Sesame Love

 

C is for awesome, wait, no it isn't....

Land of the Lost Logic

Quite possibly, the most "well, duh" bit of licensed merchandise  ever produced. Doesn't make up for the lack of Sleestak action figures but it's a start.

The travelling salesmen

 

 

"Dude, I am so playing pattycake with that farmers daughter"

Kenner TTP goes Bionic

In 1977 Bionic Man-ia (get it?) was still running so high that kids everywhere were asking Santa for a doll of a middle aged man in a bad sports coat (self included BTW). So the only logical thing to do was expand upon the licenses offerings (I'm writing this sipping out of a Bionic Man travel mug so hey, still works!).

So Kenner took the brand and stapled it to their popular concept of "Turbo Tower of Power", so Steve, Jaime and even Big Foot got some shiny motor cycles and went cruising. Sure, they all were super humans capable of running faster than a car,  the upside is this is the closest we got a 3 3/4" Six Million Dollar Man line and it's pretty darn cool.




Click here to get in all the Bionic Action.

breaker breaker

It's been a while since I went on about my obsession with Mego's short lived "CB Mchaul" toy line, inspired by the country's fleeting obsession with trucker culture.

By the time Ol' CB hit toy shelves, the whole thing was starting to wind down making the line (especially the carded figures) difficult to find. I think it's easier to find carded Iron Man figures than it is certain CB characters.

Fortunately for me, a lot less people give a crap about CB and his lewd gesturing posse, so you never go into massive debt. That being said, if you have CB figures for sale email me, I've got cash, toys and butterfly kisses for you.

Quilty by association

 

 

In the Hambly household, nothing ever goes to waste including the bedding that young Curtis (above) was likely concieved on.

Codematic by Larami

I love this display from Larami in 1976, the company prided itself on it's ability to systematically stock toys using their sales team (they were owned by a bakery). They also really thought the image of George Kennedy would make kids weak in the knees, crap he's on this display more than Martin Landau or Mighty Mouse.

The toy I most like on this thing?

This pistol, I totally had that and remember thinking the dude on the card looked like a bad ass. I stole my sister's leather jacket and became a secret agent, I had no idea what they did but they shot people, that much I knew. Off to Ebay!

 Rack Toys is available right now!

Dusty!

 I don't think I've ever blogged about Kenner's Dusty, which was their attempt to get in some of those pink Barbie dollars. A lot of effort went into the line, and I think Kenner seemed to be intentionally making Dusty look far less glamourous. While Barbie was a model, Dusty looked like your neighbour.

PlaidStallions Weekend News-O-Rama

It's a rainy Sunday morning here, so I thought I'd wrap up a few loose ends and report some goings on around teh interwebs.  Please scroll down and read this in the confidence that I have full on bed head while I type this, it's not pretty here:

Toy Show Alert!  I'm setting up next Sunday at Canadian Toycon / Fantasy  Gaming Expo in Burlington, Ontario. I'll be selling copies of Rack Toys and Megozine (have I even mentioned that here before?) as well as a  dozen tubs of vintage toys that I have no room for. What's cool is that my pal Monster Matt will also be setting up  and he was responsible for this painting that was featured in Rack Toys:




I'll be giving out postcards of the AHI Frankenstein painting, so you can get him to sign it as well. It's a terrific show, well worth the drive from Western NY and by all means bring the kids, plenty for them to do, even a costume contest. If you do come, don't be a stranger, please say hi.

Show details here (note this is a new venue)

Someone has started a kickstarter campaign to make a deck of playing cards based on the characters from "Freakies" cereal. I know of people who fondly remember this breakfast treat, however growing up in Canada I didn't hear about the stuff until the 1990s, so I'm kind of immune to the nostalgia. I am however, always an easy mark for a fun project, so go for it cereal fans!



Message from Space, possibly my favourite of all Star Wars knock offs  is coming to DVD this April. This Japanese film stars my martial arts hero Sonny Chiba and a slightly tired looking Vic Morrow in a race to save earth from some silver faced invaders. This crazy film was a channel 29 staple and one very close to my heart.

In other DVD news, sometime last year Warner Archive released Korg 70,000 BC with little fanfare. That needs to be corrected because it's one of those lost Saturday morning shows I'm sure some people are looking for and hopefully more will come of this.

The adventures of a prehistoric tribe, Korg was a little too educational for this five year old (I was all about Dinosaurs being mixed in with my cave people) but I remember it being very well made. This show never left my memory because my local variety store had the board game on display until the late 1980s when either someone bought it or they threw it out because it was so sun faded.

Anyway, that's my Sunday wrap up, I'm off to put on pants and see some Flea Market Gold, you should too...

