115-547: Action Man is an action figure launched in Britain in 1966 by Palitoy as a licensed copy of Hasbro 's American "movable fighting man", G.I. Joe . Action Man was originally produced and sold in the United Kingdom and Australia by Palitoy Ltd of Coalville , Leicestershire from 1966 until 1984. Palitoy offered sub-licences to toy manufacturers in other markets. The figure and accessories were originally based on
230-625: A 2005 study in Sweden , action figures which display traditional masculine traits primarily target boys. While most commonly marketed as a child's toy , the action figure has gained widespread acceptance as collector item for adults. In such a case, the item may be produced and designed on the assumption it will be bought solely for display as a collectible and not played with like a child's toy. Articulated dolls go back to at least 200 BCE, with articulated clay and wooden dolls of ancient Greece and Rome . Many types of articulated figures date to
345-433: A catalogue titled 'UNIT E' featuring comic strips based on several Hasbro properties, some of which were defunct. Among the latter toy ranges was a new iteration of Action Man, dubbed 'The Action Man'. However, the comic was produced as a "brain storming" concept, and the comic's introduction specifically noted that none of the concepts within the book were guaranteed to ever see production or release. The Action Man character
460-403: A chrome head and cyborg feet. During the oil supply crisis of the 1970s, like many other manufacturers of action figures, Takara was struggling with the costs associated with making the large 11 + 1 ⁄ 2 -inch figures, So, a smaller version of the cyborg toy was developed, standing at 3 + 3 ⁄ 4 inches (95 mm) high, and was first sold in 1974 as Microman . The Microman line
575-467: A color-changing feature has been demonstrated on some figures throughout the years. This concept involves dipping the character's head into cold water and revealing a temperature-sensitive paint. Examples include Kenner's Sky Escape Joker and Camouflage Swamp Thing, as well as Hasbro's Desert-Camo Sgt. Savage . The majority of figures in Kenner 's Super Powers Collection toted a punching action upon
690-530: A cut's strict vertical rotation. Basic knee articulation often relies on what is considered a pin joint. The amount and style of figure articulation used by toy designers have varied over the years. Two of the most popular figure lines of the 1980s, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero and Masters of the Universe , contrasted one another greatly in articulation; the former included several points in their small, 3 + 3 ⁄ 4 -inch (95 mm) scale while
805-411: A dark-skinned (African ethnic) Commando Tom Stone , a red and silver superhero Bullet Man , and lastly a brutish Neanderthal look-alike; The Intruder , which was a minimally articulated figure. All were taken from Hasbro, though Atomic Man although taken from the same mould as G.I. Joe's "Mike Powers", was given flocked hair and a silver plastic "Heart Plug" with a black button in its center. "Tom Stone"
920-408: A full beard, was the " Georgie Best " footballer figure. The next major shift in marketing of the doll occurred with the introduction of an improved head with "Eagle Eyes" in 1976, which had been invented by George W. Ptaszek and James A. King at Hasbro. The design utilized a mechanism operated by a simple lever at the back of the head, moving the gaze of the eyeballs back and forth – an improvement on
1035-526: A given "mission". This specialisation together with improved production techniques led to figures with built-in abilities, such as karate moves or a working blowpipe. A tie-in Action Man animated series was produced but was only available on video in the UK, because of broadcast rules about advertising to children: a toy could follow a TV production but not the other way around. A 3 3/4 inch sized Action Man
1150-442: A model. A modified, simpler version was used by Hasbro for G.I. Joe in 1974. A thimble was provided with each boxed figure to protect the fingers when changing its outfit. The early (pre 1978) vinyl is prone to breakdown as with the G I Joe version; the deterioration of 73–77 flex hands includes hardening of the outer layers, cracks, discolouration, fingers breaking off and sometimes shrivelling. The second innovation for Action Man
1265-429: A modified identity tag with decals to be applied was released; these decals vary according to the figure. On talker figures, the tag was tied directly to the pull-string , on standard bodies, it was suspended by a black cord around the neck. The Hasbro-authorised reproductions of the 1960s metal and 1970s identity tags are virtually indistinguishable from the original. All original Action Man uniforms were tagged inside
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#17328013016231380-527: A move that would create global popularity for this type of toy, Hasbro also licensed the product to companies in other markets. These different licensees had a combination of uniforms and accessories that were usually identical to the ones manufactured for the US market by Hasbro, along with some sets that were unique to the local market. The Japanese had at least two examples where a Hasbro licensee also issued sublicenses for related products. For example, Palitoy (in
1495-463: A new Star Wars figure line had surfaced and Spawn figures flooded the toy store shelves, proving action figures were not just for kids anymore. Corinthian Figures of association football players were popular in England during this time. Beginning in 1997, ToyFare magazine would become a popular read for mature collectors in providing news and embracing nostalgia with a comedic twist. And with
1610-425: A number of ways. Window Box packaging Window box packages consist of a sturdy, but somewhat thin cardboard box that allows for easy stacking. The box has colorful artwork to draw one's attention. The front of the box will have an area of the cardboard that is cut out and a thin piece of soft plastic then fills the cutout area. This ensures easy visibility of the action figure inside of the box. This type of packaging
1725-647: A part of the 4th Armoured Division of the British Army of the Rhine , with a reconnaissance role and also tasked with the defense of part of the North German Plain . In January 1981 it became a component of the 20th Armoured Brigade. The unit provided a mounted escort for then Charles, Prince of Wales and then Lady Diana Spencer during their wedding ceremony on 29 July 1981, in London . Throughout
