Cryotron Carry Case (eBay Link) — This was a Sears Canada exclusive, and I remember that catalogue fondly as it was the first time I saw the Mego Black Hole Humanoid and Old B.O.B. Despite it kind of looking like a “Space Toilet Seat” I dream of finding one packed with figures like the […]

The wait is nearly over as we plan to reveal our premier Lincoln Monsters releases, “The Evil of Count Dracula” and “The Power of Frankenstein.” For more about our live stream and pre-orders, please subscribe to this channel or our social media accounts. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lincolnmonsterstoys/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lincolnmonster We’re going to bring back the 8″ Retro […]

  Toy-Ventures returns with a look at the Super Hero Utility belts produced by Remco and me reuniting with my childhood bat belt. A toy I loved and enjoyed for a whole afternoon before it broke but I’d do it again!   #batman #remco #mego   Toy-Ventures is our magazine; we’re an independent publisher trying […]

Weird Italian AHI Parachuting Superman (eBay Link) — I’m the proud owner of one of these AHI Superman figures from Italy on the “Bong” card. Now, you can join my exclusive club and get this example. We can totally get matching jackets!     Sweathogs Grease Machine (eBay Link) —  I was six when “Sweathog […]

Toy-Ventures: Major Mego Score at Toy & Nostalgia Show! Toy-Ventures visits the Toronto Toy and Nostalgia Show and scores big time with Canadian Mego Black Hole and Buck Rogers action figures! If that wasn’t enough, we also hit an antique mall! https://youtu.be/v9YDCIV7GpI #toyventures #mego #buckrogers Lincoln Monsters Return from the Crypt in our latest Collaboration […]

Vanity Fair Joker (eBay Link) – This is the infamous shooting range toy that basically has Batman murdering the Joker and Hoo Doggie; this thing is rare. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen one before in real life. I even contemplated bidding, which doesn’t make much sense for me personally, but this thing has […]

Rod Hull Emu Game (eBay Link) — My wife has a childhood phobia over Rod Hull’s Emu. I always liked his routine but I also see how it would creep out a kid. I plan to buy this game to hopefully have one of those “Maury Povich” moments where I chase her around with it.  […]

Toy-Ventures counts down the top 10 coolest (and silliest) bits of Star Trek merchandise this week. Join us as we talk about Mego, Remco, Worcestor toy, AHI, AMT and much more. #startrek #mego #toyventures Topics include: top ten, star trek TOS, Star Trek, Mego Star Trek, mego figures, Remco, Utility belts, rack toys, parachuting, Mr […]

Planet of the Apes Prison Wagon- (eBay Link)– I’ve probably featured this toy before but who cares? It’s definitely one of my favourite Apes toys ever. I just love the little astronaut THIS MUCH.  The seller also has the classic Planet of the Apes Helicopter and a bunch of other stuff I need. Iron Man […]

My friends at Heritage Auctions have an amazing collection of Batman items on the auction block right now and they’ve been kind enough to let me share some of this glorious collection. As folks might know, I’m rather fond of Rack Toys, particularly ones made by Azrak-Hamway International or AHI for short. AHI had a […]

 Episode 2 of Toy Talk Show is finally here, and this time around, we’re chatting with the legendary Raymond Castile, host of “Basement of Horror.” We chat about collector origin stories, holy grails, coming to grips with not “collecting them all”, preserving rubber masks and, of course, monster toys. Join us, if you dare! […]

Star Trek KO Spaceship Mobile (eBay Link) – Nothing like the 3 Nacelle Knock-Off Enterprise as room decor. I totally want this, but I’m tall and something of lummox so I would run into it, a great deal.   Wind-Up Commander Koenig (eBay Link) – Space:1999 was one of the properties that got me into […]

5 Awesome Things on eBay this week- Plaidstallions McDonald’s Captain Crook Promotional Hats (eBay Link) – I’ve never in my life had a “Fillet O’Fish” sandwich, and that ain’t changing (allergic), but if they were handing these out in the 1970s? I’d have pushed people down to get one. I liked freebies a whole bunch. […]

