Captain Action: The Original Super-Hero Action Figure Preview

C O N TE N T S

INTRODUCTION

4 5 6

A Call to Action

9

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS FOREWORD BY MURPHY ANDERSON

CHAPTER 1

The History of Captain Action

CHAPTER 2

Like a Quicksilver of Lightning

30

The Captain Action Figure

CHAPTER 3

Mysterious Man of Many Identities

37

Captain Action’s Super-Hero Costumes

CHAPTER 4

Super Sidekick Supreme

91

Action Boy

CHAPTER 5

Living Up to His Name

108

Dr. Evil

CHAPTER 6

Sisters Are Doin’ it for Themselves

114

The Super Queens

CHAPTER 7

Armed for Action

125

Captain Action’s Arsenal and Peripherals

CHAPTER 8

Let Justice Be Done!

141

Captain Action in the Comics

CHAPTER 9

Where the Action Is

151

Collecting and Customizing Captain Action

CHAPTER 10

Back in Action

157

The Playing Mantis Revival

CHAPTER 11

Taking Action

168

Captain Action Now

AFTERWORD BY DR. EVIL

175

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

176

ONE

A CALL TO ACTION The History of Captain Action

C H A P T E R

1

•

A

C A L L

T O

A C T I O N

Prior to the toy’s debut, many insiders were skeptical about GI Joe’s potential. Boys will not play with a doll, the skeptics frowned, leading to a massive advertising campaign orchestrated by Hasbro’s Larry O’Daly that never—ever—referred to GI Joe as a “doll.” GI Joe was an action figure, “America’s movable fighting man.” The toy soldier was a rousing success at the 1964 Toy Fair and became the envy of Hasbro’s competitors. GI Joe Captain Action, the mysterious man of many identities. Tried

was soon embraced by a generation of boys and often their

and true, the friend of those in need, the enemy of those who

fathers, many of whom were military

break the law. A plastic playmate for innumerable boys during

veterans. The articulated, accessorized action figure for boys

1960s, a valued collectible for some of them decades later.

had arrived.

The Ideal Toy Corporation’s Captain Action premiered in

GI Joe marched onward to higher and higher sales, spawning

1966. But his genesis began, at least indirectly, several years

blatant knockoffs and pale imitations, as less-scrupulous toy

earlier with another popular toy icon—Barbie.

manufacturers raced into production their generally lackluster

In 1959, Mattel Toys unveiled its first Barbie doll, the creation

versions of America’s movable fighting man. Despite this

of Ruth and Elliot Handler. Barbie introduced what those in the

invasion of competitors, GI Joe won the sales war.

toy business called the “razor/razor blade” concept: sell a girl a primary doll (the “razor”), she’ll then be compelled to buy complementary outfits and accessories (the razor blades) to fully enjoy her purchase.

A few years later, this approach was applied to boys’ toys via the figure with which Captain Action was ultimately designed to compete: GI Joe. Blazing into the competitive battlefield of Toy Fair 1964, GI Joe was the brainchild of three creative “fathers”: licensing entrepreneur Stan Weston, and toyindustry professionals Larry Reiner and Don Levine. From the initial vision of an articulated military GI Joe is TM & © Hasbro, Inc.

figure for boys—fully exploiting the “razor/razor blade”

The Coming of... Captain Magic?

idea by outfitting the soldier with additional uniforms and

In 1965, the Ideal Toy Corporation, producers of a plethora of

weapons—GI Joe improved upon

playthings including King Zor the Dinosaur, the walking robot

Barbie, as his articulation was

Mr. Machine, the Betsy Wetsy doll, Motorific miniature racing

vastly superior. Barbie could turn

cars, and the interactive Mouse Trap board game, elected to directly challenge, rather than imitate, Hasbro’s dominance of

her head and move her

the action-figure market.

arms at the shoulders and legs at

Re-enter Stan Weston, who, according to GI Joe and toy

the hips, but GI Joe had multi-

historian John Michlig, invented licensing as we know it today.

ple joints, allowing him to hold weapons and

(Weston’s trailblazing company, Leisure Concepts, has

be posed in a variety

represented an impressive list of clients and properties including

of action stances.

Twiggy, the Harlem Globetrotters, The Shadow, Charlie Chan, Tom and Jerry, the Marvel Comics super-heroes, and Major

Barbie is TM & © Mattel, Inc.

League Baseball players.) Having previously sold, in tandem with

10

T h e

Larry Reiner, the articulated action-figure concept to Hasbro,

H i s t o r y

o f

C a p t a i n

A c t i o n

It didn’t take long for this talented team to hone the visual

Weston had the notion to revisit the idea, this time in a

design of Captain Action, creating his simple, yet striking, blue-

comic book super-hero context that utilized the now proven

and-black costume and multicolored triangular insignia. While

“razor/razor blade” theory.

the figure was imagined specifically to be a super-hero, in a

“It was a logical move for me,” recalls Weston, “since comic

clever move the artists added military implications to the

books were my left arm.” A fan of comics and pulp magazines

Captain—as evidenced by his hat and his rank—in an effort to

as a boy, Weston envisioned a basic super-hero figure that could

capitalize on the very GI Joe audience with whom the toy was

become other super-heroes, and arranged a pitch meeting with

intended to compete.

his GI Joe co-conspirator, Larry Reiner, an executive at Ideal Toys.

With the basic look of Captain Action now polished, John

In Weston’s original presentation, the super-hero transforma-

O’Shaughnessy began to bring the figure to life in three-

tions were the result of magic—in fact, the primary hero was

dimensional form. Using a jewelry wax manufactured in varying

originally called Captain Magic. “I had a sample of a basic figure

degrees of hardness, from a sticky adhesive to an extremely

and a foldout of comic book characters that would allow me to

solid type that requires manipulation with power tools,

show which heroes Captain Magic could become,” Weston notes.

O’Shaughnessy laid the groundwork for the figure’s frame.

Larry Reiner was less than enchanted by Captain Magic

Captain Action was a work in progress, constantly being

during Stan Weston’s pitch. “I hated the product when I first saw

improved throughout his development. Earlier prototypes of

it,” reminisces Reiner, who felt that kids would show no interest

the figure were slightly shorter and thinner than the toy we

in a character who lacked a strong identity of his own. Reiner

now recognize, but, wisely, the development team elected to

contends that while the super-hero costumes themselves

make Captain Action more super-heroic, altering his height to

represented commercially popular properties, “you knew that

12", broadening his build by giving him a barrel chest, and

everything came off,” leaving the consumer with a cipher of a

thickening his thigh muscles. Captain Action was beginning to

toy. Yet Reiner conceded to Weston’s enthusiasm—no doubt

take shape.

legitimized by Weston’s licensing savvy and connections—and

The figure’s face, however, was an obstacle for

mounting pressure from the powers-that-be at Ideal to create a

O’Shaughnessy and the other developers. With a stern expression

super-hero figure as a GI Joe rival. And so Captain Magic, even-

as the objective, in its earliest sculpts Captain Action’s head

tually re-christened as the more heroic-sounding Captain

made the hero appear painfully inflexible. Staffers at Ideal joked

Action, moved into the development stage.

that the Captain seemed constipated, and one employee even remarked, “he looks like my dentist.”

