Big Jim

[danadoll]

I had a Big Jim and I think a jet plane...But I think that was all.

Dana

[kingdom warrior]

To answer the original posters question: I believe Mattel actually looked seriously into bringing Big Jim Back in some capacity about five or six years ago. This was around the time when several companies like Playing Mantis were making reissue figures of Evil Knevil and Johnny West, Action jackson was modernized, and all the Timeless Collection Joes came out. I think the dissappointing sales of a lot of these lines sealed the deal and a modern Big Jim figure never materialized.

Speaking of five or six years ago, back then there was a lot of interest in Big Jim among collectors. There was a collector's club, articles were being published in collecting magazines, and a few high profile collectors were doing everything they could to catalog the entire line, both US and foriegn. It was an amazing time but it seems almost all of this interest has dried up now and everyone has scattered and/or moved on.

It has been my observation that most people had the sports stuff as kids but want the PACK stuff as adult collectors. I remember the sports stuff being VERY available as a kid. I really only wanted the sets with guns and gaurded my spy outfit with my life! Parents and other relatives could not understand this and so I got lots of sports sets for birthdays and Christmases anyway. The PACK stuff came along in the last few years of US production. I had the basic figures and the Beast from that line but there are many pieces that I don't even remember seeing as a kid, let alone owning.

One final thought, I recently got a 16mm commercial for the Big Jim camper with Big Jim and Big Jack. I remember having seen this as a kid on TV but as an adult, all I could think of was Brokeback Mountain! I nearly fell of the couch laughing at that commercial!

- Sweep

Hey Sweep Secondhand Welcome Aboard thanks for the insight and Info on Big Jim....I'm sure if Mattel would have tried to a least add a Cartoon series to it they would have done better all those other toys were retro and got very little to no real advertising.
I'm not saying that Big Jim would have been a Hot seller but a Saturday morning Pack Cartoon series with those figures and I'm sure they would have done well......I just asked my ten year old son this question if they would make the pack figures again with a Cartoon series would he want it and would he watch the cartoon.....his eyes lit up and said heck YES!

[Sweep Secondhand]

To answer the original posters question: I believe Mattel actually looked seriously into bringing Big Jim Back in some capacity about five or six years ago. This was around the time when several companies like Playing Mantis were making reissue figures of Evil Knevil and Johnny West, Action jackson was modernized, and all the Timeless Collection Joes came out. I think the dissappointing sales of a lot of these lines sealed the deal and a modern Big Jim figure never materialized.

Speaking of five or six years ago, back then there was a lot of interest in Big Jim among collectors. There was a collector's club, articles were being published in collecting magazines, and a few high profile collectors were doing everything they could to catalog the entire line, both US and foriegn. It was an amazing time but it seems almost all of this interest has dried up now and everyone has scattered and/or moved on.

It has been my observation that most people had the sports stuff as kids but want the PACK stuff as adult collectors. I remember the sports stuff being VERY available as a kid. I really only wanted the sets with guns and gaurded my spy outfit with my life! Parents and other relatives could not understand this and so I got lots of sports sets for birthdays and Christmases anyway. The PACK stuff came along in the last few years of US production. I had the basic figures and the Beast from that line but there are many pieces that I don't even remember seeing as a kid, let alone owning.

One final thought, I recently got a 16mm commercial for the Big Jim camper with Big Jim and Big Jack. I remember having seen this as a kid on TV but as an adult, all I could think of was Brokeback Mountain! I nearly fell of the couch laughing at that commercial!

- Sweep

[Captain]

Big Jim was a cool toy line. I would love to see the generic line revived. Basic figure, with hunting, camping, and sports equipment sets.
The Camper and the Rescue Rig were some of my favorite toys. Thinking back, it was kind of refreshing to play at fishing and camping once in a while. Saving the day with the superheroes, branding cattle and fighting indians with Johnny West, and cruising around the galaxy with Jimmy T and the boys could get a bit stressfull without a break with Jim and the gang!!

