Sci-Fi Decisions

Faced with this decision as a child, I went for Super Joe and you know what? I still would, especially since I don't have a "Gor: the King of the Terrons" doll. What about you folks?

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Battle of the Planets Figures 2: Toy-Ventures

This time we look at the 8" Megolike Battle of the Planets action figures produced in France by Ceji Arbois. Figures that were cobbled together by using bodies from three different Hasbro toy lines. This video is for adult collectors aged 18+ because that's who watches my channel. All of our videos are on our Facebook page, please like it in case I close up shop on YouTube. https://www.facebook.com/Plaidstallionsdotcom/ Twitter: @plaidstallions

Search for the Abominable Snowman

Oh if I had more space, I fill my house with stuff like this.

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Toy-Ventures: Mike Power Atomic Man

This week is all about one of my favourite childhood friends, the amazing Mike Power : Atomic Man from the GI Joe Adventure Team.

We talk about his origins, foreign incarnations, accessories and his sales. 

Special thanks to Chris at www.1964gijoe.com

Hosted and edited by Brian Heiler (@plaidstallions)


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GI Joe in Spaaaaaacccceeee

Things got wicked cool for GI Joe in Europe.

It's Charlie's Angels!

Only in the 1970s were "crimefighting" and "Skateboarding" put together logically.

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World of Adventures

Ah, this photo will be my happy place today. That orange scuba set was well played with in my house.

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Hasbro Ghost Gun

I got to spend one afternoon with the Ghost gun's brother "the Moving Monster Gun" when I was ten and i remember how smitten i was with this toy.

Bonus shot: Here's the Ghost gun at retail way back in 1974.

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I Love Action Figures in Karate Outfits

(Many thanks to my friend Eddie for this awesome image above) 

The Martial Arts explosion of the early 1970s was not lost on action figures, growing up in this time, it gave me a lifelong obsession with the culture.

 It also turned out to be a real positive influence in my life, so I've decided to start collecting all the various 70s action figures I can find in Karate Gis and compiled a list of ones that i have and would like to have after the jump:

If the mission is dangerous...GI Joe is on the way

Happy GI Joe Friday, this spread is from Christmas 1973. Probably the year I got my first Joe, I was never the same....

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Daredevil Color adventure!

You probably needed a lot of red, white and blue with these....

Weeblemania

Weebles were completely forbidden in my household as we had pledged loyalty to the Fisher Price Little People.

I ain't complainin' but come one, a Sub and a haunted house? Aggghhhhh!

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1971 Hasbro GI Joe Adventure Team Catalog

 My earliest memories of action figures are Hasbro's GI Joe Adventure team, I would spend hours staring at those wishbook pages, drooling at those fuzzy faced guys having adventures. 

The sights of these toys are so hard-wired in my brain, they're pure happiness.

That's why I'm excited to be showcasing the 1971 Hasbro GI Joe Adventure team catalog, full of helicopters, snakes, sharks, mummies and spies!

  Please enjoy the 1971 Hasbro GI Joe Adventure Team Catalog.

1973 GI Joe Adventure Team Catalog

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Banana Splits Mania

I'm a little young for the original run of the Banana Splits but their reruns are a really happy early memory. So I totally dig these pages from the 1969 Hasbro catalog,  I never knew how much merch they got.

I especially would have loved these!



I'm a sucker for bendy figures and these are wonderful.

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Palitoy Commander Power; Fearless Defender of the Galaxy

Fortune smiled on me last month in the form of managing to pick up a Commander Power action figure. 

Known to us kids as Super Joe, the British toy firm Palitoy made some fun changes to the line such as marketing the characters (Palitoy only selected 3 Super Joe characters) in large boxes and more notably changing the name of our star player.

More after the jump:

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.

GI Joe's 50 Adventures

Moving things around yesterday I looked at the back of GI Joe package for the first time in years and was kind of blown away at how striking it is. 

It really shows how powerful this artwork was, no wonder I'm a junkie for it some 40 years later. 

Hasbro Paint by Number sets

i honestly don't know what would have won if i had a choice at six, probably the Super Friends but I think Star Trek had a decent shot.

Snoopy Sno-Cones

I could never talk my folks into such wonderful things such as this. Did you ever try for a snack maker/toy, if so which one?

Dolls: Big Figures from Fantasy!

I recently came across this wonderful article about action figures circa 1977, it mentions Micronauts, Pulsar, Metal Man, Electroman, Stretch Monster, Shogun Warriors and their impact on the toy market place. It features interviews with not only toy buyers but toy makers from Hasbro, Mego, Zee Toys and Mattel.

Seeing as these are things that haunt my dreams 40 years later, I thought it might be of interest to all of you, read on after the jump!