Mystery Model Man

 This is a mystery to me.

I saw it on an old auction.

An Action Man type figure with two uniforms, a soldier and a knight.

I thought maybe Little Big Man or Madel Man.

But the rear says Model Toys Ltd, Hong Kong.

Anyone know who this figure is?

L I T T L E B I G M A N

 In the summer Wotan Bill donated some fine and memorable items to Moonbase from the Bradgate Little Big Man range.

Little Big Man was basically a smaller version of Action Man and had tons of clothes and uniforms just like his big brother. I really liked him back in the 1960's.

Not owning an original figure anymore, I deployed a similar sized Hornby Elm Elf*

Everything here is original LBM except for the grey rifle [I don't think] and the red top.

I don't know what the green ring is for.

This little Mountie is ready for some action and perhaps .... some shoes!

Did you have Little Big Man readers?

*

* the destiny of the Elf lies elfwhere - watch this space!

BRADGATE'S LITTLE BIG MAN ON TV 1973

 

Remember this little guy?

Is he the same as Madelman?

Gripping Plans

This gorgeous pile of Action Man, Little Big Man and friends' accessories was given to me by my good pal Bill.

There's so many great items here, I'm still going through them. I have plans for some.

What can you see readers?

THE COMBAT MAN TRAIN DOWN SHERWOOD FOREST

 We're just back from a weekend away in the pleasant River Trent countryside around Newark in Nottinghamshire down the road from Sherwood Forest.

Newark has a large castle ruin, a big river with very fine slow cruises [we enjoyed it a lot] and many good shops, including, yes .... charity shops!

Despite the number of charities, I was only tempted to buy a bundle of seven old Conan the Barbarian comics for seven quid.

The car boot sale down the road at Sherwood Forest [Robin Hood jokes welcomed!] was better and I came away with a few die-casts for Junior and me, two Sontarans and a neat boxed Combat Man Military Train set, which was my fave purchase.

I know the Combat Man brand from my interest in knockoff Action Man figures. Its a Mego/Lion Rock line from the late 70's/early 80's and was essentially a 7-inch articulated male figure, like the earlier Little Big Man, with loads of carded WWII uniforms. There were also small plastic soldier sets and my Military Train Set [with Chug Chug Sound!] is one of these, although it wasn't released with small plastic soldiers. There is no Mego or Lion Rock branding on it all.

The UK Combat Man brand mark is like a soldier's dog-tag and often says 'and his adventures in World War II'. Lion Rock also issued it as 'Johnny Action' in the US. It was re-branded in many other countries and the Mego Museum lists them all here https://www.megomuseum.com/lionrock/index.html

It's sister set is a vehicle set, which does contain small plastic soldiers and a missile launcher not unlike the Merehall one many of us have in our own collections.

Trafalgar Toys, as seen on this box from an online auction, were likely the importers.

My Combat Man train set is all complete but doesn't work. I'll need to scrape off the old battery acid from the battery unit contacts in the big loco and give it a rejuvenating dose of WD40.

The previous owner, no doubt a pesky youngster [I ask you! ha ha], had stuck a load of stickers on the rooves of the two main carriages, so I'm currently soaking them in my special perfect-fit carriage soaking bath.

As soon as this train set is ready for combat operations I'll alert Moonbase readers stat!

Oh, and like the Conan comics, it was 7 pounds.

Any good?

LITTLE LIFEGUARD

Inspired by Tony's Little Big Man article I've drafted in this little Lifeguard.

Packed in a plastic tube he hails from the Sixties I would say. I found him decommissioned in a charity shop 50p bin.

I do like this little fella and he reminds me completely of my Action Man Lifeguard when I was a kid.

He's got the red tunic and big gold buttons, the blue trousers with red stripe, black boots and wide belt. 

Best of all though is the huge fur helmet - the bearskin - with gold chain chinstrap.

The plastic gold-coloured rifle is pretty neat too.

I wonder if this uniform would fit Bradgate's Little Big Man?

These sixties novelty dolls occupy that strange place on the fringes of the toy world labelled 'fancy goods', rather like those toilet-roll knitted-cover Sindy's.

Frequently these novelty dolls are sadly discarded in their tubes in charity shops and most often found dressed in costumes from around the world like American Indian or Bavarian boy.

I haven't seen my soldier many times so this time I brought him home to Moonbase.

Have you anything like this?

Standing Tall with Little Big Man by Tony K.

LITTLE BIG MAN 

Bradgate's Small Soldier

Little Big Man was an action figure made for the British toy market in the mid-1970s. 