The Shadow Toys- Toy-Ventures Toy-Ventures celebrates its 150th-ish episode talking about 70s merchandise based on the Shadow, a radio legend. We explore the origins of the Shadow character, and talk about the odd merchandising blitz of the late 70s. Later on, then visit a local toy show! I show the stuff that will haunt me […]

Presenting the Lincoln International Monsters Collectible Pins by Toy-Ventures Collectibles. The Lincoln International Monsters are one of my favourite childhood memories, and I always want to find ways to work with them. I designed each pin based on the original packaging art I’m utterly infatuated with. The idea came because I wanted to make a […]

I recently stumbled across this fantastic issue of Japanese Starlog, which was a lot like the US version, except its graphic design was way more exciting. This particular issue has a feature on all the imported Superhero toys from the US you can buy. So the best way to describe it is like a Heroes […]

The Most Incredible Van in the world (eBay Link) My friend Steve sent me this mainly because it looks like the real-world version of Brick Mantooth’s Van-Tooth. It’s always been my dream to live in a cool van of this nature. Not sure about the nekkid lady mural but I’ll cross that bridge after I […]

We here at Pod Stallions H.Q. haven’t fully given up on the notion of Santa, or some similarly benevolent but less popular entity, taking requests for the Big Day. So in ultra-modern fashion, we’re broadcasting our Wish Lists rather than risking the letters getting lost in the holiday shuffle. Who knows, maybe someone’s listening and […]

1974 AHI Catalog Azrak-Hamway International was the absolute king of the 1970s licensed Rack Toys. 1974 was a giant leap for the company as it saw them significantly expand their licensed offerings and create iconic collectable toys. AHI chose such heavy hitters as the Universal Monsters, Batman, Spider-Man, the Super Friends, Popeye, the Flinstones and […]

Martin Landau’s collection of Space:1999 toys– OK, I don’t what kind of pedigree you need but these are Martin Freaking Landau’s collection of Space:1999 toys. I have a book from Landau’s collection and it’s something I will always keep. I can’t tell you how cool it would be to own Commander Koenig’s Eagles but you […]

Know your AHI Frankenstein Variants! In issue 1 of Toy-Ventures Magazine (limited supply available), we sought to catalogue the many variants of the Azrak-Hamway World’s Greatest Super Monsters action figures. As a bonus, in speaking with former AHI/Remco employees, we discovered the origin of these many variants. It seems that AHI did not own its […]

Hey folks, if you didn’t catch my Livestream this Saturday,  I’m doing my follow-up to Rack Toys with a book I’ve titled Knock-Offs: Totally Unauthorized Action Figures.  This is a piece I’ve been working on since 2012 but stuff got in the way and I had to put it on hold. I’m glad I did […]

New to the channel? Subscribe! ►https://bit.ly/3D3zxJK Recently discovered TV commercial for the Action Apeman figure series by Azrak-Hamway International (AHI) a clone of the Mego Planet of the Apes action figures, these were shut down very quickly by 20th Century Fox. The Action Apemen are some of the most notorious Knock-Off figures created. See issues […]

5 Awesome Things on eBay this Week EBAY LINK Batman Halloween Costume Sewing Patterns– Where was this when i was five? I had to go as the Collegeville “The Bat” that stink doesn’t wash off! Unclean!   EBAY LINK Planet of the Apes Inflatable pool by AHI– I am totally aware that I can’t afford […]

1987 Remco Toys Catalog- By the mid-1980s, Remco had abandoned the name AHI (Azrak-Hamway International) and the business of selling Rack Toys. Their output during this period consisted of licensed items such as the Karate Kid or AWA Wrestling or homegrown toy lines meant to ape the popularity of bigger brands. During the 80s, Remco […]

