Stretch Armstrong
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Stretch Armstrong is a large, gel-filled
action figure An action figure is a poseable character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game or television program; fictional or historical. These figures are usually mark ...
that was first introduced in 1976 by
Kenner Kenner Products, known simply as Kenner, was an American toy company founded in 1946. Throughout its history, the Kenner brand produced several highly recognizable toys and merchandise lines including action figures like the original series of ' ...
. In 2016, at the New York Toy Fair,
Hasbro Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational conglomerate holding company incorporated and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of K ...
announced the return of the Stretch Armstrong toy in its original 1976 design. Stretch Armstrong is made of latex rubber filled with a proprietary gelled substance similar to corn syrup, which allows it to retain shape for a short time before shrinking to its original shape. Stretch Armstrong is an
action figure An action figure is a poseable character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game or television program; fictional or historical. These figures are usually mark ...
shaped as a short muscular man with
blond hair Blond (male) or blonde (female), also referred to as fair hair, is a hair color characterized by low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin. The resultant visible hue depends on various factors, but always has some yellowish color. The color can ...
wearing black trunks. The doll's most notable feature is that it can be stretched from its normal size of about to . If a tear does develop, it could be fixed with an adhesive bandage. Information on how to repair Stretch is provided in the toy's instruction booklet included the original box.


History

The Stretch Armstrong toy concept was created by Jesse D. Horowitz, the industrial designer for Kenner's R&D group. The idea was approved for development by the head of R&D, Jeep (James) Kuhn, vice president of Kenner. The "stretch man" idea as it was called was pursued with two different bodies in mind. One was a sumo wrestler and the other was an All-American blond hunk. Horowitz sculpted the models himself instead of hiring a freelancer. The sumo man was too bulky and large, so the All-American body was cast by Kenner's model maker Richard Dobek, and the resultant resin model was taken to a latex doll manufacturer in New Jersey, where the first bodies were dipped. Originally, springs were thought of as the way to stretch the man. However, they were thought to be too awkward and stiff, too difficult to insert and would likely pierce the skin. Kuhn, a chemical engineer, pursued a liquid sugar idea which eventually proved successful. Tremendous quantities of Karo corn syrup were purchased from an A&P supermarket. The syrup was boiled down to get the proper viscosity. Kuhn and Horowitz flew to Kenner's headquarters in
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
,
Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
, and presented the concept to Bernie Loomis, Kenner's president. He loved it and so a toy icon was born. The original Stretch Armstrong figure was conceived and developed by Bill Armasmith, and was in production from 1976 until 1980.
Denys Fisher Denys Fisher (11 May 1918 – 17 September 2002) was an English engineer who invented the spirograph toy and created the company Denys Fisher Toys. He left Leeds University to join the family firmKingfisher (Lubrication) Ltd In 1960 he left the ...
manufactured and released the figure in Europe, under license from Kenner. The original 1970s toy commands high prices on the secondary collectors' market, selling for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of US dollars. Through storage and play, the figure could 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. 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.


Similar releases

An estimated 67 different versions from Japan,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
, Australia, and other countries released Stretch Armstrong variations between 1976 and the 1990s. * Stretch X-Ray (1977), had an oversized exposed
brain A brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as vision. It is the most complex organ in a ve ...
and an alien-looking face with a transparent form that showed its internal organs which were lungs, an intestinal system and what appears to be a heart. This version was re-released. * Harbert Sport Mister Muscolo, 1977 Italian version of Stretch ArmstrongEstimated Stretches Left in Existence
, Stretch Armstrong World (retrieved January 23, 2012)
* Lili Ledy El Hombre Elastico, Mexican version of Stretch Armstrong *
Tsukuda Tsukuda (written: 佃 lit. "cultivated rice field") is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: *, Japanese businessman *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese cyclist See also * Tsukuda Station (disambiguation), multiple train stat ...
Mr. X, Japanese version of Stretch Armstrong * Stretch Monster, a reptilian green nemesis released by Kenner in 1978 * Harbert Sport Mister Mostro, Italian version of Stretch Monster *
Tsukuda Tsukuda (written: 佃 lit. "cultivated rice field") is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: *, Japanese businessman *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese cyclist See also * Tsukuda Station (disambiguation), multiple train stat ...
Stretch Monster, Japanese version * Stretch Ollie and Stretch Olivia, male and female octopuses (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 Denys Fisher (11 May 1918 – 17 September 2002) was an English engineer who invented the spirograph toy and created the company Denys Fisher Toys. He left Leeds University to join the family firmKingfisher (Lubrication) Ltd In 1960 he left the ...
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 (1979) This figure used the original Stretch Armstrong molds and graphics without permission, and was discontinued due to a lawsuit from Kenner in 1980. * Mego Elastic Donald Duck (1980) * Mego Elastic Mickey Mouse (1980) * Mego Elastic Batman * Mego Elastic Incredible Hulk (1979) * Mego Elastic
Plastic Man Plastic Man (Patrick "Eel" O'Brian) is a superhero first appearing in ''Police Comics'' #1, originally published by Quality Comics and later acquired by DC Comics. Created by cartoonist Jack Cole (artist), Jack Cole, Plastic Man was one of the fi ...
(1979) * Kenner Stretch
Serpent Serpent or The Serpent may refer to: * Snake, a carnivorous reptile of the suborder Serpentes Mythology and religion * Sea serpent, a monstrous ocean creature * Serpent (symbolism), the snake in religious rites and mythological contexts * Serp ...
* Cap Toys Fetch Armstrong, Stretch Armstrong's pliable canine counterpart, released in the early 1990s * Kenner/
Hasbro Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational conglomerate holding company incorporated and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of K ...
Super Stretch
Mask A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment and often they have been employed for rituals and rights. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and pra ...
* Cap Toys Stretch Vac-Man * ToyQuest Super Morphman * Super Impulse Gumby and Pokey Stretch The last two were filled with a granular solid in place of the
viscous liquid In condensed matter physics and physical chemistry, the terms viscous liquid, supercooled liquid, and glassforming liquid are often used interchangeably to designate liquids that are at the same time highly viscous (see Viscosity of amorphous ma ...
found in the other figures. A
vacuum pump A vacuum pump is a device that draws gas molecules from a sealed volume in order to leave behind a partial vacuum. The job of a vacuum pump is to generate a relative vacuum within a capacity. The first vacuum pump was invented in 1650 by Otto ...
, 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 by Cap Toys, with a canine
sidekick A sidekick is a slang expression for a close companion or colleague (not necessarily in fiction) who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to the one they accompany. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, ...
, "Fetch Armstrong". The reissue stretch Armstrong had a more comical exaggerated face (a huge genial smile) and had on a vanity 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 Mohawk may refer to: Related to Native Americans * Mohawk people, an indigenous people of North America (Canada and New York) *Mohawk language, the language spoken by the Mohawk people * Mohawk hairstyle, from a hairstyle once thought to have been ...
, and also stretches. Wretch Armstrong 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.


