I remember the icy rain on a late Saturday afternoon in the mid-seventies.
It was the day I discovered Madelman! My Kays Catalogue parka and the warm woolly hat that mum knitted, insulated me against the hostile February elements. Me, Les and Clanger were on our way home after checking out the town toy shops. The last check of the day was the huge window of a small post office we always passed.
The window was well known for ambushing passing kids with Airfix and Action Man. This time a number of colourfully carded action figures with the unfamiliar brand name 'Madelman' grabbed our attention.
I found myself locked into a staring contest with a tiny pair of hypnotic 'crystal eyes' that stared back through the glass. Curiosity shoved me through the door and I eagerly traded my pocket money for the Madelman Deep Sea Diver (Buzo)... the one that'd been eyeballing me through the window. I was hooked.
Released in 1968, Madelman became one of Spain's most popular toy lines until sometime between 1982 and 1983, when production ceased.
Collectors say that the story started when Don Josep M. Arnau, of Madrid based Industrias Plasticas Madel, discovered GI Joe whilst visiting the United States.
The success of Hasbro's moveable fighting man inspired him to produce an articulated action figure for the Spanish toy market.
Madelman was developed as a 1/11 (17cm) pocket sized figure with a nylon skeleton featuring unique system of ball-shaped articulation. The innovative 'Atomium' design offered superior articulation and durability for toy that symbolized action and adventure.
Madelman nurtured imagination and embodied exciting themes that thrilled kids. These included; military, adventure, polar, safari, pirates, underwater, motor racing, wild west, soccer, space and Superman.
From 1968-1983 two distinct versions of Madelman were created. First generation figures (Primera Generacion 1968-1976), featured a broad face and red/brown hard plastic hair.
They're easily identified by 'crystal eyes'. They didn't have feet, just moulded boots which simply pushed onto the lower leg pegs. White plastic was used for the torso to simulate shorts (and vests with earliest first generation figures).
At this stage, only male Caucasian and African figures were produced.
Second generation Madelman (1976-1983), incorporated a new look, new themes, female characters and more ethnic diversity. The iconic crystal eyes were replaced with painted eyes.
The new Caucasian figure had an angular face, narrow nose and slightly pointed chin. The original hard plastic hair was replaced by a dark brown, soft rubber sculpt. Faces could include painted beards and moustaches.
Leg pegs and the original moulded push-on boot were replaced with ankle-jointed feet, for bigger removable boots. Blue plastic gradually replaced white for the simulated shorts effect.
The new line up now incorporated a tribe of colourful Native Americans. Female characters also joined the adventure for the first time. A virtual ark of assorted animals added to the action.
Adventure required mobility... during Madelman's career he had a variety of mission-specific vehicles, including a range of helicopters and jeeps, as well as a beautifully realistic Covered Wagon for his escapades out West.
The Madelman carded figure range started with 'Equipo Individual'. This low cost set came with a single figure and two or three small accessories. The bigger 'Equipo Basico' also included a single figure and more items of equipment for increased play value.
'Super Equipos' were the largest and most expensive of the carded sets. They were distinguished by two Madelman figures supported by an impressive compliment of equipment and accessories. Today, original examples of these vintage carded sets with their vivid side-card illustrations, are very difficult to find and command serious attention from collectors.
Perhaps most desirable of all Madelman merchandise was the two boxed 'Mision' playsets - 'Mision Safari' and 'Mision Campana' (1969-1971). Spanish artist, Raphael Cortiella (1931-2019), known for his pulp covers and comic book art, provided the illustrations for both 'Mision' boxes.
These boxes were super sized to accommodate multiple figures (two for Safari and three for Campana) and an impressive wealth of often unique accessories. Added to this, the Safari set included a white jeep and trailer, whilst Campana included a military jeep and a shell-firing field gun.
The imaginative selling point of these magnificent playsets was the illustrated inner box. Both Safari and Campana had stapled litho dioramas, providing a self-contained environment for kids to play out a battle scene or live out an African adventure. At the time, these short lived masterpieces were exclusive and very expensive.
Few were made or sold. Fragile ephemeral materials and wonderful playability guaranteed rapid deterioration and imminent destruction. Few survive.
In the course of an incredible career, Madelman's popularity spread to the UK, thanks to 'exclusive UK distributors', Pedigree Toys. Madelman also sold in other parts of Europe and Mexico.
Anyone who pounded the gravel with Madelman as a kid will remember the substantial quality and attention to detail that went into those small-scale outfits and accessories. As a project Madelman was an astonishing accomplishment when viewed against the production technology of the day.
This alone makes the old-timer worthy of a good mention in action figure mythology. In recognition of the fun he bought to countless kids, this pocket size hero marked his 50th birthday last year with exhibitions and celebrations in Madrid and Barcelona... and my house!
The small post office with the huge window, where I discovered Madelman all those years ago, has long since gone - along with Les, Clanger and my other childhood reference points.
