New HM armed forces toy action figuresPhotograph: Martin Argles/Guardian1966: Action Man first introduced in the UK by PalitoyPhotograph: Public Domain1966: Display of Action Man toys made by Palitoy at the British Toy Fair in BrightonPhotograph: Leonard Burt/Hulton Archive/Getty
1968: A Red Devils parachute jumper and Action Man Photograph: Fox Photos/Hulton Archive1992: Action Man dollPhotograph: David Beauchamp/Rex Features1993: 1970's flock-haired Action Man dolls at the International Action Man Convention, Bovington, UKPhotograph: Nils Jorgensen/Rex Features1996: Three early Action Men with moulded hair and Barbies by Mattel at Christie'sPhotograph: PA Archive1996: Toy manufacturers Hasbro, who took over Action Man from Palitoy in 1993, celebrate the plastic man's 30th birthdayPhotograph: Crabtree/PA Archive1997: Action Man dolls at London ToyfairPhotograph: Nils Jorgensen/Rex Features1999: Action Man Mission 2000 (left) and Millennium Action Man, complete with laptop computer and headset, on display during the Toy 99 exhibition in LondonPhotograph: Matthew Fearn/PA Archive2009: Flight lieutenant Jonathan Smith poses with his equivalent HM armed forces action figure in a Harrier JetPhotograph: Oli Scarff/Getty Images2003: Elite force aviator action figure of the then US president, George Bush, wearing the naval aviator flight uniform he wore when he landed on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to declare an end to major combat in IraqPhotograph: Blue Box Toys/Getty Images2004: A US marine carrying his GI Joe Action Man doll in FallujahPhotograph: Patrick Baz/AFP2007: An Action Man figure displayed at the auction house Fellows and Sons in Birmingham, UKPhotograph: Shaun Fellows/PA2008: A recent Action Man combat figurePhotograph: Jonathan Hordle/Rex Features2009: A Royal Marine commando HM armed dorces action figure on display at the launch of the new toys at RAF NortholtPhotograph: Oli Scarff/Getty Images2009: HM armed forces action figures, (left to right) Royal Marine commando, an army infantryman, and a Royal Air Force pilotPhotograph: Character Group/PA2009: A member of the armed forces poses next to a HM armed forces action figurePhotograph: Oli Scarff/Getty Images2009: Children playing with toy action figures at the launchPhotograph: Martin Argles/Guardian2009: Armed forces uniforms for childrenPhotograph: Martin Argles/Guardian2009: Group of HM armed forces action figures on displayPhotograph: Oli Scarff/Getty Images
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.