Action Man: The Official Dossier

Product Information

Over the course of Action Man production, 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. This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sourcesin this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( November 2014) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Some outfits and figure sets came with instructions for proper use and care, they illustrate the identical items offered for G.I. Joe at that time; the only variation is the absence of Marine items offered in the U.S. Michlig, J. (1998) "G.I. Joe; The Complete Story of America's Favorite Man of Action", Section 12, pp. 178–187 The brief for the design was to eliminate rivets and elastic of the Hasbro design yet maintain full manoeuvrability of 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 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. [18] The U.S. patent was applied for in November 1977. [19]

The books are chopped up into three volumes, each dedicated to three distinct timelines that pointed to changes with the production of Action Man figures. Volume I: 1966-1969 A comprehensive look at the complete history and development of Action Man and his accessories, from the beginning of his career to his rightful place as a cult classic, this book will delight collectors, nostalgic first-generation fans – and their children. Le Vexier, E.; Gavigniaux, H. trans.(2004) Action Joe – The Story of the French G.I. Joe ( ISBN 2-915239-21-5

Hungry Hungry Hippos, Action Man, Monopoly headed to big screen", Los Angeles Times, 4 October 2012 Michlig, J. (1998) G.I. Joe; The Complete Story of America's Favorite Man of Action, Section 11, p. 164 Michlig, J. (1998) G.I. Joe; The Complete Story of America's Favorite Man of Action, Section 12, p. 179 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.

From 1980 onwards, each box proudly announced that Action Man was 'Toy of the decade' for the 1970s. In March 2018, Action Man appeared in an advert for Moneysupermarket.com. [26] 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 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. Six Million Dollar Man, Bionic Woman, Batman, Superman, Avengers, Dr Who, Star Trek, Star Wars, Sindy, Barbie, Space Precinct, Lone Ranger, Matt Mason, Corgi, Dinky, Matchbox, Hotwheels, Meccano, Duplo, Lego, Tri-ang Minic, Lonestar, Spot-On, Scalextric, TV Toys and Memorabilia, Marvel, DC, A-Team, Starsky & Hutch, Kojak, Only Fools and Horses, Scooby Doo, Ghostbusters, Torchwood, Worzel Gummidge, Andy Pandy, Muffin the Mule, Pelham Puppets, Britains, Timpo, Tomy, Airfix, Mattel, Marx, Kenner, Posters, Prints, Books, Magazines, Memorabilia, T-Shirts, Mugs, Gifts and Novelty Goods… The list is endless… The “gripping hands” were next. The Americans copied that, too, but called theirs “the kung-fu grip”. Other changes included “eagle eyes” and the more muscular “dynamic physique”, while the outfits ranged from a Red Devil complete with parachute to football kits. I even designed a Scorpion Tank for him after taking a ride on the real thing. 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 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. [22] 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 the least of which being rising production costs. [23] 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.

Action Man: The Real Story

Palitoy (from 1964, 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 eventual closure in 1984. [3] All boxed figures came with certain pieces of literature, usually an "Equipment Manual", a catalogue of then current offerings that children could wish for, a star scheme card and a usage guide for the specific figure type that illustrated how to use and care for the flex hands, eagle eyes, etc., as appropriate. By CPG Products Corp, assigned the Patent #4,274,224 on 23 June 1981: "Toy figure having movable limb members".

During the 1980s to 1990s, the figure was made under licence in Spain under the merchandise trade name of " Geyperman".

James Bobin To Direct 'Action Man' For Paramount Players, Based on Hasbro Toy". Deadline. 8 February 2018 . Retrieved 8 February 2018. Michlig, J. (1998) G.I. Joe; The Complete Story of America's Favorite Man of Action, Section 11, pp. 162–167 Leicestershire County Council". Museums.leics.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011 . Retrieved 18 July 2011. 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 a British toy line produced by Palitoy (later acquired by Hasbro) that was first introduced in 1966. The original figure was a licensed version of Hasbro’s American G.I. Joe line, but with a more realistic military appearance. Action Man figures were sold in a variety of outfits and accessories, ranging from soldier uniforms to sports equipment and adventure gear. The line was a massive success, with over 16 million figures sold in the UK alone by the end of the 1970s. In the 1980s and 1990s, Action Man figures were updated to reflect modern military and espionage themes, and the line was later revived in the 2000s with a new look and storyline.