The figures we missed...

Attila the Professor

Moderator
Staff member
Think any of these would have meant a more successful line?

15 Indiana Jones Action Figures They Never Made
by Chris Sasser

​It was most certainly a treat to get the SDCC Indiana Jones action figure set from Hasbro earlier this year. It contained a couple of Holy Grail figures (get it? GET IT?!), Toht and Satipo among them. Yet, if you're an Indy die-hard like myself, you're probably still yearning for more.

Now, obviously, there's a reason that these figures never made it into Hasbro's Indiana Jones toyline, and that reason while these guys play pivotal roles in the Indiana Jones movies, they're often very small roles. Plus, even for the guys with larger roles, they're mostly white guys in a variety of suits -- making the "action" half of "action figure" somewhat... invalid.

But somewhere, there's a parallel universe where the Indiana Jones toyline is more popular than Star Wars, where kids on a playground are fighting over a Dr. Marcus Brody figure. I and my Indiana Jones toy collection wish we lived in that universe. For your viewing pleasure, I've created old-school Kenner style card backs. Sorry, no actual figures. I don't sculpt.

I'll let you go to the site itself to see the actual mock-ups, but here's one:

s%20Dr.%20Brody-thumb-400x572.jpg


The list includes:
15) Imam
14) Kazim
13) Wu Han
12) Chatter Lal
11) Jock Lindsay
10) Marhan (Have we <I>ever</I> heard this name for the shaman before?)
09) Lao Che
08) Simon Katanga
07) Sallah (Last Crusade)
06) Rene Belloq (Peruvian Expedition)
05) Walter Donovan
04) Dr. Marcus Brody
03) Oberst Herman Dietrich
02) Rene Belloq [AtP's Note: In the white suit, they mean.)
01) Indiana Jones (Club Obi-Wan Tux)

Be sure to check out the comments. Stoo, somebody wants a George Hall-era Indy figure! And commenter Jay Hash has a pretty full list of suggestions:

- Col. Musgrove & Major Eaton Two pack (Allowing you to use Eaton to re-enact scenes from "Flash Gordon" and Tim Burton's "Batman")

- Barranca, with Two-Faced-Gun-Cocking- Hand holding action, and when you push a button Hovitos Darts come out of his back

- Captain Blumburtt, with Racist Hand Motion action and "Not upset, just interested" Hand action with wriggling eel

- Indian Village Chieftain, with annoyingly high pitched voice chip and bright orange turban

- Thugee Sacrifice Victim, with removable heart and Lei, Limited edition signed by actor Nizwar Karanj

- Chen & Kao Kan: Lao Che Brothers Two pack (Lets you re-enact scenes from all of Ric Young's Classic Roles in "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story", "Kundun", and "The Transporter"!)

- "Fedora", With hat-taking-off action and lopsided "Harrison Ford Style Grin" (Just a recast/relabel of an Indy Figure)

- "Panama Hat", accessories include cross of coronado, walking cane, and mocking action. Interacts with voice chip on S.S. Coronado Playset, which is 1/500 actual size (Only $499.99!)

- Herman Mueller, Indy's First Sidekick! Comes with Bugle Playing action and a box of donuts

- Befuddled Venetian Librarian, accessories include bookstamping action and general confusion as to why he looks a lot like Einstein

- Indy as Scottish Lord & Castle Brunwald Butler, includes water for getting Indy drenched along with Sneezing action, and A Set of Tapestries and Mickey Mouse ears for the Butler.

- "ALARM!!!!" Nazi Female Soldier, with winking & screaming action

- Indy in Undersized Zepplin Waiter uniform, Comes with Tickets, Nazi Punching/Throwing action, and extended thumb for pointing out the window.

- Crazy Hatay Tank Driver, With realistic head bleeding head wound and Leaning action

And lastly...

- Sultan of Hatay, comes with Rolls Royce Phantom II (4.3 litre, 30 horsepower, six cylinder engine, with Stromberg downdraft carburetor, can go from zero to 100 kilometres an hour in 12.5 seconds), Soldiers, Horses, Camels, "and Tanks..."
 
"- Col. Musgrove & Major Eaton Two pack (Allowing you to use Eaton to re-enact scenes from "Flash Gordon" and Tim Burton's "Batman")"

And Hasbro already has a Porkins sculpt!
 

