New PS Trading Cards!

It's been a long while since i printed up some new PS trading cards, mostly because of spending my time with Rack Toys (still available!) but this month I resolved to make some new entries. 

The first is card #40, the Whip from the Big Jim's Wolfpack line of toys. I had been doing the members of this team since the start and recently we started a Big Jim collector forum at the MegoMuseum, so it was fresh in mind and a fun image.



I wasn't even planning to do Pulsar's enemy Hypnos as a card but when I came across this image, it just felt right. Although I'm sorry I didn't have time to correct the boo-boo in the corner, it adds to the charm of card #41. Pulsar was card #3 of this series, so you can make them fight i guess.
So it's a double shot from Mattel!
These just arrived so they'll start going out with orders,  given away at toy shows and as prizes here.

Trading Card # 39: Martian Chronicles

Card 39 is one of my favourite rack toys of all time, the Martian Chronicles toy line by Larami. Larami wasn't exactly known for action figures, actually I'm not sure if they ever made one before or after this line.

This is also  the first time I've not used an original catalog image for a PS card, I just couldn't find something I was happy with.

These were based on the TV mini series that was a big deal in the late 1970s. I'll admit that it scared me as a kid (I was kind of a wuss) but now as an adult I've grown very fond of it.

I know the production has it's detractors (including the author himself) but I love it's cast, "retro future" design and Tomita inspired soundtrack. It also gave me an interest in the original book, one of my favourites now.

One of the things the mini series did very well were the Martian designs, they were inspired and one of the reasons I love these Larami action figures.

Though they are quite possibly, the cheapest made things I currently own. The bodies and heads wouldn't last an hour's play at the gentlest child's hands.

Trading Card #38: Venus Space Probe

Plaid Stallions Trading Card #38 is dedicated to the Venus Space Probe toy by Kenner.

As indicated by this piece last week, I have something of a history with this particular episode of the series and combine that with the fact that this toy makes me weak in knees when I see it and you have a no brainer.

As much as I like it, I doubt I will ever own one. It always goes for more than I am willing to pay and it's huge, space is a premium in my secret bunker...

Monster Contest Winners Announced

Last week, if you recall I held a contest for my newly printed Monster trading cards, folks just had to answer this question Who is your favourite Monster?

Well I got so many great replies (although I'm sorry, the correct answer was Frankenstein ;)) and I'm happy to announce that everybody who entered gets a set of Azrak Hamway and Lincoln International Monster cards along with super secret Plaidstallions card #37.

Thanks to everybody for entering, especially those of you who went the extra mile and explained their choice, you didn't have to do that and it was fun to read. Look for more contests in the very near future.

Godzilla Battles The Tricephalon Monster

A wonderful update as our Halloween Countdown progresses a look at the HG Toys classic Godzilla playset which includes a story of kindness and a tale of nerd vindication, all that and a new Plaidstallions Trading card, after the jump.

Trading Cards Part 2

Card #34- Raydeen

Shogun Warriors were pretty epic toys and I hope to celebrate each one individually, unlike other things I've featured this weekend, I do have a Raydeen. He's beat to hell but I love him anyway.

Mattel Shogun Warriors Catalog

Card #35- Ideal Jaws Game
Honestly I had like ten minutes to decide card #35 so I thought a nice pallet cleanser from action figures would be the Jaws game, something I owned as a kid and used more as something my Mego Superheroes fought more than I ever did as a game..

That's it for now, I'll probably do more new cards before the year end but I'm all caught up.

More Trading Cards Part 1

It's been a while since I've talked about this but I printed some designs in the summer and have been happily sending them out with DVD orders and ebay auctions, figured this weekend would be a good time to showcase them.

Card #32- Stretch Armstrong

This was long overdue, seeing as he's an iconic toy born in the 1970s. It's one of the few vintage toys I had as a kid but will likely never rebuy as a collector. Those things can be timebombs and I learned my lesson years ago, so did an unfortunate mouse.

1978 Stretch Armstrong Catalog

Card #33- The Ghost of Captain Kidd
Ah, this is one of the coolest action figures of the 1970s IMO, this image was too good not to make into a trading card. I don't collect these either but wow do I think they're neat.

Matchbox Fighting Furies Gallery


Cards 34 and 35 tomorrow!

Trading Card #31: Slade

Card #31 is one of my bigger regrets in toy collecting, I used to actually own a Shindana Slade doll and loved it but in the massive purge I did in preparation for my first child, he was cut from the team. It was one of those panicked things first time fathers do I guess.

During that period I got rid of a ton of different toys, Stretch Armstrongs, my Aquaman collection, M.A.C, Mego dolls, G.I. Joes, Big Jims but Slade is the only sale I regret. As toy concepts go, he's one of my favourites.

This has never worked before but if you have a Slade doll for sale, please contact me.

Trading Card # 30: Kenner Alien

This card comes with a little bit of a story, I got lobbied to do it by someone over at the Megomuseum forums (thanks James). He even went out of way by mocking up what he thought the card should look like. This is important because and this might come as a shock but I'm not really a fan of Alien.

