamically impossible but I thought it was the greatest vehicle ever.

More Corgi goodness:

Roaring Good Fun

It was a well known fact that Spider-Man and Gene Simmons were in a licensing competition that still stands to this day.

Black Hole Kites

I was amused to find these ads for Black Hole branded kites from Hi-Flier tucked in a trade magazine from 1979. The toy industry really thought the robots from Disney's space epic were going to be the next big thing.

And for me and my friends, they totally were! I had every Black Hole item I could find, the Mego action figures, Gold Key Comics, it was even my lunch box in 1979 (which would end being my last lunch box) and it was a wonderful distraction until Star Wars returned.

Not sure I'd have bit on the kites but dang, that Maximillion one is all kinds of awesome....

The Dramatic Crackerjack Suit!

Yeah, three guess as to what the prize is with these cracker jacks....

An original Mantooth

Last week I got a wonderful "Mystery box" from my friend Robyn. The majority of which were amazing mementos of our last couple of decades working together on the "Mego Museum" website but at the bottom was this. An original sketch when we were planning (ok she was planning, I'm useless) to do a Brick Mantooth animated short. To me, this is priceless. I can't begin to describe the joy it will bring me as i pass by it every morning to work on this site.

The Lost Dark Crystal Toys

This toy trade ad from Spring 1982 showed a rather ambitious merchandise campaign for the Dark Crystal including Hasbro (actually their subsidiary Aviva) tapped for an action figure line.

Like many Science Fiction and fantasy properties of the early 1980s, like Krull, V and the Last Star Fighter the action figures got left on the run way.

How buyers waffled on such a property yet bought Dune action figures with both hands i'll never clearly understand.

More cancelled toy lines.

Live long and Prosper

I admit, I didn't know I needed a 25 foot mylar Mr Spock Dragon Kite but now, I can't live without it. I really need to be "That guy" in my neighbourhood, the "oh you know, the guy with the kite" guy.

Back to School Part 2: Perma Press!

Ladies and gents, may I introduce you to the future "Popular crowd". All of these guys grew up to be villains in John Hughes movies.

Back to School pt 1: TURBO ACRYLIC KNITS!

In the jungle that is the playground, Turbo Acrylic Knits are your best friends....

Toy Hit Parade July 1978

Ever been kept up late at night wondering what were the hottest selling TV Advertised toys of July 39 years ago? Well sleep well my friends!

What a surprise, Star Wars.

I had much bigger plans for Friday but I'm currently battling a nasty virus, enjoy!