In the words of Big Jim.........

[Captain]

While making some space in my store room, I came across my Big Jim collection. Feeling nostalgic (as always) I ended up spending way too much time messing with them instead of doing what I planned too. Set up the plane, got out the Rescue Rig and the camper....etc, etc...Anyways, I was tottally disheartened when I gave a pull to Big Jim's talking rescue back pack, and nothing but a garbled mess came out. I also couldnt find a D battery around to fire up the "walkie Talkie" that came with the rescue rig.

I put everything back, but now its bugging me....Anybody remember all the things these toys used to say?

I recall the following:
"Looks bad, be careful!"
"Send a rescue truck!"
"Stand by for instructions!"

What other pearls of wisdom did Big Jim "speak"?

[Brown Bear]

I have a back pack from Big Jim that says:
"Bring the boat and fishing gear!"
"Roll out the sleeping bags"
and my personal fav....
"Let's go fishin' pal!"

[HardyGirl]

As I remember, there was a camping pack, and a rescue rig pack, right?

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

I never had a talking Big Jim. Now I feel deprived...

[HardyGirl]

I never had a talking Big Jim. Now I feel deprived...

I never had the talking backpacks either, but I have one of the commercials, and I've seen them in old catalogs.

[Drain]

Question Captain,
Big Jim every do a jungle hunt type theme. I was going through some of my childhood collection found a tan colored bamboo looking net launcher, 2 piece, rubber bands to make work long dried out , stamped with Mattel logo, dark brown net with black bollows attached to two ends and black gorilla open roar mouth that about 8" high and the arms move in a circle when you spin the gear shaped wheel in center back. I never saw the packaging. It was already open with I go home from school. I never seen anything like it since.

[Captain]

^^^^Yep, thats a Big Jim set all right. I believe it went by the name "Jungle Adventure" playset, and came with everything you mention here. The neighbour kid had this set and the alligator set...always wanted to buy it off of him, but he blew both apart with a bb gun one day.

About 74 or 75, just before Big Jim changed over to the PACK program, the toys started to focus on adventure sets like this one....kind of following the GI JOE Adventure Team trend I guess? I remember another set called Tahiti terror...something like that, where he was a diver with a giant clam (oh the jokes). Another set came with a swamp boat and an alligator he could capture. The "Jungle Truck" with a Rhino and capture net, and the granddaddy of all playsets. the Sky Commander jet plane playset.

[Captain]

As I remember, there was a camping pack, and a rescue rig pack, right?

Yep, a field radio pack and the talking backpack. There was also a talking kid sized walkie talkie that came with the Rescue Rig. (which is probably the rescue truck the field radio asks kids to call for.....a little Mattel mind control trick I guess?)

Not sure if the PACK (lost interest in the line when the PACK showed up...Preferred the original take on the character), or future EU toys had any further talking sets....it was kind of a mid seventies fad as I recall.

[captact]

If this helps,..my Talking Big Jim still talks loud and clear,...these are his commands:

Ok, you cook the fish.
Lets make camp,...here!
Lets go fishing pal.
BRING THE BOAT,...AND FISHING GEAR! (shouts)
We better scout the trail
Lets find some firewood.

These are his only commands. Voice sounds like Lyle Waggoner aka Steve Trevor from Wonder Woman TV show. Hope this helps!

Ray

[Captain]

Yep, that helps for the campfire figure.

Thanks!

[kryptosmaster]

If this helps,..my Talking Big Jim still talks loud and clear,...these are his commands:

Ok, you cook the fish.
Lets make camp,...here!
Lets go fishing pal.
BRING THE BOAT,...AND FISHING GEAR! (shouts)
We better scout the trail
Lets find some firewood.

What do you mean there's only one sleeping bag?

[kryptosmaster]

I wonder if these are repairable? I've seen people repair and sell instructions/kits to repair the talking boxes inside Mattel stuffed figures and dollies. I would imagine these must be pretty darn close, if not exactly the same mechanisms. Unfortunately (I have a Mork one) it appears they would have to be cut apart and glued back together which would/could ruin the appearance and the stickers (on mine). You can barely tell most of what Mork says on mine. about 50/50.
Rich

[Captain]

Yep, I've heard they can be repaired as well, but I'm not too keen on trying to tear them apart either. With my luck it would shatter into a million pieces

[kryptosmaster]

I guess there's some kind of record in there with a needle from what I gather. Probably just need a good cleaning and grease or something.
I'm tempted to take the Mork one apart because I'm naturally curious and want to see how it works and if I can fix it. I'd bet the Big Jim one is the same backpack. I didn't look too hard but the only thinsg I could find were people on websites selling kits and instructions/videos on how to repair the ones in dolls, etc. I was hoping there would be a free tutorial or website somewhere where some one took one of these apart and shows you how to fix yours for free.
Rich

[Drain]

I guess there's some kind of record in there with a needle from what I gather. Probably just need a good cleaning and grease or something.
I'm tempted to take the Mork one apart because I'm naturally curious and want to see how it works and if I can fix it. I'd bet the Big Jim one is the same backpack. I didn't look too hard but the only thinsg I could find were people on websites selling kits and instructions/videos on how to repair the ones in dolls, etc. I was hoping there would be a free tutorial or website somewhere where some one took one of these apart and shows you how to fix yours for free.
Rich

Could alway find a spare mork backpack with hashed sticker and experiment.