Archive for the 'Colorforms' Category



Christmas Morning, 1980: Star Wars, Star Snoopy, and Mr. Mouth

Chrismas 1980

That’s Darth Vader’s Star Destroyer Playset under the Land of the Jawas Playset. Among the figures you can see the Hoth Stormtrooper, my third favorite ESB figure after the AT-AT Driver and Hoth Han. Hoth Luke is also there.

Two items I’d forgotten about are Star Snoopy Colorforms (1979) and Tomy’s Mr. Mouth (1976).

SS 1979

SS 1979-2

SS 1979-3

Mr. Mouth 1976

There were a couple of different versions of Mr. Mouth, one featuring a green frog as the centerpiece, the other featuring a dopey yellow guy. The dopey yellow guy is the one I remember, but I could only find a commercial for the frog version. The yellow figure was later repurposed as a Pac-Man bank, seen below via the 1982 Tomy catalog. I got Pocket Pac-Man as a stocking stuffer in ’81 or ’82, but I never did get Mr. Mouth.

I also had the Fisher-Price Play Family Fun Jet, seen at the far left of the original photo.

Tomy 1982-4

(Christmas morning photo via the Rebel Scum forums)

Michael Jackson Rub n’ Play Transfers (Colorforms, 1984)

Jackson Rub 1984

Rub Mike 1984

Rub Mike 1984-2

Rub ’em here! Rub ’em there! Rub ’em EVERYWHERE! Ages 3 and up (4 and up if you want a piece of the “rubbing tool”).

Too easy, people. Too easy. Now beat it!

(See more Rub n’ Play “magic” here.)

Masters of the Universe Rub n’ Play Transfer Set (Colorforms, 1983)

MOTU 1983

MOTU 1983-2

MOTU not homoerotic enough for you, kids? Well, now you can create your own bare-skinned He-Man action with lots of rubbing and playing, provided you own a “rubbing tool” and are at least four years old! Warning: rubbing action that lasts longer than two hours may cause chafing, cramping, blurred vision and other harmful side effects.

Rub n’ Play was Colorforms’ answer to Presto Magix (though the idea of adhesive figures arranged on a backdrop was developed by Colorforms in 1951). My favorite Presto Magix knock-off is Imperial’s Rub-A-Doos.

(Images via eBay/DIG Auctions)

Micronauts Colorforms Adventure Set (1977)

Micronauts Colorforms 1977

Micronauts Colorforms 1977-2

Vroom. I see Baron Karza, Force Commander, Acroyear (sort of), and Biotron. Who’s the yellow guy?


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