Research and Development Abe Kent was, at the time, an executive at Ideal’s headquarters in the Jamaica, Queens, district of New York City. Kent assigned Ideal art staffer Dan Windsor— whose earlier professional credits included design contributions to Smokey the Bear—to chair the Captain Action development team. Windsor worked closely with staff artist Norman Cohen, sculptor/modeler John O’Shaughnessy, and research-and-development designer

Do you believe in magic? Creator Stan Weston’s presentation for “Captain Magic” was later refined as this counter-top Captain Action display for retailers.

Walter Moe on the genesis of Stan Weston’s super-hero concept.

©1966 Ideal Toy Corp.

11

C H A P T E R

1

•

A

C A L L

T O

A C T I O N

Captain Action was demonstrated to much anticipation at Toy

their chairs with laughter. Batman was such a phenomenal success

Fair 1966, then was soon visible in both print and catalog

that caped crusaders dominated television, comic book racks,

campaigns managed by Bill Reece, which included illustrated

and store shelves during 1966 and 1967. DC and Marvel Comics

ads zeroing in on the target audience by appearing directly in

enjoyed spectacular sales; upstart and traditional comic book

the comic books themselves.

publishers spewed out legions of super-heroes (including

Much of Captain Action’s advertising blitz was the result of

freckle-faced Archie Andrews as Pureheart the Powerful; heroic

a heavily rotated television commercial, aired mainly in children’s

versions of Frankenstein, Dracula, and Wolfman; and Charlton

programming blocks—including CBS’s Space Ghost and Tom

Comics’ “Action Heroes”—the Question, Blue Beetle, Captain

and Jerry, and ABC’s Casper the Friendly Ghost and Beany &

Atom, and others), and even TV networks were creating their

Cecil—but also during daytime programs with strong female

own colorful champions like Space Ghost, Captain Nice, Atom

(i.e., mothers who bought toys for their children) audiences,

Ant, and Mr. Terrific. Kids couldn’t get enough of super-heroes,

such as CBS’s daily reruns of I Love Lucy, The Real McCoys, and

and Ideal Toys shrewdly milked the trend. Come Christmas 1966,

Andy of Mayberry (the daytime name for The Andy Griffith

thousands of boys were asking Santa Claus for Captain Action

Show repeats). Regarding the latter target audience, Ideal’s

figures and costumes (especially Batman).

Director of Advertising Russell Johnson comments, in his “Statement of T.V. Advertising Plans & Policy for 1966,” that

(next three pages) The Ideal Toy Corp.’s aggressive marketing strategy for 1966 guaranteed year-round exposure for its product lines, including Captain Action.

“Mom is involved more than Dad in purchasing... or deciding what to purchase... from the many requests their children make. To put it simply, children don’t buy... they influence.”

© 1966 Ideal Toy Corp.

Executives at Ideal recognized America’s growing obsession with television and aggressively marketed not only Captain Action but also many of its other toys in highly visible commercials, in some cases becoming part of the shows themselves. HannaBarbera’s The Magilla Gorilla Show’s theme featured a tag with the title character making a far-from-subtle pitch for his sponsor: “The Magilla Gorilla Show, presented by Ideal Toys. They’re wonderful toys. They’re Ideal. Heh-heh-heh—get it?”

In those days, O’Daly recalls, “advertising was everything with major toy companies.” Items sold through Ideal’s TV commercials generated the bulk of the company’s profit. Adds O’Daly, “Ideal then had over 400 products, and made 80 percent of its income from the 10 percent of its product advertised on TV.”

Boosted by the Boom Captain Action lucked into an additional promotional boost from the remarkable popularity of television’s Batman.

Super-heroes became an international rage in 1966 thanks to this twice-weekly ABC-TV series starring Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin the Boy Wonder. Developed by producer William Dozier, Batman was a curiously duplicitous effort, a borderline-subversive comedy for adults masquerading as an adventure show for kids. Its wildly colorful, frenetically paced action sequences thrilled children, and its wickedly funny, high-camp satire had their parents rolling out of

16

Parachuting Sales While these items were strongly marketed, Captain Action’s promotional budget was radically diminished from his 1966 debut and the new product lacked the ubiquity of the initial wave of releases. Additionally, America’s (and the world’s) fascination with super-heroes began to decline, as did the ratings of TV’s Batman (which, in 1968, was demoted to weekly airings), and, consequently, Captain Action sales began to dip.

Ideal inserted a free parachute into its Captain Action figure packaging in 1967 in an attempt to revitalize sales. John O’Shaugnessy designed Captain Action’s giveaway parachute. Strapping the chute onto a Captain Action figure, he gave this new accessory several test drops inside a stairwell of the Ideal building. The plastic chute ably supported the action figure’s weight, and O’Shaughnessy was satisfied with the results. A disbelieving Ideal executive, however, insisted on witnessing a parachute test firsthand, and hurled a Captain Action out of the building’s fifth-story window. This trial was again a success, but the unexpected sight of the floating 12" Captain Action reportedly spooked a security guard down below into reevaluating his employment.

Despite its ability to frighten Ideal employees, Captain Action’s giveaway parachute could not scare up sales. The line’s profits continued to erode, prompting the company to re-evaluate its strategy for promoting Captain Action. Radical steps were necessary, determined Ideal’s marketers.

22

The second of three Kurt Schaffenberger-illustrated Captain Action comic book ads, plugging the Captain’s free parchute. © 1967 Ideal Toy Corp.

TWO

LIKE A QUICKSILVER OF LIGHTNING The Captain Action Figure

CHAPTER

2

•

LIKE

A

QUICKSILVER

OF

LIGHTNING

The Ideal Toy Corporation first released Captain Action in 1966, with an ad campaign that trumpeted their heroic new action figure with this riveting promotional copy:

“KA-ZAMM! Here’s the boldest, bravest he-man hero in any hemisphere! Fully jointed for lots more fun, Captain Action comes complete with his own actionready uniform and accessories.

