The Greatest American Hero (Mego)

 

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

The Greatest American Hero
Mego
1981

After The Rockford Files, but before The A-Team, Stephen J. Cannell created The Greatest American Hero. Cannell took everything that was big about science fiction and super heroes at the time, and made a farce out of it with the personification of Ralph Hinkley, a bumbling substitute teacher bestowed with a super power infused costume by a species of aliens.

The show, which ran for three seasons, often found its comedic moments through the establishment of the lead character literally losing the instructions for how to use the powers imbibed within his suit. This would often lead to hilarious trial and error, as well as destruction.

Hinkley was aided by his FBI friend, Bill Maxwell, and divorce attorney, Pam Davidson, who also met the aliens who gifted the suit. Together, the formed a team set on fighting crime across the world.

Where the show faltered was its marketing. Geared at children, one would think that a toy line would have been a lucrative bit of side action. However, with the exception of Mego toys producing a Convertible "Bug", which contained a Ralph and Bill figure, there wasn't much more to be found, in terms of action figures.

It's interesting to note that the Convertible car is actually Pam's in the series. Yet Mego couldn't be bothered to create a figure of her to join the group in the package.

Regardless, this toy is not at all common on secondary markets these days, and can easily set you back thousands of dollars to get mint in the box. The most recent I have seen have been somewhere between five and eight thousand, and I've never seen a loose sample.

Probably the most popular aspect of the show, even today, was the theme song performed by Joey Scarbury. The track peeked on the Billboard charts at number two in 1981, and led to Scarbury recording and releasing his one and only album, America's Greatest Hero. Though initially only available on record and cassette, in 2005 it was released for the first time on CD.

Unfortunately, this version is now out of print, and can easily set you back fifty dollars to get it. Considering there's really only one good track on America's Greatest Hero, that's a pretty hefty price to pay.

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Starsky & Hutch (Mego)

Starsky & Hutch
Mego
1976 - 1978

Just the good ol' boys 
Never meanin' no harm
Beats all you never saw
Been in trouble with the law
Since the day they was born

Oh...Wait...Wrong series. Starsky and Hutch wasn't about them Duke boys from Hazzard County, Georgia. S & H was about two Southern California police detectives.

Admittedly, we don't know much about the television series. So rather than pretend we do, here's the link to Wikipedia which will tell you all you need to know about it.

Let's instead talk about something we can rap about in droves - Mego eight inch action figures.

Hasbro gets bragging rights for first coining the phrase "action figure" for their 1964 G.I. Joe line. However, it's Mego who really stepped out of the confines of boundaries and went all out with eight inch figures based upon just about every concept you could think of - Pirates, Monsters, TV and Movie Characters and so many more. All of this began in 1972 when Mego secured the rights for their now famous Marvel and DC Super Heroes lines.

While the television series for Starsky and Hutch ran from 1975 to 1979, Mego produced figures based on the characters and infamous Ford Gran Torino car from 1976 - 1978. The series included the two main protagonists Starsky and Hutch (obviously) as well as a few reoccurring characters.

Starsky*Hutch

Chopper*Dobey

Huggy Bear

Starsky & Hutch Car

Unlike a lot of Mego's vintage stuff you won't find yourself going bankrupt buying some of the figures from this particular line. Starsky and Hutch will only cost you about $10.00 to $15.00 for each. Carded versions will set you back about $50.00 to $60.00.

As for the other three figures, they're a bit more - Roughly $50.00 each (loose). They're admittedly a bit difficult to track down in the package. As such, we can't estimate a value at this time.

Then there's the car...It's a little pricier and much rarer. In the box you can expect to spend over $300.00. We have not found many loose versions to provide a price point for this item.

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World's Greatest Super Heroes: The Mad Monster Series (Mego / Krege / Lion Rock)

World's Greatest Super Heroes: The Mad Monster Series
Mego / Krege / Lion Rock
1973 - 1980

Happy Halloween (one day early), everyone!

