Action Man History
1966
Action Man was originally
introduced in the UK by Palitoy in 1966.
Action Man was a fully pose
able action figure.The first Action Man figures
available in the UK were a Soldier, Sailor, and a Pilot they came complete with basic uniforms and dog tags.
In the beginning Action Man
and GI Joe were both virtually the same.
The first figures had hard hands
and hard painted heads with black, blond, brown, or auburn color hair and had
only small differences in the detailing.
On the original hands the thumbnail was on the wrong facet on
the painted rivet right hand. The unpainted rivet right hand, consumers can
find a part indication on the palm reading R4.
The inscription on the Action Man figures, located on the small of the back,
contained the original Palitoy and Hasbro label with the words MADE IN ENGLAND
and dated accordingly. The inscription on the body remained the same through
the early years, not changing until 1975.
By the end of the sixties
Palitoy changed the hard heads for softer squeezable heads. The softer heads made it easier for children to fit hats
and accessory’s on.
1970
Fuzzy Heads were introduced
in 1970, this gave more grip for things like the figures helmets, hats, and
headgear.
The scar on action man’s
cheek also become more subtle.
The 1970’s also saw the
release of the Action Men with a beard.
In 1973 Action Man’s hands
were changed from the hard type to gripping hands with the index
finger more open. This allowed the action figure to hold more weapons and accessories.
1975 Saw the inscription on the Action Man figures change, The new label then came with a General Mills inscription, now
featuring the words MADE IN EUROPE and the patent number.
In 1976, Action Man's head changed to hold a different style
of eyes, these were known as eagle eyes. Children could operate a lever on the
back of the neck which caused the eyes to move.
In 1978 the vintage
Action Man figures saw one more change to the body's inscription in the later models,
commonly referred to as the sharpshooter models, beginning in 1978. This last
label featured CPG Products Corporation and the year, they no longer indicated
the location.
1980s
The final Action Man from 1981 came with a
head that could pivot upwards.
In the eighties the Action Man figures were being
produced by cheaper and faster production methods. This impacted on the quality
of the figures.
In 1984 the first chapter of the Action Man
life was coming to an end.
Action Man was replaced by Action Force.
These were a smaller action figures that started in 1982.
1994
The Return of Action Man
