Finding Oklahoma: Toy Museum

 Normally, my travels take me across Oklahoma but occasionally I venture past state lines and into the abyss.  When I make these journeys I try to keep an eye out for any signs of Okie influence on these strange new locales.  Such a thing occurred recently when I found myself in the retiree tourist mecca known as Branson, MO.

Road after road, block after block, the city is an explosion of Baby Boomer nostalgia along with the best live entertainment the 1970s had to offer.  Travelers have a variety of options for spending their money and/or wasting their time but it was the World's Largest Toy Museum that caught my eye. 

So I stopped in with the primary objective being to kill some time with a strong, secondary objective of seeing if I could get a blog post out of it by finding anything related to Oklahoma within its colorful walls.  Let's see how I did.

Various Gene Autry Stuff

The Oklahoma Singing Cowboy has an entire city named after him in the southern part of the state and a museum dedicated to him within it filled with memorabilia.  He wasn't shy about licensing his name or likeness (and his descendants seemed to be plenty happy to keep that train rolling) so there's no surprise that plenty of his playthings ended up here.  There's a game, book and wallet in this pic but there were plenty other specimens on display that would have delighted young cowpokes back in the day.

Various Dick Tracy Stuff

The Legendary lawman was created by Pawnee, OK native Chester Gould and just like we saw at Dick Tracy's Headquarters in that little town, there are plenty of pieces from the past that celebrate the top cop's legacy.  And while Tracy's heyday may have been the 40s and 50s, he had a big resurgence in the 90s when the Warren Beatty movie came out.  There was a good mix of old and slightly less old stuff on display here.

Chuck Norris Karate Kommando Action Figure

Karate was big in the 80s and so were Saturday morning cartoons.  Combining them was a no-brainer and high-kicking movie hero (and Ryan, OK native) Chuck Norris fit the genre perfectly.  His animated series involved an (only slightly more) cartoony version of himself leading a poorly drawn team of action heroes against bland bad guys.  Back then any halfway decent cartoon got their own toy line and kids rejoiced at the opportunity to have their very own pocket-sized Chuck. 

Richie Cunningham Mego

In its prime, "Happy Days" was Americana incarnate.  Its popularity guaranteed the arrival of plenty of merch on the shelves like these Mego figures.  I couldn't tell you if these are originals or more modern reproductions but you can clearly see all-American teenager Richie Cunningham right in the middle of the action where he should be.  Of course, he was played by Duncan, OK native Ron Howard whose likeness on the doll is...eh...not as bad as it could be.  Note his steely-eyed confidence even though he's flanked on both sides by a shirtless Fonzie and a shirtless Ralph Malph.  Don't ask me what the story is here.

Lily Sloane Action Figure

Lily Sloane helped the Star Trek crew defeat the Borg in one of the least disliked Star Trek movies ever.  And of course she was played by Tulsa native Alfre Woodard who went toe-to-toe with Patrick Stewart in the scifi adventure.  The museum had a big Star Trek section and this figure stood out to me amongst the many Picards and Datas in their different outfits.

The museum had several buildings in their complex and more toys than you could count.  But with a little effort it's always possible to find a little piece of Oklahoma in the mix.

Frosted Flake

 

Tiger King cereal...what took them so long?  Regardless, it looks like it was time to cash in on the Netflix adventures of Oklahoma's wackiest zoo owner/gubernatorial candidate.  At a thirteen dollar price point, these are meant as more of a collectible than as a part of a balanced breakfast but it's not going to stop me from eating them.  

These are brought to you by the folks at FYE, which seems to be a company that snatches up licenses and cranks out various collectibles and food tie-ins.  They have some Tiger King sauces and whatnot that I plan to track down at some point too.  But today I'm focused on the most important meal of the day.  And the most important part of breakfast is reading the back of the cereal box.

Like the best cereal boxes, there are plenty of games and puzzles to keep you occupied while crunching on your morning entree.  Highlights from the Word Search include "Narcissism," "Cult," and "Oklahoma."   Joe Exotic's nemesis Carole Baskin gets a shout out in the maze, elevating her to the same status as Cap'n Crunch's enemies, the "Soggies."  Lastly, there's a short Mad Libs you can waste your time on if you're a really slow eater.

But how does it taste?  Eh.  It's essentially Frosted Flakes but maybe not quite as...good?  I suppose that's a subliminal way to keep the tiger motif going.  Of course, as a collectible, this is more likely to be on a shelf for several years (and then thrown away) rather than being consumed while watching (or streaming, I guess) Saturday morning reality shows.  

That being said, is this just the beginning?  Are we on the verge of an avalanche of Tiger King foodstuffs?  I can already envision a line of mulletted, mustachioed jams and jellies.   

The League of Extraordinary Oklahomans

 Years ago, in a magical time known as the 80s, there was a popular toy line of tiny pink monsters, wrestlers, robots and weirdos known as M.U.S.C.L.E. figures.  They were small, collectible and, best of all, fun!  I used to have a big bucketful of them and made them take part in legendary battles in the sandbox.