This post has taken us years to compile. It's been so long in the making that we were beginning to think it would never come to light. Mego's World's Greatest Super Heroes: The Mad Monster Series is so incredibly difficult to track down. Boxed and blister carded versions of the figures are so rare, and yet there are so many different variations. You would think at some point it would be easy to get your hands on at least one of the versions. Apparently not so much.

What is it with monster related series that make them so hard to track down? Looking at you, Remco Universal Studios Monsters.

The Mad Monster Series began in 1973 with the release of what has become known as "Solid Box". The four characters released were; The Dreadful Dracula, The Monster Frankenstein, The Horrible Mummy and The Human Werewolf. These would be the only four figures produced, and they would be re-released in multiple packaging styles up until 1980.

The Dreadful Dracula

Mego Solid Box*Mego / Krege Blister Card

During its first run, Mego made a change to the production of both Frankenstein and Dracula. Frankenstein was retooled with blue hair, and Dracula received bright red hair. Though it is unknown for certain why this change was made, many collectors speculate it was due to the original sculpts to closely resembling the characters from Universal Studios. Fearing some form of repercussions the changes were made, and the production continued until resculpted versions were completed. Again, this is all just speculation among the collecting community.

 The Dreadful Dracula

Mego Window Box*Mego / Toys R' Us Exclusive Lion Rock Blister Card

Mego produced the figures at some point between 1974 and 1975 for the first blister carded versions - AKA Krege cards. SS Krege was one of the largest retail organizations which later formed into a little known company that you may have heard of - Kmart Corporation which then evolved into Sears Holding Corporation.

Though many sources profess that the Krege carded versions are one of the more difficult versions to find, we can assure, they are all difficult to find.

The Monster Frankenstein

Mego Solid Box*Mego / Krege Blister Card

Mego briefly re-released the Mad Monsters in window boxes, and like the aforementioned Krege cards, many collectors profess that these are difficult versions to obtain. We regress back to our prior statement on the matter - They're all difficult to find.

The Monster Frankenstein

Mego Window Box*Mego / Toys R' Us Exclusive Lion Rock Blister Card

 The Horrible Mummy

Mego Solid Box*Mego / Krege Blister Card

In 1980, Lion Rock released a second version of the blister cards as Toys R' Us exclusives. Though the figures weren't all that popular during their initial release, they have since become highly sought after by collectors who claim...Yes, you guessed it...These are incredibly hard to find.

We're not making this up. According to Mego Museum, the profess that each one of these sets are difficult to find / complete. Why don't they just say that every single one of them is an almost futile attempt?

 The Horrible Mummy

Mego Window Box*Mego / Toys R' Us Exclusive Lion Rock Blister Card

The Human Werewolf

Mego Solid Box*Mego / Krege Blister Card

If The Mad Monster Series is the challenge you've been looking for, be ready to drop a lot of cash. You're going to spend about $200.00 a piece for the solid box versions, and anywhere from $600.00 to $1,000.00 for each other version. Let's do some quick math here...That's about $8,000.00 on the low end, and about $12,800.00 on the high end.

The Human Werewolf

Mego Window Box*Mego / Toys R' Us Exclusive Lion Rock Blister Card

Now, mind you, that price noted above is just for the figures. If you really want to complete the set, you're going to have to also track down the incredibly rare Mad Monster Castle. That's going to cost you another $600.00 to $700.00.

Mad Monster Castle

For those looking to scratch that nostalgic itch at a fraction of the cost, you may want to consider the 2012 Classic TV Toys versions. These reproduced figures (and the playset) are far more common, and will only set you back around $25.00 to $35.00 for each of them, and about $70.00 for the playset. Yes, we know, it's not the same thing, but it may be your only option if you don't want to take a second mortgage out on your home.

Mego's Mad Monster Series is definitely an amazing set of figures from a time of classic toys. It's just not very obtainable by the majority of people interested in it.

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Superman The Movie (Madelman AKA Madel)

Superman The Movie
Madelman (AKA Madel)
1979

Madelman was a toy manufacturer in Spain that produced numerous six inch action figures between 1968 and 1980. Their style was much like those of the classic USA Mego produced toys. However, unlike Mego's Superman figure, Madelman, also known as  Madel, centered their packaging around the newly released Superman The Movie - A classic unto itself that could envelop an entire post just discussing the film itself.

