Buck Rogers Giant Water Squirter

My friend Corey LeChat sent me this incredible find, a Buck Rogers water gun by Barton (makers of the Green Avenger and other classic 1970s water weaponry) and I wasn't even aware this existed!

More after the jump:

Biddy Biddy They don't take Diner's Club Buck!

I tell you, whip this puppy out at your next get together and you will be the most talked-about person in the room. Trust me, I have experience in this matter. 

Also, I leave a running tape recorder in a briefcase when I exit a room.

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5 Awesome things on eBay this week

Buck Rogers Lampshade Kit- I can't think of anything that would light up a room better than Pamela Hensley and Erin Gray in this wonderful 3-D piece from the UK. I love it's not the stock art but an original creation.

Incredible Hulk light switch cover- Speaking of lights, this 1970s light switch cover is everything I love about 70s stuff, totally funky and just slightly off model, everybody wins!

Battle of the Planets Keychains- I am really in love with these, they're pricey but honestly, I'd never seen them before a week ago. I'd settle for the Phoenix and yes, it would become my key ring.

Tomland Strawberry Shortcake RipOff-  Toymaker Tomland Toys was no stranger to ripping off concepts, I mean these are the people behind the Sonic Man and the Star Raiders but they seemed to have run out of clever the day they named this. Seriously, Redhead? That's lazy Tomland, even for you....

Mattel Slime Monster Game- As a kid completely verboten to have Slime of any kind (Shag Carpeting) I do find the whole concept weirdly alluring.  This is the first time I've ever run into the game and had a looksie, now i want it.

Toy-Ventures: My Mego Meet Haul

I've just returned from my favourite toy convention of all time, Mego Meet and please excuse the sleepy voice but I haven't had much sleep!

Thought it would be fun to go over the various items I picked up at this weekend's festivities, stuff from Planet of the apes, the Monster Squad, Stretch Armstrong, Godzilla, Kolchak the Night Stalker and hey I even bought a Mego figure from Buck Rogers.

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Buck Rogers Disc Pistol

So, last Thursday when I posted about Star Trek Tracer Guns, i received a mystery gift from a friend, a Buck Rogers Tracer gun!

This seems like a sign from the universe but I'm not sure what it wants me to do....

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Buck Rogers Space Watch

25th Century elegance and craftsmanship but available today!

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Colorforms:1981

I'm gonna be honest, as much as I loved Buck Rogers, I probably would have went with the Popeye set when I was ten. I still love that movie and well, I have a thing for Shelly Duval...

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The Great Sci-Fi Toy Slump of 1979

It's really hard to believe but in 1979, Star Wars and other Sci-Fi related toys hit a major slump. So much so that many retailers considered it all a "fad" and stopped ordering new items.

This article taken from a "Toys, Hobbies and Crafts" magazine interviews major buyers and the vice president of Mego about the then-uncertain future of  space toys. Surely Star Trek the Motion Picture and the Black Hole were going to kick it back into high gear!

The recent release of two new space movies, with a third on the way for the spring, means kids will again be looking into space toys in droves, say manufacturers.

But retailers are leery about space, since sales dropped off as much as 30% for some last year on licensed and nonlicensed space toys.

The retailer's attitude for 1980s a "wait and see" philosophy. Most are hoping that Star Trek, The Black Hole and the Star Wars sequel, The Empire Strikes Back, will rejuvenate sales.

Still, buyers say they plan to go slow in placing orders for sci-fi toys, depending upon the interest.

TH & C spoke with representatives from Heck's, Winns Stores, Singer and Co., Sprouse-Reitz Co.,Toy Fair, Kenner and Mego. This is what they had to say:

Read the rest here.

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Bendy Buck Rogers and Twiki

This past weekend I was grateful to recieve a surprising package from Jason, my podcast partner. If you had asked me to guess, I'd have never gotten it right but somehow it's the perfect gift. More after the jump:

Buck Rogers Flying Model Rockets

I have never known the pleasure of flying model rockets but these Sci-Fi related kits really tempted me as a kid...

Shoot-Outs in Space

Light beam guns was the pinnacle of all technology, all down hill from there....

Adventure from Beyond the Stars

There aren't many better ways to spend an afternoon in 1980 than acting out a "Buck Rogers on Tatooine" storyline.

Larami Toys 1981 Catalog

In 1981, Larami was celebrating it's 20th year of bringing low cost licensed "Rack Toys" to children around the world.

This year was no exception with licenses like the DC and Marvel comics Superheroes, Barbie, Fat Albert, Flash Gordon, Dick Tracy, Mighty Mouse and the ever present Popeye, Larami had something for any kid to beg their parents for while they shopped.

Visit the 1981 Larami Toys Catalog here

And more Larami here:

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.

