Enter Hypnos

When creating a follow up to their hit Pulsar doll, Mattel went alien (a popular choice) with Hypnos whose powers involved a good old fashioned hypnotic wheel and a complete lack of pants. Evil and passive aggresive, now that's an arch enemy.

Tiled shag goodness

I hope there is a warehouse find of this somewhere as I have a bathroom floor that just looks naked now...

Fantom 4

I'm pretty sure this amazing little hovercraft appeared on at least one of my Christmas wishlists, it was sadly the one that got away..

Obi-Wan has taught you Frogger well

Darth Vader playing Atari cira 1983, it doesn't get better than that.

Send me your mall appearance photos!

1978 European Big Jim Catalog

Mattel's Big Jim line may have been gone from US toystores in 1977 but he had a long and prosperous life in Europe up until the mid 1980s thanks to some very creative moves.

Big Jim was no longer just a sportsman/spy in this new world but a character free of the constraints of time, he was a spy, an explorer, a pirate, a cowboy what ever you wanted him to be.

Check out the 1978 European Big Jim Catalog Here

More Big Jim

When atheletes were underpaid

Here we have Jim "Catfish" Hunter, pitcher for the Oakland A's modeling something from the "Jimmy Olsen collection". This brings me back to a happy time when my hockey and baseball cards had a guaranteed 70% moustache ratio...

Adventure 2000

I absolutely adored toys like Matchboxes "Adventure 2000" as a boy and  was really disheartened as an adult in the actual year 2000, none of their bold predictions came true. My Pontiac Aztek could not fly nor did I get any sort of laser cannon accessories.

You lied to me Matchbox!

Heroic Apparel

While the Spider-Man Ski mask might go down as coolest bit of hero merchandising ever, I can't imagine there was a child alive that was excited about the Hulk suspenders, you can't put perfume on the pig that is wearing suspenders as a child.

 I'm also honestly surprised there is no Spider-Man bow tie.

Wacky Trucks

Fleetwood Toys introduced the "Wacky Truck" in 1982, combining the Wacky Pack to a toy? Perfection! My only problem with it is I don't own one.

The Best of Colouring Book Theatre

While I have a new batch of colouring books on the way, they're not here yet so let's phone it in and do a clip show citing the highs and lows of reviewing materials for no real good reason.

Grab your crayons and follow me after the jump:

Wonder Woman goes to Toys R Us

Wasn't I just saying something about how I'd never seen many Wonder Woman appearance shots? Well, when it rains it pours because not only this another great shot of Diana Prince's alter ego, it's a vintage toy store shot to boot. I know this appearance took place in 1978 because I can see a shelf loaded with Pressman Space Creature mask kits right behind. Joy.

Send me your mall appearance photos!

Mattel Osmond Catalog for 1978

1978 saw Mattel expand their popular "Donny and Marie" line with a new member of the Osmond family, too cute for his own good l'il brother Jimmy!

The 1978 Donny and Marie Catalog also showcases such items as Hollywood Home playset and a pile of outfits for older brother and sis. NO OUTFITS FOR YOU JIMMY!

This was the last year for this popular line, with their variety show cancelled in 1979 Mattel dropped the duo like a hot rock.

Get Happy with the 1978 Mattel Donny and Marie Catalog
 

Other Mattel Related Links

It's a Plaid, Plaid, World

It sure is baby, thanks for the title!

Space Robots : UFO Series

The beauty of a time when you could import popular toys from other countries and even though we had not (and some of us never will) seen the television shows they were based on, still realise it was a kick ass toy. I see several Ultra Man villians in this assortment, anybody else recognize anything?

L'il Glengarry Glen Ross

"You filed it, that puts me over the freakin' top, I want my BMX. I don't wanna hear no freakin' crap and I don't give a crap. Lingk puts me over the top. You filed it, it went downtown, now you owe me the bike. "

Now showing for the next two weeks at the St. John the evangelist Gym.

Stay down man! Don't make me hit you again!

Certainly the most logical, if not completely frustrating bop bag in existence. It's smile will mock you as fall to the floor an exhausted, sobbing ball of rage.

Weebles:1979

Another fun look at Hasbro's fun offering into the pre school market, their tough to dislike Weebles line.

Hasbro didn't seem to run out of fun environments for these little legless, armless but happy blobs of plastic and 1979 saw all sorts of wonder from treehouses to submarines to the undead driving around in Vans, glorious.

Click Here to see the Wobbling Weebles for 1979

More Weebles and L'il Peeps

Hardy Boys in 3D

While I have no doubt the show was a hit with teenagers, I'm not sure if model car building male teenagers were the ones that would appreciate minature versions of Parker Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy inside their van.

Vans of course, were completely integral to mystery solving teams during the entire decade thanks to stringent regulations created by the Ford administration's "Clue Club" act.

The Welcome Wagon

"Hey Mr Fancy Jeans hippie , this here is slacks country"

Superhero Games

These Hasbro Hero games from 79 look really fun and colourful but what the hell is Wonder Woman fighting? A tree?