Six Million Dollar Man Bionic Bigfoot Action Figures- New and Old.
By: Karl Stern (@dragonkingkarl, @wiwcool, karl@whenitwascool.com)
I am fortunate to own one of my favorite childhood toys. Tonya from When It Was Cool bought it for me a few years ago- the Six Million Dollar Man Bionic Bigfoot from Kenner. But not only do I have the original giant Bionic Bigfoot (over a foot tall) but I also have the 2013 3.75 inch version from Zica. Both, honestly, are pretty cool but clearly nothing can beat the original.
The original from 1976 had a great swivel joint at it's shoulders. This should have been a standard feature on action figures going forward honestly. A button on his mid-section triggered a peg that "blasted off" the torso panel revealing his bionic circuits inside. The hole in the middle was designed for the Steve Austin action figure to put his hand inside so you could "ratchet" up his bionic arm to simulate Bigfoot being lifted off the ground. Obviously, the 3.75 inch modern Bigfoot (2013) did not replicate these features.
The original Bigfoot with his torso panel still in place. The plastic used on the torso panel was different than the rest of the figure so many of these figures (including mine) have discolored torso plates. There are no knee, elbow, nor neck joints on either the classic or modern versions of Bionic Bigfoot.
A close-up of the sticker under the torso plate depicting Bionic Bigfoot's inner machinary.
The face sculpt is very interesting and a close match to the character on the Six Million Dollar Man television show. The Bionic Bigfoot in season one (1976) was played by pro wrestler Andre the Giant. In other seasons Andre was replaced by Ted Cassidy (Lurch from the Addams Family.)
The modern 3.75 inch Bionic Bigfoot released in 2013 by Zica Toys. It is a faithful representation of the old Kenner figure except for the lack of painted teeth.
Here is the Zica figure pictured beside the retro styled Steve Austin (Six Million Dollar Man) and stands considerably taller and bulkier which is a nice touch.
If you found this article interesting consider becoming a Patreon supporter. That is how When It Was Cool keeps our website and podcasts online, plus you get lots of bonus content including extra and extended podcasts, articles, digital comics, ebooks, and much more. Check out our Patreon Page to see what's up!
If you don't want to use Patreon but still want to support When It Was Cool then how about a one time $5 PayPal donation? Thank you!
