Gang of Joe

Recently we purchased a 1988 Kids Biz/Fizgig Rigadoon Alexis puppet in her original box.

The box included a drawing of the original seven Rigadoon puppets. It also has individual pictures of three boys and three girls. The box colours are a bit off, but show the characters in their original clothing.

Here are Alexis, Priscilla, and Rusty.

Score-board does not have an individual picture on the original box, but he is included in the lower right corner of this group sketch included in the box.

Here are Joe (leader of the gang), Dan, and Miami-Mike.

Here are Alexis, Priscilla, and Rusty in the original clothes that appear on the 1988 box:

Rigadoon Joe dropped by in his original clothes and informed us that many Rigadoons are given new outfits by their owners. Here are Score-board, Dan, and Miami-Mike wearing the shirts that appear on the 1988 box:

The original Rigadoon gang of four boys and three girls was followed by more girl characters. The "Real Rigadoon" mark was added at this time to the new gang members as well as the old.

The first three girls here are wearing their original clothes. Rusty also switched to a striped shirt at this time.

The first question on Rigadoon Puppet eBay listings is often does he or she have the "Real Rigadoon" mark?

The original four boys and three girls were first sold without this mark by Kidz Biz Pty and Hasbro (1988 Fizgig trademark). Later versions with the same trademark added the embroidered "Real Rigadoon" mark and introduced additional girls.

The original seven Rigadoon characters can be found with and without this added mark. Here is a new girl (in borrowed clothes) with the mark and her friend Alexis with no mark. We love them both.

There is also a third version (1994 Fizgig trademark) where the "Real Rigadoon" mark covers most of the hand. The 1994 Rigadoon we met wasn't very talkative as he had a stiffer face and less room for adult hands to operate him. There are also miniature dolls based on the Rigadoon characters.