Admittedly our knowledge of toys doesn't extend far beyond the USA shores. However, from what we've been able to find, there appear to be two different packaging versions for the figure. Both feature a backdrop of the Fortress of Solitude, just with very slight painting variations. The figures are also posed slightly different inside the box.

Superman features quite a bit of articulation, bending at the knees, feet and elbows. He also features the standard bend in the legs for sitting down positions, and typical 360 degree arm rotations at the shoulder. Last, his head is on a swivel joint, allowing for 360 degree turning. All and all, it's a fairly good quality figure akin to the time period it was developed in.

Though we get, and love the helicopter, or as it's respectively titled on the package, "Helicoptero", we admittedly are confused by the dune buggy. We'll admit that in terms of Superman we really don't have the most vast knowledge beyond the basics, but even in our circles we've never heard stories of the time that Superman was tooling around the beach in his buggy - Not that it didn't happen. There were a lot of zany stories written in the 60's and 70's.

Back to the helicopter, this is a great piece for recreating the scene from the film where we first see Superman in full action as he swoops up the side of the Daily Planet to catch the falling helicopter hovering over the edge of the building with a dangling Lois Lane clutching on the seat belt for dear life. Granted you won't find a Lois Lane in the series - Or anyone else beyond Superman for that matter.

Here's where things go South for fans looking to add these pieces to their collection. For starters, they're rare - Really rare. The figures can be found easier (not easy, just easier) than the vehicles, but not in abundance. Next up, because they're rare, they're expensive. A mint in the package figure can set you back between $300.00 and $450.00. Loose figures will still set you back between $200.00 to $250.00 - However those are even more scarce than sealed one.

We've yet to see someone selling a buggy on secondary markets, so we have no price point to share in regards to that item. We have seen a few helicopters, both open and sealed, and this is where it gets uglier. The last sale for one of the helicopters was an opened piece with a box that not only was torn up, but looked like it had mold / mildew on it. The vehicle itself was fairly banged up, with the seat belts broken. This item still sold for around $400.00. We can only imagine what a mint in the box one would set you back these days. As we said above, the vehicles are more so scarce than the figure, so don't except to find many of them out there.

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Muhammad Ali (Mego)

Muhammad Ali
Mego
1976

Born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. in January of 1942, Muhammad Ali is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight boxers in the world. Out of sixty-one fights, he's one fifty-six, thirty-seven of said fights were won by knock out. To date he is the only boxer to have one the heavyweight title three times; 1964, 1974 and 1978 - Respectively.

We could go into more detail on the man, discussing his ups and downs, his conviction for draft evasion, and even more so into depth on his fight with Joe Fraiser in 1971, but we'd be here all day going that route.

Instead, we'll just jump head long into Mego's 1976 line of dolls. The line is incredible small, featuring only The Champ, and his Opponent - In multiple package variations.

The most sought after versions for collectors are the bubble cards which are mounted to cardboard rings. Though you can often find the carded figure, a lot of times the ring section is missing. The best way to tell the two carded versions apart from each other is that the ring style ones have the figure packed to the left. The standard bubble carded figures are packaged to the right.

BOXING RING PACKAGE

The Champ*Opponent

BUBBLE CARDS

The Champ*Opponent

A mail away option was also made available, and is even more so elusive than the carded ring versions above.

MAIL AWAY

The Champ

Out of all the playsets that Mego produced, the Muhammad Ali's Boxing Ring is one of the best in our opinion. Unlike most Mego playsets of this era which were made with 90% cardboard, the boxing ring is all plastic.

PLAYSETS

Muhammad Ali's Boxing Ring

Mego also produced a Bop Bag version of Ali so that the rest of us could contend against the champion without...You know...Dying.

INTERACTIVE PLAY

Bop Bag

Denys Fisher produced a version of Mego's Muhammad Ali doll which was sold in the UK. To date it's one of the more difficult versions of the doll to track down.