This week we look at the fun and interesting toy lines put out to catch some sales heat from the popular Mego Superheroes line of toys from Kooky Aliens to Biblical Heroes to some just plain blatant copyright infringement, it’s a fun ride. Get Toy-Ventures Magazine here: PlaidStallions Toy-Ventures Issue One (September 2020) Tell us […]

    It’s the 15th anniversary of PlaidStallions.com, and we decided to do a special Toy-Ventures with our first special guest Jason Lenzi, we take a look at some weird figures like Lady Dragon and Superhero Punch-Up. Then it turns into a PodCast about Knock-Offs and we can talk about the site’s 15th Anniversary. Get […]

Toy-Ventures this week takes a look at the 1980 dealer catalog for Azrak-Hamway International (AHI for short), this is one of the last years for AHI as they were absorbed into REMCO (and later on Jakk’s Pacific) but this is a wonderful year full of rack toys based on the Marvel and DC Superheroes, Star […]

    Toy-Ventures Magazine recently was featured on Global News in Canada (where Toy-Ventures is based) and the story went national. You can check it out here. We’re very grateful to Frazer Snowden and the Global News team for this vital exposure as a small start-up it was deeply appreciated.       PlaidStallions Toy-Ventures […]

As far as 70s toystores go, none are as far remembered and beloved as Childworld, a chain which had at one point 180 stores across the united states. This 1975 flier preserves what they had to offer during that time including the greats like Mego Star Trek and Planet of the Apes. This is the […]

 Monster month continues with a long-overdue look at the Super Monster action figures by Azrak-Hamway International or AHI for short. This line only ran for three seasons but the amount of variations it produced is staggering. We also talk about the “unofficial years” that ran after.   Issue 1 of Toy-Ventures magazine is available […]

  PlaidStallions Toy-Ventures Magazine #1 is now available and it’s been called “not only an entertaining read, but it’s also an impeccable work of reference” by PopCult. Join the Mego Knock Offs Facebook Group!

1975 Azrak Hamway International Catalog AHI   In 1975, Azrak Hamway International (AHI) was a toy company on the move producing mainly, low cost rack toys bearing such hot licenses at the time such as Batman, Spider-Man, the Universal Monsters and Star Trek. It's no surprise that the 1975 catalog is a real treasure trove [...]

As one of the premiere rack toy manufacturers of the 1970s, Azrak Hamway International (most commonly referred to as AHI by collectors) were still going strong with low cost toys based on the hottest licenses from comic books, TV, and film. Thanks to a stranglehold from Kenner, AHI offered no Star Wars product in 1978, […]

This week’s toy-ventures takes a look at the merchandising from Gerry Anderson’s classic series Space:1999, particularly the lower cost “Rack Toys” made by Azrak-Hamway International. If moonbase Alpha had a drugstore, these are the toys it would sell! Hosted and edited by Brian Heiler (@plaidstallions) PlaidStallions Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/Plaidstallionsdotcom/ Plaidstallions facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/2226244254053126/ Twitter: @plaidstallions […]

Toy-Ventures this week is all about the World Famous Super Monsters Bend ‘Ems line by Azrak-Hamway International.  Frankenstein, the Wolfman, Dracula, King Kong, the Mummy, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon rounds out this wonderfully designed series of low-cost figures from 1975! Hosted and edited by Brian Heiler (@plaidstallions) Check out our AHI galleries […]

One of the nicest things that goes on at MegoMeet is that the dealer’s humour me and allow me to document stuff I can’t afford. Case in point this Official Superman Super Streak by Azrak Hamway, one of the rarest rack toys I’ve ever come across. My best guess is these didn’t sell well due […]

This week we talk about Remco and it’s long-running relationship with the Star Trek brand. The weird toys of the 1960s and the much more detailed items produced by the second incarnation of Remco. Please hit like and subscribe for the new Toy-Venture each week. Like us on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/Plaidstallionsdotcom Subscribe to our YouTube channel […]

I’d like to pretend that the fact that I have these toys on season one cards is enough for me but honestly, I want these season 2 versions pretty badly. Oh Martin Landau, you have cast a spell on me… New Six Million Dollar Man Shirt in our Redbubble store! Don’t forget to join our […]

