Mego Figures In Italy

Mego in Italy

Mego Barravelli

Baravelli was one of the most ambitious distributors of Mego products outside of North America. Baravelli not only carried Action Jackson as L'Amico Jackson (which strangely enough used a Mego Bruce Wayne Head in the advertising!) but they sold the Superheroes, Mad Monsters, Planet of the Apes and more. Much of their marketing tied around around Action Jackson getting involved with the other lines, a key to the success of the 8" format.

Action Jackson in Italy was advertised using Mego Bruce Wayne's head

It's not known why Baravelli chose to use Bruce Wayne's head for AJ, it's possibly they were contemplating using it but changed their minds when they recycled it for Tex Willer (see below). Below are a few examples of the wodnerful ads Baravelli used to market the Mego line. For more visit the Mego Museum.

action jackson ad

action jackson ad

action jackson ad

lili ledy aquaman
Superheroes Mad Monsters Super Gals Tarzan

Italian Superhero display box

Baravelli even produced display boxes for the superheroes in the Italian market

Italian Carded Soldier Ape

Baravelli Exclusives

Baravlli created many exclusives to their line, one of the most notable being the Knights Jousting Horse, few have been found and usually when they do they are expensive. For more info check out this page on the Mego Museum.

Tex Willer was a Baravelli exclusive

Tex Willer

Based on the best selling Italian comic Book series, Mego created a series of four using parts from the Western Heroes, Planet of the Apes and the World's Greatest Superheroes lines. Tex has become a popular chase item for modern day Mego collectors, for more info check out the comprehensive page at the Mego Tex Willer section

mego tex willer

action jackson ad

action jackson ad

lili ledy aquaman
Tex Willer Kit Willer Kit Carson Tiger Jack

the Mego Knights horse was a Baravelli exclusive

The Jousting Horse was also offered by Baravelli, although no boxed examples have been found.


Harbert took over from baravelli in the late 1970's

Harbert took over Mego distribution from Baravelli around 1977, they bought heavily into the 1975 dated Mego World's Greatest Superhero cards. Often the Fantastic Four are found to be US Cards simply stickered over with a Harbert Logo (many of these are hard to find as US versions because of this)

Harbert stickered over US carded Fantastic Four Figures- Could this picture suck more?

Eventually Harbert would print their own cards for the Superheroes but a variety of variations on the stickered cards exists, check it out at MegoMuseum.com)

Harbert took over from baravelli in the late 1970's

Harbert had the Mego Pocket Superheroes, oddly enough it seems that only the red cards carried the Harbert logo, GIG picked up the line afterward giving some creedance that the red cards came first, then the blue jean editions.

Harbert carried the pocket superheroes line

12 inch harbert superman

The Mego 12" Superheroes were another Harbert line as well, they appear to simply be the Canadian boxes with stickers initially and then later their own specific packaging.

12 inch harbert doctor who

Harbert also picked up the Denys Fisher Doctor Who line, however they only brought in the Doctor himself and none of the other characters. A large of find of these was made in Italy during the 1990s, resulting in a flood of these into the collector market.

Ceppi Ratti

Another Distributor (very well known for diecast robots) that carried the Mego Star Trek the Motion Picture line and produced all the aliens as did Canada's Grand Toys but in today's market place Ceppi Ratti cards are the most commonly found.

Ceppi Ratti carried the Mego Trek Aliens

MOC GIG Mego Magnetic figures

GIG mastered the microverse

To many collectors, GIG (pronounced G-I-G) was one of the most important Mego distributors out there, this is especially true for collectors of the Micronauts GIG much like Grand toys was very successful with the Micronauts and even produced more figures than Mego did. Many former Mego employees have suggested that GIG actually did a better job at marketing the Micronauts than Mego. Standouts from the GIG line include the Emperor, Red Atlas, Green Baron as well as vehicles such as Lobstros and Sharkos.

Gig produced three Black Hole Figures US kids never saw

GIG really went to town with the Mego Black Hole line producing figures and vehicles not available in the US market, the most sought after piece being the Humanoid but the Magenetic Robots and Wind Up Vincent are pricey items as well!.

MOC GIG Mego Batman Magnetic figure

GIG produced the now hard to find magnetic Mego Superheroes as found on the Megomuseum, the line was pitched for North America but Mego chose not to release it.

Gig produced three Black Hole Figures US kids never saw

The Eagle Force was another line that GIG made their own, mostly because Mego had gone bankrupt and GIG and Grand Toys restarted the Lion Rock factory to press on with orders. Many of the GIG Eagle Force pieces have Micronaut parts thrown in.

New Gioco

Another Mego distributor in Italy, New Gioco carried things like 2XL and created a Hulk toy using the molds from the Diecast figure. It seems they also pitched a figure of popular Anime character Casshan or Jinzo Ningen Casshan which would have been on a mego body.

Mego Casshern

Only a few of these samples exist, it's a shame that this didn't see mass production.

Mego Casshern

Mego Superfriends figure

This weird knock off of Mego Batman doll came to us via Ebay Seller Megoioni, it's a really neat piece of Mego and Superfriends cross promotion. If only Mego had have done something this cool!

c 2012 palitoy

plaidstallions 70s toys and fashion

Plaidstallions: A Tribute to Seventies Toys and Fashion

the mego museum the best site in the world devoted to mego corp

Mego Museum: The world's best website devoted to the toys of Mego Corp.