Empire Plastics Archer Space Mini CO-MA Italian Gumball Machine Comic Book Space Bling Insanity

This post is like a non-linear Quentin Tarentino screenplay, with multiple story threads converging in ways that may not be what they seem. Long, convoluted, self-reflexive and fascinated by its own geekery to the point of being boring, even for other enthusiasts. Having the toys is great, learning about them is intoxicating.

Will accept up front that I am likely incorrect about what was concluded. You may use the comment system (no login needed, anonymous just fine) or send an email to tell me all about it, am here to learn.

PART ONE: THE DINER HOLDUP SCENE (Just kidding.)

This part of the story begins in April of 2021 when I happened to score the above collection of seemingly random plastic bling packaged by mighty Empire Plastics. Then of Pelham Manor NY and happily pressing away simplistic plastic bling for bulk vending purposes. Spotted the red figure at the top and recognized it as a variety of "gumball machine" spacemen I'd happened upon previously and was at first I was unimpressed by. Figures were kind of worn and cast in a very non-space bright yellow. They were bagged, boxed and forgotten about.

ToySoldierHQ's precis on the company history of Caldwell/Empire. My favorite reference for vintage plastic figures, the TSHQ website is also a functioning store with whatever sort of plastic playset type figure you may be in search of. Not just vintage era "soldiers", cowboys, spacemen, pirates, dinosaurs or the other typical plastic molded figures either, but fringe interest figures from cereal boxes, mail order ads, gas station promotions, you name it. Also stocking current production toy soldiers from around the world. They're also active on e-b4y and routinely shake up their listings with new stuff. Go clean em out.

The contents of the bag unleashed, all but the figures recognizable as typical Empire product. "Grab bag of leftovers from an inventory clean-out" was one veteran collector's reaction.

All five from the heap, all soft flexible plastic, three of six poses, with the yellows there were four. I get "steampunk spaceman" out of them, wearing some manner of armored suit which requires a release valve for respirated gasses on their helmets. I don't get "robot" though some do, but have a subtle menace about them which belies the happy bright colors. All are armed and their helmet faces with eye stalks are creepy. So, they rule. Just took seeing in darker colors to sink in.

Now it gets interesting. TSHQ's visual reference for the figures, which were also pressing including in larger scale by Italian toymakers Co-Ma. Kept looking and eventually found enough of the soft plastic variety to complete a set of all six.

One specimen of each pose, two of which came in a group with their topknot steam valves removed. The search continues, and yes it is beyond high time to find the CO-MAs to compare for myself.

NOT MY COLLECTION - A carded example of the CO-MA figures Google helped with, and these do appear to be cast in a brittle hard plastic with shiny reflective surfaces. Size undetermined, but their heightened detail level hints that they may be a step larger than those from Empire's bag o' bling. Have also seen them in translucent neon colors which are quite distinctive, then a larger 70mm size with much more traditional vintage space figure presence complete with removable clear helmets, but in the poses seen above. They are very different than what Empire may have pressed for their gumball machine bulk.

Entire stash of the figures to date, including the damaged one I had the temerity to try painting. Not finished yet either, and never would I dare deface such a relic if it hadn't been damaged. It's acrylics, two minutes under a warm faucet with a toothbrush and he's bare again.

PART TWO: THE MCDONALD'S HAMBURGER SPEECH (Just kidding!)

Change gears to fall 2019: I always go for the reduced size or miniature versions of stuff. Part of my admiration for the venerable Archer Plastics spacemen was learning that smaller versions of certain poses were made. 

Locked eyes instantly on the mini Archer Robot and Force Field guy believed to have been produced by Empire/Caldwell for a "Space Minis" line of little ships, space artillery and figures. The sets likely first appearing very late 1952 or early 1953 when Archer space figures were pop culture darlings. I started collecting them on the spot and are a pet niche subject.

A patiently amassed group of the Space Minis in clinky hard breakable polystyrene plastic. My heart sings for such sights.

Most of the pieces with a gloriously marbled luster to their surfaces which has visual depth. Blue ship is translucent.

Fin tail car rests on its bumper after suffering a broken wheel, which is the only problem with the line. The hard plastic is way too flimsy and breakable to survive long in the hands of children. One drop onto a hard wood floor and they are gone, rating the set as Pop Culture Ephemera never meant to survive their era. Most vintage plastic toys are as well but these especially so. Meant to be thrown away when the kids were done with em. Step on one? No problem, $.24 cents for a new set. Get change back from your quarter.

When technical advancement caught up with toy production needs in 1954 with soft flexible polyethylenes, Empire/Caldwell re-ran the series in metallic soft plastic colors and kept right on selling them. This group ads two of the Space Train cards and a Missile Launcher not yet found in the styrene form. They must have made a bundle of these too since pieces of the soft plastic versions frequently pop up in "junk drawer" lots. You gotta learn how to spot em.

