The Mego Corporation was a toy company founded in 1954. Originally known as a purveyor of dime store toys, in 1971 the company shifted direction and became famous for producing licensed action figures (including the long-running “World’s Greatest Super Heroes” line), celebrity dolls, and the Micronauts toy line. For a time in the 1970s, their line of 8-inch-scale action figures with interchangeable bodies became the industry standard.
The company dissolved into bankruptcy in 1983; today, Mego action figures and playsets are highly prized collectibles, with some fetching thousands of dollars in the open collectibles market.
Corporate history
Mego was founded in 1954 by D. David Abrams[4] and Madeline Abrams. The company thrived in the 1950s and early 1960s as an importer of dime store toys, until the rising cost of newspaper advertising forced Mego to change its business model. In 1971, the Abrams’ son Martin, a recent business school graduate, was named company president.
Under Martin Abrams’ direction, the company shifted its production to action figures with interchangeable bodies. Generic bodies could be mass-produced and different figures created by interposing different heads and costumes on them. Mego constructed their figures primarily in an 8-inch (200 mm) scale. Sixty percent of their products were manufactured in Hong Kong.
In 1972 (represented by Howard L. Mann of Schwartzman, Weinstock, Garelick & Mann, P.C.),[citation needed] Mego secured the licenses to create toys for both National Periodical Publications (DC Comics) and Marvel Comics. (Mego later relinquished their rights and surrendered the trademarked name to both DC and Marvel Comics to maintain licensing privileges.) The popularity of this line of 8″ figures — dubbed “The World’s Greatest Super Heroes” — created the standard action figure scale for the 1970s.
Mego also created the first carded packaging for action figures. Initially, Mego figures were released in boxes, but S.S. Kresge’s (later the Kmart store chain) did not have shelves on which to place them, so they requested something be designed for their peg board displays. To satisfy the need, Mego created a card which is now referred to as a “Kresge-style card”. The earliest style of Mego cards placed the clear plastic bubble containing the action figure in the center of the card (as opposed to subsequent cards, which placed the bubble toward one side).
Mego began to purchase the license rights of motion pictures, television programs, and comic books, eventually producing action figure lines for Planet of the Apes, Star Trek, and the Wizard of Oz. Mego also obtained licenses from Edgar Rice Burroughs for his creations, such as Tarzan.
Beginning in 1974 Mego released the Planet of the Apes action figures, the first such toys sold as film tie-ins. 1974 also saw the release of figures from Star Trek: The Original Series, which was steadily gaining fandom in syndication. The Planet of the Apes and Star Trek figures proved popular and inspired the rise of action figure series based on popular culture franchises.
During this period, Mego was known for the lavish parties the company threw at the annual New York American International Toy Fair. In 1975, Mego launched its Wizard of Oz film dolls with a gala whose special guests were every surviving member of the film’s main cast. Mego’s party at the Waldorf-Astoria with Sonny and Cher introducing their dolls drew a thousand people. Both dolls were formally unveiled on The Mike Douglas Show. The Cher doll was the number-1-selling doll in 1976, helping to make Mego the sixth-ranked American toy manufacturer, based on retail sales.
In 1976, Martin Abrams hashed out a deal with the Japanese toy manufacturer Takara to bring their popular lucite 3″ fully articulated Microman figures to the United States under the name “Micronauts.” David Abrams, meanwhile, rejected a deal to license toys for the upcoming motion picture Star Wars, reasoning that Mego would go bankrupt if they made toys of every “flash-in-the-pan” sci-fi B movie that came along. This decision seemed of little consequence to Mego at first, because the Micronauts figures initially sold well, earning the company more than $30 million at their peak. On the other hand, the Star Wars film was extremely popular and competitor Kenner Products sold substantial numbers of Star Wars action figures.
Following Star Wars’ huge cultural impact, and Kenner’s great success with its action figure line, Mego negotiated licenses for the manufacturing rights to a host of science fiction motion pictures and television shows, including Moonraker, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, The Black Hole, and Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Although these lines of Mego figures were of much higher quality than Kenner’s 12″ Star Wars figures,[citation needed] none were as successful. The widespread success of Kenner’s Star Wars 3-3/4″ toy line soon made the newer, smaller size the industry standard, shifting sales away from the 8″ standard popularized by Mego.
In the late 1970s, Mego was earning about $100 million in sales. Around this time, Mego began shifting their focus toward electronic toys like the 2-XL toy robot and the Fabulous Fred hand-held game player, but sales were not commemsurate with the company’s investment, and Mego went deeply into debt. In the fiscal years 1980 and 1981, Mego reported combined losses of $40 million.[6] In fiscal year 1982, the company reported losses of between $18 and $20 million.
