November 10, 2012
This week The Editor’s and Staff present a new rotating Saturday feature, The Treasure Chest of Terrible Toys. This does not mean that Saturday Comics is gone, it just needs a breather. Don’t worry, it will be back.
“Who loves ya, baby?” No, that’s not Mr. Blog hitting on someone at closing time, that’s the famous catch phrase of 1970’s New York’s #1 cop, Kojak:
For some reason they replaced that iconic opening with… this… generic… thing…
If you stop that last clip at the 25 second mark you see Kojak making the scene at my part of town, the Coney Island boardwalk.
Kojak was an insanely popular show. It was a tough and gritty cop show and I do mean gritty- his police station looked absolutely filthy and his assistant, Stavros, was an utter slob. Hard to believe, but this guy was Telly Savalas’ brother.
I have many early memories of myself, as a young Mr. Blog, going to sleep while the Kojak theme played from the living room tv at the other end of the apartment.
But not only was Kojak a number one cop drama, it was also a Saturday morning hit with the kids, #1 in the ages 8 to 18 demographic.
Wait? It wasn’t? Are you sure? Then how do you explain this?
Removable costume? Would you ever want to take off that pinstripe gangster suit monstrosity? Not me.
This toy comes with a gun, lollipops, and a cigar. In 2012 none of those would make the cut. When is the last time you saw a child’s toy that promoted smoking? And while we are at it, when was the last time you saw a toy from an adult cop show directed at kids? Did Hill Street Blues have a toy line? Law and Order SVU? And did Toy “R” Us carry a line of Homicide: Life on the Street playsets?
And speaking of playsets, Kojak had one too, though I could only track down the ads, not the actual toy.
Not only do I want that set, I really want that other figure, which may be a crook, a narc, or judging from his pose in the first picture, some guy demanding Kojak’s lunch money.
The holiday season is coming up and I want that set. Really, is $8.88 too much to spend on your old pal Mr. Blog?
Mr. Blog's Tepid Ride 
This I find kind of hard to believe. They should’ve done toys for ” Homicide : Life on the Street “. There was also a late – night / early morning detective show called ” Night Heat “, produced in Canada, aired on CBS that my mom liked back in the 70s.
What about a line of NCIS action figures ? I could imagine an ” Abby Sciuto ” doll with applicable tattoos & Goth gear, myself, or ” BONES ” with a lab for Dr. Brennan & a series of experimental lab gizmos for Hodgins. 😉 I like both series.
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Awesome find. The stuff from the sales paper is priceless 70’s gauche.
I enjoy his suit too as an action figure! Is that a zoot suit? haha
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Now that was a TV show!
I’d never heard of Kojak toys but agree they are a terrible idea. Like, why?
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