1980s Toys: Pic Fix

A still from a 1980s Toys R Us Commercial

This week at Mirror80 we celebrate the plastic glory of 1980s toys. An overabundance of pastels and metallics populated this kiddie wonderland, as did a certain punk edge at times, no doubt overflowing from the world of MTV. From crucial pop culture staples to flash-in-the-pan products that were little more than copycats of established favorites, the offerings of ’80s toy aisles put their stamp on young minds and influenced child-friendly merchandise for years to come…

Let’s start with Popples, the cute and fuzzy yet ambiguous creations of Those Characters from Cleveland, whose parent company was none other than American Greetings. Popples could resemble your favorite teddy bear, then fit inside the pouches they carried on their backs to resemble colorful balls. In the 1980s commercial screen shot below, two tykes dance aimlessly in front of pastel lockers, Popples in hand:

Pop Goes the Popple!

In this next Hellraiser-resembling screen shot, we meet Spikor, a deadly warrior from the Masters of the Universe toy line by Mattel. Although the character is meant to intimidate, is it wrong that his eye-catching color scheme was likely inspiration for many an ’80s outfit? Great product design, spikes and all:

The Spikor action figure from the Masters of the Universe toy line

And then we have Keypers from Tonka, animals whose back sides could be unlocked for storage purposes. Some came with Finders, creatures who were “lost and found” companions, theoretically hunting down any items that went missing. I guess that explains the glasses…

Keypers were both toys and containers!

We’ll end with a screen shot taken from a commercial for the Jem line of toys by Hasbro. It’s Pizazz, a member of The Misfits, Jem and the Holograms’ rival band! Pizzazz appears to be over 40 in the image below, but at least a youthful frame in hot ’80s colors surrounds her: