Mattel’s Heroes in Action series was set of small scale figures produced in 1975. It’s interesting to see all-out military figures from this time, considering that Hasbro’s GI Joe had been transitioned over to an adventure theme. Maybe Mattel were banking on the longevity of a war comic like Sgt. Rock to sell these to kids. I’ve seen this ad
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The Real American Hero series had the distinction of being the first comic book advertised on television. It was also Hasbro’s creative way of marketing its relaunched toyline without having to stick to the regulations of the day regarding animation and toys. Have we mentioned here how effective the 80s Joe marketing was? Why else would we still be talking
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In 1973, while the GI Joe line was well into its Adventure Team period, competitor Mattel introduced Big Jim, a less militaristic adventure and sports based 10 inch figure, as an alternative. Unlike Joe, Big Jim from its beginnings incorporated action features into the figures. The toys’ biceps bulged when arms bent at the elbows. In 1975, Big Jim’s image
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Lately, I’ve been thinking more deeply about the history of action figures, and the GI Joe line’s place in it. Of course, Joe was technically the first of what came to be known as action figures, although toy soldiers and dolls have been around for centuries. Captain Action was an early attempt by another toy maker (Ideal) to build on
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That’s an impressive feat for a toy line in only its second year. This ad, which I found in a 1965 issue of the Justice League of America comic, touts Joe’s sales success as well as his presence as a TV star. I think most folks have seen the vintage commercials that propelled the toys into the American consciousness. It’s
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I found this Remco Sgt. Rock ad inside the final issue of Brave and the Bold from 1983. I recall these and Remco’s Warlord being more prevalent than Joe ads, but maybe I just had more DC comics back then. The illustrations look much more impressive than the actual toys were, thanks to the amazing Joe Kubert.
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From a 1991 international catalog come the battlefield robots. I find these two to be pretty cool little low-price point items. This catalog really showcases them nicely.
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It’s amazing to think that Hasbro would focus a segment of the 1994 GI Joe line on a different scale, and continue the all-out sci-fi vibe of Star Brigade’s second assortment. The set seems like it might have had a chance among the competing Turtles and Rangers in the early 90s toy aisles. However, we’d not find out how these
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I’ve been fascinated for a while with the yearly Toy Fair catalogs that were common in the days before the internet. Paging through them is akin to a trip back in time, and at times even more enjoyable than looking through old Wish Book and Christmas catalogs. The industry catalogs definitely boast much higher resolution photos than what was available
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I just can’t seem to get enough of the Steel Brigade. This ad from an Action Force magazine is even more bold than the various US pamphlets that touted the figure. It even pictures the toy itself. Very nice. The concept of ordering an action figure that you (sort of) created still piques my interest. This is definitely something Hasbro
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