New video series from PlaidStallions.com, each episode will showcase a unique and interesting toy from our archive. This week it’s the 1977 Shadow Crime Fighter Detection Belt from Madison Industries. A curious bit of merchandise for a character that kids weren’t probably all that aware of at the time. Still glad it exists though. Look […]

I had the remote control R2D2 as a kid, it stopped walking pretty quickly but it was still good to use with the 12″ dolls so I was content, also it still made it’s beeping noise much to mother’s chagrin. She once threatened to throw it out of the station wagon! We have a PodCast! […]

If there is anything more wonderfully absurd than a Dr. Zaius, machine gun strapped to his jacket popping a wheelie, I want to know what that is and have it. Even the packaging is part of the play, I wish more toy companies did this. My only regret when I see this toy is the […]

Like clockwork, just as my birthday rolls around, an excuse to do something terribly irresponsible with my money comes with it. This year it was this, one of my “top five” rack toy and Planet of the apes wants.  The reason you ask? Well, let me lay it out for you, first off, it’s a […]

I did something irresponsible the other day (and I was sober!) and bought this remote control Dr. Zaius from AHI. I’d always wanted one and hoped to make a video of him riding. I got one foot and he stopped moving! Anyway, I couldn’t stop staring at how wonderful a toy it was so I […]

My pal Eddie sent me this wonderful page from France yesterday and it’s all the reasons I collect catalogs, a wonderful smattering of what Superhero toys were available in 1977. A little Mego, some AHI rack toys and a whole bunch of cool as hell stuff we never saw like the Goldarak Action figures! I love […]

The undisputed king of the “Rack Toy” in the 1970s was Azrak-Hamway International or “AHI” for short. They were riding high with past hits like Batman, Spider-Man, Star Trek, Space 1999 but 1978 saw them add James Bond 007, Farrah Fawcette, Donnie and Marie, the Walt Disney characters and their answer to Star Wars, Star […]

Even though they were advertised for a couple of years in their catalogs, the Azrak Hamway James Bond series of Rack toys remains pretty hard to find on the secondary market. It seems they were produced in very low numbers.  Recently a carded disc gun came on the secondary market prompting my podcast partner Jason […]

I haven’t really added anything to my collection of Azrak-Hamway monster stuff in a long time. Mostly because the stuff I want is either a) extremely hard to find or b)insanely expensive or a combination of the two. That’s why I was excited to snag this open carded Kong squirt gun at the last Mego […]

A recent happy pick up for me is this Doctor Zauis squirt gun by AHI, I’ll probably never get a creature from the black lagoon but this is pretty swell. I hope at least one of these displays survived. Azrak Hamway Index on PlaidStallions/AzrakHamway.com Monster Gallery Batman Gallery Star Trek Gallery Planet of the Apes […]

I was kinda crushed to hear of the passing of Martin Landau yesterday besides being a fan of his work, there is also a true connection to him and this site. It was my admiration for merchandise based on Space:1999 that got me into toy collecting in the first place, so without Martin Landau toys, […]

Even though the packaging reads “General Urko” that’s clearly Dr. Zaius toting that rifle in a very un-Dr. Zaius like way. Have I mentioned that I want this more than oxygen right now?

When it comes to Planet of the Apes merchandise, I honestly find myself drawn to stuff like this than anything else. Something about it just feels so….right. PlaidStallions Planet of the Apes Rack Toy Gallery

Remco Toys was in tenth year of being under the ownership of Azrak Hamway toys  and 1985 finds them having a wonderful year of creating some memorable lines that aped the popular themes of the decade. This fantastic catalog covers such great lines like Conan the Barbarian, The Mighty Crusaders, Zybots, Ninjas, Warlord and the […]

I had a nice contribution by a fellow named Bob last night of this Azrak Hamway Dracula on the card. I actually didn’t have this version in the AHI Monsters gallery so it was a welcome addition. Dracula was sold in the AHI Official World Famous Super Monsters wave but in a way that distinguished him […]