For quick-silver assaults, he’s got a special scabbard for his lightening [sic] sword, plus action gun and gun belt, removable belt and Captain Action hat.”

What more could any boy want?

The anatomical design and sculpting of Captain Action was so realistically crafted, so flawlessly detailed, that many artists have used the figure as a drawing model. The figure boasts the lithe, lean body of an athlete, muscular without being muscle-bound.

His extremely human facial features have been compared to George Bush (senior and junior), John Wayne, and even The Brady Bunch’s Robert Reed.

The Captain’s plastic body measures 12" in height and features black painted hair and eyebrows, black painted eyes, a pink painted lower lip, and rosy cheeks. The plastic figure is jointed at the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, hips, knees, and ankles. Like the boxes in which the heavily articulated Captain Action was packaged proclaim, one may “pose him in 1001 positions.”

(Opposite) Captain Action in prototype form, with GI Joe hands, from an early promo. (left) The Captain, with accessories, strikes one of his 1001 poses.

31

1 FIRST-ISSUE CAPTAIN ACTION 1. CAPTAIN ACTION FIGURE: A 12" plastic figure with a two-piece neck, molded in a Caucasian flesh color.

2. CAPTAIN ACTION UNIFORM: A blue-and-black cloth jumpsuit with black cloth briefs; on the chest is a red-yellow-and-green-arrowed triangular foil decal, with white “CA” initials inside a black center. Three metal clasps run down the back, and a white copyright tag is sewn inside.

3. HAT: A dark blue rubber captain’s hat with and anchor shield molded onto the front.

The hat’s anchor and trim are painted silver.

First-issue Captain Action. Captain Action’s accessories are packaged in a plastic bag, and the figure is supported by interior cardboard dividers. Ideal product #CA3003.

4. BELT: A dark-blue rubber belt with a molded, yellow-painted lightning bolt on the buckle, and a red-painted scabbard on the side.

5. BOOTS: A pair of black plastic boots with pointed front tops and molded but unpainted lightning bolts on the front of each.

6. LIGHTNING SWORD: A 3 3/4" plastic sword molded in blue with a lightning-shape-edged, silver-painted blade.

7. RAY GUN: A futuristic handgun molded in blue plastic with silver-painted features.

8. FOLD-OUT MINI-POSTER: A two-sided,

First-Issue Captain Action Variation A small amount of the earliest first-issue Captain Actions feature an extremely minor variation on the ray gun’s barrel.

Captain Action Collector Alert!

Common problems with Captain Action figures include: • Missing or damaged decals (the arrow points are broken or bent on most decals).

• Missing or melted lightning sword and/or ray gun.

• Broken index fingers.

12" x 9" full-color fold-out product catalog

• Hair rubs.

promoting Captain Action and the first wave

• Missing hands.

of nine super-hero costumes.

• Missing forearms and hands.

• Missing feet.

• Broken wrists, ankles, or shoulder joints.

32

(right) No, this isn’t the classic board game Operation—it’s the technical drawing (dated 4/28/66) for the 1966 edition of Captain Action. © 1966 Ideal Toy Corp. (courtesy of Mike Kosowski and the ToyMemories archives)

Note the neck variation in this 1967 schematic for Ideal’s Captain Action. © 1966 Ideal Toy Corp. (courtesy of Mike

L’Uomo Mascherato—that’s “the Masked Man,” or better yet, the Phantom—is among the heroes depicted on this ultra-rare Italian issue of the Captain Action figure.

Kosowski and the ToyMemories archives)

(courtesy of Alessandro Martinelli)

36

THREE

MYSTERIOUS MAN OF MANY IDENTITIES Captain Action’s Super-Hero Costumes

C a p t a i n

A c t i o n ’ s

S u p e r- H e r o

C o s t u m e s

(cartoon by author)

Take a stroll down the action-figure aisle of any

Until Ideal Toys introduced Captain Action in 1966, that is.

“Change him into ‘9’ super heros [sic]!” trumpeted the

contemporary toy store

original display for the toy. A line of nine doesn’t sound like

or comics shop and you’ll

much by today’s standards, but in 1966, a line of nine

be bombarded by dozens,

different super-heroes was overwhelming, about the most

if not hundreds, of

exciting thing any boy could imagine.

super-hero toys, ranging

The original nine (Superman, Batman, Aquaman, Captain

from 2" die-cast

America, the Phantom, the Lone Ranger, Steve Canyon, Flash

miniatures to 12"

Gordon, and Sgt. Fury) were soon augmented by four new

cloth-costumed dolls—plus higher-priced, exquisitely sculpted

uniforms for Captain Action (Spider-Man, Tonto, Buck Rogers,

statues and mini-busts. The merchandising of comic book

and Green Hornet) and three for Action Boy (Aqualad,

characters is big business, generating even more money

Superboy, and Robin), and diminished by one (Sgt. Fury

than the comics themselves. For the most popular super-

appeared only in the first issue, but later trickled into release

heroes like Spider-Man and Batman, multiple incarnations of

as remaindered product.).

action figures exist, based on the characters’ comics, movie, and animated-TV versions, with numerous releases in each of those categories.

Back in the 1960s, kids had fewer choices. Mind you,

(Please note: The super-hero histories provided in this and subsequent chapters spotlight the classic 1960s—or Silver

there was an explosion of super-hero merchandising at the

Age—versions of the characters, as they were the inspiration

time, including everything from Gumby-like bendables, rings

for the costumes for Captain Action and Action Boy [and the

and pins available in vending machines, fork-and-spoon sets,

Super Queens]. Many of these heroes’ continuities, even their

Colorforms play sets, puzzles, coloring books, and trading

origins, have been slightly or, in some cases, radically altered

cards, but super-hero action figures did not yet exist.

with updatings. Also note that these histories are listed in the order in which they appeared as Captain Action releases.)

First-issue Superman uniform.

Ideal product #CA3020. Superman TM & © DC Comics

Captain Action takes to the skies as Superman in this impressive composite by Yves Rodier.

(courtesy of Dan Webster)

adopted the orphan as their own, naming him Clark, after

The History of Superman

Martha’s maiden name. The Kents quickly learned that their son

Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Superman premiered in

was unlike any other under the lesser gravity of Earth’s yellow

Action Comics #1 (June 1938), published by DC Comics. This

sun, Clark Kent displayed abilities “far beyond those of mortal

“strange visitor from another planet” was born on Krypton, a

men”: super-strength, invulnerability, super-speed, super-hearing

technologically advanced, majestic world orbiting a fiery red sun.

and vision, and the power of flight. Under the guidance of the Kents, Clark ultimately honed his amazing abilities, relocating

Chief among Krypton’s elite scientific community was Jor-El. When tremors repeatedly rocked the planet, Jor-El warned the

upon adulthood from the rural hamlet of Smallville to the

Science Council of impending doom. He was met with scoffs of

teeming city of Metropolis, where this Man of Steel could use

disbelief and even ridicule.

his incredible abilities for the common good as Superman.