1840-478: A particular series includes a body part to a larger-scaled figure. This encourages the consumer to purchase every figure of the given series, in order to complete the larger figure. The concept has spread into Mattel's DC Universe Classics . Figures intended to appeal to the collector market commonly include a display base and/or pack-in comic book. In such cases accessories may be designed more for display than play. Manufacturers have packaged their action figures in
1955-447: A plastic tray insert to store his accessories in. It is overall dimensionally identical to the G.I. Joe item, but the production details varied. Starting in 1970, Palitoy largely departed from Hasbro's lineup though some items and accessories and vehicles were still based on Hasbro's moulds. Palitoy created a wide range of uniform sets for the UK market. British military formed a large part of this range, with ceremonial outfits being among
2070-506: A punch and emit a loud bang from the ring cap in his backpack. Other features emphasized aesthetic rather than action, such as the flocked bodies of Grizzlor and Moss Man as well as the unique scents of the latter and Stinkor . The success of the many Transformers lines has relied heavily on their signature feature of shifting from vehicle to robot. The popularity of this carried into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ' Mutatin' series among others. In 1987, Mattel introduced figures for
2185-478: A range of skin tones, some were paler, some were warmer in tone; all these permutations give each and every figure a personality of their own. The fact that these were hand-painted is often evidenced in the appearance of variations such as mismatched eye colouration. Given the length of time the figure was in production, it is quite possible to find heads that have been altered, but that still may appear to be "factory". The only Action Man that came with sideburns and not
2300-679: A red lanyard on the right shoulder, as well as a Sam Browne belt . The Life Guards, as part of the Household Division, does not use the Order of the Bath Star for its officer rank "pips", but rather the Order of the Garter Star. The battle honours are: [combined battle honours of 1st Life Guards and 2nd Life Guards, with the following emblazoned]: The Commanding Officers of the regiment have been: The Colonels-in-Chief of
2415-497: A special mission", "Enemy in sight: range 1000", "Action Man patrol fall in", "Hold your fire until I give the order", "Mortar attack dig in", and "Commander to base request support fire". The Dynamic Physique Talker introduced in 1978 had only five commands: "Enemy Tanks Approaching", "Give Me Some Cover", "Send Out The Patrol", "What's the password" and "Advance in Single File". Action Man "Soldier" figure appeared in 1966 using
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#17328013016232530-421: A swiveling waist are also common. Various terms have come into practice such as a "cut" joint, frequently used to allow a basic head rotation at the neck or arm rotation at the shoulder. The "T" joint at a figure's hips commonly allows up to 180° of front-to-back leg rotation; although, this may vary. Ball joints often allow more liberal movement than a cut, such as the figure's head being able to tilt in addition to
2645-415: A white plume worn bound on the top into an 'onion' shape; the exceptions to this are the regiment's trumpeters, who wear a red plume, and farriers, who wear blue tunics and have a black plume. In addition, The Life Guards wear their chin strap below their lower lip, as opposed to The Blues and Royals who wear it under their chin. On service dress The Life Guards Officers and Warrant Officers Class One wear
2760-477: A wide variety of boxed sets were sold; one popular at the time of the BBC's Colditz television series in the 1970s was "Escape from Colditz", which provided both. Included were reproductions of a variety of Prisoner of war artifacts from Colditz , and a history. An " Escape from Colditz " board game had already been released by Parker Brothers (UK), a division of Palitoy. Action figure An action figure
2875-428: Is a poseable character model figure made most commonly of plastic , and often based upon characters from a film , comic book , military , video game or television program ; fictional or historical . These figures are usually marketed toward boys and adult collectors. The term was coined by Hasbro in 1964 to market G.I. Joe to boys (while competitors called similar offerings boy's dolls ). According to
2990-491: Is a separate tool for each component. It was easy to maintain equal numbers of components to make up the figures and the quality was assured. Prototype tooling using the hot-runner system was organised by Alec Langton to prove the manufacturing and design, as well as provide sales samples and product for toy fairs. The brief for the design was to eliminate rivets and elastic of the Hasbro design yet maintain full manoeuvrability of
3105-418: Is common as of the 2000s decade is PVC packaging. With this type of packaging, the cardboard card is replaced by a clear PVC plastic backing. The front of the package is a different piece of PVC plastic that is molded to include a bubble that will house the action figure and all of its accessories. Any colorful artwork designed to help draw attention to the package will be printed on a thin piece of paper that
3220-458: Is completed, the entire figure is baked to harden the clay. The sculpted prototype is then sent for approval to the manufacturer. Once all design details have been finalized, the prototype is used to make the molds that will form the plastic pieces for the mass-produced figure. The entire sculpting process may take about two weeks, depending on the skill and speed of the sculptor. This process may be repeated several times if revisions must be made to
3335-520: Is one of the rarest original Action Man figures, who appeared in 1975. Figure only wore khaki shorts, bush hat, and boots, with Thompson submachine gun. Action Man "Adventurer" figure appeared in 1970. Usually bearded, the figure wore a jumper, jeans, and boots. A new line was released featuring spacemen: Captain Zargon (the Space Pirate), and Zargonite and Space Ranger Captain. Captain Zargon used
3450-433: Is placed between these two pieces of PVC , or will be affixed in sticker form to the front piece of PVC . This type of packaging is popular today and can be seen being used by McFarlane Toys for their Movie Maniacs line of action figures beginning with Series V. Other companies that utilize this type of packaging are NECA/Reel Toys ( National Entertainment Collectibles Association ) with their Cult Classics and Pirates of
