Mego in the United Kingdom

.

Mexico


The UK's Palitoy was one of mego's strongest partners, like Mexico's Lili Ledy they also carried Hasbro's GI Joe (As Action Man, they created such concepts as Kung Fu Grip, Eagle Eyes and Flocked Hair) and later, Kenner's Star Wars Line.

Early on Palitoy simply carried Mego product in US Packaging but later took a select amount of characters and created their own UK only packaging.

The variations don't stop with packaging, Palitoy created several proprietary lines such as Space:1999, Zorro and an extension of Mego's fist fighting Superheroes.

The Battle Brigade was a unique Palitoy repackaging of the Lion Rock WW2 figures produced in Europe. Palitoy also purchased the Captain Power set and renamed Mike Zoom for the UK Market.

Special thanks to Will Frost for all the great help on this page! Will donated much of the photos here.

If you have any figures(loose or boxed) not mentioned here, or variations of them, please contact me, I would like pix!!

Palitoy Superheroes

Palitoy picked many of the best selling Mego Superheroes for this line, like with a great deal of Mego lines they tended to exclude female characters. Below is a checklist of Superheroes:

Palitoy Green Card Superheroes Superman, Batman, Robin, Joker, Penguin, Captain America, Thing, Hulk, Human Torch, Spider-Man, Lizard

Hulk was a later issued figure, added no doubt in conjunction with the popularity of the CBS Television series, his card has unique graphics which likely means he was marketed as a stand alone figure. Hulk is also the easiest found carded Palitoy hero.

The hardest to find Green Cards are the Marvel characters especially Captain America, Thing and Torch.

palitoy Superman
palibat.jpg

Palitoy Superman Palitoy Batman Palitoy Robin Palitoy Robin Back
palitoy hulk MOC
palitoy Mego Hulk Card

Palitoy Hulk Palitoy Hulk Back Palitoy Spider-Man Palitoy Spider-Man Back
palitoy Mego Human Torch Card

palitoy Penguin MOC
Palitoy Human Torch Palitoy Thing Palitoy Joker Palitoy Penguin

Palitoy Fist Fighting Superheroes

Like Lili Ledy, Palitoy made unique use of the Mego Fist Fighting mechanism and produced a series of six characters from the Marvel and DC universe. The cards have an interesting die cut in them to make them appear as if the fist is punching outward, in the collector market it is difficult to find the cards intact

The most uncommon in this series is Robin with two MOC examples known to exist

paliffsup.jpg

ffspid.jpg

ff6.jpg
images/ff5.jpg
Fist Fighting Superman Fist Fighting Spiderman Fist Fighting Batman Fist Fighting Captain America
palitoy fist fighting robin
fist fighting lizard MOC
backer for DC fist fighter card
Fist Fighting Robin Fist Fighting Lizard Fist Fighting DC Backer

Palitoy Star Trek

Early Palitoy Star Trek cards are almost Indistinguishable from the first run Mego "five face" counterparts, the main difference is a small legal line, which mentions Palitoy. For the later Star Trek Aliens series, Palitoy altered the existing Mego artwork and made the colors more lurid. Palitoy Aliens are difficult to find, Palitoy only released the first four aliens. Uhura was not released on a Palitoy card.

Palitoy also produced the Transporter Playset which is the transporter from the Mego Enterprise Playset marketed on it's own. This is most likely because the majority of the Enterprise was made in North America, only it's plastic componants such as the transporter were made in Hong Kong.
palitoy Kirk
palitoy Mister Spock
palitoy Bones
Klingon Palitoy
Kirk Spock Bones Klingon
cheron.jpg
keeper.jpg
stback.jpg
star trek transporter from Palitoy
Cheron Keeper ST cardback Transporter

.

Palitoy Planet of the Apes

Palitoy released the first series of Apes on cards similiar but not identical to the US run, they were marketed under the Bradgate line and the card back is altered as well as the characters colors. For instance, in the US Doctor Zaius came on an Orange card, in the UK, he came on a blue card.

The second series had new dynamic artwork based on the television series, all of the original five were repacked onto these cards. Many of the characters such as Zira (the only female Mego palitoy produced), Virdon and Burke remain elusive to find.

Palitoy also released the UK only Rock Launcher set, a repackaged catapult.

For more, visit the Megomuseum Planet of the Apes section.

paliapeback.jpg border=
zauis.jpg
Palitoy Rock Launcher

Ape Card Backing Dr. Zauis
Rock Launcher (UK Only) Palitoy Soldier Ape
palitoy
keeper.jpg
Palitoy Cornelius

Palitoy Burke Dr. Zauis on Bradgate Care
Cornelius on Bradgate Card Palitoy Verdon
palitoy Zira
palitoyzirab.jpg
Palitoy Rock Launcher

Zira Palitoy Card Zira Bradgate Card
Bradgate Astronaut Palitoy General Ursus Burgundy

Palitoy Space:1999

Palitoy created their own line of Space:1999 figures, something Mego couldn't do because the North American license had gone to Mattel. The figures utilized the Mego Star Trek body and were far superior to Mattel's efforts. Palitoy chose not to make figures of the Barbara Bain or Barry Morse characters (they seemed very set against female characters in general) and chose to make figures of two supporting characters and two guest star aliens. Captain Zantor is based on actor Christopher Lee. In the 1975 Palitoy catalog, Alan Carter is shown in his moonbase outfit although he was released in a red spacesuit. Recently these figures have been reproduced but the line did not match the quality of the originals