Clark Kent, feigning timidity to protect his secret heroic

Soon it became evident that Jor-El’s prediction was

persona, took a job as a reporter at a “great metropolitan

accurate. As Krypton quaked in its death throes, the scientist and his loving wife Lara offered their infant son Kal-El a new

newspaper,” The Daily Planet (although in his earliest Golden

lease on life by placing the child inside a prototype spaceship

Age appearances he worked for The Daily Star), in order to stay

and rocketing him away from the exploding planet to Earth.

abreast of crises in which he could aid others as Superman.

Clark found at the Planet a professional rival who later became

Once arriving on his new world, baby Kal-El was discovered by a childless farming couple, Jonathan and Martha Kent, who

Superman’s girl friend, Lois Lane.

41

CHAPTER 3 • MYSTERIOUS MAN OF MANY IDENTITIES

In his earliest appearances, Superman was quite brash,

writers and editors soon gave him the power to fly; in his earliest

bragging in the face of his enemies: “Nice workout, I must say!”

stories he could “bend steel in his bare hands,” but by the 1960s

he snickered in Superman #4 while smashing with his bare fists a

he was pushing planets. The hero’s near-limitless might often

barrage of boulders hurled toward him by the villainous Lex Luthor.

made him difficult to characterize dramatically, despite the intro-

Superman quickly became a sensation, spinning off into his

duction of his weaknesses to kryptonite (radioactive fragments

own title while commanding the lead in Action Comics. This brightly

from native planet) and magic (most notably conjured by the mis-

garbed champion piqued the imaginations of readers during WWII,

chievous imp from the fifth dimension, Mr. Mxyzptlk). And while

and throughout the 1940s Superman

Superman faced his share of super-

became a star in other forms of pop-

enemies (including Brainiac, Bizarro,

ular media: a 17-installment series of

Toyman, Metallo, the Parasite, and

animated theatrical shorts, produced

the Prankster), his rogues’ gallery

by the Fleischer Studios; a long-run-

seemed lackluster; as Superman

ning radio program, featuring Bud

grew so powerful, no menace ever

Collyer as the voice of Superman;

proved a serious threat to him.

two movie serials starring Kirk Alyn,

During this period of

Superman in 1948 and Atom Man

Superman’s history, gimmicks

vs. Superman in 1950; a daily news-

became a mainstay of the hero’s

paper comic strip; and a host of mer-

adventures: writers and editors fre-

chandising.

quently resorted to “imaginary sto-

When super-heroes fell out of

ries,” tales without the restraints of

favor in comics during the post-war

regular continuity, to invent new

age of the 1950s, Superman was one

story lines to challenge the hero

of the few stalwarts who remained in

(“Superman Red and Superman Blue,”

vogue. Ultimately, the Man of Steel

“The Death of Superman,” and

was (re-)introduced to a new genera-

“Superman and Batman—Brothers”

tion of children in the Adventures of

are among the best-remembered, as

Superman syndicated television pro-

well as the many instances where

gram, starring George Reeves as Clark

Superman married Lois Lane). The

Kent and Superman and running from 1952 through 1957, and eternally

Second-issue Superman uniform, with Video-Matic ring.

through reruns (the series was

most famous of Superman’s Silver Age comic book artists were Curt Swan, Wayne Boring, and Al Plastino.

launched in 1951 via a theatrical release starring Reeves, titled

By the mid-1960s, American kids could once again thrill to

Superman and the Mole Men). During this period and for many

the hero’s exploits on television through Filmation Studios’

years thereafter, the hero’s comic book publisher actually borrowed

Superman Saturday morning cartoon, and the Action Ace even

the name of their flagship character for their company logo on their

became the singing star of his own stage musical, It’s a Bird,

covers, becoming “Superman-DC Comics.”

It’s a Plane, It’s Superman!

The bravado of the early Superman gradually ebbed into

Superman has endured throughout ensuing decades, as the

melancholy during the 1950s, when Superman often lamented

star of a handful of monthly comic book publications (where he

the demise of his natural parents and his home world: “My

was, in the early 1990s, beaten to death by the monstrous Dooms-

parents died when Krypton blew up! They were so loving and

day, ultimately returning to action from beyond the grave), fea-

kind... I’d give anything to see them again... >SIGH<” Superman

ture films, animated cartoons, live-action TV series, video games,

immortalized his beloved planet in his arctic hideaway, the

action-figure lines, and a host of merchandising. But the classic,

Fortress of Solitude, where he often retreated.

Silver Age Superman, the inspiration for the first of Captain

Superman’s powers increased considerably over time:

Action’s many heroic alter egos, retains a warm spot in the

originally he could only leap tall buildings in a single bound, but

hearts of baby boomers, comics fans, and collectors.

42

CAPTAIN ACTION AS SUPERMAN 1. SUPERMAN FACE MASK: A rubber mask with a pronounced

its dish are four yellow wands. (In the comics, Superman’s

jaw dimple, black hair with blue-gray highlights, and a black

father, Jor-El, created the Phantom Zone as a humane

spitcurl falling over the forehead.

prison for Krypton’s most incorrigible criminals, and the projector served as a means of banishing villains to, or

2. UNIFORM: A one-piece cloth jumpsuit with navy-blue cloth

releasing them from, the Zone.)

tights, red cloth briefs, and a red-and-gold “S” chest decal.

Three metal clasps run down the back, and a white copy-

7. GREEN KRYPTONITE: A plastic rock painted bright green

right tag is sewn inside.

(but molded in dark blue, as seen on its underbelly).

3. CAPE: A red vinyl cape sewn into the front collar of the

8. CHAINS AND SHACKLES: Gold plastic chains with four

uniform, with a slit allowing it to fit over the figure’s head.

yellow rubber shackles, one for each limb.

4. BELT: A yellow rubber belt with a rectangular, blue buckle;

9. KRYPTO: A dog molded in white plastic with black painted

inside the buckle is a red “S” within a red horizontal oval.

eyes. Krypto the Superdog wears a red vinyl cape with a red-and-gold “S” decal, attached around his neck via a

5. BOOTS: A pair of red plastic boots highlighted in the front

clasping gold collar. (In the comics, Krypto was another

by stylized double-points.

survivor of Krypton, and was Superman’s pet during his 6. PHANTOM ZONE PROJECTOR: A plastic blue dish (jokingly

youth as Superboy.)

called a wok by some collectors) with two red-gripped side handles; on the back is a yellow control panel, and inside

Ideal Toys released Captain Action’s Superman uniform twice: first in 1966, then in a 1967 reissue. The reissue contains the Video-Matic ring that flashes from Captain Action to Superman.

