six million dollar man Archives - PS

Kenner’s “Bionic Pink” wins awards

Mantooth — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 01:27:48 +0000

Kenner wins packaging award, Bionic Man

This article from 1976 is in celebration of Kenner winning packaging awards from two different associations for the Steve Scout and Six Million Dollar Man toy lines, respectively. With the Bionic Toylines, the colour pink was traditionally considered taboo in boy’s toys (as was black), but in doing this, Kenner stood apart in the action aisle. I associate pink with two toylines, Kenner Steve Austin and Mego Batman; it’s been 50 years, and I still think that. Well done, Kenner.

Below is a parade of Bionic Man endcaps, enjoy.

Bionic Man End Caps kenner

The Lincoln Monsters are here!

The Blood-A-Rama Shock Festival Pack

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Toy-Ventures Issue 12- Stretch Monster

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We co-produced this amazing action figure with White Elephant Toyz; it’s an 8″ Mego Style Officially Licensed Tura Satana figure with a beautiful box by Joeseph Linsner! Get yours while supplies last.

Knock Offs; Totally Unauthorized Action Figures the book

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Kenner, Six Million Dollar Man, Bionic Man, Mego Batman, 70s toy packaging, Steve Scout, Pink packaging, Toy-Ventures, Plaid Stallions, 1976, toy industry news, Kenner news, Ohio

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1976 Action Figure Explosion!

Mantooth — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 02:10:06 +0000

1976 Action Figure Explosion!

I got this catalogue just after Christmas, and I wanted to close the year with the single reason I had to have it. This glorious page of plastic joy. I never saw this page as a kid, but wow, that’s how the inside of my brain looked when I was five.

This page, with it’s triple threat of Kenner Bionic Man, GI Joe Adventure Team, and Big Jim’s P.A.C.K hit me like a gut punch but in a good way, more like a “gut hug?” is that a thing?

I enjoyed the book even more when I found the other page with my sixth birthday present, the GI Joe Capture Copter, which also was the “Monster Squad Copter” with my Lincoln Monsters.

Not to mention the Sky Dive to Danger set, another birthday present and my vote for the single greatest GI Joe set ever.

1976 Action Figure Explosion!

No Offense to fans of Johnny West but I have almost no memory of the toy line. It’s probably because of stuff like Remco Star Trek and the amazing Lazervette had all of my attention and well kind of still do….

Happy New Year!

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Toy-Ventures Magazine Issue 11 is here!

Do you miss print toy magazines? I sure did; that’s why I created Toy Ventures. A full-colour print magazine that celebrates toys from the 1960s to the 1980s. It features collector guides, interviews and even some satire. We’re on issue 10 now but still have a limited supply of our back issues; please visit our Shop for more information.

Get the Official Tura Satana Action Figure

Knock Offs; Totally Unauthorized Action Figures the book

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Big Jim, Marx Johnny West, Action Figures, 1976, Gi Joe, Intruder, 1970s catalogs, Kenner Bionic, Six Million Dollar Man, Bionic Woman, Maskatron, Zorak, Torpedo Fist, Lazervette, Capture Copter, megolike, Cardinal Stores, wishbooks, toyventures

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1978 toy catalog with oddball action figure assortment

Mantooth — Wed, 28 Sep 2022 16:26:43 +0000

This past week I picked up a wishbook from a regional chain of stores called “Monroe,” mainly because of its cover and the most 1970s people ever (see below).

I mean, the only thing missing from this is macrame and a fresh pot of Chicory brewing.

However, the more curious thing is the selection of toys for a 1978 catalog, a weird mix of stuff from 1977 and years earlier and a couple of glaring omissions.

The top toys here would be Pulsar and Electroman, and Zogg; both toys debuted in 1977 and were actively available so it’s no surprise to see them. The lack of Pulsar’s nemesis Hypnos is a bit strange but not the strangest thing in this toy catalog.

Six Million Dollar Man was kind of a fixture in toy catalogs even in it’s last year so that’s not surprising, Shindana’s Dr. J was also fairly current but Mego’s Muhammad Ali toys came out in 1976 and were discontinued by 1978.

