Action figure

An action figure is a poseable model of a character, typically made from plastic. It is often based on characters from films, comic books, video games, military history, television, or sports, and can represent either fictional or historical figures. These toys are generally aimed at boys and adult collectors. The name "action figure" was created by Hasbro in 1964 for their G.I. Joe line, to appeal to boys who would not play with "dolls"—a term used by competitors for similar products.

Precursors

The concept has ancient roots. Articulated dolls existed as early as 200 BCE in Greece and Rome, made from clay and wood. Later examples include artists' mannequins and Japanese ichimatsu dolls.

The modern ball-jointed doll emerged in Western Europe in the late 1800s, with French and German manufacturers producing bisque dolls strung with composition ball-joints. These ranged from 15 to 100 cm and are now collectible antiques. Another key precursor is the toy soldier, with military figures found in Egyptian tombs. Tin soldiers were made in Germany from the 1730s, using slate molds.

Hollow casting began in the 1890s, and polyethylene figures became common by the 1950s. The toy soldier market naturally gave rise to military-themed action figures. One early toy resembling modern action figures was Albert Schoenhut's "Humpty Dumpty Circus" from 1904, featuring articulated wooden figures.

1960s–1970s

In the 1960s and 1970s, Hasbro coined the term "action figure" for G.I. Joe in 1964. A similar toy, Johnny Hero, was sold by Sears in 1965 but was called a "boy's doll" because the term was not yet widespread. G.I. Joe was an 11.5-inch military figure with interchangeable clothes, created by Stan Weston.

Hasbro licensed the product internationally, leading to variations. In Japan, Takara produced G.I. Joe under license and created Henshin Cyborg-1, a figure with a transparent torso and chrome head. During the 1970s oil crisis, rising costs led Takara to shrink the cyborg toy to 3.75 inches, sold in 1974 as Microman.

This line introduced interchangeable parts and smaller figures, influencing later transforming robot toys. Mego began licensing Marvel and DC superhero figures in 1971, which became highly collectible. They also brought Microman to the U.S. as Micronauts. However, Mego lost the Star Wars license to Kenner in 1976.

Kenner’s 3.75-inch Star Wars figures, with molded-on clothing, became the industry standard, shifting toy lines from single characters with outfits to teams of specialized characters. Star Wars sales turned action figures into a major secondary business for movie studios. Mattel also produced the popular Big Jim line from 1972 to 1986.

The 1980s and 1990s saw many action figure lines based on cartoon series, which served as major marketing tools. Successful lines included Masters of the Universe, G.I. Joe, Thundercats, The Real Ghostbusters, and Super Powers Collection.

A 2005 Swedish study found that action figures with traditional masculine traits primarily target boys. While often marketed as children’s toys, action figures are widely accepted as adult collectibles, sometimes designed solely for display rather than play. They are also frequently used in stop-motion animation.