World’s Greatest Toys!

I am thrilled to announce that the book has found a home. The incredible TwoMorrows has agreed to publish Mego 8″ Super-Heroes: World’s Greatest Toys!, and it will be available for sale winter 2007.

Several people on the Mego Museum had urged me to investigate TwoMorrows as a possible publisher. I must confess that I did not act on the advice. Interestingly, my introduction to the publisher came by way of a strange set of events (in which I had absolutely no participation). I hope to tell that story later, but suffice to say that it confirms my recent revelation that the book is just Meant To Be.

Needless to say, I am pleased beyond belief. Given that less than two months ago, I was convinced this book would never happen, this is an amazing turn of events.

In celebration of this news, I want to share a story about Peggy and Captain America. Peggy is my mom. I call my mother “Peggy” and my father “Ray.” That’s another story, for another day. You already know who Captain America is, but you didn’t know who Peggy is. Now you know.

I have a vivid memory from 1978. I was 8 years old, talking to Peg while she was working in the back right corner of her bedroom. She was working toward a college degree, and that’s just where her desk was. Anyway, Peg asked me which [Mego] character I wanted most. Had I responded with the character she had recently purchased, she would have given it to me on the spot. I named every character I could think of, but failed to mention the one she had. Peg concluded I didn’t ‘really want’ that figure, and promised to exchange it for one on my improvised wish list.

Not one to delay gratification, I later sneaked into their closet to root out the unnamed treasure. It was a carded Captain America, which I promptly removed from the sealed blister to play with. I’ll never forget that cherry red card with the comic illustrations! It was just awesome to me. I played with Cap for a very… long…. time.

Stupid kid! Now that I think back, I even remember my mom calling out to me while I was in there taking off Cap’s boots to inspect them. She was “checking up” on me (as moms are wont to do), and I remember feeling so damned proud that I didn’t get busted. Stupid kid! It’s only now that I realize she knew I was in there the whole damned time! Aaarrgh!

Moms are smart. Kids are stupid.

How stupid? I rushed to put Cap back in the package (remember, this was a blister card, not a box), but couldn’t find one of the boots. Hurriedly, I put Cap back on the card with one frickin’ boot. That’s how stupid.

I never learned what my mom did with that opened package, but I never saw it again (nor do I recall receiving any shit for my transgression). She assures me that she must have given it to me, but the coda of that recollection is lost… like tears in rain (any Bladerunner fans out there? Hello…?).

In honor of this beloved memory, I present a brand new sample from the book. This is another example of what I call “Frog Diagrams” (so-called because they remind me of those 7th grade Biology books that illustrate the anatomy of frogs). Each character will receive a similar treatment, each designed to break down the variant accessories and outfits Mego produced. I hope you dig it.

Benjamin