Mego Micronauts were a hot toy in 1978, so it’s no surprise to see Biotron, although it’s weird he’s all alone. The Mattel Welcome Back Kotter series is another line that was discontinued by then. This deluxe classroom was likely a way of closing out unsold figures.

Both Evel Knievel and Fonzie were available but were in the last years of production. Most of these toys made their debut 2-4 years previously.

Finally, we have Stretch Monster (1977) and Stretch Armstrong (1976) which were staples of this kind of Service Merchandise/Consumers Distributing type store.

What’s interesting about this catalogue is what isn’t there, no Kenner Star Wars, No Mego Superheroes, No Mego KISS, Kenner Bionic Woman. It’s weird.

If you had a Monroe store in your area, please let me know what kind of store it was. Was it a closeout store? I need closure on this weird toy catalog.

Do you miss toy collector magazines?

That’s why we created Toy-Ventures magazine, an old-school print publication dedicated to vintage toys from the 1960s to the 1990s. Each issue is packed with never before seen images and information written by some of the top collectors. We’ve got 7 issues and climbing; please check our page here or visit our store.

Our newest book “Knock-Offs: Totally, Unauthorized Action Figures,” is now available. It’s 130 pages of bootleg goodness.
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Mego Knock Off Headquarters– The leading group discussing 70s Dime store knock-offs and bootleg action figures, we talk vintage toys and not others. We know the difference between Astro Apes and Action Apeman. It’s a fun group where we talk about Lincoln International, AHI, Mighty Gary, Tomland, Bogi, Demo Man, Mortoys, and other generic greats.

weird toy catalog

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Toy-Ventures: Kenner Bionic Bigfoot

Mantooth — Thu, 12 May 2022 23:45:05 +0000

Toy-Ventures: Kenner Bionic Bigfoot
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Toy-Ventures looks at the Kenner Big Foot, an action figure made for a very special recurring guest star on the iconic television program, the Six Million Dollar Man.

We explore the history of Kenner Bionic Bigfoot, a figure of one of the show’s most popular recurring nemesis that barely got onto the market at all.

Toy-Ventures Magazine

Do you miss toy magazines?

That’s why we created Toy-Ventures magazine, an old-school print publication dedicated to vintage toys from the 1960s to the 1990s. Each issue is packed with never before seen images and information written by some of the top collectors. We’ve got six issues and climbing; please check our page here or visit our store.

Our newest book “Knock-Offs: Totally, Unauthorized Action Figures,” is now available. It’s 130 pages of bootleg goodness.
You can get this new book via the PlaidStallions Shop , On Amazon (Affiliate Link) or on eBay (eBay Link)

Our book Rack Toys, Cheap, Crazed Playthings is now available again! Order through our Affiliate Link

Order Rack Toys 2.0 Here through our Affiliate Link►https://amzn.to/3Bkm9z1

FACEBOOK GROUPS FROM PLAIDSTALLIONS

Pod Stallions is based on our podcast and is one of the most fun groups on Facebook. Toys, Comics, Movies, TV, it’s all up for grabs and remember, you keep the glass! If you like our show, then you have found your tribe.

Mego Knock Off Headquarters– The leading group discussing 70s Dime store knock-offs and bootleg action figures, we talk vintage toys and not others. We know the difference between Astro Apes and Action Apeman. It’s a fun group where we talk about Lincoln International, AHI, Mighty Gary, Tomland, Bogi, Demo Man, Mortoys, and other generic greats.

Bionic Bigfoot episode

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Kenner Bionic Spring ’77 Extra

Mantooth — Mon, 17 May 2021 13:59:47 +0000

In the Spring of 1977, Kenner issued this special and rare catalog to update retailers on the innovations in their (then) biggest hit toylines, the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman.

Bionic fever would wane the following year but this was truly a golden time for Bionic fans.

The art on this stuff is so iconic, I’d love to own a store display.

I am pretty sure I still have this girder.

Maskatron is really one of my favourite toys of the 1970s.

The Bionic transport and repair station is one of the earliest pieces from the series.

I guess the big addition is the “Mission Purse”.

If you own of those store displays and they’re cluttering up your home, I’ll take them off your hands free of charge. No, thank you!.