  HONORABLE MENTION

Muhammad Ali (Denys Fisher)

Unfortunately for Mego's Muhammad Ali line, it was cut short. Four additional opponents were planned, and even developed as prototypes which never got released. These would have included Manila Mauler, Lightning Lefty, The Carrot Kid and Battling Ben.

Join us next time when we take a look at Big Trouble in Little China!

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Space: 1999 (Palitoy)

Space: 1999
Palitoy
1977

This post is for our reader, Night Owl, who commented about the Palitoy versions of Space: 1999 figures back in our original post of Mattel's version of the same series.

Palitoy was a British based toy manufacturer who often times worked with companies such as Kenner and Mego to produce and release figures in areas of the world that toys otherwise would not have made it to. The company found its biggest success in 1977 when it produced several foreign versions of Kenner's massively popular Star Wars line.

In that same year, Palitoys also released Mego branded dolls for Space: 1999. What's interesting about this particular line is that Mego never actually released dolls for this brand in the USA. Instead, it was Mattel that got their hands on the license to do so. With that said, there are definite differences between both lines in terms of design. As such, both are highly sought after by fans of the television series.

Only five - eight inch dolls were produced and released. All came packaged on that familiar Mego style bubble package which featured the status quo circular artwok depicting each character available.

 Alan Carter*Captain Koenig

 Captain Zantor*Mysterious Alien

Paul Morrow

Figures Toy Company gave a nod to the line in 2005 when they produced the original figures above as well as eleven additional ones. As such, be mindful when tracking down loose Palitoy versions as you may unwittingly purchase the newer versions at a vintage price.

Join us next time when we take a look at Scarface!

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World's Greatest Super Pirates (Mego)

World's Greatest Super Pirates
Mego
1975 - 1976

Mego produced several series under the "World's Greatest Super" line. One of which was the amazing World's Greatest Super Pirates. The "Super" part in that title must have stood for, "Super Awesome!" These guys are great!

Based on both fictional and real known pirates, the line saw four eight inch figures produced. Blackbeard, Captain Patch, Jean Lafitte and Long John Silver each came in their own box with some of the best clothing and accessories that Mego had produced to date. It's a shame that there were so few of them, and even more so a shame that Mego never developed one of their classic vinyl playsets for this line. Can you imagine a fold out pirate ship sitting on vinyl water? Awesome!

Blackbeard*Captain Patch

A frustrating aspect for fans trying to hunt these down is that parts seem to be more available from broken dolls then actual dolls. More so annoying is that a good amount of boxed figures that can be found are in reproduction boxes - A problem many Mego lines are suffering from these days.

An aspect to watch out for when tracking down these figures is that toy manufacturer Figures Toy Company produced a set of reproductions in 2005. If you're not careful, you could end up paying top dollar for a reproduction. There are differences between the Mego and FTC versions. However, some are so subtle that unless you know what you're looking for you could miss them.

Join us next time when we take a look at Dead Space and Dead Space 2!

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Buck Rogers Dolls (Mego)

Buck Rogers Dolls
Mego
1979

We touched on Mego's Buck Rogers action figure line way, way, way, way, way back in the day "HERE", and while we always intended on following up with the larger dolls had the absolute hardest time finding mint condition ones. It's been a challenge four years in the making, and we're happy to say that we've finally done it.

These particular renditions of the characters are of course based off of the television series from 1979 which ran for two seasons encompassing thirty-seven episodes. The series launched after the highly successful film which was released in theaters on March 30, 1979. However, when the film aired on television as the more commonly known two part pilot episodes, several scenes were edited to remove adult themed dialog as well as the death scene of Tiger Man so that he could return as a recurring character in the series.

The Mego dolls have become cherished collectibles to many fans, and with all that great detail it's easy to see why. Each character is brilliantly captured in both sculpt and clothing. As we've often said before, our biggest disappointment is that there weren't more characters made.

