Mego Strikes Back January 29, 2008
by John Tenuto , Filed under: Toys , trackbackThis month Diamond Select Toys has issued their second set of retro Mego version action figures. Mr. Spock and Andorian join the already available Kirk and Klingon figures
As with the previous retro versions, the attention to detail with clothes and sculpt are amazing. As the picture below shows, there are only a few differences comparing the Spock action figures. As noted with the previous release, any variations in color is mostly due to aging on the 70s versions. The tricorder, phaser and communicator are a perfect match and latter two stay as solidly in the action figure’s belt with the retro versions. The insignia is really the only thing which shows a difference with the retro versions. The copyright is also updated on the retro version.
DST Retro Mego Spock (left) and original Mego (right)…click to enlarge
The Andorian is the especially exciting toy. This is perhaps the most beloved of all the Mego "Alien" characters because of its excellent sculpt and detail. The original version of the Andorian sells for nearly $200 at auction. The 2008 retro version does not disappoint, except that it would have been nice including the original packaging.
DST Retro Mego Andorian…click to enlarge
For more background and a review of the Kirk and Klingon figures, see our first article on DST’s Mego line.
More from Diamond Select in 2008
This February DST will release the Dr. McCoy and the Romulan Mego figures. Scotty (spelled "Scottie") and the Keeper (named after the aliens in "The Menagerie" but more reminiscent of the Balok animatronic from "The Corbomite Maneuver") will be available this summer.
DST has more Trek toys and figures planned for release over the next months with an emphasis on Star Trek The Original Series.
FEBRUARY: Communicator toy
MARCH: Third set of Minimates (Gladiator Kirk, Dress Uniform Kirk, Kor, Khan, Dress Uniform Spock, Spock from "Spock’s Brain", Sarek)
APRIL: Kirk and Spock Wrath of Khan set depicting the radiation scene
JUNE: TWOK Regula I version of Kirk, Uhura, Spock, Saavik
JULY: Kirk and Spock "Amok Time" set
Diamond Select should be announcing more Trek items at Toy Fair in February
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Comments»
awwww lovely!
I’m so tempted to get these Mego reproductions. They bring back alot of childhood memories.
Is it just me or does the new vesion of the Spock model look more like Zachari Quinto (as Spock) than the old one…
I wish they would have had these when I was a kid.
Those TWOK figures *do* look BAD ASS.
I have the Kirk Mego repro, Can’t wait for the others!
Can the Mego repros be be undressed like the old ones ;)?
And I want more McCoy! I already have the Kirk, Spock, and McCoy Minimates on my shelf, and would love to get some more…but really, I want more McCoy (they just didn’t put him into funny costumes enough in the old series, but McCoy in dress uniform would be cool).
Sigh, I should really work instead of hanging around here. Anthony, this site is deadly for my schedules (and purse).
i have both sets, kirk and klingon and spock and romulan.
the figures themselves are great. the packaging is nice, but really not the same. the ” plastic shell” that appears to protect the retro style packaging is in fact the packaging.
that’s my only complaint. wished they had actually put a plastic ” bubble” attached to the card for more reminicient display.
but heck, at least this way i guess you can take them out and play with them, then put them back.
just the thing for a cartoon chicken version of TOS.
#6
Hello SD
Not sure if you know, there are McCoy statues from DST that are very nice! http://www.diamondselecttoys.com
Thanks!
#7
Hello Iwr,
Very much in agreement.
I also wish they would have the Andorian on the “Alien” card from the previous versions.
I’m very much hoping they will exand the mego repro line to include figures that were never made, including Chekov and Sulu.
Is it just me or are the Andorian’s antennae reminscent of Shrek?
#8 Ah, there are a lot I’ve never seen before. Going to check them out. Thanks for the tip :)
P.S. I love action figures I can take out to play. I’ve bought the large 12” Playmate TOS Spock and McCoy figures at a US con last year, and had to get them out of the box for the flight. So they’re up on the shelf now :) But then I bought the mega-large Kirk box online (expensive, plus the postage to Germany often doubles the price!) so he’s still resting in the box. Don’t have the heart to open this collector’s item :/
If you’re a TOS collector, 2008 stands to be a fun year!
Now, if Diamond would produce a bridge scaled to their Art Asylum figures…..
Hope there is Uhura, Sulu , Chekov with Romulan and other aliens from Star Trek.
Does anyone know any direct contacts at Diamond Select?
I purchased my Spock & Andorian figures, but was disappointed to find the Andorian had two left-handed gloves. The place where I purchased it doesn’t have another to exchange. It’s still unopened, and I was hoping Diamond Select could help me out since it was their mistake. I’ve emailed their customer service, but gotten no response so far.
customerservice@diamondselecttoys.com
The Mr. Spock figure is awesome of course. I have an original from the 70s and it is dead on. Never had an Andorian, and it looks silly with a left glove on it’s right hand.
This is awesome! I still have the 70’s Enterprise playset from Mego, seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JslNiNUNpc0 What’s funny is that even as kids, most Trek fans could easily spot the discrepancies in how the E looked on the outside and how the bridge & viewscreen weren’t accurate. :)
this is makin me feel i am 8 years old again.