ToySoldierHQ's visual guide to the series, which includes a train locomotive (second from top left) that I have yet to secure a specimen of. Bulk vending methods are indicated which would include both bagged or string-carded dimestore sets and gumball machine type placement. Other than the train set shown below I have yet to encounter any of it with original packaging either online or in person.

The soft plastics have the form of the ships but lack the luster and presence of the styrene versions.

Space Missile Launcher frequently seen with projectile end chopped off. Most of my soft plastic versions appear to have been stepped on repeatedly. Apple green coloring of the "Pan" spaceship is unusual and may be a copy of some sort.

Halfway through, and time for some smugly hip self-aware obscure pop music.

Soft plastic in gold & green. Blue robot is nicely translucent. Mold appears unchanged.

Empire et al did effect some minor mold changes to certain pieces. Easiest to spot is the addition of aiming sights on the barrel of the nuclear cannon.

My first thought was the sight pieces had simply been cracked off the silver cannon. But one of my soft plastic cannons had its sights removed by a prior owner. Evidence of the removal is clear and there is no similar debris on the silver unit. It has not been sanded or corrected to mask a fracture. A second such cannon also in silver HP is identical, and all of my SP cannons have the sight pieces.

No changes detected here, but you can see what I mean about the styrene version in gold having more of a presence. 

The "Manta Wing" ship also went through a change with the addition of a cutout to its canopy to add a more recognizable cockpit form at lower left. All four are of the hard plastic variety, so the change was implemented before the transition to soft plastic. Unless they had more than one mold and were running them simultaneously the ships without the cockpit cutouts are the earlier form. All of my soft plastic versions of the ships have the cutout.

Will compose a followup with more focused comparison.

The entirety of my Space Train stash, one is still formed well and the green is a change of pace from the rest. Waiting for locomotive and caboose pieces to surface.

ToySoldierHQ's visual reference for the space train as a separate set on a nice die-cut card which looks to be in the earlier hard plastic styrene. The burgundy and green colors are dead ringer shades for some of my styrene space pieces. Most importantly is Empire reused the trains and card shape for non space colored sets which they did put their name on, helping to peg them as the likely culprits behind the Space Minis.

PART THREE: THE WATCH STORY (Haha isn't this fun!)

Jump forward now to the spring of 2022 and this "Lot" turned up while searching for miniature plastic airplanes. The planes are nice, but what prompted the buy was the three forms at front, described by the vendor as "missiles". Obviously spaceships of some sort with Flash Gordon 1950s lines & curves, sized for bulk vending including via gumball machines. Are there more styles? And who made them? Of which there be one obvious clue, weak as an old fiddle it may be.

The planes from the "Lot", all of which are recognizable as Empire Plastics product thanks to the helpful visual below from ToySoldierHQ.

The planes in the lot only match the ones in the images above. They do not match the better known variety made c.1960 by MPC/Multiple Toymakers, who dutifully logo stamped all of their mini planes. The planes also do not bear Lido hallmarks or indications of Hong Kong etc.

We refer back to the bling bag carded set, whose aircraft also match those from the TSHQ guide as made by Empire/Caldwell. But what about the happy steampunk spacemen? made of the same soft plastic bright colors + silver/grey. And Steve's brain began to click.

Since everything else in the "Lot" which came with these is IDd as Empire/Caldwell, might not these be as well? Which is a leap, no packaging was included and the vendor an estate picker who just combined like-looking things into a favorable lot. 

But, could this represent a correct grouping, even if just based on maker? Were these meant to be a new set to replace the Archer era designs? this time appropriating spacemen from Italy? Or should I go back to inhaling Drano fumes and watch more flying saucer documentaries. Plenty of time for both!

The six again, my how I like making pix of them. I now believe they originated in Italy, the design is out of step for what North American toymakers i.e. Marx were pursuing, only question might be how early Co-Ma was knockout out their translucent green ones. How Empire ending up bagging them likely never to be known.

PART FOUR: THE  CLIMACTIC HOT DOG STAND SHOOTOUT (Almost over! what a show.)

So, did Empire/Caldwell start with this collection in hard plastic c.1952/53 to be part of the Archer-initiated space toy craze ...

Which sold well enough to evolve into these c.1954 as a response to unbreakable soft plastic becoming the toy industry standard ...

And then became these c.1955?? Retiring the older tooling once Archer's figures were no longer the flashy new pop culture kingpins of the Tom Corbett era? With the bright pop colors replacing more difficult to mix metallics as a cost saving measure, and the ships there in the gumball machine with the figures cos kids would want some of both. 

Until the stuff is found bundled together with an Empire card sealing the baggie it's just a notion cooked up by some dork waiting out a pandemic or whatever. But I gots to know.

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