Collectibles of the Week: Flash Gordon (Mattel; 1979)

The late 1970s and early 1980s gave the world two unique versions of the Flash Gordon mythos.  The first was Filmation’s animated series Flash Gordon, which ran on Saturday mornings from 1979 to 1982, and the second was Dino De Laurentiis’s big-budget, live-action spectacular from 1980 starring Sam Jones and Max Von Sydow.

I loved both incarnations of the famous comic-book character, but only one of the versions had a full array of toys manufactured to go with it.  That version was the animated TV series, and Mattel obliged kids of all ages with a line of small action-figures and vehicles from this production.

In total, eight Flash Gordon action figures were released by Mattel, including Flash, Ming the Merciless, Dr. Zarkov, Captain Arak, Lizard Woman, Prince Thun, Beastman and Vultan. 

Alas, no action figures of Dale Arden, Prince Barin or Princess Aura were ever produced, which is a shame.   Princess Aura, as I recall, was one of the most popular characters with my buddies…for reasons you can probably guess.

Except for those oversights, Mattel’s action figures were unusual because the characters didn’t all possess the same, familiar, cookie-cutter body-types.  For instance, Dr. Zarkov’s figure was actually portly, and overweight around the (beer?) gut, which is a quality that seemed revolutionary to me as a ten year old kid. A fat, out-of-shape action figure!

Each of the figures also came with a small white accouterment like a laser gun or staff of some type, and some of the characters were more difficult to find (Vultan) than others (Flash).

In terms of vehicles, the Mattel line featured a giant inflatable rocket -- which is an amazing toy, honestly, that I featured here in a retro-toy flashback -- and Ming’s shuttle.  

Ming’s shuttle is a bit disappointing because it’s just a light redress (and re-color) of the cockpit of Flash’s rocket.  The decals are flashier and all (emblazoned with the name “Ming”), but you can’t hide the fact it’s not a new toy.  The ships in the actual series were quite cool, so it would have been great to see those used as the prototype for the toy.

I remember a couple of things about Flash Gordon from this era.  The first is that I was disappointed that the live-action movie had no toys released with it, especially because the costumes and characters were amazing to behold.   I always wanted a Klytus action figure, in particular.  

And secondly, the Mattel toys from the animated series must not have sold well.  I remember finding a bunch of them at a story in Verona called Newberry’s for a dollar-a-piece.  In one day, I picked up Flash, Ming, Lizard Woman, Dr. Zarkov and Thun for under ten dollars, which I still count as a major coup.  I still have them loose, save for Thun, who disappeared somewhere between New Jersey and North Carolina, never to be seen again.

Today, these Mattel Flash Gordon figures – mint in box – show up regularly on E-Bay for 100 or 125.00 dollars apiece, which is absolutely ludicrous.  The inflatable rocket costs even more money, which is also a shame, because mine sprung an air leak when I showed it to Joel about a year ago…