Action Figures of the Week: Waterworld (Kenner; 1995)

Playset of the Week: MASK - Boulder Hill (Kenner)

Bozo the Clown See-a-Show (Kenner)

Alien Week: Alien (1979) Action Figure (Kenner)

The written description to this H.R. Giger-inspired toy from Kenner notes the alien’s “evil brains” that “glow in the dark.”

The same instructions sheet also instructed the kiddies to “press the back of his head on the bottom. His mouth opens and the gruesome teeth move forward.”

How many children could have possibly seen Alien, I wonder?  Did parents take their kids to see it?

Perhaps a more pertinent question is this: how many children wouldn’t be scared to death by a cat or dog-sized action figure with retractable inner jaw and an eyeless, human skull for a head?

Well, I didn’t see the movie (I was nine), and I still wanted the toy. Desperately.

I didn’t get it.

I feel like a lot of kids my age wanted the Alien toy too, whether or not they had seen the film, but apparently parents complained about Kenner’s masterpiece of horror and, legendarily, the toy sold poorly. 

The alien was thus pulled from toy shelves at the behest of concerned parents and terrified children, and a generation of psychologists grew rich treating the PTSD of innocent children who happened down the aisle hoping to buy a plus R2-D2, only to catch sight of this leering, plastic monstrosity.

Here's a commercial from 1979.

Action Figures of the Week: Qbert (Kenner)

Alien Action Figures of the Week: Alien Resurrection Movie Edition Action Figures (Kenner; 1997)

No bones about it, Alien Resurrection is my least favorite "pure" Alien movie.  There's something vaguely cartoonish and campy about the affair that I find troublesome and irksome, though I readily admit there are moments and scenes I cherish.

But none of those moments feature Dan Hedaya, I assure you.

At the very least, the crew of the Betty gave us an early glimpse of Joss Whedon's Firefly concept. and as usual, Sigourney Weaver was terrific as Ripley.

Anyway, in the year of Alien Resurrection's release (also the year of Starship Troopers), Kenner -- a company that had already released some terrific Alien and Predator-styled toys in the early 1990s -- released a "movie edition" set of six action figures from the fourth Alien movie.  These were relatively large figures compared to the earlier editions, about six-inches in height.

The toy box described the film's milieu in rather verbose terms:

"The Future.  An old enemy.  The perfect predator.  A zealous assembly of scientists and officials conducting the experimental wedding of human and alien genes...A band of renegade space smugglers and the mysterious appearance of a woman linked to an alien species dangerous beyond calculation!  The result is a peril reborn and more shockingly monstrous than ever before!"

Kenner produced two protagonists for this variation on their Aliens line, the aforementioned Ripley, described as "warrant officer" and "alien behavioral expert," and Winona Ryder's android, Call, described plainly as the "mechanic of the Betty Ship."

The alien side was represented by the warrior ("drone to the Alien queen,") the battle-scarred alien ("combat ravaged warrior drone"), the Aqua Alien ("genetically enhanced aquatic alien") and finally, the Newborn ("genetic human/alien hybrid").

The likenesses on the human(oid) characters are pretty good, and alien drone, Newborn and battle scarred aliens all look pretty awesome, as you can hopefully see.

The aquatic alien was not featured in the film, though there was an underwater scene in the film designed and executed as an homage to The Poseidon Adventure.  I understand that the Newborn alien is pretty unpopular with Alien fans because, heck, why mess with perfection when it comes to these xenomorphs, but it's certainly a ghoulish-looking thing.

Another nice touch: many of the figures come complete with awesome miniature toys, including facehuggers, a small alien queen, and...a blood-spattered chestburster. 

At Flashbak: Kenner's Stretch Armstrong

This week at Flashbak, I also remembered a second famous toy from the seventies: Kenner’s Stretch Armstrong.

Here’s a snippet and the url (http://flashbak.com/grab-hold-pull-remembering-kenners-stretch-armstrong-1976-1980-57801/ )

“Stretch Armstrong is a strange but beloved toy from the mid-1970s. Stretch is a blond-haired hero who looks like a wrestler, and who wears only a black speedo. 

Designed by Bill Armasmith, this Kenner action figure had a special power, however. He was made with latex rubber and filled inside with corn syrup so he could be pulled – or stretched – to inhuman proportions.

“Stretch him long…stretch him thin.  Watch him return to shape again,” the toy box promised.

Designed for ages 5 and up, Stretch Armstrong quickly proved an incredibly popular toy.  Coloring books were produced.  And the character spawned knock-offs in other country including Italy’s Mister Muscolo, Japan’s Mr. X, and El Hombre Elastico in Mexico.

Soon, Kenner expanded Stretch’s universe with a supporting cast.  These characters included a lizard-man villain, the Stretch Monster, a Stretch Serpent, and a weird X-Ray Stretch Armstrong (with a transparent brain).