For more pictures and information please visit the Mego Museum Space:1999 gallery

Palitoy Space:1999


Palitoy Card Back
Alan Carter Space 1999 prototype
1999 set Palitoy Space:1999 Catalog
Palitoy Space:1999 Paul Morrow MOC


Paul Morrow MOC
Captain Koenig MOC
Allan Carter MOC Mysterious Alien MOC

Palitoy Starsky and Hutch

Starsky and Hutch was a very popular show in the UK and Palitoy was quick to pick up the license for the Mego line, none of the supporting characters were released however. The figures were available on unqiue cards or as a two pack which included their pistols. Hutch wore a leather vest in the UK and the car was sold without it's twist out motor



Palitoy Starsky and Hutch Mego Palitoy Zorro
UK Variation SH set
Starsky Hutch Twin Pack
Starsky
Zorro

Palitoy Robin
Robin Card Back Battle Brigade Page

Palitoy Zorro

Palitoy released a stand alone figure of Zorro based on the Disney television series. There are less than ten boxed Zorro figures known to exist in the world

For more information, check out the Mego Museum Zorro Gallery.

Palitoy Links of Interest

Click here to view the 1975 Palitoy Mego Catalog

Click here to view the 1977 Palitoy Mego Catalog

Join the Web's fasting growing Mego community on the Mego Museum!

Denys Fisher


Extremely rare 3 pack of Comic Action heroes from Denys Fisher

Another major toy company in England, Denys Fisher began it's release of the Mego Comic Action Heroes (even creating a board game) and then moved on to Action figures. Their big gambit was a beautiful ten inch line of figures based on Doctor Who which were produced by Mego.

Denys Fisher also released the Six Million Dollar Man, Stretch Armstrong and the Cyborg (based on Takara's Henshin Cyborg) Toy lines in the UK. Rumour has it that the Doctor Who line (which also was supposed to include the Master and Davros) was a failure and cost the company severely. Denys Fisher was absorbed by Palitoy at some point but the date is not yet known.

Denys Fisher also released "Power Arm Superman" a 12" Mego doll that had a lever that could crush items. It was based on an abandoned diecast Superman concept by Mego designer John McNett, you can read the interesting story here.
More to come very soon.

Mego Doctor Who doll


Dr Who Robot Cyberman Box Tardis Box
leela.jpg
k9.jpg (52366 bytes)
dfdal.jpg dfcyb.jpg
Leela K-9 Dalek (rarest figure) Cyberman
images/tard.jpg
UK carded Comic Action heroes
dalek box from Denys Fisher border=
cyberman box from Denys Fisher border=
Tardis Playset Comic Action Heroes on UK cards
(UK Exclusive)
Dalek Box (Partial)
Cyberman Box

Denys Fisher Doctor Who Gallery at Megomuseum

1979 Denys Fisher Catalog at the Megomuseum

AIRFIX


Airfix is best known worldwide for their model kits however, they did distribute several Mego lines in the UK (as well as having their own action figure line The Eagles). Micronauts and Star Trek the Motion Picture are two well known Airfix releases. Airfix also released the Star Trek model kits that Mego produced, much like Canada's Grand Toys.

More on Airfix soon


BURBANK AND PEDIGREE TOYS

Mego 12" Superheroes have been found with both the Burbank and Pedigree toys logos. Many of these figures are very rare variations. Much of the time, the logo is merely a sticker, other times it is printed on the packaging.

Cecil Coleman

Little is known of this UK distributor except that they distributed Action Jackson under the name "Johnny Jackson" (most likely because they couldn't confuse it with Palitoy's Action Man line) and they seemed to have trouble selling the outfits. Boxed Johnny's however, remain difficult to find.

Wiggins Teape


Still in business to this day, Wioggins Teape is a successful Stationary company that embarked on distributing toys after intial success with card games. Their entire boys line consisted of Mego Action Figures, including the specifically created Steve Goalgetter figure.

Lion Rock


Many toys found abroad feature the Lion Rock logo (most famously the Lion Rock World War 2 figures. Lion Rock was Mego's manufacturing arm and often their name was featured instead of Mego. These Shuttle vehicles are retooled Micronaut ships painted to look like Superhero vehicles, a smiliar series was released to the US in photoboxes.



scott.jpg(16274 bytes)

Bat Shuttle


Spidermobile

Robin Shuttle

Got something I don't have? Please don't be shy and send me a pic

Questions or Comments?

email.gif (20906 bytes)

RETURN TO Main Page

SPECIAL THANKS to Max Espie, Super collector from Scotland, Mark Huckabone, Scott Arendsen, John Alcantaur (for selling me his Zorro) John Bonavita and Joe Levy.

plaidstallions 70s toys and fashion

Plaidstallions: A Tribute to Seventies Toys and Fashion

the mego museum the best site in the world devoted to mego corp

Mego Museum: The world's best website devoted to the toys of Mego Corp.

Mego in Mexico    Mego in Canada Parkdale Novelty, Grand Toys  

   Mego  

i buy lincoln monsters

I buy Lincoln and Tomland Monster Figures! Have lots of toys to trade!


mego