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Revision as of 23:24, 1 August 2004 by Tsca (talk | contribs) (→Notable action figures)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)An action figure is a posable plastic figurine of an action hero, superhero or a character from a movie or television program. These dolls usually are marketed as merchandise intended for boys.
History
The first toys called action figures were G.I. Joe dolls in 1964 by Hasbro, a military-themed 11.5-inch doll inspired by the TV series, The Lieutenant.
During the 1970's, the action figure market was dominated primarily by the Mego Corporation and their standard 8 inch dolls, which were constructed with standard plastic bodies and interchangeable heads. Mego eventually lost control of the market after rejecting the license to produce Star Wars toys in 1976. The 3.75 inch action figure became the standard figure size, which was introducted to mass market appeal by Kenner Toys for their Star Wars line. Led by Star Wars-themed sales, collectible action figures quickly became a multi-million dollar secondary business for movie studios.
Action figures are useful in making claymation movies which are gaining popularity among children due to the availability of easy to use computer software for making animated movies.
Notable action figures
- various anime action figures
- GI Joe
- He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
- Transformers
- Star Wars