Package artist: Murphy Anderson.

Superman Uniform Variations • Two types of capes: the common smooth variation, and a rarer textured version.

• The kryptonite was painted in either bright or dark green.

• The tips of the interior wands on the Phantom Zone projector were altered from pointed to rounded, as a safety measure.

Superman Collector Alert!

Common problems with Captain Action’s Superman uniform and accessories include: • Split cape slit.

• Brittle, wrinkled, or misshapen capes for Superman and Krypto.

• Wrinkled or missing decals for Superman and Krypto.

• Boot splits on the front seams.

• Broken hooks on chains.

• Missing shackles.

• Cape and collar missing from Krypto.

• Broken handles and/or interior wands on Phantom Zone projector.

43

Captain Action as Superman, with accessories.

Superman’s eyes in this photo were painted by collector Chris Longo.

First-issue Batman uniform. Ideal product #CA3022. Batman TM & © DC Comics.

44

C a p t a i n

A c t i o n ’ s

S u p e r- H e r o

C o s t u m e s

The History of Batman

vengeance. “Stop lookin’ at me like that!” quivered the cowardly

Wishing to repeat the instant success of Superman, DC Comics

gunman, who fled the scene of the crime, leaving behind orphaned

responded immediately with another innovative caped crusader:

Bruce Wayne with the bloodstained corpses of his parents.

Batman, created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, debuting in May 1939’s Detective Comics #27.

On a fateful evening, wealthy Gotham City physician Thomas

Bruce Wayne inherited a fortune from his parents, and was soon cared for by Alfred Pennyworth, his butler and confidant.

But the specter of his parents’ deaths haunted him, and by the

Wayne, his wife Martha, and their young son Bruce emerged from a

Waynes’ graveside young Bruce vowed to dedicate his life to

movie theater after seeing The Mark of Zorro, a swashbuckling epic

avenging their murders.

that enthralled the lad. Taking a shortcut home through what would

For many years Bruce Wayne studied criminology and

soon become known as Crime Alley, one of Gotham’s most danger-

science, and trained his body to ultimate perfection. Upon reaching

ous areas, the Waynes were confronted by an armed bandit

adulthood, Bruce felt prepared to embark upon a life of crimefight-

demanding money. The thief grabbed Mrs. Wayne’s priceless pearl

ing, not only as a means of retribution for his

necklace (“This is a stickup! I’ll take that necklace you’re wearin’,

parents’ unfortunate demise but also to prevent similar tragedies

lady!”), and Thomas instinctively sprung forward to protect his wife.

from happening to others.

The robber retaliated by shooting both Mr. and Mrs. Wayne—right

Knowing that “criminals are a cowardly, superstitious lot,”

before the terror-stricken eyes of young Bruce! “You killed them...

he sought a disguise that would strike fear into their hearts. At

you killed my mother and father!” the boy shrieked.

that moment, a bat fluttered into his study through an open

Bruce’s horrified gaze quickly grimaced into a piercing stare of

window. “It’s an omen!” And so, Bruce Wayne became the Dark

Captain Action as Batman, keeping watch over Gotham City, by Yves Rodier.

(courtesy of Dan Webster)

First-issue Aquaman uniform. Ideal product #CA3024. Aquaman TM & © DC Comics.

First-issue Captain America uniform. Ideal product #CA3026. Captain America TM & Š Marvel Characters, Inc.

First-issue Phantom uniform. Ideal product #CA3028. The Phantom TM & Š King Features Syndicate.

54

First-issue “red” Lone Ranger uniform.

Ideal product #CA3030b. The Lone Ranger TM & © Classic Media, Inc.

58

First-issue Steve Canyon uniform. Ideal product #CA3032. Steve Canyon TM & Š Milton Caniff Estate.

First-issue Flash Gordon uniform.

Ideal product #CA3034. Flash Gordon TM & © King Features Syndicate.

FOUR

SUPER SIDEKICK SUPREME Action Boy

C H A P T E R

4

•

S U P E R

S I D E K I C K

S U P R E M E

Sidekicks. Throughout most of the

could live vicariously through the partner and imagine them-

history of comic book super-heroes,

selves rushing into action alongside their favorite super-hero.

many caped crusaders have been paired

And so Robin the Boy Wonder was teamed with Batman.

with junior partners.

Robin’s success inspired a throng of teen titans who joined

The trend began during the

adult super-hero mentors, and the comics were soon filled with

infancy of comics Golden Age, when

numerous new partnerships: Captain America and Bucky;

DC Comics realized that their recently

Captain Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr.; Sandman and Sandy the

introduced Batman character was a

Golden Boy; Green Arrow and Speedy; the Human Torch and

bit grim for its child-based reader-

Toro; the Fighting American and Speedboy; Aquaman and

ship. Pairing Batman with a younger,

Aqualad; and the Flash and Kid Flash. (In a quirky twist, DC

convivial teammate, DC surmised,

Comics reversed the adult/teen roles in its “Star-Spangled Kid”

would soften the hero’s edge. Also, the

strip: the teenage Kid was the team leader, and Stripesy was his

addition of a sidekick would offer kids a

grown-up sidekick.)

wish-fulfilling ticket inside the stories: They

Overleaf: Painted box artwork for Ideal’s Action Boy. (left) Ideal announces its own Boy Wonder, Action Boy! Robin, Superboy, and Aqualad TM & © DC Comics.

92

Aqualad uniform.

Ideal product #CA3045. Aqualad TM & © DC Comics.

Aqualad became a valuable partner to Aquaman, joining

The History of Aqualad Aqualad, the youthful ally of the Sea King, Aquaman, launched

him in their battles against undersea super-villains like the

his career in Adventure Comics #269 (February 1960).

Ocean Master and Black Manta. Atlanteans reluctantly accepted the boy into their midst due to his association with Aquaman,

Born Garth of Atlantis, Aqualad was banished as an infant from the undersea kingdom due to his purple eyes, a birth

but Aqualad always considered himself an outcast, due to his

defect considered a brand of inferiority. Aquaman, who became

traumatic rejection during his earliest years.

