Stretch Armstrong

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Biography

Stretch Armstrong was a large, gel-filled action figure first introduced in 1976 by Kenner .

History

Stretch Armstrong was in the shape of a well-muscled blonde man wearing a pair of swimming trunks. Its most notable feature was that the doll could be stretched from its original size (about 15& nbsp;inches) to four or five feet. However, if a tear did develop, it could be fixed with an adhesive bandage. Information on how to repair Stretch can be found inside the instruction booklet that was originally inside his box. The original Armstrong figure was held in place inside his box by two polystyrene inserts; he could be placed back inside the box for storage.

The original Stretch Armstrong figure was in production from 1976 until 1980 when production was stopped. The original 1970s Stretch is very collectable now and commands high prices on the secondary collectors' market, selling for hundreds, even thousands of dollars. However, finding one in mint condition is hard. Through storage and play, the figure can become damaged and rendered useless. There are still Original Stretch Armstrongs that have survived the passing of time and are remarkably preserved through sheer luck or being stored at the correct temperature. The figure keeps best at room temperature so thirty years later, collectors are still using Stretch.
Stretch Armstrong is made of latex rubber filled with gelled corn syrup , which allows it to retain shape for a short time before shrinking to its original shape. The later 1990s figures had small beads inside them.

Similar releases

An estimated 67 different versions from Japan, Germany, Italy, France, Australia, and other countries released Stretch Armstrong variations between 1976 and the 1990s. (retrieved 23 January 2012)

Stretch X-Ray (1977), had an over-sized exposed brain and an alien-looking face with a transparent form that showed his internal organs

Harbert Sport Mister Muscolo, 1977 Italian version of Stretch Armstrong, Stretch Armstrong World (retrieved 23 January 2012)

Lili Ledy El Hombre Elastic, Mexican version of Stretch Armstrong

Tsukuda Mr. X, Japanese version of Stretch Armstrong

Stretch Monster, a reptilian green nemesis released by Kenner (company)|Kenner in 1978

Harbert Sport Mister Monstro, Italian version of Stretch Monster

Tsukuda Stretch Monster, Japanese version

Stretch Ollie and Stretch Olivia, male and female octopus es (colored blue and pink, respectively) which had the same face shape but the only difference was their color. Kenner issued both weeks apart but Ollie was more popular. The Denys Fisher UK toy company issued Ollie and Olivia in smaller boxes than their American counterparts, saving on shelf space. The figures are rare to come by now.

Denys Fisher Stretch Incredible Hulk

Mego Corporation|Mego Elastic Donald Duck

Mego Elastic Batman

Mego Elastic Incredible Hulk

Mego Elastic Plasticman (1979)

Kenner Stretch Serpent

Cap Toys Fetch Armstrong, Stretch Armstrong's pliable canine counterpart, released in the early 1990s

Kenner/ Hasbro Super Stretch The Mask|Mask

Cap Toys Vac-Man|Stretch Vac-Man

ToyQuest Super Morphman

The last two were filled with a granular solid in place of the viscous liquid found in the other figures. A vacuum pump , which attached to the heads of these figures, removed the air from within, which "froze" the toy in its stretched position.

Stretch Armstrong was reissued in the 1990s with a canine sidekick, "Fetch Armstrong". The reissue stretch Armstrong had a more comical exaggerated face and mouth and had on a t-shirt and shorts. This new reissue figure was introduced in 1993 and 1994 version exist with slightly different art work. He also has an evil brother named Evil X-ray Wretch Armstrong who has a skull face, sports a Mohawk hairstyle|mohawk , and also stretches. Wretch Armstong seems to be a redesigned, smaller remake of Stretch X-Ray but in reality looks nothing like the 1970s version Evil X-ray Wretch Armstrong is only 7 inches tall whereas Stretch X-ray was over 12 inches tall.

Film

In 2008, Universal Studios signed a deal with Hasbro to create a film about Armstrong based on a screenplay written by Nicholas Stoller . On February 5, 2010, Universal Studios announced Taylor Lautner will star as Armstrong and that the film will be in 3-D film|3-D . The film is produced by Brian Grazer . Grazer states "Stretch Armstrong is a character I have wanted to see on screen for a long time ... It’s a story about a guy stretching ... the limits of what is possible to become all that he can be." The film is scheduled for a 2012 release. On January 30, 2012 Relativity Media pickup the Stretch Armstrong Live-Action Film, after Universal Studios drop it.

Copyright Citations

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1. Pharoahe Monch

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