Archive Page 62

Kenner’s 18″ Alien Action Figure (1979)

Published October 2, 2014 Alien Trilogy , Kenner Toys 9 Comments

Alien-1

Alien-2

Alien-5

Alien-6

Alien-7

Alien-8

Alien-3

Alien-9

Alien-10

Alien-11

Alien-12

Alien-13

Definitely the greatest action figure ever made, and possibly the greatest toy ever made, despite its notorious fragility. I talk about toys based on R rated features of the ’70s and early ’80s here, where I first mentioned Kenner’s magnum opus. The figure didn’t sell well due to price point and parental puzzlement, but everyone I knew wanted one. (The toy reportedly lost Kenner “more than $1 million and was produced for only one year.”)

All it took to draw the kids in was a good trailer (Alien had one of the best), solid lead up press in the genre magazines (Starlog, etc.), and eye-catching merchandise. (If you don’t already have it, go get a copy of Alien: The Illustrated Story, the 1979 graphic novel by Archie Goodwin and Walt Simonson originally published by Heavy Metal magazine).

All of the photos are from eBay (item sold for $521.77), with the exception of the instruction sheet (itself a masterpiece), which I found at Gregg Koenig’s Flickr.

Halloween for the Atari 2600 (Wizard Video Games, 1983)

Published October 1, 2014 Ads , Atari , Halloween , Video Games 9 Comments

Halloween Wizard 1983-1

Halloween Wizard 1983-2

Halloween 1983-2

Full instructions at Atari Age. Here’s the synopsis:

A homicidal maniac has escaped from a mental institution. On Halloween night, the killer returns to his home town to wreak havoc! You are babysitting for a family in a large, two story house. Somehow the vengeful murderer has gotten inside! Can you protect the children and yourself from the fury of his knife?

Gameplay:

You control the babysitter character, and, at certain times, the child characters. As you move through the sixteen rooms of the two story house, avoid the killer when he appears. He will attempt to stab you and the children, so look for the knife with which to defend yourself.

Jack-o’-lantern icons at the top of the screen tell you how many lives you have left. Play the game at the Internet Archive.

Halloween, 1983: Homemade Atari Computer Costume

Published October 1, 2014 Atari , DIY , Halloween , Halloween Costumes 1 Comment

Halloween Atari 1983

See the modem?

(Photo via thincvox/Flickr)

Matchbox’s Robotech Toys: Tactical Battle Pod (1985)

Published September 30, 2014 Matchbox , Robotech 1 Comment

Robotech Battle Pod 1985-1

Robotech Battle Pod 1985-2

Robotech Battle Pod 1985-3

Robotech Battle Pod 1985-4

Pogo Bal Ads and Commercials, 1987

Published September 29, 2014 '80s Decor/Design/Fashion 1 Comment

Pogo Bal 1987-1

Pogo Bal 1987-2

There’s only one ‘l’ in Pogo Bal. Remember that. The fad was a big hit in the summer of 1987, but sales plummeted the following year, probably because it was so goddamn tiring and looked so stupid.

Both commercials highlight the obnoxious styles and faddism characteristic of late 1980s decadence, summed up in the first spot by a giant, corpse-like demon-hand reaching in through the art deco palace window to grab and presumably throttle the kids to death before dragging them to hell.

(Images via The Museum of Play and X-Entertainment)

The Things We Have Lost (Part One)

Published September 26, 2014 Book Stores , Movie Theaters/Marquees 2 Comments

Marquee Hanover Theater Penn

Borders Closing 2011

(Photos via Classic Horror Film Board and Reddit)

Beer T-Shirts, Circa 1972 – 1979

Published September 25, 2014 '70s Decor/Design/Fashion Leave a Comment

Bud 1970s-3

Coors 1970s

Bud 1970s-2

Coors 1970s-2

Strohs 1970s

Bud 1970s

Roach Studios Iron-On Transfers (1971 – 1981)

Published September 25, 2014 '70s Decor/Design/Fashion , Iron-on Transfers , Roach Studios 2 Comments

Roach 1971

Roach 1973

Roach 1973-2

Roach 1974

Roach 1978

Roach Circa 1979

Roach 1981

Roach Back

From shrooms to video games.

(Images via eBay)

Homemade Dungeons & Dragons T-Shirt, Circa 1981

Published September 24, 2014 '70s Decor/Design/Fashion , D&D , DIY 6 Comments

D&D Shirt 1981-1

D&D Shirt 1981-2

D&D Shirt 1981-3

D&D Shirt 1981-4

Friends, what we’ve got here is a two-tone western pattern t-shirt (what?) adorned with a glitter outlined Boris Vallejo iron-on transfer and fuzzy blue iron-on letters that nearly, but not exactly, match the blue “collar.” Do we think Toad refers to the original owner’s level 15 halfling thief? Other theories? I’ll tell you what: if one of the below illustrations—glitter outlined, naturally—graced the back of the shirt under the word in question, I would buy the fucking thing and eat Top Ramen for the rest of the month.

Holloway Toad

Sutherland Toad

Another homemade D&D t-shirt here.

(T-shirt images via eBay seller I HEART Danger Vintage; giant toad images via Zenopus Archives)

Photon: The Ultimate Game on Planet Earth Ad and Commercials (1986)

Published September 23, 2014 Ads , Commercials , Lazer Tag/Photon , Toy Guns/Weapons 7 Comments

Photon Ad 1986

There were four major reasons original laser tag was a short-lived fad, with both Photon and Lazer Tag ending production in less than 5 years. First, Lazer Tag, the more popular brand by far, came out in November 1986, and the units were drastically underproduced when demand was highest. Second, the technology may have been cleaner than paintball, but it was much less effective. Nothing pisses off a kid more than a hit that doesn’t register. Third, the units were expensive (about $50 in 1986) and playing alone was boring, so you and a friend (or, better yet, friends) had to convince the respective parental units to shell out. Four, there were very few official arenas to support team play and provide the futuristic atmosphere the game required (as played up in the commercials). By Christmas 1987, we had moved on to something much bigger and better: the NES.

One last thing. Laser tag wasn’t immune to the biggest toy gun problem of all. In 1987, a group of teenage boys was playing Lazer Tag at night in a California elementary school. A neighbor called the police, and when a sheriff’s deputy arrived, one of the kids, thinking the deputy was a player, jumped out and “tagged” him. The cop shot twice, and the kid died.

(Ad image via X-Entertainment)

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