Blackstar

For those of you who don't know who Blackstar is, this was Galoob's 1983 attempt at a Sci-fi / Fantasy themed action figure toy line based on a cartoon series, which predates Mattel's He-Man and the Masters of the Universe action figures.

The Animated Series

The Blackstar animated series was produced in 1981 by Filmation, who would later also produce the He-Man animated series. Only 13 episodes of Blackstar were ever produced as the series and the action figures never quite caught on. At least not enough to keep the TV series and toy line going. 

I for one was and still am a huge Blackstar fan. In 1983 Galoob was also producing A-Team action figures, which were far more popular and successful than the Blackstar toy line. You can see the A-Team figures from my collection by clicking here.

Here is the synopsis of the Blackstar TV show:

All 13 episodes were released on DVD in 2006 however the set is no longer available. It appeared in stores only for a short time. I waited too long to buy the DVD set and missed out!!!

The DVD cover art.

Fortunately the first 7 episodes of Blackstar (Disc 1) were also included in another Filmation DVD set "Heroes and Heroines" which I have!

Perhaps one of the reasons that I like Blackstar is that he is in fact Tarzan! Of course, I don't have proof of this, but it seems quite obvious to me. Filmation had already produced a Tarzan animated series in the 1970s and in an effort to keep costs low, TV shows that used limited animation often reused key animation scenes over again. As Blackstar was produced in 1981 after Tarzan, animation scenes of Tarzan in action could have been reused simply by adding Blackstar's hair style, thicker eyebrows, necklace, wristbands, belt and boots to the existing artwork.....take a look at the Tarzan pictures below and see for yourself.

Tarzan by Filmation

 

Tarzan and his "twin brother" Blackstar, both by Filmation

This production cell image was found at this link. There are several other Blackstar and Filmation images at the same site.

 

Blackstar, action figures made by Galoob, 1983 - 1985

I've always been that weird kid who liked Blackstar action figures better than He-Man figures. LOL 

For one thing they are a bit bigger than He-Man figures and most of the figures are unique rather than a re-used mold in a different colour. They also came with glow in the dark weapons and small PVC figures of Trobbits or demons! Additionally, the second wave of figures in 1984 were revised to have a "Laser Light" feature added which was operated with a flicker mechanism that was similar to a cigarette lighter! How cool is that!!! 

However, with all the variations and characters, this series has been a challenge to collect. I still don't have Blackstar's dragon, Warlock, and there are a few more figures that I don't have. Blackstar figures have become very collectable today and, unfortunately, are also quite pricey. I doubt that I'll be adding new characters to the collection any time soon!

One curious thing that I've noticed about this series, despite what year the figures were actually released in between 1983 and 1985, every single figure in this collection is none the less marked with a 1983 copyright for Filmation.

Series 1

These are the original 1983 figures that did not have the "Laser Light" feature. There are 8 figures in this wave along with five Trobbits and the yellow demon. Accessories included Warlock (Blackstar's dragon steed), Triton (Kadray's flying bull), Blackstar's Spaceship, the Trobbit Wind Machine, The Battle Wagon, and the Ice Castle playset.

Blackstar and Mara with Balkar

The original 1983 Blackstar figure came with a small red fabric cape that was tied to his neck with a gold coloured thread. He also had a brown plastic scabbard that attached to his back (shown below). It held Blackstar's glow in the dark power sword... which I'm missing! 

The Mara action figure was only produced in 1983 and was dropped from the series in 1984 when series 2 was released. All of the figures in the first series came with glow in the dark weapons. Mara had a bunch of weird shaped accessories including one that went on her head as part of her helmet. All of the poseable figures from series one were made with rubber-like heads that are slightly flexible, however Mara's head is solid plastic.

The series 1 Blackstar came packaged with a random Trobbit PVC figure. Mara seems to have only been packaged with Balkar. As such, both of my figures came packaged with Balkar so I ended up with duplicates. I've confirmed that Blackstar can be found packaged with either Balkar, Poulo or Carpo. (The Trobbits figures are shown further below). 

