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Find Auctions for this ItemDC Comics Retro-Action Mego-Style 8-Inch Action Figures from Mattel
First released in 2009, Mattel's Retro-Action DC Super Heroes line was created to mimic the 1970s and early 1980s Mego figures as closely as possible in today's market. From the design of the figures to the style of the packaging, Mattel did an incredible job of imitating and expanding the Mego line.
While not exactly "repros" in the sense that Mattel wasn't simply reproducing exact vintage Mego figures as other companies have done before, Mattel was trying to capture the feel of Megos while creating something new.
Although the line was short-lived, it expanded on the original Mego line of Super-Heroes nicely by including only minimal characters which had been previously released in the Mego World's Greatest Super-Heroes line of the 1970s.
Redundant figures from the original Mego series included a Mattel Retro-Action SUPERMAN figure, a Mattel Retro-Action BATMAN action figure, a Mattel Retro-Action AQUAMAN action figure, a Mattel Retro-Action WONDER WOMAN action figure, a Mattel Retro-Action GREEN ARROW action figure, and a Mattel Retro-Action SHAZAM! action figure (a.k.a. Captain Marvel). But again, these figures didn't look like dead ringers of their Mego counterparts and it would have been impossible to make this line without such important characters.
With Mattel looking towards previously unreleased DC character properties for this line of figures, fans were able to obtain many DC heroes (and villains) that had never been released before in a Mego format. In fact, Mattel did a great job of including plenty of villains in relation to the number of heroes being produced. After all, a hero is only as interesting as his villains so why not bring on the bad guys?
First-time figures released via the Retro-Action line included a Mattel Retro-Action MARTIAN MANHUNTER action figure, a Mattel Retro-Action BLACK ADAM action figure, a Mattel Retro-Action LEX LUTHOR action figure, a Mattel Retro-Action DARKSEID action figure, a Mattel Retro-Action CHEETAH action figure, a Mattel Retro-Action BLACK MANTA Action Figure, a Mattel Retro-Action GREEN LANTERN action figure, a Mattel Retro-Action GUY GARDNER action figure, a Mattel Retro-Action KYLE RAYNER Action Figure, a Mattel Retro-Action SINESTRO action figure, a Mattel Retro-Action JOHN STEWART action figure, a Mattel Retro-Action FLASH action figure, a Mattel Retro-Action TWO-FACE action figure, and a Mattel Retro-Action CAPTAIN COLD action figure.
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Just like Megos, the Retro-Action series of figures is dressed in fully removable cloth outfits, boots, and gloves. Clearly Mattel was choosing materials, stitching techniques, and an overall finished look which was rather simplistic in order to mimic how these figures would have looked if they had been produced 30-40 years earlier as part of the original Mego line.
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Ironically, this may have also contributed to the poor sales as modern technology has made it possible to produce much more detailed and desirable figures thus raising the bar of collector's expectations. Those unfamiliar with Megos probably viewed Retro-Action figures as somewhat "hokey".
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Packaging of the DC Retro Action Series
Mattel went all out to acheive a real Mego feel with the packaging. Not only were the Retro-Action figures carded just the way Megos were back in the day, but they added an aged look to the printing to make the packages look vintage.
Another smart feature that Mattel utilized for the Retro-Action figures was adding a series of small holes at the bottom of the plastic tray. These holes allow the package to breath and tolerate climate changes better over time. Clearly Mattel had their sights set on the collector's market.
Head Sculpts for Mattel's Retro Action Series
Poor sales were probably compounded by some of the uninspired head sculpts that were being used. Where Megos tended to have very strong head sculpts, some from the Retro-Action line figures left you feeling like they should have looked more sophisticated.
Footwear of the DC Retro Action Series from Mattel
One material that is distinctly different in the Retro-Action line is the plastic used for the boots. Mego boots were made from a thin, hard molded plastic which had a very evident seam on the front and back of each boot. The Retro-Action boots are made from a much tougher, more flexible sort of rubber and have no unintentional markings.
Mattel also moved away from some of the simplicity of Megos by having many different style boots -- most unique to each figure. By and large, Mego super-heroes had one style of boots that were simply molded into different colors based on for who they were intended.
Gloves for the DC Retro Action Series Figures
Many Mego figures had "oven mitts" for gloves that were made from a smooth, thin plastic. It was nearly impossible to get these gloves onto the figure while keeping the uniforms sleeves down around it's wrist. Plus, once they were in place they definitely made the hero look less heroic. However, this was also part of the charm that was Mego -- a very simplistic look.
The Retro-Action line chose to abandon the oven mitts look which Mego had also done away with on their later releases. To create the illusion of gloves, characters were instead given wrist cuffs made from a smooth, shiny vinyl material which was color coordinated to their hands and stitched around the forearm of the uniform.
Fabric for the Uniforms of the 8-Inch Retro Action Figures
The spandex material used for bodysuits in the Retro-Action line is much tougher than the Mego line which had a tendency to get runs over time.