Despite his dependence upon water for survival, Aqualad

the boy’s mentor and dubbed him Aqualad, discovered the

spent a great deal of time on the surface world, at last finding

youth in a life pod.

acceptance and camaraderie as one of the founding members

Like Aquaman, Aqualad possessed the Atlantean ability to breathe underwater and communicate telepathically with

of the Teen Titans (along with Robin and Kid Flash, and later

others of his race, as well as swim at incredible speeds. He also

Wonder Girl). Aqualad had a lengthy relationship with his girl-

shared Aquaman’s weakness: Aqualad could only remain out of

friend, Tula of Atlantis (also called Aquagirl), who perished during

the water for one hour. But unlike Aquaman, Aqualad could not

the cosmos-shaking event called the Crisis on Infinite Earths.

communicate with sea creatures.

Aqualad co-starred with Aquaman in the Sea King’s animated

98

ACTION BOY AS AQUALAD 1. AQUALAD FACE MASK: A rubber mask with black, wavy hair and black eyebrows, plus a wide-eyed, buoyant facial expression with red lips.

4. BOOTS: A pair of blue plastic boots, their tops bordered with an engraved trim line.

5. SWORDFISH SPEAR: A silver plastic spear with three pairs

2. UNIFORM: A one-piece cloth jumpsuit consisting of a red

of fin-like spikes and a yellow swordfish-shaped point.

shirt, blue briefs, and Caucasian-flesh-colored

6. SEAHORSE KNIFE: A plastic knife with a yellow

leggings. Two metal clasps run down the back, and a white copyright tag is sewn inside.

seahorse-shaped handle and a silver-painted blade.

7. SHELL AXE: A plastic gray shell mounted onto a red axe

3. BELT: A black rubber belt with a yellow capital “A” belt

handle via black coiled “rope.”

buckle, a sheath sporting a molded, green-painted seashell and silver-painted trim, and a loop for his axe.

8. OCTO: A pet octopus made of green rubber with painted red eyes.

Absent from the Action Boy Aqualad costume are the blue

Aqualad Collector Alert!

gloves (with black-and-white trim) that appeared in the

Common problems with Action Boy’s Aqualad uniform and

comic books, although the gloves are shown on the

accessories include:

package illo. Many collectors borrow the blue gloves from

• Missing octopus.

• Missing knife.

the Action Boy space suit to complete Aqualad.

• Broken spear.

• Knife melted into sheath.

• Dirty or spotted leggings.

Ideal Toys produced Action Boy’s Aqualad uniform in 1967.

Package artist: Murphy Anderson.

Aqualad Uniform Variation While Aqualad’s red shirt is generally stitched in red, at least one collector has discovered an Aqualad’s shirt with

Action Boy as Aqualad,

white stitching.

with accessories.

Note: Aqualad is wearing the blue gloves from Action Boy’s space uniform.

(continued from previous page)

His eyes have been

series of the mid-1960s (Jerry Dexter provided his

customized by

voice, bubbling with youthful exuberance), and also

collector

appeared Superman/Aquaman Hour and later The

Chris Longo.

Batman/Superman Hour) during that same era.

While Ramona Fradon illustrated the earliest of Aqualad’s appearances in Aquaman’s comics stories, Nick Cardy drew the character more than any other artist, serving long tours of illustrative duty on both DC Comics’ Aquaman and Teen Titans titles.

Aqualad, like his heroic mentor, has undergone a drastic alteration since the Silver Age of comics. However, a more traditional version of Aqualad was seen on TV in the 2000s on the Cartoon Network’s Teen Titans series.

99

FIVE

LIVING UP TO HIS NAME Dr. Evil

Opposite: Dr. Evil triumps in this recreation presentation piece by Bob Plant.

In heroic literature, antagonists are as memorable (and sometimes, more so) as the protagonists against whom they wage their war of evil. Think of any truly classic hero—Beowulf, Sherlock Holmes, Ulysses, Batman, Flash Gordon, Dick Tracy, Spider-Man, Luke Skywalker—and an equally colorful villain comes to mind—Grendel, Professor Moriarty, the Cyclops, the Joker, Ming the Merciless, Flattop, the Green Goblin, Darth Vader.

During the first two years of his career, Captain Action crusaded for justice not only as himself but also as thirteen different super-heroes. But he had no adversaries, outside of the ones envisioned in the imaginations of the boys who played with the action figure.

Then in 1968, “the boldest, bravest he-man in any hemisphere” was challenged by “the sinister invader of Earth” when Captain Action met the insidious Dr. Evil.

A mere glance at Dr. Evil’s horrific visage made it immediately obvious that this creature was aptly named. A pale-blue-skinned, scowling alien, Dr. Evil had bulging,

This 1968 Ideal catalog page depicts the third wave of Captain Action releases. © 1968 Ideal Toy Corp.

SIX

SISTERS ARE DOINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; IT FOR THEMSELVES The Super Queens

T h e

S u p e r

Q u e e n s

In today’s comic book market, super-heroines and femme fatales are, in many cases, more popular than the male super-heroes and villains they fight alongside or against.

“Girl Power” is prevalent in other pop-culture arenas, including TV action and animated series, the music charts, and blockbuster movies.

That wasn’t always the case, however, at least in the comics world.

Traditionally, in the adolescent-male-dominated super-hero market, you couldn’t give away a comic book starring “a girl.” Only DC’s Wonder Woman has had the legs to survive decades of publication, although her title has generated only borderline sales.

But the toy market is an entirely different creature. In the mid-1960s Barbie was a bestseller for Mattel, and Ideal had its own successful Barbie competitor with its Tammy line. With the super-hero craze creating huge ratings for TV and big bucks for merchandisers, Ideal Toys figured a marriage was in order, and ushered super-heroes and girls dolls down the commercial aisle.

The result was Ideal’s “Comic Heroines,”

After initially considering a larger packaging size, artist Murphy Anderson modified the Super Queens box to the window-front design that Ideal Toys eventually chose. © 1967 Ideal Toy Corp. (courtesy of Murphy Anderson)

four 111/2 " figures based upon DC Comics’ Supergirl, Batgirl, Wonder Woman, and Mera, Queen of Atlantis. Also called the “Super Queens,” but developed at Ideal as the “Supergirl Series,” these marginally articulated (moving only at the head, shoulders, and hips, and bending slightly at the elbows and knees) “posin’ dolls” were packaged in heavily illustrated 15" x 5" window-display boxes and released in 1967.

The advertising campaign for the Super Queens borrowed from the same

sound effects-inspired gimmicks that became commonplace with TV’s Batman (“Kapow! The Comic Heroines are here!”), but jumped aboard the then-emerging Women’s Liberation movement (“...proving that any thing [sic] the crime busting men can do, the women can do better”) and aimed squarely at the girls’ market by adding “real” hair and alternate civilian dresses. Ideal also boasted that their super-heroines could “wear all 11 1/2 " teenage fashion outfits,” hoping to tap into Barbie’s audience.