I've worked years at Convention dealer rooms with people who absolutely adore the thing, my wife owns all the films but the appeal of it all escapes me, I'm weird I guess. That said, James was totally right, this is an iconic toy of our childhood and absolutely deserved to get it's own trading card.

Plaid Stallions 4th Birthday Bash

I know I promised a Cylon picture (and I'll get to that) but I just realized that today makes the fourth anniversary of this blog. So it seemed fitting to unveil Card #0 of the PlaidStallions trading cards, the Brick Mantooth action figure.

I cannot believe that it has been four years since I first created this blog and this (rather dry) first post. If you had have told me that I'd still being doing this let alone making trading cards, books and action figures I wouldn't have believed it. Mostly because I don't usually have that much "sticktoitiveness".

It's been an incredible positive trip and I've met some truly remarkable people and made some genuine friends. I truly thank you the reader for all your kind words and thoughts over the years, they've meant the world to me.

As with all the PS birthdays, it's time for another contest, just send me the answer to this question:

What's the one toy or childhood item from the 1970s you still wish you had?

Email me the Answer here and I'll announce the winners next Saturday.

Prizes include: Commercial DVDs, trading cards and Mego Reimagined Catalogs.

Again, my thanks to everyone for this terrific and fun journey.

Pocket Superheroes Trading Card

Card number 28 is dedicated to one of my personal favourite toy lines of my child hood, Mego's Pocket Superheroes. Released in the late 1970s, these 3 3/4" figures kept my love of Superheroes alive in a time when everything around was space orientated.

For more on this killer line, check out the Mego Museum Pocket Superheroes Gallery.

I'll be giving out these cards at tomorrow's Toronto Toy Show if you're in the area (click here for $2 off coupon to get in)

Star Bird Trading Card

Card #27 is Milton Bradley's Star Bird Avenger, this card wasn't decided by me or the factor of what I had as a kid, to be honest I was never aware of this toy back in '79. I held a contest at the Mego Museum Trading Card Forum (where you can trade PS cards) and this was the winner. From everyone I've talked to about this, Starbird was an awesome toy full of the electronic "bells and whistles" that the Kenner Star Wars vehicles weren't.

I'll be holding a contest for more cards this month, if you live in the Toronto area check out the Toronto Toy Show November 22nd as they'll be readily available there as well.

Remco Monsters Trading Card

It's been a while since I unveiled a trading card and this is going out of order but what the hell, it's Halloween. Card #29 is the Remco Monsters. Anyone who has read this blog knows I'm terribly fond of the line and I loved this great glow in the dark shot, so it was a no brainer to get these out for October. I'll be doing a contest for these in November.

Speaking of the Remco Monsters, what better time to show off these great Newspaper toy ads which feature them, click on the one above for a larger look.

Clash of the Titans, Mego Pocket Heroes and Universal Monster dolls, total droolage...

$6.87 seems kind of high for these back then, of course if you offered this now I'd fill my garage.

The awesome mini Monsters are in this great Kiddie City ad. Click on it for a larger view.

Collect them all indeed. Stay Tuned all day for more Halloween Goodness...

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Space:1999 Trading Card

Trading Card #26 is Palitoy Space:1999, I did this card for the 2009 Megomeet convention back in June because timing didn't allow a Megomuseum card for the event (as the card quality shows, it takes me a lot less time to do these).

This UK exclusive toyline kind of changed my life, in that it made me a bat sh*t crazy toy collector. I was just some regular old science fiction fan until one day in 1985, I found a Captain Zantor doll and thought "I wonder what other toys Mego made?"

I don't have a Palitoy Space:1999 page on the site, that's because there is aready a great one here.

I have one more Mego toyline that I plan to put into the trading cards sometime later this year, stay tuned.

Nerfman Trading Card

Trading Card #25 is Nerfman by Parker Brothers, he's kind of forgotten now but this guy ruled, so I really wanted to honour him a bit. As an added nostalgic bonus, Nerfman is from the first toy dealer catalog I ever found because it came from my dad.

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Time for another great link in the world wide web and today's is pretty fantastic. Toy creator Mel Birnkrant has created a site giving you an inside look at the Maxx Fx toy line. I've blogged about Maxx here before, the concept was a doll of a special effects artist who could become movie monsters through the help of costumes. The whole thing imploded according to Birnkrant due to Matchbox's bright idea of making a stuffed Freddy Kruger doll for kids.

The Life and Death of Maxx Fx is an amazing resource and provides insight that you will wish all toy lines had websites this good.

Doctor Who Trading Card

Card #24 is the Densy Fisher Doctor Who line, it may seem weird to do a Mego line here considering the Megomuseum cards but I'm not sure when we're ever going to get around to this line and me being a monster fan, just had to do it. I consider it a foreign mego subset.

Growing up in Ontario in the 70s, Doctor Who was a big thing, it aired on TVO and was hosted by a guy called "Doctor Dator". I remember being destroyed when Jon Pertwee died and turned into Tom Baker thinking "this new guy sucks!".

While these Denys Fisher Mego figures were sold in the UK, Italy and Australia, I really think the Canadian Mego Distributor dropped the ball in not releasing them here. I think they would have sold fantastic, I don't know anybody that grew up in Ontario that doesn't know who Doctor Who is.