Star Raiders Updates

It's been over a year since I launched the Tomland Star Raiders gallery on the site and I've had some good luck with regards to new images and information thanks to some lovely people who like to share.

For those not in the know, the Star Raiders were a brazen and rather kooky attempt to cash in on Star Wars without paying for it. These crude 8" figures are just so full of joy and a childish amount of creativity (that's a compliment)

So, many galleries have been updated with new photographs and information, although there is still a lot of gaps, so if you are a collector and would like to help, please drop me a line.

Visit the revised Star Raiders Gallery here.

More 8" Mayhem:

AM Radio Joy

 

 

Sadly the "Disguise the AM Radio as other things" is mostly a forgotten art. Also vanishing is the "Give kids things with the budwesier logo on them" agenda. Judging by how much Bud I drank in my teens, mission accomplished.

The Agency

 

 

Should I ever turn this site into a brick and mortar business you're looking at my secretary pool, it should go without saying that each of these ladies will be skilled in the deadly oriental arts.

Lightning Bug

 

 

Most people would hear the word Mego and associate it with the eight inch action figure craze they created in the 1970s that still has enduring fandom. However, the company started out as a producer of low cost "Hush Up Toys" which we now call "Rack Toys". The majority of the companies output is largely uncataloged, it's something I hope to do in the coming months.

 

 Rack Toys is available!

Mickey Mouse power ranch

 

 

This toy from Remco gives me the same uneasy feeling when I first saw a muscular Joe Piscopo. Buff Mickey makes me uncomfortable.

A FAB Christmas

The passing of Gerry Anderson last month prompted my pal Corey to dig up this fantastic photo he did in the 1990s of a happy Christmas populated by nothing but Anderson creations. Click on it for a larger view, a lot of old friends in there...

Rack Toys full circle

One of the things I really wanted to do to promote the book was to recreate a vintage rack toy aisle, complete with the original orange peg board so common in my area. While that wasn't a realistic goal, it's amazing what is right under your nose.

Above is M and S Mini Mart, which I've jokingly called "S'nM" since before I really I even knew what that meant. I first set foot in this store in 1979 looking for Whacky Packages, since then I've likely been there 3,000 times looking for everything from wood glue to cigarettes. It really hasn't changed since 1979, there is stuff in there that I remember from high school.

However, it wasn't until my son showed desire to own some green plastic army men that I realized that M&S still had the original orange pegboard! I've walked by it so many times that I didn't even see it anymore.

It was fortunate for me that the owners are very sweet people and that my potato chip purchases likely put their children through college and graduate school with enough to make a nice house down payment (get it? I like junk food), as they had no problem letting me do an impromptu photo shoot.

The book is actually hard to see in this display.

I can only imagine the collectibles that went through these slots. I vividly remember looking at the Street Hawk and A Team stuff back in the day. In '84 when Transformers were all the rage, this wall was littered with weird knock offs that are now likely highly sought after. I'm so glad that there are still Meccas like this to inspire future toy geeks and it just felt right doing this.

 Rack Toys is available!

The 2012 PlaidStallions Retro Awards

Another year has passed and it feels strange I’m already typing another entry in my fake awards show. Happily, we have a lot of ground to cover and things to praise this year. Also, look for some announcement with respect to the future plans on the site. (it’s mostly good)

It all gets underway after the jump, I promise not to sing the theme song.

Gerry Anderson Toy Tribute

The passing of legendary TV producer Gerry Anderson yesterday, put me into a real funk. Anderson created two of my favourite science fiction series of all time in UFO and Space:1999, not to mention a pile of super cool kid's programming in the 1960s. 

The man was a visionary, Whenever Anderson's name appeared, awesome merchandise followed. What better way to honour the man's legacy than to take a look at some of the playthings inspired by his output.

Spectrum is green after the jump!

ROYAL MAIL AND BBC WORLDWIDE TO CELEBRATE 50 YEARS OF DOCTOR WHO

2013 marks the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, the longest-running science fiction series in the world; the first episode was broadcast on 23 November 1963 · Each of the Eleven Doctors is featured in the set of 11 stamps depicting the actors who played the role over the last five decades · Fans can pre-order the stamps by registering at www.royalmail.com/DoctorWho 

From 26 March 2013, the stamps will be available to buy online at www.royalmail.com/stamps by phone on 08457 641 641, and in 9000 Post Offices across the UK March 26 2013, will see Royal Mail celebrate the 50th anniversary of the world’s longest running science fiction series in TV history - Doctor Who - with the launch of a special set of 11 stamps. 