Lance Quazar

Well-known member
Attila the Professor said:
Think any of these would have meant a more successful line?

Sadly, none of those would have made the line more successful. Doesn't mean I don't want most of 'em, though!!!

I think only releasing Toht and the German mechanic early (and maybe the sidecar) would have boosted interest at least somewhat.

Maybe Peru Belloq would have sold better than the pegwarming ceremonial one, but only by a bit.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Attila the Professor said:

This mock-up reminds me so strongly of the original Kenner Star Wars packaging (much more Star Wars inspired than old-school Kenner Indy). No other SW packaging comes close to the nostalgia of seeing those on the racks in the toy departments.

I would have bought every figure in the list, no matter how little screen time they had. If only Indy had been as popular as that long ago, far away galaxy. :(
 
Montana Smith said:
This mock-up reminds me so strongly of the original Kenner Star Wars packaging (much more Star Wars inspired than old-school Kenner Indy).
No doubt...

Whats all this crap about "never made"?!!

%20s%20Belloq2-thumb-400x572.jpg
Belloq-Front.jpg


OK, he needed a hat, but still...

neverAcquiesce said:
"- Col. Musgrove & Major Eaton Two pack...
xqaUQZSiN35UZ9I.jpg
 
Throw on a moustache and that's a perfect Eckhardt figure. But I demand a voice chip that utters, "You ain't got no future, Jack!"
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Rocket Surgeon said:
Whats all this crap about "never made"?!!

%20s%20Belloq2-thumb-400x572.jpg
Belloq-Front.jpg


OK, he needed a hat, but still...

Those Kenner Indy figures are some of the worst action figures ever conceived. You could be forgiven for believing that they never made a Belloq! He bears just as much resemblance to Sam from Spawn than Paul Freeman.

I know that there were some pretty rough vintage SW figures, but the Indy line got a really bum deal with sculpting, proportions and those odd horse-riding legs.

belloq_top.jpg


vintage_marrion-front.jpg


toht_hand.jpg
 
Last edited:

Lance Quazar

Well-known member
neverAcquiesce said:
Those are some odd legs.

Hey, at least those Indy figures HAD knee articulation, which vintage SW figures never did. So they were actually the superior product!

Yes, the headsculpting was lousy, but really no worse than SW. It was a different time!
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Attila the Professor said:
Be sure to check out the comments. Stoo, somebody wants a George Hall-era Indy figure!
Ha! At least 2 people who commented want an Old Indy. I don't even collect action figures and want one, too!:eek: (Fellow Ravenhead, ddschneider1972, made a great, custom George Hall/Old Indy but his photos in the "Customizing Indy Figures" thread aren't showing anymore.:()

Anyway, wouldn't a more fitting place for this thread be in the "Indy Fanwork & Activities" section since the blog that you linked to is essentially a fan 'wish list' with some homegrown graphics?
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Lance Quazar said:
Hey, at least those Indy figures HAD knee articulation, which vintage SW figures never did. So they were actually the superior product!

Yes, the headsculpting was lousy, but really no worse than SW. It was a different time!

Among the early SW range there was some fine sculpting and casting, even though they weren't very good at faces. From the first time I saw the Kenner Indy line I felt the poor guy had drawn the short straw by comparison.

Gabriel's 'The Legends of the Lone Ranger' line came out in 1982, complete with similar 7-point articulation for horse riding. Even they had finer sculpting. It was as though Indy was the red-headed step-child, and he deserved much better. Subsequent Indy lines, including the Disney ones were also sub-par.

That's why I hold the Hasbro line in high regard. Great little toys!
 
Lance Quazar said:
Hey, at least those Indy figures HAD knee articulation, which vintage SW figures never did. So they were actually the superior product!

Yes, the headsculpting was lousy, but really no worse than SW. It was a different time!

It's like Kenner threw the Indy team a bone. That, or they won the right to bendable knees cos Star Wars didn't have horses!
 

Lance Quazar

Well-known member
Montana Smith said:
That's why I hold the Hasbro line in high regard. Great little toys!

Indeed they are. Which is why, at the end of the day, though I would have loved to have seen many of the figures on this list make it into plastic, I am still remain overjoyed by the quality and quantity of the figures we did get.

Even a just a few years ago, I never would have thought it possible.
 

