The Original Edition
First Editions – At their debut season, Big Jim action figures came out in a small blue box with red and white stripes. The entire 1972 toy line was split from the beginning in three sub lines: the Basic Line, the Adventure Line and the Sports Line, being the sport one the first which hits the shelves as with the sub line name "All Star". Simultaneously, Mattel released an almost identical figure named Mark Strong, The Man from Mattel© in Europe. He was Big Jim's former concept, and at first sight looks exactly the same as Jim, and came with same accessories. A close inspection of the crotch piece reveals Mark's is in fact, more fragile. Jim's piece has thicker junctions.
The Basic line was composed mostly of figures which came almost naked, with minimal clothes or accessories. The original basic Big Jim came simple dressed in orange shorts with white stripes. Came with a karate board, a dumbbell and test of strength belt. Jack was an identical, figure, with only a different head. He was one of the first African American related toys ever produced in the United States that represents a minority in a plain, simple and respectful way.
The Basic line also included the first incarnations of Josh and Jeff. Jeff is an Aussie type figure dressed with shorts and brown hat. Came with chopping knife with chest belt and a bamboo stand. Josh is supposed to be the tough guy, a bearded woodsman figure fully dressed in denim vest and shorts with brown boots. He was the only one which came with vest and shoes.
All four basic figures had a mechanism that simulated the bulge of a biceps when the arm was bent.
The adventure series was composed mostly of camping and explorer vehicles, and these were the first playsets ever made in the entire toyline. Three animals were released with this first wave: a gorilla, a rhino and a crocodile. To date, the "hunt the crocodile" set is one of the most recognizable among all Big Jim toys.
The entire Sports line was composed of different versions of Jim only dressed as a sportsman. He was a baseball player, a hockey player, a pugilist, and even an eagle ranger. The eagle which came with this set became an instant icon of the entire line, and it is one of the most beloved Big Jim toys ever. For this reason, this same eagle was repeatedly produced and included with several different versions of Jim along the years.
From the first wave of Big Jim toys probably the most strange of all was the one dressed as a nuclear plant worker, especially because he had no relation at all with any other of the themed figures.
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