Action Figures: From Action Man to Zelda

Arthur Ward

feb 2020 · The Crowood Press

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Collecting Action Figures presents an alphabetical survey of each of the major toy manufacturers and the whole array of action figures they produced. Covering everything from old-school GI Joe and Action Man figures, including the fantastic toys of Louis Marx and Mego, right through to the game-changing Star Wars 3-inch action figures of the 1970s and 1980s, this is the must-have reference guide for enthusiasts and beginners alike. With over 200 colour photographs, it details the history of action figures arising from the launch of fashion dolls in the 1950s; it describes the industry and consumer reactions to the first action figures; it reviews the many different incarnations that came to market; it looks at film and television tie-ins and finally, provides an essential guide to where to find gems, what to pay and how to look after them.

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Arthur was only six years old when he moved with his family from the UK to Hong Kong, where his father, a soldier in the British Army, was posted. Whilst overseas Arthur was introduced to GI Joe (its British counterpart, Action Man, had yet to debut in the UK). The toy was a revelation. The author's love of action figures can be traced back to this moment. After graduating from art college and commencing a career in design and marketing, Arthur's early love of both action figures and plastic kits refused to diminish and he began to collect early examples of both, writing books about Airfix and 'TV generation' toys along the way. An inveterate collector and co-founder with the later Peter Donaldson, 'the voice of Radio 4', of Collectingfriends.com, he secured a Guinness World Record for the Spitfix! model-making marathon. Arthur has also appeared on TV on programmes such as Collector's Lot and James May's Toy Stories.