Helen of Toy Comic Book Toys
I have had a fascination for the Helen of Toys line since I was very young. My first recollection was getting the American Revolutionary War set when I was in 1st or second grade. They were of course the flat version with the canons molded together in two or three deep pieces. I have a set of these today.
I recently found a website that listed all of the games. I will place the link here but I wanted to recreate it so it would live on.
A celebration of the long running ads for various plastic soldiers
Many of these toy soldiers ads were games, and came with rules and maps by the Helen of Toy company
That’s Helen of Toy…Toy!
World War II Fighting GIs and Commandos
Order your 126 World War II Fighting GIs and Commandos today!
Plan and fight the famous battles of World War II according to your own strategy – Play alone, or with friends.
Convoy of Terror!
Send your $1.50 today and we’ll rush you your 132 piece Convoy of Terror!
Two complete modern navies compete in a nuclear naval battle game.
Sonar!
Mine layers!
Torpedo runs!
Nuclear Missiles!
This is what your modern navy looks like in Convoy of Terror!
Here is the same Convoy of Terror ad reproduced in more vivid colors.
The ‘gyroscopic indicators’ were likely little dreidel like spinners instead of dice because….it could easily be made with the same plastic?
Blue and Grey
Refight the American Civil War battle of Chickamauga!
(between two split log forts?)
Check out the Exploding Bridges!
Send your $1.89 for authentic Blue vs Grey action with Cannonball
Send ye olde $1.50 for Gold Crown!
A fascinating game of medieval warfare
The Kings Knights
If you’d like to be one of King Arthur’s knights, or play Ivanhoe, send your $1
Form your battles lines!
Storm the castle walls!
Live in those glorious days of history
when men were men!
Here is another ad for The Kings Knights
A glorious set of plastic toys
The white knights versus the black knights!
(Then why does the ad show red versus green?)
Comes in a treasure chest case
132 Roman Soldiers
Perhaps the most famous Toy Soldier ad in all of Comicdom Assembled
Russ Heath’s art for 132 Roman Soldiers!
This ad is so awesome it has to have a disclaimer
An imaginary battle scene is shown above
132 Roman Soldiers ad in black and white
2 complete Roman armies
Contains 4 working catapults with ammunition (harmless)
Woods Edge
Rush your $1.69 (plus postage and handling) for Woods Edge
You’re poised on a wooded slope overlooking a strange deserted town
It was as peaceful as a postcard until you spotted enemy troops moving in
Now this town will be torn apart as it becomes an arena
An alternative ad for Woods Edge
A look at the directions for Commanders age 8 to 80 from the Helen of Toy plastic soldier games advertised in comic books
Tank Trap
Check out Tank Trap – Astoundingly Real
A tank is a crawling, armor skinned,
fire spitting, man-eating monster
that preys on any helpless enemy
But it can be stopped with courage
and daring
Here are some more images from Board Game Geek showing the Exploding Tanks of Tank Trap
The secret to Exploding Tanks?
Rubber bands and a two-piece tank
132 Fighting Ships!
Take your strategic brilliance back to the sea
with 3D plastic *classified* pieces
Task Force
America’s Most Exciting War Game – Task Force
Tensions run high as a big full scale battle looms
Locate
Occupy
and Destroy the Enemy
Flying Coffins
Send $1.50 now for WWI aerial action with Flying Coffins!
A salute to the heroes of a bygone era
when the average lifespan of an active pilot
was 19 days and his choice was
burning or leaping to his death
Which would you prefer
150 Civil War soldiers!
There are variants of this ad too but I love the Monitor vs Merrimac battle!
204 Revolutionary War Soldiers
204 Revolutionary War Soldiers
Every piece of pure molded plastic
(My very first set purchased in the early 60’s)
Here is another version of 204 Revolutionary War Soldiers
Instead of an imaginary scene, we get an actual play scene
Dan’l Boones Trek to Ol’ Kentucky
Here’s is one I’ve never actually seen in a physical comic book
Dan’l Boones Trek to Ol’ Kentucky
Cowboys and Indians were once staples of the plastic toy racks
Viking Attack!
From the same company as Dan’l Boone comes Viking Attack!
162 pieces ready to recreate the invasion of the British Isles
And the Viking longboats really float
196 piece Blast Off
I have no idea what’s going on but here’s my $1.98
Here is the map for Blast Off
Adventure through our entire solar system
Thrill as you try to conquer each strange planet
Raise your flag
Blast off for your next conquest
Astroforce – Space Soldiers of the Future
164 piece Astroforce – Space Soldiers of the Future
Missile Attack!
Here is another rubber band powered wargame in
Missile Attack!
Never Before
Never Again value at $1.25
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