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I remember my first Mego action figure. It was sometime in 1972 or 1973 and we were living in Queens, NY. My mother had just come home from work and she stopped at a department store on the way home to buy something for herself but while she was there she picked up something for me: Action Jackson. It was Bearded (black/brown) with the light blue nylon jumpsuit. Over time my mother also bought me two more: Cleanshaven (black/brown) in dark blue cotton jumpsuit and Cleanshaven (redhead) in light blue nylon jumpsuit. She also purchased the Snowmobile and Western outfits. I would have loved to have Secret Agent, Air Force, Army, and Aussie Marine back then. I never owned or even saw Action Jackson playsets or accessories.
Sometime later in 1973 my dad was having his car repaired at a garage and we waited at the shop for the work to get done. Around noon we walked down the street to a delicatessen to get some lunch and I noticed behind the counter on the shelf was a display with boxes of super-heroes on them. Superman, Batman, Robin, Aquaman, and I think Tarzan. These were "solid box" Mego packaging. I didn't know what they were but I knew that I had to have one. I begged my father for one and he eventually broke down and bought me one. I wanted Robin but for whatever reason he bought Aquaman. Why neither of us chose Superman or Batman on that fateful day is beyond me since I watched "Adventures of Superman" and "Batman" on a daily basis on TV. When I got home, opened the box, and discovered that Aquaman was a toy like my Action Jacksons, I thought that I found gold. A few months later my parents had given me Batman (removable cowl) and Robin as "going away presents" since we were moving from Queens to Long Island in the Spring of 1973. I'm pretty sure that for Christmas 1973 "Santa Claus" brought me Shazam, Superman, Tarzan, Captain America, and Spider-Man.
Christmas 1974 was, if I recall correctly, the Christmas of the Planet of the Apes. I found Astronaut, Cornelius, Dr. Zaius, Soldier Ape, Zira, and the Treehouse underneath my Christmas tree.
1975 was a huge year for Mego additions to my collection. In the early Spring I became hospitalized and needed surgery. I was in the hospital for what felt like forever but in reality was probably just one week. My parents would visit me on a daily basis and each day they brought me a gift like a comic book or a coloring book. But for four days in a row they brought me Dracula, Wolfman, Mummy, and Frankenstein. I didn't realize at the time that this line was called "Mad Monsters", I just assumed they were part of the World's Greatest Super-Heroes line since that logo was featured on the packaging. These would become the first bad guys for my super-heroes to "fight". On the day that I came home from the hospital, I found a new Batman and Robin waiting for me along with the Batmobile.
I'm not sure which occurred first in 1975, Easter or my First Holy Communion. But I do recall on Easter morning finding the Joker and Riddler in my Easter basket. Later that day we went to visit my maternal grandparents and I found the Penguin there for me. And finally at my paternal grandmother's apartment, Mister Mxyzptlk finished Easter Sunday. And on the day that I made my FHC, my parents had given me Captain Kirk, Mister Spock, Mister Scott, Doctor McCoy, and the Klingon. It was also sometime this year that I saw the World's Greatest Super Knights, Super Merry Men, and the Wizard of Oz lines at TSS (Times Square Stores) but despite really wanting the Super Knights and Merry Men, I never owned them as a kid.
I'm pretty sure that for Christmas 1975 "Santa Claus" brought me Falcon, Green Goblin, Iron Man, Hulk, Lizard, Cheron, Gorn, Keeper, Neptunian, the Enterprise playset, and the Planet of the Apes Fortress.
Green Arrow was either Christmas 1975 or 1976. I can't remember.
My paternal grandmother gave me Thor over the summer of 1976. Christmas 1976 is when "Santa Claus" delivered Supergirl, Wonder Woman, Catwoman, Mister Fantastic, The Thing, and Human Torch. My neighborhood friend, Gordon, got Batgirl, a Mego that I never owned. This was the end of my Mego collection.
I'm not sure when I got them but I also had the WHSG Batcopter, and POTA Village. Also I recall one day my mom giving me Alan "Verdon", Galen, and General Ursus. On the same day a neighborhood friend, Gordon, was given Peter Burke, Doctor Zaius (with the glyphics boots), and General Urko. I suspect that our moms went shopping together and bought all the new POTA figures and then split them up between the two boys. I was jealous because I always wanted General Urko and never got one.
Sometime in 1977 or 1978 I had gone shopping with my dad to Modell's (long before it became sporting goods only). I wandered over to the toy department to check on the Micronauts, which I was really into by this time. Much to my surprise I discovered new Megos: The Teen Titans! And I wanted them! I asked my dad to buy them for me but he said "No. You aren't into those toys anymore." He was sort of right. I hadn't gotten new Megos in some time and only played with them on occasion. But I kept bugging him and he wouldn't budge. We left Modell's with an Acroyear and a Time Traveler.
In the Summer of 1979 I started to hang out with a friend from school, Michael, who was also into comic books, Micronauts, and Megos. One day I went to his house and his playroom was a museum of toys. He showed me his Megos and I couldn't believe what he had: the Green Arrow car, the Hall of Justice, the Wayne Foundation, the Supervator, Mission to Gamma VI, and figures that I had never knew existed Conan the Barbarian, Isis, Romulan, Talos, Andorian, and Mugato. Actually I knew Conan existed but I had never seen one before. I was quite impressed with the Wayne Foundation and the second series of Star Trek aliens. Also I will swear to this day that he had Aquaman vs. the Great White Shark.
