P.E.T Aliens/Comic Aliens

Name of Toy Line: P.E.T (Pocketsize Extra Tiny) Aliens/Comic Aliens
Production Company: Seven Towns
Distributor: Vivid Imaginations, Ideal, Kellogs (UK), Quick (France)
Years of Production: 1993-1994
Countries/Regions Available: UK, France
Size/Scale: 1.5"
Figure Trade Markings: (c) Seven Towns / Quick
Approximate # of Figures: 26

Details: P.E.T Aliens were originally available in 1994 as a cereal premiums in the UK with Kellogs Rice Crispies. Later released in their own right (known as Comic Aliens in France) 22 standard figures were available, including the original cereal premiums. In 1995 six were available in France from Quick (fast food). You could get them in multi-figure blister packs, flying saucer single packs or blind single pack sachets. They can often be found on ebay, mislisted and grouped with Monster in My Pocket figures, particularly the Wrestlers and Sportstars in My Pocket. Here's a handful of P.E.T Aliens:



You may notice a less than passing resemblance to some well known characters, a booklet that came with the figures removes any doubt about who or what they are based on (how did they get away with it!?):



Each figure had a card with a picture and the details from the booklet. Surprisingly and rather unusually, the cards offered no game play.



As is often the case with painted mini-figures, the promotional material shows them finished to a much higher spec. There is even sculpt detail on "T.V. Eye" that did not make the final figure - notice the smoothness of the red figure's lips below as opposed to the picture:



As well as the figures the "Spacejunk Mothership" was also available, as shown in the booklet:



Four 'Commanders' are shown in the booklet, these figures differ from the standard aliens, each one in his own little spaceship.





I had yet to see actual toy figures until Trumanshower provided Toypedia with these great photo's from a French catalog:

Note the flying saucer packs, available in both the UK and France. Part of the packaging can be cut out to create a rather crude flying saucer toy!


Click to enlarge


Click to enlarge

LittleRubberGuys.com was lucky enough to have Timothy Young comment on the figures, he was working for Seven Towns at the time:

"PET (Pocket Extra Tiny) Aliens were created by Seven Towns, and licensed to Vivid Imaginations...sculpted by Bruce Attley and Sara Apply I was busy designing and sculpting Mini Boglins at the time. I sculpted a set of larger Pet Aliens that had lights and sounds. The storyline was that Aliens came to Earth and tried to blend in, but chose all of the wrong careers. They were set for wide release just before the Cereal promotion, but were then delayed for some reason and when they hit the stores they only had a few of the figures available. I designed and sculpted a second series (including the pizza alien...), but they were never produced. "

(You can join in the discussion at Little Rubber Guys here.)

It really is a shame that the second series wasn't released, here's a taster of what Timothy Young/Seven towns had in store:


Image courtesy of Timothy Young


Image courtesy of Timothy Young

Related Web sites

LittleRubberGuys P.E.T Aliens discussion

Timothy Young's Creatures & Characters

Quick Museum