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| Images from www.actionmanhq.co.uk |
Years ago, I remember reading - as part of ACTION MAN's official history - that when he first appeared in the UK in 1966, he was merely a renamed and repackaged GI JOE - until PALITOY acquired their own moulds and started manufacturing him in Britain. Now it seems that the story isn't quite accurate, and that Palitoy produced him from the start, but at some stage had to supplement their stock with Canadian GI Joe figures to meet orders from shops around the British Isles.
The fact remains though, that some Action Man boxes contained figures with GI Joe stamped on their bums. As to whether they're regarded as being more collectable or not, I couldn't say, but there were some interesting variations in the Palitoy Action Man within a very short time. The first figure had a hard head and his rivets were painted flesh. His feet were longer too, but soon his head was of softer plastic, his rivets remained unpainted, and his calves were shortened slightly, as were his feet.
Interestingly, it was Palitoy who came up with the idea for gripping hands and flocked hair, though it was Hasbro who introduced the 'eagle-eyes' and talking figures. GI Joe sort of disappeared in the States around 1977 or so, leaving Palitoy's Action Man as the more successful and longer-running toy of the two. Hasbro stands for HASSENFELD BROTHERS, who introduced GI Joe in 1964, and it's Hasbro who now own the Action Man copyright. In 2006, they licensed the name to MODELLERS LOFT for a 40th Anniversary facsimile edition of Action Man, and ART & SCIENCE currently have permission to produce the toy.
Did you have an Action Man (or GI Joe) when you were a boy? Then regale your fellow Crivs with your fond memories of this toy from childhood.
I never actually owned an Action Man - my action figures were POTA and Star Trek. I might have had Space 1999 figures too but I'm not absolutely certain.
ReplyDeleteI've got reissued Mego Kirk & Spock action figures, but I never had them when they first came out. Action Man was a great toy. Didn't get my first brand-new one until 1984, though I had a couple of 2nd-hand ones in the late '60s.
ReplyDeleteI had a GI Joe when I was about seven, as did most of my male classmates. That's about it, as far as fond memories go. I don't have any particular anecdotes about it with which to regale you.
ReplyDeleteAFAIR, the head on mine was the same plastic as the body. IIRC, some other action figures-Johnny West, Captain Action-had heads made of softer rubbery material.
As I recall, Hasbro dropped the military theme in the early 1970s, and the toys were marketed as "Super Joe" or "Adventure Joe" or something like that.
In 1982, Hasbro introduced a new GI Joe line. They were 3.75" (9.5cm) figures, and GI Joe was the code name for a special forces-type team. There were also media tie-ins: an animated cartoon series on TV, and a Marvel comic book series.
Action Man/GI Joe's head was always hollow, hard or soft, whereas Johnny West's head was a solid kind of rubbery plastic, TC. (I know 'cos I've got a JW figure.)
ReplyDeleteThe smaller GI Joe figures from '82 were renamed Action Force for the UK, following in the tradition of Action Man. It was because these figures were selling so well, that Palitoy decided to abandon production of the 12 inch figures.
Of course, you can't keep a good man down and Action Man is still with us today.