Multiple Products Corporation, also known as MPC and Multiple Toymakers, was an American manufacturer of plastic figures, playsets and toys in general that was in business during the 50s and 60s. Not to be confused with Model Products Corporation which was in the business of model cars and vehicles. In terms of WWII figures they produced several sets covering some of the main participating nations. Their sculpting style is quite unique in the sense that most figures are tall and slim. Definitely on the larger side of 54mm. In addition to the 54 mm figures, they also had a line of 60mm figures that came with 'ring hands' which allowed them to hold different weapons and equipment.
MPC German Infantry - Part I
These guys are not my favorite. A bit too stiff for my taste, and they are also very tall and skinny. I added them to the collection mainly for the sake of completeness, and also because at the time I was trying to get to 100 distinct poses to paint. Out of this 5 guys, I think the second one from the right is the one I like the best. The grenade man seems to be contorting himself to make that throw, and then guy on the far left has very short and tucked arms. Not to mention that I don't recognize his weapon. Maybe it was meant to be an MP40? And then there's the phone guy. Is he standing at attention? Lastly, we get a senior officer with what looks like a field marshal baton. Odd that he would be part of an infantry squad. But he can be made part of a much larger scene and we can perhaps pretend that he dropped by for an inspection.
MPC German Infantry - Part II
This is the rest of the squad. Not really a fan of these figures. The guy on the left would fit better in a football game as a wide receiver asking for the ball. The guy on the right looks like a flat 2-D figure. And the prone guy who is already pretty tall/long got made even longer with such a MG. If you place him next to any of your other prone MG guys he really stands out - no pun intended.
MPC Japanese Infantry - Part I
Again, the figures tend to be on the tall and slim side, but they are a notch better than the Germans. And even if they are not the best sculpted guys out there, I have a soft spot for old figures like these, and I trust that once they are painted, their appearance will improve.
MPC Japanese Infantry - Part II
The guy without a base tends to fall over, and the rifle strap belonging to the second guy from the left is often broken when you find these figures. The same goes for the tripod on the machine gun. So if you find these guys without broken weapons grab them!
MPC US Infantry - Part I
As far as MPC figures go, I think this is one of their better sets. They are not as skinny and less stiff as their other figures (like their Germans!). My main criticism is that they gave us 3 poses which are essentially advancing/marching forward. One would have been enough. Also, the grenade man, is he going to throw that as a softball? In terms of their uniforms, these guys match the Marx guys well, with their shirts tucked into their pants, but that's almost a bit too neat for what I'd expect in a combat setting.
MPC US Infantry - Part II
The prone guy is a bit on the skinny side. More along the style of some of their other sets. The guy on the left feels a bit shorter than his peers, but otherwise is fairly decent. The guy on the right is OK, although notice the uncanny resemblance with one of the Marx figures.
MPC US Infantry - Part III
Here are some additional guys which I found without even realizing that they existed. Based on the sculpting I am guessing that they are MPC but I am not 100% sure as that would mean that they made two guys swinging/clubbing with their rifles. Anyhow, they came in a large batch of mixed figures, which is why I love those batches :-) If you can confirm or deny please leave a comment!
MPC US Infantry - Part IV ?
Here's another mystery. Not really sure if this guy is an MPC figure. However his sculpting reminds me of the ring hand MPC guys. But in this case, he has regular hands. If anybody knows his origins, please let us know. Update: one of our readers has identified him as one of the Andy Gard figures. Thank you! You can see the other poses here
MPC Soviet Infantry
I have mixed feelings about this set. The 4 guys at the ends of this picture are OK, but the other guys are a bit odd. Like what's up with that guy doing that funny step? The Cossack officer is a nice touch, but he seems to be a bit off balance. And the guy throwing the grenade seems to have a stiff neck.
MPC Ring Hand US Infantry
I only have one figure from this set, and it came without a weapon. Apparently you could put a variety of accessories on them and produce several different figures. I find it an interesting idea. Maybe at some point I will find the rest of his buddies. BTW, he is a 60mm guy.
Multiple Toymakers British Commandos - Part I
These guys were an odd find. I did not even know that this manufacturer existed. The figures are a bit skinny for my taste, but in general, they are well sculpted. A good set of poses, with an acceptable degree of movement and action in them. I do have to say that when I first looked at them, I thought there might be some repeated poses, as some of them are very similar, but upon closer inspection, they are all different.
Multiple Toymakers British Commandos - Part II
Here are the rest of the guys. Another funny thing are the faces. They are all the same, so it feels like it is an army of clones. The most interesting guy in this second batch is the flamethrower. The second guy from the right. Not easy to see, but the whole weapon can come off his hands and hang from the tanks attached to the back. It is a bit tricky to put it all back into place and make it stay there.
Click here to see other German soldiers
Click here to see other Soviet soldiers
Click here to see other US GIs
Click here to see other Japanese soldiers
