Way back in the 1930s, visionary writers of comic strips and pulp novels gave us the groundbreaking characters like Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon.  Being in space, they obviously needed more firepower than gunpowder charged pistols, so blasters were born! During backyard battles, you could change the function of a blaster depending upon the adventure. […]

My favorite thing to see is the delighted face of a child receiving a toy. That moment of delight is magical. As a parent, it is satisfying that we made our child happy, at least for a moment. As a toy designer, I see it as a moment to spark a child’s imagination.  I still […]

One of the reasons that Disney properties and licensed product work so well is how they tie different sources together to make something bigger and better.  They call it “Synergy.” One of the trips I made to Disney World was for a Disney Parks brainstorm (it’s a tough job, but someone has to do it!) […]

Mattel’s Big Jim Action Figure line started in the US in the 1970s but continued to sell in International markets until the mid 1980s.  While Big Jim is only 9 ½” tall, the GI Joes and the time were  only 10 ½”. But both were very posable and dressable.   Big Jim was included by many […]

During the last week, I hope besides looking for these sets on eBay, you also learned how to tie a square knot and a bowline knot. There was more product released for the Steve Scout line in 1975.  It was probably part of their original strategy, but they launched additional figures depicting the lower aged […]

A funny thing about working in the toy industry: as an adult, you can find yourself working with the people who made the toys you played with as a child.  In the last company, I worked at, one of the very opinionated sales team members, was commenting about the age of our young, but the […]

We all remember that the United States armed forces began in 1775 with the creation of the Army (for land defense) and the Marines (for sea defense).  The rebellious colonies had no Navy and had to rely on privateers with Marines in support for any battles on the seas. The first official branch of armed […]

There are hidden gems in any areas where collectors abound.  In the area of collecting 1/6th scale figures, there is a line of hidden gems under the title “Tribute to Valor.”  The brand name changed, so you will also see “Americans of Valor” on some packages although the graphics are almost the same. These are […]

Now that Big Jim had a new rugged look, futuristic costumes, high-tech gear, and a properly equipped support team, he needed some kick-ass villains to do battle. In all the early years of Big Jim, there were no villains or conflict except a few animals to capture: a gorilla, rhino, a clam, and a tiger. […]

Mattel Launched Big Jim in 1973 as a sportsman. This separated the line from being an adventurer like Hasbro’s GI Joe Adventure Team or the Western themeing of Marx’s Johnny West lines.  Inside Mattel, Big Jim was always viewed and often described as “Barbie for Boys.” Much of the design work was performed by Carol […]