The Mego Corporation is a toy company founded in 1954. Originally known as a dime store toy supplier, in 1971 the company shifted its direction and became famous for producing licensed action figures (including long-running) " Line "Best Super Hero, celebrity doll, and Micronauts toy line. For a time in the 1970s, their 8-inch scale action line with a replaceable body became an industry standard.
In 1982, Mego filed for bankruptcy, and in 1983, Mego Corporation ceased to exist; Today, Mego's action figures and plays are valuable collectibles, with some taking thousands of dollars in the open collection market.
Video Mego Corporation
Company history
Mego was founded in 1954 by D. David Abrams and Madeline Abrams. The company grew in the 1950s and early 1960s as an importer of dime store toys until the cost of increased newspaper advertising forced Mego to change his business model. In 1971, Abrams's son, Martin, a graduate of a new business school, was appointed president of the company.
Under Martin Abrams's direction, the company shifted production to an actionable figure with a replaceable body. The generic body can be mass produced and different figures are made using different heads and costumes on them.
In 1972, Mego licensed to make toys for the National Periodical Publications (DC Comics) and Marvel Comics. The popularity of this 8-digit line - dubbed "The Greatest Super Hero in the World" - created a scale of standard action figures for the 1970s.
Mego began purchasing licensing rights for movies, television programs, and comic books, eventually producing a line drawing for Planet of the Apes Star Trek and Wizard of Oz . Mego also obtained licenses from Edgar Rice Burroughs for his creations, such as Tarzan.
Starting in 1974 Mego released the action figure of Planet of the Apes, the first toy sold as a tie-ins movie. 1974 also saw the release of the numbers from Star Trek: The Original Series, which continues to gain fandom in syndication. The Planet of the Apes and Star Trek numbers proved popular and inspired the emergence of action series series based on popular culture franchises.
During this period, Mego was known for the luxurious party that the company threw at the annual New York International Toys Exhibition. In 1975, Mego launched the Wizard of Oz movie doll with a gala which guests in particular were every major member of the surviving film. The Mego party at the Waldorf-Astoria with Sonny and Cher introduces their doll attracts one thousand people. Both dolls were officially unveiled at The Mike Douglas Show. The Cher doll was the number one puppet in 1976, helping to make Mego a sixth-ranked American toy manufacturer, based on retail sales.
In 1976, Martin Abrams made a deal with Japanese toy manufacturer Takara to bring their popular lucite, 3 "Micronesian figures fully articulated to the United States under the name" Micronauts. "While David Abrams refused a toy licensing agreement for the upcoming movie Star Wars, arguing that Mego would go bankrupt if they made toys from every flick-in-the-pan emerging science fiction movie This decision did not seem to have much impact on Mego at first, because Micronauts's numbers initially sold well, making the company more than $ 30 million at its peak.On the other hand, the movie Star Wars was very popular and Kenner Products selling a large number of Star Wars action figures.
Following Star Wars' great cultural impact, and Kenner's great success with his metaphorical line, Mego negotiated licenses for production rights to a number of science fiction films and television shows, including Moonraker , < i> Buck Rogers in the 25th century , The Black Hole , and Star Trek: The Motion Picture . Although these Mego line figures have a much higher quality than the 12-digit Kenner "Star Wars", nothing works.Speedful success Kenner's Star Wars 3-3/4 "Line toys soon made the industry size newer, smaller, shifting sales from the standard 8 "popularized by Mego.
In the late 1970s, Mego generated about $ 100 million in sales. Around this time, Mego began to shift their focus toward electronic toys like 2-XL toy robots and Fabulous Fred's handheld game player, but sales did not match the company's investment, and Mego got into debt. In fiscal years 1980 and 1981, Mego reported a combined loss of $ 40 million. In fiscal year 1982, the company reported a loss between $ 18 and $ 20 million.
In February 1982 the remaining staff were released and the Mego office was closed. On June 14, 1982, Mego filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy; the company officially fell in 1983.
In 1986, Martin Abrams founded Abrams Gentile Entertainment (AGE), to maintain and manage Mego license, rights, and deal agreements. In October 1995 AGE attempted to reclaim the Mego trademark. In March 2002, they abandoned the effort. In early 2009, Martin Abrams announced that AGE had reclaimed the rights on behalf of Mego; there are no specific future plans for Mego products that have been revealed to date.