Adaptations


Cancelled film

In 1994, Walt Disney Studios obtained the film rights to the character. Several scripts were written, including an early version family comedy written by Greg Erb, a co-writer at Disney. The script which cast
Tim Allen Timothy Alan Dick (born June 13, 1953), known professionally as Tim Allen, is an American actor and comedian. He is known for playing Tim "The Toolman" Taylor on the ABC sitcom ''Home Improvement'' (1991–1999) and Mike Baxter on the ABC/ ...
in the role of Stretch Armstrong as a "kind of single dad who is a research scientist" and is "stretched too thin" trying to balance his work and family life before he inadvertently accidentally takes one of his experimental serums giving himself "stretchy powers". A later version from screenwriter Michael Kalesniko was created and it was set in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
. It was about a somewhat socially awkward nobody beset with troubles trying to venture out his failing personal life and is genetically modified with stretching abilities after a failed nuclear fusion experiment and must use his newfound abilities to solve the tragedy that has befallen his family. Among the actors who were considered for the role was
Danny DeVito Daniel Michael DeVito Jr. (born November 17, 1944) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He gained prominence for his portrayal of the taxi dispatcher Louie De Palma in the television series ''Taxi'' (1978–1983), which won him a Gold ...
, who refused to do the film if the script made any jokes about his height. Several other writers, such as
Mike Werb Mike Werb is an American screenwriter, whose writing credits include ''Face/Off'', '' The Mask'' and the story for '' Lara Croft: Tomb Raider''. A Los Angeles native, Werb attended Stanford. He is a UCLA Film School graduate. He has worked as ...
and
Michael Colleary Michael Colleary is an American film producer, screenwriter and television writer. His writing credits include ''Face/Off'', '' Firehouse Dog'', ''The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents'', the story for '' Lara Croft: Tomb Raider,'' and the Cartoon ...
, provided rewrites, and
Peter Care Peter Alan Care (born 28 April 1953) is an English director of music videos, commercials and film. He has directed music videos for Cabaret Voltaire, R.E.M., Bruce Springsteen, Roy Orbison, Depeche Mode and New Order, amongst others. Biogr ...
was attached to direct, but due to lack of time on the rights, both ideas from Disney were scrapped and the rights were bought up by
Hasbro Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational conglomerate holding company incorporated and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of K ...
. In 2008,
Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...
signed a deal with Hasbro to create another film based on Stretch Armstrong from a screenplay written by
Nicholas Stoller Nicholas Stoller (born March 19, 1976) is a British-American filmmaker. He is known mainly for directing the 2008 comedy '' Forgetting Sarah Marshall'', its 2010 spin-off/sequel, ''Get Him to the Greek'', '' The Five-Year Engagement'', '' Neighbo ...
. It was announced from the studios co-chairman
Donna Langley Dame Donna Langley-Shamshiri (born 1968 on the Isle of Wight, UK) is a British film executive who is Chairwoman of Universal Pictures. She was profiled in ''Variety''s "Power of Women" issue in 2014. Career Langley began her career as a producti ...
that
Taylor Lautner Taylor Daniel Lautner (; born February 11, 1992) is an American actor. He is best known for playing shapeshifter Jacob Black in '' The Twilight Saga'' film series. Lautner began his acting career playing bit parts in comedy series such as '' ...
would star as Armstrong and that the film would be in 3-D. She stated that "with Lautner's success energy and athleticism he is a perfect fit to a unlikely hero." Producer
Brian Grazer Brian Thomas Grazer (born July 12, 1951) is an American film and television producer and writer. He founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986 with Ron Howard. The films they produced have grossed over $15 billion. Grazer was personally nominated f ...
stated "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." Another script was being made by writer Steve Oedekerk introducing the character in the form of an uptight spy who stumbles across a stretching formula, which he takes and now must adjust to his newfound abilities when fighting crime and in his everyday life. Two years later, after the excitement drummed up by the Studios ideas for the character,
Relativity Media Relativity Media is an American media company founded in 2004 by Lynwood Spinks and Ryan Kavanaugh. The company brokered film finance deals and later branched into film production and other entertainment ventures. The company was commerciall ...
announced that they had picked up the film after it was dropped by Universal and set a new release date of April 11, 2014. Planning to make the film more serious than originally intended by Universal, Relativity hired ''
The Manchurian Candidate ''The Manchurian Candidate'' is a novel by Richard Condon, first published in 1959. It is a political thriller about the son of a prominent U.S. political family who is brainwashed into being an unwitting assassin for a Communist conspiracy. Th ...
'' writer Dean Georgaris to write a new script, dropped Lautner, and hired Breck Eisner to direct. The film origin story was going to introduce an overwhelmed high schooler and the life-or-death consequences he was going to face after undergoing a transformation granting him superhuman abilities. Production was scheduled to start filming on May 15, 2013, in
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
but by October 2013, both the studio and Hasbro had abandoned the film to work on other projects.