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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.

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Buck Rogers Bubb-A-Loons

Say that five times fast. I do admit to loving the smell of this stuff and the fact that imperial did three different types of card art for the same item. 

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.

Fleetwood 1979 Catalog: Marvel Superheroes, Buck Rogers, Starsky & Hutch

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There is no better time capsule into 1970s pop culture than a rack toy catalog especially if it's one by Fleetwood toys.

'79 is a great example as the company had some fantastic choices, from the TV cop antics of Vega$, Chips and Starsky and Hutch, to the less popular How the West was won. Marvel superheroes both A  and B list were present and we had Buck Rogers and Salvage 1 present to please the Sci-Fi Kids.

Check out the 1979 Fleetwood Toys Catalog

More Fun from Fleewood

Our new book Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings covers Fleetwood and much more.

Pod Stallions Episode 7: Battle Beyond the Star Wars

Originally we were going to do our Empire Strikes Back show but then realized that discussion of all the other Sci Fi properties of the late 1970s would have left us with a four hour show.

So, Episode 7 lovingly talks about all those "other" SF movies of the disco era from the feety pajamas of Star Fleet to Gil Gerard's unforgiving spandex to Vic Morrow's robot love, no cubit is left unturned. 

As usual, there are some detours along the road in the form of discussion of British comics, Wilfred Hyde White and why threes never work..

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Show Links:

• A gallery of covers from the British "Look-In" comics. 
• A page from the Look-In Logan's Run TV series comic
• The never produced Logan's Run Mego Figures.
• The interesting opening to the Buck Rogers movie.
• Jason loves this Battlestar Galactica mail away set.
• Brian thinks Mattel's Battlestar Galactica Space Alert game might be the best hand held game ever.
• The Black Hole Laser gun that never got made.
• Brian still has nightmares about this cereal promotion.
• Klingons hawking Happy Meals, this happened.
• The weekly Star Trek newspaper strip was recently put into a collection1.
• The trailer for Starship Invasions, Canada's greatest film.
• Caroline Munroe makes Starcrash more palatable but it's still a mess with 40% too much Marjoe Gortner.
• Message from Space is now available on BluRay
• Now you can buy Shape of Things to come on DVD and experience the same buyer's remorse Jason did in the theatre.

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Top Ten Coolest 3 3/4" Action Figure Lines of the 1970s

I gave up writing a weekly list for Topless Robot, in order to finish writing Rack Toys. I will admit to missing it from time to time, so I’m going to keep fresh by churning out the odd one for PlaidStallions. 

 One of the things children of the 1970s were witness to was the birth of the 3 ¾” action figure, this was something that was entirely ours as a generation. The 3 ¾” action figure was to us, what the Slinky or Mr Potato-head were to  baby boomers. 

 The explosion happened so quickly and so many companies followed suit that it’s easy to over look who did some of the best jobs.

Disclaimer: Your favorites might not be here, sorry about that but this list is merely meant as a fun distraction and doesn't serve in any sort of "official capacity". I don't really consider myself any bigger an expert than you, trust me. I'll probably do an 80s one in the coming months. .

#10- Butch and Sundance Kenner

Kenner’s Butch and Sundance line wasn’t based on the Paul Newman/Robert Redford classic from the early 1970s but on the prequel William Katt/Tom Berenger film “Butch and Sundance The Early Years” yeah that happened.

Kenner went all out on this line making figures of other characters played by Peter Weller and Brian Dennehy. The figures had better articulation than Star Wars figures, their legs moved they could ride horses and pull their guns with quick draw action.

All the bells and whistles couldn’t save the line from the fact that cowboys had fallen out of vogue and the movie it was based on wasn’t a big hit. Frugal Kenner recycled some of this line for their “Adventures of Indiana Jones” line in 1982, which filled it with additional win.

Click here to read the Top Ten 3 3/4" Action Figure Lines of the 1970s.

More Top Ten Fun

Cheapo goodness from the 25th Century

"Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" is a joy for me, I like the series and it was a complete merchandising whore (unlike most 70s sci fi shows I love). As a bonus, much of said merchandise can be found cheaply on the secondary market. Take this new inductee into the Fleetwood Toys gallery it's not only got some great graphics, is surprisingly screen faithful and wouldn't last an afternoon's play. This, is the stuff of childhood.

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HG Toys for 1980

HG Toys was a company known for applying licenses to their staple of role playing items, puzzles and playsets. In 1980, they rocked the 25th century with Buck Rogers, explored the seedy streets of Vega$ and smashed a few cities with Godzilla. Shoot they even made Fantasy Island merchandise, what's not to love?

Check out the 1980 HG Toys Catalog Here

Other HG Toys Links

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