One day in 1980 I went shopping with Michael's family. We stopped at the Batcave, a comic book shop, which was closed for the evening so we went next door to Child World. In the action figure aisle we found pegs and pegs of Mego Superman at a clearance price of $1.98. Next to them were pegs of the Teen Titans for the same price. Michael's mother bought him all four figures and I had a twinge of jealousy. I want to say that the last time I was in that Child World was probably 1983 or 1984 and the Teen Titans and Superman Megos were still there. Sigh.
Sometime later in 1973 my dad was having his car repaired at a garage and we waited at the shop for the work to get done. Around noon we walked down the street to a delicatessen to get some lunch and I noticed behind the counter on the shelf was a display with boxes of super-heroes on them. Superman, Batman, Robin, Aquaman, and I think Tarzan. These were "solid box" Mego packaging. I didn't know what they were but I knew that I had to have one. I begged my father for one and he eventually broke down and bought me one. I wanted Robin but for whatever reason he bought Aquaman. Why neither of us chose Superman or Batman on that fateful day is beyond me since I watched "Adventures of Superman" and "Batman" on a daily basis on TV. When I got home, opened the box, and discovered that Aquaman was a toy like my Action Jacksons, I thought that I found gold. A few months later my parents had given me Batman (removable cowl) and Robin as "going away presents" since we were moving from Queens to Long Island in the Spring of 1973. I'm pretty sure that for Christmas 1973 "Santa Claus" brought me Shazam, Superman, Tarzan, Captain America, and Spider-Man.
Christmas 1974 was, if I recall correctly, the Christmas of the Planet of the Apes. I found Astronaut, Cornelius, Dr. Zaius, Soldier Ape, Zira, and the Treehouse underneath my Christmas tree.
1975 was a huge year for Mego additions to my collection. In the early Spring I became hospitalized and needed surgery. I was in the hospital for what felt like forever but in reality was probably just one week. My parents would visit me on a daily basis and each day they brought me a gift like a comic book or a coloring book. But for four days in a row they brought me Dracula, Wolfman, Mummy, and Frankenstein. I didn't realize at the time that this line was called "Mad Monsters", I just assumed they were part of the World's Greatest Super-Heroes line since that logo was featured on the packaging. These would become the first bad guys for my super-heroes to "fight". On the day that I came home from the hospital, I found a new Batman and Robin waiting for me along with the Batmobile.
I'm not sure which occurred first in 1975, Easter or my First Holy Communion. But I do recall on Easter morning finding the Joker and Riddler in my Easter basket. Later that day we went to visit my maternal grandparents and I found the Penguin there for me. And finally at my paternal grandmother's apartment, Mister Mxyzptlk finished Easter Sunday. And on the day that I made my FHC, my parents had given me Captain Kirk, Mister Spock, Mister Scott, Doctor McCoy, and the Klingon. It was also sometime this year that I saw the World's Greatest Super Knights, Super Merry Men, and the Wizard of Oz lines at TSS (Times Square Stores) but despite really wanting the Super Knights and Merry Men, I never owned them as a kid.
I'm pretty sure that for Christmas 1975 "Santa Claus" brought me Falcon, Green Goblin, Iron Man, Hulk, Lizard, Cheron, Gorn, Keeper, Neptunian, the Enterprise playset, and the Planet of the Apes Fortress.
Green Arrow was either Christmas 1975 or 1976. I can't remember.
My paternal grandmother gave me Thor over the summer of 1976. Christmas 1976 is when "Santa Claus" delivered Supergirl, Wonder Woman, Catwoman, Mister Fantastic, The Thing, and Human Torch. My neighborhood friend, Gordon, got Batgirl, a Mego that I never owned. This was the end of my Mego collection.
I'm not sure when I got them but I also had the WHSG Batcopter, and POTA Village. Also I recall one day my mom giving me Alan "Verdon", Galen, and General Ursus. On the same day a neighborhood friend, Gordon, was given Peter Burke, Doctor Zaius (with the glyphics boots), and General Urko. I suspect that our moms went shopping together and bought all the new POTA figures and then split them up between the two boys. I was jealous because I always wanted General Urko and never got one.
Sometime in 1977 or 1978 I had gone shopping with my dad to Modell's (long before it became sporting goods only). I wandered over to the toy department to check on the Micronauts, which I was really into by this time. Much to my surprise I discovered new Megos: The Teen Titans! And I wanted them! I asked my dad to buy them for me but he said "No. You aren't into those toys anymore." He was sort of right. I hadn't gotten new Megos in some time and only played with them on occasion. But I kept bugging him and he wouldn't budge. We left Modell's with an Acroyear and a Time Traveler.
In the Summer of 1979 I started to hang out with a friend from school, Michael, who was also into comic books, Micronauts, and Megos. One day I went to his house and his playroom was a museum of toys. He showed me his Megos and I couldn't believe what he had: the Green Arrow car, the Hall of Justice, the Wayne Foundation, the Supervator, Mission to Gamma VI, and figures that I had never knew existed Conan the Barbarian, Isis, Romulan, Talos, Andorian, and Mugato. Actually I knew Conan existed but I had never seen one before. I was quite impressed with the Wayne Foundation and the second series of Star Trek aliens. Also I will swear to this day that he had Aquaman vs. the Great White Shark.
One day in 1980 I went shopping with Michael's family. We stopped at the Batcave, a comic book shop, which was closed for the evening so we went next door to Child World. In the action figure aisle we found pegs and pegs of Mego Superman at a clearance price of $1.98. Next to them were pegs of the Teen Titans for the same price. Michael's mother bought him all four figures and I had a twinge of jealousy. I want to say that the last time I was in that Child World was probably 1983 or 1984 and the Teen Titans and Superman Megos were still there. Sigh.
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