RETRO
Pioneered by Mego Corporation and company president Marty Abrams, the Retro action figure line established the definitive 8-inch cloth-costumed toy format of the 1970s. Combining interchangeable plastic bodies with custom fabric outfits and iconic pop-culture licenses, Mego's classic format remains a cornerstone of nostalgic figure collecting.
Cronologia
Panoramica
The Mego Retro line represents one of the most influential formats in action figure history.
Originally popularized in the early 1970s by Mego Corporation under the leadership of Marty Abrams—often celebrated as the 'Father of the Action Figure'—the line defined pop-culture collectibles for a generation.
Positioned primarily in the classic 8-inch scale, Mego's signature standard utilized interchangeable generic plastic bodies dressed in custom-tailored fabric clothing. This revolutionary approach allowed Mego to rapidly acquire and produce toys for diverse pop-culture, television, comic book, and film properties under a unified aesthetic. Today, the retro style continues to thrive through official relaunches and modern collector-focused releases that preserve the original 1970s play pattern, vintage packaging style, and nostalgic tailored aesthetic.
Storia
Mego Corporation was originally founded in 1954 by D. David and Madeline Abrams as a dime-store toy supplier. The company transformed dramatically in 1971 when Marty Abrams assumed the presidency, pivoting toward licensed poseable figures starting with Action Jackson. In 1972, Mego launched its landmark World’s Greatest Super Heroes!
line, bringing DC and Marvel characters together. The mid-1970s saw massive expansion into properties like Planet of the Apes, The Wizard of Oz, Star Trek, and pop-culture celebrities. However, after turning down the Star Wars toy license in 1976, market shifts toward 3.75-inch figures contributed to Mego filing for bankruptcy in 1982.
The line saw a revival in 2007 when EMCE Toys and Diamond Select produced faithful reproductions of classic Star Trek figures. In July 2018, Marty Abrams partnered with Joel Rosenzweig to officially resurrect Mego Corporation, launching new 8-inch retro figure waves at mass retail. This modern era expanded through Waves 6 to 17 (2019–2022) and continues with limited-edition convention exclusives and classic media revivals through 2026.
I PEZZI DI RETRO
Caratteristiche
• Primary 8-inch figure scale, with select modern releases expanded into alternate 14-inch scale formats. • Interchangeable generic plastic bodies engineered for multi-line production.
• Custom-tailored fabric clothing and authentic cloth soft-goods uniforms. • Character-tailored molded accessories, weapons, and specialized play accessories. • Nostalgic vintage-style blister card packaging and collector-friendly window box presentations.
Wave & Serie
• 1971: Action Jackson Line – Mego's initial original poseable 8-inch action figure series. • 1972: World's Greatest Super Heroes! (WGSH) – Debut licensed superhero wave featuring DC Comics and Marvel Comics characters. • 1973–1974: Classic Media & Horror Lines – Releases including Planet of the Apes (1974), The Wizard of Oz (1974), and the Mad Monster Series. • 1974: Star Trek: The Original Series Line – Initial sci-fi 8-inch figure wave featuring Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, and Klingons.
• 1975–1980s: TV & Celebrity Series – Expanded wave releases including Cher, Sonny & Cher, Farrah Fawcett, KISS, Buck Rogers, Space: 1999, Happy Days, and The Dukes of Hazzard. • 2007: EMCE Toys / Diamond Select Reproduction Series – High-end reproduction waves of classic Star Trek 8-inch figures and bridge playsets. • 2018: Marty Abrams Presents Mego (Relaunch Waves) – Modern retail launch featuring I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched, Charmed, A Nightmare on Elm Street, DC, and Universal Monsters. • 2019–2022: Mego Waves 6 through 17 – Expanded releases covering modern sci-fi, horror legends, classic TV icons, and 14-inch scale figures. • 2023–2026: Modern Collector Waves – Ongoing limited-edition retro waves and convention exclusive releases.
Pezzi Iconici
Action Jackson (1971) — Mego's flagship original poseable figure line that created the template for retro cloth-outfit action figures., World's Greatest Super Heroes! (1972) — Historic line featuring iconic comic characters like Batman, Superman, Robin, Aquaman, Spider-Man, and Captain America., Star Trek TOS 8-Inch Figures (1974) — Classic sci-fi figures including Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Dr.
McCoy, Scotty, and Klingon soldiers with cloth uniforms., Mad Monster Series (1974) — Highly sought vintage monster releases featuring Frankenstein, Dracula, the Mummy, and the Wolfman., EMCE / Diamond Select Reproductions (2007) — Faithful reproductions of 8-inch retro Star Trek figures and collectible Enterprise bridge playsets., Marty Abrams Presents Mego Relaunch (2018) — Modern revival wave introducing horror icons like Freddy Krueger alongside classic television favorites.
Collezionismo
Collecting Mego retro figures offers a direct connection to the foundational era of modern action figure design. Original 1970s releases—particularly vintage World's Greatest Super Heroes figures, Mad Monsters, and mint-in-package Star Trek TOS releases—hold significant value and status among vintage toy historians.
The market experienced a powerful secondary collector boom driven by EMCE Toys' 2007 reproduction run and the official 2018 Mego relaunch. Today's market attracts both vintage purists hunting 1970s originals and modern collectors seeking low-run convention exclusives, expanded horror licenses, and nostalgia-driven television properties.
Curiosità
• Marty Abrams, president of Mego Corporation, is widely recognized in pop-culture history as the 'Father of the Action Figure.' • In 1976, Mego famously passed on acquiring the toy license for Star Wars, a decision that drastically altered toy industry history.
• The 1972 World's Greatest Super Heroes! line accomplished the rare feat of releasing both DC Comics and Marvel Comics characters under a single unified product banner. • Mego's 8-inch retro format relied on standardized, interchangeable generic plastic bodies to minimize production costs across different licensed properties.