I’m excited to have finally tracked down the 1985 Remco/AHI catalog which finally showcases the fine Rack Toys that were offered for the Archie Comics Superhero characters under “The Mighty Crusaders” brand. My major obsession with these is that they’re all re-purposed from mid 1970s AHI Rack Toy merchandise for Batman and Spider-Man. I also […]

Star Trek turns 50 today as it marks the day the initial episode (although most Trek fans know it’s not technically the first) “The Man Trap” first graced out screens. Being a kid of 1970s, I fell under it’s siren song when the show was just under ten and we have blogged about it a […]

I love Rack Toys, I love Space:1999 and of course, Knock Offs. So when all three get together and have a baby, it’s a good time for me. Meet Arm’s Master, a weirdly named series of toys that stole the molds from both AHI Space:1999 and Star Trek toys (seriously, check out this phaser!). Seeing […]

I lucked out recently and found this awesome piece of AHI Batman goodness locally for a decent price. So, I thought it would be wonderful time to showcase it a little here. More after the jump! First off, I love that box art, we live in an age of regulated style guides where the brand […]

Finding this ad for “Wormee” by Imperial Toys made me realize that this toy concept has been around non stop for 40 years, under multiple names.  My dad sold these as “Squirmles” back in the day, to the best of my knowledge this was the brand everybody ripped off:  You can see a display box […]

It’s been a while since I’ve found a Rack Toy that excites me (that sounds weird) but this week I totally have. These toys come from Remco/AHI and are as I can figure, the last line of these kind of licensed affairs that AHI was so known for in the 70s and 80s.  Mighty Crusaders […]

The AHI Action Apemen are one of my favourite knock off lines of all time because they’re just so flagrant. This carded example is easily one of the rarest because it’s the Australian version and it features a more articulated body and well, look at that card art, shiny! Get our book on Rack Toys […]

Yes! A new installment of  one of my favorites, vintage toy store photos. A journey back to the days of oddly named department stores and independent mall toy stores and chains that are fondly remembered but sadly mostly gone. Vintage Toy Store Photos Volume 17 covers the US and Canada this time and features appearances […]

As one of the premiere rack toy manufacturers of the 1970s, Azrak Hamway International (most commonly referred to as AHI by collectors) ended the decade with a bang featuring new products featuring their hottest licenses. Most notably in this book are the Marvel and DC superheroes, Star Trek, KISS and the Universal Monsters. It is […]

Whenever I see these things, I picture the Superheroes all wearing Captain’s hats, that makes me happy. Get our book on Rack Toys and other goodies at our online store

I’ve featured the AHI Bagatelle’s before but this appears to be the more “deluxe” version. I ran into one of these on the weekend and it took every fiber of my being to resist it. More Star Trek Rack Toys

Yesterday’s loss of Leonard Nimoy felt strangely personal to me, perhaps because as someone smarter than me said “It feels like we lost a friend”. Nimoy’s portrayal of Mr Spock has always been a topic of conversation here at PlaidStallions, especially all the wonderful Star Trek merchandise that we 70s kids got. Toy makers such […]

I found this cool little ad for AHI in a toy publication, it’s kind of fun to see something like this with original artwork and not a single DC comics style guide image to be found. More AHI links at PlaidStallions.

By 1984, all of the toy lines Remco had called staples in the 1970s like utility belts and helicopters were long gone as the company dove  head first into the crowded marketplace of 1980s Action Figures Batman and Superman had been replaced by less known DC characters like Warlord and Sgt Rock, the company experimented […]

Forgive the deeply nerdy title, after years of getting outbid, I finally landed an AHI Mr Spock Bop bag for a decent price. I was shocked to see how small the box really was! Curiousity over this piece made me whip it out of the box and inflating my Vulcan sparring partner. Spock does indeed […]

