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Last Updated: Tuesday, 16 May 2006, 04:52 GMT 05:52 UK
Action Man hits the big 40
Action Man
'As you were' two original Action Man figures
He was the doll that boys could play with.

He began life as a figure based on authentic military uniforms, and he's undergone a few makeovers... he is of course Action Man.

And to mark his 40th birthday, he's having another revamp.

This morning on Breakfast:

We'll be asking whether Action Man's getting a little long in the tooth for saving the world

  • We got some Action Man remniscences from collector Mark Franks and Men's Magazine editor Phil Hilton

    When Action Man started life, he was a solid plastic figure, but he gradually evolved to speak - one of a handful of commands via a drawstring.

    Then he developed hair and a beard, and was much admired for his characteristic scar.

    Moveable 'eagle eyes' followed as did his soft hands allowing an authentic grip, and by the mid 1970s Action Man was available in several realistic military uniforms, that were exact replicas.

    To mark his 40th birthday, 40 designers have been asked to give him a 're-styling'.

    Over the years, the emphasis on Action Man's style and accessories has become less military. He's now an action and adventure figure, kitted out for arctic exploring, deep sea diving and parachute displays.

    In his latest revision, he's sporting skin-tight posing gear, is dressed as a graffiti artist and also as a sci-fi character.

  • Send us your suggestions for Action Man's fourth decade: can he still save the world, or should his next make-over be a pipe and slippers?

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  • BBC NEWS: VIDEO AND AUDIO
    Action Man hits 40
    Watch our interview again



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