Here is the back view.  Mara had a removable blue plastic piece on her back that may have been her hair. I always thought it was weird that her hair was removable.

I've noticed that this particular series 1 Blackstar figure in my collection (on the left) is a variation from the commonly available series 1 Blackstar figures (on the right), as the hole in his back for the scabbard is at the center of his back near the top, right through his necklace. The more common version of this figure has the hole at the lower right side of his back so that the scabbard will be off to one side, and will not interfere with the small red cape that was originally tied around his neck. Perhaps this variation is an earlier version of the figure that was made before the location of the hole was changed? In any case, this confirms that there are three versions of Blackstar. There are the two series 1 variations shown above, and the Laser Light version from series 2 shown further below on this page.

Overlord, Palace Guard, Kadray and a yellow demon

Here is the original Overlord from series 1 in 1983 along with the series 1 version of the Palace Guard and Kadray, all of which make use of the same arms and legs. This version of the Overlord figure originally came with a fabric cape that matched his burgundy outfit. His glow in the dark sword is identical to Blackstar's sword. Both of the other two figures originally came with different helmets which I'm missing. Kadray also came with a fabric cape and two yellow plastic decorative pieces that were attached to his chest (see the Lava Loc further below). All three of these series 1 villains came with the same yellow demon PVC figure. Below is the back view.

Gargo, Neptul, Tongo and a yellow demon

Here are three more bad guys from the first series. All of them share the same arms and legs and came packaged with a yellow demon. I can still remember taking the yellow tiger guy (Tongo) out of the package for the first time! I played with this figure a lot when I was a kid. His head fell off a few times, and eventually his hollow torso split open so that he became a fun 3D puzzle! The head used to be much brighter yellow, it has discoloured over time. He original came with a rectangular black case that attached to his back and held several short, glow in the dark weapons. The bat and the chicken (?) figures (Gargo and Neptul) were my brothers. He managed not to loose their weapons.

Notice Tongo's round medallion. This is the shape that was used for the Laser Light feature on the reissued villain figures in series two, as seen on the Overlord (shown below). Below is the back view of these figures. Gargo's plastic wings are removable as is Neptul's cape (unfortunately the plastic piece is broken but the cape is still attached). All of their weapons glow in the dark.

Here is a better look at Neptul's shield.

The Trobbits: Terra, Gossamer, Balkar, Poulo, and Carpo

Here are the series 1 Trobbits which are PVC figures. Yes, it is true that the name Trobbit is a rip off of the name Hobbit from Lord of the Rings. Each of the larger articulated Blackstar "good guy" figures (Blackstar and Mara) came packed with a Trobbit figure. 

As mentioned above, Mara came with Balkar, however Blackstar was randomly packed with either Balkar, Poulo or Carpo. The Trobbit with the big ears (Gossamer) and the one next to him on the left (Terra) were included with the Trobbit Wind Machine balloon vehicle. 

A sixth Trobbit, Rif (not shown), was made as part of series two and sold individually on a bubble card which is why that Trobbit is harder to find. He was also briefly packaged with the Wind Machine when the box for that toy was redesigned. All six Trobbits were also packaged individually on bubble cards with French text which suggests that they were sold in either France or Quebec.

A seventh Trobbit, named Burble, was seen on the TV show but a figure of him was oddly never produced. Poor Burble. I've seen custom made versions of Burble being sold online, so don't be fooled if you see it in an online auction. The figure is not a scarce find, they are customs! Burble figures were never produced by Galoob!

Back view of the Trobbits.

Here is the Trobbits Wind Machine, which is a hot air balloon type of vehicle. The balloon was essentially a beach ball that you inflate and attach the black rods to, which then attach to the ship. I'm missing one of the four black rods, and the ball no longer stays inflated as there are two small holes in it. The ship has three removable plastic balls that are the landing gear of the ship. They each have a smaller ball inside that allows the ship to roll forwards on the table or floor. The steering wheel turns though it doesn't actually affect anything. The Trobbit in the ship, Terra, and the one with the big ears, Gossamer, were included with this toy.

