Posted By Dan Greenfield on Nov 27, 2015 | 3 comments

It’s time to bring back the original Mego.

Between Figures Toy Company and Diamond Select Toys, it’s not just a Mego Renaissance, it’s a second Mego Golden Age.

It’s not just that everything old is new again — World’s Greatest Super-Heroes (both DC and Marvel), Star Trek, Planet of the Apes — it’s that everything new is new again, like Batman ’66 and a raft of characters never done before.

But the one who remains missing is the one who started it all: Action Jackson.

“Raction Jackson”

I saw those commercials and needed to have Action Jackson. I wasn’t allowed G.I. Joe because my mother didn’t believe in war toys. Good for Mom!

But Action Jackson was OK, because he wasn’t a soldier so much as he was an adventurer. If memory serves me right, I first had a black-haired, bearded one but something happened to it and he was quickly replaced (or maybe joined by?) a dark-haired clean-shaven model.

I had a frogmen’s sled, a football outfit, a karate gi, with multiple belt colors, a snowshoeing get-up and a firefighter’s outfit.

My God, I loved Action Jackson. I didn’t call him that, though. I called him Bob Greenfield.

Bob and me at my sister’s birthday party.

A few years ago, with Bob long gone, I happened upon an Action Jackson at a comics show and bought it pretty much for a song and then got my hands on a custom replica box.

So for all intents and purposes, I’m set.

But wouldn’t it be cool if FTC or DST brought him back for real? Figures Toy Company is the more obvious choice because it’s far more in their wheelhouse than in DST’s.

I’ve suggested to Figures Toy they do this — with a hook, which I’ll explain. I’ll tell you this: My experience is that they do listen to feedback and suggestions. They’re a small company and anything but monolithic.

So if you respond well to this story, we might be able to get something going.

Now here’s the thing, I’m not necessarily thinking that Action Jackson should be reintroduced with his classic adventure outfits. I’m just not sure that’s cost effective for a company their size.

Instead, what if Action Jackson came back in his basic blue jumpsuit and his outfits — sold separately — were, say, Batman ’66 henchman costumes? Catwoman’s tiger-striped men …

… or Penguin’s GOONs? That sort of thing.

See, this is a two-birds-one-stone deal. Action Jackson aficionadoes get a new version of an old favorite but Batman ’66 fans get characters they might not ordinarily get.

When it comes to Batman ’66 henchmen, you don’t need to worry about actors’ likenesses. They’re the Red Shirts of the ’66 universe. And with DST introducing generic Red Shirts, why can’t FTC do the same, but with the added bonus of giving us Action Jackson?

And it doesn’t have to just be Batman ’66. Maybe this is a chance to add other clothes, like a GCPD cop — to go with that upcoming GCPD Van? There are so many possibilities.

So let us know what you think in the comments below or in whatever social-media thread you saw this.

Because if enough of us ask for it, we might just get it.