So it's Day 2 of 80's Theme Week here @ The House, and today I figured I'd focus on some of the toys a bit.
Now awhile back, like 2011 back, I briefly talked about some of the toys in the 80's I played with. You know, the usual suspects like Transformers, GI Joe, TMNT, and stuff.
Well Kenner back in the early-mid 80's had problems.
Transformers and GI Joe were kicking their asses in the toy market. So some smart exec said, "Hey, kids love robots, and the military. Let's combine them into one concept and market the hell out of it!"
And thus, MASK was born.
Yes MASK. At the time, it really did combine the best features of the Transformers and GI Joe, but that's all it really was.
You got the cool vehicles, and the some of the mask designs were pretty good, but they were just lacking personalities; that IT factor that made kids everywhere fall in love with GI Joe and the Transformers in the 1st place.
Even with a cartoon to help pimp the toys, the show and concept didn't last long, fading out into obscurity and the faint memories of a generation of kids.
They've recently popped up in a skit or two on Robot Chicken, and it was funny as shit!
But other than that, they're one of the few 80's concepts to not make a comeback, or even a hint of one.
The other fun marketing property to come out of the 80's were the Garbage Pail Kids.
I might've mentioned them before, but that shit was right up my alley man. Even back then, a young Mr.Morbid loved himself some Garbage Pail Kids!;)
They started out as a spoof on the very popular Cabbage Patch Kids dolls at the time, with the TOPPS trading card company marketing them as satirical trading cards.
It worked, and a new craze was born.And really, how could kids not love it? All the gross, over the top art. The bad puns that were both funny and easily relate-able to to kids, the gum alone that was packed in there with cards helped sell it further. It was just a kids dream, and a uptight parents' nightmare, so yeah, of course it was a hit;)
Oh, and did I mention they made a movie Garbage Pail Kids movie?
Yep.
Ah the 80's......and this is just Tuesday;)
7 comments:
awesome posting! i remember all this shit from back in the day! i think you have a real hit with this 80s series. i used to have the jet/helicopter vehicle and a number of random Garbage Pail kids cards. those cards were all over the place at my school back then.
Oh man I loved those cards too! And just the fact that you got a gum in there was a fucking bonus!
I actually have a few cards still, but they're newer. Plus I have one of those magnet cards that are currently out.
MASK was a hit and miss with me; when it irst came out I hopped aboard the train like everyone else, but they didn't seem to keep my attention for very long, what with all the other toys and licenses out there at the time. MASK had no chance, just like the Dino-Riders and Battle Beasts of that came out around the same time.
But at least they tried.
MASK had some traction for a while with the whole transforming craze of the early and mid 80s. we used to talk about the cartoon at school a lot for a while there. we also liked the helmets the characters wore that gave them different powers plus the fairly catchy theme song.
Yeah they sure did. But then they weren't exactly hiding the fact that they were knocking off/copying the transformers and gi joe.
Hell, look at the logo. It's basically got optimus prime's face on there.
Other than that, I was about as interested in MASK as I was the go-bots; not too much.
Now see, I remember Go-Bots. I have absolutely no recollection of Mask. Garbage Pail Kids were an absolute must, if only for grossing out my mother. Which was always fun to do. I never did see the movie. Not sure I plan to either. But I'd buy the cards again in a hot second.
You should random! Like I said they're still being distributed today. You might find them in music stores like FYE, Toys R Us, or Spencers' if you have those.
I had the orange camaro. But like you said, truly Mask couldn't hold up against GIJoe and the Transformers. And you called them out, no personality. It killed them. Couldn't nothing stand up to GIJoe file cards.
Larry Hamma, you are the man.
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