3565-430: Is placed on the card and a bubble of clear plastic is then laid over the top of the action figure and attached to the card. The figure is then clearly visible to consumers. Often the bubble will have several small, fitted compartments to hold the figure and its accessories in place. Kenner and Hasbro 's packaging of Star Wars action figures since 1977 are an example. PVC packaging A more recent type of packaging that
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3680-615: Is the most senior regiment of the British Army and part of the Household Cavalry , along with The Blues and Royals . The Life Guards grew from the four troops of Horse Guards (exclusively formed of gentlemen-troopers until the transformation of the last two remaining troops into Regiments of Life Guards in 1788) raised by Charles II around the time of his restoration , plus two troops of Horse Grenadier Guards (rank and file composed of commoners), which were raised some years later. These units first saw action during
3795-640: The 11th Armoured Division. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the unit repeatedly rotated from Britain to Germany. In 1965, the unit was deployed to Asia for the first time in central Malaysia until 1968, returning to England. Like in the past decades, the unit was stationed in West Germany and England through the early to late 1970s. During its deployments, the unit always maintained a squadron in London conducting public duties. In 1971 several squadrons were deployed to Northern Ireland during The Troubles , and
3910-678: The Gemini and Apollo missions. Subsequent Space Rangers had cloth outfits, rather than the somewhat impractical rubber of the first release. One Space Ranger produced by Palitoy was only sold in the European market under the "Group Action Joe" licensee as Captain Cosmos. Another Space Ranger was the Millennium 2000 Special Edition. In 1980, one more figure not based on the Action Man doll
4025-690: The Korean War . From 1970 to 1984, the basic boxed figures and accompanying uniforms and accessories reflected the forces of the United Kingdom rather than the USA. Action Man was reintroduced in 1993, based on the G.I. Joe Hall of Fame figure of that time. From 1964, Palitoy, a British subsidiary of General Mills , was the UK licensee for Hasbro Industries. Palitoy developed from a plastics firm, established by Alfred Edward Pallett in 1909 and became one of Britain's leading toy manufacturers, until its closure in 1984. In 1964, Sales Director Hal Belton returned from
4140-890: The Masters of the Universe revival and Justice League Unlimited , however, still evoke adult collector followings as well. Comic book firms are also able to get figures of their characters produced, regardless of whether or not they appeared in movies or animated cartoons. Examples of companies that produce comic figures and merchandise almost exclusively include Toy Biz and DC Direct . Adult-oriented figure lines are often exclusive to specific chain stores rather than mass retail. Popular lines often have figures available exclusively through mail-in offers and comic conventions , which raises their value significantly. Ploys such as packaging "errors" and "short-packed" figures have also been used by toy companies to increase collector interest. Modelling clay and various sculpting tools are used to create
4255-734: The Third Anglo-Dutch War in 1672 and then at the Battle of Sedgemoor during the Monmouth Rebellion in 1685. The 3rd and 4th troops were disbanded in 1746. In 1788, the remaining 1st and 2nd troops, along with the two troops of Horse Grenadier Guards, were reorganised into two regiments, the 1st and 2nd Regiments of Life Guards (from 1877, simply 1st Life Guards and 2nd Life Guards ). From then on (1788), rank and file were mostly formed of commoners giving rise to their pejorative nickname: "the cheesemongers", while
4370-625: The cyborg action figure concept to the concept of the living robot. This led to the Micro Change line of toys: objects that could "transform" into robots. In 1984, Hasbro licensed Micro Change and another Takara line, the Diaclone transforming cars, and combined them in the US as the Transformers , spawning a still-continuing family of animated cartoons. As the '80s were ending, more and more collectors started to surface, buying up
4485-666: The early modern period , including the artists' mannequin and the Japanese ichimatsu doll. The modern ball-jointed doll was first created in Western Europe in the late 19th century. From the late 19th century through the early 20th century French and German manufacturers made bisque dolls with strung bodies articulated with ball-joints made of composition : a mix of pulp, sawdust, glue and similar materials. These dolls could measure between 15 and 100 cm (6 and 39.5 in) and are now collectible antiques. Besides
4600-573: The "Masterpiece Edition" G.I. Joe. The pelvis, also smaller, has an extra ridge on each side immediately above the buttocks, which also distinguishes it from the U.S. version, trademarkings aside. The Canadian G.I. Joe body uses this pelvis. Bodies from 1978 on are all-plastic construction, with a flexible rubber connection for the neck post (this is subject to deterioration). The initial releases had hands that were virtually identical to those of G.I. Joe. The hands were always an element of frustration, as observed by (Bill) William A.G. Pugh during setups for
4715-473: The 1890s and polyethylene figures becoming common by the 1950s. The toy soldier market, ubiquitous thanks to its history and mass-production methods, would therefore become a natural home for the military-themed action figure. One of the earliest toys to bear resemblance to modern action figures is Albert Schoenhut 's "Humpy Dumpty Circus", released in 1904, which featured articulated wooden figures interacting with various devices. The term "action figure"
Action Man - Misplaced Pages Continue
4830-686: The 1st and 2nd Battalions, Guards Machine Gun Regiment . They reverted to their previous names and roles after the end of the war. In 1922, the two regiments were merged into one regiment, The Life Guards (1st and 2nd) . In 1928, it was re-designated The Life Guards . During the Second World War , again forming part of the HCCR, the Life Guards undertook armoured reconnaissance duties in Palestine, Iraq, Iran, Egypt and Italy. In 1944,
