Battlestar Galactica Mattel 1978 toyline

To promote the release of the original *Battlestar Galactica* TV film and series, California toy company Mattel produced an entire line based off characters and vehicles from the series that would serve as a competitor to the Kenner *Star Wars* action figures and MEGO *Star Trek* dolls.

## **Summary**

Like I said above, Mattel competed with Kenner by making 3 3/4" action figures of the show's characters and at least 10 figures were released in total. They include Commander Adama, Lieutenant Starbuck, Baltar, Daggit/Muffet (two versions of him were produced: light tan and dark brown), Cylon Centurion, an Ovion Drone, Lucifer, Imperious Leader, Boray, and the golden Cylon Commander. 12" figurees of a generic Colonial Warrior (was literally a remold of Captain Lazer from 1967's *Major Matt Mason*) and Cylon Centurion were also produced with the latter having a lot more features like a light-up blaster and moving red visor in its helmet. Some of the other products include a pull-string plush of the robot dog Daggit and an electronic Lasermatic Pistol that didn't even resemble the Colonial blasters.  They also had playsets based off the show's vehicles like the Colonial Stellar Probe, Scarab, and Viper Launch Station. It also leads to the first segment of our article that while not quite a case of "lost collectibles," is certainly worth mentioning.

## **The Plastic Missile Crisis**

Given that they are the most iconic spaceships in the series, it only made sense that the Colonial Viper and Cylon Raider fighters were made into playsets for the toyline. All of these vehicles had a play feature that allowed you to fire plastic missiles at the flick of a finger to simulate laser battles (something the Kenner *Star Wars* playsets did not have), but these two are the most infamous of the bunch with a very harrowing story as to why.

On Christmas Day 1978, 4 year old Robert Jeffrey Warren of Liliburn, Georgia was playing with the Mattel Cylon Raider that "Santa Claus" gave him when he fired its missile into his mouth which lead to it getting discharged and stuck in his larynx. He was rushed to the hospital where six days later, he died on New Year's Eve with the cause of death being asphyxiation due to his brain being deprived of oxygen. Another accident happened on December 28th 1978 when 8 year old Eric Carlson of Milwaukee, Wisconsin fired the Colonial Viper's missile into his mouth as part of a pretend game where "his mouth was a cave." He was rushed into hospital where he underwent surgery to remove the lodged missile that was infecting his partially collapsed, left lung. Unlike Robert however, Eric survived the incident. Though according to an article by *Milwaukee Sentinel* that reported his condition, at least 10 other children were harmed by these projectiles, despite the "projectile warning" labels that came on the packaging.  On January 11th 1979, the Mattel Corporation announced a missile recall program urging parents to either dispose or send them back with a Hot Wheels car as a form of compensation. Many of the vehicles like the Colonial Viper were recalled and as a result, are very hard to find nowadays. This would also affect Kenner's development of their Boba Fett figure as Jeffrey Warren's death certificate by the coroner stated that the cause of death was a "*Star Wars* toy" as opposed to a "*Battlestar Galactica* toy"; further demonstrating just how indistinguishable the two series were back then.  Robert's parents would sue Mattel on March 23rd 1979 and they won the case with the judge singling out "*Star Wars* toys as the culprit," much to the annoyance of George Lucas. Long story short, the Mattel Missile Crisis left a huge impact on the toy industry and the accident was even referenced in the "Island of Recalled Toys" sketch for a *Robot Chicken* episode.

## **Battlestar Galactica Command Ship**

Now to get serious on actual "lost collectibles," we have what most *Battlestar Galactica* fans would consider to be their "Holy Grail": the Battlestar Galactica Command Ship playset. It was designed to feature electronic sounds, launching Colonial Vipers, deployable Landrams, and measured a massive 22 inches in length. This set could have been to the line what the Millennium Falcon and Death Star Space Station were to Kenner *Star Wars*. Unfortunately, it was never released as it was deemed too expensive to produce and sell. The most expensive in particular was the sound chip required to emulate the Star-Bird like acceleration and laser sound. Only one prototype still exists and was sold on eBay in 2006 for $5,100.000.

## **Electronic Cylon Voice Control Helmet**

Made under their Century 2000 subdivision, this product was a battery operated mask made to look like a Cylon Centurion's helmet. It would have had electronic features that when you placed it on your head, you would've been able to turn its electronic circuitry and contained a microphone that gave you their robotic voice as heard on the show. It was shown once in a 1979 toy catalog and was never seen again.

## **Gallery**

Colonial Viper packaging before the Eric Carlson case (note the yellow laser lines and "DO NOT SWALLOW" sticker)Colonial Viper packaging after the Eric Carlson caseCylon Raider packaging before Robert Jeffrey Warren's deathCylon Raider packaging after Robert Jeffrey Warren's deathPackaging for the Battlestar Galactica Command Ship setThe Cylon Helmet as advertised in a 1979 toy catalogAn article from The Sarasota Herald Tribune about the death of Robert Jeffrey WarrenAn article from The Milwaukee Tribune about Eric Carlson's accident

## **References**

1. ↑ http://www.toysyouhad.com/Bstar.htm#:~:text=On%20December%2031%2C%201978%20a,inadvertently%20choking%20himself%20to%20death.&text=The%20controversy%20had%20an%20impact,of%20its%20Boba%20Fett%20dolls.
2. ↑ http://pleasesavemerobots.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-mattelian-missile-crisis.html
3. ↑ http://theswca.com/textf/toydeath.html
4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGCyW5s5UAg
5. ↑ https://2warpstoneptune.com/2015/12/03/mattels-unproduced-battlestar-galactica-toys-1979/