Action Figures of the Week: Planet of the Apes TV Series (Mego)

Action Figure of the Week: Spider-Man (Mego)

Playset of the Week: The Wizard of Oz Emerald City (Mego)

In the year 1975, Mego acquired the license from MGM to create playsets and action figures from the classic fantasy movie The Wizard of Oz (1939).

Accordingly, Mego released an impressive and varied line of Oz figures including Dorothy (w/Toto), the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, Glinda, The Wicked Witch, and the Wizard.

Even a few munchkins, including the Mayor, were included in the roll-out.

In terms of playsets, Mego manufactured a witch's castle (which I've never seen, anywhere...), the mostly-movie-accurate Munchkinland and the piece de resistance, the Emerald City Playset.

This huge, 42-inch playset could open up to reveal various chambers in th city, and came complete with a throne chair, a Wizard's curtain, a removable/fold-able yellow brick road, and an 8-inch poseable Wizard figure.

There was even a peep-hole in the door, where a sentinel could ask "who goes there?"  

On the interior, you could see the booth where the Wizard worked his magic, and one window in the main chamber overlooked the poppy field.

When I was a kid, The Wizard of Oz was a perennial, in terms of television reruns, and also had an unmatched reputation for scaring the little ones.  I'm still terrified thinking of those talking trees, or the flying monkeys.

I do own this playset and a few of the  Wizard of Oz figures, though neither is in great condition.

Dorothy can't quite stand-up anymore (no Judy Garfield jokes, please...), and the Scarecrow seems to have lost his hat, if not his brain.  Also, my Emerald City is missing all its equipment, my pretties.

This toy reminds me a lot of the Mego Star Trek U.S.S. Entertprise Action Playset from the same era.  It's made of hard laminated cardboard and vinyl, and isn't especially accurate in terms of detail.  But it's fun to play with, and I suppose that the appeal today is mostly one of nostalgia.  If you like this kind of Mego set, you're sure to love the Emerald City Playset.

Action Figure of the Week: Shazam! (Captain Marvel; Mego)

Action Figure of the Week: Captain America (Mego)

Mego Muhammad Ali's Boxing Ring

Action Figure of the Week: Muhammad Ali (Mego)

At Flashbak: Mission to Gamma Playset (Mego; 1976)

This week at Flashbak, I recalled a Mego Star Trek playset in honor of the franchise’s 50^th anniversary.

Here’s a snippet and the url: (http://flashbak.com/vaal-the-right-moves-remembering-megos-mission-to-gamma-playset-1976-362644/ )

“In 1967, Star Trek (1966-1969) featured an episode titled “The Apple.”  In that story, Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and a large landing party faced all kinds of dangers on an Eden-like planet, Gamma Trianguli VI. They battled exploding rocks, flowers that fired darts, and even lightning strikes.  The red shirts did not fare well.

The attacks were launched by Vaal, it turns out.  Vaal was a giant Serpent Head built into a mountainside. Human villagers tended to him, feeding him the explosive rocks, while he maintained the planet’s paradise-like environs.  Turns out, of course, Vaal was not a statue, but a super-advanced computer in a subterranean cave below the sculpture.

And in short order, Kirk destroyed him.

In 1976, Vaal was resurrected by Mego for a toy playset called “Mission to Gamma.”

As you may recognize, the plastic mold of the giant alien statue or icon vaguely resembles Vaal from the second season.

Still, there are some interesting variations here, namely the miniature “Gamma Creature” aliens, also described in a TV commercial of the day as “Lilliputians.”  Also, this Vaal features, according to the toy box “movable jaws” and “glow-in-the-dark” eyes.

There are no dart-firing flowers to be found, but there is a “gamma plant trap” to ensnare Captain Kirk, and a trap-door floor for gaining entrance to Vaal.  There’s a cave glove creature too, for capturing other crew-members.

Niftily, the playset also features a cave dwelling behind Vaal, an area of the stone god/computer thing that “The Apple” could not afford to showcase.

This impressive playset stands over 18 inches high, and could accommodate all of Mego’s Star Trek action figures (sold separately, of course)…”

Please continue reading at Flashbak.   

