Wings Over Tomorrow: The Real Buck Rogers  Dec 2004
The works of Philip Francis Nowlan, the creator of Buck Rogers, have been released in one comprehensive paperback form Wildside publishing.  The work contains six original stories including his first published story "Armageddon 2419" the very first appearance of Anthony "Buck" Rogers.   As the creator of Buck Rogers, Philip Nowlan set the standard for modern science fiction.  This is a must have for all fans of Buck Rogers and all science fiction aficionados.   The novel is available directly from the publisher for only $19.95: just take this link:

Wings Over Tomorrow: The Works of Philip Francis Nowlan

Captain Action Halloween Costume on Ebay  Oct 2004
If you are searching for that perfect choice for Halloween, there is still time to grab the ultra rare Ben Cooper Captain Action Halloween costume, currently up for sale on Ebay.  Sorry, its not available in adult sizes.  Its a real rarity and a great addition to any Captain Action Collection.  Here is a quick link:

Captain Action Ben Cooper Halloween Costume on Ebay

Captain Action: Racer X!  Dr Evil: Captain Terror!  Sept 2004
Last year we presented the behind the scenes story of the un-released Playing Mantis Speed Racer set for Kid Action (Action Boy).  The response to the article was overwhelming and the question on everyone's lips was "what other sets did Playing Mantis have in the works?".  We are now proud to present the second installment in the series, the untold story of Playing Mantis' Racer X for Captain Action and Captain Terror for Dr Evil.  Including never before seen photos and facts straight from the people at Playing Mantis who brought back Captain Action!  Joe G returns with another amazing write up highlighted by in depth research and plenty of photos.  Take this link to see this Games and Beyond Exclusive:

Racer X for Captain Action; Captain Terror for Dr Evil

Custom Creations from Tuskin Toys!  Aug 2004
You've seen them on Ebay; custom boxed uniform and equipment sets for Captain Action and Action Boy by Tuskin Toys.  Their creations include Speed Racer, Golden Age Green Lantern, Classic Batman and more.  Roy from Tuskin Toys has provided us pictures and information about their latest offerings, and you can see them by following this link:

Custom Creations From Tuskin Toys     

Turning Japanese: Anyone for Seconds?  Aug 2004
If you liked the first Japanese Captain Action Ad, you will be blown away by this latest one.   It features Batman, Superman and Flash Gordon set against a great psychedelic background.  Once again, it was unearthed by James Long, who was good enough to provide a large scan for all Captain Action fans to enjoy.  Its located in the scans section or you can just take the direct link below:

Second Captain Action Japanese Advertisement

McCue, You've Done it Again!  July 2004
Have you visited Classic Plastick lately?  Wes has been hard at work coming up with new items to enhance your Captain Action collection.  In addition to the gloves, capes and repro uniforms they now offer excellent reproductions of the classic emblems used on Captain Action's various uniforms.  They have Batman on gold foil, Action Boy, Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, Robin and Superman.  If you have a uniform that has a tatered or missing emblem, this could be just what you need. 

The Classic Plastick Toy Company

Captain Action: Turning Japanese  June 2004
In the late 60s Ideal made Captain Action available in many parts of the world.  They packaged sets specifically for the Canadian market, with French text to augment the English, and there are sets from Italy, repackaged in boxes featuring all Italian text.  However, James Long recently unearthed a vintage advertisement specifically for the Japanese market, and while the boxes were the same as the American releases, the Ad itself is all in Japanese and really something to see.  He has provided a copy for us to feature on Games and Beyond, which can be found in the scans section under the Captain Action logo in the sidebar, or can be accessed directly with this link:

Captain Action Japanese Advertisement

Pick a Link Below for Cool Stuff!

