Looking through a box I found upstairs I came across this Green Hornet bendable figure. Written on back: 1966 Twentieth Century Fox Television, Inc. and the Green Hornet Inc. MFG by Lakeside Ind Inc.
Not exactly in mint condition, although I’d never sell it anyway. You might’ve noticed that he looks like he’s been “rubbed out” by a gang of hoodlums, thanks to the tiny holes around his chest and stomach. However, the real story begins with the fact that this was a very early childhood toy of mine. I had several of these figures — poseable and non-poseable — ranging from cowboys and indians, to superheroes, to knights in armor, to common thugs. I would play a sort of cops & robbers, or probably more generally “good guys vs. bad guys”.
My mother told me I’d play for hours with these figures, setting up elaborate sets and story lines. Then when I got a little older, over 6 or 7, I graduated to the Mego Superhero line which of course enhanced the total experience. By the way, I found this online Mego Museum which unleashed a flood of memories!!
Anyway, since this was my own world, my own stories, modern day characters like Green Hornet and Batman would do battle with foes from past centuries like the knights and their swords. Well, poor Green Hornet would get poked every once in awhile with one of these swords (wounded, but not fatally) and since he was made of the bendable rubber substance he ended up carrying around these wounds forever (sorta like badges of honor). The mego figures would get messed up a bit, too, but their costumes were more repairable. Batman’s chest logo would fall off every so often during an exceptionally hard-fought epic battle, but could be glued back on.
The gloves that many of those Mego figures came with (or should I say mittens) were lost within the very first hour in my possession. And no effort was ever made by me to find them. Boots were never lost, though. Batman wouldn’t look cool running around in his stocking feet! I remember using my grandmother’s old bird cage, which made an excellent device for capturing superheroes. You would’ve thought I’d use the cage for jailing the Joker or Penguin etc., but I was greatly influenced by the Batman tv show. Invariably, there would be the initial battle, then the superheroes would be caught and they would experience tense moments of suspense before finally escaping and exacting justice.
I still have some of these figures but none are in good condition. They were banged up and scratched etc. during battles and being held captive in dastardly devices. The thought just crossed my mind that to adults these toys are worth more in their original packaging, and understandably so, but to the kids back then they were worth WAY more outside the package. With me, the packaging never survived the trip home from the store!