Action Figure of the Week: James Bond, Moonraker (Mego; 1979)

In terms of sci-fi movies and collectible toys, 1979 was a banner year. 

Movies such as Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Alien, Buck Rogers in the 25^th Century, The Black Hole and Moonraker premiered that year, and every title on that list also saw memorable toys produced by Mego Corp.

I collected toys from all those sci-fi franchises, but never had the full line of Moonraker action-figures, alas. 

Still, I vividly recall seeing these 12.5” -tall action figures on the shelves at Toys R Us and wishing for them.

Recommended for children three and over was this action-figure of Roger Moore as James Bond, described here as “The World’s Greatest Secret Agent…Legendary Commander 007.”  On the box is emblazoned the legend: “Action-packed Spy Adventures in the Fabulous Realm of Space.”

The most amusing facet of the action-figure, however, is that Bond wears a (loose) bow tie over his space suit.

Other figures in the “fully articulated, fully poseable” line included Holly Goodhead, the menacing Jaws and Drax. I remember seeing all of the figures in stores many times, save for Drax, and to this day, Jaws fetches a pretty penny on E-Bay.

What makes this particular Bond toy special and memorable to me is that Moonraker represents the first occasion since the 1960s, I believe, that James Bond action-figures were mass produced and widely available.  This is the first time, in other words, Bond was in toy stores in his 1970s Roger Moore persona.

I also had a Moonraker model kit in 1979, which, of course, was merely a space shuttle model with special decals.

At Flashbak: Remembering Mego's 2-XL

My second Flashbak this past week remembered Mego’s 2-XL, a toy from the 1970s that had a great run, and was even revived in the 1990s.

Here’s a snippet and the url: (http://flashbak.com/robot-personality-remembering-megos-2-xl-52314/)

“In 1978, Mego introduced a small, toy robot that could play 8 -rack tapes: the amazing “2-XL,” described in promotional materials as “the robot with a personality.”

2-XL was a small plastic robot that could speak, and would, according to Mego, “tell jokes, “ask you True-False Questions,” “Tell you if you’re right or wrong,” “give you the correct answer,” give you more information on many different subjects,” and “play games with you and your friends.” 

Okay, so 2-XL isn’t exactly Siri, but this toy robot could play “standard 8 track cartridges” too. The result?  According to TV commercials: “Teenagers love him! Adults can’t resist him!”

Indeed, 2-XL wasn’t just a fun buddy for children in the late seventies, he also considered an educational toy because parents could purchase as accessories a variety of 8 track tapes on various subjects.  There was one cartridge about the Metric System, another concerning Astronomy, and yet another reporting about the Animal World…”

Please continue reading at Flashbak!

At Flashbak: The Great Superhero Playsets of the 1970s

This week at Flashbak, I remembered some of the great superhero playsets from the disco decade.

Here's a snippet, and the url: (http://flashbak.com/great-superhero-playsets-1970s-45228/ )

"With companies like Mego, Ideal, and Amsco in the game, the disco decade was a great era to be a kid, and especially one who for fans of superheroes. 

In particular this was the golden era of large superhero playsets, impressive toys that -- while often made of laminated cardboard -- nonetheless provided hours (if not months…) of fun and entertainment.

Here’s a look at some of the great playsets of the era.

Superman and Spider-Man Play Cases (Ideal; 1973)

These sensational Superman and Amazing Spider-Man sets from Ideal are made of sturdy vinyl and each reveals three back drops for cardboard figures on stands. 

The Superman set features the Daily Planet, the Fortress of Solitude, and the Villain’s Hideout. The heroic figures include Superman, Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, Supergirl Krypto, and the villains featured are Mr. Myxlplix, Lex Luthor and Brainiac.

The Amazing Spider-Man play case set similarly features back-drops of the Daily Bugle, Peter’s city apartment, and a villain HQ. Figures include Spidey, J. Jonah Jameson, Green Goblin, and Doc Ock.

