Mego Spotlight- Wrist Communicators ("Star Trek: The Motion Picture")

Item Name: Wrist Communicators
Manufacturer: Mego Toys Corp.



Mego released these Wrist Communicators way back around 1979-1980. Yep, that's over 30 years ago folks. Feel old? Me too. Well, here's the back of the box to make you feel better... or worse, considering it pictures the insanely rare Mego TMP ships that most of us will never own-



Yeah, that didn't help.



The Rundown: I really need to apologize to you guys for taking this long to do this spotlight. Had I known how important these Wrist Communicators were, I would have given them top priority. But how was I supposed to know that this was the most exciting toy in the Space Age? Nobody told me. Oh wait... you didn't know that either? Well read the box, ya dummy!



See? Now who has egg on their face? You do. So there.



As explained in that blurb, what you'll find in the box are 2 wrist communicators with power packs. The box illustration above shows that these are pretty accurate recreations of the film props. Let's get 'em out of there and take a look!



...ummmm, these aren't quite as nice as the box illustration. What's going on here? Maybe I missed something. Let me have another look at that box...



Oh. Well thanks for teasing me Mego.



Kidding aside, these things are freaking awesome. I've always been impressed by Mego's role play toys, but these Wrist Communicators may just be my favorite of the bunch. Unlike many of their other releases, Mego didn't take too many liberties with the design here. These are remarkably similar to their screen counterpart, especially given the time at which they were made.



Underneath the "instrumentation panel" of the communicator is an area housing the microphone. While not entirely screen accurate, I applaud Mego's decision to incorporate the mechanism this way. By hiding it under a panel, they were able to maintain the look of the prop without breaking it up to house the microphone. Plus, flip open panels make everything more awesome.



The top of the communicator is where you'll find the speaker area. Again, Mego tried to maintain the look of the prop by placing the speaker in an inconspicuous location. Since the prop has a large black area on top already, placing the speaker device up there makes perfect sense.



The communicator attaches to your wrist by means of a plastic band attached at its back. The band is flexible, but still rigid enough to maintain its shape. The best part is that it can expand enough...



...to fit an adult size wrist! Pretty sweet! And that brings me to another thing I love about these: Their size! One would think that fully-functional communicators from this time period would have to be big and bulky to accommodate their electronics. Not so with these! Since kids were going to have these things strapped to their wrists, keeping them at a manageable size was important to Mego. Which is why they housed most of the electronics inside attached power packs-



Connected to the communicators by a thin electrical wire are the power packs. The power pack handles the bulk of the work for the toy, with the flexible antenna, batteries, and control button all located here. You attach the power pack to your person by means of a belt clip on back. There's even a Star Trek logo emblazoned across the front... just in case you forgot what you were playing.



I'm too lazy to go back and look through my old spotlights and see if I ever dubbed a different Mego role play toy my favorite... so if I did, ignore that. This is now my favorite. The size and design coupled with their functionality make up for one awesome piece of vintage Trek toyness. They don't crop up very often, but when they do you can expect to pay a pretty penny for them in nice shape. Their value isn't really what makes them cool in my eyes though; It's the fact that they don't make toys nearly this cool anymore. Toys like this make me wish I could go back in time and give these to my 7-year-old self, because I know he would have had a blast with them...

Mego Spotlight- Command Communications Console

Item Name: Command Communications Console
Manufacturer: Mego Toys Corp.



Mego released this fine toy back in the mid-1970's! Take a closer look at that awesome box art:



The Rundown: Okay... let's say a couple of your buddies own the awesome Mego Communicators. They head over to your tree house and start pretending to be Captain Kirk and Spock. You feel left out. Then all of a sudden you remember that Command Communications Console that granny bought you for Christmas. You run inside, rip open the box, and slap a few batteries in it. Suddenly your tree house has become the Enterprise, with Kirk and Spock down in the yard on a mission to the planet's surface. It's up to you and your console to keep the landing party in constant contact with the ship, just in case something goes wrong... and you know it will.



Well, at least that's what I'm assuming Mego had in mind when they created this guy. It's basically just a big walkie-talkie with a lighted screen, but kids didn't need to know that. Bigger means better, so the Command Communications Console must have been at least 3 times cooler than the regular Mego communicators. Plus it uses alliteration in its name. Bonus points.



