Mego Corporation
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The Mego Corporation was a toy company that dominated the action figure toy market during most of the 1970s. The Mego Corporation was founded in the early 1950s by David Abrams and was mostly known prior to 1971 as a producer of dime store toys.
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[edit] Golden age
Starting in 1971, Mego began purchasing license rights to a variety of successful motion pictures, television programs, and comic books, and started producing lines for Planet of the Apes, Star Trek, and the Wizard of Oz. Mego used various licensed Marvel and D.C. superhero characters to create their World's Greatest Superhero line, which became their most successful toy line. They also produced an original character, Action Jackson, [1] an unsuccessful competitor of Hasbro's G.I. Joe.
The secret of Mego's success was that their action figures were constructed with interchangeable heads. Generic bodies could be mass produced and different figures created by interposing different heads and costumes on them. Mego also constructed their figures primarily in an 8 inch scale - setting an industry standard in the 1970s.
Mego also created the Kresge style card (named for the Kresge (later KMart) store chain, for whom they were originally produced), now commonly referred to as the "Mego Bubble Card." This style of card placed the clear plastic bubble containing the action figure in the middle of the card.
- Celebrity, Fashion and Movie Dolls
Mego first attempted a fashion doll line in the early '70's to rival Barbie with Maddie Mod, who had an extensive wardrobe, and her boyfriend Richie. The line was not a success. They also created a poseable eight inch scale of a Barbie-like doll, 1973's Dinah-Mite.
In 1975, Mego launched a highly successful 12 1/2 inch celebrity doll line, to directly compete with Mattel's Barbie doll. The first dolls were Sonny and Cher, with Bob Mackie designing an extensive wardrobe for Cher. Then Mego added the Lynda Carter Wonder Woman doll line in 1976. Farrah Fawcett, Jaclyn Smith, Diana Ross, Suzanne Somers, and The Captain and Tennille dolls followed in 1977.
From 1976-1980 they produced a popular line of lucite 3" fully articulated figures called Micronauts to compete with Kenner's Star Wars line.
Mego added 12 1/2 figures from the Superman movie in 1978, as well as the members of the rock 'n' roll band Kiss. Gene Simmons had a specially molded head created to allow him to stick out his tongue.
- Military figures
A small collection of military-themed action figures were also released in the early 1980s, called "Johnny Action or Combat Man" in the US, they were also marketed in other countries (France, Italy, Germany, Australia, United Kingdom) released in 1976 under different names. Using the same 6 inch format, they were produced after the 12-inch G.I. Joe figures had lost their popularity and before the revival of the G.I. Joe line in 3-3/4" format and also to compete with Spain's Madelman line of soldier figures. The 6-inch combat line was not a success, and knockoff figures were also released for companies like Woolworth's (or Woolco in Canada, where the line was known as "World War Two Heroes, Brave Soldiers, Jest Force").[1]
[edit] Decline
In 1976, David Abrams rejected a deal to license toys for the upcoming motion picture Star Wars. This decision set Mego up for its eventual collapse, as the movie was a huge success and competitor Kenner Products sold huge amounts of Star Wars action figures.
Following Star Wars' great success, Mego attempted a comeback by grabbing the licenses for the manufacturing rights to any and all potentially successful motion picture and television shows, in hopes of finding a similar hot property. They produced 12 1/2 inch figures for Moonraker, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, The Black Hole, Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Unfortunately, none of these were as successful as Kenner's Star Wars products. In 1982 Mego filed for bankruptcy, and by 1983, the Mego Corporation ceased to exist.
[edit] Collectibles
Today, Mego action figures and playsets are highly-prized collectibles, with some fetching thousands of dollars on the open collectibles market. The World's Greatest Superhero line, the Elastic Superheroes figure line, the Wonder Woman doll line, the Cher doll (as well as certain rare Bob Mackie designed outfits), and the Kiss dolls are deemed as prized collectibles.
In 2005, *The Mego Museum began issuing promotional trading cards featuring each individual World's Greatest Super Hero 8 inch figures, followed by Star Trek and Planet of the Apes cards. The cards have become sought after collectibles among Mego fans and trading card collectors.
[edit] Other uses
In recent years, Mego's 8-inch figures, particularly the superhero line, have found new life in Twisted ToyFare Theater, a humorous photo comic-strip appearing in Toyfare: The Toy Magazine. Toyfare staff pose and take photos depicting the figures in bizarre situations, with added dialogue bubbles. The series is well-known in comic book and collectors' circles for its distinctive, off-the-wall sense of humour. The strips (renamed, formerly "Twisted Mego Theatre") have even been printed separately in their own collection.
Toys similar to Mego action figures are used in the Cartoon Network Adult Swim show, Robot Chicken.
[edit] Legacy
In 2005, a company called classictvtoys.com began producing 8-inch figures very similar in design to Mego's. Various lines manufactured include replicas of Mego's Mad Monster, Merry Men, Western Heroes and Super Pirates figures, identical down to the packaging with only company logos changed. They also manufacture licensed, classic television characters packaged on Mego-style blister cards. Among the many included in the line: Married... with Children, Happy Days, The Munsters, The Brady Bunch, and legendary professional wrestler André the Giant. Sadly, sales of these figures were dismal at best and all can be found easily on the secondary market at a fraction of their original retail price.
Each year, Mego collectors have a convention in Wheeling West Virginia called *Mego Meet this occurs every June.
Mego Corporation is in no way related to mEgo inc. [2]
[edit] Trivia
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Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
The trip-hop band U.N.K.L.E. sampled an ad for the Mego game "Ballbuster" in their 1998 album Psyence Fiction.
[edit] References
- Mego Action Figure Toys, 3rd Edition (2001) by John Bonavita
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
- Mego Museum-The leading authority on Mego Corp.
- Mego Forum- The largest Mego collector community in the World
- Mego Book - The definitive book about Mego Superheroes "World's Greatest Toys"
- Mego Crazy
- Foreign Mego Focusing on Mego products from outside the US
- The Mego Store
- 1975 Ball Buster Game Commercial
- Megocollector - A comprehensive guide for Mego Star Trek, among other guides.
- Joseph's Star Trek Mego - Dedicated to Mego's line of Star Trek toys.
- Custom Mego - Customized Mego style action figures
- Mego Blog - Mego Toys News Blog
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