Arrrr… I want the communicator toy… could pretend it be me Blackberry and that I be an important man whose getting important messages… from Scotty!
Man, I bet this is really hurtin’ those dealers who were selling in the orginals for so much… now they’re stuck with them!
On the other hand, those that missed collecting them years ago can getthem now and sell them for a lot 40 years from now…
It’s a conspiracy - they’ve genetically engineered Zachary Quinto to look like a Mego figure of Spock! :D
#11 Yeah, they do look very Shreklike.
#21 And the eyebrows aren’t right! I’m boycotting! ;)
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
The eyebrows weren’t right on the original Mego version either :-)
My kid is getting some truly GREAT toys!
Dad might just have to show him how they work…
The old Spock in the photo looks like he’s spent some time on Vulcan getting a good tan… either that or he’s slipping into the ship’s tanning salon between Rand and Chapel.
#15
Did you try for information at the forums of Trektoy.com? The people from DST answer fan questions there.
Retro Mego ST rules!! The coolest Star Trek collectibles ever. Now we can all have them! THANK YOU, THANK YOU Diamond Select Toys for making these! I wonder if they are also going to release that other mystery amphibious alien Mego that I always assumed was an Aquan from TAS.
I bet Leonard and the others are glad they are doing this, a little more $$ in royalties for using their likenesses.
slightly off topic but…. I am a second generation lover of all things trek, and am looking to get some collectables. I don’t want to waste my money on crap, and don’t want to spend hundreds of dollers either…. what would you guys suggest?
Yet another incarnation of the Master Replicas fat-bottom communicator.
Oh well, I know I’ll end up buying one anyhow…
15
Don,
I feel your pain. This follows along the lines of a similar complaint of mine in another thread about MasterReplicas and other companies I’ve tried to contact. Customer care and response seems to be a non existent thing of the past. How do companies stay in business if they don’t take care of the people who keep them going?
On another note…….I’m waiting for my Andorian too. Cool! Best alien species of the series if not the most under utilized. Actually forgot I ordered it until seeing this article. Hope they haven’t forgotten. I think my account has been charged already.
I can’t help you contact them but I’m commiserating with you.
29
Like drinking wine……..buy what you like
#29
Hello TJ Trek,
These are our family’s opinions, yet here are some nice collectibles that are not too expensive. You could order these online from New Force Comics or Action Figure Express.
Johnny Lightning ships are about $4 each
Diamond Select Toys Star Trek action figures are very nice, with a good variety from the Kirk, Picard, and Sisko eras of Star Trek. Minimates are also from DST.
IDW comic book covers are a nice collectible for about $4 each
Rittenhouse Star Trek cards are awesome! They are at http://www.scifihobby.com
Williamshatner.com has a good clearance sale now of other collectibles, starting at 1.99 for some of the Playmates Toys of the 1990s
The Star Trek train from Collectiblestoday.com is very nice, although that is pricey, yet heirloom quality. It is a very real train. Check out http://www.playtrek.com for pictures of our USS Enterprise locomotive train.
Try http://www.bookcloseouts.com for good prices on Star Trek books
MasterReplicas sells nice ships for about $40, as ministatues
Look for an article soon from Trekmovie.com about some unusual Star Trek collectibles now available!
Hope this list helps!
John, Mary Jo, and Nicky Tenuto
Re: Master Replicas customer service - my experience was good. I bought the TOS Tricorder, which was in pieces when I received it. I called, the verified I had bought it from an authorized seller, and they shipped me a brand new one with a postage voucher to return the broken one. Easy like Sunday mornin’.
re: April and the Radiation Scene.
Spock looks, well, pretty good.Shouldn’t he look bad? Or is that inappropriate for a toy line?
34
I’m not saying it’s an all bad, all evil empire - couldn’t be and still operate. At least they responded to you. I’m just relating my personal experience.
#35
The Diamond Select Toys website has a picture with more detail. It is a very detailed radiation effect with sculpt.
To think I had ta throw pizza on a swath of shag rug to make me an Horta…
#35 Are these intended to be displays? Hence a bad looking Spock be appropriate for that sad, sad scene? There always be the microwave, ya know…
Uh, oh… gunna get flack from A.V.V.L. now… anti-vulcan violence league…
arrrr…. bunch o’ green blooded kneck pinchers…
I’m wondering why the Retro Spock was given *silver* rank braid instead of gold, like the original.
THIRD KIRK IN “STAR TREK XI”…
“Director J.J. Abrams has cast 11-year-old actor (he’ll turn 12 on Feb. 9) as a young James Kirk in Star Trek, opening in theaters on Christmas Day. Bennett has appeared in such films as Hostage, The Amityville Horror, Firewall, Poseidon and Evan Almighty. The older Kirk is played by Chris Pine in the film.”
From Comingsoon.net
If you want to see what can be done with Mego figures, go check out the megomuseum.com site. absolutely amazing work by true artists who love the whole Mego universe.
