Did the SAS get sent in first?

[SteveD]

WARNING - Totally geeky variant freak obsessed post follows. If you're not arsed, look away now....

I've been having a good look at the SAS MOC's as part of my sorting stuff out and have noticed that I have some that have Series 1 style bubbles (with "feet" on the bottom like Star Wars figures had too).

These seem to be really early Series 2 figures, as some of the cards even have a "Free Action Force Comic inside Battle, Eagle and Tiger" print on the card, placing them around May/June 1983 by my reckoning. Later figures seemed to have stickers over this bit advertising different things, before we got the dull "collect them all". Later figures also got different bubbles it seems. My SAS Pilots even have a different cardback sometimes, with the mail away offer on a different side (see pic). Has anyone ever peeled the sticker off to see what is beneath it? - the one shown above on the left has it printed directly onto the card.

Now, the figures in question were acquired many moons ago as a very dusty old set of shop stock, most of which had fallen off their bubbles in the box, and are now the larger part of the loose SAS army, but these I salvaged.

Anyway, enough waffle, the questions - does anyone know whether all of the ranges were released simultaneously, or whether there was a staggered release? Hence, were the SAS sent in first? Does anyone have any other Forces on Series 1 cards? (that's the main question!). Am I reading too much into it? Is it just likely they used up old bubbles for the first run?

Dave - I suspect this is one for you - does anyone know the actual date that Action Force series 2 was first released? I'd always assumed it was after the stories started in BAF, but based on this "splash" on the SAS guy it seems not?

Okay, geekyness over, onto the pictures....


"Let us out"


Okay then:-








"Baby Got Back" (sorry, obscure Sir Mix A Lot reference there):-

[SteveD]

Sorry, just realised it's the Commando's I took the pic of the backs of, not the Pilot (like you care!)

[The Baron]

Re. the release date vs the comics, I can tell you that the 4-part Action Force strip featured in Battle has the Prototype vehicles used. The Swordfish and Cosmic Cruiser are both the catalogue editions and we also have the unreleased cardboard Space Force base in it. Those issues are dated 04 - 25 June 1983.

I'm reasonably certain I had the promo mini-comics at the same time I had the toys, I remember re-enacting Jungle Ambush with my Boat Patrol. They were released in July and August.

"This is what you get..."
"When you mess..."
"WITH THE !"
Kaboom.

[SteveD]

Cool - cheers Baron - I'm missing a few of those very early issues from my BAF set, but going to be studying the two I do have tonight to look at that now.

Also, just realised that on the Swordfish box pic Phones has the painted Cobra Commander pistol. I know we had a threadon this before, but never realised on the pic on my box he had it too.

"Give me that here, bitch"
"But, but, but - it's mine...."
"Not anymore - looks crap in black though, Leviathon, pass that red Humbrol...."

[Dave Tree]

It was a staged release.

I think Q-force and Space Force came after Z and SAS, but I can't remember where I read that, I think it's mentioned in the 83 trade catalogue. I'm pretty sure there are no dates, but can take a look see.

Dave.

[Golden Puma]

I think it's quite clear that when the memo about no vodka in the elevenses OJ was circulated at the Palitoy factory it was taken far from seriously.

[Dave Tree]

Dave - I suspect this is one for you - does anyone know the actual date that Action Force series 2 was first released? I'd always assumed it was after the stories started in BAF, but based on this "splash" on the SAS guy it seems not?

Ok, just looked it up and I was right, it was a rolling start with the teams.

SAS, Z-Force and The Enemy were launched in April 1983, with Q-Force and Space Force later in the year.

Thinking this through earlier on a different subject, the possible reason for the delay for the Q's and Space's was because all the vehicles for these two were Palitoy designed.
SAS, Z and The Enemy all incorporated JOE toys, of which it would have been easy to duplicate moulds or use existing moulds, meaning faster and cheaper production turnaround as all the hard work was done already. The Shadowtrack was based on an earlier model too, so that was easy to push out.
The product development process on designing and then making the Cosmic Cruiser, Sat Def, Swordfish and Stingray would have been far longer and possibly the reason why these teams were not released at the same time as the others.

Anyway, hope that helps

Dave.