Toy-Ventures 22: Bulletman from the GI Joe Adventure Team

This week we take a look at Bulletman: The Human Bullet and his many international variations from the UK (Palitoy) and Mexico (Lili Ledy). I discuss my personal history with this figure and why he's so special to me. Please hit like and subscribe and never miss a Toy-Venture!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFgCpwiNXcs

World of G.I. Joe

This Shop-Rite piece from 1976 is another wishbook image that burned right into my brain.

I managed to con my folks into Bulletman and the Capture Copter (purchased at Shop-Rite no less) that year. I was really sad to not see Joe in the catalog next year.

Bulletman International

My passion for Hasbro's Bulletman knows know bounds, the figure in the foreground is the first thing I ever purchased at a toy show (sadly almost 30 years ago). The other two are international variations of the figure that I'm proud to now own, more after the jump!

1977 Lili Ledy Toy Catalog

Lili Ledy was Mexico's premiere toy manufacturer and because of trade restrictions, all toys they sold had to be manufactured in Mexico. So many of the popular US lines were licensed and then produced by Lili Ledy resulting in wonderful variations that toy collectors hunt for to this day.

1977 was a killer year with Bionic People, G.I. Joe and Mego Superheroes for everyone. Many thanks to Steve F. for these incredible scans...

Click on the images below to see larger pages with descriptions:

1977 LILI LEDY (MEXICO) TOY CATALOG

More Great Foreign Toys:

Buy, Sell or look for vintage Lili Ledy Toys at our trading post

Bullet Man Trading Card

The final card I did this go round, Bullet Man was one I really wanted to do because I have a lot of happy memories playing with him. I struggled finding the right image but eventually chose this one so I could shoe horn in my other favourite Joe toy of that era, the Capture Copter.

I don't have a big G.I. Joe collection but I have both of these items proudly on display.

Previous Trading Cards

Bulletman Appreciation Day

It's been a while since we honoured Hasbro's Bulletman, that great attempt to make G.I. Joe a little more superheroic that sadly failed. The big B is often maligned unfairly by Joe collectors, particularly the military ones but for many of us 70s kids, he was an incredibly fun toy.

This is Bullet Man as he appeared in Mexico, produced by the Lili Ledy Company.

Below are some vintage newspaper ads from when Bulletman was new.

For more Adventure Team Goodness Check out the link below:

Bullet Man Commercial from the UK

Well, the gods have decided they don't want me to do coloring book threatre today, it's complicated but I haven't had power for much of the day. So in it's place I offer this 1976 British commercial for Action man (the UK name for G.I. Joe)

While stateside, G.I. Joe was going into "Super Adventure", Action Man was always close to the military roots. Even integrating goofy characters such as Intruder seemed a little more plausible somehow. Plus Mike Power Atomic Man has a bitching fro!

More on this: 1976 Hasbro G.I. Joe Catalog

Bionic Things for a Bionic Lady

I never paid much attention to Bionic Woman Merchandise as a kid but the one thing I've noticed is they were always trying to do that dangerous mix of adventure toy and fashion doll.

Take her Beauty Salon/Repair Station or her Dome House, a domesticated version of Steve's mission control center. Although I have to admit, Steve looks comfy in there....

Bonus Feature! Started the first of what will likely be many gallerys for the great comic book toy ads of the 70's. Please take a look.