CAPTAIN ACTION-MAN...

Playing Mantis Captain Action, with professionally
produced, shrink-wrapped replica of original box

Apparently, CAPTAIN ACTION creator STAN WESTON was one of a trio responsible for G.I. JOE - which is interesting (to me) because, in Great Britain, G.I. Joe was rechristened ACTION MAN.  As a lad in the '60s, I don't recall seeing Captain Action (or Captain Magic, as he was originally going to be named) on sale in this country, but I knew about the character through the adverts in comics issued by NATIONAL PERIODICAL PUBLICATIONS Inc. (DC COMICS), such as SUPERMAN and BATMAN, etc.  I instantly coveted this wondrous item, but it wasn't until toy company PLAYING MANTIS re-released IDEAL's iconic action-figure in 1998 that I finally managed to acquire one.

DC Comics published a title based on the character in the latter half of the 1960s, but its brief five issue run indicates that it wasn't quite as popular as anticipated.  Featuring artwork by WALLY WOOD and GIL KANE, and written first by JIM SHOOTER and then by Kane himself, the comics boasted some spectacular cover art, which I now unselfishly share with you here.  They're scanned from my very own copies which I obtained many years ago, but should still be relatively easy to obtain from back issue specialists in comicbook stores and on eBay.

The ad below (drawn by KURT SCHAFFENBERGER) comes from DETECTIVE COMICS #359 ("The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl!"), but the previous owner has defaced The PHANTOM figure by drawing stripes on his costume.  Tsk, tsk!  Some people, eh?

I'd be interested in the reminiscences of American readers who had this toy when they were kids, and whether any Brits actually managed to get their hands on one back in the '60s.

      

And, if you're lucky, you may still be able to get this great book (below) all about Captain Action from your local comicbook store.  This is the original printing, but I believe a revised and updated edition was made available a year or two back.

TOYBOX TREASURES Of The PAST: The TWO BATMANs...

Aurora kit built and painted by Kid Robson

I've shown both the above items before, but never together.  However, the two of them are connected, and not just because they're both BATMAN collectables from the 1960s.  You see, when I was a kidlet and first acquired my AURORA Batman plastic model kit, I didn't bother assembling the figure for some forgotten reason.  I did build the base though, and when I later bought the LOUIS MARX Twistable Batman, I'd bend it into a rough approximation of the Aurora figure and affix it to the tree with a rubber-band.

I'd love to be able to show you the result, but you'll just have to use your imaginations.  Aurora Batman is glued to his tree and I wouldn't want to risk bending Marx Batman in case his forty-six year old wire limbs snap.

Needless to say (though I'll say it anyway), I've had these replacements for many years - far longer than my original items - but I always get a special glow whenever I recall my rather unique amalgam of these two great toys from my childhood.  Did any of you also have these items, and, if so, what memories do you associate with them?  Feel free to share them with the rest of us in the comments section.  

PART SIX OF MARVEL TALES SPIDEY COVER GALLERY...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

Roll up, roll up! Here's the penultimate part of SPIDER-MAN covers from MARVEL TALES in the 1980s, as illustrated by STEVE DITKO back in the '60s for the very first printings of these classic adventures.  As you can see, the cover of issue #172 bore the legend "Collector's Item Classic" right next to the word "Marvel" in the top corner box, thereby resembling the name of an earlier reprint mag which the BULLPEN once published. (MARVEL COLLECTORS' ITEM CLASSICS, natch!  However, the placement of the apostrophe is different in both cases.)

Be sure to be here for the final instalment of this super series, as there'll be a couple of surprises which you won't want to miss.