The Figures That Never Were
From the moment that Star Wars toys hit the aisle shelves in 1978, during the mad fervor that was Star Wars Mania, motion pictures were forever entwined with how kids played. While action figures had been a long-time staple on bedroom floors everywhere, up until the late '70s they were more of a free-floating toy, inspiring childrens' imaginations with no real back-story to jump from (such as the Fisher Price Adventure People. Once they were tied in to big budget motion pictures, however, children went ravenous for the playful merchandise, eager to recreate their favorite movie scenes or make up their own, based in a pre-created world, so rich and detailed in their minds that they could practically taste it.
Movie studios were quick to jump on the movie/action figure tie-in craze, giving kids action figure lines from such movies as Clash of the Titans, Tron, Raisers of the Lost Ark, The Black Hole, and many, many more.
However, there were several movies left action figure-less despite their apparent ability to translate well into a popular toy line. Many kids found themselves scouring toy aisles and department store catalogs in a fruitless search for never-to-be toy lines of their latest favorite movie.
Some of the obvious choices actually made it to the design stage, only to be scrapped for various reasons, while others never made it that far. 30+ years later, collectors that lived through the '80s are still aching for those figures that never were. We take a stab at listing some of the major contenders (in no particular order).
The Toys That Got Away
Ghostbusters(1984) - Yes, these figures eventually came to life, but only after the hit movie was long gone from theaters, and even then the toys were based on the cartoon, which to fans of the movie, just wasn't the same. More than once, a gaggle of toy collectors have speculated on how incredible a movie-based Ghostbusters toy line could have truly been, with such figures as the Xuul hell-hounds and a possessed Sigourney Weaver released to join the four Ghostbusters.
Krull(1983) - Looking back on it now, the movie is pretty silly, and most of that is due to one of the most ridiculous looking cyclopses in motion picture history, but let's face it, this movie would have spawned some killer action figures. Just imagine the Fire Mares with sparking hoof action!
Legend(1985) - I admit that this movie is a little too "My Little Pony" for most boys' tastes, but it did have a giant-horned devil, a slimy goblin and lots of good old fashion '80s fantasy to give "Dragonriders of the Styx" a run for its money. Picture a unicorn with a removable horn and we're talking major toy-line hit!
Goonies(1985) - It boggles the mind to think that this movie never produced an action figure line. Adventurous kids, scheming hoodlums and a giant with a head like a decayed jack-o-lantern! Just imagine the One-Eyed Willie Pirate Ship Playset, complete with booby traps. That's what I said, booby traps!
Willow(1988) - Technically, this movie did have a toy line, but the figures were tiny and completely static figurines with no posable parts whatsoever, so it makes the list of movies that deserved an action figure line. Many collectors would kill a two-headed dragon for a 1:18 scale Mad Martigan figure (Mad Martigan in drag, sold separately).
Flash Gordon(1980) - This movie is simply filled with awesome characters just begging to be recreated in 1:18 scale plastic. From Flash to the Hawkmen to Klytus to Princess Aura (especially Princess Aura), this toy line could have been a mega-hit, rife with spaceship vehicles and playsets galore. Oh, and the old Mattel figures don't count, as they were based on the cartoon from years before. Collectors want a movie accurate Ming the Merciless!
Labyrinth(1986) - This movie may not be the best suited on this list to lend itself to an action figure line, but David Bowie's character alone, deserved it's day on a toy aisle. Besides, it was filled with enough weird creatures to fill a second Mos Eisley cantina.
Neverending Story(1984) - An action figure of a kid that does nothing but sit in an attic and read a book may not sound that interesting, but just imagine the characters in that book rendered in fully posable plastic. Who wouldn't want a friction-powered Racing Snail, or Shogun Warrior-sized Rock Crusher?
The Last Starfighter(1984) - This movie, about a kid so good at video games that he gets to go to another planet and fight intergalactic evil (hey, it was the '80s), almost had a toy-line which never saw the light of day. True, there weren't many characters in this film, most of the cooler aliens being in the background in one scene, but the thought of owning a 1:18 scale replica of that starfighter vehicle is enough to set '80s sci0-fi fans swooning.
The Dark Crystal(1982) - This epic fantasy from the workshop of Jim Henson set a new standard on how stunning fantasy movies could be, while proving once and for all that puppetry can be far more than sticking your hand up a felt sock with googly eyes glued on. Lush and astonishingly realistic, The Dark Crystal came a hair's breadth from having an action figure line, complete with the very first collect-a-piece feature (years ahead of its time), only to wither away on the idea table. Out of all of the other movies on this list, The Dark Crystal is the one brought up the most often when collectors bring up toy lines they would have loved to have seen.
It's Never Too Late
As mention before, many of these toys that never were are being produced now by companies that are being run by the very kids who once longed for the figures back in their youth. Companies like NECA have taken a stab at bringing to life such favorites like The Dark Crystal, while other companies, such as Mezco, took a stab at bringing The Goonies to store shelves. All of this is great, of course, but it only puts a Band-Aid on the longing we feel for toys that could have, and should have, been.
Still, one can hope that a toy maker will come along and snatch up the rights to one of these classics and fill the void. Until then, Goonies never say "die".