KID KLASSICS: CAPTAIN ACTION-MAN (WITH COMICS COVER GALLERY)...

Playing Mantis Captain Action, with professionally
produced, shrink-wrapped replica of original box

Apparently, CAPTAIN ACTION creator STAN WESTON was

one of a trio responsible for G.I. JOE - which is interesting (to me)

because, in Great Britain, G.I. Joe was rechristened ACTION MAN.  As

a boy in the '60s, I don't  recall seeing Captain Action (or Captain Magic,

as he was originally going to be named) on sale in this country, but I knew

about the character through the adverts in comics issued by NATIONAL

PERIODICAL PUBLICATIONS Inc. (DC COMICS), such as SUPER-

MAN and BATMAN, etc.  I instantly coveted this wondrous item, but it

wasn't until toy company PLAYING MANTIS re-released IDEAL's

iconic action-figure in 1998 that I finally managed to acquire one.

DC Comics published a title based on the character in the latter

half of the 1960s, but its brief five issue run indicates that it wasn't

as popular as anticipated.  Featuring art by WALLY WOOD and GIL

KANE, and written first by JIM SHOOTER and then by Kane himself,

the comics boasted some spectacular cover art, which I now unselfishly

share with you here.  They're scanned from my very own copies which I

obtained many years ago, but should still be relatively easy to obtain

from back issue specialists in comicbook stores and on eBay.

The ad below (drawn by KURT SCHAFFENBERGER) comes

from DETECTIVE COMICS #359 ("The Million Dollar Debut

of Batgirl!"), but the previous owner has defaced The PHANTOM

figure by drawing stripes on his costume.  Tsk!  Some people, eh?

I'd be interested in the reminiscences of American readers who had

this toy when they were kids, and whether any Brits actually managed

to get their hands on one back in the '60s.

      

And, if you're lucky, you may still be able to get this great book (below)

all about Captain Action from your local comicbook store.  (I got mine

in FORBIDDEN PLANET.)  This is the original printing, but I believe a

revised and updated edition was made available a year or two back.

Posted in: Cartoons