Since everything old is new again, the M.U.S.C.L.E. figures of the past seem to have been the inspiration for O.K.I.E.S. figures of today.  

 Made by Flying Rabbit Studios, these little guys are made in the image of some of the most famous real Oklahomans as well as a few larger than life Okie statues.  Let's take a look at the line up of the "Stay Gold" edition:

Golden Driller - "Petroleum Protector"

You'll recognize this guy as the guardian of the Tulsa Expo Center.  He's become a symbol of the state and the impact the oil and gas industry has had on it as well as a popular roadside icon that attracts visitors from all over the world.

Bass Reeves - "The Real Lone Ranger"

Born a slave, Bass Reeves became one of the most legendary lawmen of the wild west by bringing thousands of criminals to justice.  His heroic efforts have been claimed to be the inspiration for the Lone Ranger.

Will Rogers - "OK's Favorite Son"

Actor, writer, and overall comedic performer Will Rogers is next.  Rogers may be the most famous celebrity to come out of the Sooner State.  Whenever you have some free time, drive across the state and count how many buildings, roads and institutions are named after him.

Wiley Post - "Pioneer of Aviation"

 "Adventurer" is probably the best description of Wiley Post.  He's best known for working in the wild blue yonder and is seen here wearing the pressure suit that he frequently wore on high altitude flights. 

Buck Atom - "Space Cowboy 66"

Tulsa's own roadside rocket man rounds out the list.  The former muffler man was installed along Route 66 a few years back and his distinctive design and accompanying gift shop has been a Mother Road "must-stop" ever since.

Not a bad lineup, huh?  I'm 100% on board with these little guys and am holding out hope for a Saturday morning cartoon series, additional actions figure waves (I've heard rumblings about a Belle Starr figure) including play sets and vehicles and, of course, a breakfast cereal.  Anything less is unacceptable.  Make it happen, Universe! 

Batman Top 10 at the Action Figure Museum

Once or twice I've used the Toy & Action Figure Museum in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma as a shooting location for a couple of documentary projects.  It's a substantial collection of toys and served as a great backdrop for several interviews.  I recently made a quick stop there while I was on the road in the area.

 They still have tons of interesting rotating exhibits but, just as before, the biggest collection was of Batman memorabilia which is housed in the museum's very own Bat Cave.  So here's a look at what I thought was the Top 10 pieces in the Batman Collection.

10.  Batman Outdoor Fun Pack

You get a yo-yo, a kite and a "flying disc" (Frisbee is a brand name) in this kit.  Not to mention kite string.  You're going to need that.  What's not to like?  Now go outside and play!

9.  1874 Batman Talking Alarm Clock

Nothing will get you out of bed faster than the stern, forceful voice of the Dark Knight.  You can hear it HERE.  And as a bonus you get the Boy Wonder speeding by in a purple Batmobile.

8.  The Adventures of Batman & Robin Whitman's Sampler

Lots of choices in this candy kit between characters and, I assume, candy fillings.  What will you get?  Robin?  Nougat?  Poison Ivy?  Caramel?  Joker?  Smilex Fudge?  Take a bite and find out!

7.  1973 Batman Paint by Number Set

Let's face it, painting is hard.  Not as hard as crime fighting but, similar to crime fighting, it takes years of study to master.  Or you can just take the easy route and paint by numbers.  I mean, who's gonna stop you?

6.  1969 Big Little Book - Batman: The Cheetah Caper

Lot's of different characters appeared in types of books over the years and, of course, it was only a matter of time before the World's Greatest Detective got his shot.  You can check out some page scans HERE which seem to indicate that this Cheetah is not the Wonder Woman villain but some other weirdo instead.

5.  Batman Returns Happy Meal Display

Every time I see one of these in a fast food place I always think to myself that I should ask the manager if I can buy it once the promotion is done.  And of course, I never do.  When I see one in a collection it reminds me of the shame of my inaction.  That's why it's not higher than #5.

4.  Giant Lego Batman

There's no Batman like Lego Batman and thankfully this one was saved from the sad fate of rotting in a movie theater dumpster.  As a Lego, it falls into both the "toy" and "Batman" categories and a case could be made for calling Lego people "action figures" so this guy is right at home in the Toy & Action Figure Museum.

3.  The Adventures of Batman & Robin Colorforms

No character collection is complete without the obligatory box of Colorforms.  I would have thought the old school toy stopped being made by the time of this TV show but apparently they are still alive and well to this day.  I'm not sure what to do with that little realization...so let's move on.

2.  Batman Comics!

This may seem like a no-brainer to you and me but let's not forget that in the sea of toys, movies and cartoons, some of the youngsters might not even be aware that comics exist, much less that Batman is one of their top guys.  It's always nice to have a little reminder of his old school origin.

1.  Batmobile Coin-Op Kiddie Ride

There are a few different types of collectors and what separates the real deals from the wannabes is a piece like this.  I think this is the Batmobile from Batman Forever and it's made its way from outside the grocery store and right into our hearts.  I don't know what usually happens to these things after they are no longer wanted but I think we can all agree that this museum is the right place for this beauty.