Action figures have a long and glorious history. From GI Joes to Star Wars figures, these offshoots of dolls came along at just the right time to capture the hearts and minds of children everywhere. Learn all about the partial history of action figures right here.
AI Summary
# SYSK Episode Summary: Action Figures
Josh and Chuck dive into the surprisingly fascinating history of action figures, starting with how Barbie's massive success inspired toy companies to create a male equivalent that eventually became G.I. Joe. They explore how G.I. Joe dominated the market in the 1960s until the Vietnam War tanked sales, which opened the door for companies like Mego to revolutionize the industry with licensed superhero figures and smaller toys based on popular franchises like Star Trek and Planet of the Apes. The guys also uncover the wild political story behind how Ronald Reagan's deregulation of children's advertising in the 1980s led to an explosion of cartoon tie-in toys like Transformers and the incredibly popular G.I. Joe cartoon series, plus they trace how Star Wars action figures became a massive money-maker when Mego passed on the opportunity.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
1984
1h 58m
★ 7.3
"We were into Temple of Doom. Supposedly Temple of Doom was so dark, because both George Lucas and Steven Spielberg were going through breakups. — Josh references the dark nature of Temple of Doom in comparison to Return of the Jedi's popularity."
— Josh
Return of the Jedi
1983
2h 12m
★ 7.9
"Return of the Jedi had just come out. So they were crazy for anything that had anything to do with Return of the Jedi. — Josh discusses how Return of the Jedi's release affected toy sales in Europe during the mid-1980s."
— Josh
Story of G.I. Joe
1945
1h 48m
★ 6.4
"G.I. Joe actually, it was taken from a 1945 movie called The Story of G.I. Joe. — Josh explains that the G.I. Joe name came from this 1945 film."
— Josh
The Black Hole
1979
PG
1h 38m
★ 5.8
"You remember that movie, the Black Hole from Disney? It's really creepy, even still. — Chuck mentions the Disney film when discussing action figure lines that Mego tried to capitalize on."
— Chuck
The Empire Strikes Back
1980
2h 4m
★ 8.4
"I think return of the Jedi, maybe Empire Strikes Back? I don't know. — Josh mentions Empire Strikes Back when discussing the Emperor's red-cloaked guards in Star Wars figures."
— Josh
Toy Story
1995
1h 21m
★ 8.0
"It was Toy Story, right? Where they had those guys come to life. — Josh references the movie when discussing how small plastic toy soldiers could move and come to life on screen."
— Josh
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