The Big Picture: The Other Guys - Lesser Known Toys from the 80's

[Uriel_Hayabusa]

Always interesting to see what kind of obscure stuff Bob digs up with videos like this. That said, I'm hoping for another episode where he really takes a stand on something, if only because that can spawn some lively discussions.

 

[Ne1butme]

I remember other shows like Sky Commanders and Dino Riders. I remember the commericals and the toys more than the cartoons themselves.

I actually kind of expected Dino Riders to get a nod here. Also, MASK comes to mind as one of those weird ass b-list tie in series. Made weirder by the fact that the TV series has actually gotten a DVD release.

I was going to mention M.A.S.K. but then i realized that it went 75 episodes.

But seriously, how weird was the 2nd season of MASK? The show completely changed and now it was about racing.

 

[Clovus]

Those bugs do look creepy, I can't imagine I'd have wanted them as a kid.

I actually had that castle as a kid. Those crazy bugs (and especially the puppet you controlled in the cave) were a lot of fun. What kid doesn't like creepy stuff? I never played "Sectaurs" though. I don't think I ever even saw the show. I just played around with the monsters eating people and stuff.

Similarly, I once got this weird GI Joe boat for Cobra that had a shark's mouth. Even though it was mostly a boat, it also had a shark mouth that opened and closed with rubber teeth. So, I mainly used it to play "Jaws".

 

[Gorrath]

The Sectaurs toys were fantastic! They were well made and fun as hell to play with. The bugs that were attached to gloves looked great and seemed enormous. Episodes like these remind me of the treasure trove of amazing toys I gave up when my parents convinced me that I was too old to be messing with them anymore. I don't regret giving the stuff up, some other needy kids probably got a ton of fun out of them, but I would love to be able to see the whole collection of stuff I had.

 

[Adeptus Aspartem]

The most important question: Can we use the Robotix or Sectaurs to annex the sudetenland?

 

[Angnor]

I don't think it ever got toys, but when I look at the animation for Blackstar, I can't help but see "Thundarr The Barbarian".

 

[Merklyn236]

Good Lord was I a Blackstar fan. Seemed like the show was literally on one week, and then not on the next, only to return the following week...but maybe that's the age-induced haze taking over. Still bought the series when it was issued on DVD though.

Didn't the Inhumanoids also have this whole thing going with the 'hollow Earth' concept? Where there were entire civilizations living closer to the Earth's core?

And the Sectaurs. Wow. If my (bad) memory serves me at all, didn't the original commericals for those toys have a serialized format? Little 1-2 minute episodes, but using the toys not cartoon animation.

 

[WarBossTilt]

oh lordy am i a Zoids fan boy

 

[conanthegamer]

What no Thundar the Barbarian?

 

[themilo504]

Its videos like this that make me realize that even if the 2000.s didn?t have many good animated shows, it was still a million times better than the toy commercials of the eighties.

 

[GamemasterAnthony]

My childhood just flashed before my eyes there...

Next time he needs to cover the second tier stuff, like the Centurions or the Silver Hawks

I'd argue this is definately prone to a follow up episode later down the line.

Seconding this.

I don't think it ever got toys, but when I look at the animation for Blackstar, I can't help but see "Thundarr The Barbarian".

Seconding this too. Get outta my head, guys!!!

 

[Palindromemordnilap_v1legacy]

"I am John Carter, er, I mean Blackstar!"

Also...trobbits? The little troll/hobbits are called trobbits? Still, I suppose in the 80s hobbits might not have been as well known as they are now there's been five major motion pictures about them

 

[CrazyGirl17]

Wow, some of these toys actually look pretty cool... too bad thye must cost a fortune by now... *SIGH*

 

[gigastar]

I actually did have one of the Zoids toys back in the day.

It made alot of noise then fell over after taking one step.

 

[Angnor]

"I am John Carter, er, I mean Blackstar!"

Also...trobbits? The little troll/hobbits are called trobbits? Still, I suppose in the 80s hobbits might not have been as well known as they are now there's been five major motion pictures about them

Tolkien estate got litigious with original Dungeons and Dragons over using hobbits, if I'm remembering right, so I think the allusion to the word while changing it is intentional.

 

[Chris Ingersoll]

Next time he needs to cover the second tier stuff, like the Centurions or the Silver Hawks

I was expecting Visionaries. Although those might have technically been early 90s?

Anyway, it's weird how many of these I remember for either the toys or the cartoons, but almost never both. Robotix was mostly the cartoon, Max Steel RoboForce and Sectaurs mostly toys (Blackstar too although even that's vague at best). I enjoyed both halves of Inhumanoids, even though my brother and I never got any of the big guys.

Speaking of Sectaurs and siblings... the toys with the gloves (as mentioned above) were every little (step-)sister's worst nightmare. Especially the bad guys' spiders.

Didn't the Inhumanoids also have this whole thing going with the 'hollow Earth' concept? Where there were entire civilizations living closer to the Earth's core?

Yeah that was a major element of the concept.

 

[Alex V.Sharp]

Why do I get this odd feeling that Sci-Fi themed (Western) TV shows were much more... widespread before?

 

[geier]

So, the black haired, black eyed half naked barbarian failed.
But the blonde, blue eyed, half naked barbarian made a fortune?
Seems like blonde, blue eyed strong people conquered the hearts of the consumer (and the sudetenland).

 

[Rad Party God]

Wow... something retro that I actually didn't know about.

I insist Bob, funny, silly stuff (and of course, the "comics are wierd" stuff) is always entertaining to watch, not some nontroversy about Hollywood or other stuff (wich I won't specify).