Starting of action figures

       Fighting Man Action Figures
       In 1964-1969 ,There is  development of G.I.Joe Action Figures by step by step . The original of development is in 1964. From success in barbies doll  for girl and popular film "The story of G.I. Joe " in those time , Hasbro see it's potential and decided to lunch many and many action figures in 1964 , World War II theme G.I. Joe Action Figures, 11 1/2 inch tall . First lunched G.I.Joe action figures were 4 types. Each type stands for branch of the U.S. Armed Force.
     In 1966 , A Vietnam Green Baret action figures was lunched ,Other country such as Japan, Germany, Grance ,England, USSR , Australia strted to produce G.I. Joe action figures .too.
       Unsuccess in the  female G.I. Joe market that was lunch in 1967 make it unproduce for 30 years. At same year , Talking figures began to be sold in toy market.

G.I. Joe

     G.I. Joe is so famous in world of action figures.   It is a line of  military themes. Hasbor toy company produce and launch in to toys market.  Word "G.I. Joe" is come from Government Issue. And is meaning of U.S soldier , From beginning of producing G.I. Joe mean of 4 type of U.S. Armed Forces such as
                   - Army ( Action Soldier )
                   - Navy ( Action Sailor )
                   - Air force ( Action Pilot )
                   - Marines ( Action Marine )
        Now G.I. Joe emphasis in ground forces , action soldier.
        Hasbro use G.I. Joe in two tpye of toy line
                  1. The original 12-inch line that started producing in 1964 . The 12-inch line was licensed to Palitoy company in England , and known as  Action Man.
                  2. The 3 3/4 -inch with its accessories line was produced in 1982 . Its accessories are vehicles ,playsets, and It's story that was related to team and Cobra command . In U.S. this line was related to series of Real American Hero .
        Later , Action Man made new name as Action Force by unchanging product .

Decision between Toy Bitz & United States

    U.S. law divides differently characteristic between dolls and toys for limit their tariffs. Toys are nonhuman creatures and dolls are human creatures. Because dolls' duties are higher than toys'. Result that Marvel Comics argued that their  action figures such as  X-Men are nonhuman creatures to pay tariff in toy rate.
        On January 3,2003 . Court judge to pay reimbursement to Toy Bizs for paid taxes.

Joint on Action Figures

   Normally, feature of action figures have articulation or joints on body. These joints are  between  head and body , leg and body , arm and body, All are 5 mainly joint in body ,Including bending knee,rotating waist,.
   There are term of joint that called type of joint. example for

•  Cut joint is a term that meaning rotation at arm and shoulder ore rotation at head and body .
•  T joint is a term that joint between hip and leg that make lec  moving 180 degree in front direction and  back direction .
•  Ball joint is a term that body can move up and down in vertical direction and  left and right in horicontal direction . easy say "move in every direction such as joint at head and body.

    All cut, T , Ball Joint sometime was considered as a pin joint.
    Over the year , a number of joints and type of joints are used in variety  by designer.
    In 1980s, Most popular action figure, G.I. Joe  used  The most of joint on it's body while  one another most popular action figure, Masters of the Universe, used  the least of joint on it
    In 2000s  Toy Biz's  used  more and more joints on it's body ,even dominating joint at the toes , fingers and abdomen.

Raw material of action figures

   In action figures prototype production of process there are many sculpting tools to be used, Mainly tools are Aluminium wire and modeling clay.
   Modelling clay is softly material that is used in sculpting. It has been spread in using by human for thousand years to manufacture sculptures.Modelling clay were divided in four type

1. Firing clay, water based material
2. Oil based clay , mixtured of waxes, oil , clay mineral. This type was used to produced prototype of action figures.
3. Polymer clay , was used in action figure industry.
4. Paper clay, was used in seramic industry. it easy to be cracked.

     Action figures is made of plastic resin. Each part of action figures was produced from different type of plastic. as below

• Main body is produced from  acrylonitrile butadiene (ABS) due to it is a harder plastic.
• Accessory part is produced from plolpropylene and polyethylene , due to it is a softer plastic.
• Costume part such as body suits, capes, face masks, is produced from rayon and nylon
  

   For complicated toys , Producer will use small electronic part to contact on for giving sound effects and light.

