Big Jim

Big Jim is an action figure that was originally produced by Mattel for the North American market and is still a popular collector's item today. In Europe, the figure initially appeared under the name “Mark Strong”, because the toy manufacturer Ernst A. Bettag from Fürth had protected the name “Big” (“Big Bobby Car ”). The companies came to an agreement, and until the end of production of the Big Jim figures, a reference to the protected rights ( BIG is a registered trademark of BIG Spielwarenfabrik Dipl.-Ing.Ernst A. Bettag ) was noted on all packaging.

backgrounds

In 1964, Hasbro developed a new toy for boys: GI Joe . Shortly thereafter, other action figures appeared, such as Stony Smith, Captain Action, MARX's Johnny West Gang, Action Jackson. Mattel founders Elliot and Ruth Handler naturally wanted to realize their ideas in this toy category. They launched Major Matt Mason, Mattel's man in space, in 1967. With this figure Mattel had created a character that fit into current affairs (manned space travel and first moon landing). Matt Mason was a body molded from rubber with a skeleton made of flexible wire. This series was discontinued soon after the Americans first landed on the moon.

Emergence

In 1970 Mattel tried again to conquer the large action figure market. Mattel's designer Steve Lewis and his team pioneered existing Mattel products. For example, there was the male doll named Ken from the popular Barbie series. Jurgis Sapkus, a member of the design team, was working on a mechanism that would allow a character's biceps to swell when the forearm was bent up. The developers were confident that this more masculine variant of Ken would appeal to boys and girls alike. The arm mechanism was therefore impressively perfected by Sapkus and other team members. The figure was 24 cm tall and had a push button on the back with which the right arm could be set in motion. This simulated breaking a board, throwing a ball or simulating karate. The arms were made of rubber and included a plastic mechanism to simulate flexing the biceps : Big Jim was born.

Further development

The first version of the figures was equipped with flat hands made of hard plastic. From around 1977 the figures were given soft “gripping hands”, which made the “use” of weapons and tools even more realistic.

Figures were also made in the various Big Jim themes, the left arm of which could be rotated 360 ° and thus changed faces: "Captain Drake" with a skull glowing in the dark, "Double Trouble" with a grimly distorted face, " Big Jim 004 "with three or six different, interchangeable masks and" Zorak "with a green grimace (with the first version of" Zorak "the face changed by pressing on the back). With "Torpedo Fist" and "Boris" a clenched fist shot out when the back button was pressed and with "Captain Hook" a silver hook shot out of the right arm. There was also a "Captain Flint" figure, which was very similar to the actor Kabir Bedi from the TV series Sandokan . In some countries this figure also appeared under this name. Here you could pull out your right hand and insert a small blank cartridge into a device. This was tightened by pulling back a bolt in the arm. If you pressed on the back, the arm shot up, let the bolt snap forward and the cartridge popped like a "real" shot. The Karl May figures were successful in Germany, although they bore little resemblance to the actors from the popular film series. In addition to a Winnetou and Old Shatterhand figure, there were three other western heroes in this series, clothing and play sets, and the only woman in the entire Big Jim production, "Nscho-Tschi", Winnetou's sister. Many of the heads of the Big Jim figures that had already been modeled were only slightly modified in the various themes, for example provided with a beard, received a different hair color or equipment and were then offered as a "new" figure under a different name. As a note, it should be mentioned that the Karl May figures were more like the original from the books.

