Stretch Monster and Hutch

This is the coolest crossover that never was, ABC really missed making some event television. Hutch and Steve Austin could have complimented themselves on terrible mustache decisions...



New Six Million Dollar Man Shirt in our Redbubble store!

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Cool Shirt Explosion!

Forgot suggested ages, I NEED ALL OF THESE IN AN XL! DAMMIT, GIVE ME THREE OF THE BIG FRANKS JUST IN CASE I LOSE ONE!

New Six Million Dollar Man Shirt in our Redbubble store!

Don't forget to join our new facebook group.

Get the expanded digital edition of Rack Toys here.

5 Awesome things on Ebay this week

Steve Austin's Belt Buckle- Ok so it's not the exact one but it's the same one the Six Million Dollar man wore. Anything that gets me closer to looking like Lee Majors is a good thing, also I imagine he smells really good.

70s Star Wars rip off parachute guy from Spain- This hits an incredible amount of buttons for me, if it's already sold it's because I caved and bought this.

Captain America Movie Viewer Catridge- How weird is it that Cap was marketed under the Walt Disney Brand 40 years before that happened? Also, I just know this is clips of those weirdly animated Krantz cartoons, so i want it more.

Berwick Dalek Playsuit from 1965- Even though this came out many years before I did, I love Doctor Who and the Daleks. Also, I find the wonderful simplicity of this toy very appealing.

Ideal J,J Armes Mobile Investigation Unit- I remember seeing this commercial as a kid and wanting it for that entire Saturday and then moving onto something else I guess, childhood is funny like that. 

While Armes himself is a real PI with different mechanical hands, he never had a cool ride like this, I totally checked.

Six Million Dollar Christmas

I can't help but associate Lee Majors with Christmas, he was present at some really good ones!

New Six Million Dollar Man Shirt in our Redbubble store!

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Get the expanded digital edition of Rack Toys here.

A whole mess of 1970s Belt Buckles

Does anyone else love the fact that Lee Majors and Farrah are on this page? I'm pretty sure I'd have gone for Kong as a kid.

The Six Million Dollar Man by Kenner

Happy Bionic Friday everybody!

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Super People 78

When Star Wars figures came out, all my favourites from previous Christmases got sent to the Black and White pages often discounted. 

I didn't mind at the time but now it kind of makes me a little sad, save for the awesome team up of Steve Austin and Spider-Man, that just rules.

Bionic People in France

Steve Austin and his crew were truly an international hit as evidenced by this wonderful catalog page from France. I love how Jaimie is now "Super Jaimie" but Maskatron? That's multilingual baby!

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Bionic Classroom

I was slightly deceived by the title "Bionic Classroom" as a kid, I assumed it would be a playset where Steve and Jaime did cool Bionic things.

Nope, it's just Jaime's work, a school that seems to be located at the airport and judging by the chalkboard, she's blown her cover.....

You know what they call "Six Million Dollar Man" in France?

"L'Homme Qui Valait 3 Millards" and Bionic Woman is "Super Jamie" and Maskatron is just...Maskatron

Bionic Marvels!

That communicator works up to ten feet away! I'm telling you technology will never get any better....

Vintage Toy Store Pictures Volume 18

For this year's last Friday feature, I bring you my favourite of all sections of PlaidStallions another volume of vintage toy store pictures!

Celebrating the time when we had unique independent retailers dotting our landscape and came up with colourful and and interesting ways of selling us toys.

Volume 18 is our biggest yet and loaded with shots across the USA dating from the 1970s to the 1990s. Maybe even your favourite childhood toy haunt is included in this mix!

Notable sites include Kenner Six Million Dollar Man, Barbie, Hot Wheels, Mego 2 XL, Muppets, Fisher Price Little People, Electronic Games, Atari Consoles,  Kenner Star Wars, Gabriel Lone Ranger and much, much more.

"Take my advice kids, keep one of these in the box!"

Vintage Toy Store Photos Volume 18

Don't forget to visit our archive of Vintage Toy Store Photos, it's a timewarp!

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.