In January 1982, Martin Abrams and a few other Mego executives were indicted on charges of wire fraud, tax evasion, and defrauding the company of more than $100,000 over a 10-year span. Abrams ended up serving four months in prison. In February 1982 the remaining staff was let go and the Mego offices were closed. On June 14, 1982, Mego filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy; the company officially went under in 1983.
In 1986, Martin Abrams co-founded Abrams Gentile Entertainment (AGE), in order to retain and manage Mego’s licensing contracts, rights and deals. In October 1995 AGE attempted to reclaim the Mego trademark.[19] In March 2002, they abandoned the effort. In early 2009, Martin Abrams announced that AGE had reclaimed the rights to the name Mego; no specific future plans for Mego products have been disclosed to date.
Action Jackson
One of Mego’s first toys under Martin Adams was an original character, Action Jackson, meant to compete with Hasbro’s popular G.I. Joe line. Heavily promoted on television commercials and in newspaper advertisements, the Action Jackson line included figures, vehicles, and playsets. It was a big seller on its 1971 launch, but soon faded in popularity and was discontinued after 1974.
World’s Greatest Super Heroes!
Beginning in 1972 Mego released the first comprehensive line of DC Comics and Marvel Comics superhero and villain action figures, coining the term “World’s Greatest Super Heroes!” (WGSH) as an umbrella title for all the figures released in this line. To start the line, Mego produced Batman, Robin, Aquaman, and Superman figures.[20] (For the South African market, a local radio play superhero, Jet Jungle, was included in the series.) The earliest figures were released in a solid box, but these boxes were often damaged by shoppers who wanted to see the figure inside. The design was quickly changed to a “window” style box. The WGSH line was offered from 1972 until 1983.
Secret Identity figures
In 1974, thanks to a relationship Mego founder David Abrams had with Montgomery Ward, Mego offered the first exclusive figures for a particular retail chain.[citation needed] These “Secret Identity” figures featured superheroes’ secret identities, including Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Clark Kent, and Peter Parker.
Other figures in the WGSH line included the American West series and the Mad Monster series.
Fashion dolls
Mego marketed various fashion doll lines designed to compete with Mattel’s popular Barbie line. The company’s first attempt was the 1973 “Maddie Mod”, supposedly named after Mego Corp. co-founded Madeline Abrams. The line, which included an extensive wardrobe and Maddie’s boyfriend “Richie,” was not a success. Next, Mego created “Dinah-Mite,” a poseable eight-inch (203 mm) scale Barbie-like doll with a boyfriend named Don. Other fashion dolls included “Beautiful Lainie,” a 19″ doll that danced back and forth from the hips; and Candi, a line that included “Coppertone Candi,” a “tanning” doll co-branded with Coppertone sunscreen.
TV and movie figures
The popularity of the 1974 releases of the Planet of the Apes and Star Trek: The Original Series lines led Mego to produce a variety of licensed figures based on films and TV shows, including The Flintstones, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Our Gang, Starsky & Hutch, The Waltons, and Wizard of Oz.
Mego introduced a Lynda Carter Wonder Woman doll line in 1977. The first edition of the Wonder Woman dolls and accessories included:
•Wonder Woman (factory-painted bustier top with cloth star-spangled bottoms, bracelets, golden lasso, tiara, and red boots), as well as a Diana Prince Navy Yeoman outfit, featuring black glasses and black high-heeled shoes
•Nubia, Wonder Woman’s super-foe
•Queen Hippolyta, Wonder Woman’s mother
•Major Steve Trevor, Wonder Woman’s best friend and boss
In the early 1980s Mego produced figures and vehicles for the popular TV shows CHiPs, Dallas, Dukes of Hazzard, and The Greatest American Hero. The Dukes of Hazzard figures sold well, but Mego failed with its CHiPs and Dallas dolls.
Celebrity dolls
In 1976, Mego launched a highly successful 12½-inch celebrity doll line. The first dolls were Sonny and Cher, with famed fashion designer Bob Mackie designing an extensive wardrobe for Cher. Farrah Fawcett, Jaclyn Smith, Diana Ross, Suzanne Somers, The Captain and Tennille, and Kiss celebrity dolls followed in 1977 and 1978.
Micronauts
From 1976 to 1980 Mego produced a licensed line of Takara’s Microman figures under the name Micronauts. The 3-3/4″ toy line’s popularity led Marvel Comics to launch a Micronauts comic book in 1979, which ran until 1986.
2-XL robot
In 1978, Martin Abrams purchased inventor Michael J. Freeman’s toy robot, the 2-XL, which was introduced to the public and became a success. The toy was sold in different countries and was voiced in seven languages, including English. A lot of games were also developed for the toy. By 1981, the 2-XL’s popularity had waned, and it was later discontinued.
