With the new Transformers and G.I. Joe comics on the horizon, I thought of other comics that were based on toy lines. Yes, they did have cartoons as well but they started out as toy lines first. Everyone remembers the big ones like Transformers, G.I, Joe, and He-Man. Yet there were a few that even paved the way for the big hitters. I am going to delve into some of those books. If you know me at all, I will be playing favorites with some.
One of the older ones that I can remember is Captain Action. The toy line was a rival of the original G.I. Joe figures in the 60s. The twist with this line is that you could change faces and outfits. You bought a figure then you bought outfits. You could have a Lone Ranger figure, Batman, or even Spider-Man. The only problem with the comics is that no one has the license to publish the different characters. So when DC published a line, he had magical coins to get different powers for the ancient gods. Moonstone used the aspect that he can change identities using alien technology. Dynamite did the same but used some of the public domain pulp characters that they use in their books.
The 80s saw more of a boom in toy line related comics. One of them is the Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior. This one is weirder than I realized after investigation. The toys came out a little over 6 months before the comics did. Everyone thought that the comic was just an adaptation of the toy line. Yet Marvel only created the toy line and comic series to try and sell it off to a toy company. Sadly it did not work. It was set in a parallel universe to the regular Marvel universe so they could have guest stars like Dr. Strange, Alpha Flight, and Nightcrawler. Since Marvel owns the license, you never know if they are going to pop up somewhere.
M.A.S.K was another toy line with a comic series. This one blurs the line a little because there was also a cartoon as well at the same time. I can get into this in another blog entry. The 80s was the beginning of multimedia where a toy line can have a comic, a cartoon and even a video game. Yet that is something I will get to a little later in another post someday. DC started with inserts with the vehicles. Then had a 3 issue mini with a 9 issue series following. Fleetway (a British publishing company) took over for a while. They published their own stories that were not related to the cartoon or DC’s work. IDW picked up all the Hasbro licenses and tried to make a shared universe where M.A.S.K was a part.
Sectaurs was another blurry one. It seemed the toys came out then right behind them the cartoon and comic. I do not remember the toys or the cartoon that much but I do remember the comic. I may have picked up an issue or two but in the mid-80s there was far too much out that I was more interested in.
Now here is one of my three favorite licensed comics, Shogun Warriors. I know there was a Japanese animated show for all the robots but as a kid I did not. Remember I am pre-internet. I grew up around a lot of spoiled kids. My friend 3 doors down had every Shogun Warrior even Godzilla. All I had was Dragun. Yet I had all 20 issues of the comic. Marvel used the characters and made up their own story. It was set in the Marvel universe because the Fantastic Four appeared in a few issues. Marvel also tried to create their own with Red Ronin who appeared in the Godzilla comic and later the Avengers. I know it is not much but I am proud to have the whole collection.
Now number two of my favorite licensed comics, Micronauts. I absolutely loved this toy line. My hot take is that I loved them even more than Star Wars figures. They were so nicely made. Yes a little more expensive but so worth it. The comic series that followed was and is one of my favorites. They had their own little universe yet they would pop into the regular Marvel universe every once in a while. Marvel of course created their own story but that story was captivating to me. Sure they created new characters but they fit right in to me. Image and Devil’s Due published their own series, but they could not use the characters Marvel created. They were alright but not the same as the Marvel one. IDW also tried with the shared universe. I was not that impressed. Yet, Marvel has the property back with an omnibus coming out (yes I am buying one). Hopefully we will get more new stories with all the characters.
Lastly, the licensed toy I truly hold dear to heart. If you even slightly know me you would have guessed already. It is Rom the Spaceknight. Sadly I never knew of the toy before the comics and when I did it was too expensive even at that time. The comic grabbed me from issue one. Rom was based in the Marvel Universe. Rick Jones, the sidekick to the superheroes, was his sidekick. There were tons of appearance like the X-Men, Alpha Flight, and Power Man and Iron Fist to name a few. The series went on for 75 glorious issues. The only problem is that since there was so many Marvel characters imbedded within the series no one but Marvel can reprint it. Yet now the wait is over! Marvel got the license back and is making an omnibus with a facsimile as well. Hopefully, there will be new content using the previous stories Marvel did.
There were two different series that also came out that were based of toy lines but the characters where already in existence before either were made. First there was Marvel’s Secret Wars. It was tied to a toy line which had goofy lenticular shields. They also tied it into a new role-playing game. Then DC did Super Powers. They even tweaked the Super Friends carton to fit the toy line. Both series gave a little more depth to the toy line.
Again thanks for listening to my ramblings. Maybe next time I will delve into the murky depths of the 80s where comics, cartoons, and toys blended together. I bid thee, tootles.
Mike