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197 Children’s Palace Catalog- Mego-Big Jim-Barbie-Sesame Street

Mantooth — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 13:33:48 +0000

Planet of the Apes was a new hot ticket item for 70s wunderkind Mego who also produced the World’s Greatest Superheroes around the same time. Big Jim was Mattel’s answer to G.I. Joe and Dinah-Mite was Mego’s stab at Barbie, who was the original.

Child Guidance was one of the bigger players in Sesame Street merchandise, it’s so nice to see Roosevelt Franklin. Etch a Sketch is never going to stop being cool..

I have many fond memories of Play-Doh Pumper No. 9. The Mego Superheroes “Supervator” was a complicated game where you used strings and a glove to make the heroes retrieve “Nasty Secret Plans” and avoid villain cards like the enemy of Tarzan. See video below:

Planet of the Apes and Superhero Puzzles from HG are collector’s items now. Another toy I forgot I had until now is the Mattel Put-Put railway, along with Spirograph and Lite-Brite. I had to explain to my son what Lite-Brite was last week, that made me sad….

Here is a whole page of toys that made my four year heart go pitter patter, the Big Jim Kung Fu studio was a cool set up that allowed Big Jim to kick a little ass. The Mego Batcave was also recycled by clever Mego into the Planet of the Apes village and the Action Jackson “Lost Continent” playset, we kids didn’t mind. I consider both the Matchbox Fighting Furies and the Gabriel Lone Ranger to be two of the nicest toy lines made in the 1970s.

Rodney Allen Rippey was made by Shindana, a company that catered to people of colour. Shindana made some wicked cool toys and below is one of my favourites, Slade!

Barbie always got the best vehicles and playsets, lucky for us boys Mattel converted her country camper for Big Jim so we boys could play with it and still feel masculine. .

Another great vehicle is the Barbie friendship, again Mattel recycled this for us boys in the form of the Big Jim Skyhawk. It is a pretty awesome piece, my daughter has the modern version, which isn’t made of vinyl…

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Mego Knock Off Headquarters– The leading group discussing 70s dimestore goodness, we talk vintage toys, not others!

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A Six Million Dollar Christmas

Mantooth — Thu, 24 Dec 2020 11:51:34 +0000

If any toy reminds me of Christmas, it’s Kenner’s Six Million Dollar Man range. I would get one new figure a year for four years and sincerely looked forward to it.

Limited Edition Gift Sets Available Now!
Rather than crowdfund the next issue of the magazine, I thought I’d whip up these gift sets full of merch we’ve created in the past. Just that thing for the retro fan in your life. Thanks for indulging me, more content soon!
OUR STORE: http://www.megomuseum.com/odeon/store/products/

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.

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Six Million Dollar Man Fan Club Kit

Mantooth — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 04:01:00 +0000

So let me paint the picture, it’s 1976 and my mother comes rushing into my room with this card and tells me if I fill it out, I’ll get an autographed picture of Steve Austin and all kinds of other neat stuff for free! I agree it’s pretty great and quickly store the card in my desk to be filled out at a later date because I WAS SO BUSY AT SIX YEARS OF AGE.

Flash forward a few months and a school chum shows me the AWESOME Six Million Dollar Man stuff he got. You’d think this would have been a valuable lesson that would have haunted me for a lifetime but no, my bill-paying skills still just barely keep the wolves away. It took me 34 years to finally make this kit mine.

Get Toy-Ventures Issue 2 now!

First off you get a little laminated badge that kind of pimps the Kenner brand a little, seems like preaching to the converted but I’m not complaining.

Something you should carry in your wallet all the times.

I never really tire of this graphic and getting it as a big sticker is just wonderful.

I love this art, I’m not sure if Kenner used it anywhere else (I don’t have a large Bionic collection)

If you click on this it’ll open larger so you can print it out and put your name on it. I want to point out the sad fact that I have no idea where my University diploma is but I have one of these on my wall.

Ah yeah Money shot! I may not have Lee Majors autograph (hopefully someday) but I do have Col. Steve Austin’s. Advantage: Brian.

PlaidStallions Toy-Ventures Magazine #2 is now available and it’s been called “not only an entertaining read, but it’s also an impeccable work of reference” by PopCult.

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