Action Man

Action Man is a miniature ’action figure,’ which was initially used for representing a World War II hero. This toy, which gave immense pleasure to countless kids across the world was created by the toy manufacturer, Palitoy, which was the British licensee for the US-based Hasbro Industries. Action Man, the British counterpart of the American GI Joe, was launched in response to the need of a ’doll for boys’. Initially, the Action Man had three avatars: Action Pilot, Action Sailor and Action Soldier. Additionally, the figurine had a choice of four different hair colours: black, brown, blonde and auburn. A bright scar on the Man’s cheek served as a trademark.

In the early years, Action Man was rendered with a vinyl painted head and crimpled metal eyelets with rivets for the legs and metal hooks holding up the neck posts and the shoulders. Sometimes, the neck joint was made flexible. Rubber gripping hands were introduced in 1973. A thimble offered protection to the fingers when the figures clothes were changed. The eyes were either blue or brown with close-cropped hair. Some action men had dog tags and a bullet-holed logo.

In the late 1960’s, a talking Action Man was launched who uttered terse commands when the cord was pulled. The company has always been meticulous as far as the uniform that adorned the figure was concerned with the authentic outfits having correct insignia and head gear.