World’s Greatest Toys!

With apologies in advance, there will be no Daily Mego Adoration blog this coming Monday (March 31, 2008). I will be attending to other matters, but I promise we’ll pick right up on Tuesday.

Since I have to miss a day, I posted an extra Blog today, featuring a neat-o-riffic Mego Fantastic Four Desktop Pattern (see post below).

Happy happy, joy joy!

Benjamin

I really enjoyed photographing and designing the character “splash” pages that appear in World’s Greatest Toys! I sought to create the most iconic imagery possible for each, and I think they’re pretty keen.

I recently did something for myself, and thought I would share it with you guys. I created a Desktop Pattern (or “wallpaper”) for my computer screen, using one of my favorite splash pages: The Fantastic Four.

I created two different sizes, depending on your monitor settings: 1024×768 and 1280×1024. They look like this:

If you want to try it out on your computer, you can download the appropriate size here:

• Download 1024×768
• Download 1280×1024

I hope you dig it. I plan to create additional Desktop Patterns in the future, using other photos of Mego characters. Do you have a favorite image you’d like to see? A favorite character? Let me know in the comments below!

Benjamin

Blog Credits and legal stuff: Images published by Benjamin Holcomb and TwoMorrows Publications. All rights reserved. Images may not be reprinted or published without prior written consent from the publishers.

Here’s our Daily Mego Adoration for Friday, March 28, 2008:

Removable Mask Robin!

Perhaps the finest WGSH Mego I have ever owned — and by that, I mean both the toy and its condition — is a Removable Mask Robin, packaged in the rare “1st Window” box (discussed on page 58 of World’s Greatest Toys!). I acquired the piece during my ‘crunch’ period of preparing the final book for the printer in Hong Kong.

Due to time constraints, I could not include this exquisite specimen in the book. The book does feature a very high-grade Robin in the same box variation, but it is the more common “Painted Mask” version.

I regret not including this particular RM Robin in the book, but at least I can show it to you now.

Pretty cool! Just look at how tightly that mask fits! The whole figure just has the ‘crispness’ you all know and love… the untouched perfection of a “new” Mego. Yum.

I don’t own this piece any more, but it went to a REALLY good home, and that makes me happy. The new owner absolutely adores it.

Benjamin

Blog Credits and legal stuff: Images published by Benjamin Holcomb and TwoMorrows Publications. All rights reserved. Images may not be reprinted or published without prior written consent from the publishers.

There is an auction on eBay right now, for an unidentified “Mego Mailer Box,” which ends on April 2, 2008.

While the seller is unfamiliar with its origins, you might like to know that Mego produced this box for Canadian (note the “C” before the Mego Item Number 51500/6) distributors to sell Wizard of Oz Wicked Witch figures.

It’s not rare, but it is cool, especially if you collect Mego Wizard of Oz items.
Benjamin

Link: eBay Auction

Here’s our Daily Mego Adoration for Thursday, March 27, 2008:

Poster Fun: 2nd Issue ©1976 DC Cards!

Here’s a new addition to my Poster Fun series, wherein I create large, composite photos of different groupings of Mego Super-Heroes and packages. Today, we marvel (ahem!) at every 2nd Issue ©1976 DC card, in chronological order of release. There are 13 such cards. Enjoy!

Want to learn more? Buy Mego 8″ Super-Heroes: World’s Greatest Toys! Just $32.97

Benjamin

Blog Credits and legal stuff: Images published by Benjamin Holcomb and TwoMorrows Publications. All rights reserved. Images may not be reprinted or published without prior written consent from the publishers.

Mego Museum contributor Mego73 recently posted a link to this amazing blog on Hunter Goatley’s POTA site, which features scans of the circa-1974 “Go Ape!” promotional press book.

Among the promotional pages are references to Mego’s own promotional efforts supporting their line of Planet of the Apes action figures.
I love how the generic graphics (clearly pre-dating the digital age) implore readers to “Visit your local [MEGO] for details…”

Wow.

Benjamin

Here’s our Daily Mego Adoration for Wednesday, March 26, 2008:

Poster Fun: 1st Issue Cards!

Here’s a new addition to my Poster Fun series, wherein I create large, composite photos of appropriate groupings of Mego figures and packages. These are the types of images I couldn’t fit into Mego 8″ Super-Heroes: World’s Greatest Toys!, but they’re an awful lot of fun to look at!

