The Toys That Made Us on Netflix

[Hedji]

As you watch each episode, you'll learn about the toys, and they are the focus, as they should be, but I find myself taking just as much enjoyment out of the people's stories as the toys themselves.

So, if you take my meaning, it's all about the toys, and yet, it's more about the history and humans who made them, if that makes sense.

It can be compelling, even if it's about a toyline for which you haven't a care or connection.

[number 6]

Oh wait...I just read that He-Man is about the epic rise and FALL of their billion dollar empire..

Ok, I’ll watch it then...

While I liked He-Man a lot as a kid, it was released probably when I was at the cusp of being almost too old for toys. And I "grew out" of toys (at least as playthings) well before the Masters of the Universe line ended.

But I'd have to say objectively: whether you liked the toy line or not, I think that's one of the most entertaining episodes in the series.

[number 6]

Now, to be fair...as a stand alone Star Wars/Kenner/Hasbro episode...it was pretty good. I was just disappointed that toy companies like galoob and Playmates get mentioned, and not Mego. I know you guys say it will be mentioned later, cool.

After Barbie, I’m skipping He-Man, because I have ZERO interest in that toyline. Never got into it, didn’t like nor watched He-Man cartoons...and actually hated it back in the day...still don’t like it.

But I’ll definitely watch G.I. Joe for sure...

Mego get's an "honorable mention" and there's a brief interview clip with Marty in the G.I. Joe episode

[rykerw1701]

Star Trek is one of the next episodes and Paul Clarke provided all the toys behind Marty. I provided some commercial reels and photographs for the piece.

This means the show had high quality products and knowledgeable people to talk to about the line. That's great news.

I'm very much looking forward to the Star Trek episode. This one will be different because Trek wasn't mostly one company, like Kenner/Hasbro Star Wars was with vintage toys. Mego Trek is only part of the Trek toys phenomenon. You could do Batman toys and it would be the same thing.

I'm not sure how far back they go with this show. The heyday of Playmates Trek was 20 years ago, so I would think that makes it vintage, and the depth of characters they did was really incredible. I'd think Galoob and AMT would honorable mentions as well.

[MRP]

Finally got a chance to watch these 4 episodes yesterday and quite enjoyed them. I'd seen a lot of promo material for this form a lot of the vintage toy dealers in this area who have been hyping the show for a while on the local con circuit mostly hybrid comic/toy shows that I attend) and almost everything I saw focused on 80s and 90s toy lines (which I was told was the main area of interest of the guys making this, but that is hearsay and someone like Palitoy who has interacted with them would know better), so I was pleasantly surprised to see some of the older stuff get mentioned. I also saw a few familiar faces (the girl holding up the Star Wars treasury edition at the beginning of the Star Wars episode is Kat, the co-host of one of my favorite comic and toy hunting shows on youtube, Comic Trips, and is taken from one of their episodes). I knew Paul and Kat had been approached about using some of their footage in the doc, but wasn't sure which episodes it would be for. Paul and Kat are also 80s kids and focused on 80s and 90s toylines except for vintage Star Wars, which sort of heightened my expectation this series would have that focus as well. I look forward to the next round of episodes, whatever they may focus on.

-M

[Hector]

Ok, I’m here to eat crow...because the He-Man episode was the most fun, lol. Those guys were a riot, ha, ha...

I enjoyed the Barbie one too...as well as the G.I. Joe episode.

Oddly enough, my least favorite was the Star Wars one...who would’ve thunk it, lol...

[Moxen]

I've watched all but the Barbie one, might have to give it a shot. As an 80s kid, I missed out on Mego but I played with all the Star Wars/He-Man/80s GIJOE stuff in these shows! There's no way they won't do Transformers, so I want to see that and the story behind the TMNT toys as well. The last one after Star Trek might be something that's still around today, like My Little Pony maybe?

[Hedji]

I'd say given the remarkable resurgence, My Little Pony would be a given.

Transformers are a must.

Would be fun to see Cabbage Patch Kids and Strawberry Shortcake.

Superhero toys... they would need to do a two parter.

[jimbutsu]

The thing that was so interesting to me was how different the corporate cultures must have been at each of these places. The Kenner people all seemed like they just loved toys and being part of it, Hasbro was pretty workmanlike, and Mattel seems like it might have been pretty toxic considering Barbie was a bunch of mercenaries and MOTU was a flock of angry old men.

[rykerw1701]

The thing that was so interesting to me was how different the corporate cultures must have been at each of these places. The Kenner people all seemed like they just loved toys and being part of it, Hasbro was pretty workmanlike, and Mattel seems like it might have been pretty toxic considering Barbie was a bunch of mercenaries and MOTU was a flock of angry old men.

This is a good observation, but remember the MOTU guys weren't so old 25 years ago when the line came out. But Hasbro is a client of ours at work, and the woman I deal with is very dry and doesn't seem to care much about the product. She's dispassionate about the toys. That always amazes me because I'd give my left leg to work there.

[noelani72]

yup, Kenner certainly would have been the place to be back then...imaginative and fun.
I may have mis-understood, but it seems Barbi was a complete ripoff of another toy...essentially a recast with some joint modifications. wow. Thus an Empire was built.

Oh, and yes, I HAVE bought a vintage Millenium Falcon just because I watched that SW episode. lol

[Moxen]

Oh, and yes, I HAVE bought a vintage Millenium Falcon just because I watched that SW episode. lol

There's a local flea market that has a ton of old star war, turtles, MOTU etc toys that I want to visit this weekend. Sold all my old stuff at a garage sale in the 90s, oh how I regret that.

Time to get it back.

[Earth 2 Chris]

yup, Kenner certainly would have been the place to be back then...imaginative and fun.
I may have mis-understood, but it seems Barbi was a complete ripoff of another toy...essentially a recast with some joint modifications. wow. Thus an Empire was built.

Oh, and yes, I HAVE bought a vintage Millenium Falcon just because I watched that SW episode. lol

Yes, Barbie was essentially the German sex doll Bild Lilly repackaged as a fashion doll for girls. It would be like taking something from the back part of a Spencer's and rebranding it under Fisher Price nowadays.

Chris

[Werewolf]

Yes, Barbie was essentially the German sex doll Bild Lilly repackaged as a fashion doll for girls.

Calling Lilli a sex doll isn't really accurate. It wasn't even anatomically correct. Lilli was a fashion doll from a comic strip (which is probably pretty tame by today's standards) for a German newspaper. The fashion doll was originally intended as a gag gift, for adults, but quickly became popular with German children and earned its greatest success as a play doll.

The Lilli doll design was heavily retooled, like adding rooted hair and removable shoes, for the original pony tail Barbie. The 1959 Barbie was very similar but not an exact copy.

More on Lilli:

http://www.marcdolls.ch/englilli.html

It would be like taking something from the back part of a Spencer's and rebranding it under Fisher Price nowadays.

Ninja Turtles was an incredibly violent and dark adult comic before becoming the beloved G rated cartoon and toy line it's famous for.

[jimbutsu]

This is a good observation, but remember the MOTU guys weren't so old 25 years ago when the line came out. But Hasbro is a client of ours at work, and the woman I deal with is very dry and doesn't seem to care much about the product. She's dispassionate about the toys. That always amazes me because I'd give my left leg to work there.

More like 35 years ago, and that would mean they were even younger then!
But I was referring more to attitude than I was to actual age - the Star Wars guys didn't come off like that, and they are every bit as beholden to the passage of time.

Interestingly, I've also talked to Hasbro in a non-toy context, and I agree 100% with your take, though I didn't even think about that when I was watching the show...