Friday, July 26, 2019

Vintage Robot Space Figures by Mattel, Ferrero/Kinder, Coman Boys, Timmee, LP, Tomy, and Big DRAGUN!



Yeah, so Robots. They were kind of a scary subject for me during those impressionable years. First one which made any impression on me would have been John Saxon's duplicate killer robot from that Six Million Dollar Man episode. Slaps the thing's face off at the end and he starts jabbering in reverse like those backwards voices in "I Am the Walrus" and I was under the sofa cushions in terror. Then the Six Million Dollar Man had to fend off the Venus Probe -- It always knew to go right for that Bionic Arm with the grabber claw -- and the Fembots trotted out for The Bionic Woman were even scarier. Plus all the malfunctioning robots from "Star Trek" run amok, frying off Red Shirts or chewing up entire planets. Doctor Who had all manner of robots killing humans as well. Nah. I was about spacemen, or rather humans exploring space. Robots were a potential menace.


It took until "Star Wars" to change some of that. Everybody loved robots after "Star Wars", and I agree with those who argue that 3P0 and R2 are the real stars of the first two films (I give up after "Jedi" so, don't get me started on prequel order). An unrealized Halloween costume plan had been to obtain a garbage can, fix a mixing bowl to the top and be R2D2. Dad didn't go for it, sculpting me a Darth Vader mask out of paper mache instead. Point being that after then robots had heroic potential and became a hot ticket with the Shogun Warriors figures which appeared in America during the very late 70s. Micronauts too, though I don't recall having more than one of them, and was too old by 1980 to go beyond more than a few Shogun figures. By the time Go-Bots and Transformers took the scene I was more interested in girls.


So I've not sought out too many robot forms as an adult collector. Most were included in "Lot" acquisitions which happened to include a robot or two. I'll do a more extensive post on them when able, for right now just wanted to link up the video & get a few recycled Instagram pix in place. Look for "space.trucks", and yeah I know that period is costing me a lot of search engine placement. 


Guy on the far end is 50s, unmarked and not sure which brand. Any info welcome!


Kindertoy got these Moon Scooter guys right, though technically he is probably supposed to be a spaceman. I can live with it.


I try to avoid branded franchise recognition but had to have that Medic Droid. Will do another post on our surviving childhood Kenner Star Wars figures, will never part with em even if the current film series annoys the living snot out of me. And I want a five-inch Timmee robot! In white.


He's fascinating, marked "China" on the base and with painted features. Would love to learn more if anyone recognizes the form!

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