Wednesday, May 04, 2011

"Hey, I remember those...."

My buddy Googum covered some forgotten toys a few weeks back, and it got me thinking about some other toys, namely from the 80's that haven't been brought back, but should. Yes, I know toy properties like the Thundercats, Silverhawks, and TNMT are back on the scene again big time with new toys, video games, and new shows on the way. So let me humbly submit 3 suggestions on toys from yesteryear that could be revamped and brought back.

1). Food Fighters
Yes, god love Mattel because they put these weird warriors out from 1988-89. Billed as "Combat At Its Kookiest!", the Food Fighters were an odd bunch that debuted during a time when war was popular with kids. Maybe this was due to the fallout from the last of the cold war, but it seems everyone from GI Joe to M.A.S.K. to the Transformers were always fighting. And much like the Transformers and GI Joes, there were good guys and bad guys; the good guys being the Kitchen Commandos and the bad guys being the  Refrigerator Rejects. I had a couple of these guys when I was a kid; namely Sargent Scoop and Major Munch. They were fun, weird, and totally different from anything else out there at the time or since. They never had a comic or TV show, or even a video game you could follow they with, so that's probably why they've been mostly forgotten or swept off to the side over the years. They did have some vehicles and a playset made, but nothing that would really make them standout. Still, I think the world is ready for their brand of zaniness again, especially if they were revamped for modern times.

2). Battle Beasts.
With the tagline  "They may be small but they can grow into an army”, battle beasts came into the toy scene around 1986. They originally came from Japan and were called "Beastformers". They had a cartoon series and comic book over there too. Hasbro began distributing them shortly after. The main gimmick with these guys, or animals, as it were, was that they had three main hologram symbols on their chests; Wood, Fire, and Water. Basically it was waring animals using the age-old principal of rock, paper, scissors; fire burns wood, water puts out fire, and wood floats on water. 
They were only 2 inches, but still cool as hell if you were a kid into new and unique toys. The BB's would later get a comic produced in  the states, as well as Halloween costumes, lunch boxes and carrying cases, but no games or cartoons. Starting around '09, Diamond Select Toys started to produce them again, but nothing new has come out recently. Feel free to Wiki these toys for more info.

3).Garbage Pail Kids
Oh, yes, these guys! Distributed by the Topps Trading Card Co. since 1985, these funny as hell characters were straight up parodies of the then popular Cabbage Patch Kids. I've loved them ever since, and had a small but sizable collection back in the day. Just as funny now as they were then, GPK went straight for the jugular in terms of making fun of people and everyday situations, and they came with bubble gum so what's not to love? They were as gross and depraved as it got, yet remaining kid-friendly. They're still being produced to this day, with a few variations. I think it's way past time for an animated show or web-show of these lovable tikes. There's no doubt in mind these guys heavily influenced the creators of Family Guy and South Park, just no doubt at all.

See you bitches later......

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