Spring Break
Ian Grogan does the 80s
This week's guide to the majestic 80s toys we all know and love, or don't
Ian Grogan
Issue date: 5/23/08 Section: Diversions
Yet another great one was the "Speak and Spell," a fancy toy that had five different games all revolving around word play. What was so fun about this toy was it would actually speak to you - a mind-blowing concept in the '80s!
One of my favorites as a kid were the Garbage Pail Kids. They were trading cards you could collect and share with your friends, and they were a pretty extreme parody of the Cabbage Patch Kids. There were characters like Creepy Carol, Mauled Paul and the famous Adam Bomb. The cards were a fun contrast to the mainstream toys of the '80s.
All in all, games and toys of the '80s had personality, had a story to tell, and they kept you busy for hours. You were cool if you showed up to your class with a Cabbage Patch Kid or showed your parents your latest Lite-Brite creation. Why don't they make toys like that these days?
TOP 5 ACTION FIGURES OF THE 80s:
5. Got to hand it to the Japanese for bringing the US some really crazy robot action figures like Gundam and Voltron, crazy toys, yet really radical looking.
4. Hasbro brought us the world of the Tranformers. Entertained kids for hours because you couldn't actually figure out how to correctly transform them.
3. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Anyone who owned the set had...THE POWER!
2. The Thundercats. Come on, you know you loved the show, and you have to admit you thought Cheetra was hot.
1. G.I. Joe. Although he wasn't a spawn of the 80's he was still the coolest around, with his comics, tv shows, and video games. Best action figure, ever!
Ian Grogan
diversions@dailybarometer.com
One of my favorites as a kid were the Garbage Pail Kids. They were trading cards you could collect and share with your friends, and they were a pretty extreme parody of the Cabbage Patch Kids. There were characters like Creepy Carol, Mauled Paul and the famous Adam Bomb. The cards were a fun contrast to the mainstream toys of the '80s.
All in all, games and toys of the '80s had personality, had a story to tell, and they kept you busy for hours. You were cool if you showed up to your class with a Cabbage Patch Kid or showed your parents your latest Lite-Brite creation. Why don't they make toys like that these days?
TOP 5 ACTION FIGURES OF THE 80s:
5. Got to hand it to the Japanese for bringing the US some really crazy robot action figures like Gundam and Voltron, crazy toys, yet really radical looking.
4. Hasbro brought us the world of the Tranformers. Entertained kids for hours because you couldn't actually figure out how to correctly transform them.
3. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Anyone who owned the set had...THE POWER!
2. The Thundercats. Come on, you know you loved the show, and you have to admit you thought Cheetra was hot.
1. G.I. Joe. Although he wasn't a spawn of the 80's he was still the coolest around, with his comics, tv shows, and video games. Best action figure, ever!
Ian Grogan
diversions@dailybarometer.com
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