Action Figure Overview: Raiders of the Lost Ark - Indiana Jones (Kenner, 1982)
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| 1982 Kenner "Raiders of the Lost Ark" Indiana Jones Action Figure |
The movie Raiders of the Lost Ark was released in theaters
on June 12, 1981. At just under $390
million, it was the highest grossing film of the 1981. Audiences loved it. Critics loved it. Kids wanted action figures!
Kenner was already a well known toy manufacturer thanks to their
gigantic hit with their line of 3 3/4" Star Wars figures and toys, so it
was no surprise that they were the company to release 3 3/4" action figures
for Raiders of the Lost Ark as well.
However, kids would have to wait until 1982 for the figures to hit the
shelves.
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| 1982 Kenner "Raiders of the Lost Ark" figures: Toht, Indiana Jones, and the Cairo Swordsman |
The first wave of four figures included Indiana Jones, Toht,
the Cairo Swordsman, and Marion Ravenwood.
There was a second Indiana Jones in a "Desert Disguise" that
came with the Map Room playset and a mail-away Belloq in his ceremonial
robe. But let's face it, the regular
Indiana Jones figure was the main draw for this line. I would imagine if a kid walked up to a display of Raiders of the
Lost Ark figures in 1982 and there was no Indiana Jones, the appeal of the
other three without him would have been nearly zero.
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| The original cardback from my Indiana Jones figure from 1982 |
The Indiana Jones figure came with a pistol that could attach to his right hip and a whip that was supposed to be able to attach to a clip on a hook on the left side of his belt, but I could never get the whip to attach to the hook correctly. His right arm had a spring action which would let him either draw his pistol or whip his whip depending on which accessory you placed in his right hand.
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| Indiana Jones pistol and whip instructions from 1982 Kenner Cardback |
Honestly, I could have done without the spring action arm thing. I've always felt like that type of gimmick took away from playability in action figures. As an adult, I don't like the fact that it makes it more difficult to pose the figures for photos, but even as a kid, I would have preferred that they just gave him a regular right arm. However, I did love the whip! I'm pretty sure he was the only figure I had with an accessory like that!
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| Indiana Jones swings into action! |
The first wave of figures was successful enough that a
second wave was also released. The
second wave introduced Sallah, Indiana Jones in German Uniform, the German
Mechanic, Belloq dressed in a white shirt and pants, plus the "Monkey
Man" street vendor who came with the "Streets of Cairo" playset,
and an Arabian Horse.
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| My original Kenner Indiana Jones action figure with his pistol and whip |
Although the line is actually quite cool and collectors pay
big money for some of these figures today, it wasn't an extremely successful
toy line at the time. I've read a lot about
how badly this line of toys sold and which figures were peg warmers, but the
closest thing I have to proof about it's lack of success is the discounted
price tags on the cards that my figures came with when I bought them as a kid. Personally, I thought they were great at the
time and it never occurred to me that they were any less popular than other
figures on the shelves.
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| 1982 Kenner "Raiders of the Lost Ark" Indiana Jones faces the Cairo Swordsman |
Did you have of the Raiders of the Lost Ark action figures
as a kid...or do you have them now? If
so, did you just have Indiana Jones or did you have several of the figures from
this line? Tell me below in the
comments!
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