Toy Story - Mike Ferguson

Original MMM LISTSERV submission from around 2001

Dear John- The following is a true story!

I am 34 years old and grew up near Seattle, Wa. in the late sixties and early seventies and I too was exposed to the world of "Major Matt Mason". (although only one person that I know remembers having them)

I had the Basic figures and a few accessories and the "Scorpio" figure as well, but by far the most memorable of them all was "Callisto" the green alien!

I was in first or second grade and always remembered Callisto as being named Scorpio... I didn't know how to read at the time and somehow got the names mixed up, and my astrological sign is scorpio and I was obviously living vicariously thru my favorite action figure.

Anyway, I used to take my green alien with me everywhere I went, including to school, where there was a creek running thru the woods in the playground area and one day at recess something terrible happened that haunts me to this very day!

I was playing around in the creek with my green alien having a fine time when all the sudden he got away from me in the current and started floating away... I ran after him trying to catch up to him for twenty or thirty yards and just as I was getting close enough to catch him, I ran smack into the chain link fence that bordered the school property!

Of course, the creek ran freely under the fence and therefore so did Callisto, floating away just as if he were lost in space, drifting off into the cosmos! It was awful!... All I could do was stand there helplessly, pressed up against the chain link fence as my favorite toy floated away. I was crushed!!!

My parents tried to find me another one, but it must have been the end of the Major Matt Mason era because we couldn't find one anywhere! I have carried this soul wrenching pain in my now dark and empty heart ever since that fateful day! So when I discovered your web site I was able to see my favorite alien's glaring eyed, green, apple shaped, white veined head again!

Thank you so much for the displaying of your own Major Matt Mason "out-freakage" because it has brought back great memories of fun that I had with these toys! After reading more of the MMM info, I also remember the peeling of paint, and broken inner wires, and the great yellow string shooting ray gun and the little white balls that another gun shot that would get lost under the couch, Etc...

I am interested in one day purchasing a "Callisto", but have not yet seen any for sale, please let me know if you know of where I can obtain one so that all can be right in the world again!

Yes, of course I'm happily married, have a house with loving pets and a generally pretty happy, positive life, but there is still a piece of my heart out there somewhere rotting in the muck of Lake Samamish. (the Lake that the school creek eventually spills into) Any chance that I can get to right this cosmic wrong is always lurking in the back of my mind, keeping me from living a full, happy and productive life... Ohhh, the pain!!!

Anyway, thank you again for providing this website for the enjoyment of others who share the memories of these great toys. As I said earlier, nobody other than one person that I know has even heard of them. (and by the way, "Where the wild things are" was my favorite book, but then again, everyone loved that one)

Take care, and I wish you the very best in all of your activities...

Sincerely, Mike Ferguson Kirkland, Wa. 

Mike is a member of the Major Matt Mason Facebook group and regularly contributes to discussions about toys. He may be e-mailed here. 

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