Murphy Anderson’s original design rough for the Super Queens box front, at a proposed size considerably larger than the actual final product.

Note the line’s developmental title: Supergirl Series. © 1967 Ideal Toy Corp. (courtesy of Murphy Anderson)

Opposite: The Super Queens box back.

115

SUPER QUEENS BATGIRL 1. BATGIRL DOLL: An 111/2" “posin’ doll” with black center-parted hair and pink lips.

2. UNIFORM: A one-piece, black cloth bodysuit with a gold-and-black foil bat-insignia chest decal (the same used for Captain Action’s Batman outfit) and a gold-foil utility belt also with a bat-decal buckle. Three metal clasps run down the back, and a white copyright tag is sewn inside.

3. COWL: A blue rubber removable cowl with pointy bat-ears and open eyeholes.

4. CAPE: A blue vinyl bat-cape buckling around the doll’s neck.

5. BOOTS: A pair of blue plastic boots.

6. GLOVES: A pair of blue cloth mittens.

7. BATARANG: Same as the Captain Action Batman “baterang” [sic].

8. BARBARA GORDON HALTER DRESS: A generic cloth halter dress released in a variety of colors.

Murphy Anderson’s pencil art for the Super Queens Batgirl package top, and the finished box front. (courtesy of Murphy Anderson)

Super Queens Batgirl.

Batgirl TM & © DC Comics.

Before and after: Murphy Anderson’s art, in photostat form, of the penciled Batgirl box border (at right), and the final product (above). (courtesy of Murphy Anderson)

T h e

S u p e r

Q u e e n s

Murphy Anderson’s original pencils for the Batgirl box top (left), and the final product (above). (courtesy of Murphy Anderson)

Ideal Toys manufactured the Comic Heroines Batgirl in 1967.

Package artist: Murphy Anderson.

Batgirl Variation The Batgirl available from Sears stores has white-blonde hair.

Batgirl Collector Alert!

Common problems with the Batgirl uniform and accessories include: • Bat-decals missing from chest and/or belt.

• Missing boots.

• Missing cape.

• Rusty cape buckle.

• Missing cowl.

Spectacular artwork for the backing-board insert from the Batgirl box by Murphy Anderson.

• Missing belt.

• Damaged hair.

(courtesy of Murphy Anderson)

• Missing gloves.

Batgirl became a valuable asset to law and order in Gotham City, subduing villains and gangsters with her athletic prowess.

The History of Batgirl

Attached to her utility belt was her bat-purse, loaded with

Batgirl, the Dominoed Daredoll, originally appeared in Detective

crime-crushing gadgets. She often traveled through the city on

Comics #359, January 1967.

her customized Batgirl-cycle and eventually earned Batman’s

Envisioned by editor Julius Schwartz (at the behest of TV

trust and respect.

Batman executive producer William Dozier), Batgirl was secretly

Batgirl, portrayed by actress/dancer Yvonne Craig, was

Barbara Gordon, the librarian daughter of Gotham City police

added to the cast of TV’s Batman during its third season. Batgirl

commissioner James Gordon. While she had been exposed to

went on to appear in the 1968 Batman TV cartoon, and later,

crimefighting through her father’s vocation, Barbara became a

in Batman: The Animated Series, on the large screen in 1997’s

super-hero quite by accident.

Batman and Robin, and in the 2002 TV series Birds of Prey.

Barbara had fashioned for herself a cowled Batgirl costume and

In DC Comics’ 1988 one-shot comic Batman: The Killing

was en route to the Policemen’s Masquerade Ball, where she

Joke, Barbara Gordon’s life was forever changed. Batman’s arch

planned to surprise her father with her disguise. Along the way she

nemesis, the Joker, savagely rampaged against his enemy’s

stumbled across the gaudily garbed super-villain Killer Moth attempt-

friends, kidnapping and torturing James Gordon and shooting

ing to kidnap millionaire Bruce Wayne. Acting on both instinct and

Barbara. The bullet severed Barbara’s spine, permanently con-

adrenaline, Barbara leapt into action, freeing Wayne. Soon Batman

fining her to a wheelchair. Today she aids other super-heroes as

appeared, and warned this masked young woman against entering

the computer hacker called Oracle. An all-new character named

the dangerous world of super-heroics, but she ignored his advice.

Batgirl has since joined the DC firmament.

117

SUPER QUEENS MERA 1. MERA DOLL: An 111/2" “posin’ doll” with red hair, parted off-center, and pink lips.

2. UNIFORM: A one-piece, green cloth, sleeveless halter suit with a low-cut front and raised collar. The halter ties behind her neck, and a white copyright tag is sewn inside.

3. CROWN: A yellow/gold, multipointed plastic crown flanking each side of Mera’s face.

4. SWIM FINS: A pair of green rubber fins.

5. TRIDENT: Same as the Captain Action Aquaman trident.

Murphy Anderson’s pencil rough for the Super Queens Mera package top, the Mera logo, and the finished box-front art. (courtesy of Murphy Anderson)

Note that in the box top’s Super Queens Mera.

Mera TM & © DC Comics.

printed version, Mera’s swimming image is flopped from Anderson’s original drawing.

Before and after: The Mera side-panel art by Murphy Anderson, in final form (at left) and original (at right). (courtesy of Murphy Anderson)

SUPER QUEENS SUPERGIRL 1. SUPERGIRL DOLL: An 111/2" “posin’ doll” with strawberry-blonde hair, parted off-center, and pink lips.

2. UNIFORM: A navy-blue, long-sleeved, cloth mini-dress with a red-and-gold “S” foil decal on the chest (the same decal used for Captain Action’s Superman and Krypto, and Action Boy’s Superboy) and a gold-foil belt with a belt-buckle decal. Four metal clasps run down the back, and a white copyright tag is sewn inside. Supergirl wears separate trunks under her skirt.

3. CAPE: A red vinyl cape sewn into the front collar of the uniform, with a slit allowing the cape to fit over the doll’s head.

4. BOOTS: A pair of red plastic boots, with stylized double-pointed fronts.

5. KRYPTO: Same as the Captain Action Superman Krypto. (In the Silver Age comics, Supergirl’s pet was Streaky the Super-Cat.) 6. LINDA LEE DANVERS HALTER DRESS: A generic cloth halter dress released in a variety of colors.

A work in progress: This photostat shows Murphy Anderson’s sketch for the Supergirl box top, the Girl of Steel’s logo, and the penciled layout for the box front, featuring Supergirl’s secret identity of Linda Lee Danvers.

