Bugmen of Insecta

Bugmen of Insecta

I thought I’d dedicate the Friday feature space to this odd little line of early 1980s obscurity. Not because I collect them but because they kind of fascinate me.

When Toys R Us first hit my town in 1984, the Bug Men came with it. Their cards looked warn already and it was sort of this weird “never heard of it toy line” that belonged in a pharmacy rack toy aisle more than a TRU action figure aisle.



There they sat and sat and sat until at least the mid 1990s when they seemed to vanish from every Toys R Us I visited, in some sort of clearance clean up. I almost never see them at toy shows either, they just vanished. That was until this past fall when I was at Burlington Toy Con and a fellow I know trucked by a box of them. 


Turns out the Bug Men are highly collectible now, commanding more than I’d pay for them, which is a shame because their mix of horror and cheapness are now intoxicating to me. Fortunately I was able to record them for posterity, more after the jump:











bugmen of insecta


I think the best thing about the Bug Men is their card art, looking at it I guess we all know what happened to Action Jackson now. Above is Grass Hopper man, I’m assuming the Bug Men were meant to be bad guys.




bugmen of insecta

I’m assuming that the Bugmen were Multi toys answer to the fantasy action figure craze of the 1980s spawned by Mattel and Remco. I wasn’t really paying utmost attention to the figure aisle at this point.




bugmen of insecta

This guy is from the Tiger Beetle tribe, good to know.



bugmen of insecta

This fellow is Webspinner, from the tribe known as (ahem) Spidermen. Kids won’t like that name.

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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.

2 Comments

  • 2 Warps to Neptune on February 1, 2013

    These guys are incredible. And "Insecta"? Classic. The art actually looks like something out of the '50s, a poster for an AIP flick…

    Maybe that's Vincent Price in the web!

    Is there anything cool on the back of the card?

  • Plaidstallions on February 2, 2013

    There was a comic story explaining them somewhat but sadly the photo didn't turn out and the figures have been sold.

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