Morning Glory

Drink him in folks, drink him in. I'm not sorry.

As an aside, he's wearing the same pattern as my kitchen floor as a kid.

The Day the Scary Creatures Took Over the World

I wanted to save this until Halloween but I just can't wait the 7 months to show this off. This is one of the greatest 70s Rack Toy displays I've ever seen, mostly because it looks like an amalgam of every single "movie for a Sunday afternoon" that scared the living crap out of me as a kid.

I will not rest until it is mine.

Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings is a limited edition 144 page book from the creator of Plaid Stallions and it's full of stuff just like this. Order from us and get three free promotional post cards.

The Pleated Sleeve

This is not only a dignified outfit but it also serves as a fully functioning wing suit, you will truly make an unforgettable entrance as gently glide down from the roof top.

Phantom of the Theme Park

Adam submitted this great shot of him and the Phantom at Universal Studios circa 1979. Thank you Adam! I don't get enough Universal Monsters appearances here.

Send me your mall appearance photos!

Podstallions 14: Filmation Part One

We've probably mentioned Filmation in every one of our shows (it's our anniversary BTW, what did you get us?) so it's no surprise that Jason and myself are huge fans of the legendary animation company.

Episode one explore our earliest memories of Filmation and tries to relay the Saturday morning experience, look for a longer episode 2 in the coming months.

For now we touch upon the DC comics Superheroes, Archie, the Groovy Goolies, Fat Albert, Shazam!, bubble gum rock, dog toys and my obsession with Winnebagos.  

Download the Show Here

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Show Links:

• The Archies singing God Save the Queen from the minds who brought you Blue Peanuts.
• The Chemtoy Groovie Goolie figurines are gorgeous but also go for big bucks.
• Lou Scheimer: Creating the Filmation Generation is a must for any fan of their shows. Seriously, it's a terrific book.
• Filmation's Dick Tracy cartoon is largely forgotten which is a shame because it's more faithful than the better known 60's version.
• The live action Groovie Goolies mentioned in the show.
• Replacement Captain Marvel kinda let it all hang out...
• Brian treasures this promotional Mr Mentor autograph

Plenty more content on the PodStallions Facebook page!

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Belly Bumper

I'm probably going to get this, mostly because it'll give everyone I good shot of my ample man-cleavage. Eyes up here ladies...

It takes a village (people)

Forgive my ignorance on the matter but who was the lead guitar for the village people? Is it Glen the biker or the construction worker whose name escapes me.

Also, who was lead tambourine?

Fonzie Vision

For those of you who ever wondered "was there a Happy Days cartoon where the gang travelled through time along with this dog Mr named Cool or was that just a weird dream brought on by too much chipotle?" Here is your terrifying answer....

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.

The Storm Coat

Give Mother Nature the finger this winter with the storm coat.

Spotlight: Dr Shocker's Vault of Horror

Today’s spotlight is the fun DVD Dr Shocker’s Vault of Horror, released this past fall, it is something I've been meaning to talk about for some time. If you like monsters and monster toys, you need to check this out after the jump.

100% pure West

Dutch sent this awesome shot of him and Batman hisself Adam West shaking Bat hands at the Chicago World of Wheels show in 1986. That bat cowl totally rules.

Not only that but he shared the killer autograph he got that day from the appearance, well done old chum!

Send me your mall appearance photos!

1978 Janex Toys Catalog

Janex Toys is largely known to children of the 1970s for their talking alarm clocks featuring Raggedy Anne, Batman and Bugs Bunny. However the company put out a lot of different toys and concepts (most of them centering around talking) during their tenure and held a good deal of popular licenses.

1978 saw Janex release toys based Superman, Wonderwoman, Sylvester and Tweety as well as going back to the well with the old favourites.

Check out the 1978 Janex Toys Catalog here.


and we also have the 1977 Catalog:

Beach:1999

Beach towels are a facet of merchandise that kind of fascinates me, mostly because you just don't see them very often. I guess that's because people used them for their intended purpose, I remember my Wonder Woman and Star Wars towels were pretty much rags by the end.

Seeing a strapping image of Martin Landau or the Eagle ship on a terry cloth background makes me want to hit Ebay. Trouble is, how the heck do i display them?

Unisex Crime

My friends got very cruel when I strolled in wearing my wife's flowery blouse and minty pants, they were all just jealous!