4945-546: The Action Man of the 1960s was little more than a re-packaged G.I. Joe. He was ultimately unable to compete with Action Man and was discontinued in 1968. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, many other companies produced competition for Action Man, but all were of the cheap blow-moulded variety, which produces thin-walled components lacking the articulation and sturdiness of the Palitoy components, which utilised more costly Injection and Rotational moulding processes. Action Man
5060-625: The British versions, which also included a horse of the Life Guards with full ceremonial regalia as an optional set. The non-military was also covered with adventurous elements such as mountain rescue, Arctic exploration, scuba and deep sea diving . One outfit was only available through the Action Man stars scheme; the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (and accompanying mastiff dog). In the G.I. Joe lineup, this outfit
5175-467: The Caribbean line of figures, and Toy Biz with its Marvel Legends action figures, which included a comic book placed between the two PVC segments. Tube packaging Another recent type of PVC packaging is a tube-shaped piece of PVC plastic surrounding the action figure. The tube may be cylindrical or oval in shape. Artwork on the package is often in the form of a sticker affixed to the outside of
5290-464: The G.I. Joe line. Hasbro realised adding a new feature to the manikin helped to maintain sales and developed the Eagle Eyes, which was adopted by Palitoy for Action Man, and by extension to that of other Hasbro licensees. One series that truly set Palitoy's line apart from Hasbro's was the "Ceremonials". Although Hasbro had a set of Cadet ceremonial outfits, they did not match the scope and range of
5405-541: The Hasbro (US) 1964 G.I. Joe figure, for 1966–1969 production. Hasbro's G.I. Joe figure was patented in 1966. Even the specific method of attaching the appendages was patented as a "Connection for Use in Toy Figures". The first Action Man figures were Action Soldier , Action Sailor and Action Pilot . All were available in the four original hair colours: Blonde, Auburn, Brown and Black. They were accompanied by outfits depicting United States Forces of World War II and
5520-560: The Hasbro GI Joe box graphics and US army outfit. In 1970 the UK outfit and revised Palitoy box graphics were introduced. It became one of the most popular Action Man figures. The figure from 1973 consisted of olive green jumper, trousers, scarf, black beret, and boots, with rifle. Action Man "Sailor" figure appeared in 1966 using the Hasbro GI Joe box graphics and US sailor outfit. In 1970 the UK outfit and revised Palitoy box graphics were introduced. Action Man "Desert Fighter" figure
5635-679: The Life Guards took part in the Normandy landings and the advance through France to liberate Brussels . In the late 1940s, they were deployed to the Middle East, initially in Egypt , garrisoned at Kasr-el-Nil Barracks in Cairo from 1946 to 1947, and then in Palestine from 1947. In 1948, the unit left the Middle East and returned to England on leave. In 1952, it returned to Germany as part of
5750-642: The Life Guards under the command of Captain Oakes fired upon mourners trying to redirect the funeral procession of Queen Caroline through the city of London. Two civilians were killed. Though charges of manslaughter and murder were brought, no Life Guards were prosecuted. Elements of the Life Guards, along with the Royal Horse Guards , formed the Household Cavalry Composite Regiment (HCCR) for active service. The HCCR
5865-500: The PVC tube. This type of packaging has been used by Hasbro for their Star Wars Galactic Heroes line of figures. Figures of the original Masters of the Universe line included many unique "action features": Battle Armor He-Man and Skeletor had rotating chest plates to represent varying degrees of damage; Leech featured suction cup limbs; Mantenna 's eyes would pop out using a lever on his back; and Thunder Punch He-Man would thrust
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#17328013016235980-408: The Palitoy range. These sets included an "intelligence manual" that covered all the available offerings in the lineup, and pages on light and heavy weapons, officer rank insignia , and morse code . As with G.I. Joe, early issue clothing is consistently of a heavier and more durable fabric although in terms of scale, the thinner fabric is more appropriate. The standard boxed soldier from 1973 onwards
6095-618: The UK) issued a sublicense to Tsukuda , a company in Japan, to manufacture and sell Palitoy's Action Man accessories in the Japanese market. Takara also issued a sublicense to Medicom for the manufacture of action figures. Takara, still under license by Hasbro to make and sell G.I. Joe toys in Japan, also manufactured an action figure incorporating the licensed GI Joe torso for Henshin Cyborg-1, using transparent plastic revealing cyborg innards, and
6210-704: The United States with a new toy called G.I. Joe as a present for his grandson. When he realised that it was well received by his grandson he "borrowed" the toy and presented it to the General Manager Miles Fletcher. Miles and his Production Director Brian Wybrow made contact with Hasbro at the New York toy fair the next year. Samples were acquired from Hasbro and marketing research was carried out – Palitoy employees were given samples to take home for their children to test. The controversy at
6325-498: The actual outfit (certainly in comparison to the level of detail achieved with modern offerings from Dragon and other action figure companies) as can be seen in any of the product catalogs on offer from a variety of online vendors. Palitoy created appropriate insignia, such as the British Royal Military Police Cap and other uniform. The standard dropped by the end of the 1970s for number of reasons, not
6440-453: The annual toy fairs; he found it was hard to get them to really hold any of the accessories securely. Being of hard vinyl construction, glue had to be used to secure the accessories. As a result, gripping hands were the next feature to be introduced in 1973; the hard moulded hands of the original were replaced by a flexible vinyl. These hands were invented by Bill Pugh and designed and sculpted by Chief Designer, Bob Brechin, using his left hand as
6555-471: The articulated doll, another important precursor to the action figure is the toy soldier . Military figures have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs, and have appeared in many cultures and eras. Tin soldiers were produced in Germany as early as the 1730s, by molding the metal between two pieces of slate. As industry and demand advanced, so did production methods, with hollow casting first being utilized in
