Comic TV & Movie Action Figures: History and Development Although lithographed tin ray guns and rocket ships have been around since the 1950s, the modern era of licensed toys began with the availability of plastics by visionary toy companies such as Marx and Ideal. Licensed toys and particularly action figures have evolved greatly since then, although their manufacturing processes are still quite similar today. This entertaining panel will review action figures from the mid-1960s through today’s explosion of varieties. Journey through that history with a power point presentation and vintage action figure models to see how far they have come and a behind the scenes view of how they were and are made. Greg Autore - A thirty-year veteran of the Toy and Juvenile Products Industry with work spanning design, development, sales, and marketing. As president of Purple Suit, Inc., a product development firm, his creative touch is always in demand to develop and market unique children’s products. Among the classic toys he has influenced are Star Wars, Marvel Superheroes, and Disney Princesses. He has also directed creative input of animated shows like Princess Gwenevere and Jewel Riders. Greg is known for his lively panels and toy conventions such as Toylanta and the National GI Joe Collector’s club as well as the keynote speaker for the Society of Plastics Engineers – Color and Appearance Conference to discuss color theory and product development.