Batman action figures have been produced since the 1940s. Early years The first Batman action figures were lead figurines of Batman and Robin. These were then given away as carnival prizes at local fairs during the 1940s. Marx The Marx Toy Company produced the first ever posable Batman action figure in the mid-1960s. It was about 4 inches tall (10 cm) and came with a multitude of accessories including cuffs, batarangs, and a fire extinguisher. Very few remain in existence, and they have been described as the "holy grail" for vintage Batman toy collectors. Ideal's Captain Action In 1966, the Ideal Toy Company launched a line of superhero action figures called Captain Action in response to Hasbro's popular G.I. Joe line, which followed the standard action figure scale of 12". The Captain Action figure came dressed with a cloth superhero costume, hat, ray gun, and a sword, ready for kids to enjoy. Parents could also buy additional superhero costumes that were sold separately, and kids could take Captain Action's costume off and replace it with one of several superhero costumes based on famous comic book characters. Also in 1966, the ABC Television Network launched a live-action Batman TV series. Because of Batman's growing success in the mid-'60s, a Batman costume was included in Captain Action's arsenal. This Batman costume was detailed with a horizontally striped cape as well as a black and gold chest emblem (the costume set was available with both metal and decal chest emblems). Batman's accessories included a blue Batarang, a flashlight, and a drill, which could all be attached to the figure's utility belt. In 1967, Ideal released a partner figure for Captain Action, his youthful sidekick, Action Boy. Ideal Toy's released only three costumes for Action Boy to change into, one of them being Robin, Batman's sidekick. Mego's World's Greatest Superheroes! In 1972, the Mego Corporation, made a landmark deal and secured the licenses to create toys for both National Periodical Publications (later DC Comics) and Marvel Comics. Similar to Ideal Toy's Captain Action line, these figures featured cloth costumes that fans could remove. Unlike Captain Action, however, the costumes came with the figure and were not sold separately. The bodies were a smaller 8" size and the heads and clothing were interchangeable. During this time period, Mego released the very first ever comprehensive line of DC and Marvel character action figures and coined the