Draconian Guard*Draco

 

Dr. Huer*Buck Rogers

 

Killer Kane*Tiger Man

 

A unique twist added to the Twiki figure was that Mego built in a walking feature. When you wound him up, the figure would walk across the surface, all while turning its head. Admittedly, the legs on this particular figure look rather goofy when compared to the rest of its body. While the top half of Twiki showcases great detail, and good mass, the lower half is essentially two skinny rod legs lacking in detail, and finished off with thick feet to accommodate the walking feature. We can't help but think that doing away with the feature and focusing more on a good sculpt would have been a better alternative.

 

Walking Twiki

Ranging anywhere from $50.00 to $200.00 for each doll, this isn't an easy series to obtain. It's even more so difficult if you're looking for great condition packaging - Which seems to be few and far between for this particular series.

Join us next time when we take a look at Wizard!

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Robin Hood (Mego)

Robin Hood
Mego
1974

In the 70's, Mego pretty much had its hands in every toy line that they could - Well, with the exception of that one mistake not to nab the Star Wars license when it was first offered to them. Monsters, super heroes, movie characters, and more - They pretty much left no stone unturned.

Though there was no license procured for these figures between Mego, Errol Flynn and/or Warner Bros. Pictures, the figure for Robin Hood himself has a striking resemblance to the actor who played the leading role of the character in the 1939 Warner Bros. movie, The Adventures of Robin Hood. Intended, or a fortunate coincidence? You be the judge.

The figures are more so popular among Mego collectors today than they appear to have been when first released in 1974. Though they can be found in abundance, they're not necessarily cheap. Empty boxes sell for around $20.00, and mint in package figures fluctuate between $50.00 and $150.00. Unfortunately there's no real rhyme or reason for the variance in pricing suffice to say that it appears to be based on who's looking for them, and when.

Join us next time when we take a look at Space: 1999!

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Moonraker (AKA James Bond Moonraker) (Mego)

Moonraker
Mego
1979

Mego's Moonraker line was really the first attempt at producing a line of toys based on James Bond. But why the 11th James Bond film, and not the ten prior to it? Speculation has it that it was all about the outer space adventure theme which drew Mego to jump at the franchise.

If we've said it once, we've said it a thousand times. Mego had been kicking themselves for passing up the very lucrative opportunity to grab hold of the Star Wars license which Kenner was at the time making hand over fist profit on. As such, the company was desperate to find a movie based tie in that would produce such lucrative financial success. Sadly, this didn't come in the form of Roger Moore dolls.

Only three dolls were produced and released in the USA before Mego threw in the towel on yet another dead end toy line; James Bond, Holly Goodhead and Hugo Drax.

James Bond

 

To help keep the toy line more "kid friendly", Mego made the decision to drop the last name Goodhead of the character Holly.

 

Holly

 

In addition, they dumped the first name of the villain Hugo Drax, and simply referred to him by his last name.

 

Drax

 

European markets were a little kinder to the line, and as such were rewarded with two additional dolls. The first was a deluxe version of James Bond which included an awesome hard plastic space suit. Fans to this day are disappointed of this particular dolls exclusivity.

 

James Bond

 

For as much as fans of the series regret not having the above doll released in the USA, they more so regret missing out on the one below - Jaws. Richard Kiel's portrayl of the character was perfect, and for many fans, Jaws was (is) the ultimate nemesis of Agent 007.

 

Jaws

Typical to many Mego lines, these days the Moonraker series is more so sought after than it was in the 70's and 80's. The actual James Bond doll is the easiest (and cheapest) to track down in the line, with Holly and Drax being a little fewer and farther between. As such, while you can typically purchase a Bond in the package for $50 - $200 (depending on condition), the other two go for a little more, typically ranging from $75 - $300. Because of their region exclusive nature, the deluxe Bond and Jaws are much harder to find, and you can expect to drop anywhere from $750 to $1,000 on them.

Join us tomorrow for a special Halloween post that's been over three years in the making, and don't forget to join us on Monday when we take a look at The Authority!