I was wondering about the silver braid, too. Must be Klingons in the production line… :)
#40
Thanks for the scoop.
Just checked out the comingsoon.net site. You think they’d have included the kid’s full name in the article. Sheesh!
Oh, well, we’ll leave it to Anthony, as usual, to get us the correct facts.
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
Here’s a pic of Jimmy Kirk! (aka Jimmy Bennett):
http://www.imdb.com/gallery/hh/1497548/HH/1497548/iid_984661.jpg.html?path=pgallery&path_key=Bennett,%20Jimmy%20(III)
3 THINGS ABOUT THAT “YOUNG KIRK” PIC…
1) Normally, I’d think a pic like that makes the kid a little sickly-looking.
2) But knowing that he’s playing a young Jim Kirk, he looks like he could my *ss.
3) And yet another part of me thinks he resembles more of a young Jolene Blalock than a young William Shatner. Is it just me?
Heh..
…that should say “He looks like he could KICK my *ss.” (Darn fingers of mine…)
This boy must be so proud…
German teaser page says “Bald im Kino” i.e. “soon in theaters”. No specific date, not even the year.
Hey guys,
We appreciate the kudos but we need to point out that we at EMCE Toys are the ones who make these toys under Diamond’s license and Diamond just distributes them. We design and manufacture the toys ourselves.
EMCE Toys is our company, allied with the Abrams family who built the MEGO Corporation. It’s nice to see such great feedback, but it’s a bit frustrating to see everyone crediting Diamond for our hard work.
We’d appreciate if you could make sure that EMCE is properly credited in any future coverage of our toys.
Cheers,
Joe Sena
speaking of fun things… has anyone ever used this site or been to it?!!!!
http://www.starfortressproductions.com/stclassic.html
and if you have been, is it legit?
i sooo want it to be a new halloween store for me
there are also links to pages for NG, and ENT uniforms and props if you go to the bottom of that page
#47 - Joe Sena
That’s even cooler to know… thanks for the clarification. Since you’re working exclusively with the Abrams family, is it too early to tell if they and
EMCE and Diamond have any plans to re-release any other non-TREK classic Mego figures, like the Marvel & DC superhero line?
I probably shouldn’t even ask… if the answer turns out to be yes, I may go broke by the end of the year reliving my childhood, between the retro-Megos and the TREK film!
The only people authorized to reproduce MEGO figures or create any new MEGO-style figures is EMCE, and right now we’re only working with Diamond on Star Trek and Planet of the Apes. Marvel and DC are more complicated issues due to their alliances with much larger companies.
We are securing licenses for other characters and will be producing them in the MEGO style, so please watch for more news.
http://www.emcetoys.com is still under construction, but that will be the source for all future MEGO news.
Anthony- the guy above is an imposter. I was under the impression that once you have a name here, it is exclusive. Is this correct?
I’m Gary Seven! I’m Gary Seven!
I have been, and always shall be, Gary Seven.
The guy can be Supervisor 194, but not Gary Seven.
No……from time to time…………I’M Supervisor 194 (Code name Gary Seven). Agreed it’s your screen name but Robert Lansing was really Gary Seven. But yeah, he needs to get his own.
41
The MegoMuseum is cool! I love that website! I love all things Mego, however, the Mego Uhura is SCARRRRY!
54
Yeah, feel our pain. :-)
Joe Sena:
Pardon my ignorance, but could you clarify a few questions I have about Retro Megos:
Diamond Select Toys is the distributor if I understand correctly, & EMCE actually makes the toys. Is there any connection between EMCE & Art Asylum?
Are there any plans in the future for the following Megos:
Cheron
Neptunian
Mugato
Talos
Uhura
Gorn
Love the Keeper and the Andorian. Would love to see all of the aliens released!
I actually had an Enterprise Bridge Playset in my childhood, but sadly destroyed it within days of getting it for Xmas. I must’ve spun Uhura in the transporter so many times that her head fell off! Boy do I regret trashing that toy now.
Are there any plans in the pipeline for Retro Mego Playsets??
Always wanted the Gamma VI playset.
56:
No, Art Asylum is owned by Diamond. Our connection with Diamond is solely due to our being introduced to them by Paramount after we approached the studio directly with the toys. I am a former Star Trek licensee (’91-’98) and my wife worked on several of the shows so we are very experienced in the property.
Diamond has a Star Trek series license (but as you see, the movie license went to Playmates), so the only way Paraomount could grant us permission to do the figures was to work through Diamond.
As for the other Star Trek Megos, since Diamond has the license and I feel an obligation to defer to their announcement timing. Toy Fair is in a couple of weeks and we assume they wil make announcements for the rest of the 2008 line.
I can say that we love the playsets too and are looking into ways to develop them.
Stay tuned.
WOW! How exciting to know that!
I will indeed keep my Andorian antennae tuned for future info regarding Star Trek Mego news.
I have bookmarked EMCE and look forward to reading Mego news there as well as here (of course).
What exciting times for Trekkies!