6670-417: The box graphics, it raised truth in advertising issues, since the purchaser could rightly assume the contents "should" match the packaging. As a result, the boxes were modified to include a photo image on the lower right of the actual contents. From 1970 on, the graphics depicted the actual dressed figure as enclosed. As with G.I. Joe, during the 1960s, Action Man had a wooden footlocker (Kit locker box) with
6785-412: The brown-skinned figure sold as African American in the pre-1970s G.I. Joe lineup. For the initial 1970–71 production run, some "soft" painted heads were treated to the flock-haired makeover by Palitoy and distributed to the public. These figures are commonly found as the blue-eyed variant, but the rare combination of flocked hair and brown eyes can also be found on an original Action Man. There are also
6900-418: The bulk of many action figure lines and often make use of the old figure and accessory molds. Glow-in-the-dark figures and accessories also became popular in the early '90s with lines like Toxic Crusaders and Swamp Thing . A 1999 study found that "the figures have grown much more muscular over time, with many contemporary figures far exceeding the muscularity of even the largest human bodybuilders " and that
7015-561: The bulk of the gentlemen-troopers were pensioned off. From 1812 to 1814, two squadrons from each of the Life Guard regiments served in the Peninsular War . In 1815 they were part of The Household Brigade at the Battle of Waterloo under Major-General Lord Edward Somerset . This would be their last active service for more than 60 years, during which time they performed ceremonial and public order duties in London. In 1821,
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#17328013016237130-601: The bulkier latter remained minimal. Both, however, used methods involving rubber cords at the hips that are little used today. In the 2000s, Toy Biz 's popular Marvel Legends line became known for its high rate of articulation, even boasting points at the abdomen, toes, and fingers. While not all action figures include accessories, the additional items often prove essential to characters and their effectiveness as interactive toys. Typical 3 + 3 ⁄ 4 -inch (95 mm) scale G.I. Joe figures include several intricately sculpted guns or hand weapons that can be fastened inside
7245-655: The changing cultural expectations reflected by those changes may contribute to body image disorders in both sexes. The adult collector market for action figures expanded with companies such as McFarlane Toys , Palisades , and NECA . These companies have given numerous movie characters, musicians, and athletes their very first highly detailed figures. The Cinema of Fear action figures were sold together with plush dolls, "screen grab" dioramas, and limited edition toys based on New Line Cinema 's horror franchise. These kinds of action figure are mainly intended as statuesque display pieces rather than toys. Child-oriented lines such as
7360-414: The character has been selected, the actual design process begins with sketches of the proposed figure. The next step is the creation of a clay prototype, but other materials such as wax can also be used for the prototype. This model is made by bending aluminum wires to form the backbone of the figure, known as an armature. The wire form includes the outline of the arms and legs posed in the general stance that
7475-399: The cheek registered as a trademark, identical to G.I. Joe. Talking Commander figures often have the soft vinyl painted head also used for talking G.I. Joe figures. Action Man figures of the seventies tend to have a pinker colouration than G.I. Joe; the feet are of the smaller original G.I. Joe variety. They were held together by elastic with crimped metal eyelets through which rivets passed, for
7590-443: The figure will assume. The sculptor then adds clay to the armature to give the basic weight and shape that is desired. The clay may be baked slightly during the prototyping process to harden it. Then, the sculptor uses various tools, such as a wire loop, to carve the clay and shape details on the figure. After creating the basic form, the sculptor may choose to remove the arms and work on them separately for later attachment. This gives
7705-453: The figure. Several months are typically allowed for this design phase. Action Figures come in fixed scales to allow compatibility within (and sometimes between) toy ranges. A common feature among action figures is body articulation, often referred to as points of articulation (POA) or joints. The most basic forms of articulation include one neck joint, two shoulder joints, and two hip joints. Beyond these, rotating wrists, bending knees, and
7820-464: The figures' hands. Missile launchers are also commonplace in military and comic book figure lines and usually involve a spring-loaded mechanism. However, possibly due to safety concerns, this method saw a decline in the mid-1990s. Some figures, particularly of the Joker , have incorporated water-squirting weapons. More recently, Marvel Legends has popularized the "build-a-figure" concept. Each figure of
7935-402: The finer details, paying close attention to the eyes, nose, and mouth that give the figure its lifelike expression. The designer may attach a rough lump of clay on the main figure as a temporary head while the real head is sculpted on a separate armature. This allows the sculptor to finish the figure's facial expressions independently of the body. At this point, the finished head can be attached to
8050-555: The fixed stare of the original albeit at the price of a slightly larger head, and the loss of the original facial features of the previous 10 years. For Action Man, the head was only available in brown and blonde hair and only blue eyes, with bearded versions of each, GI Joe also had red flocking. From 1966 to 1977, he was tagged on his lower back "Made in England By Palitoy Under Licence From Hasbro ® 1964", instead of on his right buttock, as
8165-507: The gaining popularity of the Internet, websites such as Toy News International would soon offer information on upcoming collectible figures and merchandise . It was during this time that popular characters were increasingly getting specialized costume and variant figures. Batman quickly became most notorious for this (i.e. Arctic Batman, Piranha Blade Batman, Neon Armor Batman). Rather than individual characters, these variants would make up
