Meet the Baron and Yankee Bravo

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* (In our endless quest to preserve Mego history, we’ve decided to create a series of blog photo posts that showcase a rare and before now, little discussed toy on the Mego forums. )

Before the Secret Identity Sets, Before Doctor Krome Dome, heck even before Amigo*there was the Baron and Yankee Bravo. Two of the three Montgomery Ward’s exclusive figures to the Mego Fighting Yank line. Offered in the 1973 catalog along with Hombre and an exclusive playset, Yankee Bravo and The Baron would not return in 1974 and are now considered some of the toughest Mego figures to find, period.

The original Catalog page for the Baron, Hombre and Yankee Bravo. Only “Hombre” would return in 1974. *

Above is the Baron, he is near complete as his medallion is missing.

The Baron’s original catalog box and some of the fun gear he came with including a detonator and explosives. Don’t mess with the baron. Yankee Bravo is missing his eye patch which by our count is far tougher to find than a Robin Mask. I am really not sure what is up with the medallions, probably a way to compete with the GI Joe Adventure team. Yankee [...]

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[David at Sherry Lou Toys]

I heard that the GI Joe guys sued some competitor because they could prove that the "hand" was a direct copy of their GI Joe hand, molded right from an actual GI Joe figure.
Is Mego the company they sued?

[Mikey]

He looks like a young Topol

[Wee67]

I think he looks a bit like Ron Palilo.

[Neutron X]

Nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!GOOD FIND!!! I haven't seen the Mail Order boxes before. They are very hard to find period. Medalion also very very hard to find. I do think there are variations on the leather jacket of the Baron.

What's on the back of the figures? Hong Kong or Mego markings?

[cjefferys]

Very interesting write up and great pics! I was only vaguely aware of these guys, and didn't know they were so rare, but it makes sense now.

[Godzilla]

Very cool. Is there much out there on the original Fighting Yank line?

[Werewolf]

I heard that the GI Joe guys sued some competitor because they could prove that the "hand" was a direct copy of their GI Joe hand, molded right from an actual GI Joe figure.
Is Mego the company they sued?

The original Gi Joe had a reveresed thumb nail on his left hand. That way Hasbro could prove when the figure was being copied. Mego is the company they sued.

[palitoy]

Nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!GOOD FIND!!! I haven't seen the Mail Order boxes before. They are very hard to find period. Medalion also very very hard to find. I do think there are variations on the leather jacket of the Baron.

I can't remember ever seeing these guys for sale before, I remember them from the 73 catalog but that's about it.

What's on the back of the figures? Hong Kong or Mego markings?

I never thought to look, I'll have to check on the Baron.

[Fire Marshal Bill]

The original Gi Joe had a reveresed thumb nail on his left hand. That way Hasbro could prove when the figure was being copied. Mego is the company they sued.

I believe it was the right hand wasn't it?

[Neutron X]

These aren't the figures Mego was sued for. The lawsuit was circa 1966-7? All they had to do was stop making the old figure and then they chose to make the new rubber arm version of Fighting Yank. This figure is the one they were sued for:

[palitoy]

From what I've read, Mego never intentionally copied the Joe body, it was unscrupiously done by the factory.

[samurainoir]

This was before Mego owned their own Hong Kong factory then?

[Wee67]

I don't think Mego got their own factory until the late 70's.

[palitoy]

I don't think Mego got their own factory until the late 70's.

Yeah, the 1960s and early 1970s had Mego using different factories and doing a lot of straight importing.