Spider-Man Holiday Special

There’s a little confusion on this one. National Action Figure Day is supposed to be the first Friday in March, Sideshow’s self serving Take Your Action Figure to Work Day seems to fall on the same day. Yet, there’s no real determination on which is the official non holiday.

   National Action Figure Day is the first of the two I found, so let’s go with that one.

   To showcase the point this handsome two-pack of Spidey and Mary Jane is the focus of the day. Done for Christmas 1997, it fits the bill perfectly.

   These were released toward the tail end of ToyBiz’s run of Spider-Man the Animated Series action figures. The line featured seven series of figures from 1994 to 1998.

   ToyBiz originated north of the border as Chantex, Inc. It became Charon Industries in 1980 when it merged with Takefman’s Randim Marketing, Inc.

   The toy division would be rechristened ToyBiz in 1988 and become an American firm.

   Ike Perlmutter acquired Charon in 1990 with Avi Arad joining in 1993. That marked the same year ToyBiz for “exclusive, perpetual, royalty-free licenses of Marvel characters for 46-percent of ToyBiz equity.”

   When Marvel Entertainment Group filed for bankruptcy in the late 1990’s, ToyBiz helped save the company. They merged in 1998 becoming Marvel Enterprises. ToyBiz served as a subsidiary.

   In 2006 Hasbro and Marvel Entertainment signed a five-year licensing agreement for $205 million. 

   ToyBiz attempted to continue producing toys, but failed to remain solvent without the Marvel franchise.

   While short lived, it was a magical time offering such prizes as the holiday-inspired  Spidey-Mary Jane featured today.