As stated, this console is basically the big brother of the standard walkie-talkie. To your right is a large speaker area and a dial that acts as both a power and volume switch...



...and to the left are a couple of nice decorative stickers. The top sticker features Spock peering in at you through a tiny viewscreen. Quit looking at me Spock. The lower sticker is actually pretty useful, as it provides Morse code translations for you to use on the console's buttons.



Behind the stickered area you'll find the console's antenna. The antenna is REALLY long. So long, in fact, that I couldn't fully extend it in this pic. So don't be a Herbert- leave plenty of head room when positioning your Command Communications Console.



At the console's center is the "multicolor phaser light screen". Translation- It's a screen with four little lights inside. While it may seem tame by today's toy standards, this screen probably upped the coolness factor of the piece by about tenfold back in the 70's.



Arrayed along the base of the console are four colored buttons labeled Transmit, Code Key, Red Alert, and Stand By Alert. The transmit button allows you to send your voice to a receiver (like the Mego Communicators, standard walkie-talkies, or the CB of an annoyed truck driver). Pressing the code key allows you to make use of your handy Morse code sticker. The last 2 buttons send out alert signals... which you can hear by checking out this nifty video:



So there ya go. Do you need it? Probably not. It's a cool toy for it's time, and definitely has a Star Trek Animated feel to it, but I just don't put this one on the same level as some of Mego's other roleplay toys (like their Tricorder or their Phaser). The original owner of this toy must have felt the same way, since they felt the need to spice this one up by adding a little something extra to the back of it...



The Bionic Woman makes everything better.

AA/ DST Spotlight- "Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan" Communicator

Item Name: "Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan" Communicator
Manufacturer: Diamond Select Toys



DST released the TWOK communicator in their standard "universally branded" packaging in 2011.



The Rundown: Originally shown way back in 2009, the DST "Wrath Of Khan" communicator replica has finally arrived! DST have released a pretty solid array of prop replicas so far... How does their TWOK communicator stack up? Let's check it out!



Before we get down to it, I should probably state that I've never been a huge fan of the TWOK-style communicator. For a film that was set and produced years after the original series, it seemed that the props should have taken a step forward design-wise. That's what made the look of this prop seem so out of place to me. It really felt like a downgrade of the TOS communicators; the TWOK comms were larger, bulkier, and less attractive. Maybe that's all just me though.



Love or hate the design, DST did an AMAZING job capturing it here. I'm not an expert on props, but from what I can tell it seems like all the small details from the screen version are included, right down to the notation on the interior of the flip cover. Not only that, but DST actually made the design functional- incorporating all the activations for the electronics into the existing switches. The lower dial turns the communicator on and off, while the upper switches it into its different modes (more on that later).



Located on the back of the communicator is a small button and the battery housing (it runs on three "AAA" batteries). Yeah, I know. That's a big obtrusive trademark slapped on there. Do I wish it wasn't there? Sure. But I understand that it had to be done, and I'd rather it be on the back of the communicator than stuck on the front somewhere. Enough about that though- I wanna press that button!



The button on the back activates the comm's sound and light features. Again, I'm no prop expert, but I seem to remember the actual prop also had a small, slightly off-center circular button on the back. If I'm not crazy and there actually was one back there, then kudos to DST for including it here! If it didn't, then I suck at remembering stuff.



Depending on which mode you are in, the button on the back will activate different functions of the communicator. If the upper lever is in position 1, you are in "regular function mode". Press the button on the back, and the communicator will play one of the many phrases stored inside it. If you want to hear it play all the voice clips in a row, just hold the button down for three seconds and it will automatically cycle through them.

Position 2 puts the communicator into "screaming Kirk mode". In this mode, a press of the button will activate the "Khaaaannnn" clip. Hold it down for three seconds, and and the scream will keep repeating over and over with a brief 1 second pause in between each one.

The third position activates the "hail-back function". In this mode, the back button has no effect; The function starts automatically when the door is closed. The communicator will chirp until it is opened. Once opened, the communicator will play it's first "hail-back" phrase. Close it back up after that, and it will chirp once again. Open it up again and it will activate the second "hail-back" phrase.



So that takes care of the sounds... Now what about the lights? Glad you asked. The communicator is equipped with three different lighted areas. There's a small red light located on the instrumentation panel, and a lighted area on the top and bottom of the comm. The lights on either end of the communicator will pulse to the sound of each sound clip, with the bottom light illuminating for Kirk lines and the top blinking for everybody else.

