The History of the Action Figure
6 Jun
In March 1959 Barbie was released by Mattel. I know what you’re thinking, Barbie isn’t an action figure, not even an motion anything, but that set the chain of events. At the time, the girls’ market was getting fulfilled, a new will need was getting created. So what about the boys?
That’s exactly where Hasbro comes into scene. Stan Weston and Dan Levine (working as Hasbro’s creative director) developed a 12 inch action figure inspired by the 1945 movie called “The Story of G.I. Joe” and some French statistics with Napoleonic clothing that already at the time had some articulation. The G.I. Joe was born.
First original G.I. Joe
As an action figure, the “G.I. Joe” was very first introduced in February 1964 at a toy fair (most likely much like the one going to happen in February) and it catered for the huge hungry boys current market in the time (baby boomers).
In 1966 its license was given to Palitoty, a UK based corporation that released the actions figure under the name of Activity Man. Other licenses followed suit into numerous other countries.
1 of such these licenses was given to Takara, a Japanese toy organization that went on to develop a cyborg (motion) figure based on the original Hasbro concept but with robotic parts. The standard size was still 12 inch, nonetheless, while using oil crysis (deja vu?) on the 1970’s Takara developed a smaller version at 3-3/4 inches and named it Microman, released in 1974. This allowed for further probing in the steps statistics size, which led to various sizes and other 12 inch statistics while using ability to transform (like later released Transformers).
Back inside the United States, the comics globe had been really beginning to boom over the country. Companies were beginning to make the association, and soon enough, Mego began licensing steps statistics for all these diverse comic book characters, starting in 1971, which were definitely a major hit back then. They brought Takara’s Microman toy line for the US under the name Micronauts and all was nicely in Mego globe, until they lost the Star Wars license to Kenner. The license was lost, not due to Mego not realizing the Star Wars franchise potential, but simply because the people who could sign the license have been out of town. The Star Wars men and women then visited yet another business located from the same building (200 5th Ave. NY, NY).
This company was Kenner.
Kenner Items snatched the Star Wars license, and in 1976 started out selling the 3 3/4 inch Star Wars motion statistics.
Within the 80’s, the will need for actions figures got bigger with all the cartoons that commenced appearing on TV. Shows like Masters of the Universe, G.I. Joe and Thundercats captivated the imagination of young boys and more reinforced the physical need for the motion statistics of their favorite shows. The current market was having hungrier.
Very first generation of Transformers cartoons
In Japan cartoons, Gundam, cartoons featuring robots fighting, started off acquiring a little too popular. This created Takara reinvent their Microman line into the then name Micro Robots. This even more led into their Micro Alter line, in which objects could turn into, or transform into robots. In the meantime, Hasbro picked the Micro Change line and one more of Takara’s collection, Diaclone (a transforming car collection) and mixed it all together into the Transformers we know today, and brought this concept to the United States in 1984, issuing the whole cartoon episodes from then on.
Then, inside the 90’s, with the appearance of Spawn’s activity figures(from the comics) and yet another Star Wars line, it became clear the marketplace wasn’t only for young boys. Older men and women had been turning themselves into collectors either by accident or choice and much more individuals were looking up toy magazines for far more news on their chosen subject (how did they survived without the internets?). A lot more and much more lines started getting out at the time, some even flooded the market place, as was the case of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turles steps statistics, that were definitely in such high provide that each figure was only worth a couple of dollars inside collectible planet. Comics continued their popularity and additional incentivated sales of readers favorite comic book characters in actions figures collection all more than the globe.
From the 2000s on, and up to these days, there was a transition made into movies, exactly where favorite movies would have action statistics of their personal characters. And not only films, but also musicians, athletes along with other figures of importance in the media.
The Brave and also the Bold actions statistics
Nowadays, toys and steps figure lines are pretty nicely researched and nailed down by main businesses, they even create errors in packaging and missing or several accessories to increase the rarity of some releases. They seem to go through their personal categorizations of what the market place ought to be for certain lines. The Brave and also the Bold comes to mind, that’s not for kids only in my opinion, I shouldn’t need to listen to what an executive thinks I really should purchase or not.
Well, and there you’ve it. If you want or need to, you can read some much more on Wikipedia for a comprehensive look on the motion figure:
