Action Force

Pigman II

Anyone remember these toys? They were basically a cash-in by the makers of Action Man who realised that kids were snapping up the 10cm Star Wars action-figures by the bucketload and no longer going for their 12inch "dolls".

Good marketing idea but the result was these really awful looking cheap toys that didn't really inspire much in the line of fun or imagination. Even the backing cards they came on screamed "yellow-pack" as tho they'd been rushed to the toyshops without a seconds thought for presentation.

Anyway they must have sold a few cos I remember them being around for a number of years back in the 80s. I think I even had one or two of them tho I'm sure I never requested the purchase of them from anyone.

As an aside, did anyone else (like me) who was brought up on the small "Star Wars size" figures find the big Mego / Action Man figures (where you could even pull their clothes off and dress them) slightly disturbing? I shudder looking at photos of them even now.

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Dyr

Ah baron ironblood, the old bucketheaded nutjob

tk123

we had a cooooool one that changed colour in the sun!

120_Minutes

snake eyes was the MAN. The pic of him from the new movie is perfect. I preferred the comic to the toys, they had great story arcs.

Pigman II

Snake Eyes was GI Joe.

dazberry

http://www.bloodforthebaron.com/

D.

chopperbyrne

Action Force was what GI Joe toys were called over here weren't they?

I remember their limbs could break off very easily.

CORPS were better. They semed to not break as easily.

Predhead

I think AF were the bigger, kind of, rubbery/plasitcy figures and they had clothes that you could change.

chopperbyrne

Seems we're both right.

120_Minutes

GI Joe = US

Action Man/Force = UK

then later on it became GI Joe:The Action Force

still doesnt stop snakes eye from being the ****ing man.

bullets

I remember there was two action force figures.
Once was actionforce/gi joe and the other was action force.
The action force that was not gi-joe were cheap and crude and the arms
had no elbow joints. had one or two when the arms broke off I chewed them.
They were made from a softer rubberish like plastic.

Used to watch the Cartoon GI-Joe. They called them action force here when
they sold them in the shops.

Snake Eyes my favorite. I never got them when they came out first
as they were very expensive. I did get one for my Birthday one year and as a child.
Later on they were way cheaper.

At one stage the were selling them in Dunnes Stores for 49p each along side
spiderman toys and 3packs of star wars figures for 1.99

Later on they started adding separate back packs like a back pack that was a portable
helicopter etc. The Dude that changed colour in the sun came out much later than
the rest of the toys.

Star wars figures always frustrated me because of the lack of joint movements.
The Action Force ones were great cos you could mode the wrists, elbows, head,
and pose them better. Pity about the rubber band that held the waist together!

When I think back, I never actually done anything with them other than posed them.
My friend used to burn them when he got bored and bury them.

~B

Pigman II

Well I'll be jiggered!

I had absolutely no memory of the "GI Joe" style stuff being called "Action Force" over here in Ireland. I had lots of those "cooler" figures and I always just called them GI.Joe. Must have been due to the influence of the tie-in cartoon.

I always presumed the "Action Force" name only came with those crappy earlier figures.

Scubadevils

I loved my action force figures and the comic... I wish I had bloody kept them rather then passing on to cousins or something back then Be nice to have them now as a memory. Same with Star Wars toys

Was great fun out the back garden with a magnifying glass burning some 'authentic' looking bullet holes in the various vehicles and sometimes even the figures themselves :eek: Did the figures not progress to movable joints later on?

steveone

my nephew found these toys at home, he ad them years ago but can't remember the names.. they have magnetic feet..
he reckons they were not spurious toys, they were part of a set like action force..
any ideas??

Pigman II

That's Starcom steveone.

steveone

holy **** you're right pigman... top stuff there.. thanks for that

Holmer

120_Minutes wrote: »

GI Joe = US

Action Man/Force = UK

then later on it became GI Joe:The Action Force

still doesnt stop snakes eye from being the ****ing man.

he was the ****ing man alright. But never spoke a word. Looks cool in your pic too. Remember storm shadow, he was the cobra equivalent of snake eyes. They were my favourite 2 figures in my collection because they were somehow harder to come by than the others. Think they trained together before becoming enemies actually, I seem to remember a story in the comic about their history. They both had a tattoo of that symbol on his arm in your jpeg.

120_Minutes

put snake eyes into wikipedia and you'll get his back story. I remember Reading it in the comics as a kid, the tatoo is an I-ching if I remember right.
the picture is from the new movie due 2009,he's played by ray park and tommy from 3rd rock is cobra commander!