1980s | Vintage Action Figures

Another Warrior is on the Mesa: TRON Warrior by TOMY!

When Walt Disney released the science fiction movie TRON in 1982 its special-effects and computer animation were seen as ground-breaking. A moderate box office success on its release, TRON has since achieved cult status, and the film is often cited as being the inspiration behind the CGI effects and computer animation in today’s blockbusters. Pixar boss John Lasseter has even claimed that “without TRON there would be no Toy Story.”

TRON was, of course, the perfect movie for a tie-in marketing franchise, with home video and arcade games the obvious spin-offs, as well as comic books and an animated television series too. After Kenner’s hugely popular Star Wars action figure line, a series of 3 ¾ inch action figures was another a must-have TRON marketing item.

Han Solo wraps up warm on Hoth!

One of the things you’ll notice when flicking through the recent (and highly recommended) Star Wars: The Ultimate Action Figure Collection* coffee table guide is just how many pages are dedicated to everybody’s favourite Star Wars rebel Han Solo. A whopping nine pages feature the man himself in all his various costume changes, including this vintage 3¾ inch Kenner version in his Hoth Outfit as modelled in the stunning opening sequence from Irvin Kershner’s The Empire Strikes Back.

Don’t call me Prune Face!

Many of the minor characters in the original Star Wars trilogy suddenly found themselves labelled with brand new politically-correct fancy names in the extended Star Wars Universe when complicated back stories were invented for even the smallest characters with only split-second screen time. Take good ole Prune Face here, for example, who we are now informed is a Dressellian resistance fighter from the planet Dressel whose real name is “Orrimaarko”. Still can’t place him? Next time you’re watching The Return of the Jedi if you look very carefully you’ll spot him sitting in the background amongst a couple of similarly wizened companions during the Rebel conference room scene. Just be careful not to blink…you may miss him!

The Real Ghostbusters Screaming Heroes: Winston Zeddemore

Looking back over this last year of blogging, I noticed that I started the year with a vintage Ghostbusters figure, meaning that nearly a year has passed since I last blogged about one of my favourite lines from the 1980s – The Real Ghostbusters by the legendary Kenner. Let’s set that right straight away with a closer look at this fun 5-inch Winston Zeddmore figure from the Screaming Heroes subset. A hugely popular action figure line that dominated the market until they were knocked off the top spot in the early 1990s by, of all things, a family of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Real Ghostbusters figures still turn up loose in thrift stores and charity bins on occasions, which is where I found this Winston just the other day.

Nikto – Skiff Guard from ‘Return of the Jedi’

One of the things that has made Kenner‘s ground breaking 3 ¾ inch Star Wars action figures so popular with fans of both the original movie trilogy and also vintage action figure collectors today is the company’s unstinting attention to detail even with the most minor of characters in the Star Wars universe, some with the merest blink-and-you’ll-miss-it split second of screen time!

Nikto here, who was first released just in time for Christmas 1983 as part of the Sears Exclusive Jabba the Hutt Dungeon playset alongside Klaatu and 8D8, returning later the following year as a Return of the Jedi carded figure, is one such character.

Indiana Jones by Star Toys

Kenner’s legendary series of 3 ¾ inch action figures released as Adventures of Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1982 are high at the top of must-have items in many a vintage action figure collection. Less lovable, perhaps, but equally sought-after, are the figures in the short-lived 6 inch action figure line by LJN released in 1984 as a tie-in to Raiders prequel Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. The action figures that time forgot, however, are surely the 1987 Indiana Jones action figures made by Spanish manufacturer Star Toys. These 6 ½ inch Indiana Jones figures are pretty hard to find nowadays, so I was thrilled to pick this one up at a reasonable price recently.

Han Solo (in Trench Coat) tops best-dressed on planet Endor list for 1984!

When Kenner launched their first Han Solo 3 ¾ inch action figure way back in 1977 they made one of the very few errors in the company’s history, creating a likeness of Harrison Ford with a disproportionately small head. Eager to correct their mistake, the ensuing re-sculpt saw them err on the generous size with the new Han sporting a oddly large bonce. This, of course, is all grist to the mill for collectors who just love tracking down varieties.

Alongside the legendary small and big-headed Han Solo action figures, Kenner released several versions of our swashbuckling Star Wars hero over the years. This version in a camouflage trench coat as he appeared on the planet Endor in Return of the Jedi, the final movie in the original trilogy, is another opportunity for collectors to chase down the different variations.

Skeletor – Evil lord of destruction!

It has been quite some time since we’ve looked at any of those swivel-hipped vintage wonders of the early 1980s – Mattel’s Masters of the Universe. MOTU action figures swept toy aisles by storm thanks to a fiendishly well organised merchandising campaign which saw the tie-in animated TV series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe turn these 5 ½ -inch action figures into the most-wanted toy of an entire generation…until sales eventually slowed down after the arrival of Transformers and G.I. Joe on the scene in the second half of the decade.