The Outer Space Man Conspiracy

September 27, 2013 By Mantooth In Uncategorized 5 Comments

Despite the fact that the toy line ended before I ever gulped oxygen, the Colorforms Outer Space Men are strong childhood memory for me. Not because I ever played with them but quite the contrary, I’m not even sure if I’ve ever held one.

You see around the time of Star Wars (perhaps you’ve heard of it) the good folks at Colorforms dusted off images of the OSM for a series of puzzles (pictured here)

These puzzles hit my radar when they showed up at Dominion Playworld in 1978 but the item below completely broke my young brain.

I’ve mentioned before that I wasn’t a super bright child, so it’s no surprise that I was convinced that all the figures were in this box. I wasn’t sure how but it had to be right? I marched the set to the counter with my mum in tow. My mother mentioned to me ” I don’t think the figures are in there, it’s just some sort of game”, I replied “No, i’m sure they’re in there” but the clerk deflated my balloon with “that’s a colorforms set, there are no figures in there”.

This drove me crazy, what kind of company would make these amazing toys then choose to not release them? Were they just torturing us? Don’t they realize how awesome they are?

Fortunately as an adult, I got all the answers from the man himself, Mel Birnkrant whose annotated archive of the Outer Space Men is exhaustive and wonderful (and sometimes heart breaking). His website is really worth a visit, see you in a few hours.

More Alien Action Figures:

Tags: 1978, colorforms, Toy Love

About The Author

Mantooth

AKA Brian Heiler author of "Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings" and co-editor of "Toy-Ventures Magazine". Co-Host of the "Pod Stallions" podcast. Host of the Brick Mantooth Youtube channel, painter, designer, writer, mental health advocate, toy collector, Mego, and Mego Knock-Off enthusiast. I have large feet, ADHD and I live in Canada. Talk toys, not others.

5 Comments

NealP on September 27, 2013

I had the Commander Comet figure when I was four or five. I had no idea he was part of a set at the time. It was just one of those toys that my parents got me without any provocation on my part. He always seemed a little creepy to me, but fascinating at the same time. The whole set has an eerie quality about it, like one of those Soviet SF movies from the 50s.

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Where the Road Ends on September 27, 2013

I had the entire set as a kid. Still have Colossus Rex and Orbitron, although I chewed off one of his claws…I love that Four Horsemen does a version of these. Picked up my favorites this year at SDCC

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Jay on September 28, 2013

You know, of course, that you can just go buy the new versions made by the Four Horsemen: http://www.shopfourhorsrmen.com, right?

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Tex on October 1, 2013

Ahem.

http://www.shopfourhorsemen.com/

Tex
(Plaid Pedant)

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Anonymous on October 3, 2013

I had that same colorforms set. Found it creepy and fascinating!

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