Type of packaging

  From beginning ,There are many ways to package action figures by manufacturing company , detail of each method are in below.

•   Carded bubble packaging . Commonly, the manufacturing company use this method to package the product. By using colorful card and clear plastic bubble wrap the product and attached by using glued. The buyer can see action figures toy through clear plastic bubble. Example for this method is Hasbro's and Kenner packaging of Star Wars .
  
•   Window box packaging .Action figures are contained in sturdy thin cardboard box that in front of box is cut out filled by thin soft plastic. So buyers can see theirs action figures in colorful box.Example of theis method is Mego corporation product in 1970s.
•   Tube packaging . By using cylindrical or oval in shape of PVC plastic tube. contain product . It is new method.Example of this method is  Hasbro company product.
•   PVC packaging .This method is popular in present . By using cleat PVC plastic instead of cardboard contain Acton Figures . And fill artwork at surface of clear plastic so it is beautiful and wanted for customer .

  Each of packaging method is targeted to draw action figure collector to  buy .

Design process of Action Figures

        Design process time of each Action Figures prototype  from beginning to complete work is about two weeks, Up to sculptor's skill and details of works. Step of design as below

1. Selects the character then sketches it.
2. Creat a clay prototypes by using bending aluminium wires to from the main structure of the figure,called it as armature. After finished action figures armature , add clay to it and shape it as designs.in adding clay procees, Scutptor may make finer detils on seperately parts such as arm ,leg,head to get more complete work and later attachment.
3. This step started when having finish clay adding process. The sculptor will add detail of eye,mouth, nose,and costume. If costume part was added later, the sculptor will not add detail of costume.Sometime the sculptor will use aluminium foil to keep part of clay form. Then the sculptor will take it baked to harden the clay.

        When the clay baking process is complete. Prototype will be send to manufacture company for checking. The toy manufacture company will produce action figures mold for form plastic piece from this prototype .
  

Accessories of Action Figures

  Action Figures manufacturing company produce their some product by adding it's accessories such as  production G.I. Joe action figures with hand fastened weapons or sculpted guns , Military action figures with missile launchers.In mid 1990s , Marketing technic of action figure production with accessories decrease due to concerning about safety. Such as water-squirting weapon of the joker action figures was conbine with body ,unremove. Nearly now build-a-figure concept was popular by Marvel Legends, including a part of body in each figure of every series that appeal to consumer buying every figures series. DC Universe Classics was influented by this concept. Figures was include in pack-in comic book or display base to appeal to the action figures collector. So some of accessories production was display purposes ,not play value.

History after 2000

         At now , The toys manufacturing companies such as Justice League Unlimited and Master of the Universe revival procuded a lot of action figures for adults collector market . These action figures were splendid and highly detailed for collector. In addition to comic book company lunched action figures into toys market by unconsidered the figures showed on the film.
        Adults figures market are specific at niche market such as chain store  rather than mass market , specificed in comic conventions and mail-in . This events raise  more figures marlet value . New technic of toys manufacturing company such as short-packed and errors appeal to adult figure collector.
      

in 1980-2000 of Action Figures

   
         In 1980s , Action Figures were popular , One reason They were built on cartoon series ,big marketing tool of toy manufacturing.These were successful action figures such as  G.I. Joe,Thundercats,etc.  That time popularity of Japanese robot cartoons, example Gundum, led to Takara reproduce in Micro Robots. Changing robot concept from cybrog robot to living robot caused Micro Change line of Toys . Robots were transformed from any objects sucha as car, The Transformers. At the end of 1980s more collectors began to collect original version of each series. One of most popular collection is ninja turtles action figures . At the mid 1990s a lot of Star War action figures were produced and flooded over toys market. That evidence action figures were not produced for kids.Developing of media such as newspaper, toy magazine,and  internet led to crazy collecting action figures
       In 1999, The study showed that action figures have more and more muscular from beginning to now so It would might cause image intortion in gender.