World’s Greatest Toys!

In World’s Greatest Toys (page 59), I discuss retailer S.S. Kresge, and their transition into Kmart:

Founded in 1899, S.S. Kresge was a five-and-dime retailer. In 1977, the company officially changed its name to Kmart Corporation, but Kresge stores operated in America until 1987.

During the 1970s, Kresge and Kmart orders were fulfilled through several different consolidation facilities, such as See-Pak in New Jersey. Orders came from “the individual stores,” recalled Mego warehouse manager Ray Demato. Mego’s warehouse employees would stage the entire order, separated by region. To fulfill orders for East Coast and Midwest stores, for example, Demato explained that Mego would “put them on a See-Pak truck that went to a Kmart breakdown point. See-Pak handled a specific region of the country,” adding, “There was a ‘See-Pak,’ a ‘See-USA,’ and others. [Kmart] had like five distribution points” covering the entire country.

Since the retailer’s transition occurred during Mego’s heyday, it’s fun to track the varying prices and toys offered by the two (very different) stores. In all my years of collecting, I have encountered relatively few “Kmart” price stickers, while I have seen countless examples of “Kresge” stickers, thank to the Kresge-branded “1st Issue” cards.

Kresge ordered ‘owned-brand’ packaging (i.e. pre-printed price stickers) for only a few years (1973-1975), but they continued to sell Mego products for years afterward. Here’s a cool comparison of a “Kresge” and a “Kmart” price sticker, both of which appeared after Kresge stopped buying ‘owned-brand’ packaging:

The $3.33 “Kresge” sticker (above left) is affixed to a “1st Issue” (6th Version) Robin card (see page 189 ofWorld’s Greatest Toys), while the $3.97 “Kmart” sticker (above right) is affixed to a 2nd Issue “©1977b” Batman card (see page 225 of World’s Greatest Toys).

The packages were issued about a year-and-a-half apart, which explains the $0.64 price increase.

It’s kinda the same as Wal-Mart, except Wal-Mart isn’t cool.

Target is cool.

Target is so hip and cool that some call it “Tar-zhay,” affecting an irritating French accent.

Based in Minneapolis, MN, Target is a retail giant. Originally a relatively small, regional chain, Target has grown to become one of the largest chains in the world; it is so large, in fact, the parent company (which also owns “Mervyn’s California”) recently changed its corporate name to “Target, Inc.”

And back in the day, Target sold Mego toys. Suh-weet.

Can you imagine walking into a Target — today — and finding a freakin’ Mego figure?!

Back in 1976, some kid did just that, scoring a sweet MIB Human Torch. Sadly, it took a while to sell the figure, as evidenced by the “Clearance” price sticker affixed to this specimen:

The original sticker reads:

TARGET
861 652
013
$2.99

The second (Clearance) sticker reads:

TARGET
861
013
CLEARANCE
.75

Pretty cool. At $2.99, I probably wouldn’t buy that MIB Mego Human Torch figure, either.

But for $0.75? I’ll take ‘em all.

Holy crap, this is just too cool!

Two weeks ago, according to Diamond Galleries’ Scoop, an anonymous donor gave the Library Library of Congress some very significant art:

Original Spider-Man artwork by Steve Ditko. The set of drawings for 24 pages of artwork came from Marvel Comics’ Amazing Fantasy #15, the comic book that marked the introduction of Spider-Man, in August 1962!

I don’t know about you, but I used to stare at reprints of these pages for hours on end. I love the shot of Peter Parker jumping onto the wall to avoid Flash Thompson’s car.

Just looking at this art instantly takes me back to childhood. And to think the owner could be so altruistic. It’s… well… AMAZING.

Read the full article

Links: Subscribe to Scoop

Where did you and your family buy Mego toys?

I’m working on a new project, and I need your help.

I want to document every retailer, large or small, that sold Mego action figures during the 1970s and early 1980s. I already started a Blog series documenting cool Mego price stickers, and now I’m asking from contributions from all y’all Mego collectors.

Mego-head Don Cassetori recently contributed a wonderful JC Penney price sticker, and now he’s provided several more, including Children’s Palace (which I like to call “Chil Pal”) and Mason’s:

Don also sent in these great Mego price stickers from retailers Rich’s and Toy Village:

Have you ever heard of any of these stores? Did your family shop at one of them when you were a kid? If so, please add a comment below and tell me what you remember.

Do you remember any other retailers (however obscure) from your childhood? Please post a comment and share your memories. As I said, I’m working to document all of these store, and I can really use your insight.

