Mego

Mego Corporation, commonly known simply as Mego, is an American toy company best known for its 8-inch action figures released in the 1970s that carried licenses to popular media properties. The company’s licensing approach allowed collectors to find multiple characters from different franchises in a single line, a model that helped popularize cross-property play.

In the 1970s, Mego released a wide range of figures based on DC Comics and Marvel Comics characters, as well as properties such as Star Trek and Planet of the Apes. The line became a cultural touchstone and is remembered for helping establish a mass-market format for licensed figures that influenced later toy lines and collecting practices.

By the late 1970s and early 1980s, Mego faced financial difficulties and filed for bankruptcy; the brand and its licenses passed through several owners, and the original 8-inch figure line eventually left production. The rights and name changed hands multiple times as the company’s presence in the market waned.

In the 2000s and 2010s, the Mego name was revived by new owners who produced retro-styled figures and new releases tied to classic franchises and newer licenses, targeting collectors and nostalgia markets. The brand is frequently cited in histories of toy licensing and is remembered for its role in shaping how franchises are represented in action-figure lines.

See also: Mego Museum; Star Trek figures; World's Greatest Superheroes; 8-inch action figures.