Oscar Goldman visits Kenner (gets briefcase)

OK, so apparently actor Richard Anderson visited Kenner headquarters in 1977 and they presented him with a life sized version of Oscar Goldman's exploding briefcase!

So that means, that (hopefully) in Richard Anderson's house, he has a 1/1 scale version of one of the greatest action figure accessories ever made.

I simply have to know where this is, I need to see this. I have a new mission in life, right after i lie down.....

UPDATE: 

Thanks to Ann on our Facebook page (like us!), we've cracked the case. Turns out, it still exists and was auctioned off in 2013 to a collector. Nice to know it's still around and being looked cared for. It's also kind of refreshing that I didn't know about the auction before hand because that sort of thing would haunt me....

More Bionic Toy Love:

Colouring Book Theatre: Six Million Dollar Man

The Six Million Dollar Man: Coloring Book By Saalfield  (1975), 

         I've done Six Million Dollar Man books before by Saalfield, but I always enjoy another dip into the Bionic Craze.

Colouring books are usually a mixed bag depending on what reference materials they give the artist, this may be the first time I can accurately deduce exactly what the artist had to work with.

Grab your crayons and beam down me after the jump

6 Million Dollar Man Bionic Video Center

I've joked about the Bionic Video Center in the  past but there is no way as a kid that I wouldn't have wanted this.  Steve is reliving his glory days, he needs a six pack.

Bionic Favourites:

1976 Clipper Toy Catalog from Holland

Sure things in Holland are a little different than here, their liquorice is salty and let's just say their definition of "dutch oven" differs from mine.

However, Christmases were pretty darn similiar to ours thanks to toy companies like Clipper who distributed some of the best selling toys and games the world has to offer.

You may not be able to speak the language but you won't need to.

Click here to visit the 1976 Clipper Toy Catalog.

PodStallions 21: Bionic Man-ia

It was bound to happen, episode 21 talks of the Six Million Dollar Man television series which slow motion ran across our television screens (and our collective hearts) during the Polyester decade.

In this we discuss the series itself, the spin offs and the crazy/wonderful merchandise that made Christmas more memorable. We go through the fan club kit, discuss favourtie episodes and villains. Jason also gets to relay his experience working with the license some 30 years later and even 

Of course, that being said we get off track into discussions about Mego, Star Wars, West World, Penny Dreadful,  the career of John Saxon, Star Trek the Motion Picture , David Carradine and other things completely unrelated to our subject.

Episode 21 will have you looking your Bionic Eye.

Download the Show Here

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Show Links:

• The Japanese Spider-Man figure by Popy we discussed.
• The very first episode of Kamen Rider V3 sees his whole family murdered by a villain called Scissors Jaguar.
• The Ark diecast ad we discuss on the show that features Jason's beloved Baltan toy.
• How Star Wars figures were sold in Japan.
• The Captain Scarlet model kits Jason mention.
• Denys Fisher Cyborg toys based on Henshin Cyborg.
• A website devoted to the Shinsei UFO Commander toys.
• The Kamen Rider Henshin suit that keeps Brian up at night.
• Drool over the amazing Jumbo Machinders!

Plenty more content on the PodStallions Facebook page!

We'll be adding Bionic Man collectible photos to Facebook.



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Vintage Toy Store Photos Volume 16

In an effort to combat the end of summer blues, I've dig deep to the days of Pegboard and regional toy stores to bring the 16th edition of our vintage toy stores feature.

Installment 16 features old favorites such as the Bionic Woman and Six Million Dollar Man, Barbie, the Osmonds, Atari, Fisher Price, Mego Diana Ross and much more.

We explore such long forgotten chains such as Bambergers, Two Guys as well as local toy emporiums such as The Toy Shoppes and Youngtown.

Check out Vintage Toy Store Photos Volume 16 here.

Super Size Bionic Woman

In 1977, the British Distributor of Kenner toys Denys Fisher, produced an 18" tall version of Jaime Sommers and marketed more like a fashion doll. Pity they didn't do a Steve as well.

These little foreign variants are what drew me into toy collecting in the first place, I loved discovering what's out there and what i missed as kid, so to speak. Even though my collection is "Bionic Woman Free" for the most part, I can really dig and appreciate cool grail pieces like this.