As outlined in the previous installment, this series is dedicated to 6" scale figures produced by Marx as a spinoff to their "army men" and other non-articulated figures produced for playsets. So far, my plans have remained in flux as I continue to wait for certain items either not yet delivered or subject to open online auctions. I have also already to make some decisions about what figures should receive their own installments. The ones to be featured here are the ones that have taken longest to decide, a pair of figures representing the Soviet forces of World War 2. Here they are, in full glory:
The background on these is in many ways more inscrutable than the "enemy" Japanese and German figures coming last time. Of course, the Soviets were allies to the US in the Second World War, before becoming perceived adversaries in the Cold War. It is by now generally known that the Soviets were in fact responsible for the most significant ground battles of the war and the heaviest losses both to the Nazis and to the Allies. In the 1960s, when the large size Marx figures were produced, the image of the Soviet Union was more equivocal than might be expected. Diplomatic relations with the western powers had at least marginally improved over the preceding decades, despite the chaotic events of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Of more immediate interest, western media were becoming more honest about their role in World War 2, leading to popular books on battles such as Stalingrad and Kursk and the movies such as Cross of Iron (which I might have the stomach to review sooner or later). Finally, a toy maker would not have ignored that representations of Soviet troops could be used as adversaries both to German and American-proxie figures. Here's another pic:
At face value, these figures don't offer a lot of room for further comment. The rifle-wielding "sniper" is in a purposefully static pose, and would be entirely uninteresting if not for the particularly grim expression. In this respect, it undoubtedly personifies stereotypes of Russians, as well as the stoic masculinity already deeply ingrained in "army men" and other military toys. Then there is the other figure, usually identified simply as "grenade thrower", on more careful consideration clearly intended to represent an officer complete with a Tokarev pistol. The designers clearly intended maximum overemoting, with a fearsome expression and a bizarre pose that defies conventional anatomy. I have literally struggled to capture how strange the figure really is. I finally resorted to posing with my own hand; note especially the right ankle.
One more detail that may be apparent is that the base of the officer figure has extra translucent "flash" around the edges, which may indicate a later "wave" with cheaper plastic and manufacturing methods. However, both bear the Marx imprint, and while the officer has a distinct texture and overall lighter feel, the differences are not nearly as dramatic as what I observed in the "hard plastic" Japanese figures. Surveys of online auctions included many marked as made in Mexico, either with a Plastimarx imprint of Marx's subsidiary there or simply with a sticker that may have been used after the parent company's bankruptcy in 1979-1980. Often, weapons and other parts broken off, particularly a sculpt showing a helmeted infantryman carrying the famous PPSh-41 submachine gun, consistent with lower quality reissues and copies.
As for the overall success of the group, the anecdotal evidence indicates that they are relatively uncommon but not enough to be sought after, in line with a release that made a limited impression then and later. I acquired both of these items for under $10, though the officer was offered as "rare". One more tantalizing lead to come to my attention was a lot comprised of the infantryman and several other Marx sculpts reportedly made in the Ukrainean SSR prior to 1980. Whether this was in any way authorized by Marx, and whether it was in fact made before the company's or for that matter the USSR's demise, is a matter I can find no further data to address.
To close, here's another pose with the Truckstop Queen. If the Cold War had been a limbo contest, this guy would have won it!
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