I was elated this year to add another one of these oddball 70s pencil toppers to my collection. These things are totally copying the AHI Super Monsters but I’m not sure they’re licensed which makes them more appealing.  This year I found Frankenstein, which leaves only the Mummy and the awesome green Dracula to find. If […]

In 1975, Azrak Hamway International (AHI) was a toy company on the move producing mainly, low cost rack toys bearing such hot licenses at the time such as Batman, Spider-Man, the Universal Monsters and Star Trek. It’s no surprise that the 1975 catalog is a real treasure trove for any 70s kids, there is so […]

I’ve never blogged about these two, the jewels of my bendy collection, the Mummy (with card artwork swiped from the Aurora model) and the Wolfman! Not sure who this shirtless gentleman is but he’s no Lon Chaney Jr. Unless that money tree i planted blooms, this is the closest I’ll ever come to this lagoon […]

Over the years, I’ve waxed a good de about my desire to own these wonderful (and incredibly rare) creations by Azrak Hamway. Seeing them in their carded form (they were introduced in 1975, it seems) only exacerbates the issue. I’d love to own a carded Creature or Frankenstein one day but I am not sure […]

I think it’s safe to say my favourite line of bendy figures are the AHI Bend ‘Ems for the Super Monsters line. So I was pretty excited to pick up this missing character from my collection, the one and only King Kong. AHI put a lot of fun into these and I especially love the […]

  Ever since I mocked up a set of parachuting AHI Super Monsters last year, I’ve been kind of smitten and inspired to make more. I had a major spurt of creativity this summer and here is the result. Above is a Brick Mantooth Parachutist, this was inevitable and I’ll likely do a bunch of different […]

I’m not 100% sure as to why I like the Remco Sgt Rock line so much, never had any as a kid, never really wanted them, not sure I’ve read a SGT Rock comic that didn’t feature Batman in it. My money is on the gorgeous Joe Kubert art that AHI/REMCO used throughout the line. […]

This is one of the earliest pieces of Bat merchandise that AHI ever made. One of the more interesting things about the company is you get to watch them go from creating original, crazy artwork for each toy to the less dynamic “style guide” approach of the early 1980s. Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings is […]

I’d be tempted to call this late 70s piece by AHI silly but I’m positive that this scene happened at least once on the old Bill Bixby show…. Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings is a limited edition 144 page book from the creator of Plaid Stallions. Order from us and get three free promotional post […]

This fun spread of toys comes from a company called Croner who distributed toys in Australia, they carried Azrak Hamway toys in Australia and APC puzzles. It’s hard not to smile when you see stuff like this, especially considering they have Batman and Spider-Man’s launchers reversed. Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings is a limited edition 144 page […]

I actually don’t have  a carded AHI Parachuting Robin but I was fortunate to find the Mexican version produced by Uni-Plast. Due to import laws in the 1970s, a lot of fun American toys were produced under licence in Mexico resulting fun variations like this.  To be honest, I kind of like this more. Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed […]

Cool catalog feature today, perhaps the earliest example from the second life of Remco Toys, a company that went under in 1972 but was reborn by Azrak Hamway International for what would be a long and fruitful life creating some very memorable toys. This document shows the company in it’s infancy, show casing such licenses […]

Spidey used to be cool before he sold out man. Rarely discussed here but Rack Toy manufacturer AHI had a second life as a manufacturer of pool related novelties, one of these days I’ll pull up one of the catalogs. Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings is a limited edition 144 page book from the creator […]

Today’s spotlight is the fun DVD Dr Shocker’s Vault of Horror, released this past fall, it is something I’ve been meaning to talk about for some time. If you like monsters and monster toys, you need to check this out after the jump. One of the nicer people I’ve gotten to know in this journey […]

  I think the Space:1999 stun gun is one of the most iconic Sci-Fi weapons ever created. As a kid, I used a Staple gun until I nabbed the AHI water gun pictured above, it’s the most screen accurate toy produced in the 1970s IMO. AHI had a year of Star Trek sales under their […]