The 2-XL was part of Mego’s electronic games line, which included the handheld devices Mini-Vid and Fabulous Fred.
Military figures
In 1976, Mego began producing a small collection of World War II-themed military action figures marketed in France, Italy (under the Polistil name), Germany, Australia, and the United Kingdom under different names. Most of these products were branded under the “Lion Rock” name, Mego’s manufacturing arm. These figures were released in United States the early 1980s as “Johnny Action” or “Combat Man.” Using the 6-inch (150 mm) format, they were produced after the 12-inch (300 mm) G.I. Joe figures had lost their popularity and before the revival of the G.I. Joe line in 3-¾” format; they were also intended to compete with Spain’s Madelman line of soldier figures. The 6-inch (150 mm) combat line was not a success. Mego’s low-budget competitors sold knockoff figures to companies like F. W. Woolworth Company (or Woolco in Canada), where the line was known as alternately “World War Two Heroes,” “Brave Soldiers,” and “Gest Force”.[citation needed]
Eagle Force
One of Mego’s final large product lines was Eagle Force, a 23⁄4-inch-high (70 mm) die-cast action figure toy line co-designed by Paul Kirchner[1] and marketed in 1981-1982. Produced during Ronald Reagan’s first term as president, the Eagle Force toy line was marketed as a counter-terrorist task force, to send the message that the United States wasn’t going to be “pushed around” anymore. The line was similar to Hasbro’s G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero action figures.
“Mego Melt”
Virtually every plastic action figure and doll made by Mego has suffered from “Mego Melt” (also known as “Mego Molt”),[30] a term coined by toy collectors to describe the material deteriorating over time. The plastic used for the doll’s torso reacts with the rubberized plastic used for the arms and legs. The result is a melting of the torso at those joining points: shoulder, underarm, hips, and buttocks. Even when stored carefully, this melting often results in the costumes becoming stuck to the dolls. Excessive heat from storage in hot attics or garages exacerbates this problem. The dolls’ hair and eyelashes are prone to similar deterioration when exposed to high temperatures.
Legacy
Mego action figures and playsets are highly prized collectibles, specifically the World’s Greatest Superhero line, the Elastic Superheroes line (a mint condition Elastic Batman figure actually sold for over $15,000 in 2006),[citation needed] the Wonder Woman doll line, the Cher doll (as well as certain rare Bob Mackie-designed outfits), and the Kiss dolls.[citation needed]
Figures Toy Company: World’s Greatest Heroes
In 2005, a company named ClassicTVToys (CTVT) began to produce 8-inch (200 mm) re-issue figures very similar in design to the original Mego figures. Various lines CTVT manufactured include replicas of Mego’s Mad Monsters, Merry Men, Western Heroes and Super Pirates.[citation needed]
CTVT also manufactured licensed classic television characters, packaged on blister cards.
CTVT currently known as Figures Toy Company revived the World’s Greatest Heroes line of 8″ DC figures in Mego style and has continued to add to the collection to make numerous characters that were previously unavailable. They have also created a line of Batman 1966 TV series figures with clothes and articulation reminiscent of Mego. There are currently numerous series of DC figures available with many variants as well such as Justice League figures and line ups featuring Superman, Flash, Wonder Woman, and other DC heroes.
Figures Toys Company have also launched a series of 18″ DC heroes styled after the original version of Mego DC characters. Batman, Superman, Robin, and Aquaman are currently available with more entries announced in the series to follow.
Mego Meet
Mego Meet is a trade convention for Mego collectors held annually since 2005. For many years, the Mego Meet was held in Wheeling, West Virginia, but in 2015 will be held in Skokie, Illinois. Open to the public, the Mego Meet also features expert panels for academic discussions, a dealer’s area and contests for people of all ages to create custom figures.
In popular culture
From 1996–2011, Mego’s 8-inch (200 mm) figures, particularly the superhero line, found new life in Twisted ToyFare Theater (originally called “Twisted Mego Theatre”), a humorous photo comic strip appearing in ToyFare, a monthly magazine published by Wizard Entertainment.[30] ToyFare staff posed and took photos depicting the figures in bizarre situations, with added dialogue balloons. The series was well known in comic book and collectors’ circles for its distinctive, off-the-wall sense of humor.[30] The popular strips were later published separately in their own collections.
Mego action figures as well as similarly styled figures are used in the Cartoon Network Adult Swim program Robot Chicken. The show, which debuted in February 2005, is directly based on Twisted ToyFare Theater and features three of its writers.