Welcome to Day 3 in our week long exploration of vintage print media and articles surrounding the release of the Kenner Products ALIEN toy in 1979.  Here we have an excerpt from an issue of Starlog.  This brief article appeared in the July, 1979 issue of the famous SF film and television media focused magazine.

Soon after the movie’s release, licenced merchandise hopefuls were preparing to service a market that was more bemused than welcoming.  I am familiar with most of the items listed here to varying degrees.  Many of them I own but I have never owned a Ben Cooper costume or Don Post Facehugger, for example. 

There are other items listed here I have no idea if they were even released. An ALIEN mobile?  I don’t think I’ve ever seen it. …ALIEN pajamas..? Look. I don’t even know how that is supposed to be considered child appropriate. Some items don’t progress beyond initial announcements and I am thinking this pair of merchandise items were proposed, maybe even prototyped and finally cancelled.  I would like to know more about them.  No doubt all items here were part of a press release from Fox and licence holding affiliates.  Prominently missing from this announcement is the MPC model kit and the Gross & Scanlon “Book of ALIEN”.  Both of which are great items.

I do know about the “18” action feature (sic) of the beast … the world’s ugliest doll” by Kenner mentioned above. Now that’s an item I have become very familiar with.

-Windebieste.