E.T. Halloween Costume (Collegeville)

E.T. - The Storybook

Trading Cards of the Week: E.T. (Topps)

E.T Colorforms Adventure Set

Board Game of the Week: E.T.

Advert Artwork: E.T. (Atari Edition)

Collectible of the Week: E.T. Talking Figure (LJN; 1982)

The summer of 1982 was a great one for genre movies, perhaps the greatest in my lifetime. It was the summer of Firefox, Tron, John Carpenter's The Thing, Swamp Thing, The Road Warrior, Blade Runner, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Poltergeist and another little number from director Steven Spielberg, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.

At the time, I was much more into Star Trek than E.T., but many of my friends got into "collecting" mode over the blockbuster and sentimental film about a boy named Elliott (a young Henry Thomas) and his homesick alien pal.

LJN produced a line of E.T. action figures to spur the toy craze. Among the items available were an E.T. Pop-Up Spaceship, an E.T. and Elliott Powered Bicycle, an E.T. Wind-Up Walking Figure, E.T. and Spaceship Launcher, an E.T. Stunt Spaceship, and E.T. 3 and 3/4 inch action figures.

One of the most popular E.T. toys was this talking figure. Designed for ages 3 and up, this action figure stands approximately eight inches tall, features a painted red heart, and can utter such words as "home," "ouch" and "Elliott." The talking figure could also say his own name. three times: "E.T. E.T. E.T." All you had to do to activate the little guy was pull the string on his back.

My parents found this particular collectible on a yard sale excursion with my son Joel and bought it for three dollars. As you can see, it's in pretty good condition for a thirty-year old toy. Personally, I think it makes a good book-end with my LJN Gremlins action figure...

Below, an LJN commercial for the E.T. line.

Lunchbox of the Week: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

Board Game of the Week: E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (Parker Bros. 1982)