I handled a loose talking policeman the other week.
It was one of the Voice Squad/ Patrol toys from Toy Island 1991.
After handling I put it back on the car boot tarp.
I bought a couple of mint carded examples in the early Nineties for my old toy stall but wish I'd kept a couple for myself now, 'cos I like them!
Looking at the range two questions spring to mind. Are these toys inspired by Hasbro's GI Joe small figure line and are the Voice Squad actually action figures?
Do you recall the Voice Squad?
pic: Dallas Vintage Toys
Voice Squad... as opposed to Vice Squad! The "Stop or I'll shoot" seems a bit intimidating.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of a Taiwan talking robot that yelled "Drop your weapons!" And followed it immediately with a burst of gunfire when there was no chance of retaliation!
Like Kirk says in Star Trekkin Looey - We come in peace, Shoot to Kill!
DeleteThis range was made by Toy Island Manufacturing Co. Ltd. of Kowloon, Hong Kong, with the actual toys being Made in China. Apart from the Voice Patrol line of talking police figures, there were several other lines of similar figures. Voice Squad soldiers, Voice Rangers cowboys, Monsters, Strike Team talking aircraft and figures, Space Attack was a science fiction range. One group of figures was called Video Command, all wearing full helmets - 'his face changes as he talks'. It looks as though there may have been two versions of this, as some cards show only one face, but say 'his face lights up as he talks'. These figures were a little too late for me, being from the 1990s, and I do not remember them at all.
ReplyDeleteGreat research Paul. I didn't know the range was so wide. What were the monsters? Were they called Howlers?
DeleteThe Toy Island Monsters line contained just three figures.
ReplyDeleteThe Vampire Talks - more like Nosferatu
The Zombie Talks - could be Frankenstein's Monster
The Howler Howls - a werewolf
These figures did not have buttons, you just touched them. 'Their voices are complete with echoes and sound effects', according to the advertising. They also had removable clothing, and were 7 inches tall. Each figure came with two plastic weapons.
I did not realise until after I had made my initial Reply to this post, that you had already covered the Video Command figures in an earlier post.
Never heard of the Toy Island monsters Paul and thanks for the info. The new material you sent me is fabulous. They really remind me of old Lincoln Monsters.
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