Showing posts with label action force. Show all posts
Showing posts with label action force. Show all posts

Tuesday, 10 December 2024

Palitoy Death Star designer has died



Growing up, Christmas was a time for Star Wars toys such as the AT-AT and Millennium Falcon if you were lucky. I always wanted the Palitoy Death Star and was saddened to hear the news of designer Brian Turner's passing.

Bob Brechin, chief designer at Palitoy, shared the sad news online.

"It is with great sadness I announce the passing of Brian Turner who died on the morning of Friday 6th December 2024.

For collectors and fans of Star Wars toys Brian did most of the design work on the Star Wars card Death Star by Palitoy.

I first got to know Brian when he came to Palitoy around 1970 to be Display Manager and we became good friends and colleagues. The previous display manager had left and prior to Brian joining us I was deputising with the Packaging Manager on setting up the Palitoy stand at the British Toy Fair. So when Brian joined I would go out with him to show him the ropes whilst he settled in. He was soon into his stride and reorganised the whole way the toy fair stand was designed using modular octonorm system. It was a big financial outlay at the start but enabled him to use the system to design smaller regional shows throughout the year. Before that every British Toy Fair stand and regional shows by Palitoy were one-off designs that were broken down and destroyed.

Brian also put in some very exciting dioramas into large department stores, particularly one at Blackpool and produced smaller dioramas that sales reps could transport around in the back of their estate cars.

When he was in the office, which was rarely, he would talk with Design Director Bill Pugh’s secretary June and the conversations grew into something bigger. Brian and June got married in December 1973 and last year we were there with the family and friends at the care home where they both lived to celebrate their golden wedding.

When June married Brian Bill decided she had to move so she took on the position of manager of the Palitoy canteen and later part of the sales team, and Brian decided that his job as Display Manager, which involved many days away from home, was not for him and June, so he came to work with me as a toy designer. That was a good move for Palitoy and the public. As well as helping to create one of the most iconic toys in the Star Wars universe Brian also worked on other great toys including Action Force. The Sealion, which is highly regarded by Action Force collectors was one of Brian’s creations.

Condolences to his family and friends."


This weekend's Farthest From event, featuring pipeline reveals from Hasbro's Steve Evans for the Star Wars Retro Collection, was dedicated to the memory of Brian.

Tuesday, 12 July 2022

Cobra H.I.S.S. makes HasLab history



The 6-inch scale G.I. Joe Classified Series Cobra H.I.S.S. (High Speed Sentry) is the first HasLab campaign I've backed (since joining Hasbro Pulse Premium) because of nostalgia! Nostalgia I had for Star Wars The Black Series Rancor too. However, due to the lack of HasLab backers, The Black Series Rancor didn't go into production.

The record-breaking crowdfunded campaign was successfully backed within the first day.

The Cobra H.I.S.S. is £299.99GBP but comes with 4 action figures (including the misprinted 'Mickey Mouse' Cobra Commander) and awesome accessories. Early adopters have helped fellow G.I. Joe fans (myself included) by securing an exclusive early bird Cobra HISS Tactician action figure for free.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Action Force (the international name for G.I. Joe). I collected Q Force, SAS Force, Space Force, Z Force and Red Shadows. Palitoy used the Cobra H.I.S.S. mould for the Red Shadows' Hyena + Red Jackal (Destro repaint).

During a family vacation to Italy, the futuristic design instantly caught my childhood imagination in the pages of the Battle Action Force summer special. The Hyena soon became a firm favourite from the toy line alongside Roboskull.

HasLab has knocked the Cobra H.I.S.S. out of the park as evidenced by the crowdfunded campaign smashing through all 4 stretch goals before it ends on 16th August. Some collectors think there may be further announcements during San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC).

What are your thoughts on the HasLab Cobra H.I.S.S.? How do you feel about crowdfunded collectables? Let me know in the comments below.