This is Blackstar's Spaceship which was a favourite toy of mine when I was a kid. This toy is in very rough shape as I played with it a lot, in the sandbox, in the bathtub, at school during recess, or in my bedroom. I have many fond memories of my childhood playing with Blackstar and this Spaceship. I love this ship and took these toys everywhere with me!

I was also very particular not to loose any of the pieces! There is only one piece missing which is the black plastic bar that went across as the seatbelt to hold Blackstar in place. Otherwise this ship is complete!

Unfortunately however, this ship has been discoloured as I once had it stored in a cardboard box that transferred the die of the cardboard onto the plastic where it was closest to the cardboard. You can see the darker brownish area where the plastic has been damaged and is no longer grey. Thankfully I had the Blackstar figures in a bag so they were protected. However, my Kenner Millennium Falcon was in the same box and had the same thing happen to it along with a bunch of other old collectable toys that were all damaged because of that stupid box! I tore that box to pieces and stomped on it, and threw it in the garbage when I realized what had happened! LOL That stupid box! Ever since then I will only store my toys in clear plastic bins, no more cardboard is ever coming near my collection again! I learned that lesson the hard way! My poor spaceships!!! Stupid box!!! LOL 

The ship has two missiles that each fire separately when the covering panel is opened and a small yellow button is pressed. The back panels open to access a storage area for all of the ship's pieces, and also allows for a Trobbit or two to stow away so that they can join Blackstar on his adventure! LOL

A side view of the Spaceship just for fun. The display base is removable.

I used to have the Overlord's Ice Castle too! Unfortunately the plastic that it was made out of became very brittle over time and so it broke into several pieces (darn it!). It's ironic that the ice castle has shattered! All that I have left of the castle is shown above. These are some of the accessory pieces that came with the castle: The Overlord's throne, the top section of the castle (this was a separate section that was attached during assembly), the gun and base (which fired suction cup missiles!) and the cardboard floor that was originally glued onto the base of the castle.

 Here is the back view. Everything is hollow!

 

Part of the cardboard computer that came with the Ice Castle.

 

Below is the balcony that attached to the inside of the castle. The curved line on the inside of the balcony is a groove for inserting a cardboard picture of a computer console that had a large screen showing Blackstar riding on his dragon Warlock (shown above). When I was a kid I cut the computer section off of the picture and just kept the screen section with Blackstar, which is shown above. (Click on it to enlarge the image.)

Series 2 "Laser Light" figures

For series two, all of the first series figures with exception of Mara were modified and reissued with the Laser Light feature. Mara was dropped from the toy line and replaced with Klone who I don't yet have. According to Tomart's Price Guide, these figures were added to the line in 1984.

Blackstar and the Overlord with the Laser Light feature. 

Blackstar's necklace was modified for the Laser Light feature, while the Overlord was given the medallion shape taken from the series 1 Tongo figure. The Laser Light figures did not come with fabric capes. Laser Light Blackstar can be found packaged with either Poulo or Carpo. Laser Light Overlord was packed with a pink demon.

Here is the back view showing the Laser Light mechanism. When you turn the wheel with your thumb it rubs a piece of flint, which makes a spark and lights up the inside of the figure. It's the same type of mechanism that a cigarette lighter has only without the lighter fuel! The flicker mechanism can be pulled out of the figure's back at the bottom end so that the flint can be replaced when it wears down.

Here are the series 1 Blackstar and the Laser Light Blackstar side by side. As you can see the Laser Light Blackstar is slightly smaller than the original figure. The same is true for Overlord, shown below.

In addition to being slightly smaller, the Laser Light Overlord has very differently sculpted legs from the original Overlord figure. They are much less muscular.

The Palace Guard, Kadray, Gargo, Neptul and Tongo were all reissued with the Laser Light feature. I don't have those versions of the figures in my collection but they all had Tongo's round medallion shape added to their chests, just like the Overlord shown above. Gargo's bat wings were modified as two pieces which attached into two holes set in his back near his shoulders, to accommodate the flicker mechanism. The figures that previously had capes did not come with capes, and any other accessories that attached to the figure's backs were no longer included.

