Action Figures Collector Tapestries
Description: Inspired by 1/6 scale Joe figures, the Big Jim was a line of action figure toys produced from 1972 to 1986. The Big Jim line was smaller in size (closer to 10' in height compared to Joe's 12') and each figure included a push button in the back that made the character execute a karate chop action. Each figure's arms were made of a soft vinyl material that contained a mechanism that simulated bulging biceps when the elbow was bent. Big Jim was less military-oriented than the Joe line, having more of a secret agent motif, but also had a large variety of outfits and situations available including sports, space exploration, martial arts, hunting, western, camping, fishing, and photography.
Description: SilverHawks is a carton series developed by Rankin/Bass Productions in 1986 as a space-based equivalent of their previous series, Thunder Cats. As with earlier works, the animated series was accompanied by an action figure line as well as a comic book series. The plot finds a bionic space enforcer called Commander Stargazer recruited by the SilverHawks, cybernetic heroes who fight evil. Specifically, they fight Mon*Star, an escaped alien crime boss who transforms into an enormous armor-plated creature with the help of Limbo's Moonstar. Joining Mon*Star in his villainy is an intergalactic mob. The series ran for a single season of 65 episodes, and the comics and toy line didn't come out until the show was in syndication the following year.
Description: In the mid '70s, the Six Million Dollar Man was all the rage, both on TV and as a play scale action figure. In 1976, Pulsar, the Ultimate Man of Adventure, came along as the off brand answer to Steve Austin. Pulsar stood a little taller than the Bionic Man, and instead of bionic parts, he had pumping veins with real fake blood that made his organs 'pulse.' Aside from that, his head flipped open like a waffle maker to reveal a 'laser disc player' where his mission discs could be loaded. They didn't actually do anything, but the concept was cool, especially for the '70s. So yeah, while Pulsar didn't have a network TV show or bionic parts, he did have clear chest skin that revealed his internal organs for some reason.
Description: Galaxy Warriors were one of the many MOTU imitator action figure lines that appeared in the '80s. The figures were produced by Sungold Toys in 1983 and resembled MOTU figures in scale, body shape, and in figure articulation. They were packaged with various weapons and armor, not unlike the originals. They can't exactly be considered knock offs in the sense that they were original characters, but were clearly riding on MOTU's coat tails. Somewhat ironically, Galaxy Warriors themselves actually knocked off by Sewco Toys, who copied the entire line, including the logo and characters, only changing the name from Galaxy Warriors to Galaxy Fighters.
Description: Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors is a 1985 cartoon series that ran for 65 thirty-minute episodes, was created to support the Wheeled Warriors toy line. The toy line actually came out first, and featured an array of action figures, vehicles, and play sets. The vehicles featured interchangeable elements, allowing kids to design and build their own creations. The show didn't reflect the toy line very well, which didn't help the already poor toy sales. Due to less than successful toy sales, the series' 65-episode run was not extended, and the series ended unresolved. A movie had also been commissioned along with the series, following in the footsteps of other toy-based animated series, and was intended to wrap up the story.
Description: Battle Beasts are 2″ tall anthropomorphic animal action figures that originated in Japan in 1986 as 'Beastformers,' as an attempted spin-off of popular transforming robots at the time. When the line came to America, they were called Battle Beasts, to better reflect the 'rock, paper, scissors' game that could be played with them. These nicely detailed action figures were based on animals and equipped with body armor and a weapon. In addition, their chest armor included a heat sensitive sticker that would reveal one of three elements – fire, wood, or water. Later, an invincible symbol known as the Sunburst as be released, and became a true chase item, as having a Sunburst warrior amongst your Battle Beasts, you would never lose!
Description: One of Lili Ledy's most successful licensed products were the figures based on the movie "Star Wars." One of their peculiarities that made them sought after among collectors was the fact that these Mexican editions presented variations in size, painting and style with respect to the originals produced by Kenner or - even - figures that did not exist in the original line were created. An example of this is found in the 12-inch line of these figures; the so-called "Man of the Dunes" (Tusken Raider), which in its time was not produced in 12 inches in the United States. The 12-inch figure line also featured exclusive box designs and featured seven figures: Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Leia, R2-D2, Dune Man and Jawa.
Description: As a toy collector myself I run into other people in the hobby that get violently angry at being called a toy collector. "THEY"RE NOT TOYS, THEY"RE COLLECTIBLES" is the battle cry and now the collectible collector can wear their hobby on their chest! PS Don't be mean to your fellow collectors, it's all in fun.
Description: Battle Beasts is a line of small 2" tall action figure toys, in the form of anthropomorphised animals with body armor and a unique weapon. Several figures have their left hand replaced by a weapon of some kind. Battle Beasts were created Takara in Japan (under the name BeastFormers) and by Hasbro outside Japan, beginning in 1987.
Description: Unleash your nostalgia with this Battle Beasts 1986 T-shirt, inspired by the legendary 2-inch armored animal warriors that ruled toy shelves in the late 80s. Originally launched in Japan as Beastformers and later rebranded as Battle Beasts, these figures combined animal power with futuristic armor and the iconic heat-sensitive chest stickers revealing fire, wood, or water. This retro tee is perfect for fans of vintage toys, 80s cartoons, and cult collectibles. Whether you remember the thrill of trading figures on the playground or just love bold retro artwork, this shirt is a must-have for your collection.
Description: Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future is a science fiction-action TV series that merged live action with animation based on computer-generated images that ran for 22 episodes. The story took place on Earth in the 22nd century in the aftermath of the Metal Wars, which led to the subjugation of humanity by intelligent machines. A small unit of human soldiers, survivors of the Metal Wars, lead an underground resistance against the activities of the evil Lord Dread and his monstrous creations, Bio-Dreads, designed to hunt down human survivors and digitize them. A toy line was produced that included unique interactive elements that allowed the toys to interact with a special segment in each episode.
Description: Inspired by 1/6 scale Joe figures, the Big Jim was a line of action figure toys produced from 1972 to 1986. The Big Jim line was smaller in size (closer to 10' in height compared to Joe's 12') and each figure included a push button in the back that made the character execute a karate chop action. Each figure's arms were made of a soft vinyl material that contained a mechanism that simulated bulging biceps when the elbow was bent. Big Jim was less military-oriented than the Joe line, having more of a secret agent motif, but also had a large variety of outfits and situations available including sports, space exploration, martial arts, hunting, western, camping, fishing, and photography.
Description: The Major Matt Mason toy line introduced in 1966 captured the excitement of the early space race with a unique, bendable astronaut figures designed for imaginative play. Unlike rigid action figures of the time, Major Matt Mason and his friends featured a rubbery body over a wire armature that allowed kids to pose him in realistic zero-gravity stances, making him perfect for space adventures. The line expanded to include a full cast of characters, space stations, and vehicles like the Space Crawler and Space Station, all inspired by Apollo-era missions. With its mix of science fiction and real-world space exploration, Major Matt Mason became one of the era’s most distinctive and memorable toy lines.
