Toy-Ventures: Tarzan or Big Jim?

Time for another Toy-Venture, this week we talk about the very underrated line of Tarzan toys produced by Mattel in 1978, actually we talk about the whole series of action figures produced that year using European Big Jim tooling. Grab a vine and join me, won't you? www.plaidstallions.com Facebook Group: Pod Stallions Instagram: Plaidstallions Twitter: @plaidstallions

Don't forget to join our new facebook group.

Get the expanded digital edition of Rack Toys here.

Tarzan Inflatables

 I trust everyone is having a delightful weekend, I'm enjoying some time in the pool with my Tarzan inflatables. Hope you are too.

1968 Collegville Costumes Catalog

It's Halloween season and that means a shiny new costume catalog from one of my favourite companies in the entire world, Collegeville!

This year we go waaaaay back to 1968 and check out what was hot for kid's costumes that year. Leading the charge is Doctor Doolittle but in his wake are such familiar characters such as Tarzan, The Phantom, Doctor Solar, Major Matt Mason, Flipper and a nobody named Mr Spock.

Check out the 1968 Collegeville Catalog here!

Pod Stallions Episode 55: Tarzan

Episode 55 is all about the Lord of the Jungle, Tarzan of the Apes

J&B (the hosts, not the crappy scotch) discuss their initial exposure to the Lord of the Jungle in his many television, film, print and comic adaptions over their life times culminating with last summer's adaptation.

Some of the subjects we touch upon are Mego action figures, DC and Marvel, Filmation, Mike Henry, Doctor Who, Chimp Genitals, Dakin, Casper Van Diem, Ron Ely, Batman, Sheena, John Carter of Mars, Flash Gordon,  At the Earth's Core, toys, Big Jim and oodles more.

  Download the Show Here

Listen here

Plenty more content on the PodStallions Facebook page!






PODSTALLIONS ON ITUNES
PODSTALLIONS RSS FEED

Mighty Men of Action and Adventure

I've posted bits of this before in the dial up days but I don't think I've shown the whole ad.

I'm just in awe, I'd wear the majority of these right now especially the Famous Monsters and Tarzan.

Also, it's weird to see Shazam! designs yet only one Batman.

Pod Stallions Episode 30: Model Kits

This month sees us discussing the days of slapping paint everywhere and getting a l'il high off glue.

Model kits has us discussing Aurora, Addar, MPC, fundimensions and many other kit manufacturers long gone.

Subjects include Sweathogs, the Fonz, Planet of the Apes, Jaws, Doctor Who, Gerry Anderson, Universal Monsters, Dark Shadows, Star Trek and much more.

As always we get sidetracked into talking about Jason's singing voice, Cosplay and star wars sneakers.

Please note I am working on raising my volume level, thought I had it licked this show but it's a work in progress.


Download the Show Here

Listen here

Plenty more content on the PodStallions Facebook page!






PODSTALLIONS ON ITUNES
PODSTALLIONS RSS FEED

Tarzan Jungle Bugs

 

You ahd me at Tarzan but you sealed the deal with "rubber bugs".

Visit our store for copies of Rack Toys, Mantooth dolls and more!

World's Greatest Super School Supplies

I found this ruler on Ebay a few months ago, i collect Superhero school supplies (sorry ladies, I'm spoken for) but the more interesting thing to me was the hi-jacking of the Mego World's Greatest Superheroes packaging art.

Many of these images were specifically drawn by Mego and didn't appear on other company products, while the seller told me it was a foreign mail in promo, I was leaning towards knock off.

Leave it my buddy Rob over at the Aquaman Shrine to solve this mystery without even being asked. He submitted this, a packaged Aquaman pencil sharpener using the same art. That's some unlicensed Hong Kong goodness there....

Get Rack Toys and more at our shop!

1977 Fleetwood Toys Catalog

Fleetwood toys was one of the biggest and most prolific manufacturers of Rack Toys during the 1970s and 80s.

In 1977, they were truly on top of their game as evidenced by the massive amount of licenses they had this year including the Marvel Comics Superheroes, Welcome Back Kotter, Starsky and Hutch, The Rookies, SWAT, Tarzan, the Space Sentinels even Ba-Ba Blacksheep!

It's so jam packed with cool rack toys, there is no way you can't find something you like.

Click Here to visit the 1977 Fleetwood toys catalog

Get our book on Rack Toys and other goodies at our online store

More Fleetwood Toys at PlaidStallions

Tarzan in the Valley of the Dinosaurs

Given my unhealthy obsession for all things Tarzan combined with my love of Rack Toys, it should be of no surprise to anyone that I flipped out when I saw this.

It's so great I'll forgive the fact that Tarzan is clearly a giant!

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.

1975 German Toy Catalog

I found this wonderful catalog from a German company called Spielzug, I remember my grandmother bringing me back some of these and how enthralled I was.

It's a really great slice of what lucky kids in Germany got, their own versions of GI Joe and Big Jim, as well as Barbie, Sindy, Lego, Playmobil and Steiff.

Check out the 1975 German Toy Catalog here.

More Vintage Toy Store Catalogs

..

..

Euro Tarzan

I haven't had many additions to our Tarzan Toy Gallery in a long while but this figure is a pretty big deal to me. It's made in Spain and I missed a carded one last year (and I didn't manage to save the auction photos) but the card art seemed to suggest that it's based on the Filmation series.

If I recall correctly, this figure is missing the little Nikyma that it came with. If anybody has a carded one that they would like to share, I'd be in your debt.

More Lord of the Jungle:

Tarzan Safari

That safari truck is no match for giant Tarzan. 

I absolutely LOVE stuff like this, even as a kid I couldn't have spent my $1.29 quicker. A lot of what I bought for the book, I sold off but this one I kept. There is another version with the Phantom that I need to track down.

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.

1978 Mattel Tarzan and Friends Catalog

Big Jim may have been long gone but his body got a lot work in 1978 when Mattel launched a series of action figures based on TV properties like Tarzan, How the West was Won and Grizzly Adams. Many of these items were made utilitzing items from the European Big Jim offerings at the time which unless you were from Italy, would be blissfully unaware of.

Click Here to visit all the manliness of the Mattel 1978 Tarzan Catalog

Other Mattel Related Links

Lord of the Craft Aisle

My love for the Filmation Tarzan series knows no bounds and these amazing poster art and craft sets have now become my new holy grails.

Tarzan by Corgi

As readers of this blog might know, I have a real affection for 70s Tarzan merchandise, mostly because of the wonderful Filmation series that ran on CBS (which sadly, is not available on DVD). One of the best items out of that era has to be this wicked Corgi set which of course features jungle vehicles, animals, the Zan himself and a jungle backdrop. I wish I had an endless income and storage space sometimes....

More Tarzan Goodness

Some new additions to the page dedicated to the Tarzan Toys Gallery this week, thia Jungle Communicator is by Fleetwood, who have their own gallery in the Rack Toys section (Zing!, a double update!)

This little guy is from a company called Gulliver from Brazil. Gulliver made some really cool 2" figures based on both the DC and Marvel Superheroes that I wish I owned.

More Lord of the Jungle: