Five French Pif Gadget adverts featuring: model vehicles, Joué Club toys, Smurfs electronic game, Atlantic toy soldiers and Big Jim.
France. Pif Gadget. 1981.
France. Pif Gadget. 1981.
France. Pif Gadget. 1984.
France. Pif Gadget. 1982.
France. PIf Gadget. 1982.
“Good evening Madame, I’m coming to get your child!”
France. Métal Hurlant. 1981.
Issue N°70 of Métal Hurlant, published as a Christmas special in 1981, has a cover featuring C-3PO as a very sinister Santa Claus ‘looking’ for children. However, one glance at C-3PO’s bloody axe and the grisly contents of his basket, tells us that his motives are far from festive! Interestingly, C-3PO doesn’t figure in any of the storylines inside this issue. His presence on the cover (drawn by artist Yves Chaland) is probably more in keeping with the spirit of subversion and horror that is typical of Métal Hurlant.
Métal Hurlant (translated as: Howling Metal) was a French comic anthology of sci-fi and horror stories published between 1974 – 1987. The title is considered one of the forerunners of the adult comic scene. Many of its storylines are dark, surreal and executed with stylish graphics. The comic also featured articles and reviews on music, cinema and science-fiction books.
The comic was reprinted in the US under the title Heavy Metal, and in 2012/2014 was made into a two-season English-language Belgian-Franco TV series called Métal Hurlant Chronicles.
Issue N°70 also featured a cool advert for Transfert Express, a company offering mail order sweat-shirt and tee-shirt prints. The advert shows one Star Wars design and two (less sinister) C-3POs!
France. Métal Hurlant. 1981.
Finally, I’ve included a scan showing the Métal Hurlant logo and ‘mascot’ who, alas, I haven’t been able to research namewise.
France. Métal Hurlant. 1981.
Here is my small but growing collection of customised vintage Star Wars action figures. Each character relates to either the X-Wing Fighter or the Snowspeeder vehicles.
The usual suspects. Personnel from X-Wing Fighter and Snowspeeder vehicles.
Rogue Squadron Snowspeeder gunner Dak Ralter who flew with Luke Skywalker in the Battle of Hoth. Custom figure made by Plisnithus7
Dak’s accessory is a Hoth cargo crate that was used by the rebels.
Luke Skywalker Snowspeeder Pilot with grappling hook blaster. Custom figure made by Plisnithus7.
Luke used his grappling blaster to help bring down an AT-AT in The Empire Strikes Back.
Grizz Frix, X-Wing Pilot. Custom figure made by Ourchickenshack.
Grizz Frix was a human pilot who flew for the alliance during the Galactic Civil War.
Tusken Raider X-Wing Pilot. Custom figure made by me.
I’ve no idea what a Tusken Raider is doing working for the Rebel Alliance… but for me this works!
Episode VII’s Poe Dameron. Custom figure made by Plisnithus7.
Poe Dameron is armed with a vintage rebel blaster from the original line of action figures.
Update: September 2017. It’s a trap! Look who’s just joined the gang…
BIG thanks to CraigT for sending me this cool Ackbar pilot he made 🙂
American Animation studio Hanna-Barbera created many famous cartoon characters during its thirty-something years of production. Characters such as The Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, Yogi Bear, Tom and Jerry and The Smurfs are known worldwide. Here is TVTA’s small presentation of adverts and comic covers featuring Hanna-Barbera characters.
UK. Flintstones and Friends cover. 1988.
The Flintstones View-Master, 1962
Top-cat, Yogi Bear and others
Brazil. Pato Donald. 1983.
Italy. Topolino. 1978.
Mebetoys Yogi car. France. 1973.
Brazil. Pelezinho. 1982.
Tom & Jerry
Smurfs
France. PIf Gadget. 1984.
Jabberjaw, with Scooby-Doo and Hong Kong Phooey
Jabberjaw, Scooby-Doo, Hong Kong Phooey. Télé Parade. Mensuel N°5. 1978.
Jabberjaw and The Neptunes. Télé Parade. 1977.
Cover for Télé Parade Mensuel N°6. 1978 featuring Jabberjaw and Scooby-Doo.
Thanks for looking 🙂
Post updated January 2019 with new images.
This post will showcase two of the biggest pop culture entities that have appeared together … Star Wars and 2000 AD. If you know of any other 2000 AD titles that feature Star Wars please let me know. Here are the issues I’ve collected so far.
Prog 166. 1980. Brian Bolland artwork dedicated Empire Strikes Back competition cover.
UK. 2000 AD and Tornado. 1980.
2000 AD and Tornado, prog 166, 1980, features the above Brian Bolland cover used to promote Chad Valley’s Star Wars Electronic Battle Command game. Inside the comic is a page with competition details on how to win one of fifteen of these electronic games, along with twenty runners-up prizes of Star Wars large action figures.
UK. 2000 AD and Tornado. 1980.
This is not the first time I’ve come across 2000 AD and Star Wars together. Here is my copy of prog 44 from 1977, which devoted some of its cover along with a two-page photo review on the upcoming movie that would prove to be a worldwide sensation.
UK. 2000 AD. Kevin O’Neill cover. 1977.
2000 AD, prog 44. Photo Review.
2000 AD, prog 44. Photo Review.
2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 1980. The Empire Strikes Back Photo Special.
2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 1980.
2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 1980. The Empire Strikes Back Photo Special. Double Page. First Page.
2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 1980. The Empire Strikes Back Photo Special. Double Page. Second Page.
2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 1983. Return Of The Jedi Colour Scan.
2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 1983. Return Of The Jedi Colour Scan.
2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 1983. Return Of The Jedi Colour Scan. Double Page. Page One.
2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 1983. Return Of The Jedi Colour Scan. Double Page. Page Two.
2000 AD. Prog 320. 1983.
Prog 320 devoted its cover and two inside pages to a competition to win Return of the Jedi prizes.
Advert from Prog 319 announcing Prog 320.
UK. 2000 AD. 1983.
Prog 333 announcing ROTJ album and stickers
UK. 2000 AD. Prog 333. 1983.
Do you know of any other 2000 AD issues that feature Star Wars during the late 70s and the early 80s? Please let me know. Until then, “Splundig Vur Thrigg” and “May The Force Be With You!” 🙂
The Vintage Toy Advertiser 