[kingdom warrior]

The P.A.C.K figures are all I remember. I've seen photos recently of the sports ones, but they don't seem familiar to me at all.

The Whip appealed to me the most. It must've been the boomerangs!

First Welcome aboard FastDog 40 and Agent of Shield.......What makes Big Jim appealing for many kids was always the adventure aspect of the figure although not as articulated like Joes or Megos Big Jim held his own..The Pack really added fun to the series and made Big Jim more of a James Bond type adding the other members made it a team which most kids can Identify with.

Big Jim lasted well into early to mid eighties mostly overseas and in Latin America....I still say if you brought him back updated with a Kick Butt cartoon series he would do well IMO

[Agent of SHIELD]

I'm slowing inching my collection towards the P.A.C.K, The Whip being my favorite.

The P.A.C.K figures are all I remember. I've seen photos recently of the sports ones, but they don't seem familiar to me at all.

The Whip appealed to me the most. It must've been the boomerangs!

[FastDog40]

Big Jim

What's up everybody.really pumped about this site.yes im a big mego guy being from the 1970's.besides my planet of the apes,batman and robin,evel knievel,six million dollar man toy's.big jim was very cool.I had all the line of toys.Them days were great day's.I still buy big jim items.
Thanks for the look back.

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

:o :9: Cute Icons...even a little Aussie fly-repelling hat in there!

Thanks for your kind words, but no, I am not planning on doing anymore. I had the PACK set, as a grown up but let 'em go as I was always more of a classic Big Jim gal...and Dr Steel was one of the very first ones...way before PACK was even dreamed up. I have to love 'em to make 'em....

[kingdom warrior]

I myself am a big Big Jim fan. I gravitate towards the earlier sports related stuff, while my husband would rather the P.A.C.K spy stuff. Since I'm the one searching and buying, he's kinda stuck with my choices. All kidding aside, I'm slowing inching my collection towards the P.A.C.K, The Whip being my favorite.

Heck, I've even added a Sport & Shave Ken to my collection since they reused the muscle arms for that figure. (Proportions are way off, hair included.)

That is a fantastic Dr Steel, Cat. Are you working on any others? Might I suggest, The Whip?

Wow a Sport & Shave Ken does that bring back memories my sister had that and I use to play with it lol! .....Yes I think Cat is on to something it would be nice if she just went for broke and made The Wolf Pack Mego sized...of course then I would need a Bib to wipe my Drool! lol!

[LadyZod]

I myself am a big Big Jim fan. I gravitate towards the earlier sports related stuff, while my husband would rather the P.A.C.K spy stuff. Since I'm the one searching and buying, he's kinda stuck with my choices. All kidding aside, I'm slowing inching my collection towards the P.A.C.K, The Whip being my favorite.

Heck, I've even added a Sport & Shave Ken to my collection since they reused the muscle arms for that figure. (Proportions are way off, hair included.)

That is a fantastic Dr Steel, Cat. Are you working on any others? Might I suggest, The Whip?

[kingdom warrior]

Man this is getting too heavy into other realms...I just liked Big Jim as a kid because he had the cool karate chopping action.

Yeah me too! .........Cat Thanks for Posting your Custom here! It's a Beauty!

[The Toyroom]

Man this is getting too heavy into other realms...I just liked Big Jim as a kid because he had the cool karate chopping action.

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

At Kingdom Warrior's request...

I am posting a picture of my recently finished Dr Steel custom here...



Cat

[palitoy]

bump

[saildog]

Many things in pop-culture are now being interpreted in ways that differ from the creator's intent. I think garagesale and others on this board are more equipped to comment on it than I am, but I believe it falls under a category of post-modern criticism known as "Deconstruction".

Finally, the term is used in pop-culture criticism to refer to a story (novel, film, etc.) which presents a well-known concept or plot in a way which intentionally reverses or subverts the common elements of the original, with the intention of laying bare the underlying assumptions in it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deconstruction#Deconstruction_in_popular_media_and_culture