Are Muggs the new Mego???

[Mightyfanatic]

Dedicated collectors and those growing up 70's might recall the multiude of 8" cloth covered "action figures" put out by the Mego company which included DC and Marvel Superheroes, as well as several other properties including Star Trek, Planet of the Apes, Starsky and Hutch to name a few.

The designs were purposefully simplistic. The sculpts on the faces were decided cartoony. They had a cute appeal and to this day, the Mego fans are a tenacious lot, often preferring their precious Megos over ANY other kind of action figure.

They even customized them, creating resin heads and sewing fabric costumes for characters and lines that Mego never considered. Now, decades later, there are "re-issues" and homages being released ranging from Space 1999 to Happy Days and Brady Bunch (all decidedly '70s properties).

Sound familiar, Loungers???

It is to me.

It occurs to me that Muggs have A LOT in common with Megos and their rabid fan base. If true, that's definitely a GOOD thing, since over 30 years have passed since the Mego's first were released and there is still a fanbase out there...a customs market and even several well known Mego sites (and yes, I have a few Mego figures myself, in case you were wondering).

We could do very well to emulate these Mugg cousins-in-spirit. Though very different in shape and size, their diversity of lines, customizing appeal and cuteness factor are DEFINITELY something all Mugg collectors can identify with to a great degree.

Thirty years from now, I wonder what collectible will be compared to the "old Mugg phenomenon" which HOPEFULLY, (like the Megos), will still have a rabid following..

[xssocx]

Did you collect those, Richard?

[Mightyfanatic]

Oct 14, 2008 23:11:57 GMT -8 xssocx said:

Did you collect those, Richard?

Not real time.. since I was about high school age when they were released in the mid '70s. I had been more into their predessor, Captain Action (who could be transformed into different DC and Marvel heroes). I did pick up some of them later (as well as the similarly styled Famous Covers figures of a few years back).

As a major DC and Marvel comics fan, I have a few of almost every Superhero collectible and action figure type (pocketheroes, Mego's, DC direct, Marvel Legends, Muggs, etc... in scales ranging from 3 3/4" to 13").

[goldman88]

They look awesome i would so buy some of those

[Allykitten34]

You know, you're my dad's age and waaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy cooler. He'd probably get after me if he saw my muggs collection for "Spending too much money on childish thiings." Just had to throw that out there.

[stollmer3]

these things are the characters thay use to play the superheroes in Robot Chicken!!!

[Mightyfanatic]

Oct 15, 2008 14:35:01 GMT -8 Allykitten34 said:

You know, you're my dad's age and waaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy cooler. He'd probably get after me if he saw my muggs collection for "Spending too much money on childish thiings." Just had to throw that out there.

Thanks Ally! I like to think of myself as the Stan Lee of Comic book related Toy collecting. My wife has sometimes joked that I would have made the perfect "cool Uncle" (since both she and I are only's without siblings).

Given the fact that we're both counter-culture Left Wing types (though I spent a decade and a half in the shirt-and-tie corporate Fortune 500 Management world), I take any recognition of my decided "lack" of grown-up priorities as a compliment (Our wardrobe is largely tie-dye for example... this from someone who went to work for a decade and a half in 3 piece suits!) HAH! ;D ;D ;D

[Joeofmars!]

LOL.

I love cool old people. No offense >_>

[Mightyfanatic]

None taken, squirt. (I'm practically the same age as Presiden... I mean .. Senator Obama... is THAT old?)

[Joeofmars!]

Oct 15, 2008 18:40:06 GMT -8 Mightyfanatic said:

None taken, squirt. (I'm practically the same age as Presiden... I mean .. Senator Obama... is THAT old?)

Yup. You officially "old" at 28.

=P

[Glitch]

Nah, but Senator McCain, yeah thats old.

[Mightyfanatic]

Oct 15, 2008 18:41:19 GMT -8 Joeofmars! said:

Yup. You officially "old" at 28.
=P

Joe, you should read the SCi-Fi novel Logan's Run (or get a copy of the 70's movie with Michael York and Jenny Agutter).Given your comments on age (typical of one YOUR age, LOL!), you might enjoy it..

[xssocx]

Yay a year till I Am old by Joe's standards.

[Joeofmars!]

Ah! Old people... everywhere.

[minivenom]

I'm an old guy too... almost 35. Just chiming in to give my opinion about Mighty Muggs being the new Megos.

My answer is NO. The only way that Muggs could ever be considered today's Mego is if Hasbro picked up some new licenses, the most important of which is DC Comics. What made Mego special was that it was the only company to produce both Marvel and DC characters at the same time in the same scale. Adding in other licenses like Star Trek added to their appeal, and allowed you kind of create your own universe where all of these properties can mix and mingle and fit together.

For Mighty Muggs to ever reach that level, the DC license is mandatory. We have awesome Marvel and Star Wars characters, and soon will have transformers and GI Joe, but DC would seal the deal.

So far, the only current toys that I think can properly be called "the next Mego" is Art Asylum's Minimates or Medicom's Kubricks. Art Asylum has Marvel, Star Trek, 24, several movie licenses, and produced several figures from DC, Street Fighter, and others before losing those licenses. Medicom's Kubricks boast the most impressive array of licenses I've ever seen from ANY toy company.

Mighty Muggs have a long way to go to take the title...