The Bat Cave (Mego; 1974)

A classic toy that every child of my generation must have owned at one point or another. Here’s how the box described this amazing headquarters for the Caped Crusader: "an all-encompassing play case built to accommodate all the bat vehicles.  There is a secret entrance way for the Batmobile, a landing platform for the Batcopter, and a garage area for the Batcycle.  Included in the case are the Batpole and Batcomputer.  Everything necessary to stimulate your child's imagination towards bold new adventures."

Continue reading at Flashbak.

Action Figure of the Week: Isis (Mego Edition)

Action Figure of the Week: The Incredible Hulk (Mego)

At Flashbak: The Great Mego Playsets of the 1970s

At Flashbak, I catalog some of my favorite Mego playsets of the disco decade.

Here's a snippet and the url (http://flashbak.com/the-great-mego-playsets-of-the-1970s-28780/ )

"When I was a kid in the 1970s, one toy company stood above the rest in terms of my affection: Mego.

Throughout the early part of the decade and in particular before the arrival of Star Wars and its Kenner toy line, Mego not only manufactured a slew of eight-inch action figures, and vehicles for them, but -- best of all – huge, colorful playsets related to movie and TV characters and franchises.

Now, it’s true that these playsets were made, often, of laminated cardboard pieces, but they still looked amazingly cool, and made possible hours, if not decades, of fun. 

Today, my home office is decorated with these toys, and some of the photographs in this post are from my personal collection.

Now, let’s take a look back at a handful of the most awesome Mego TV and movie playsets from the disco decade."

All I Want for Christmas Countdown #5: Planet of the Apes Collection (Mego; 1974)

All I Want for Christmas Countdown #6: Micronauts Rocket Tubes (Mego; 1979)

All I Want for Christmas Countdown #7: King Kong Model Kits (Mego; 1976)

Action Figures of the Week: Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (Mego)

Mego acquired the merchandise license for the 1979 revival of Buck Rogers and used the feature film (originally a TV-pilot) as the basis for its many toy designs, including Buck’s Starfighter Command Center and Buck’s Laserscope Fighter.

Today, I want to remember the action figures from the series themselves. 

Nine were released all together, including Buck, Twiki, Wilma Deering, Killer Kane, Ardella, Dr. Huer, Tiger man, Draconian Guard and Draco. 

If you watched Buck Rogers in the 25^th Century on television with any regularity, you’ll immediately pick up on some of the discontinuities between the program and the toys.  Specifically, Pamela Hensley’s character was named Ardala, not Ardella.  And Kane -- a character played by both Henry Silva and Michael Ansara – was never referred to by the nickname Killer Kane. 

Finally of course, King Draco appeared in the pilot/movie for about twenty seconds and was never seen again on the series.  Not even once.

Despite such problems, I always enjoyed these three-and-three-quarter inch action figures.  They could fit easily inside the Land Rover, the Draconian Marauder and the Starfighter, and in general looked a great lot like their video counterparts.  The figures’ drawbacks included the fact that they came with no accessories, not even laser guns or helmets. 

And additionally, like The Black Hole action figures from Mego of the same vintage, these Buck Rogers figures could break very easily because all their joints were held together by silver pins.  Those pins  had an annoying habit of loosening up or even falling out.

I still remember seeing Buck Rogers in the 25^th Century in theaters.  Afterwards, my parents took me to a Toys R Us store to buy me two action figures.  I was able to find Buck and Twiki and was pretty happy about it.  Our next stop was a carpet store and while my parents shopped, I flew Buck and Twiki around the huge store filled with rolled-up rugs. 

In short order, however, Buck’s interior elastic snapped, and the hero came apart into many pieces.  The very first night I had him!  Buck’s “accident” left me only with Twiki…which was a big disappointment.  

The astronaut had survived five hundred years as a popsicle only to spontaneously combust in a carpet store.

When we arrived home, my Dad glued Buck Rogers back together, but the poor guy was never quite the same, being now unable to move his hips. 

How could he teach my Princess Ardala figure how to boogie?

Advert Artwork: The Waltons/Mego Edition

The Waltons Country Store (Mego)