Action Man

Palitoy was the UK licensee for Hasbro Industries (US); the company grew out of a plastics firm established by Alfred Edward Pallett in 1909 and went on to become one of Britain's leading toy manufacturers until its ultimate closure in 1984. more...

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Action Man is a doll originally produced and sold in the United Kingdom and Australia by Palitoy Ltd of Coalville, Leicestershire from 1966 until 1984 (Palitoy also offered sub-licenses to various toy manufacturers in various markets). Of course, he was not marketed as a "doll", but rather a "moveable fighting man", since no self-respecting boy would ever play with dolls! The figure and accessories was originally based on the Hasbro (US) 1964 G.I. Joe figure (for 1966-1969 production).

Action Man was then developed with a British military theme from 1970-on, as Palitoy wanted to distinguish their product from the U.S. counterpart. Military styled Action Man made a brief resurgence in the early 1990s but since 1996 Hasbro has used the name without any military theme as a modern adventurer complete with arch-enemy. Hasbro has since licenced in 2006 reproductions of a variety of the original boxed Action Man figures, under the 40th Anniversary "Nostalgic Collection" banner, in a packaging format similar to G.I.Joe's "40th Anniversary" collection.

In the early years Action Man competed with the entirely British Tommy Gunn by Pedigree Toys. The Tommy Gunn figure was clearly a knock-off of Hasbro's G.I. Joe, released two years earlier in the United States. One only has to look at the hands, feet and arm design to see where Pedigree got their "inspiration". Regardless, the line was generally regarded as a higher quality in terms of equipment and accuracy of accessories, especially since the Action Man of the sixties was little more than a re-packaged G.I.Joe. However, he was ultimately unable to compete with the Hasbro-licensed product and was discontinued in 1968. In the late sixties-early seventies many other companies produced competition for Action Man, but all were of the cheap blow-moulded variety, and inferior in every aspect. Tommy Gunn was the only real competitor of merit for the Action Man target market.

Developmental History

Origins

Palitoy (a British subsidiary of General Mills) licensed a copy of GI Joe from Hasbro, released in the UK in 1966. Initially Action Man, his equipment and accessories were all straight copies of GI Joe, but he developed independently from 1970-on. The range of accessories favoured the British themes, although American outfits and equipment were produced. Palitoy's innovations included the flocked hair, gripping hands, and later "Eagle Eyes" which all crossed over to the GI Joe line. The first Action Man figures were Action Soldier, Action Sailor and Action Pilot. All were available in the four original hair colors: Blonde, Auburn, Brown and Black. They were accompanied by outfits depicting the participants of the Second World War.

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