This
week at Flashbak, I recalled the great age of Mego pretend-play Star Trek toys
from the 1970s.
Here’s
a snippet and the url: http://flashbak.com/equip-star-trek-landing-party-1970s-style-58632/
“Many
of my posts here at Flashbak this year have been written in celebration of Star
Trek’s 50th anniversary this year. This one is no exception.
One
key factor in the popularity of Star Trek -- at least for my
generation growing up in the disco decade -- was the merchandising of the
franchise by companies like AMT (model kits), and especially Mego (action
figures and make-believe play).
In
the mid-1970s, Mego released a whole slew of toys that allowed young fans to
recreate or imagine new adventures of the starship Enterprise. In particular, Mego released all the items a
budding Starfleet officer would need to explore an alien world, and seek out
new life forms and new civilizations.
Mego
even advertised this gear as “America’s favorite back-to-school outfit.”
Basically,
the intrepid Star Trek fan could equip him or herself with the following
instruments.
Phaser Target Game
Every
landing party needs phasers -- the preferred weapon of Starfleet -- even if
only for defensive purpose. This Mego Target game allowed kids to take aim at
enemies, and was basically an early version of Laser Tag. The phaser would light up, and make an
electronic sound when fired.
Set
to stun!
Communicator
Although
not precisely show-accurate, these over-sized walkie talkies (in blue plastic)
really worked, so that landing party members could communicate with another in
the event of a Gorn attack, or some such thing. The walkie-talkies had the
familiar flip-up communicator function, and a pretty good range. Only the huge antenna took away from the
illusion of future tech.
Tricorder
All
23rd century landing parties require this device for analysis and
observation. Mego’s toy came with a strap so it could be slung over the
shoulder, as it was worn on television. It also was a working tape recorder…”
Please
continue reading at
Flashbak.
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