8280-404: The hip line. Early Action Man came with a dogtag similar to G.I. Joe's; a thin stamped aluminum tag. From 1970 on, Palitoy devised their own design, made of hard plastic with "bullet holes" passing through the logo, and cast in grey or green, which was used until the 1980s. Talkers have the tag attached directly to the pull cord, standard bodies have the tag attached to a small chain. In the 1980s,
8395-483: The introduction of the soft flock-haired head, all figures came with blue eyes unlike the painted heads and G.I. Joe Adventurers that still had brown eyes in some instances. This flocking innovation crossed back over the Atlantic and was introduced for G.I. Joe within the year. The equipment for Hasbro's G.I. Joe was assembled and tested in the UK before being crated and shipped to Hong Kong for mass production. Hong Kong
8510-520: The largest marketing tools for toy companies. Some of the most successful to come about were Masters of the Universe , G.I. Joe , Thundercats , The Real Ghostbusters and Super Powers Collection , to name just a few. Early in the decade, the burgeoning popularity of Japanese robot anime such as Gundam also encouraged Takara to reinvent the Microman line as the Micro Robots, moving from
8625-426: The least of which being rising production costs. With 1960s and early 1970s variations, often they were die-cast instead of plastic, the uniforms themselves were of heavy cotton and chevrons were typically embroidered and sewn on, rather than paper decals. Over the many years Action Man was in production, almost every item produced for the line had a multitude of variations. Over the course of Action Man production,
8740-448: The left and right side panels. The graphics were direct copies of those used for the U.S. 1964–1968 production G.I. Joe. The boxes featured wood grain background detail for soldiers, blue background for sailor, and yellow/brown for pilot. The boxes opened at the top, rather than the lidded version used in the U.S., for G.I. Joe. The figure enclosed was dressed in basic fatigues appropriate to the military branch, but since this did not match
8855-408: The legs, and metal hooks retaining the neck post and shoulders. Pre-1970 bodies used the painted-rivets similar to G.I. Joe, 1970–1977 bodies have chromed rivets which were not used on the Hasbro U.S. version. Especially noticeable with 1970 is that on figures, the limb sections tend to be slightly smaller than the G.I. Joe counterpart, hence Action Man is slightly shorter in height, very similar to
8970-492: The main armature and joined to the body with additional clay. Once the head is attached, the neck and hair are sculpted to properly fit to the figure. Then, depending on the design of the figure, the costume may be sculpted directly onto the body. However, if a cloth costume or uniform will be added later, the prototype is sculpted without any costume details. During this process, parts of the clay may be covered with aluminum foil to keep it from prematurely drying out. Once everything
9085-409: The manikin. A construction based on snap-together components (known as the "skeleton") covered by an outer moulding (the "muscles") was devised for the arms and legs which were assembled by hand (no jigs and fixtures needed). The assembled limbs were held in a two-part torso ("clam shell" design) which was sonic welded together (the only mechanical process involved). The biggest challenge to the designers
9200-452: The most obvious detail is fact that the flesh coloured pelvic area of the body was replaced with a blue section giving the effect of blue shorts rather than the sexless mannequin look; at the same time the body took on a more muscular tone. This body type was known as the "Dynamic Physique. This was mainly designed by Designer Ivor Edmunds, with help from Chief Designer Bob Brechin under the direction of Bill Pugh. Tooling and material selection
9315-418: The most spectacular. From a collectors standpoint, they are very desirable. Many outfits were available as complete boxed figure sets. Some outfits were sold in a box format, some came with a Locker Box to store the outfit when not in use. There were six "soldiers of the century", which matched Hasbro's six "soldiers of the world", with the exception of the Japanese outfit and figure, which was never offered in
9430-419: The neck collar; the early issue even had the bullet holes of the box logo. This was later discontinued. The fabric used for the tags also varied, by the late seventies/early eighties a synthetic fabric was used. In 1977, the official catalogue included four new figures. Three of them were variations on the standard Action Man; a cyborg Atomic Man (influenced by The Six Million Dollar Man television series),
9545-667: The new Household Cavalry , classified as a corps, not an amalgamation, forming the Household Cavalry Regiment (armoured reconnaissance) and the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (ceremonial duties). However, both units maintain their regimental identity, with distinct uniforms and traditions, and their own colonel . Like The Blues and Royals , they have a peculiar non-commissioned rank structure: In brief, they lack sergeants , replacing them with multiple grades of corporal. Since
9660-561: The newer, smaller size figure with molded-on clothing the industry standard. Instead of a single character with outfits that changed for different applications, toy lines included teams of characters with special functions. Led by Star Wars-themed sales, collectible action figures quickly became a multimillion-dollar secondary business for movie studios. From 1972 to 1986 there was a famous line of Big Jim action figures produced by Mattel . The 1980s spawned all sorts of popular action figure lines, many based on cartoon series, which were one of
9775-409: The prototype. The actual figure is molded from a harder plastic resin such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). Softer plastics and nylon may be used for costume components including body suits, capes, and face masks. Acrylic paints of various colors may be used to decorate the figure. More elaborate toys may contain miniature electronic components that provide light and sound effects. Once
9890-685: The regiment would see action there several more times through the mid-1970s. In March 1979, B Squadron was deployed to Cyprus as part of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force , and this would become another location that components of the unit would be deployed to. In 1980, the unit's headquarters would be moved from Combermere Barracks in Windsor to Lothain Barracks in Detmold , North Rhine-Westphalia , West Germany as
