The Story of Action Man Documentary

I found these worth watching. I apologize if these links have already been posted elsewhere.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1MxYXHb6d4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0errjBIZ_U&t=854s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5mp0KrcX88

Man, something is going on with YouTube for me... I can never seem to get half the videos to work anymore on my iPad — really pissing me off.

Stryker2011 wrote:Man, something is going on with YouTube for me... I can never seem to get half the videos to work anymore on my iPad — really pissing me off.

That's a shame because they are really worth watching if only because of the important role that G.I. Joe and Action man play in the evolution of this hobby.

Indeed. The Netflix series ‘The Toys That Made Us’ dealt with the impact of both GI Joe/Action Man and Barbie in the first season— really cool stuff. I’ll have to see if I can’t watch these on my desktop.

Stryker2011 wrote:Indeed. The Netflix series ‘The Toys That Made Us’ dealt with the impact of both GI Joe/Action Man and Barbie in the first season— really cool stuff. I’ll have to see if I can’t watch these on my desktop.

That's how I watched them. It' worth the effort, though of course, it does not have a happy ending.

Just finished the first episode. Very interesting -- I guess I never knew that Action Man was just the British name for essentially carbon-copies of GI Joe. Learn something new every day. By the way, if anyone is interested in purchasing Action Man/GI Joe figures (reprints of the originals), check out this site:

https://www.gijoeelite.com/

They carry most of the new stuff, but they are known for their Joes (as evidenced by the link name).

Stryker2011 wrote:Just finished the first episode. Very interesting -- I guess I never knew that Action Man was just the British name for essentially carbon-copies of GI Joe. Learn something new every day. By the way, if anyone is interested in purchasing Action Man/GI Joe figures (reprints of the originals), check out this site:

https://www.gijoeelite.com/

They carry most of the new stuff, but they are known for their Joes (as evidenced by the link name).

Initially a carbon copy, but they made their own original contributions; both the flocked hair and gripping hands (Kung Fu grip in America) were British innovations. I can remember being in the UK in late 1973. I had just received a flocked hair GI Joe as an early Xmas present as I was traveling over the Xmas holidays, and noticed that in the UK, Action Man already had the the gripping hands which were not introduced in the North American Market until 1974 or so.

If you watch the complete series, you'll see that the Brits necessarily came out with British specific uniforms/ clothing sets, and introduced some vehicles never seen in the North American market; A Scorpion Armoured Reconnaissance vehicle, a light Land Rover, and a light 105mm gun, all of which I could use now for use with my TBLeague collection.

Right away in the first part, where they were showing the Action Man commercial, I had to smile as I still have that space capsule and the diving gear in a box somewhere.

Stryker2011 wrote:Right away in the first part, where they were showing the Action Man commercial, I had to smile as I still have that space capsule and the diving gear in a box somewhere.

I had the GI Joe capsule. I got it around 1968 or 1969, perhaps, along with my first GI Joe figure.   Aside from the space suit, I also got a US Marine dress blue uniform and if memory serves, a scuba set with wet suit, mask, aqua-lung, etc.  Astronauts and the moon race were very big back then. Then in '73, a flocked headed Joe, with the desert patrol jeep and set.

I didn't keep any of it though. I wish I had known then how collectible these things would get.