All of these series 2 Laser Light villains came with different coloured demon figures. The Palace Guard can be found with an orange demon or a dark pink demon. Kadray came with a dark yellow demon. Neptul can be found with either an orange demon or a pink demon. Gargo came with a blue demon. Tongo came with the same yellow demon as series 1.

At this point the figure of Klone was added to the series. Klone is Blackstar's elf like friend who can transform into various creatures. Unfortunately I still don't have Klone though he is a really cool figure. He is an entirely new sculpt that does not reuse any parts from other figures, with exception of the Laser Light mechanism. He has removable arms and legs, and comes with pieces to transform him into a Cloud Cat.

All of the series 2 Laser Light figures were also packaged individually without a Trobbit or demon. Klone seems to have only been released on this single package. I have seen Blackstar, Overlord, Palace Guard, Kadray, Gargo, Neptul, Tongo and Klone in the single packages. 

Warlock (Blackstar's dragon) and Blackstar's Spaceship were also reissued in new colours. The original Warlock was dark green, while the reissued version was light green with yellow wings. This made absolutely no sense at all as Warlock was seen on the TV show and is supposed to be dark green. 

The Spaceship was reissued with a new red and yellow colour design, which honestly looked quite sharp, but also made no sense as the ship was seen on the TV show as well and was supposed to be grey. I was quite spoiled as a kid and had both versions of the ship! LOL I played with the grey one more often though, because that was Blackstar's "real" Spaceship!

When I was a kid I thought it would be fun to spray-paint the yellow wings with red paint. I have since cleaned off the red paint but the stickers were damaged, which is why there is red blotches on them. The stickers on each wing have large black block text that says "A1".

I added this picture to show how the missile compartments at the front open, as well as the storage compartments at the back.

Here are both ships side by side with all of the pieces. I am missing the black display base for one of the ships but they were both identical. I'm also missing the black plastic bar that served as the seatbelt for both ships (the bar was black for both ships). 

Series 3

All of these series 3 figures were new to the toy line and are only available with the Laser Light feature.

Vizir the Ice Castle Wizard, the White Knight, and Lava Loc

These three figures are all made with a different type of hard, hollow plastic rather than the solid PVC plastic that the rest of the figures are made with. They were also each given a uniquely shaped area for the Laser Light to light up, rather than reusing Tongo's medallion. 

Like most of the other Blackstar figures, Vizir the wizard has a soft rubber-like head. He also came packaged with a blue demon. Unfortunately I lost his glow in the dark staff. The White Knight came with a new PVC figure of a green goblin wearing armor. The goblin figure is painted in such a way that it looks like he's not wearing any pants! The Lava Loc came with a new yellow goblin PVC character that is wearing a green shirt, which I don't have in my collection. I've also seen Vizir, the White Knight, and Lava Loc each packaged on a single card without the extra PVC figures. 

The yellow pieces seen on the Lava Loc's chest are actually separate pieces that are attached. They are the same pieces that also came with series 1 Kadray in the same location on his chest (the Laser Light Kadray from series 2 did not come with those pieces). To my knowledge those pieces don't actually do anything, they're just decoration.

The White Knight and the Lava Loc are both missing the removable piece that holds the flint, as well as the flint, so the Laser Light no longer functions on those figures. However, if I had any duplicate Blackstar figures with the Laser Light feature, I could just remove the piece that is missing from the duplicate figure to add it to these ones, which would make them work again so long as there was a flint inside.

Here is a side view of the Lava Loc to show his face. He is the only figure in the entire collection in which the Laser Light feature lights up his entire head.

The last figure in series 3 that I'm missing is Meuton, a large yellow insect character. He came with a new PVC figure, the red creature shown below on the far right. I have never seen Meuton packaged on a single card without the PVC figure.

Demons and Goblins PVC figures that came with the bad guys.

The End

Here is another awesome site  all about Blackstar toys with more photos! The text is not in English though.

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