Micronauts

Micronauts were some of my favorite toys as a child. Introduced by Mego in the early 70′s, Micronauts were actually remakes of a Japanese line of toys called Microman. The Microman line was created by Takara, the same company that game us the Transformer toys in the 80′s.

Many Micronaut toys and figures were the same as the Microman toys, especially the early ones like Pharoid and the Time Travelers. Others, like the Karrio carrying case robot and the aliens, were created specifically by Mego for the American line.

One of things for which Micronauts are best remembered is their 5mm peg hole system. Nearly every Micronaut toy could be disassembled and joined with other Micronauts for completely new creations.

In the late 70′s, the Micronauts were quickly eclipsed by a line of toys that Mego turned down, Star Wars figures. This mistake, combined with a number of other financial blunders like licensing box office failures The Black Hole and Star Trek the Motion Picture, led to Mego’s eventual bankruptcy.

Following Mego’s collapse, a number of other company’s picked up the line in different forms, giving the world The Interchangeables and The Lords of Light. Micronaut-like toys were also released in foreign countries, especially Italy and Canada and are some of the most sought after Micronauts.

More complete information on the Micronauts and their related toys can be found at Eric Larson’s Micronauts Home Page and at Ron Pringle’s Micropola page.