Friday, 25 February 2022

Megatron mash-up for G.I. Joe's 40th



Hasbro's G.I. Joe and Transformers took pride of place alongside Masters of the Universe, M.A.S.K., Star Wars and Zoids in my toy room. This collection was amassed from the much-missed Exeter's Pram and Toy Shop. Mostly.

In the UK, G.I. Joe was rebranded as Action Force by Palitoy. The beloved Coalville-based toy company recently featured on A Toy Store Near You, licensed and produced a range of products (including Star Wars) from Kenner and Hasbro. Ultimately, Hasbro bought both companies.

The Transformers soon followed. I first discovered the Decepticon cassette 2-packs during a half-term holiday trip to one of dad's customers based in Tiverton. The rebranded puzzle toys (based on Diaclone and Micro Change) instantly captured my childhood imagination.

Alongside Takara Tomy stablemate Zoids, Transformers cemented a fascination for Japanese pop culture that had begun with the Micronauts in the wake of Star Wars.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of G.I. Joe, Hasbro Pulse has announced a Megatron H.I.S.S. Tank with a vintage Baroness action figure. The Cobra H.I.S.S. Tank was renamed Hyena and included Red Jackal in the UK. The Hyena quickly became a favourite combined with the Red Shadows' Shadowtrak, Laser Exterminator and Roboskull from Palitoy.

Read the official product description:

"Transformers robots have always been -- More Than Meets the Eye -- but now, through the Transformers Collaborative, fans can experience these larger than life characters as they team-up, mash-up, and meet up with other characters, teams, and people who share this same special quality. Worlds collide in this Transformers-G.I. Joe mash-up pack! The Decepticons and Cobra team up to conquer the world! Baroness and Megatron, disguised as a H.I.S.S. Tank, plan the next Cobra attack. The Megatron H.I.S.S. Tank toy converts from robot to tank mode in 28 steps and comes with G.I. Joe Retro Baroness figure. Both figures feature deco and details based on the worlds of Transformers and G.I. Joe. Includes fusion cannon, backpack, and weapon accessories. Accurate scale to the 1983 H.I.S.S. Tank toy. Display Baroness figure at the turret and in the H.I.S.S. tank vehicle mode. Packaging is inspired by a mash-up of the classic ’80s toys with retro artwork. Baroness toy comes on a card back with file card."

This would have been a dream toy back in the day and it's surprising Hasbro took this long.

I've pre-ordered mine for toy photography from Hasbro Pulse but it's also available from selected retailers including Amazon (affiliate link).

What are your thoughts on the new Megatron H.I.S.S. Tank mash-up? How does it compare to Star Wars and Marvel Transformers crossovers? Let me know in the comments below.

Saturday, 28 March 2020

Hasbro releases G.I. Joe animated series on YouTube



Hasbro is the latest company to offer free content whilst we self-isolate during the coronavirus pandemic.

G.I. Joe fans (myself included) can watch the first three 5-part story arcs (15 episodes): The M.A.S.S. Device, The Revenge Of Cobra and The Pyramid Of Darkness on YouTube.



"G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero follows an elite team of soldiers as they battle the evil Cobra organization. These heroes thwart the COBRA's desire for world domination at every turn, cleverly stopping them from controlling the weather, creating unstoppable weapons, and genetically engineering super-warriors."

G.I. Joe became a staple of my childhood when Palitoy licensed the toys from Hasbro in the early eighties and created Action Force. Action Force comprised Q Force, SAS Force, Space Force and Z Force (doubled as U.N.I.T. from Doctor Who) who were pitted against the Red Shadows lead by the diabolical Baron Ironblood.



Baron Ironblood was the forerunner to Lord Buckethead and became Cobra Commander when the Battle Action Force comic ended and Action Force moved to Marvel comics in the wake of Palitoy's closure with Hasbro producing toys directly.

What are your favourite memories of Action Force and G.I. Joe? Let me know in the comments below.