Television

After four attempted films for Stretch Armstrong, Hasbro Studios made a deal with the video streaming service website
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
where the property was picked up for a full 26-episode animated series, making it the first deal between the company and the streaming service. This superhero action/comedy animated series will follow an over-scheduled teenager named Jake Armstrong and his two best friends as they go into action after the trio are inadvertently exposed to an experimental chemical making them flexible and become ''
Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters ''Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters'' is an American animated series produced by Hasbro Studios and distributed by Netflix. It is based on the 1970s action figure Stretch Armstrong. The Netflix series features a brand new superhero universe ...
''—a team of stretchable superheroes who must work together and embark on a series of adventures to expand beyond the confines of their lives. The series had its debut on Netflix on November 17, 2017. The series was developed by Kevin Burke,
Victor Cook Victor A. Cook (born c. 1960/1961) is an American television producer and director best known for his work on the animated series ''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' (2008–2009), '' Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated'' (2010–2013) and ''Stretch Arm ...
, and
Chris "Doc" Wyatt Christopher Aaron Wyatt, sometimes credited as Chris "Doc" Wyatt, (born October 5, 1975 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American film producer, writer, and second unit director. He produced the 2004 film ''Napoleon Dynamite'', the 2006 film ''Think T ...
; Burke and Wyatt also wrote a tie-in comic book for IDW Publishing. The first 13 episodes of the 26-episode first season were released on
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
on November 17, 2017.


Comics

A similar concept with Stretch as a superhero was also shown in a one-off comic produced by Hasbro in 2011 dubbed ''Unit:E''; there, the descendant of Acroyear and a Biotron (both from ''
Micronauts Micronauts is a North American science fiction toyline manufactured and marketed by Mego from 1976 to 1980. The ''Micronauts'' toyline was based on and licensed from the ''Microman'' toyline created by Japanese-based toy company Takara in 1974. ...
'') and Synergy (from '' Jem''; here an alien artificial intelligence) conducted reconnaissance on heroes from Earth and beyond (including characters from ''
G.I. Joe ''G.I. Joe'' is an American media franchise and a line of action figures owned and produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier ( U.S. Army), Ac ...
'', ''
Transformers ''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Tomy, Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms ...
'', ''
MASK A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment and often they have been employed for rituals and rights. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and pra ...
'', ''Battleship Galaxies'', '' Action Man'', and even ''
Candy Land ''Candy Land'' (also ''Candyland'') is a simple racing board game published by Hasbro. The game requires no reading and minimal counting skills, making it suitable for young children. No strategy is involved as players are never required to ma ...
'') to help fight against Baron Karza (the enemy of the Micronauts). In September 2017, IDW Publishing announced a new comic book based on the Netflix series ''Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters'' for January 2018.


Video game

In 2018, a video game called ''Stretch Armstrong: The Breakout'' was released on Netflix. The game involves Jake Armstrong, Ricardo and Nathan stopping villains from rampaging through Charter City.


References


External links

* {{Hasbro Products introduced in 1976 Action figures Fictional characters who can stretch themselves Toy characters 1970s toys 1990s toys Hasbro products 1980s toys