Although Stretch Armstrong went out of production in 1980, he was resurrected in the 1990s with a new friend; a stretch dog companion. 

For the last several years, production companies have sought to make a Stretch Armstrong movie, but without success.  The latest news is that Netflix is planning to unleash Stretch on audiences in cartoon form in 2017….”

Continue reading at Flashbak.

At Flashbak: Hugo, Man of a Thousand Faces (Kenner)

This week at Flashbak, I remembered a great (if creepy…) toy from the 1970s: Kenner’s Hugo, The Man of a Thousand Faces.

Here’s a snippet and the url (http://flashbak.com/use-imagination-create-disguises-hugo-kenners-man-thousand-faces-56668/ )

“Now here’s some good old-fashioned nightmare fodder from the mid-1970s.  Hugo -- the face you see before you -- is a bald-hand puppet, thirteen inches in height, with a big, bald plastic head, and cloth arms. 

This unforgettable toy, Hugo, the Man of a Thousand Faces, was manufactured by Kenner so that youngsters could practice the fine art of movie make-up and, I suppose, crafting sinister disguises.

Created by screenwriter Alan Ormsby (1943 - ) -- also an actor and author of the book Movie Monsters -- Hugo the Man of a Thousand Faces was released in 1975, and came complete with a cloak, wig, glasses, and more. 

In particular, he came with hair and facial accessories that could be attached to his visage courtesy of a “non-toxic glue” that, as memory serves, nonetheless smelled funny…”

Please continue reading at Flashbak.

At Flashbak: Kenner's Alien Action Figure (1979)

This week at Flashbak, I also remembered one of Kenner’s most unusual action figures: the titular xenomorph from Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979).

Here’s a snippet and the url: (http://flashbak.com/evil-brains-glow-dark-remembering-kenners-alien-figure-1979-53028/)

“…Kenner Toys -- flush from its huge success with the Star Wars licensing contract -- actually manufactured a giant action figure of the acid-spewing, face-crushing xenomorph from the popular, franchise-spawning, rated R horror movie. 

The written description to this H.R. Giger-inspired toy notes the alien’s “evil brains” that “glow in the dark.”

The same instructions sheet also instructed the kiddies to “press the back of his head on the bottom. His mouth opens and the gruesome teeth move forward.”

How many children could have possibly seen Alien, I wonder?  Did parents take their kids to see it?

Perhaps a more pertinent question is this: how many children wouldn’t be scared to death by a cat or dog-sized action figure with retractable inner jaw and an eyeless, human skull for a head?

Well, I didn’t see the movie (I was nine), and I still wanted the toy. Desperately.

I didn’t get it.

I feel like a lot of kids my age wanted the Alien toy too, whether or not they had seen the film, but apparently parents complained about Kenner’s masterpiece of horror and, legendarily, the toy sold poorly. 

The alien was thus pulled from toy shelves at the behest of concerned parents and terrified children, and a generation of psychologists grew rich treating the PTSD of innocent children who happened down the aisle hoping to buy a plus R2-D2, only to catch sight of this leering, plastic monstrosity.”

Continue reading at Flashbak.

Action Figures of the Week: The Hardy Boys (Kenner)

Collectibles of the Week: Knight Rider (Kenner Edition)

Advert Artwork: Kenner 1984 Edition

All I Want for Christmas Countdown #2: Star Wars Droid Factory (Kenner; 1980)

Terminator Week: Action Figures of the Week: Terminator: Future War (Kenner)

Terminator Week: Collectible of the Week: Terminator 2 Bio-Flesh Regenerator (Kenner; 1991)

The year 1991 brought a whole line of new Kenner toys -- including vehicles and action figures -- based on James Cameron’s blockbuster Terminator 2: Judgment Day.   One of the neatest of these toys was the Bio-Flesh Regenerator Playset which offered kids the opportunity to “Mold and Destroy your own Terminator!”

As the box describes the set, “The Bio-Flesh Regenerator was created in the year 2030. This awesome unit is used to completely cover the metal skeleton of the TERMINATOR with real skin to make him totally undetectable to humans.”

The Bio-Flesh Regenerator “Molds Ten Figures,” “Comes with six battle weapons,” and “Skin actually comes off in Battles.”  The box also notes that the set includes: one playset, two Endoskeleton Action Figures, two Cans of Non-Toxic Bio-Flesh Refills, one Trim Knife, and six Weapons.”

“Create your own Terminator…then tear him apart in battle!”

Action Figures of the Week: The Empire Strikes Back (1980; Kenner)

The Empire Strikes Back Vehicles (Kenner; 1980)

The Empire Strikes Back Playsets (Kenner; 1980)