Billy Blastoff
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The toy line known as Billy Blastoff incorporated several versions of a four-inch-tall, plastic, child-faced adventurer produced by Eldon in the late 1960s and early 70s. The concept was licensed to
Tomy (trade name, trading as Takara Tomy in Asia and Tomy elsewhere) is a Japanese toy company. It was established in 1924 by Eiichirō Tomiyama as , became known for creating popular toys like the B-29 friction toy and luck-based game Pop-up Pi ...
(of
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
) by Eldon for distribution in Japan . Billy Blastoff was sometimes packaged as a deluxe Space Set with his friend Robbie
Robot A robot is a machine—especially one Computer program, programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions Automation, automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the robot control, co ...
(Robbie was also featured in his own packaged set). Billy and Robbie could be purchased separately or packaged with equipment in different Action Sets. Vehicles made for the figures were powered by a gear beneath the figures' pack which also held "AA" batteries. The battery pack could also power several figure-held accessories such as a Radar Scope,
Space Gun A space gun, sometimes called a Verne gun because of its appearance in ''From the Earth to the Moon'' by Jules Verne, is a method of launching an object into space using a large gun- or cannon-like structure. Space guns could thus potentially pr ...
and underwater light via jack and corded plug. The earlier versions of Billy Blastoff had twin red air tanks (resembling twin scuba tanks), featured a helmet with coordinating red trim and a space suit with a blue belt and suspenders. This early version of Billy Blastoff could power vehicles but could not walk. In 1970 Billy was remolded to better match the spacesuits of the Apollo Astronauts with an all white helmet, a more rectangular beige air supply, restyled space suit and black (as opposed to yellow) gloves. In North America this later version of Billy Blastoff was introduced with the advertising tagline "Eldon's New Billy Blastoff, Now He Walks". Like the earlier version this Billy Blastoff could also power vehicles with the gear at the bottom of the air supply / back pack. Some carded accessory packs were marketed in Europe, and possibly Canada and the US in limited regions. Eldon also produces some additional Billy Blastoff "spin-off" products including a bubble-blowing plastic pistol called the Billy Blastoff Bubble Popper and the Billy Blastoff board game.


References

{{Reflist Action figures 1960s toys Blastoff, Billy Takara Tomy