Share This Article
[wp_social_sharing social_options='facebook,twitter,googleplus,linkedin,pinterest' facebook_text='Share on Facebook' twitter_text='Share on Twitter' googleplus_text='Share on Google+' linkedin_text='Share on Linkedin' pinterest_text='Share on Pinterest' icon_order='f,t,g,l,p' show_icons='1' before_button_text='' social_image='']
The PopCulteer
June 15, 2012
MEGOMANIA
Last week your PopCulteer headed North to Wheeling for the annual MEGO Meet, a convention of devotees of MEGO action figures from the 1970s, and their modern-day counterparts. The poster for this year’s show (seen right) was a tribute to Neal Adams’ classic cover for the “Superman vs. Muhammad Ali” comic book. The folks at The MEGO Museum know how to put on a great toy show.
The Kruger Street Toy and Train Museum played host to this gathering of dealers, customizers and folks peddling new MEGO-style figures. As always, it was a blast.
As always, MEGO Meet was a blast! The odd thing was, I spent most of my money on GI Joe Adventure Team and Captain Action stuff, but the show was mostly MEGO, and rather than blather, I will now kick into photo-essay mode. Enjoy!
Prepare for action figure Nirvana…
Doc Mego, giving a seminar. Doc builds most of the figures used in Adult Swim's "Robot Chicken."Doc Mego's audienceSome of Doc Mego's spare partsBrilliant custom work by Random AxeMore by Random AxeI think this was part of Trappy's assortment of vintage and custom stuffMore of Trappy's table, complete with the MEGO ObamaMEGO also brought Micronauts to America, as seen at this dealer tableSome of the custom entries for the auctionMore customsAnother custom, a 12" AquamanBrick Mantooth, THE 1970s Macho ManMore customs, including Drew Brees. Thankfully, nobody made a TebowThis table full of vintage figures is worth more than your houseCast-Away Toys Gray Phantom on a cool stone throneThese are the four MEGO-style Venture Brothers figures I need for my collectionThe first "Toy Lust" shout is to Nick Curnutte, It's Reissues of MEGO-style 8" KISS figures that dominated a case of cool stuff that wasn't for sale, dammitMore not-for-sale stuff. Luckily, I gots most of theseThe second "Toy Lust" shout out is to Mark Wolfe. Look, it's Khan!Mark's "Toy Lust" shout-out continues with a case full of Star Trek figuresStill more Star TrekThere was a lot of Star Trek at the showA "Toy Lust" shout out to Mandy Petry, but sadly I didn't get any good shots of the Modern Dr. Who itemsHad I brought twice as much money, I would've brought home the Evel Knievel and Major Matt Mason MEGO-style customs…and a "Toy Lust" shout out to Ryan Hardiman, who might have wanted the Dr. Hyde figure that's right there between the two figures I wish I would have picked up"Toy Lust" alert to Roadblock. It's Animal Man, and not the "New 52" reboot, eitherThis dealer had lots of non-MEGO stuff, most of which I wantedYes, it's custom figures of Count Chocula, Frankenberry and Boo-Berry. If these are successful, we may see Fruit Brute and Yummy Mummy next yearYet another dealer with tons of cool stuffOkay, I admit it. That GI Joe Mobile Support Vehicle came home with meI managed to resist this case of reasonably-priced Adventure Team and Captain Action figuresJohnny West made a cameo a week before the Marx Toy Collectors show at Kruger StreetMore really cool customs, including an Inspector Clouseau figure that tempted MelanieToy-Man Collectibles, from Wisconsin, from whom I scored a Black Talking Adventure Team Commander, and a Captain Action parachute. His eBay ID is Toyman_Chris and he has a ton of primo Evel Knievel stuffMore of Toyman's stuffLee Harrah, showing off his custom Conan, with rooted hair.A close-up of Conan. I'll have to get a better photo for a later PopCulteerGiant Man holding MEGO Jesus and Spock was one of my favorite things to see at the showLet's take a moment to revisit Brick Mantooth. Seriously he is the "Dos Equis Man" of imaginary 1970s action figures.Back at the custom auction, it's Brick Mantooth's super-sexy vanYet another dealer loaded with tons of cool, rare toysAnother "Toy Lust" shout-out to Mark Wolfe. Star Trek AND Planet of the Apes at this dealerGAH! There's too much cool stuff everywhere. My Blood-toy level is spikingThis would earn a "Toy Lust" shout-out to Lee Harrah, but since he was first in line to buy one, that lust is sated
This year’s convention exclusive limited-run figure was an 8-inch MEGO Style figure of Pulsar. Pulsar was one of the cooler, weirder action figures of the 1970s.
Here’s the description from Wikipedia, “Pulsar was a 14” action figure looked like a handsome middle aged man with short white hair. However once you opened his sweat suit top it revealed that his entire torso was clear plastic which allowed viewing of his internal organs. There was a button on his back that when depressed would make his lungs and heart pump and force simulated blood through some simulated arteries and veins in the body cavity. In addition to having visible innards, Pulsar’s head could flip open and a holographic mission disk (a small lenticular plastic disk) could be placed inside. “
For this year’s MEGO Meet, the organizers cooked up an 8-inche version of Pulsar, and he sold briskly at $90 a pop. Major kudos to the fine folks at The MEGO Museum for organizing such a fun gathering, and coming up with such a cool featured figure.
If you see things in this photo essay that ignite your toy lust, visit the MEGO Museum and join the forums, and you’ll probably be able to track down any dealer and customizer shown here.
One of the other cool items seen at MEGO Meet was a series of US Prezidents, depicted as Universal Monsters. You could choose from "Barracula," "Zom-Bush" and 'Monster From The Watergate Lagoon," among others. Clinton as the Wolfman had sold outOne dealer had tons of odd Batman ephemera, much of it Spanish-languageHe even had the ultra-rare "Batman As A Naked Chick" action figure, though it's worth more still in the packageI was so blinded by the Batman stuff that I didn't see the Major Matt Mason Space Bubble until I was writing this caption. Crap! How did I miss that?Got Head?Toy Lust alert for my kid sister, Diana. "Oh Mighty Isis"
With this, we bid farewell to Kruger Street Toy And Train Museum, but only for a week. Next week we will bring you two photo essays. One of the museum's permanent displays, and one devoted to the just-closed Hello Kitty exhibit.
Subscribe to PopCult
The PopCulteer