10005-620: The rest of the 1980s-1990s its headquarters moved frequently from Germany to Britain, and in January 1984 had squadrons deployed to Cyprus as part of a UN tour. In 1990-1991, the Life Guards saw action with their Challenger 1 tanks in the Gulf War . In 1992, as part of the Options for Change defence review, The Life Guards were joined with the Blues and Royals in a 'Union', becoming part of
10120-472: The same body mould, but in black plastic with silver printed tattoos and a "skull" head inside a moulded helmet. At the same time, Action Man gained a new set of equipment under the Space Ranger title, including a "Space speeder", a two-man four-in-one vehicle, and the single occupant "Solar Hurricane". The outfits were futuristic rather than previous space suits which had been based on the equipment of
10235-412: The sculptor more control and allows him to produce finer details on the prototype. Working with blunt tools, the sculptor shapes the body with as much detail as is desired. During this process, photo and sketch references are used to ensure the figure is as realistic as possible. Some sculptors may even use human models to guide their design work. After the general body shape is complete, the sculptor adds
10350-484: The squeezing together of their legs. In a more technically advanced method, the Ninja Turtles' Wacky Action series involved a wind-up gear that caused the motorized performance of certain actions like swimming legs or a rotating wrist. Two years prior also saw the release of Tyco 's Dino-Riders , which featured battery powered, motorized dinosaurs. Life Guards (British Army) The Life Guards (LG)
10465-633: The television series Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future . The line boasted an interactive game where children could shoot at the TV screen. However, while an ambitious concept, it was not a long-term success. Glow-in-the-dark paint and plastic have been utilized in various figure collections, particularly those of the early '90s including Ninja Turtles, Swamp Thing , and Toxic Crusaders . Similarly,
10580-411: The time was "should boys be playing with a doll". Palitoy (as Hasbro before) ignored these concerns and the word "doll" was banned when discussing the new toy. A name was needed and Gee Advertising was commissioned to come up with some ideas. A list was passed around the company (as remembered by Stuart Moore, designer of the successful Tiny Tears) for people to cast their preference. One name remembered
10695-405: The toys to keep in their original packaging for display purposes and for future collectability. This led to flooding of the action figure toy market. One of the most popular action figure lines of the late 1980s and early 1990s, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures were produced in such high quantities that the value for most figures would never be higher than a few dollars. In the mid-1990s,
10810-676: The transformation and combination of the characters. In 1971, Mego began licensing and making American Marvel and DC comic book superhero figures, which had highly successful sales and are considered highly collectible by many adults today. They eventually brought the Microman toy line to the United States as the Micronauts , but Mego eventually lost control of the market after losing the license to produce Star Wars toys to Kenner in 1976. The widespread success of Kenner 's Star Wars 3 + 3 ⁄ 4 -inch (95 mm) toy line made
10925-553: The union, the Household Cavalry Regiment has seen active service in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2018, the Life Guards began admitting women. In 2020, Elizabeth Godwin became the first woman to be commissioned as an officer in the Life Guards. Names used by the regiment were as follows: On ceremonial occasions The Life Guards wear a scarlet tunic, a metal cuirass and a matching helmet with
11040-498: Was "Ace 21" because the mannequin had 21 separate components. Both Peter Watson, of Gees, and Les Cooke, Palitoy Brand Manager (later to become managing director), claim authorship of the name Action Man, but it was Sales Manager Harry Trowell who suggested the name to Miles Fletcher over lunch at the local pub, the Fox and Goose. Eventually after lengthy negotiation a licensing deal to produce the toy using Hasbro tooling and Far East sourcing
11155-414: Was G.I. Joe. Early talker variants were similarly marked. Later standard figures from 1978 to 1984 were marked "CPG Products Corp 1978". Later talker variants were marked "© 1975 Hasbro® Pat Pend Pawt R.I. Made in Japan" or "General Mills. Toy Group. Europe © 1975 Pat. No. 1458647". Talker torsos were held together with 2 screws recessed in the left and right shoulders, and from 1978, 2 additional screws above
11270-427: Was a form of flocking giving the effect of a short "fuzzy" hairstyle in 1970, very similar to the hair flocking used on early "Ken" dolls produced by Mattel. Bill Pugh contacted the company he saw on a TV programme producing bottles covered with a flocked fibre. Dracon Limited, whose promotional items included a flocked car, provided the basis for the electrostatic process that would give Action Man his new look. With
11385-401: Was a repackaged African-ethnic Hasbro Muscle Body Action Adventurer, Palitoy never produced any of the ethnic figures in the line themselves. Both Bullet Man and Tom Stone utilized the body Hasbro patented: "Posable figure having one piece connector for torso, legs". From 1978 to the end of the original period of Action Man in 1984, the body was replaced with an entirely new design: at a glance,
11500-458: Was added: "ROM" the Robot, licensed from Parker Brothers and originally called Rom Spaceknight , that would be adapted into a long-running comic book series by Marvel . The initial releases of the basic figures were packaged in boxes just slighter taller than the figure, with dynamic graphics depicting the figures in action poses on the front and back, with photos of the various accessory sets on
11615-408: Was again rebooted by IDW Publishing in 2016 for a four-issue limited comic book series. The series was published to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of Action Man, with the cover of each issue featuring the original Palitoy-era Action Man logo. The original 1964 Action Man had a moulded vinyl painted head (which sometimes shrank and became harder, as with Hasbro's figures), with a livid scar on