More productions and rare figures

For the 1976 Olympic Games , figures were produced for the USA, Canada and Australia that wore a slip in the colors of the respective country's flag or had a country-specific gold medal as an accessory and were supposed to represent the corresponding country at the games. There were also Olympic game sets for this purpose. A Captain Future figure was produced for Italy in the early 1980s and a Rahan figure in France . These figures, as well as Tarzan , a "Big Jeff" figure with dark hair in a set with a black panther or gorilla, are very rare. In 1978 the leading actors "Grizzly Adams" and "Nakoma" from the television series " The Man in the Mountains ", as well as "Zeb Macanahan" and "Lone Wolf" from " That Was the Wild West " came out as Big Jim characters. In Mexico, the Big Jim line was manufactured under the name “Kid Acero” under license from Mattel by the Cipsa company. There were also some rare figures that were only available in South America, including "Kid Acero Basic", "Kid Acero Brazo Bala", "Kid Acero Lanza Atomos", "Kid Acero Lanza Proyectiles", "Karzak" (such as "Big Josh ”with an eagle figure),“ Nocton ”, a glowing alien figure in the dark,“ Zorak ”(like“ Zorak ”but with a glowing skull face instead of the green face),“ Garfio ”with a hooked hand,“ Dr. Drago ”(like“ Dr. Steel ”),“ El incredible Hombre Bionico ”with one or two transparent arms, or“ Hombre Invisible ”, with a“ Big Jim ”head or“ Big Jeff ”head, its entire body and the head is see-through and has an extra head to swap. The Aurimat company took over production for Mexico in the eighties and brought out a Big Jim James Bond line, which was discontinued after a short time for licensing reasons. Through the Spanish licensee Congost, Big Jim figures appeared in the various themes, just with different names. For the soccer world championship, Congost produced a Big Jim "Seleccion Mundial" in a soccer outfit, whose right leg shot forward by pressing on the back and could shoot a soccer ball.

The figure most sought after and most sought after by collectors is “Iron Jaw”. The head has a steel-colored, foldable lower jaw and its left arm consists of a movable prosthesis to which various "tools" (including ax, hook, knife) can be attached. Only prototypes of this figure from the agent series have been created, which are shown in an advertising brochure; however, this extraordinary figure never went into series production. In the meantime, forgeries of the figure appear again and again in a well-known internet auction house.

Basic figures

The characters in the Big Jim series appeared in the USA in the following order:

1972 Big Jim - bodybuilder type, brown hair, brown eyes. Accessories: ball, biceps cuff, dumbbell, two-part "wooden board" to break, short, red shorts with white stripes
1972 Big Jack - African-American, black hair. Accessories: ball, biceps cuff, dumbbell, two-part "wooden board" to break, short, red shorts with white stripes
1973 Big Josh - bearded lumberjack, reddish brown hair, blue eyes, (same head as Big Jim ). Accessories: ax, two-part “tree trunk” to smash, denim vest and denim shorts, boots
1973 Big Jim - with mountaineering equipment and a "talking" backpack
1973 Big Josh - with mountaineering equipment and a "talking" backpack
1974 Big Jeff - suntanned surf boy, blonde hair, blue eyes. Accessories: Machete with holster, two-part "bamboo branch" to smash, beige shorts, hat and boots
1975 Dr. Steel - with a bald head, a distorted scarred face, a chest tattoo and a "steel" hand. Accessories: two-piece "iron bar" to be smashed, black 3/4 trousers with fringes
1975 Chief Tankua - Indian friend. Accessories: bow and arrow (same figure as Warpath ), long jeans, boots, hat and “leather” vest

Big Jim themes and related characters

PACK

The Whip ', with boomerangs and a whip
Big Jim Blue Commander, with "Communicater"
Big Jim Gold Commander, with "Communicater"
Zorak, with face changing to green grimace
Dr. Steel or Dr. Drago or Dr. Acero, with "iron rod"
Big Jim Double Trouble, with a changing face
Torpedo Fist, fist popping out
Warpath, with a bow and arrow

Karl May / Wild West

Winnetou or Geronimo
Old Shatterhand or Dakota Joe
Old Firehand or Old Kentuck or Kid Buffalo
Old Surehand or Buffalo Bill
Bloody Fox or Bisonte Nero
Nscho-chi or Fresca Rugiada or India Apache (only woman in the series)

Pirates

Captain Drake, with changing face to the glowing skull

Captain Hook 'or Captain Uncino, with the hook popping out

Captain Flint or Sandokan, with a "popping" gun

Agents

Big Jim Agent 004, with agent clothing and three or six different interchangeable masks
Dr. Bushido, with a shining samurai sword
Big Jim Secret Agent, with agent gear
Big Jim Laser Gunner, with laser device with sound effects (battery operated)
Big Jim Parlant, with a "talking" radio backpack
Commando Jeff, with a black lacquered chest and secret operations equipment
Alpinist Joe, with mountaineering equipment
Boris, with a "steel plate" on his head and a fist popping out
Professor Obb, with coat, hat, suitcase and umbrella
Star Commander Space Leader, with space uniform
Captain Laser, with red breastplate and glowing helmet (battery operated)

