Stretch Armstrong
Encyclopedia
Stretch Armstrong was a large, gel-filled action figure
first introduced in 1976 by Kenner
.
The original Stretch Armstrong figure was in production from 1976 till 1980 when production was stopped. The original 1970s Stretch is very collectable now and commands high prices on the secondary collectors' market, selling for hundreds, even thousands of dollars. However, finding one in mint condition is hard. Through storage and play, the figure can become damaged and rendered useless. There are still Original Stretch Armstrongs that have survived the passing of time and are remarkable preserved through sheer luck or being stored at the correct temperature. The figure keeps best at room temperature so thirty years later, collectors are still using Stretch.
Stretch Armstrong is made of latex rubber filled with gelled corn syrup, which allows it to retain shape for a short time before shrinking to its original shape . The later 1990s figures had small beads inside them.
Other similar releases were Stretch Monster, a reptilian green nemesis released by Kenner in 1978, Stretch Ollie and Stretch Olivia, male and female octopuses (colored blue and pink, respectively) both Ollie and Olivia had the same face shape but the only difference was their color Kenner issued both weeks apart Ollie was more popular , denys Fisher UK toy company issued Ollie and Olivia in smaller boxes than their American counterparts saving on shelf space the figures are rare to come by now . and, finally Stretch X-Ray from 1977 who had an over-sized exposed brain and an alien-looking face with a transparent form that showed his internal organs. Fetch Armstrong, the figure's pliable canine counterpart, was released in the early 1990s by Cap Toys. Cap Toys also released Stretch Vac-Man
while ToyQuest released Super Morphman, both of which were filled with a granular solid in place of the viscous liquid found in the other figures. A vacuum pump which attached to the heads of these figures removed the air from within, which would "freeze" the toy in its stretched position.
The doll was reissued in the 1990s with a canine sidekick, "Fetch Armstrong".
The reissue stretch Armstrong had a more comical exaggerated face and mouth and had on a t shirt and shorts this new reissue figure was introduced in 1993 and 1994 version exist with slightly different art work , He also has an evil brother named Evil X-ray Wretch Armstrong who has a skull face, sports a mohawk and also stretches. Wretch Armstong seems to be a redesigned, smaller remake of Stretch X-Ray but in reality looks nothing like the 1970s Version Evil X-ray Wretch Armstrong is only 7 inches tall where as Stretch X-ray was over 12 inches tall .
signed a deal with Hasbro to create a film about Armstrong based on a screenplay written by Nicholas Stoller
. On February 5, 2010, Universal Studios announced Taylor Lautner will star as Armstrong and that the film will be in 3-D
. The film is produced by Brian Grazer
. Grazer states "Stretch Armstrong is a character I have wanted to see on screen for a long time ... It’s a story about a guy stretching ... the limits of what is possible to become all that he can be." The film is scheduled for a 2012 release.
Action figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
first introduced in 1976 by Kenner
Kenner
Kenner Products was a toy company founded in 1947 by three brothers, Albert, Phillip, and Joseph L. Steiner, in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, and was named after the street where the original corporate offices were located, which is just north of Cincinnati's Union Terminal.Kenner introduced its...
.
History
Stretch Armstrong was in the shape of a well-muscled blonde man wearing a pair of swimming trunks. Its most notable feature was that the doll could be stretched from its original size (about 15 inches) to four or five feet. However, if a tear did develop, it could be fixed with an adhesive bandage. Information on how to repair Stretch can be found inside the instruction booklet that was originally inside his box. The original Armstrong figure was held in place inside his box by two polystyrene inserts; he could be placed back inside the box for storage.The original Stretch Armstrong figure was in production from 1976 till 1980 when production was stopped. The original 1970s Stretch is very collectable now and commands high prices on the secondary collectors' market, selling for hundreds, even thousands of dollars. However, finding one in mint condition is hard. Through storage and play, the figure can become damaged and rendered useless. There are still Original Stretch Armstrongs that have survived the passing of time and are remarkable preserved through sheer luck or being stored at the correct temperature. The figure keeps best at room temperature so thirty years later, collectors are still using Stretch.
Stretch Armstrong is made of latex rubber filled with gelled corn syrup, which allows it to retain shape for a short time before shrinking to its original shape . The later 1990s figures had small beads inside them.
Other similar releases were Stretch Monster, a reptilian green nemesis released by Kenner in 1978, Stretch Ollie and Stretch Olivia, male and female octopuses (colored blue and pink, respectively) both Ollie and Olivia had the same face shape but the only difference was their color Kenner issued both weeks apart Ollie was more popular , denys Fisher UK toy company issued Ollie and Olivia in smaller boxes than their American counterparts saving on shelf space the figures are rare to come by now . and, finally Stretch X-Ray from 1977 who had an over-sized exposed brain and an alien-looking face with a transparent form that showed his internal organs. Fetch Armstrong, the figure's pliable canine counterpart, was released in the early 1990s by Cap Toys. Cap Toys also released Stretch Vac-Man
Vac-Man
Vac-Man is an action figure created as the nemesis of Stretch Armstrong. Vac-Man is suggested to be from a faraway galaxy. Unlike the Stretch dolls which contained a syrup-like liquid inside a rubber sheath, Vac-Man contained a grainy solid, produced from ground-up corn cobs...
while ToyQuest released Super Morphman, both of which were filled with a granular solid in place of the viscous liquid found in the other figures. A vacuum pump which attached to the heads of these figures removed the air from within, which would "freeze" the toy in its stretched position.
The doll was reissued in the 1990s with a canine sidekick, "Fetch Armstrong".
The reissue stretch Armstrong had a more comical exaggerated face and mouth and had on a t shirt and shorts this new reissue figure was introduced in 1993 and 1994 version exist with slightly different art work , He also has an evil brother named Evil X-ray Wretch Armstrong who has a skull face, sports a mohawk and also stretches. Wretch Armstong seems to be a redesigned, smaller remake of Stretch X-Ray but in reality looks nothing like the 1970s Version Evil X-ray Wretch Armstrong is only 7 inches tall where as Stretch X-ray was over 12 inches tall .
Film
In 2008, Universal StudiosUniversal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
signed a deal with Hasbro to create a film about Armstrong based on a screenplay written by Nicholas Stoller
Nicholas Stoller
Nicholas Stoller is an English–American screenwriter and director. He is known mainly for directing the 2008 comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and its 2010 spin-off/sequel, Get Him to the Greek.-Life and career:...
. On February 5, 2010, Universal Studios announced Taylor Lautner will star as Armstrong and that the film will be in 3-D
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
. The film is produced by Brian Grazer
Brian Grazer
Brian Thomas Grazer is an Academy Award-winning American film and television producer who co-founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986 with Ron Howard. Together they have produced many acclaimed films, including Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind .- Career :Brian Grazer began his career as a producer...
. Grazer states "Stretch Armstrong is a character I have wanted to see on screen for a long time ... It’s a story about a guy stretching ... the limits of what is possible to become all that he can be." The film is scheduled for a 2012 release.