Thanks for playing along!

Mego’s Shazam is often overlooked, but the figure should be given a second look for the following reasons:

Shazam was among the final five “1st Issue” cards released in 1976, shortly before Mego completely converted all packaging to the “2nd Issue” card design (discontinuing both the “1st Issue” and “window box” packaging styles).

Also, the aforementioned “1st Issue” Shazam packaging variant is among the rarest of all Mego collectibles.

Furthermore, Shazam was not renowned for big sales back in the day (according to Mego insiders), yet Mego produced the figure nearly until the very end of the line. Sadly, the character didn’t quite make Mego’s final WGSH curtain call.

In 1979, Mego cut its WGSH character offering in half, from 27 figures in 1978 (i.e. all of ‘em) to just 13 figures. Mego continued to offer its most popular 8″ WGSH characters, which surprisingly included Isis and… Shazam!

In 1980, the line further dwindled to from 13 to just 9 figures:
Superman, Batman, Robin, Captain America, Spider-Man, Penguin, Joker, Hulk and… Shazam!

In 1981 (the year Mego opted to liquidate WGSH merchandise through an ‘offer they can’t refuse’ retailer promotion), Mego whittled the line from 9 figures to a paltry 7 figures, including:
Superman, Batman, Robin, Captain America, Spider-Man, Hulk and… Shazam!

In 1982, the last year Mego produced WGSH figures, the line was reduced by just 1 figure. The remaining 6 characters included:
Superman, Batman, Robin, Captain America, Spider-Man and Hulk… Shazam was finally axed.

1982 was the last year Mego formally offered WGSH figures. Shazam was, in fact, the very last character Mego intentionally discontinued from the WGSH.

And that’s gotta be worth something.

I shout out my love to you, Mego Shazam! I personally believe you are one of the coolest toys Mego ever produced.

You are handsome with your bright, clean, duotone costume… particularly compelling when contrasted against your exquisite, cobalt blue packaging.

You are likely the cause of countless “Mego-made-Flash-’cause-I-saw-it-at-Target-as-a-kid” rumors.

You share a head sculpt with the über-rare, Montgomery Ward Peter Parker “Secret Identity” outfit.

And you just plain kick ass.

Well done, Mego Shazam. Take a bow.

Want to learn more about Mego and the World’s Greatest Super-Heroes?
Pick up a copy of Mego 8″ Super-Heroes: World’s Greatest Toys from Amazon.com today!
All sales support the author and help finance the blog. How cool is that?!

I don’t know who “Cobra Creations” is, but I found this great photo of his on flickr.com:

This person has taken some very cool and artistic photos of toys, including Mego Super-Heroes, Kenner Super Powers and a Jumbo Machinder Gundam (with box!). You can see his collection here.

If anyone knows the photographer, please let me know.

Links: Flickr

I’m ashamed to admit that I let time get away from me. I planned to start a particular Blog series some time ago, yet I continually put it off by making excuses. “It’s too much stuff,” I thought. “I want to wait until I have time to really dig into it,” I reasoned.

I will not put it off any longer.

While working on World’s Greatest Toys, I kept detailed notes in various Microsoft Word documents; discussions with lawyers, Mego chronology, even concepts for possible book designs.

One such document details my great fortune in meeting Danton (Dan) Burroughs, grandson of Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs. Following is a snippet from my datelined notes, from late 2006:

October 16, 2006. Publisher Emailed me with incredibly exciting news. “Just got off the phone with Danton Burroughs, or ERB, Inc. He called in response to my permission request, and said he doesn’t foresee any problems with having the Tarzan figure featured in the book. He was very friendly, and also said he’s got a file on the Mego stuff that he’d be willing to share for the book, and that you’re welcome to call him.”

October 17, 2006. Called Danton Burroughs and played Phone Tag for a few days.

October 20, 2006. Finally connected with Danton. Arranged to meet in person.

October 26, 2006. My first meeting with Danton. Went to his (amazing!) house. Took Danton to dinner in Tarzana. Ate steak and drank fine wine. At $270.00, the most expensive dinner I’ve ever had. Worth every penny! He gave me the original ERB Mego file to review and copy.

Dan was a veritable “Rosetta Stone” in my archaeological book research. Dan’s detailed notes from the 1970s pointed me toward the “father of Mego WGSH” Stan Weston, whom I will discuss further in future blogs. Dan’s notes illuminated previously unknown facts about my beloved “1st Issue” Mego/Kresge cards. Dan’s notes explained Tarzan’s mysterious disappearance from the Mego line.

