Some of the most pleasant childhood memories are not even what you might expect them to be. Sure, there are memories of loved ones, and special times and places that bring you back to a time and a place long past. If you are lucky, there may be certain things - songs or scents or even similar sites - that take you back to those happy times.
For me, several Beatles albums can transport me to very different places. Listening to the Abbey Road record brings me back to a week that my brother and I spent in Marly-le-Roi, a suburb of Paris back in the summer of 1985. Some other very well known Beatles songs bring me back to Taverny, another Parisian suburb. Rubber Soul brings me back to Lake George, New York, where I actually purchased that album (in cassette form). And Revolver brings me back to my grandparent's old home in Liberty, New York. Beyond music, there are other things that hold specific memories for me. I was lucky to find a European Popy Jumbo Machinder (Goldorak, or Grendizer in English) in the town of Suza, in northwestern Italy, from the one-day visit to Italy that my parents, my brother and I took while visiting the Alps in the summer of 1987. Secret Wars and Mego figures, as well as a French carded Destro action figure, also bring me back to that summer in Europe. Marvel's Secret Wars, particularly issues 7-9, as well as G.I. Joe issues 7, 25, and 29, and to a lesser degree, the Transformers issues 1-3 also bring me back to France, during the summer of 1985. Going back to our first summer vacation in France, I got a rather large (for a seven-year child, anyway) model of the Eiffel Tower which was lopsided, and also cut off at the top. Yet, I love it, and it still reminds me of that summer of 1982, when I first remember visiting the Eiffel Tower, and just how excited I was.
But not every childhood memory is necessarily of something so special or unique. In fact, some memories are of things that do not take you back to more exotic places or events. Sometimes, you just get awed by something, perhaps a toy. That happened to me several times, actually. I remember feeling very excited when I finally got the Destro figure months, perhaps almost a year, after he had been taken off the shelves, when Jamesway suddenly had some of the old figures. There was quite a crowd there!
I remember being very excited about finally getting the Actarus and Alcor figures from the Goldorak cartoon and comic series that were extremely popular in France in the late-70's and early-80's. My father had stayed behind in France for six months after the rest of us left and moved to the United States, and he had promised that he would bring those figures with him for me. On the day when he was to come back, I tried to stay awake late into the night, but I fell asleep. I woke up the next morning with a brand new Actarus figure in it's box on one lower leg, and a brand new Alcor action figure on the other. Man, I was excited! It was perhaps the nicest feeling that I ever had after receiving a present.
Another such moment for me happened when I finally got a Darth Vader figure. This was more or less either shortly before, or shortly after, the Return of the Jedi was in the theaters. That was the figure that I had been waiting for longer than any other, and my parents got it for me after I had brought home a report card that was to their satisfaction. We were driving home from the Pathmark shopping mall in Kinnelon, New Jersey at the time (presumably where we got it), and I remember looking at the then still unopened figure in the dark, and trying to make out the picture and the actual action figure, which contrasted sharply against the yellow backdrop.
Those details I cven remember even to this day, well over three full decades have passed since then, because it meant something to me. There was a bit of magic that I felt towards it.
While my experiences with the excitement over some of these things, like the Goldorak-related toys, or perhaps with the specific issues of Marvel. Surely, not too many kids my age at the time were as into the Beatles (and the Stones, as well as a few other bands, like the Animals) as my brother and I were, and so they probably do not have quite the same memories, with that emotional tug attached.
But some others, like the G.I. Joe figures, or some Transformers, or the Star Wars figures, I certainly am not alone in. Star Wars, specifically, enjoyed phenomenal levels of popularity. That first movie, which I was too young to go and see, let alone appreciate, changed everything for many kids. Indeed, it was a game-changer. And the original Hasbro action figures were extremely popular at the time, as well, of course.
Not surprisingly, many adults still hold a soft spot for those original action figures, that includes me.
So, it is a pleasant bit of news to hear that Target will be offering re-released versions of those original Star Wars action figures from the 1970's. The cards will look very similar, if not almost identical. For people who care about details, which also includes me, this is kind of a big deal. It makes all the difference.
That does not mean it will feel as magical as it once did. Although a tiny part of you does remember, and can still remember that excitement and magic. And by remembering, we can relive that little bit of magic, even after all of these years have passed.
If you, like me, are interested in these figures for the sentimental value that they hold for you, bringing you back to a distant time and place mostly long gone and largely forgotten, then perhaps it will interest you, as it interested me, to see that these figures are making a comeback. Nothing against the more modern Power of the Force figures that were released in the 1990's, but they just were not the same thing!
Here is the link to this article about the re-releasing of the original Kenner-style action figures by Target:
Hasbro has re-released classic 1970s Star Wars action figures Let's open these things. By Anthony Breznican May 23, 2019
https://ew.com/movies/2019/05/23/hasbro-retro-star-wars-action-figures/?fbclid=IwAR0v8aGxq1-VBTI1cb-LAdm5SYyCk6dBS5L7xn7y9OiPXsx7BR34kjdjApY
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