Science fiction

Big Jim Commander, with space clothes and weapons
Big Jim Special Agent, with reversible agent clothes
Professor Obb Overload, with space clothes and weapons
Baron Fangg, with green overalls, helmet and weapons
Dr. Alec, with a jungle outfit and appropriate equipment
Colonel Kirk, with a white desert outfit and weapons
Vector, with space clothing, body armor and weapons
Astros, with space clothing, body armor and weapons
Cobra, with desert outfit and weapons
Big Jim Air Ace pilot, with pilot overalls and helmet
Big Jim Explorer, standard version, with weapons (last Big Jim figure produced)

equipment

Over time, different Big Jim accessories appeared in the different themes:

Helicopter with working headlights, winch, extinguishing device and moving rotor blades (in different colors)
Camping bus with boat
Sky Commander airplane (as a portable case that can be opened)
Kung Fu Studio (as a portable case that can be opened)
Jungle jeep with working headlights and searchlights
Motorcycles (various models)
Horses (different colors)
Ski jumping tower and jump (1.5 m long)
Airboat with moving alligator
Gorilla safety gear with moving gorilla
Space station small / Discoverybase
Space station large / Command Center or Alphabase
Racing bike
Pro Sports Gear set with various sports outfits & accessories
Karate gear set with different outfits & karate accessories
Olympia boxing set with two devices for boxing and a round gong
Beach buggy
Sealab minibus as a marine laboratory
Off-road vehicle (with battery drive)
Gyrocopter with detector backpack
Western covered wagon with horses
Safari hut (as a portable case that can be opened)
Arctic adventure with sledges and huskies
Parachute set with working umbrella
Surveillance van
Space mission
Spy tent
Corvette sports car (with remote control)
Catamaran (90 cm high)
Camping tent with inflatable boat
Indian wigwam
Indian canoe
Sonic Speeder
Fire service ambulance with extendable ladder
Agent center (as a portable case that can be opened)
Secret Service Headquarters (3 floors)
Lazervette sports car with retractable cannon (various designs and colors)
Tiger hunt with tiger and cage
Safari jeep with rhinoceros and trap
Pirate boat with a "popping cannon"
Golf Cabriolet (various colors)
Spacecraft (space glider, spaceship)
Desert vehicles (two different models)
Buggy with trailer and boat
Mountain rescue with a German Shepherd
Eagle with posable wings (two different types)
Underwater adventure with a giant octopus
Deep sea adventure with a giant clam
Baja-Beast with removable rear attachment
Large bus as a mobile agent center (90 cm long)
Backpack with built-in speech plate (operated with a cable), texts, etc. a. "Call an ambulance" or "Set up the equipment"

and much more. In some countries, individual sets were combined with another or also contained Big Jim figures and were then offered as special editions, for example in department store chains. In addition, hundreds of different clothing and accessory sets were made for the respective Big Jim themes in all production years, so that Big Jim and his friends were equipped for every adventure ahead. Many of them are very rare today and sought-after by collectors, such as Bedouins , Cossacks , Navy , pirates , Mexicans , etc.

The end of the Big Jim era

In 1984 the sales of the Big Jim figures decreased and the distribution in Germany was stopped. Mattel designers were given a mini-budget to start a fresh start with Big Jim in Europe. The country of production was Italy. Due to the low budget, they were forced to use existing Big Jim accessories and redesign them. Some redesigned vehicles, aircraft and other game sets were created. Big Jim got a newly modeled, "more mature" face and was given new comrades and opponents at his side. But after the great success of the Masters of the Universe figures, which Mattel had brought onto the market a few years earlier, and the continued decline in sales of the Big Jim figures, production was discontinued in 1986.

Big Jim as a collector's item

There are still collectors of Big Jim figures around the world today. Big Jim figures and game sets are offered in the various online auction houses and some of them are highly traded. The MIB (Mint in Box) figures, original packaging that have never been opened, are particularly popular. There are several private Big Jim websites in Europe where individual collectors showcase their Big Jim collections and their redesigned custom figures. There are file sharing sites in the forums and ideas for redesigning the characters are published.

The French publisher Dixieme Planete published a magazine in 2007 with the title Big Jim Hors-Serie No. 9 , which describes the genesis of Big Jim, with many pictures of the individual figures and game sets, as well as a comparison to other action figures from this time.