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The First Action Figures
The first time the term of "action figures" was ever being used was when Hasbro began creating GI Joe figures in 1964, specifically targeted to boys who wouldn't play with dolls. This figures were about 11.5 inches tall, had interchangeable clothes for different clothes, and about 20 points of articulation. https://www.manofactionfigures.com/content/hot-toys-and-sideshow-collectibles -
Superhero action figures come to life
In the beginning of 1971, MEGO started creating 8 inch action figures of both Marvel and DC Comics superheros and supervillians. Many figures had interchangeable parts for display purposes and about 15 points of articulation. -
Smaller Action Figures
In 1976 after Mego lost the rights to Star Wars, Kenner liscensed the brand and started producing Star Wars action figures to 3-3/4 inches with about five points of articulation. -
Transforming figures
In the 1980's, Takara-Tomy and Hasbro decided to make figures of the popular cartoons from Transformers with many accessories such as weapons and articulation to the point where the figures also could go from their robot mode to the vehicle or alt mode. -
Pretty Hot Toys
In 2000, Hot Toys took a stab at making extremely detailed, and expensive high end collectible figures. These figure were based on almost any popular movie with extreme likeness to actors, fabric and cloth clothing for their figures, interchangeable parts, weapons/accessories, and high articulation for display, butch the figures where in a 13 inch scale and cost hundreds of dollars. -
Marvel legends
In 2002, Toy Biz started created detailed 6 inch action figures with extreme paint details and high articulation such as double jointed knees and elbows, individual finger articulation, head articulation, butterfly joints, forearm and boot swivels, and ankle pivot to help with stabilizing the figure with build a figure pieces, accessories, and detailed bases, and for some time, they're action figures of all marvel characters where some of the best action figures. -
A new type of action figure
In the year 2008, a new company called Sh Figuarts started making action figures from popular fan bases with highly detailed and new types of engineering for the action figures with extreme detail in a 5.5 inch action figure line. The joints to the figures where very different from figures like marvel legends, for example, new types of butterfly joints, hinged hips to move up and down, neck hinges, advanced foot articulation fo better stability, and new abdominal joints for better dynamic poses.
