When science fiction invaded Christmas

Steven Woolfolk -

“The invasion of science fiction toys successfully conquered the world in the 1950s and 1960s.”

Anyone who has been in a toy store (or the toy area of the big box stores) knows that science fiction toys are a major draw. However, this wasn’t always the case. In the early parts of the 20th century, science fiction toys were rare exceptions. The toys that children were aware of before 1950 were limited, and typically were informed by the toys in the Christmas catalogs of the major catalog stores. One of the classics is the Sears Christmas Catalog that came every year around Thanksgiving. Many kids (myself included) went through the yearly ritual to identify things they wanted on their Christmas list. 

In the 1930s, there were only a few science fiction toys available, such as Buck Rogers, Og the Caveman, Superman, and later, Flash Gordon. The science fiction/fantasy toys of the 1930s and 1940s were primarily derived from comic strips, radio, and serials, and then later from comic books, and eventually, from TV and films. To look at the rise of science fiction in the toy world, it is best to begin with the Sears Christmas Catalog archive. Looking at the period from 1940 to 1969, the number of science fiction toys advertised each year saw a meteoric rise. 

In the late 1950s and 1960s, radio and television took over toy advertising. Note: the toys discussed in the balance of this article are typically considered ‘boy toys’ (the subject of gendered toys is a whole other topic that deserves its own article), as toys specifically marketed to girls did not seem to go through this sudden change in advertising. However, many girls, like my sister, were very involved in farm and western playsets or other toys that were not consistent with gender stereotypes reflected in the marketing.

The Sears Christmas catalog in 1941 had only a 5-in-1 Rocket Shot Marble Game. As you can see from the graph, science fiction toys did not represent a significant contribution to the range of toys before 1950. At that time, the toys were primarily associated with characters from public entertainment. The earliest science fiction toys included:

• Buck Rogers 25th Century Electric Junior Caster (for making lead Buck Rogers figures)

• Paper playsets

• Ray guns

• A Tootsietoy space cruiser

• Various other figures and vehicles

One of the early independent toy companies (one that did not appear in the big store catalogs), Archer Plastics Inc, began producing spacemen, aliens, futuristic vehicles, and eventually space playsets:

• Outer Space Set (circa 1952, perhaps the first space-related playset)

• World of Tomorrow Set

• The War of the Worlds playset

In the 1950s and 1960s, Marx Toys was a major producer of toys, including science fiction toys. This includes Tom Corbett Space Cadet toys and playsets, and their various spinoffs, like Captain Solar playsets. Superior Toys (aka T Cohn) was another major independent producer of science fiction toys, like Captain Video toys and playsets.

There were many other independent companies in the 1950s and early 1960s whose toys tended to be sold in the five-and-dime stores of the day. However, some of the older science fiction toys were made with a very poor-quality plastic, so they are very rare today, and difficult to find intact. The J. H. Miller company’s Earth Invaders series, with 18 alien characters (including a “one-eyed-one-horned flying purple people eater”) is a prime example. 

With the rise of science fiction books and films at the end of the 1950s and into the 1960s, science fiction toys exploded onto the market. This change appears to be driven by television and film (see Movie posters: Beloved collectibles in Tumbleweird’s September 2024 issue) as the toys were tied into this cinematograph media. Modern toy companies like Mattel and Hasbro became household names. Saturday morning cartoons and children’s television were also a major influence on advertising, especially during the Christmas season. With the release of the Star Wars films (and to lesser extent, Star Trek), the invasion of science fiction toys became a tidal wave.

Our toys tend to reflect the influence of science fiction in our culture. The science fiction invasion appears to have conquered the content of our Christmas toys, and they are still a major influence in our culture. Santa Claus is now a science fiction aficionado and distributor of science fiction toys! The invasion of science fiction toys successfully conquered the world in the 1950s and 1960s, and continues to this day. 

For further information about early science fiction toys, consult the references below. And come visit us at the shop!

XENOPHILE BIBLIOPOLE & ARMORER, CHRONOPOLIS

2240 Robertson Drive, Richland

References:

  • The Big Toy Box at Sears: 1951–1969, Classics Toy Soldiers, Inc, 1997.
  • Young, S. Mark, et al, Blast Off, Dark Horse Books, 2001.
  • Wells, Stuart W. III, Science Fiction Collectibles Identification & Price Guide. Krause Publications, 1999.
  • Trumbasch, T. N, Space Adventure Collectibles, Wallace-Homestead Book Co, 1990.
  • Hanlon, Bill, Plastic Toy, Dimestore Dreams of the ‘40s & ‘50s, Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 1993.
  • Catalogs & Wishbooks: https://christmas.musetechnical.com/

Steven Woolfolk is the owner of Xenophile Bibliopole & Armorer, Chronopolis, a rare books specialty bookstore in Richland, online at Xenophilebooks.com.