Mel Appel Extraterrestrials Collectible Figure
Item No.: n/a Manufacturer:Remco Includes:Easily lost paper slip (not shown), red or blue Caplug Action Feature:n/a Retail:$1.99 Availability: ca. 1982 Other: From the planet ROLOC
As long-time readers (both of you) recall, I had one of Remco's Extraterrestrial figures from when I was a kid and there is - or was - precious little information on them out there. So little, that when I found Trebor I didn't post about him here for nearly a year because that's how long it took a carded one to show up on eBay so I could figure out what this blue dog/cat thing was called. I took the pictures about a year ago and waited for something to show up. The pictures were before I cleaned him up using a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser or equivalent - I'm not buzz marketing so much as letting anyone who stumbles on this review trying to identify this toy to know how you can get the marks off of it rather easily.
This 4-inch alien is missing the "secret message" here so I can't easily find that. This one does have his red Caplug, reading (for you search engine people) "CAPLUGS EC-20" and "NAS-813-20." I've seen carded samples on eBay with red plugs, but this blog shows one with a matching blue plug instead. It says "TMAC 1982" on his bottom near the ground, and that's his only identifying mark. The unpainted blue figure has highly reflective green eyes which do a bang-up job distracting you from the fact this is cheap, hollow, rotocast vinyl unpainted figure. With sleeves, some sort of rank box, a backpack, and a collar of sorts around his neck he appears to be clothed. He's also got a weird veiny pattern on the top of his head, as well as pointy quasi-Vulcan ears.
He seems to be inspired by any of a number of shaven animals, from a dog to a giraffe to... I don't know what. With three long fingers on each hand and an equal number of digits per foot, this creature has his arms wrapped around himself as he squats down to stare into your soul like so many Margaret Keane paintings.
I'm not sure what the veins on the head are meant to represent, if anything. Talosians? Martians? I could make other jokes based on the toy's general shape, but we'll leave that for the adults in the audience to giggle about. Despite being a little marked up, he cleans up easily and as long as his eyes aren't damaged you'd probably be well-served to buy one if it shows up for sale at some point.
The little secret message can be seen on the Toy de Jour blog, if you wish to see it, and you should probably wish to see it.
16bit.com is best not viewed in Apple's Safari browser, we don't know why. All material on this site copyright their respective copyright holders. All materials appear hear for informative and entertainment purposes. 16bit.com is not to be held responsible for anything, ever. Photos taken by the 16bit.com staff. Site design, graphics, writing, and whatnot credited on the credits page. Be cool-- don't steal. We know where you live and we'll break your friggin' legs.
RSS 