 The stamps will feature each of the actors who have played the role of the Time Lord over the last 50 years. The stamp design will see the face of each Doctor appearing out of the iconic swirling screen idents, made famous by the opening credits of the TV show. The first two stamps are in black and white, as the first two incarnations of the Doctor were broadcast in monochrome. 

 Featuring on the stamps are the present Doctor, Matt Smith, as well as David Tennant, Christopher Eccleston, Paul McGann, Sylvester McCoy, Colin Baker, Peter Davison, Tom Baker, Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton and the First Doctor, William Hartnell. In addition to the 11 stamps featuring the Doctors, a five stamp miniature sheet will also be available. In the centre of the sheet is a stamp featuring the Doctor’s space and time travelling machine, the world famous Time and Relative Dimension in Space or the TARDIS as it is more commonly known. 

The remaining four stamps feature some of the Doctor’s most famous foes; a Dalek, a Cyberman, an Ood and a Weeping Angel. Andrew Hammond, Managing Director, Stamps and Collectibles at Royal Mail, said: “We are delighted to be able to celebrate this remarkable 50th anniversary. These stamps pay tribute to the brilliant actors that have played the Doctor over the years as well as the adversaries that helped make the show so popular.” Fiona Eastwood, Product Development Director, BBC Worldwide Consumer Products said: “The Doctor Who stamps are the perfect way to mark and celebrate the 50th anniversary of this much-loved programme. 

The collection is really impressive, and I am sure they will delight all Doctor Who fans.“ The stamps launch on March 26 2013, but fans can pre-order today by registering at www.royalmail.com/doctorwho

 The Doctors in order: 
 First Doctor: William Hartnell – First broadcast in 1963 until 1966 
 Second Doctor: Patrick Troughton – First broadcast in 1966 until 1969 
 Third Doctor: Jon Pertwee – First broadcast in 1970 until 1974 
 Fourth Doctor: Tom Baker – First broadcast in 1974 until 1981 
 Fifth Doctor: Peter Davison – First broadcast in 1982 until 1984 
 Sixth Doctor: Colin Baker – First broadcast in 1984 until 1986 
 Seventh Doctor: Sylvester McCoy – First broadcast in 1987 until 1989 
 Eighth Doctor: Paul McGann – First broadcast in 1996 (TV film only) 
 Ninth Doctor: Christopher Eccleston – First broadcast in 2005 
 Tenth Doctor: David Tennant – First broadcast in 2005 until 2010 
 Eleventh Doctor: Matt Smith – First broadcast in 2010 to date

A Corn Syrup Christmas Special

I know I said I was done posting and on holiday but then Tom (who sent in this above bit of awesomeness a few years ago) sent me an early present. 

This home movie shows Tom giving his mom a lesson in how to work a Stretch Armstrong properly. If that wasn't cool enough, it's a really nice pastiche of a 70s Christmas complete with funky turtlenecks and (now) vintage beer cans. It's not even my family and this brings back good memories. 

Click here to see it on Youtube

 Thanks Tom and Merry Stretchmas!

Holiday Wishes from Brick Mantooth

I can think of no better way of wishing you Season's greetings than this wonderful Christmas card created by my MegoMuseum partner in crime Scott C Adams. I can only imagine that Brick has a bottle of ripple for me there along with several carded mego figures.

Wishing one and all a joyous holiday season and a happy and prosperous New Year from my family to yours.

I only wish I had that hair

Thank you for reading and writing in, making me laugh and  being amazingly supportive.

We'll return with the Retro Awards at the end of the year and new features will begin Jan 3rd.

Until then, I've got books to ship, for which I should say thanks again.

Brian

Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings is now available!

After almost three years in the making, the finished inventory of our first book "Rack Toys, Cheap, Crazed Playthings" have arrived at the Mantooth Warehouse.

I am pleased to announce it's available to order from the PlaidStallions store right now. If you buy through us you'll get three exclusive Rack Toys post cards, however, the book is also available on Amazon.

For those just tuning in, Rack Toys is a celebration of fun toys that broke super easy and covers such generes as Superheroes, Monsters and Horror, Saturday morning cartoons, Generic items and dreaded knock offs.

If you were a child during the 60s to the 90s, there is something you likely had or wanted within this 144 page, full color book.

For now, I'm going to sit in shock and figure out where to put them all. To all of you who followed the progress here and on facebook,  emailed me, asked me questions, sent me photos or gave me advice, thank you.

Please don't stop, for everyone that orders a copy, please tell me your thoughts and spread the word. 

 We'll be closing briefly for the Christmas break (as will the Canadian post office so, no harm done) but orders will continue shipping out next week.