pluv wrote:
Several Mego lines and Takara's Microman used the back screw and o-ring style figure construction before Hasbro did with their re-launch of GI Joe as the 3 3/4" A Real American Hero line.
Yes, Microman originated the o-ring design used by Mego for multiple lines and then Hasbro for its Joe line. The amusing thing is Microman is so called because it was a tiny version of Takara's Henshin Cyborg (the transforming cyborg) which was a marketing gimmick. When Takara figured out Japanese kids didn't want to play with GIJoes, they cast the figure in translucent and put a gold motorcycle engine in its chest. The line was successful spawning multiple spin offs including Microman (3 and3/4 inch) and little one inch figures which rode in vehicles that turned into robot companions. The robots from both scales became a huge hit in the US under the name Transformers. GIJoe is the father of Henshin Cyborg, and indirectly the father of Microman, Micronauts (Microman's Mego counterpart in the US), and The Transformers.
There's also a story that says Don Levigne, the guy who created the original Joe, got the idea after talking to the head of Mattell about Barbie at a party. Some joke that Barbie is Joe's mom.
Soulgem wrote:
I found a funny one.
Hasbro introduced the term "Action Figure" when they released the original Joe (which obviously was just a counterpart to Mattel's Barbie), so that boys shouldn't have to play with "dolls".
Hasbro used to get around tariffs by importing Joes under the declaration "model figurines" or some such. In the late 80s there was a court ruling declaring Joes to be .... dolls.
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