Rick Shithouse sent in this shot of him in Torquay, Victoria, Australia on what he believes is Christmas, 1978.
I remember being highly excited as this was my first Star Wars Christmas, and I’m pretty sure I got some action figures and the remote control R2D2. Kind of hard to pick out what else I got that year however, because my birthday’s in early December, so those early years kind of blur between both gift receiving days.
I’m holding an Ideal Knight Of Darkness, which my parents thought was Darth Vader. My disappointment about this when I corrected them is still clearly in my expression…
The Micronauts Aquatron is on the table next to him, and I see Bert and Ernie dolls as well. Pictures of the major prizes, via the Star Wars Collectors Archive and all-things-Micronauts collector Chuck, are below.
2 Warps to Neptune 
I had Knight of Darkness as a kid and loved him. It’s funny because in my child-mind I never saw him as a Darth Vader rip-off, I just thought he was bad-ass.
Never had any of these guys, but they are brilliant. And a brilliant move by Ideal to rush out the line.
Very sneaky, Ideal… very sneaky indeed. You bastards.
I’very heard that the ever sue-happy George Lucas tried to squash these knockoffs, but failed because technically they were an extention of a line Ideal began in the ’60s. Collectors prize them now.