Phew... Did you get all that? If not, here's a video showing off what this puppy can do:



Pretty impressive, eh? Overall, it's a very solid replica... but I do have a small complaint about the lights. If I recall correctly, the lights on the TWOK communicators were red, not blue like this DST version. Here's a pic from the film to show what I mean-



See the lights at the base? Red. Again, I am not a prop expert, so I guess it's possible that the communicator also had blue lights, but it seems like red is the more definitive color so I am a little baffled why they went with blue. Are any prop experts out there reading this that would like to chime in on this one? I'd love to know the reasoning behind this color choice!



Even with the color issue, I'm still pretty happy with this toy... and that's saying a lot since I was never a fan of the design to begin with. DST has proven time and again that they can produce high quality prop replicas at an affordable price, and the TWOK communicator is no exception. The translation of the design is top-notch, and the electronic features ROCK. A worthy addition to your staple of Trek Tek goodies!

While I managed to buy this at my local comic shop just this morning, most sites still have them listed as preorders. My favorite online Trek retailer New Force Comics has it available HERE for the low price of $32.99! At that price, you might as well buy 2, hire a friend, and form your own little landing party....

AA/ DST Spotlight- Original Series Communicator

Item Name: Original Series Communicator
Manufacturer: Diamond Select Toys



Diamond Select first released this communicator around 2007 in the black style box seen above...



...followed by a pairing with the TOS phaser (pictured is the Entertainment Earth version)...



...and lastly, in the blue "universal" branding single box (available through Toys R Us). *Phew*



The Rundown: If there's one thing that Diamond Select has done better than just about any other Star Trek licensee, it's offering really nice prop replicas at affordable prices. Sure, their stuff might not be as screen accurate as a Master Replicas piece, but you absolutely can't beat what you get for the price. We've previously looked at the various DST Tricorders (which you can find HERE), and one day I'll get around to highlighting the plethora of Phaser releases... but today we are gonna get chatty with the TOS Communicator replica!



Now I'm no prop expert, but I think DST did a heckuva job replicating the screen used prop here. The size and shape seems just right, and the internal area looks like it jumped right off the screen. Often times, a toy (and yes, this is technically still a toy) will have to compromise it's accuracy in favor of electronics. Not so with the DST Communicator. Everything works exactly as it should, with no oversized buttons or enlarged speakers getting in the way.



Speaking of the electronics- there's no shortage of bells and whistles here! Let's start with moire. A lot of previous communicators settled for a lenticular sticker to reproduce the spinning moire effect. Stickers suck. With the DST Communicator, flipping open the grill activates an actual electronic "spinning" effect. It's a bit on the noisy side, but man does it look sweet...



Now that we have her open, we can access the rest of the effects. The interior area features 3 lights (yellow, blue, & red) and a small silver area which houses 2 buttons and small speaker. The lights activate when the communicator flips open, but most of the sound effects are initiated by the use of the 2 buttons. The button on your right (closest to the wall of the communicator) allows you to cycle through the different voice clips stored in the device, while the button on your left activates the "red alert callback" feature. Press it in for a few seconds, close the lid, and your communicator will actually call you... You don't even need friends with this thing.

Check out this quick video for a rundown on the electronics. Oh... and I used the "test" feature on the voice clips so that I wouldn't have to keep pressing the button over and over. Just in case you were curious. Which you probably weren't.



Pretty slick, huh? For those of you that have the standard DST Communicator in your collections, you may have noticed that there were actually 9 phrases featured in that video instead of the 8 featured in a standard version. That's because I used the Entertainment Earth exclusive version for this demo. The EE version includes the extra Spock phrase "Your signal is very weak, can you turn up your gain?". But that's not the only difference in that release...



DST used three distinctly different grills (or antennae if you prefer) across their Communicator releases. While the standard and EE versions only differ in color, the TRU version looks to be an entirely different mold. Let's check 'em out!



Up there is your 'standard' release- metal grill with a nice brass paint job. I think this is my fav of the grills.



The Entertainment Earth exclusive features a golden paint job over a metal grill. While I prefer the bronze of the standard, I have no problems with this one either. I just imagine this one as a brand new, "polished" Communicator... How they might look before Kirk breaks 'em in.



