THE HISTORY OF ACTION FORCE The 1980's saw an explosion of new boys toys as diverse as transforming robots to fantasy warriors from all corners of the universe. The UK saw the launch of an updated version of the pocket toy soldier - Action Force. Globally, Action Force is generally perceived as the british cousin of GI Joe, the Real American Hero, which in part is true, but its influences stretch beyond that to include Action Man, Star Wars and multi-national corporate dealings. The story starts almost 20 years before the toys were launched, but it's important to understand the heritage to appreciate what happened with the toy line. The story begins in 1965 with a meeting between a British company called Casselloid and an American company known as Hassenfeld Brothers Inc. Casselloid approached Hassenfeld Brothers Inc (later to become Hasbro) for the UK rights to manufacture its new 1/6th scale boys 'doll', known as GI Joe. A licensing deal was struck and Casselloid's toy division, Palitoy, worked fast to re-brand and launch as Action Man in time for the Brighton Toy Fair in January 1966. Action Man was an instant hit and Palitoys fortunes drew the attention of the American foodstuff giant, General Mills, to buy Palitoy in 1968 as part of its diversification into toys. Action Man went on to develop away from Hasbro's GI Joe and Palitoy's design department introduced many new product innovations from realistic hair to gripping hands.
