Action Figures
From Action Man to Zelda
Published on 31. March 2020
176 pages
978-1-78500-688-3 (ISBN)
Description
Collecting Action Figures presents an alphabetical survey of each of the major toy manufacturers and the whole array of action figures they produced. Covering everything from old-school GI Joe and Action Man figures, including the fantastic toys of Louis Marx and Mego, right through to the game-changing Star Wars 3-inch action figures of the 1970s and 1980s, this is the must-have reference guide for enthusiasts and beginners alike. With over 200 colour photographs, it details the history of action figures arising from the launch of fashion dolls in the 1950s; it describes the industry and consumer reactions to the first action figures; it reviews the many different incarnations that came to market; it looks at film and television tie-ins and finally, provides an essential guide to where to find gems, what to pay and how to look after them.
Reviews / Votes
Books like this which are well-researched and provide much of the information enthusiasts need when pursuing their hobby and are a vital tool for the hobbyist, but sadly today, too many hobbyists would rather rely on the often shaky knowledge of others on the internet when what they need to know can invariably be found in a good book such as this. This is a rattling good read. * Constant Scale - Journal of the Airfix Collectors Club *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Ramsbury
United Kingdom
Illustrations
Illustrations; 250 Halftones, color
File size
190,88 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-78500-688-3 (9781785006883)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
02/2020
The Crowood Press Ltd
€31.50
Shipment within 15-20 days
Person
Arthur was only six years old when he moved with his family from the UK to Hong Kong, where his father, a soldier in the British Army, was posted. Whilst overseas Arthur was introduced to GI Joe (its British counterpart, Action Man, had yet to debut in the UK). The toy was a revelation. The author's love of action figures can be traced back to this moment. After graduating from art college and commencing a career in design and marketing, Arthur's early love of both action figures and plastic kits refused to diminish and he began to collect early examples of both, writing books about Airfix and 'TV generation' toys along the way. An inveterate collector and co-founder with the later Peter Donaldson, 'the voice of Radio 4', of Collectingfriends.com, he secured a Guinness World Record for the Spitfix! model-making marathon. Arthur has also appeared on TV on programmes such as Collector's Lot and James May's Toy Stories.
Content
- Intro
- Halftitle
- Title
- Copyright
- Dedication and Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- 1 Plastic Toys Come of Age
- 2 And Along Came Barbie
- 3 'A Doll for Boys!': GI Joe, the US Fighting Man
- 4 'We Choose to go to the Moon': Action Figures in Space
- 5 The Response to the Revolution in Boys' Toys
- 6 Action Man: GI Joe Crosses the Pond and Palitoy Makes its Mark
- 7 Gilbert and Mego Embrace the Film and Television Merchandizing Bonanza
- 8 In a Galaxy, Far, Far Away: Star Wars' Figures Reign Supreme
- 9 Condition, Values and Where to Buy
- 10 Epilogue: and What of the Future?
- Action Figures Top the Best-Seller Charts and Bibliography
- Index