Maps Mego Corporation
Product history
Against Yank
Toys similar to GI Joe; so similar, in fact, Hasbro was able to show that the toy's body had been copied directly from an authentic GI Joe tool. Hasbro threatened the lawsuit and Mego stopped the product.
Broadway Joe Namath
An action figure based on New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath. The 1970s toyota included Broadway Joe in the New York Jets football jersey, plus additional modes sold separately.
Action Jackson
One of the first Mego toys under Martin Adams is the original character, Action Jackson, which is meant to compete with G.I. Joe's line. Highly promoted in television advertising and in newspaper ads, the Jackson Action line includes numbers, vehicles, and playsets. It was a big seller at the launch in 1971, but soon faded in popularity and was stopped after 1974. The body design was reused for 8-inch licensed character action characters.
Dinah Mite
A fashion doll produced as a female partner for Action Jackson. The doll was not a success, but the body design was reused for an 8-inch licensed female character action figure.
World's Supreme Hero of the World!
Starting in 1972, Mego released the first full line of DC Comics and Marvel Comics comic strips as well as criminal action figures, unifying the term "The Greatest Super Hero in the World!" (WGSH) as the umbrella title for all the numbers released in this line. To start the line, Mego produces figures Batman, Robin, Aquaman, and Superman. (For the South African market, a local radio drama hero, Jet Jungle, is included in the series.) The earliest figures are released in solid boxes, but these boxes are often marred by buyers who want to see the figure in them. The design is quickly converted into a "window" style box. The WGSH line was offered from 1972 to 1983.
Fashion doll
Mego markets a variety of fashion doll lines designed to compete with popular Mattel Barbie lines. The company's first attempt was the 1973 line "Maddie Mod", which included a vast wardrobe and Maddie's girlfriend "Richie," unsuccessfully. Next, Mego created "Dinah-Mite," an eight-inch Barbie doll (203Ã, Â °) with a boyfriend named Don. Other fashion dolls include "Indah Lainie," a 19 "doll that dances back and forth from the hips, and the Temple, a line that includes" Coppertone Temple, "" tanning "dolls co-branded with a Coppertone sunscreen.
TV and movie numbers
The popularity of the 1974 release of the Planet of the Apes line and Star Trek: The Original Series caused Mego to produce licensed numbers based on movies and TV shows including The Flintstones , Happy Days , Laverne & amp; Shirley , Our Gang , Starsky & amp; Hutch , The Waltons , and Wizard of Oz .
Mego introduced the line of Lynda Carter Wonder Woman in 1977. The first edition of Wonder Woman dolls and accessories included:
- Wonder Woman (boss-painted tops in the factory with star-wrapped clothes, bracelets, lasso gold, tiara and red boots), and Diana Prince Navy Yeoman's clothes, featuring sunglasses and high-heeled black skates
- Nubian, super-enemy Wonder Woman
- Queen Hippolyta, mother of Wonder Woman
- Major Steve Trevor, best friend and Wonder Woman boss
Mego added 12 1 / 2 "figures from the Superman movie Superman in 1978, which included Superman, Jor-El , Lex Luthor, and General Zod.
In the early 1980s Mego generated numbers and vehicles for popular TV shows CHiPs , Dallas , Duke of Hazzard , and The Greatest American Hero . The Dukes of Hazzard figures sell well, but Mego fails with the dolls CHIPnya and Dallas .
Comic_Actionпes.21 "> Comic Action Comics!
Always thinking of ways to reduce production costs, in 1975 Mego released a smaller plastic action toy called Heroic Comic Action ! which has a costume that is shaped in the image, thus eliminating the additional cost of setting up. This line features Batman, Robin, The Joker, and The Penguin, as well as other DC Comics characters. Then, in 1979, Mego re-released the line under the new name Pocket Super Heroes .
Celebrity dolls
In 1976, Mego launched a very successful 12-inch celebrity doll line. The first dolls are Sonny and Cher, with famous fashion designer Bob Mackie designing a large wardrobe for Cher. Farrah Fawcett, Jaclyn Smith, Diana Ross, Suzanne Somers, The Captain and Tennille, and Kiss celebrity dolls followed in 1977 and 1978.