11730-594: Was agreed in late 1965, just prior to the launch at the British Toy Fair in January 1966. In the early years, Action Man competed with the entirely British Tommy Gunn by Pedigree Toys who were the producers of the Sindy doll. The Tommy Gunn figure copied aspects of Hasbro's G.I. Joe, released two years earlier in the United States. Regardless, Tommy Gunn was generally regarded as a higher quality in terms of equipment and accuracy of accessories, especially since
11845-475: Was also novel in its use of interchangeable parts. This laid the foundation for both the smaller action figure size and the transforming robot toy. Takara began producing characters in the Microman line with increasingly robotic features, including Robotman, a 12-inch (300 mm) robot with room for a Microman pilot, and Mini-Robotman, a 3 + 3 ⁄ 4 -inch (95 mm) version of Robotman. These toys also featured interchangeable parts, with emphasis placed on
11960-554: Was also the location of Palitoy's production. G.I. Joe's "sea adventurer" was a bearded redhead, never used in the UK market. The Action Man Sailor now dressed for the Royal Navy sported a similarly produced beard in blonde or brown only. Unlike G.I. Joe, Action Man was truly ubiquitous; he had only one face, regardless of euro-centric nationality, whereas G.I. Joe had two ethnic variants, commonly referred to as "Foreign Heads"; one European , one Japanese . Palitoy did not market
12075-548: Was coined by Hasbro in 1964, to market their G.I. Joe figure to boys who refused to play with "dolls" , a term primarily associated as a girl's toy. (A similar toy named Johnny Hero was introduced by Rosko Industries for Sears in 1965, but was known as a "Boy's Doll" since the term action figure had not gained widespread usage at that point.) G.I. Joe was initially a military-themed 11.5-inch figure proposed by marketing and toy idea-man Stan Weston. It featured changeable clothes with various uniforms to suit different purposes. In
12190-415: Was developed with primarily British themes from 1970 onwards: military, adventurers, and sportsman, as Palitoy wanted to distinguish their product line from the U.S. counterpart. (Bill) William A.G. Pugh was the head of Action Man's product development at Palitoy, and can be credited with the development of innovations to the product line which included the flocked hair and gripping hands, which crossed over to
12305-747: Was in action in the Anglo-Egyptian War of 1882 and the Second Boer War of 1899 to 1902. THe HCCR was mobilised again in 1914 at the start of the First World War , where they formed part of the British Expeditionary Force and fought in most of the major battles on the Western Front . In 1918, the two Life Guards regiments gave up their horses and were re-roled as machine gun battalions, becoming
12420-509: Was outfitted with the then current "NATO" pullover, khaki lightweight trousers, short boots, scarf, black beret , and SLR rifle typical of the British Army barracks wear of the time. A contemporary boxed talking field officer was also available. The deep sea diver was so innovative it was also patented by Sam Speers. Palitoy was quite particular about the level and attention to detail for their uniforms and accessory detailing; in some respects, some outfits were fairly simplistic compared to
12535-484: Was potentially scrap. However what was happening in production was that the good components were used but there became an imbalance in the numbers of good components, so substandard mouldings were reworked to make them acceptable and good components were ground up with bad components and the sprues for remoulding. This was becoming very uneconomic. The mouldings for the new Dynamique Physique manikin were moulded on non-family hot-runner tools (no sprues to be recycled). That
12650-466: Was required and in 1980 a notch was added to the neck (like an Adam's Apple) to allow the head to be held back in a "sharpshooter" pose. This was the idea of Toby Hawkes, the son of John Hawkes, who was design director after Bill Pugh. The talking Action Commander released in the late sixties issued eight commands at random (depending on how far out is pulled the cord): "This is your commander speaking", "Enemy aircraft action stations", "Volunteer needed for
12765-473: Was sold in 2004 as part of a G.I. Joe 'Night Force' set sold exclusively at the Toys 'R' Us chain of stores in the United States. In 2006 Hasbro licensed reproductions of a variety of the original boxed Action Man figures, under the 40th Anniversary "Nostalgic Collection" banner, in a packaging format similar to Hasbro's G.I. Joe "40th Anniversary" collection. At the 2011 New York Comic Con , Hasbro distributed
12880-518: Was sold with figure in a variety of configurations through Hasbro Canada. The military style Action Man toys made a brief resurgence in the early 1990s, but between 1995 and 2006 Hasbro used the name without any military theme as a modern adventurer complete with arch-enemies Dr. X and Professor Gangrene. Marketing changed from producing a basic figure with the option to buy several different outfits to each product being its own stand-alone figure, with included accessories such as an outfit and equipment for
12995-481: Was the design of the hip area. The final solution, and thus maintaining the full manoeuvrability of the figure, was solved by Designer Peter Mansell. Figures from the prototype tooling were produced with green underpants, whereas in production they were moulded blue. The U.S. patent was applied for in November 1977. The Dynamique Physique figure continued until Action Man was "demobbed" in 1984. A new marketing feature
13110-406: Was under the supervision of Process Manager Alec Langton. The tooling that produced the components for the Hasbro designed manikin were wearing badly and delivering poor quality mouldings; this was because the tooling was, what is known as "family tools" (all components to produce the limbs of the manikin were moulded on the same tool), it meant that if one component was below standard the whole shot
13225-527: Was used by companies such as Mego Corporation in the early 1970s until they switched to the Carded Bubble style of packaging in the mid to late 1970s. Window Box packaging is still used today, often for figures that measure 10" or taller in height. Carded Bubble packaging This type of packaging consists of a sturdy piece of thin cardboard backing known as a "Card." The card is decorated with colorful artwork to draw consumer attention. The action figure
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