Surveying the Gen X landscape and the origins of geek
Select pages only. The Mighty Men and Monster Maker commercial is here. Note the creepy painted faces on the Tron figures, making them all look like Michael Myers. Going fully translucent was the lesser of two evils. I wanted that Tomytronic Tron game badly.
Here’s the irony: Holoubek Studios was a very popular Milwaukee-based t-shirt company throughout the 1970s. In 2005, almost immediately after selling the company, President Brian Holoubek formed a new company called Heavy Rotation. He had decided that “today’s young consumer has a natural affinity for the ‘retro’ look” after spotting one of his father’s old designs selling in a New York boutique for $90.
Drink up.
(Images via Antique Paper Shop/eBay)
Catalog diving never gets old. We were conditioned at an early age, and the sight and smell of these filmy, glossy pages is like the ringing of Pavlov’s buzzer.
I was surprised to see that the Micronauts Battle Cruiser ($19.95) was more expensive than the Death Star ($17.95). Mego just couldn’t recover after rejecting the Star Wars license, although I think the Micronauts line, even in its last throes, is more creative.
I love the Super Joe toys, including Terron, shown at the bottom of the second page. You can see commercials here and here.
The “Sonic Ear” is new to me. It amplifies sound, which is pretty lame, but what a great looking gun to take into a space battle.
Don’t miss the Fonz watch—the strap is denim-colored, naturally—on the last page.
(Images via Yesterday’s Ads/eBay)
Malcolm Whyte has very graciously sent me a number of Troubador catalogs that I’ll be scanning and posting. Here’s the first. You’ll spot Monster Gallery, the first in Troubador’s “fantasy trilogy,” first published in 1973. Paper Airplanes and The Dinosaur Coloring Book were always reliable sellers. I’ve yet to nab copies of either.
I do have the outstanding Zodiac Coloring Book, and I have some pages from San Francisco Scenes that I’ll put up next. After that, I’m on break for a week.
Decadent! Derivative! But look at that Bridge of Doom Playset and tell me you wouldn’t lock yourself in a room with it for hours on end, running your cheeks and fingers along the… Sorry, where were we?
Read the Animax story and see more amazing pics at Mel Birnkrant’s Animax page.
I don’t really need to say anything, do I?
There are some different pages and variations in the pre-toy fair catalog, including a spread of the mail-away Action Figure Display Arena. I didn’t think you’d mind if I posted that too.
I’ll shut up now. Happy Friday.
I think the Masters of the Universe franchise stinks. To me, it’s just a dumbed down mash-up of D&D and Star Wars. Still, there’s no denying its overwhelming impact on the kid world at the time. Do I happen to have an awesome photo of a youngster holding the sword and shield (and wearing the belt) from one of these HG sets? I do.
There was a Blue Thunder toy line produced by Multi-Toys, for some reason, but I believe only the helicopter made it to the shelves. Leave it to HG to jump on the scraps: Blue Thunder Dress Up Helmet Set?
Eagle Force was an action figure line released by Mego in 1982, the same year G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero premiered. (I’ll delve into the two lines at some point, because it’s clear that Hasbro ripped off some of Mego’s designs). Mego shut down operations in 1982, and Eagle Force was done, so it’s curious to see the name still being used in ’84.
The Last Starfighter Target Set is so incompetent that I sort of adore it. Is that supposed to be Grig on the right? Mercy.
(Images via Parry Game Preserve)
The set seems to be a rip-off of both DFC’s Dragonriders of the Styx (1981) and Miner’s Dragon Crest/Mysterious Castle (1982) Playsets. HG also made a Sword & Sorcery Castle Mountain Playset, which looks as flimsy as it is massive. The base set first appeared in 1982. Here are both sets in the 1984 HG catalog.
HG had a Sword & Sorcery line that included weapon sets—very similar to Placo’s 1984 AD&D weapon sets. The Power Bow is listed as a new item in the catalog, so it’s possible HG beat Placo to the market. Neither line sold well.
It’s hard to believe HG managed to trademark the name “Sword and Sorcery,” a phrase coined in 1961 by Fritz Leiber to describe Robert E. Howard’s Conan stories and the genre they spawned.
(Catalog images via Parry Game Preserve)
Ever wonder why Mego went bankrupt? Here you go. According to the Mego Museum, it’s “the last licensed product” the company produced, although only the “Free-Wheeling Convertible Bug” set made it into stores, and in very limited quantities. The 8″ figures are positively frightening. Check out the forehead on Connie Sellecca!
“Kids love him because he’s goofy.” No. No we don’t.
I would like to play these games. I’d also like to know how staged these photo shoots were. Did they just tell the kids to play and start taking pictures? The scene with the adults was obviously forced.
Lakeside published Crossbows and Catapults in 1983 and Immortals of Change in 1985.
(Images via Dadric’s Attic/eBay)
