MishM*A*S*H 44: H-G Toys Puzzles

Last month I wrote about the M*A*S*H puzzles that were released by Milton-Bradley in the early 1980s. In the post, I lamented that the puzzles and products released in the 1980s didn’t include the early cast including Frank and Radar. Thankfully, the company H-G Toys released a series of puzzles in 1976 that featured some of the early cast members. These puzzles were released in the timeframe of seasons five, so we get to see Frank and Radar in officially licensed M*A*S*H products. By the end of the series, there was a wide variety of licensed M*A*S*H products available including  M*A*S*H themed alcohol, action figures, Halloween costumes, trivia games, toys, and clothing (I previously wrote about a licensed products kit distributed by 20th Century Fox Television). It is great to see some early M*A*S*H merchandise, so this week, let’s took a look at some early M*A*S*H puzzles.

The company H-G Toys specialized in creating licensed products for a variety of television shows and properties including Happy Days, Star Trek, Planet of the Apes, Evel Knievel, Spider-Man, and more. In 1976, they released three puzzles that featured the cast of M*A*S*H. Since the puzzles were released in the timeframe of, what I would call, the mid-cast of M*A*S*H, the puzzles feature Hawkeye, B.J., Margaret, Col. Potter, Radar, Frank, Klinger, and Father Mulcahy. Each puzzle is 150 pieces and measures 14 inches by 10 inches when assembled. The puzzles feature one primary image with three or four inset images featuring other members of the cast. The photos used appear to be press photos for the most part, but there are two identifiable scenes in one of the puzzles. The image of Hawkeye and Klinger (wearing a pink dress) is from the episode “Hawk’s Nightmare” (05×13), and the basketball scene on the same puzzle is likely from “Margaret’s Marriage” (05×24). The two puzzles in the collection aren’t the only M*A*S*H puzzles made by H-G Toys in 1976. According to MASH4077TV.com the three H-G Toys puzzles include:

• “Hawkeye & B.J.” (150 Pieces)
• “Hawkeye & Klinger” (150 Pieces)
• “The Staff” (150 Pieces)

I have always liked puzzles, and I am happy to see that there were a variety of M*A*S*H puzzles released throughout the series’ run. Whether you bought the puzzles released in 1976 or the Milton Bradley puzzles from the 1980s, they were a great way for fans to connect with the show and capture a few images of their favorite characters and actors. It is still shame that there are not any products that I am aware of that feature the full, original cast including Trapper and Henry Blake. The concept of licensed products for television shows really took off in the late 1970s, and so the final cast of M*A*S*H really benefited from the product boom. These puzzles are a great example of early, great quality M*A*S*H products that I wish I had begin in 1974 or 1975. Perhaps the first season’s ratings delayed the possibility of licensed products, but these H-G Toys puzzles show how television tie-ins could be done right. Unlike the Milton Bradley puzzles, I do not see the H-G Toys puzzles sell as frequently on sites like eBay. Finding puzzles complete is challenging as well, but I recommend adding these puzzles to your collection if you can find them.