Here is another one of my character spotlights, after my last one on the Blob (click here if you missed it) I decided I liked writing them. I get to show you some cool stuff and learn a little something myself along the way. An intellectual two-fer as it were.
For those of you not already in the know, and I certainly was not, Plastic Man, aka Patrick O’Brian, made his first appearance in Police Comics #1 back in 1941. This Jack Cole creation was originally published by Quality Comics but was snapped up by DC in the 50s and has remained there ever since.
Despite not really having an interest in Plastic Man per se I will admit to liking the idea of him as an action figure. Plastic Man turned in to a little plastic man… it makes me smile just thinking about the symmetry of it all.
Plastic Man was pretty much overlooked by the toy industry until the late 70s. At that point he made what is probably one of the biggest entries ever in to the toy-o-sphere. When I say big it is actually for the opposite of what you are thinking. Originally the toy was released in small numbers, but that coupled with the fragility of the piece makes it one of the ultimate holy grails for collectors. None of you have ever seen one of these in person and most probably didn’t even know that it existed.
Made by Mego in 1979 this maybe the rarest toy I have ever shown you here at ToyNerd.com. Basically it is a Stretch Armstrong type doll that could be twisted and stretched for hours of fun. How did they achieve this amazing feat of toy engineering? Simple, the doll is pretty much a rubbery bag in the shape of a person which is then filled with a corn syrup type material to give its squishy feel. The head is made from vinyl and serves as the stopper that keeps the goo in. This wonderfully simple design was the reason the toy worked so well… it is also the reason why these toys are so rare these days. Over time the sugar in the corn syrup reacts with the rubber of the body and causes it to deteriorate and then crumble.
Hardcore Stretch Armstrong fans (and I include all figures of that type) will pay $100-200 to have their toys drained of the deadly syrup and then refilled with cotton balls. This ensures the longevity of the piece which otherwise would be soon headed to the garbage can. Even the once ubiquitous Stretch Armstrong in OK shape will easily sell for more than $200, and these ones still have the gooey syrup inside.
Apparently only two examples of the Elastic Plastic Man are known to still exist… that’s it, and if you are feeling particularly hardcore you can hop on eBay right now and get one for just $5000!
Take a moment now to catch your breath… OK let’s continue.
Plastic Man didn’t show up again until 1986 when he was made as part of the now revered Super Powers line by Kenner.
This was one of the rarer figures in the line and had a stretching neck power action.
By the time we get to the 90s, maybe in celebration of our hero’s 50th birthday, the figures started to drop a little more frequently.
DC Direct released this piece. You can see that each toy has its own way of representing Plastic Man’s ultra-maleable form. The prize however goes to this figure.
The arms and neck on this JLA figure are bendy, but I can tell you that the figure is pretty set on staying like this. The designers here were obviously going for the let’s really go for it strategy. I can see what they were trying for but the actual realization just falls short for me.
This offering was also from DC Direct and was based on the paintings by Alex Ross. For me this is probably the most accurate of the figures. It looks just like him, he comes with interchangeable parts so he can flip between regular and stretched versions. Lastly he has only a few points of articulation so even though it limits the playability of this piece it does allow it to maintain clean lines and keep it free of distracting joints.
DC Direct included Plastic Man again in their 3rd wave of the History of the DC Universe figures. This figure is pretty cool, I specially love the hammer as a hand, but for some reason he is just a little too buff for me.
Plastic Man popped up as part of the Justice League Unlimited series. A great Plastic Man figure?… no not really. The figure is basically a repaint of most of the other JLU figures with the exception of the resculpted head which has the trademark glasses (now we can see where the inventor of Blu-Blockers got their inspiration). Not a big minus in my book though as I just love the whole design ethic behind this line.
This next piece is not a figure but I decided to include it anyway just because I think it is just a good Plastic Man.
DC Direct made these snap together figures/models as part of their Who’s Who Mystery Box series. Because it is not constrained by the physical requirements of an action figure I think you get to see Plastic Man doing what he does best.
Heroclix was another place where Plastic Man really hit his stride. As you can see we have him as a glider, a mailbox and of course one of him in full stretch mode.
My last offerings are hot off the proverbial truck and part of the Batman the Brave and the Bold line. They love this guy and as a result he has had more attention than ever before.
The Capture Hand and deluxe Blade Force Plastic Man are basically the same figure just with different accessories. These figures are very similar to the JLU version however I am not so sure about the huge rivets that stick out of the side of the elbows and knees… seems a little clumsy to me.
The little figures are adorable, but the winner by a mile is this new toy…
What is so great about this set? Check out the clip below. AWESOME!
A little something to check out before I go. Coming to a toy store near you soon… from the line of Blammoids. I guess they are trying to capitalize on the whole vinyl thing that is going on right now.
Cute? You will have to decide that for yourself.
Hopefully today has shed a whole new light on this often overlooked character.
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I actually have seen one of those Elastic Plastic Man figures in person back when they first came out and even stretched it a few times. My childhood friend Evan Darling (http://www.edarlingenterprises.com/) had one and I offered him my Stretch Armstrong, my Stretch Monster (man that monster was the best!) and some other toys for it but he wouldn’t budge. If he still had it he could sell it to help finance one his racing cars.
Man, some of those look really great! I’ve always found it funny that Plastic Man can stretch into anything he thinks up but can’t change the coloring of his outfit, so he’s always red with black & yellow stripes. Once in a JLA issue he changed into a red fish with black & yellow stripes and somehow he could breath under water and telepathically communicate with Aquaman. HUH?
Sometimes his humorous lewd behavior goes too far though. In another JLA issue Big Barda shows up to meet all the JLA members undercover where everyone is dressed up for a high society setting. She shows up wearing a tight fitting and very revealing red dress. She then says “Thanks for the dress whoever sent it up to my room…” but they all have no clue what she’s talking about. Then they notice the black & yellow stripes! She proceeds to strangle her own dress (kudos for finding his neck) until he slinks off her. Pretty creepy Eel. Pretty creepy.
I followed your link and it didn’t say anything about his Elastic Plastic Man. I am guessing he had the Cap one too.
Thanks for the spotting the error BTW. History has been successfully revised
I always thought that Plastic Man never got his due mainly because of his slaptick personality. I’ve always like his toys however. I think his Heroclix figures are some of the best that they have done. That being said, the stretch doll is amazing. Every bit worth the money.
Yeah, I wonder why Evan didn’t include that in his bio. “Once owned an Elastic Plastic Man figure…”
I almost forgot to mention that after seeing the Heroclix with Plas as a mailbox, I was reminded of my favorite custom Plastic Man figure of him as mailbox:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21180361@N02/2126329968/in/set-72157603512024370/
Awesome, isn’t it?
I told Dave that I thought I saw one as a kid. Once I saw the photo, I am now sure I have never seen one before now.
But I did own a mail-away Boba Fett with missile-launching backpack ;-p
Garth, that figure is just meh! Hehe
Bite your tongue, David!
Bit it!