The Last Star Fighter Prototypes Found

This past week I got one of those emails that I just absolutely live for and that is from the owner of the hand painted set of prototype figures for the Last Star Fighter. Pictured about is the original catalog page we showed here. 

Originally proposed by Galoob, these figures never saw light of day, probably due to the film's lackluster box office (it's a good movie too, I saw it opening weekend). It haunts collectors such as myself a little and that's why this image and the following story made me smile.

More after the Hyper Jump!

1979 GLJ Battlestar Galactica toy Catalog

In 1979, GLJ toys (one of my favourite obscure toy companies from the era) did what a lot of toy makers did and grabbed a piece of Battlestar Galactica in the hopes it was the next Star Wars.

Their specialty was inflatable toys, even vehicles for the action figures which is just awesome.

It wasn't quite the bonanza they were looking for and I'm not sure half these inflatable toys ever got made. It's a fun trip nonetheless, check out the 1979 GLJ BattleStar Galactica Catalog here.

More unproduced BSG merchandise:

Blue Thunder Prototypes

While I remember the Multi Toys Blue Thunder Helicopter from the Toys R Us clearance center, I didn't lnow how far they planned to take the series. This page from their 1984 catalog shows (kind of crude) prototypes for Bubba Smith, Dick Butkus, James Farentino and even Dana Carvey.

There was even plans for non helicopter toys! More on Multi Toys later on this Spring.


More Unreleased Action Figures:

The Top Ten Cancelled Toy Lines of the 70s/80s

Remco Monsters Prototypes

I am lucky enough to know the owner of these original factory pulls of the 9" Remco Creature from the Black Lagoon and Phantom of the Opera figures. It's also advantageous that he brought them over to my house last spring and let me photograph them.

From the collection of the line's sculptor, the difference between the test pulls and detail lost in the glow plastic is staggering. Some fun close ups after the jump:

The Creature shows a great deal of detail lost, when I first saw it I worried it wasn't the same figure but it is.

Kissing cousins.

As much as I love the Remco Monsters, the Phantoms glow plastic and paint job really spoiled a nice head sculpt.

"I can't believe we're related"

Many thanks to my buddy for allowing me to document these amazing items and hopefully in the future, we'll get to see the rest of the Remco Monster Squad...

Check out our upcoming book "Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings"

Visit the New PlaidStallions Shop!

Pulsar, Sweathogs, Space:1999 and Shogun Warriors

The feature this friday is the boys action figure lines in the 1977 Mattel Catalog. It would be a great year for the toy giant, with the release of homegrown organic Superhero Pulsar and the imported Shogun Warriors line. Mattel also continued with TV licensing including the Sweathogs of Welcome Back Kotter and a second season of Space:1999 toys.

As a bonus, we've got exclusive shots of the original Mattel prototypes for the Space:1999 line including a never before seen 12" commander Koenig. Check out the 1977 Mattel Catalog Here (Expect a Girl's Version to follow in the coming months)

Some time this morning, World's Greatest Toys Blog is asking you, where did you buy your toys? A blog about Vintage Toy Stores, you can't be surprised I'd be interested in that.

Frankenbumps!

Here's one by Mego that never made it out, Frankenbumps was a twist on stretch armstrong except you could use a pump to vacum seal his bean filled body and you'd be able to twist him into different positions. If this at all sounds familiar it's because Cap toys revived the concept years later as Vac-Man.

No Frankenbumps protos have ever been found but a box exists. Mego also had produced a face changing 12" Dracula doll in the late seventies, no photos have come forward sadly...