Stretch Monster and Hutch

This is the coolest crossover that never was, ABC really missed making some event television. Hutch and Steve Austin could have complimented themselves on terrible mustache decisions...



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Colouring Book Theatre: Shogun Warriors starring Great Mazinga

It's been a long time since I did a CBT here at PlaidStallions but yesterday I found a treasure trove of books at a local shop including this gem.

I love the Shogun Warriors colouring books because they're kind of nuts but in a real good way. 

They were the creation of Canadian cartoonist Owen McCarron (who also created the Marvel "Fun and Games" comic) and it's painfully obvious that he was probably given no back story to the characters and free reign to do whatever he wanted.

So he just had fun with it, it's so super absurd with no thought to scale or science that just kind of has a wonderful childlike charm to it. I imagine very few kids would complain.

 Check it out after the jump and when you're done, check out this other book from the series.

Creepy Crawler Thingmaker 2

When this set came out, I begged for it but my folks, they were impossible to talk into this sort of item, they wore me out. 

Flash forward to me being 16 and finding a dusty, unsold one in the back of a Toronto variety store. Money left my wallet pretty fast and I raced home and did...absolutely nothing with it. 

I had no real desire at that age to sit and make rubber bugs, so I ended up selling it at a flea market. This experience has not deterred me in any way to repeat this behavior for the past 30 years...

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The Amazing Spider-Van

I bet the Hulk's pick up has truck nuts.

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A whole mess of 1970s Belt Buckles

Does anyone else love the fact that Lee Majors and Farrah are on this page? I'm pretty sure I'd have gone for Kong as a kid.

Super People 78

When Star Wars figures came out, all my favourites from previous Christmases got sent to the Black and White pages often discounted. 

I didn't mind at the time but now it kind of makes me a little sad, save for the awesome team up of Steve Austin and Spider-Man, that just rules.

The 1978 AHI Toy Catalog

The undisputed king of the "Rack Toy" in the 1970s was Azrak-Hamway International or "AHI" for short.

They were riding high with past hits like Batman, Spider-Man, Star Trek, Space 1999 but 1978 saw them add James Bond 007, Farrah Fawcette, Donnie and Marie, the Walt Disney characters and their answer to Star Wars, Star Fleet!

It's a real blast down the pharmacy toy aisle, check it out here:
1978 Azrak Hamway Toy Catalog on PlaidStallions.


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AHI James Bond Toys

Even though they were advertised for a couple of years in their catalogs, the Azrak Hamway James Bond series of Rack toys remains pretty hard to find on the secondary market. It seems they were produced in very low numbers. 

Recently a carded disc gun came on the secondary market prompting my podcast partner Jason Lenzi to quip "Is that Fred Grandy as James Bond?"

Oh and hey, my book "Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings" will soon be returning as an e-book, hopefully this week barring any problems. You can get updates at my facebook page:

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Monster Gallery

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Space:1999 Gallery

A Halloween Force

Star Wars pretty much dominated my Halloween experiences from '78 to '82, I can't be alone on this. Vader, Storm Trooper, Boba Fett and Yoda were my choices as a kid.

Super Friends go all Galactic!

My pal Chris found this toy hunting recently, I don't know it's origins but I know it's probably from 1978. 

it kind of reminds me about how "Galactic" the Super Friends got during this period in time, it seemed like every week they were in space fighting a guy with a "laser sword". 

Anybody know where this is from?

Mattel Battlestar Galactica Action Figure Commercial

Happy Friday!


Here is another commercial transfer, this it the original Mattel Battlestar Galactica Action Figure commercial from 1979, a new transfer of the original reel. 

It's kind of ironic that this features mainly the 'peg warming" characters like Imperious leader, Ovion and Daggit. Also, why does Starbuck talk like a robot?

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Mattel Suckerman Commercial

Happy Friday, here is another one from the recently digitized archive, the original commercial for Mattel's Suckerman. Suckerman definitely fit in with the gimmick figures like Stretch Armstrong and Krusher, they could have formed a League to stop Stretch Monster and Gre-Gory.

Enjoy.

The Mattel Shogun Warriors Collection Commercial

I am thrilled to unveil this new transfer from my collection. This is the Mattel Shogun Warriors collection diecast commercial that I doubt I've seen since I was nine.

I have a few more like this coming up this summer. Hope you enjoy!

Superheroes and Apes in Japan

I was elated to find this ad full of Ourway Studios Superhero and Planet of the Apes merch in a Japanese issue of StarLog.

Especially mind warping is those Superhero stamp albums, which I totally had and collected as a kid. I wonder if they still accept orders......

Check out the Our Way Studios catalog from '77!

Star Wars in Japan

I recently found a 1978 copy of Starlog magazine from Japan, I find it adorable how little Star Wars merchandise there is but this is very, very early in the game.

Of particular note is the infamous "Archive Minatures" which I've never actually seen before. These little figures (called "dolls" in the ad) were cranked out super quick but Lucas very quickly unleashed "Darth CeaseandDesist".




Yup, for a very short time if you like Star Wars and figures this was the only game in town. They're kind of charming to be honest...

Origin of the Creature Cantina

This past June, I spent a little time with the former toy buyer for Sears. He was a wealth of interesting info but my favourite takeaway of that conversation was this anecdote.

I am paraphrasing:

Basically, the buyer asked Kenner to make "The bar with all the aliens" as a play set for the Sears catalog.

The Kenner rep was initially reluctant feeling it wasn't good to market taverns to children.

His reply?

"It's not a bar, it's a cantina, call it that"

And thus, the Creature Cantina was born.

Gre-Gory: Big Bad Vampire Bat by Mattel

It finally happened, I got my hands on a Gre-Gory. After posting my disappointment ten years ago (ulp!) I found a good deal on one and decided to take the plunge.

More photos after the jump and my observations as I have never seen or held one of these in my life.

Atomic Peddles to Power!

I had the Jaguar as a wee one and it was dandy but I pretended it was the Batmobile....

Mego Introduces the Micronauts

Today we feature the original toy trade catalog given to buyers when Mego launched the Micronauts in February of 1977.

It's a wonderful and rarely seen piece, more after the jump.

Star Trek 1978

Even though Star Wars was all the rage, the Mego Star Trek figures miraculously re-appeared in the 1978 Sears Catalog. The figures came on cards with blank backers, it's largely believed it was a tactic by Mego to retain the Star Trek license for the upcoming move. 



Always nice to see the Space Command Center that we featured earlier.