We Are Not Alone

[RSS]

In 1978, toy manufacturer Imperial, like a lot of toy companies were very interested in all things outer space thanks to Kenner's whirlwind assault on the toy marketplace thanks to Star Wars. Now, anybody with a science fiction film was interesting and a name like Steven Spielberg even moreso. Imperial snapped up the rights to produce the alien from "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and it became the center piece of their 1978 toy fair display.




While not the full catalog, this piece from 1978 shows a lot of familiar staples from the still very much in business Imperial, some of which I was surprised to find out I had as a kid.

Click Here to visit the 1978 Imperial Toys Catalog
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[ramsey37]

I remember picking up a "Close Encounters" alien off a rack at the old Ben Franklin's that used to be downtown back in 1978 or 1979. I don't recall ever seeing them in a box like the one pictured above. I bought myself a carded alien earlier this year at Wonderfest in Louisville:

I really need to find a nice loose one to hang out with my EMCE Trek figures
George

[Meule]

I was too young for these, but that alien looks cool

[Brown Bear]

I had two of those rubber UFO figures when I was a kid...we made them our Tag Team champions with freakish strentgh....

[toys2cool]

that alien is bad

[HardyGirl]

I think I got a Close Encounter card in the Wonder Bread. I didn't see the movie until I was 14.

[cjefferys]

I remember buying that CE3K alien bendy when I was a kid. I remember my friend and I goofing around with it and it ended up getting stuck up on our roof, where remained for a year or two. I didn't realize Imperial made these.

[deputypowell]

I remember be blown away by the movie as a kid! It was the one movie that made me want to believe in UFO's. I used to live in the country and would stare at the night sky for hours. I also remember the cards and picked up as set not long ago. I was surprised to notice that there was not one card of Richard Dreyfuss. Did not notice that as a child. Would be neat if someone made a retro 10-20 card set (Star Wars Heritage) with images if Mr. Dreyfuss from the movie to make up for it.