The Defenders of the Earth Frame-Tray Puzzles were produced by Golden in USA in 1986. 2 different sets were produced, fully licensed by King Features Syndicate.
‘Golden’ products were produced by ‘Western Publishing Company Inc.’ – Golden and Golden Design, registered trademarks of W.P.C. The company was founded by Edward Henry Wadewit & Albert H. Wadewitz in 1907 Racine, Wisconsin, USA. The company’s primary business was Little Golden Books and its subsidiaries were Gold Key Comics, Whitman Publishing Company and K.K. Publications. Its Golden Books Family Entertainment division also produced children’s books and a variety of family-related entertainment products such as the Defenders of the Earth Giant Card Game. From 1996 to 2008 the business changed its name to ‘Golden Books Family Entertainment’ and in 2013, Golden Books became a subsidiary of ‘Penguin Random House’.
The Defenders of the Earth Frame-Tray Puzzles are made of thick cardboard measuring 8.25” x 11”, containing 12 oversized jigsaw puzzle pieces. When constructed, the puzzles form a Defenders of the Earth image, which fits in perfectly into the frame-tray provided by Golden.
The rear of the puzzles are left void of text or images, and were sold in a clear shrink-wrapped plastic. A hole-punch is found at the top of the puzzles, used by retails to present on hook racks in shops. The 2 puzzles contain a series number, number 4316A seen below with the green topper and 4316B seen below with the blue topper.
Golden released a large selection of Frame-Tray Puzzles in the 1980s, with other characters/themes including Winnie The Pooh, Maple Town, Purr Tenders, Go-Bots, Sesame Street, Picnickers, Quints and many more.
The Phantom 