In my April 7th blog, I acknowledged Danton Burroughs and his illness, writing:

“I want to send a special shout-out to Danton Burroughs, the sweetest and most generous man I have ever met. Danton, who suffers from a chronic and progressive disease, doesn’t even have a computer (let alone read blogs), so he will never see this. Still, I want to broadcast my respect and appreciation of him. Danton, you took the Mego book to a ‘whole nuva levoh’, and I am forever indebted to you.

I wish you nothing but the best, my friend, and may every day be ‘a good day.’”

Dan Burroughs passed away this weekend, after a long and difficult battle with Parkinson’s Disease.

I am heartbroken, and I wish I had made more time in my so-called ‘hectic’ life to hang out with and learn from him.

Upon learning of Dan’s passing, I was reminded of a touching song by Chris DeBurgh, entitled “Old Friend.” While I was hardly an ‘old’ friend, we were most definitely friends. Upon learning the sad news, I instantly recalled DeBurgh’s lyric about sharing a fine bottle of wine. The night I took Dan to dinner, he handed his precious Mego file to me and said, “I really believe you will carry on the legacy with your book.”

I don’t know if I managed to do that, but I hope the book helps keep the family legacy alive. Thank you for everything, Dan. Rest in peace.

And you made a wish…

When the years are heavy, and my heart is growing cold,
Well I wish when the evening comes that there’ll always Be…
Some old friend who’ll miss me too…”

Well I do, so friend I’m coming through…
Yes, for you I’ll always find the time,
we will have a bottle Of wine
old friend, I’m here by your side, oh, to the very end…

— “Old Friend,” by Chris DeBurgh

Benjamin

As collectors, it’s easy to get down on Mego for failing to further expand the WGSH line. Despite Mego’s then-unprecedented production of 37 unique characters, we wish there were even more!

“Where’s our Flash?” we plead. “Why didn’t Mego make a Green Lantern? Or a Dr. Doom?!” we lament.

As the line started to die around 1977-1978 (no, that’s not a typo), collectors now question why Mego failed to push the envelope in an effort to revitalize the line… especially during that critical period exacerbated by George Lucas’ introduction of “Star Wars” to the Pop Culture lexicon.

In fact, Mego did attempt to ‘flip the script’ at least twice. But neither concept had much of an impact on children of the 1970s. Mego’s final attempt at pumping life into a fading line was the introduction of “Fly-Away Action,” a contraption included with some 12″ WGSH figures, which allowed action figures to traverse a zip line.

Several years earlier, while the Mego’s WGSH line was arguably in its prime, Mego also went outside the proverbial box in developing a brand new body style intended to enhance play-value. Mego introduced the “Fist-Fighting Power Fist” Super-Heroes in 1975.

I love Mego’s submissions to the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO), and I have previously discussed this informative documentation. In World’s Greatest Toys, I discuss the Fist-Fighters (page 147) as well as Mego’s dealings with the USPTO (pages 7-9), depicting just one of the four USPTO Fist-Fighter submissions.

Here is Mego’s “Fist-Fighter” submission in its entirety (NB: Click Images to EMBIGGEN toward legibility!):

PAGE 1 and PAGE 2:

PAGE 3 and PAGE 4:

Want to learn more about Mego and the World’s Greatest Super-Heroes?
Pick up a copy of Mego 8″ Super-Heroes: World’s Greatest Toys from Amazon.com today!
All sales support the author and help finance the blog. How cool is that?!

Courtesy of World’s Greatest Toys editor Rob Chatlin, here is a handsome photo of Mego President Marty Abrams, from Mego’s 1979 Annual Report.

I’m such a nerd, I actually zoomed in on the photo to see if I could make out any appointments in his date book, or read something in the New York Times laying on his desk! Sadly, I could only glean that the photo was taken in April.

Want to learn more about Mego and the World’s Greatest Super-Heroes?
Pick up a copy of Mego 8″ Super-Heroes: World’s Greatest Toys from Amazon.com today!
All sales support the author and help finance the blog. How cool is that?!

Courtesy of World’s Greatest Toys editor Rob Chatlin, Mego’s 1979 Annual Report is filled with fantastic photos, including this splash collage on the very first page, promoting Mego’s wide array of toy offerings:

More pictures from this glorious bit of print-matter are coming soon. Thanks, Rob!

Want to learn more about Mego and the World’s Greatest Super-Heroes?
Pick up a copy of Mego 8″ Super-Heroes: World’s Greatest Toys from Amazon.com today!
All sales support the author and help finance the blog. How cool is that?!