Space:1999 Stun Guns R Fun

 

I think the Space:1999 stun gun is one of the most iconic Sci-Fi weapons ever created. As a kid, I used a Staple gun until I nabbed the AHI water gun pictured above, it's the most screen accurate toy produced in the 1970s IMO.

AHI had a year of Star Trek sales under their belt so they knew phasers sold well, they applied the same concept to the 1999 merchandise, lucky us.

I've never seen this saucer version before.

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.

Anti-Ninja

Let 'em know your every move by draping yourself from head to toe in luxurious corduroy.

Spotlight: Zica Six Million Dollar Man

Welcome to a new feature on PlaidStallions, the spotlight, which will revolve around items such as toys, books and DVDs available today that give that retro vibe to me.

I’m hesitant to call them reviews, mostly because I personally don’t think action figure criticism is something I want to do. If I like something, I’ll post pictures and give reasons why I enjoy it and you make up your own mind up whether it’s right for you or not.

Our first spotlight subject is the latest thing to hit my doorstep, the ZICA Six Million Dollar man action figures. Read it after the jump:

Goodbye to my biggest fan

Normally I wouldn't trouble folks with my personal life but if there was anyone that is a foundation for this site, it was my grandmother who passed away this week at 91 years of age.  She (and of course, my parents) is largely responsible for why I look backward with fondness.

I was fortunate enough to read her eulogy and was glad to share with people how much she meant to me and my family but I had to leave a lot out.

Today would have been her 92^nd birthday and I'm going to spend it celebrating many of the things she did that made me want to create this site in the first place:

• My grandparents owned a store in a mall, almost every Saturday I was babysat there. I spent the majority of the day going from the Woolco, to the hobby shop and then to the drug store to ogle the rack toys. My grandmother was usually good for $2, which was completely pissed away on what she would call “Junk”.

• She kept old catalogs in her house and if she traveled to another country, she would bring me back their toy catalogs. It was kind of a weird torture looking at Big Jims and GI Joes that I would never own. It did however spark my interest in foreign toys, is anyone seeing a connection here?

• In college, when I was forced to sell my toy collection, she arranged the purchase of my two favourite MIB Mego figures (Spider-Man and Captain America) and gave them back to me years later. I still have them, I will never sell them.

• On my sixth birthday, she left me in the Eaton’s toy department and told me to pick out one thing for my birthday. I spent what felt like an eternity pouring over the GI joe and Big Jim offerings. More than the toy itself (i forget what I chose), I appreciated just being given that luxury of time.

• When I was 13 she knitted me a Tom Baker scarf, she also sewed me a Jon Pertwee cape that I wore to my first convention a year later. I still have both, I never wear them.

• She bought me my first issue of Starlog and more comics than I care to calculate.

• My first Ramones record? You guessed it, it was Road to Ruin.

• Christmas was incredible event at her house, some of my fondest childhood memories stem from those evenings.

• When I got the Brick Mantooth figures in from China, she was the first person I showed. She approved but thought it was bad investment and well, the lady wasn't dumb.

• I filmed the Brick Mantooth commercial in her impossibly funky basement.

• She owned one of these and now, I do I guess.... 

• Rack Toys is still proudly on her coffee table.

• She always told me the truth, even I wasn't going to like it and could present it in a manner that I couldn't get mad at her.

She was my enabler and I can’t look at the majority of the things I blog about and not think of her. That will always make me smile and one of the reasons I’ll keep going and will be just fine. I love what I do because she loved me.

Thank you for indulging me.

1978 Shindana Toys Catalog

Formed in 1968 (with some no obligation assistance from Mattel), Shindana Toys was a Los Angeles based company that wanted to create unique toys for black children.

This catalog, from the company's tenth anniversary sees them branching out into a toy company that now provides a diverse selection of ethnic characters.

Speaking of characters, Shindana still offered such notable celebrities such as Redd Foxx, Dr J and even Marla Gibbs.

Check out the 1978 Shindana Catalog here


And don't stop there, we've also got the 1976 Catalog here:

Nightmare Warriors

Nightmare warriors are toys that I remember but was slightly too old to buy at the time. The idea of Skeleton action figures was done in the 1970s and for some unknown reason the dollar stores aren't full of these guys now. That's a crying shame, Skeleton action figures are an ever green.

Oh and they glow in the dark! Come on, this is a no brainer.

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.