Mattel used a similar material as Mego for capes, but opted to fold and stitch the edges for Superman in order to avoid the common fraying that would occur with Mego capes.
Emblems of the DC Retro-Action Figures
Mego emblems tended to come off of the uniform over time as they were simply glorified stickers that would lose their stickiness. The Retro-Action line of figures has their emblems printed directly onto the uniform making it impossible for it to simply fall off. The emblems appeared to be silkscreened -- they are sharp and bright. You can see the Mattel style of brightly colored emblems on characters like Batman, Superman, Shazam!, Black Adam, The Flash, and Hal Jordan.
Bodies used by Mattel for these DC Super-Heroes Retro-Action Figures
Unlike the original Mego figures which included specialty bodies like the fatman for Penguin & Mxyzptlk or the muscleman body for the Hulk, there were only two body types produced for this line -- male and female.
Scale and Assembly of the DC Super-Heroes Retro Action Line
The Retro-Action line of figures is made almost to scale with the original Megos from the 1970s. The Retro-Action line is slightly larger than Mego but still compatible. Standing at approximately 8" tall, they utilized a body similar to the type-two Megos.
While not as tightly jointed as other similar lines like Hasbro's Signature Series or Marvels' Famous Cover Series, this may have been intentional in order to give the figures a more Mego-like feel.
Similar to type 1 Mego bodies, the two legs are connected through the hip section using an elastic band. As a result of this sort assembly, the figures tend to look a little bow-legged. This is due to the fact that there is quite a wide gap between the thighs. Additionally, when you pose the figures, they tend to lean towards one leg or the other.
Mattel should have taken a tip from Mego type 1 bodies which utilized a roughened surface on the ball socket of the legs which created friction and allowed the legs to hold a pose better than it would without this texture.
The arms and hip section, however, connect to the torso using a sort of ball joint that snaps into the corresponding section. It definitely would have been preferable to have the legs attach to the figure in a similar, more sophisticated way.
Distribution of the DC Super-Heroes Retro-Action Figures
Like similar lines of 8-10" figures with fabric outfits before it, Mattel did very limited distribution of the Retro-Action figures. While this strategy was probably intended to create demand and drive up the retail price over time, it seemed to have back-fired exactly the same as it had for Hasbro with it's Marvel Signature Series. Limiting the exposure of these figures inhibited their potentional to become as successful as they may have if they were more widely distributed.
While the figures were still new, the easiest way to find them was online. Locally, you were occasionally able to find them at Toys R Us. However, when you did, there was never complete series. This also may have been intentionally done by the manufacturers to try and support both their online and brick and morter distributors while also creating supply and demand.
The figures retailed for around $15-19/each. Online, it was easier to obtain some of the rarer characters by purcashing the entire wave.
The Retro-Action line of action figures was released in four waves with a fifth wave of Green Lantern characters that were only available online.
DC Super-Heroes Retro-Action Series One
Retro-Action DC Super-Heroes Series 1 consisted of an 8-inch scale SUPERMAN action figure, an 8-inch scale LEX LUTHOR action figure, an 8-inch scale GREEN LANTERN (Hal Jorden) action figure, and an 8-inch scale SINESTRO action figure in a black and blue version of his outfit. An 8-inch scale GREEN ARROW action figure was done as an independent chase figure that sort of linked series one and two.
DC Super-Heroes Retro-Action Series Two
Retro-Action DC Super-Heroes Series 2 consisted of an 8-Inch Scale Retro-Action BATMAN Action Figure, an 8-inch scale Retro-Action TWO-FACE Action Figure, an 8-inch scale Retro-Action AQUAMAN Action Figure, and an 8-Inch Scale Retro-Action BLACK MANTA Action Figure.
DC Super-Heroes Retro-Action Series Three
Retro-Action DC Super-Heroes Series 3 consisted of an 8-inch scale WONDER WOMAN action figure, an 8-inch scale CHEETAH action figure, an 8-inch scale FLASH action figure, and an 8-inch scale CAPTAIN COLD action figure.
DC Super-Heroes Retro-Action Series Four
Retro-Action DC Super-Heroes Series 4 consisted of an 8-inch sclae CAPTAIN MARVEL (SHAZAM!) action figure, an 8inch scale BLACK ADAM action figure, an 8-inch scale DARKSEID action figure, and an 8-inch scale MARTIAN MANHUNTER (J'ONN J'ONZZ) action figure.
DC Super-Heroes Retro-Action Series Five
Retro-Action DC Super-Heroes Series 5 figures were only sold online as individual figures. The set consisted entirely of Green Lantern characters and included an 8-inch scale GUY GARDNER action figure, an 8-inch scale KYLE RAYNER action figure, an 8-inch scale JOHN STEWART action figure, and an alternate 8-inch scale SINESTRO figure wearing a black and yellow outfit.
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