In our Action Figures directory, we collect links related to toy characters that can be posed. Action figures have been available since the 1960s, when most of these toys were military men like G.I. Joe, representing strong masculine role models for boys. In the years that followed, action figures grew in popularity, variety, and features. For almost every cartoon, action movie, comic book, or popular media, there is a figurine. The great variety is one of the reasons that action figures are popular both with the children to whom they are marketed and to adults, who collect toys for their value and their nostalgia. Hasbro, Toy Biz, and DC Direct are examples of action figure producers. Typically, these toys are constructed of plastic and include swivel points at the joints, allowing them to be shaped into realistic poses. This lets the player pretend that the action figure is interacting with his environment as well as with other action figures. One of the ways that action figure companies make money from a brand is by developing accessories. These can include familiar settings that the characters inhabit on television or in comic books. They can also include the weaponry, tools, and companion characters that allow the action figure's world to come to life in the player's imagination. Advancements in toy creations have given action figures traits like glow-in-the-dark paint, sound effects, automatic movement at the flick of a switch, and more. Explore links in our Action Figures directory for additional detail.