Not as well known as his big brother, Action Man, he was produced by Bradgate - Wholesale Div of Palitoy Limited.

His creation was inspired by the commercial success of Spain's top selling action figure range, Madelman.

However, it's an overlooked consideration that Little Big Man may have also been produced, in part at least, to secure a piece of the domestic market?

When Little Big Man appeared in our shops, a small armada of Madelman also arrived in the UK.

This small scale invasion force was introduced to our shores by Exclusive UK Distributors, Pedigree Toys.

Little Big Man and first generation Madelman figures look similar. It's a forgivable mistake to misidentify them. 

Both stand at 6.5 - 7 inches tall. Both figure lines were designed without ankles and feet. Instead, they feature distinctive ankle-pegs for their signature push-on boots and frogman fins.

Both have identical hand configurations with fragile fingers and thumbs. The immediate similarities stop there. 

Madelman had been around since 1968 and was a top quality toy. 

He was a solid, robust plastic figure, with advanced 'atomium' articulation and distinctive 'crystal' eyes. For his size, he punched above his weight.

His world was populated by a wealth of uniforms, accessories and vehicles; characterised by variety, high end production values, attention to detail and quality finish to fabrics.

By contrast, Bradgate's light weight Little Big Man was a poor relation. He suffered from cheap production values and was easily broken. His fragile body was held together by a perishable internal rubber band. 

His uniforms and accessories fared no better. Overall quality was lacking. The cut and finish of fabrics was sometimes rough around the edges and could fray with play. 

None of this would have mattered to kids though. No more than the abstract concept for preserving the packaging for the future.

Low production values meant lower manufacturing costs and ultimately lower retail prices, making Little Big Man a good partner for kids to team up with. 

Little Big Man followed popular action figure themes of the day; including those which mimicked Madelman and Action Man. 

During his short shelf life, Little Big Man offered kids a selection of carded and boxed figures, plus small accessory packs. The line included;

Basic Soldier, Underwater Mission ...

Sabotage, Paratroop Attack, Medic, Mountain Assault, Arctic Patrol, 

Tropical Combat ...

Alpine Adventure, Motorway Patrol and On Safari, which included a tent. 

The Pony Express and Mountie Patrol were even saddled up with their own horses. A Motorway Patrol Car appears to have been produced, possibly in very small numbers. 

A Safari Car was also planned, but it's unclear if this was produced? 

For all his fragile flaws, Little Big Man is often remembered with fond affection by those who enjoyed him as kids.

Costing less than Action Man, this pint-sized hero offered pocket money value and fun... 

he was easily carried around in the inner pocket of a school blazer by day dreaming kids like me.

Love him or hate him, Little Big Man was part of the childhood scene back then. 

Poor production values have inevitably ensured that good examples are difficult to find today.

His appeal as a desirable toy amongst vintage action figure fiends is on the up. Collectors increasingly want lesser known figures to complement their collections. 

Once, a little player in the big game. Now the essential and legendary Little Big Man, stands head and shoulders above all the rest! 

Well... no, not really... truth is he's still a little on the short side and still a bit wobbly on his spindly plastic legs... 

but he is an absolutely ace action figure to have in those cobwebbed toy cabinets packed with our emotional investments and dusty childhood memories. 

Tony K

LITTLE BIG NEWSFLASH!

Twelve Noon to be exact!

MY LIFE-SIZE PALITOY ARCTIC PATROL OUTFIT

The Beast from the East is slowly receding from West Yorkshire.

Its still freezing and I've just been out to look at some birds in the fields.

Taking off my parka, peaked cap and black binoculars and seeing them together I suddenly thought ......

Where Eagles Dare!

Yes, its more or less the same as Clint and Richard had on in the 1968 WWII romp.

Come to think of it its more or less the top half of Palitoy's Action Man Mountain and Arctic Outfit too! This one's on Ebay.

I think the binoculars were white in this set though, which would make sense if you are trying to blend in.

That box art has a distinct look of Clint to me!

I've such a vivid memory of sliding my own arctic outfit Action Man down our snow-covered drive in the Sixties. It was sloped so perfect for short runs on his skis! His black and white rifle is imprinted on my brain.

I'd like to think I sent my orange-jacketed Polar Explorer down the slop too but there's no memory there. I can still feel the shiny plastic Husky dog in my hands though.

Did you have an arctic or polar Action Man readers or any other snowy action figures?

two decades of action man at moonbase part 2

Part 2 of my rogue's gallery of vintage Action Man and accessories which have passed through Moonbase Central over the years I was a toy dealer. What do you think?