the uniforms themselves were of heavy cotton and chevrons were typically embroidered and sewn on, rather than paper decals. Over the many years Action Man was in production, almost every item produced for the line had a multitude of variations. Boxed sets Over the course of Action Man production, a wide variety of boxed sets were sold; one popular at the time of the BBC's Colditz television series in the 1970s was "Escape from Colditz", which provided both. Included were reproductions of a variety of Prisoner of war artifacts from Colditz, and a history. An "Escape from Colditz" board game had already been released by Parker Brothers (UK), a division of Palitoy. The Radio BackPack was also sold in a deluxe set with Action Man Field Officer. Spain's Geyperman, although a Hasbro Licensee, used Palitoy's product line as the basis for their products. Literature and star scheme All boxed figures came with certain pieces of literature, usually an "Equipment Manual", a catalogue of then current offerings that children could wish for, a star scheme card and a usage guide for the specific figure type that illustrated how to use and care for the flex hands, eagle eyes, etc., as appropriate. Some outfits and figure sets came with instructions for proper use and care, they illustrate the identical items offered for G.I. Joe at that time; the only variation is the absence of Marine items offered in the U.S. Other related items were also produced; in the 1960s–70s there were companion leaflets for various sets that provided background information on the actual activity/military division. In 1977 six novels were published under the pseudonym Mike Brogan, and into the 1980s, Action Man annuals were released. Virtually all Action Man packaging from 1966 came with stars; the more expensive the item, the more stars it came with, with a scale of 1 to 5 stars. These stars were intended to be clipped from the packaging, and affixed to a "Star Scheme" sheet that came with boxed figures. It had spaces for up to 21 stars, and included a list of the various items available for varying numbers of stars collected, with a "free" unclothed figure being the top item. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, his dog, and various outfits were available over the life of the program, which continued till the end of Action Man's production in 1984. Figures redeemed through the star