As someone who doesn't do change particularly well, there's something reassuring knowing Madelman's still hanging around here after all these years.
Tony K
Link:
Recommended Madelman Reading:
'Madelman - The History of the Famous Spanish Articulated Figure', by Pedro Andrea - ISBN:978-84-96658-04-2
What a wonderful tribute, Tony. Touching, informative and impressive all at once. :)
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing the little chap in my local toy store in Holland, and noticing he was indeed very well-made and well-equipped. But we'd already received some Action Man figures by that time, and didn't want to mix scales. Maybe other boys thought the same, because I seem to recall Madelman didn't stay available very long.
I've seen him again at swap meets later in life, and I used to know a Spanish action figure collector with a nice collection. But your photos add an extra dimension in portraying Madelman in action. A diorama as opposed to a line-up. Marvellous stuff!
Best -- Paul V
Hi Paul, Thank you for your kind comment. I'm glad you enjoyed the piece. I know what you mean that kids may not have wanted to mix scales. I also think as kids we had a sort of brand loyalty, generally being bias towards the brand names we knew and trusted, such as Action Man. In the UK, there were smaller-scale success stories, including Matt Mason and Mego, but traditionally 1/6 scale dominated the action figure scene from the sixties through to the late-seventies, when Star Wars toys arrived. If only Madelman would have been a Hasbro product... it could have been a different story altogether
DeleteI don't recall ever seeing this brand, or even knowing anyone who had an example of it. Strange how I missed it. Interesting to see now.
ReplyDeleteHi Kidd, Thank you for dropping by and posting a comment. It's very much appreciated! I don't have any official figures to support my opinion, but I'm inclined to think Madelman only ever arrived here in comparatively small numbers. Few of my friends, then or now, were/are familiar with him. As a lad, I only ever saw him for sale briefly in the post office window. A couple of decades later I'd occasionally find second generation sets gathering dust on the shelves of indoor market stalls. Sadly for such a superb all-rounder, outside of Spain Madelman was always the obscure toy shelf outsider.
DeleteWhat an immersive, entertaining & informative presentation of Madelman, Tony. The whole brand is very rare here and to my understanding never sold in stores. The only few I've ever come across must have been toys kids bought whilst vacationing in Spain.
ReplyDeleteThe original Madelman 2001 Astronaut is so on top of my want list - but I guess I am far from the the first in line ...
Hi Arto, Thank you for reading and commenting on this piece. It's always good to hear from you. Ah, the Madelman 2001 Astronaut is a collectible which haunt me with a severe sense of sellers remorse. I actually had a mint carded example in my collection. I regrettably sold it about 13 years ago, along with other carded sets. Although the returns went into funding other collectibles at the time, it was a very flawed decision that I still regret to this day :)
ReplyDeleteclap clap clap from Spain... we love Madelman.
ReplyDeleteThanks Antonio. I appreciate your comment :)
ReplyDeleteMy apologies to anyone who picked up on my typos. Just reread the piece and spotted what I failed to spot when I wrote it.
ReplyDeleteMisspelling of Raphael Cortiella - correct name should read 'Rafael' Cortiella.
Also, third from last paragraph. Correct word should be 'brought', not 'bought'.
Bloopers named and shamed. Opticians first thing tomorrow morning :)
The publicity claim was:
ReplyDeleteLOS MADELMAN LO PUEDEN TODO
Thank you Antonio. The publcity claim was absolutely right. Madelman was a fantastic action figure in every sense of the word. I do wonder which was more popular with Spanish kids at the time, Madelman or Geyperman?
ReplyDeleteAnother enjoyable, engaging and informative piece. I never knew of this brand however now I feel that I know it very well and very much look forward to learning more about Madelman and his adventures. Great archive photos too. He reminds me so much of Ken from the Barbie range! :)
ReplyDeleteHiya Doc. Always nice to hear from you. The pics feature stuff from my collection and the pages from two Madelman catalogues. Great fun to set up and snap.
ReplyDeleteOoh, I'm not sure what Madelman would think about being compared to Ken though... 'Ken'... from the Barbie range... really... 'You can not be serious!' On yer bike, buster, ha ha :D
What a great article. I have never found a Madelman out in the wild but after reading this do hope to see some! Sounds like some trips might to Spanish car boots might be in order to find the "amber nectar".
ReplyDeleteThe photos make me fondly think of 70's style movies / tv series - amazing work - I can imagine Captain José in the jungle fighting for surivial from the villan of choice.
Thanks for the pics - much to reminisce on.
~R~
Thanks for your comment. Madelman is increasingly difficult to find these days, although I was lucky enough to find a lone figure at a UK carboot last year. My one and only ever Madelman carboot find :)
DeleteFantastic tribute Tony, my best friend as a child had one of these and I was always envious as I never had the privilege of owning one myself. Great way of capturing the imagination via your photography
ReplyDeleteHa ha, I know who you are... thank you for your comment 'Charlie Beans' :D
ReplyDelete