It’s a name not associated with Star Trek for decades – but when you think of the Trek merchandise of the 1970s and 1980s, Mego Toys was the name for all sorts of playtime fun, from the iconic Original Series action figures to their battery-powered communicator walkie-talkies and cassette-tape tricorders.
Mego Toys’ time with the franchise was so notable for the era, they served as the centerpiece for May’s Star Trek special episode of The Toys That Made Us on Netflix — but while Mego went out of business in 1983, today they’ve returned to life, and they’re bringing Star Trek figures back, too!
Announced today by Mego Toys and Target — the exclusive home of these Trek revival products beginning July 29 — the classicly-design products will debut at San Diego Comic Con before moving to retail stores across the United States with three waves of releases between July and November 2018.
Here’s the full press release on today’s announcement:
Iconic Action Figure Brand Mego Returns Exclusive to Target
Hit toy line makes retail comeback for a new generation driven by fan demand
New York, New York – July 11, 2018 – Mego Corporation is proud to announce the return of the ground-breaking action figure toy line, Marty Abrams presents Mego™, which will be available exclusively at Target this August.
The first wave will include characters from hit properties like Star Trek, DC and I Dream of Jeannie. Each will have a unique serial number and be produced in a limited run of 10,000.
“This has been 30 years in the making and I’m excited to give my loyal fans and their kids something new and amazing to play with,” said Martin Abrams, Co-Founder and CEO of Mego Corporation. “We wanted to recreate a line that provides that nostalgic feeling of seeing a display of action figures they had as a child, and to share that with their own children.”
Marty Abrams presents Mego™ will be revealing the new line at San Diego Comic-Con (booth 830), July 19th – 22nd. Comic-Con guests will have a unique opportunity to purchase a limited number of the new action figures before they launch at Target. All items will be signed by Marty Abrams and a special celebrity guest.
Target’s corporate news site revealed some more information on what to expect when the new toys return to stores at the end of the month, including a (small) look at the first addition to the Star Trek line — an 8″ Lieutenant Sulu figure, styled after George Takei’s classic character.
While Diamond Select actually issued a high-priced, Mego-style Sulu figure in their “Retro Figures” lineup, Sulu and Chekov didn’t actually make the cut for the original 1970’s Mego product line.
The packaging preview also features a hint towards additional Trek releases, showcasing both the Gorn (from “Arena”) and Mark Lenard’s Romulan Commander (from “Balance of Terror”) — but the company hasn’t officially confirmed the future Trek releases yet.
Here’s a full-size photo of the Sulu figure (out of packaging) provided to TrekCore, featuring the helmsman in his classic Starfleet uniform, with phaser, tricorder, and curiously-holstered communicator in tow.
Each release will be limited to 10,000pc and expects to retail at around $14.99, and we expect to see more official imagery when the toys are officially unveiled next Friday at Comic Con.
We’ll bring you those, along with more information these revival releases, as it becomes available.
Keep checking back to TrekCore for the latest in Star Trek product news!