Mego issued numerous “1st Issue” card variations, yet manufactured just 17 characters using this exquisite packaging style. Here’s a composite of all 17 characters produced on 1st Issue cards, in chronological order of release. Enjoy!

Want to learn more? Buy Mego 8″ Super-Heroes: World’s Greatest Toys! Just $32.97

Benjamin

Blog Credits and legal stuff: Images published by Benjamin Holcomb and TwoMorrows Publications. All rights reserved. Images may not be reprinted or published without prior written consent from the publishers.

Here’s our Daily Mego Adoration for Tuesday, March 25, 2008:

Poster Fun with Loose Mego WGSH Figures!

I wish I had been granted more pages in the Mego book, Mego 8″ Super-Heroes: World’s Greatest Toys!

At 256 pages, it’s already chock full of Mego goodness. But had it been longer, I would have included a whole bunch of other Mego goodness, such as large, composite photos of appropriate groupings of Mego figures and packages.

Sigh.

Since I didn’t have enough room to include such indulgences, I have decided to start a new Blog series to showcase my intended goodness, and I’m callin’ it Poster Fun!

Up first, a composite of every 8″ Mego World’s Greatest Super-Hero figure, in chronological order of release. Between 1972 and 1982, Mego issued 37 different Super-Heroes. Enjoy!

Want to learn more? Buy Mego 8″ Super-Heroes: World’s Greatest Toys! Just $32.97

Benjamin

Blog Credits and legal stuff: Images published by Benjamin Holcomb and TwoMorrows Publications. All rights reserved. Images may not be reprinted or published without prior written consent from the publishers.

Here is our Daily Mego Adoration for Monday, March 24, 2008.
Let’s finish up with these lovely 2nd Issue DC Cards!

This post wraps up my 3-part series of Daily Mego Adoration blogs about Mego’s “2nd Issue” DC cards. Today I want to show ‘detail’ photos of each card’s distinguishing features, which I discussed in yesterday’s blog.

On the front of each card, Mego printed a “Country of Origin” statement, a legal requirement for all goods manufactured outside the United States. These statements comprise some of the packaging distinctions, as demonstrated below. Most notable is Mego’s cessation of the phrase “THE BRITISH COLONY OF” from later cards.

Note, too, the ©1977 Wonder Woman’s “Country of Origin” statement; the typography is unlike any other card! Incidentally, the trademark (™) on the Mego logo helps chronologically place the mysterious Wonder Woman card before the ©1979 card.

2nd Issue DC Card-Front Variations: Country of Origin

Above: ©1976 “Country of Origin” Statement

Above: ©1977a “Country of Origin” Statement

Above: ©1977b “Country of Origin” Statement

Above: ©1977c “Country of Origin” Statement

Above: ©1977 2nd Issue Wonder Woman “Country of Origin” Statement

Above: ©1979 “Country of Origin” Statement

On the back of each card, there are three areas of distinction: Batgirl’s purse, the WGSH masthead and Penguin’s coloration. Following are pictures that demonstrate the differences between Batgirl purses and WGSH mastheads.

Batgirl’s purse started out yellow-on-gray. The ©1977c card is red-on-black, while both the Wonder Woman and ©1979 cards are black-on-red.

The trademark (™) on the WGSH mast started out white. On the ©1977c card, it is black, while both the Wonder Woman and ©1979 cards replace the trademark with a white registration (®) mark.

2nd Issue DC Card-Back Variations: Batgirl Purse and WGSH Masthead

Above: ©1976 card

Above: ©1977a card

Above: ©1977b card

Above: ©1977c card

Above: ©1977 Wonder Woman card

Above: ©1979 card

The Penguin illustration in the lower right corner on the back of each card also changed along the way. With the introduction of the ©1977c card, Mego finally added the character’s skin color that is missing from earlier packaging variations:

2nd Issue DC Card-Back Variations: Penguin Coloration

Above ©1976 card	Above ©1977a card	Above ©1977b card
Above ©1977c card	Above ©1977 WW card	Above ©1979 card

Want to learn more? Buy Mego 8″ Super-Heroes: World’s Greatest Toys! Just $49.95

Benjamin

Blog Credits and legal stuff: Images published by Benjamin Holcomb and TwoMorrows Publications. All rights reserved. Images may not be reprinted or published without prior written consent from the publishers.

The Vancouver Sun has a nice article about Superman, in honor of the character’s 70th birthday next month.

Benjamin

Link: Superman at 70: The Septuagenarian of Steel