Lastly, we have the newer Toys R Us release. Eh. I'm not a fan of this one. I guess for cost reasons, they switched to a gold plastic for this version... and boy does it show. The mold is thicker, with larger rings connecting it to the Communicator's body. The holes in the grill are also REALLY small, making the lid seem more solid than it should. Overall, a definite step down in quality.



Still, no matter which version you opt for, there's no denying that this is one fine piece of equipment. The sound effects are great, the callback feature is really fun, and the overall design is sharp. If you can, try and grab one of the earlier 2 releases... but if cost is an issue, go ahead and snag the Toys R Us version. Most TRU stores I've seen have it on clearance at a measly $18, which makes the cheaper grill a little easier to accept. Now I just gotta find some nice velcro to attach this thing to my pants with...

Mego Spotlight- Communicators

Item Name: Star Trek Communicators
Manufacturer: Mego Toys Corp.



Mego released these communicators back in 1974! That's older than me!

The Rundown: It seems that the communicators used in Star Trek are a staple in Trek toys. Back in the days before cellular phones, these wondrous devices offered a glimpse at long-distance chatting in the future, and provided the perfect venue for roleplay fun. Most of the communicator toys simply replicate the look of the prop, with no eye towards providing actual communication between devices. The communicators from Mego we are looking at today however are a bit different, since they are actually functional (kind of...). But before we start talking about these guys, I want to take a closer look at this packaging art-



I've said this before, and I'll probably keep saying it until I run out of Mego stuff to talk about- Mego packaging art is AWESOME. Yeah, sometimes it's a bit ridiculous... but that's part of what makes it so cool. Take that shot up there for example. Let's ignore the fact that they seem to be just standing around in space for a second; I'd say Kirk and Spock are only about 15 feet away from each other... but if you have communicators, why would you not just go ahead and use them anyway! Show-offs. And it seems Spock is using a bit of sign language here as well:



Captain, would you do me the great honor of reading "between the lines"?



Now that we have that out of the way... Let's take a look at the toys themselves! Mego went with blue plastic for these instead of the traditional black, much like they did with the accessories for the 8" figures. The communicators are right around 5" long and 2.5" wide, making them a bit larger than the ones used in the show. Of course, this is due to the electronics housed inside. It wasn't possible back then for them to cram the "walkie-talkie" technology into something smaller. The communicator lids are stamped with a nifty Trek logo, while the lower part...



... features a label letting you know that this is indeed a communicator. Just in case you forgot or something.



With the press of a button, the upper lid flips open- revealing the inner area of the communicator. While there are obviously some liberties being taken here, the inside looks enough like a real communicator to satisfy a child's standards. There's a big silver speaker area standing in for the prop's moire, and an array of non-functioning buttons for you to not do anything with.



The communicator is operated via three interfaces along the side. The upper dial turns it on and controls the volume, the middle button allows you to talk, and the lower green/red button handles your "alert" signal. How's it all work? Glad you asked.



Pop open the back of communicator and you'll see this. Yep, that's right... there isn't a dedicated battery compartment. When you open the back to slap in your 9-volt, you reveal all the internal workings of the comm. This was the 1970's... who needs a stinking battery compartment?



Inside the top portion of the communicator is the telescoping antenna that allows you to send and receive signals. It's ridiculously long when fully extended. Like over 28 inches long. I'm sure passing truckers just loved listening to kids playing on these things.

I don't think I need to give you a demo on using the voice feature, but the "alert" signals really need a listen. The alert is activated by depressing the lower red/ green button. Press it in just enough to hide the green area and you'll hear the "Green Alert Signal". If the poop has really hit the fan, go ahead and press it in all the way to activate the "Red (DANGER) Alert Signal"! Check it out, but I'm warning ya- It's loud!



Yeah, that's not annoying at all. It's amazing how 25 years can change your perspective on toys. At 7, I'd have loved that sound. At 32, I want to throw this thing across a room until parts break off.



And since Mego thought it was important enough to mention it in a blurb on the packaging, I should probably draw your attention to the belt clip. How else are you gonna carry these? In your hands? That's for losers.

So there ya go... Yeah, there have been more accurate communicators made, but more fun? No way. I'd have LOVED playing with these as a kid. Walkie-talkies were my preferred method of talking to friends back then, so Trek versions would have been the bee's knees. Of course, those were simpler times... back before 9-year-olds carried cell phones. Man, I really miss the old days.