Fist Fighters
By the mid-70s, the World's Greatest Super Heroes had been around for a while, and the Mego Corporation was looking for ways to help keep their competitors in check. A new line of heroes with a simple "Fist Fighting" feature gave them all a run for their money. By sliding a lever attached to the rear torso of a standard type 2 body, a child was able to simulate "Karate Kung Fu Action" as both arms moved along with the torso. Not only did children enjoy the new feature, but the "Fist Fighthers" also helped Mego achieve its goal of adding more value to its product line.
The Fist Fighters hit U.S. store shelves in 1975 offering four characters: Batman, Robin, Joker and Riddler. These initial four characters were released in the domestic market in attractive window box packaging. Not enough can be said about the colorful artwork displayed on these boxes which not only appealed to children at the time of their release, but is also a favorite amongst Mego collectors today. Although the Fist Fighter line can be difficult to obtain in original packaging, they do surface from time to time with Batman and Joker proving the most desirable. Secondary market values range from $400.00-$750.00 for mint in box specimens, while Robin and Riddler command prices in the $350.00-$600.00 range. Loose examples are far more affordable, and are readily found selling for under $100 each.
Palitoy
According to longtime Mego collector Vinny Cerbone, "The British sure did it right". He was refering to the artwork on the blister carded Fist Fighters designed by Palitoy for the U.K. market. And most collectors wholeheartedly agree with Cerebone. The cards feature full-body action shots and were perforated for easy removal (if you dare). Along with the Batman and Robin, four additional characters were manufactured exclusively for the UK market, Superman, Spider-man, the Lizard and Captain America. In addition to the fist fighters, Palitoy successfully distributed Mego action figure lines such as the Planet of the Apes and Starsky and Hutch on blister cards unique to the market. By 1976, Mego toys were being imported into the U.K. and began to appear in small shops and street markets. Cecil Coleman, a long standing toy company in England, had enjoyed some success with a repackaged version of Action Jackson called "Johnny Jackson", and Palitoy realized that this new scaled figure could be the next big thing.
To its credit, Palitoy recognized that many television programs and comic book characters were extremely popular and it negotiated with U.S. companies such as Kenner and Mego Corp. to sell their toys in England under the Palitoy name. Palitoy, along with companies such as Denys Fisher, also negotiated for Mego to produce specific lines for sale solely in the U.K. with the most popular being Space 1999. Unlike many of the toy advertisements that were simply re-dubbed from the U.S. version, Palitoy funded its own advertisements including one highlighting the Fist Fighters and another for the Planet of the Apes. General Mills would subsequently close down Palitoy's operations in 1984 and Action Man was pulled from the store shelves. Twenty years after its demise, the Palitoy Fist Fighters in original packaging are atop the wish list of many a Mego collector. Their elusiveness on the secondary market and astonishing values will keep collectors on the hunt for years to come. |