Mikronaut
From 1976 to 1980, Mego produced a licensed line from figures Micronesia Takara with the name Micronauts. The 3-3/4 "popularity of the toy line led to Marvel Comics launching a comic book Micronauts in 1979, which lasted until 1986.
robot 2-XL
In 1978, Martin Abrams purchased a robot inventor Michael J. Freeman, a 2-XL robot, which was introduced to the public and became a success. Toys are sold in various countries and voiced in seven languages, including English. 2-XL is a revolutionary idea, combining toys and education. Many games are also developed for toys. In 1981, the popularity of 2-XL has been reduced, and then stopped. However, the 2-XL robot was upgraded and reintroduced in the early 1990s by Tiger Electronics, a US-based toy company. Programs for this version are also voiced by Freeman and sold worldwide.
The 2-XL is part of Mego's line of electronic gaming, which includes Mini-Vid and Fabulous Fred handheld devices.
Military numbers
In 1976, Mego began producing a small collection of World War II-themed military action figures that were marketed in France, Italy (under Polistil), Germany, Australia and Britain under different names. Most of these products are branded under the name "Singa Batu", Mego manufacturing arm. These figures were released in the early 1980s as "Johnny Action" or "Combat Man." Using a 6 inch (150 mm) format, they are manufactured after 12-inch (300 mm) G.I. Joe's figures have lost their popularity and before the resurrection G.I. Joe line in 3-¾ format ", they are also meant to compete with the line of Madelman, the Spanish soldier numbers.The 6 inch (150 mm) fighter line did not work.
Eagle Strength
One of Mego's major final product lines is Eagle Force, a 2 3 / 4 -inch-high (70 mm) die-cast action figure toy line co-designed by Paul Kirchner and marketed in 1981-1982. Produced during Ronald Reagan's first term as president, the Eagle Force line of toys is marketed as an anti-terrorist task force, to send a message that the United States will not be "pushed" again. The line is similar to Hasbro's G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero action figure.
Toys and games produced by Mego
"Mego Melt"
Some of the different plastic action figures and dolls made by Mego have suffered from "Mego Melt" (also known as "Mego Molt"), a term coined by toy collectors to describe matter that deteriorates over time. The plastic used for the doll's body reacts with the rubber plastic used for the arms and legs. The result is the melting of the body at the points that join: the shoulders, armpits, hips, and buttocks. Even when stored carefully, this melting often results in a costume attached to the doll. Excessive heat from storage in the attic or garage heat exacerbates this problem. The doll's hair and eyelashes are susceptible to similar damage when exposed to high temperatures.
In popular culture
From 1996 to 2011, the 8-inch Mego figure (200 mm), especially the superhero line, found a new life in Twisted ToyFare Theater (originally called "Twisted Mego Theater"), a funny comic that appeared on ToyFare, a monthly magazine published by Wizard Entertainment. ToyFare staff pose and take photos depicting the numbers in odd situations, with additional dialogue balloons. The series is famous in comic book circles and collectors because of its distinctive sense of humor, outside the walls. The popular strips are then published separately in their own collections.
Mego action figures as well as similar figures are used in Cartoon Network's Adult Swim Robot Chicken program. The show, which debuted in February 2005, is directly based on Twisted ToyFare Theater and features three authors.
See also
- Hasbro
- Kenner Products
- Mattel
References
Resources consult
- Bonavita, John. Mego Action Figure Toys , 3rd Edition (2001)
- Holcomb, Benjamin. Mego 8 "Super-Heroes: The World's Largest Toy! , (2008) TwoMorrows Publishing ISBN: 1-893905-82-9
- Scott, Sharon M. (2010). American Toys and Culture: An Encyclopedia . ABC-CLIO. ISBN: 0313351112 . Retrieved November 25, 2014 . Ã,
Further reading
- Jones, Jonathon (2015). World's Largest Super Hero Mego: Field Guide Action Figure. Amazon.com. ASIN B019BAYWMG
- Zenker, Gary (2013). DC Comic Action Figures and Checklist of Collectibility. White Lightning Publishing. ISBN: 978-0989334471
Note
External links
- Mego Museum - the main authority on Mego toys and company history
- Mego Museum Forum - Mego community message board
- the official MegoMeet website
- MegoMeet on Facebook
- Full list of Mego action figures and accessories
- Foreign Mego - focuses on Mego products from outside the US.
- Megocollector - a comprehensive guide for Mego Star Trek , among other products
- Joseph's Star Trek Mego - dedicated to the Mego line Star Trek toys
Source of the article : Wikipedia
0 Comments