This ad piece for Licensing Corporation of America, really brings me joy. This photo meant to highlight how good an idea licensing the DC comics heroes is full of 70s eye candy from Mego, Remco and AHI. It’s also the least believable toy store set ever, that’s clearly the LCA showroom with some dude from […]

Up until last summer, I was pretty much done with collecting AHI figures, completely talking myself out of the one figure that I (and my site) needed, a carded AHI Creature. This mostly because they’re always so pricey, I mean “both kids need braces” pricey. So I just kept the idea that if the opportunity […]

Our second October episode, Jason and Brain try to cram in as many monster toys as they can into an hour and a half.  Aurora model kits, Marvel comics, action figures by Tomland, Remco and Lincoln International get discussed as does Cracked magazine, Power Records, the number of times we rented “LifeForce” on VHS (I’ve […]

I’ve always wanted one of these AHI squirt guns, but they’re so rare and desirable that I could never come close. The other thing that held me back was paying a beefy sum for a squirt gun. I don’t know why that should bother me but it did. Fortune smiled on me and I managed […]

What better way to kick off a month of Halloween related updates  than to showcase this amazing AHI toy rarity I discovered. It’s rack toy monster madness and it’s all after the jump! OK I apologize for anybody fooled by that (terrible) photoshop job, this is not a real vintage toy discovery of any kind. […]

This toy by AHI is pretty topical considering last week’s Gerry Anderson centric pod cast.  I don’t own it but I am lucky enough to know the owner, so I had the opportunity to photograph it at this year’s MegoMeet. Turns out this piece is crazy rare, even rarer then the Superfriends buggy I drool […]

This Mexican version of the classic AHI parachuting Doctor Zaius is my new favourite thing. 

I know his “van” is actually more of a pick up truck but I’m not going to tell him.

This is a piece I wanted to add to Rack Toys but it got a little wordy and too insider, so I saved it for here. Most Space:1999 fans are at least slightly aware of the fundimensions “The Alien” model kit, which  has no connection to the show. It is in fact, a revamped Goerge […]

The passing of legendary TV producer Gerry Anderson yesterday, put me into a real funk. Anderson created two of my favourite science fiction series of all time in UFO and Space:1999, not to mention a pile of super cool kid’s programming in the 1960s.  The man was a visionary, Whenever Anderson’s name appeared, awesome merchandise […]

Behold the last Monster Rack Toy ever produced by AHI! Flasher Faces popped up five years after the  Monster merchandise bonanza of the mid seventies and while AHI was doing wonderful things with the license under their Remco brand, these flasher faces are the sole bit of cheap, dime store goodness produced during this period. […]

I recently got a decent scan of this to ad to the Azrak Hamway Monster archive, it’s the mocked up Creature from the black lagoon figure on his looks to be hand drawn card. It’s hard to say what he’s constructed of, it almost looks like a converted Aurora Creature kit, either way I hope […]

Really happy to be unveiling this today as it’s something I’ve been sitting on  for a few weeks. What you’re looking at is the intro to the Monster chapter of my  Rack Toys book. This was painted by the mad genius Matt “MonsterMatt” Patterson. I met Matt at one of my favourite summer time haunts, […]

Here’s another one I hope is real, Super Klobbers. Basically, they’re just Centsable Socker Boppers with Super Hero dressing. The kick of these is they seemed to have used classic stock art (including swipes from the Mego Superman box) and added boxing gloves to them. Look at that lovely Neal Adams Batman ready to go […]

Honestly I could write an entire book at Batman Rack Toys at this point, that bat logo is a license to print money. It’s amazing how much of it is inspired by the 1966 television series, this wonderful little item from AHI was created and released some 11 years after the TV series was cancelled. Check […]

Been really under pressure to put the final touch on Rack Toys this month so i was coming up short with a Friday feature.  Enter Kip and his amazing, newly displayed Ape collection to the rescue! I’ve seen plenty of Planet of the Apes and King Kong collections in my time but Kip seems to […]