Barbie Batgirl: Enter The Batcycle  May 2004
Mattel has revamped their most popular Barbie Super Heroine figure, Batgirl, by adding her Batcycle, and packaging them both a superb display box.  The Barbie Batgirl with Batcycle is available for only $24.99 all over.  We got ours online from Toys R Us thru amazon, with free shipping.  Not too shabby:

Barbie Batgirl With Batcycle at Amazon

Plus if you want to complete the diorama, why not add a Haley Berry Catwoman figure?  Also available from TRU for $16.99:

Haley Berry Catwoman at Amazon

CA Spiderman:  You Decide  Apr 2004
The Captain Action Spiderman "MIB" auction on Ebay was ended early.  Surprised?  This is not the first time an item like this was listed without the auction being allowed to be completed.  Was the seller just testing the waters or was this item really sold elsewhere?  Read the sellers explanation and decide for yourself:

To answer the many questions we have received regarding the early
closing of the Boxed Captain Action Spiderman auction, here are the
actual events. For those of you that didn't read the entire auction
description, we clearly stated there that we were accepting "left
bids" outside of eBay from those of our clients who either couldn't,
or preferred not to participate in on-line bidding. These left bids
were accepted only until midnight the night before, so there was
never a possibility of anyone bidding against a concurrent, "hidden"
live auction. We stated in bold type in the auction that if the eBay
bid level, as of 15 minutes before the scheduled auction conclusion,
had not exceeded the highest left bid from the previous day, we were
going to immediately close the auction early and award the piece to
this left bidder. This is precisely what transpired.

If, at 8:45 EDT, the eBay bids had topped this left bid, the auction
would have gone to it's full term conclusion and the on-line bidder
would have won the piece, possibly for much more than the left bidder
is paying. The Spidey has a new home with a very happy buyer who
followed the rules of the auction and bid aggressively with the full
intention of winning the piece.

We came up with these unusual auction regulations, imposed for this
one auction only, due to the immature bidding actions we have
personally witnessed over the years for many very high dollar toy
auctions on eBay. Neither we, or our consignor, have the patience or
time to put up with likes of non-paying bidders, spite bidders,
insincere bidders or simple pranksters. We restricted the auction to
approved bidders only and we thank each and every one of them
greatly. This auction's regulations were detailed explicitly to every
bidder as part of the registration process for the auction. Each was
asked if they understood this procedure and only one bidder decided
not to register as a result of the unusual structure we had imposed.
Clearly, this was designed to get bidders motivated to bid early and
forget, for one time, snipe bidding, the scourge of eBay. Bidders had
six days, twenty-three hours and forty-five minutes to log a bid in,
more than enough opportunity to make their intentions known. Each
registered bidder was told that, if asked, we would disclose the
highest left bid that had to be exceeded. Whether the bidders decided
to tempt their fate and wait, or simply walked away from the $10,000+
eBay bid that was high at the time the auction was closed, we will
never know. Only one called/emailed to discover the highest left bid.
Yes, it's possible that that one bidder then executed a bid with a
maximum ceiling higher than the left bid, but as we said, the highest
displayed eBay bid amount was the publicly available threshold point
that we used.

Thanks to every one that expressed interest in this auction, which
had a phenomenal 3200 hit count. Don't forget us, as we still have a
few surprises up our sleeves for the future.

BTW, the winner of the piece has requested anonymity for both his
purchase price and identity. We intend to fully honor that request.
ToyShop magazine will be running a Captain Action feature piece soon
and wished to be appraised of the outcome of this auction. If the
buyer allows us to disclose the final purchase price, we will post it
here for all to see, for it will then also be published in ToyShop,
also.

CA Spiderman Ends Today!  Apr 2004
With a current high bid of $11,032.00 and just nine hours left to go, you had better make your move quickly if you want to take this one home! 

CA Spiderman The Game is Afoot  Apr 2004
Right on cue, the IDEAL boxed Captain Action Spider-man uniform and accessory set is up on Ebay, with a reserve of $4,999.99.  In order to bid on this piece you have to be on a list of pre-approved bidders, so make sure you email the seller before placing a bid!  So far there is a single bid, and the price is at the reserve.  Even if it is a bit out of your reach, there are plenty of excellent pictures of this rarity.  Follow this link to get in on the action:   

Captain Action Spider-Man MIB on Ebay

CA Spiderman MIB at Atlantique City!  Mar 2004
The Semi Annual Atlantic City Antique Show last weekend was highlighted by the rarest of all Captain Action Uniform and Equipment sets, The SPIDER-MAN!  The set was being displayed at the show as a preview before being offered on Ebay, and is scheduled to be listed starting April 4th.  We were on hand to see this rarity first hand, and of course, we have some pictures for you.  The seller was was willing to answer questions regarding the piece, but unfortunately was not so willing to take it out of the glass showcase.  From the seller:

