Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Playlists
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Pop Culture»Toys & Games
    Toys & Games 2 Mins Read

    Action Man

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    The 1/6th scale Action Man was another product imported to the UK from America, where he was launched under the name GI Joe by Hasbro in 1964.

    actionman_002

    Action Man hit British stores in 1966, manufactured under license by Palitoy. At first, the boxed figure was either a soldier, a sailor or a pilot (although a range of alternative uniforms and weapons packs were sold separately).

    In 1968, a fourth boxed figure was added to the range – a Talking Commander with a pull cord and 5 random spoken phrases. All the figures sold in their thousands.

    Action Man’s appearance changed noticeably by 1970 with the introduction of flocked hair. There were also updated uniforms for the boxed figures – a new soldier uniform (this time with a machine gun) and a new updated sailor outfit.

    There were also new non-military roles for Action Man – the Sportsman and the Adventurer – and a whole range of new accessories including 1969’s base camp set (including an orange tent, a Union Jack flag and assorted bits of mountaineering kit) and the Polar Explorer accessories, including skis, snowshoes and a husky-pulled sled.

    In 1973, Action Man’s hands changed from hard, rigid plastic to softer, rubber “gripping” hands, and four new boxed figures and outfits were released.

    A major change came in 1977 with the introduction of the famous “Eagle Eyes” Action Man, and 1979 saw the final major change to the vintage action figure – the addition of blue moulded trunks and a moe “dynamic physique”.

    The sailor was retired by 1978 and the Adventurer in 1980 as the collection moved more towards Space and a new Sci-Fi focussed direction. The legacy of Star Wars loomed large . . .

    Related Posts

    • Action Jackson
      Action Jackson
      The Mego company got its start as an importer of toys and household novelties but in the early 1970s, they…
    • Billy Blastoff
      Billy Blastoff
      He may not have looked as space-ready as Major Matt Mason, but don't let Billy Blastoff's cherubic little face fool…
    • Star Wars Figures
      Star Wars Figures
      Director George Lucas passed up an extra $500,000 in director fees when he made Star Wars (1977) in exchange for retaining…
    • Lone Ranger action figures
      Lone Ranger action figures
      Gabriel Toys introduced the Lone Ranger toyline in 1973, creating a vast array of action figures, horses, and playsets based…
    • WWF Action Figures
      WWF Action Figures
      Action figures had many faces in the early 80s - the blonde brawn of He-Man, the buzz-cut ruggedness of G.I.…
    • Bionic Woman
      Bionic Woman
      The Bionic Woman was a spin-off of another bionic-themed prime time hit, The Six Million Dollar Man. In the dramatic…
    • Zaxxon
      Zaxxon
      1982 gamers had never seen anything like Sega/Gremlin’s Zaxxon. Players had flown spaceships into strafing raids and interstellar dogfights before,…
    • Odyssey
      Odyssey
      Before there was Atari, before there was even Pong, there was the Odyssey. We take it for granted now, of…

    Action Figures
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleAction Figures
    Next Article 1950

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    You May Also Like
    • Jack Kerouac
      1 9 2 2 – 1 9 6 9 US novelist Jack Kerouac (born […]
    • Ray Bradbury Theater, The (A Twist In The Tale)
      1 9 8 5 – 1 9 9 2 (UK/France/Canada) One of the most […]
    • Taxi!
      1 9 6 3 – 1 9 6 4 (UK) 12 x 50 minute episodes Fresh from […]
    • Crazy People (1990)
      In Tony Bill’s humourless satire, Dudley Moore plays Emory […]
    • Rocky Sharpe & The Replays
      Rocky Sharpe & The Replays formed in 1976 from the ashes of […]
    • Stock, Aitken & Waterman
      In the late 1980s the pop charts were awash with songs written […]
    Twitter Feed
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disco Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2022 Nostalgia Central
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.