Billy Ray

Well-known member
Why is everyone always dissing the vintage stuff? It was 30 years ago and small scale action figures like these were new to the toy arena. With very few exceptions (Micronauts, Metal Men, and a little later GI-Joe), most 3 3/4 action figures had only the standard five points of articulation and not too many of them had great sculpts. This was still true even when Kenner relaunched the SW line in the early '90s. It's like comparing Hot Toys 1/6 figures to the original GI-Joes. Sure, by today's standards, they are lame, but back then they were great!

***EDIT*** Just wanted to throw in there that Kenner were great at doing soft goods back then too.
 
Billy Ray said:
Why is everyone always dissing the vintage stuff? It was 30 years ago and small scale action figures like these were new to the toy arena. With very few exceptions (Micronauts, Metal Men, and a little later GI-Joe), most 3 3/4 action figures had only the standard five points of articulation and not too many of them had great sculpts. This was still true even when Kenner relaunched the SW line in the early '90s. It's like comparing Hot Toys 1/6 figures to the original GI-Joes. Sure, by today's standards, they are lame, but back then they were great!

I don't think anyone's dissing anything. Just commenting on the differences between the Indy and SW lines since they were produced by the same company but don't appear as such.
 

Palaceslave_82

New member
Temple of Doom,had it been mined to its full potential,would have yielded some interesting figures.

Besides the obvious Indy and Willie in Club Obi-wan attire (with gong/Samurai sword,and champagne bucket/diamond, with soft goods gown,respectively)...

*Blumburrt in uniform seen during Pankot Dinner

*the Maharajah (in Kali-worshipping garb with Kyrta doll),

*Chattar Lal as Kali minion (makeup, purple robes)

*Lao and his sons, (with flaming pigeon skewer,and tommy gun accessories),

*elephants, (baby elephant for Shorty),

*Marhan,(village shaman,who,come to think of it, was pretty much the catalyst to their entire adventure (besides being pretty cool looking)

*Willie Scott in Indy's Tux

*Indy in palace dinner attire

* battle-damaged Shorty,(alternate coal dust paint wash,pickaxe and menacles)

*Temple Escape Willie with super-articulation,(alternate "disheveled" head sculpt)


*and of course....mine cart play set, interconnecting bug tunnel set with working spike trap,(and exclusive Willie in pajamas with insect accessories),and Club Obi-Wan warrior statue/gong playset, where club Indy's gong can be detached/re-attached,and breakaway window.

Then I'd be a happy man. (y) :whip: :gun:


and I love the vintage-style packaging,and wish to Christ Hasbro had given their Temple/Raiders line the same sort of creativity in this area the Star Wars $hit seems to get year after year.
 
Last edited:

Montana Smith

Active member
Billy Ray said:
Why is everyone always dissing the vintage stuff? It was 30 years ago and small scale action figures like these were new to the toy arena. With very few exceptions (Micronauts, Metal Men, and a little later GI-Joe), most 3 3/4 action figures had only the standard five points of articulation and not too many of them had great sculpts.

There were some really cool vintage toy lines before and during the release time of Kenner's Indy. It's a crying shame that most of them were for lesser franchises. That's why I feel that Indy deserved much better back then.

The 1982 Tristar M.A.S.H. figures looked to be well sculpted, and with 10 points of articulation:

BJ-Front.jpg


In 1979 Mego were releasing figures with 10 points of articulation:

Ponch-Front.jpg


DanHolland-Front.jpg


BuckRogers-Front.jpg


Gabriel's 1980 Legends of the Lone Ranger featured similar construction to Kenner's Indy, but the sculpting was much finer all round:

Butch-Front.jpg


Oh, and LJN released their own version of almost-Indy in 1981 with Magnum P.I.!

magnum.jpg
 
neverAcquiesce said:
So they just cut a hole and molded legs onto the saddle. And a tauntaun's, uh, girthier than a horse. I don't know, I'm making this up as I go.
You didn't say it, but I will...

...it would be a stupid looking solution for a horse and rider, (which isn't a reason that would have stopped them!).

Montana Smith said:

Thanks for that Monana, I have fond memories of getting my first BJ. My first girlfriend was a closet hoarder and would eat up my obsession with BJs...a willing enabler. I got more BJs from her than I can remember.

God I miss her, Felicia where have you gone?

I had a bad bout with collector fever, like malaria...just don't get me started on "The Black Hole"

Montana Smith said:
 
Last edited:
Top