Why did Mego make so many bad design decisions?

[tllgn]

they wanted to make money,thats what they wanted,and to save they stopped making removable cowls and masks,on
batman and robin,and used paint,if they can save a buck,i believe they went for it,even down to Dorothys panties,first
clothe then molded white plastic.Mego made fantastic figures,some better then others,but when it came to playsets
they just used cardboard covered in see through plastic-very cheap,the treehouse was very fragile,when you
watch the commercials you can see how gently those kids are playing-not like real life.other companies at the time
had better quality on their play sets ( Barbie,Gi joe )but not those Megos,where just about every figure had his
own sculpt,all Barbies & Joes looked the same.

[Gorn Captain]

If we went back to 1973 and told people that we review action figures on the internet, they'd beat us up and take our lunch money.

I think they'd ask "what's this internet you're talking about?"

[boynightwing]

I think they're wonderful toys even now. They have a charm to them and that's why I still like them today.

When all is said and done, they were successful because they appealed to kids and they could be made cheaply. The same body for every male character. All they had to worry about was the head and clothing. But it cost money to make a new head design and if they sold as they were already, they were not about to make new ones. I really don't think they cared about how they looked so long as the kids were happy, the parents were happy and the company who owned the figure likeness was happy.

[drmego]

Marty Abrams said that they made the type 2 body because of the lead in the metal rivets
used in type 1. I suspect that they may have stayed with type 1s just like GI Joe remained
unchanged until the Super Joes - had the rivets not had an issue.

By 1974 they saw that characters like Iron Man required more than just red hands and the
same red boots as Superman/Capt. America - and the line was selling well so more money
could be put to more tooling. It's funny to realize that the Falcon made it to the blister card
production years, but that Iron Man and the Green Goblin didn't. I guess Falcon really was
"that great black super-hero"!

[enyawd72]

Very interesting info and opinions all around...I admit I should have chosen my words more carefully. "Odd" decisions would have been more appropriate than bad.

[drmego]

Somebody must have not liked the way Captain America was done in 8 inch because when
they made the 12 inch version, red gauntlets, white sleeves and an arm guide was added
to the shield. Unfortunately, the giant head ruined the overall look of the figure - continuing
the bad luck streak for Cap at Mego.

[Earth 2 Chris]

^And they didn't make use of the red Spider-Man hands they already had!

Chris

[clemso]

I bet the younger kids responded well to the Bat Man and Cap molded heads with those beady eyes and Spidey with his egg head.

[clemso]

Actually Bat Man started out pretty well design wise, with the Removable Cowl and Wayne head. That was perfect for us adults, but maybe the kids wanted something more cartoony.

[Godzilla]

Excellent info Doc. I loved my 12 inch Cap, big head and all.

[CantinaDan]

Well, in their defense, MEGO did go back and correct some figures, ie: 3 3/4" Daisy Duke and Comic Action Hero Wonder Woman!

http://www.actionfigureinsider.com/blog/cantinadan/why-toy-companies-hate-female-action-figures/

[mego73]

LOL!!! Brian

But in the beginning, the WGSH were pretty much slapped together to make a fair representation of the character, as it became a success they devoted more care into it but never revised those early figures significantly. But in a weird way, I loved the deviations of 1970's TV and movie toys and how they were ment to be toys as compared to now with the studios tightly controlled style and color guides.

They made fun toys for kids. If we went back to 1973 and told people that we review action figures on the internet, they'd beat us up and take our lunch money. We'd deserve it.

[JediJaida]

What really cheeses me off is the way they marketed Dinah mite, back when she was first introduced.

Don't get me wrong; the idea of a fully articulated fashion doll was a hit with my fellow seven year old female classmates back then.]

But the lack of appealing outfits and accessories was pretty much what killed off the line, I think


I mean, even back in the fashionably questionable Seventies, who in the heck wore stuff like the Aviator outfit or Pajama Party, or Happy Hippy? Even HIPPIES had better dress sense, and that is REALLY reaching for it!

Plus, the lack of a really good looking boyfriend. They simply re-used a Superman head for Don.

It was okay looking, but not truly all that handsome.

Also, a lack of female friends.

They had the African American doll, but instead of giving her a separate identity, and fashion sense, she was marketed as an African American version of Dinah, with the same purple outfit and white go-go boots.

Then, some of the fabric choices were more than questionable. The Aviator, Ski Weekend, and Pajama Party outfits were all made of stiff, crinkly nylon. Dunno if any of them were flammable or not (and I really don't want to find out the hard way.), but those fabrics were just.......ack!

They should have stuck with cotton knits and woven fabrics for the outfits.

[drmego]

Marty Abrams said that his mother Maddie was in charge of the clothing, and that she had
friends in the apparel business, so some of the fabric choices were based on what excess
material was available. Some of Dinah's whackier outfit may have been created because
they got some bolts at a great price and had to come up with a use for it.

[JediJaida]

Ah! Now the light dawns!