Produced for one year only in 1967, a Captain Action Spiderman accessory costume still mint in the box, as seen here is considered one of the rarest of all toys made, with a value of up to $20,000.  It has been estimated that a mere 25 copies remain.  That number has now grown by one.  Prior to this show, the example shown here was unknown to collectors, having been put away exactly as purchased 37 years ago.  All of the costume and play pieces are absolutely original and mint, still attached to the inner backing card.  When purchased as a discount item from a department store, the special Spiderman Vari-Vue flicker ring was missing from the package, but a correct factory original is now included.  This stunning rarity is featured within the April 2nd issue of Toy Shop  magazine.  It will be auctioned on eBay, beginning Sunday, April 4th, 2004, ending the following Sunday, April 11th, 2004.  Left bids form qualified buyers are also being accepted here at Altantique City. 

Take this link to see our pictures from the show: 

Captain Action Spiderman MIB at Atlantique City

21st Century Super Queens  Feb 2004
Batgirl!  Supergirl!  Wonder Woman!  Mattel has unleashed this trio of female super hero action figures as part of their "Barbie" line.  Don't let the Barbie moniker fool you, these figures are first rate.  With a retail price of about $15, they are a bargain as well.  Eye catching retro style packaging and well designed costumes highlight the line.  All they need is Mera and the Ideal Super Queen line up would be complete.  We had no trouble finding all the figures at Toys R Us, but we hear that the Batgirl figure, arguably the best of the series, can be hard to get a hold of.  Heads up, Mattel is releasing a special edition Batgirl complete with a Bat Cycle!  What more can you ask for?  Follow this link for some pictures of the trio:

Barbie Batgirl, Supergirl and Wonder Woman. 

Captain Action Green Hornet Tops 6 Grand  Jan 2004
The bidding is over and the final price is in.  The vintage Ideal Captain Action Green Hornet set sold for just over six thousand dollars ($6,009.91 to be exact).  Congratulations to the high bidder, and for the rest of us, keep searching!  Take this link to see the final bids:   

Captain Action Green Hornet on Ebay

Pick a Link Below for Cool Stuff!

Vintage Captain Action Green Hornet MIB on Ebay  Jan 2004
The 1967 Ideal Green Hornet is one of the rarest of all the Captain Action Uniform and Equipment sets.  With the exception of Spider-Man, no other set is as hard to find mint and complete.  Boxed examples are even more rare.  This week, listed on Ebay, is a Mint in Box Green Hornet set; and from the pictures, it looks to be a gem.  Already the bid price is in the thousands of dollars, so this piece is not in everyone's budget (tho wouldn't it be nice if it was!)  Even if your holiday shopping has left you a little short of being able to take the plunge, this auction is worth checking out for the pictures alone.  Take the link below to check it out:

Captain Action Green Hornet on Ebay

If you are getting a broken link to one of the pictures on that auction don't worry, we found it and its right here:

Green Hornet in Box Picture

See The Captain In Clay at Cipriano Studios!  Jan 2004
Cipriano Studios produces a long line of excellent collectable sculptures based on characters from comics, movies and cartoons.  One of the most striking elements of his work are the facial expressions of the sculptures he creates.   Each expression seems to capture the essence of the character perfectly.  From the pensive look on the face of Uncle Borris to the determination on the face of UnderDog.  You may well know his work from your local comic shop, having seen his sculptures of super heroes such as Spiderman and Superman.  But what you may not know is that at one point he was working on a sculpture of both Captain Action and Action Boy, based on the original Ideal Box art!  On his website are pictures of the work in progress, in the gallery under comic books (or just click here!).  When asked about them Tony Cipriano said "I loved this toy as a kid. I have gotten so busy lately, that I never had time to finish them."   The sculptures are clay and are approximately 12" tall.  Check out Cipriano Studios to see Captain Action and Action boy, and much more:

Captain Action and Action Boy Sculptures