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Flash Gordon (Mego)

Flash Gordon
Mego
1976

Flash Gordon wasn't really something we took an interest in until we saw the film staring Sam Jones on Laserdisc back in the early 80's. Not only was that our first step into the world of the character, but also our introduction to the band Queen. Of course the Mego line below has nothing to do with either that particular movie nor the band Queen.

No, this 1976 version of the toys was based heavily on the comic book and serials of the original era of the character. It's a real shame that only four figures got produced as the world of Flash Gordon encompasses so many races that the possibilities were all but endless.

Flash Gordon*Dr. Zarkon

Though the artwork of the cardbacks are fairly bland, the overall color scheme really comes together with the figures, making for one fine piece of eye candy. 

Dale Arden*Ming the Merciless

Mego loves producing massive playsets, and the one produced for this particular series was no exception. This fold out playset measured 12.5" X 15.25" X 11", and included decal stickers, a computer, throne and several card accessories.

Flash Gordon Playset

Flash Gordon Playset (Open View)

Join us next time when we take a look at Thundarr the Barbarian!

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Teen Titans (Mego)

Teen Titans
Mego
1976

Before the Teen Titans became the group of super heroes that most people know them as today; Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy and Terra, they were a completely different concept. Though still incorporating Robin, the series also included the likes of Aqualad, and Kid Flash. The series would later go on to incorporate a few more faces that would come and go.

The original series of comics was produced from January 1966 through its final issue, number forty-three, in February 1973. It was picked up again in November of 1976, picking up with issue forty-four. The revival was short lived ending with issue number fifty-three in February of 1978.

Helping to build on its ever popular franchise of "dolls", Mego produced a very small series of figures based on the original Teen Titans. One of the best concepts Mego had going for it was that since the size and materials used for each character they produced never changed, it was easy to incorporate the various lines produced together. As a result, it was never necessary for them to produce a new Robin figure because numerous versions already existed. This meant that they could focus on characters who had yet to be made in plastic.

Aqualad

 

Kid Flash

 

Speedy

 

Wondergirl

Though the company is no longer around these days, for its time Mego stood for quality toys that were unmatched by any other company for the style they focused on. It could be argued that without them, the majority of beloved comic book icons would not be as popular today without their unique dolls to help promote play in children's imaginations.

Join us next time when we take a look at Mass Effect 2 and 3!

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Captain and Tennille and TV Starz Fashion Collection (Mego)

Captain and Tennille
Mego
1977 - 1978

These Captain and Tennille dolls are technically part of Mego's TV Starz assortment which saw numerous dolls based on popular TV actors and actresses of the times.  The series included the likes of Cher, Farrah Fawcett and Diana Ross, but never really came together as an encompassed set in the eyes of buyers at the time, and collectors today.  This was because the only thing these "people" had in common with each other was that they were indeed on TV at the time.

The Captain, Daryl Dragon, and his wife, Toni Tennille found success with hit after hit during the era, and were featured several times on various variety shows as guests and hosts.  The two sang of happiness and love, something the general public truly felt the couple had for each other as evident by their long standing marriage.

However, as of January 2014, the couple have filed for divorce.  What a downer.  Not only that, but with the two being in their seventies, how much fuel could they really have left in the tank?  May as well gun it to the finish line at that point.

The dolls from Mego stood approximately twelve inches high, and even featured unique cut outs of their dogs on the packaging.  It was quite often that the duo would feature the pups in music videos and performances.

The Captain, Daryl Dragon*Toni Tennille

As mentioned above, the series of dolls was technically part of a much larger line entitled TV Starz.  Mego produced a line of additional clothing for each "set" of dolls which featured numerous outfits for all the dolls (in the TV Starz line) as seen in their television performances.  There were four produced specifically for Tennille in the line.

Shop Around*Sweet Tomorrow*Gypsy Magic*Sunshine

Today the dolls and fashion accessories fetch a pretty penny on secondary markets such as eBay.  The dolls can sell for upwards of a hundred dollars each, and the clothing sells for as much as $75.00 for each one.

Join us next time when we take a look at Air Raiders!

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