Super Queens Supergirl.

Supergirl TM & © DC Comics.

Murphy Anderson’s pencil sketch for the Super Queens Supergirl box top.

Note his polished ink line in the completed, printed version. (courtesy of Murphy Anderson)

(courtesy of Murphy Anderson)

SEVEN

ARMED FOR ACTION Captain Actionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Accessories & Peripherals

C H A P T E R

7

•

A R M E D

F O R

A C T I O N

Batman has his utility belt and Spider-Man, his

Anderson’s earlier

web-shooters. When defending innocents from

penciled version of the

despicable super-villains and extraterrestrial

Parachute Pack package art was slightly altered before production.

conquerors, every dutiful hero—especially one lacking super-powers—requires an arsenal in his war against evil. And Captain Action is no exception.

(courtesy of Murphy Anderson)

From 1966–1968, Ideal Toys manufactured an elaborate variety of accessories, weapons, and play sets for Captain Action and Action Boy. These items generally comprise the second wave of desired Captain Action collectibles, items most collectors acquire after first purchasing the super-hero costumes. However, there is a small but dedicated group of devotees who collect only the “pure” Captain Action items—the primary figures and their accessories—while ignoring the licensed super-hero uniforms.

Captain Action wields his electronic rifle in this rejected 1960s penciled illo by Murphy Anderson, which he inked in 2002 for the cover of this book.

(courtesy of Murphy Anderson)

Murphy Anderson’s layout for Parachute accessory box art, submitted to Ideal for approval. (courtesy of Murphy Anderson)

An unused penciled version of the Power Pack package artwork. (courtesy of Murphy Anderson)

An unused penciled illustration for the Survival Kit package, by Murphy Anderson. (courtesy of Murphy Anderson) Overleaf: The Silver Streak, from an Ideal catalog.

This 1967 catalog page introduces Captain Action’s accessories and Silver Streak.

127

©1967 Ideal Toy Corp.

C H A P T E R

7

•

A R M E D

F O R

A C T I O N

CAPTAIN ACTION ACCESSORY PACKS

These “sure-fire sales makers” are, in their original boxes, some of the most coveted Captain Action collectibles in today’s market. © 1967 Ideal Toy Corp.

In 1967 Ideal Toys released six different Captain Action accessory packs in brightly colored 8" x 9" window boxes. Each box depicts Captain Action wearing or employing the weapons sold inside.

Captain Action’s Anti-Gravitational Power Pack.

Boxed accessory packs and loose mint accessory sets are difficult to locate today. Loose individual items with considerable playwear are more common in the collectors’ market.

Ideal

Catalog #CA30552..

Inter-Spacial Directional Communicator

Anti-Gravitational Power Pack

Captain Action is able to send messages across the galaxy with his Directional Communicator, a goofy, yet imaginative, dome-helmeted device.

Captain Action takes to the air with his gravity-defying Power Pack accessory.

The Inter-Spacial Directional Communicator contains a solar powered power pack, a blue-and-silver shoulder harness with a clear plastic helmet; a clear plastic rotating antennae dome with a pair of adjustable antennae on its removable top; an anti-static power plug; and two hand-held weapons, a signal beam projector and a secret frequency sound horn.

The Anti-Gravitational Power Pack contains a thrust ejector, a blueand-yellow plastic jet pack with silver handles and a belt that attaches around Captain Action; a silver rubber cosmic helmet with a chin strap and a nonworking molded visor; a pair of silver rubber cosmic gloves; and a pair of silver plastic cosmic boots (which, incidentally, are not the same silver boots released with Captain Action’s Flash Gordon uniform.)

Package artist: Murphy Anderson.

Package artist: Murphy Anderson.

Captain Action’s 10-Piece Weapons Arsenal.

Captain Action’s Inter-Spacial Directional Communicator.

#CA30553.

Ideal Catalog #CA30551.

128

Ideal Catalog

EIGHT

LET JUSTICE BE DONE! C a p t a i n Ac t i o n I n T h e C o m i c s

C H A P T E R

8

•

L E T

J U S T I C E

B E

D O N E

Overleaf: Our heroes meet Superman in DC Comics’ Captain Action #1. Art

by Wally Wood. © 1968 DC Comics

This chapter contains quotes and anecdotes from comic book giant Gil Kane, from a series of interviews conducted by the author during the summer of 1998. Mr. Kane passed away on January 31, 2000. These are among his last interviews.

“How’d you like to create your own superhero?” queried DC Comics editor Mort Weisinger of author Jim Shooter back in 1967. Shooter, a comic book writer whose credits included the Legion of SuperHeroes in Adventure Comics as well as the granddaddy of all costumed champions, Superman, was intrigued, his mind instantly bubbling with exciting possibilities for his new creation. Inventing a new super-hero was quite an honor for any comics writer—especially for Shooter, who was only in his mid-teens at the time. He enthusiastically accepted his editor’s offer.

“Okay,” remarked Weisinger, continuing

Captain Action by Gil Kane.

(courtesy of Ted Haycraft and Jim Alexander)

in the same breath, “His name is Captain

Comics’ Captain Action boasted numerous powers bestowed

Action. He has a sidekick named Action Boy, a three-wheeled car,

upon him by ancient coins, each imbued with the might of a

a secret cave, we’re putting Superman on the cover...”

legendary god. The comic book Captain Action (and Action Boy,

Shooter listened as his boss rattled off a laundry list of

too) could fly at great speeds thanks to Hermes, douse fires by

prerequisites that his “creation” already carried. Many writers

invoking Tlaloc the rain god, or tussle with any menace utilizing

would have dropped the assignment on the spot, their egos or

the fighting prowess of Mars.

deflated dreams not allowing them to work under such dictates.

A visual thinker, Shooter actually “drew” rather than typed

Not Jim Shooter. Under his editor’s guidance, he built upon

his scripts, conveying his story via loosely rendered figures, sim-

Ideal’s toy-inspired requirements and adapted the action figure and

ple backgrounds, and hand-written dialogue in word balloons.

his arsenal to comics, constructing a memorable tapestry rich with

These layouts were fully illustrated in comics form by two of the

compelling characterization and nail-biting excitement. Shooter gave

all-time greats of the medium: Wallace Wood and Gil Kane.

Captain Action a personality, a life, and a name—Clive Arno.

The late Wally Wood was a polished, superlative draftsman

And he gave Captain Action super-powers. In a nod to the

whose versatility knew no bounds. He was equally adept at

action figure’s ability to gain other heroes’ attributes, DC

super-heroes (T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents), comedy (Mad), horror 142