Who would have guessed that a
relatively-unsuccessful genre film released during the Christmas holiday of
1994 would evolve into one of the most popular sci-fi TV franchises of the new
millennium?
I'm speaking, of course, about Stargate (1994). The big-budget
film, -- which starred Kurt Russell, James Spader and Jaye Davidson (the She
Male from The Crying
Game )
-- was only a modest success during its original theatrical run...but spawned a
TV franchise that ran over a decade, and included at least three titles.
In 1994, Hasbro released a whole line of
toys related to the original movie.
The box art work implored would-be buyers
to "Travel
through the STARGATE and discover a distant galaxy where a doorway to adventure
unlocks the mysteries of another world!"
Among the Stargate toys released by Hasbro were an
"all terrain cruiser" (replete with "shooting alien
blaster!") that Kurt Russell could pilot.
I get a kick out of the box art work, in
which Russell is driving this military dune-buggy with one hand while
simultaneously firing an uzi with the other hand (and wearing a beret!)
This cruiser also came complete with two
communication antennas, roll bars (w/missile launcher), an "armor-plated
body," and a "video cam recorder." It also had "all-terrain
sand dune tires."
Another interesting Stargate toy was the Mastadge, an alien
"beast of burden" (like a cross between a camel and a woolly
mammoth.) This happy-go-lucky guy came complete with a "shooting catapult
launcher."
Also, this toy was equipped with a
"removable shepherd's saddle" and a "customized mastadge
transport sled."
A card on the back of the box provided
more mega-Mastadgy-type data, informing us that Mastadges "serve the
villagers of Nagada," and that they are "loyal animals capable of
withstanding the brutal sandstorms of planet Abydos. They can each reach speeds
of up to 35 mph over the planet's desert landscape, making them an excellent
form of transportation."
A third toy was the "winged
glider" (which I don't own, alas...) but which was sold with "firing
missile launchers."
In toto, Hasbro produced eight action
figures to go with these toys: Archaeologist Daniel Jackson (Spader), Colonel
O'Neil (Russell), Ra (Ruler of Abydos), Palace Guard Horus, Anubis, Attack
Pilot Horus, Lt. Kawalsky and Skaara.
Also, on the back of the toy boxes were
these funny little questions which could only be answered if you decoded the
hieroglyphs. One such question: "In
which country are the pyramids located?"
Young buyers were enticed to "collect
all 8 figure cards to complete the hieroglyphic alphabet."
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