More Welcoming Back for Mr Kotter

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Seeing as Gabe Kaplan is making news as an author these days it seems cool to revisit the Mattel Welcome Back Kotter dolls. The classroom playset had a record so you could reenact your favourite moments, the Sweathogs motorcycle was a clever recycling of Big Jim's motor cross bike. Mattel never throws anything out!

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[Sweep Secondhand]

Was I the only one who, even as a kid, thought these had really limited play value? Somehow the idea of playing "school" with Mr. Kotter and the Sweathogs did not appeal to me at age 11! I never realized Big Jim's Baha Bike was reused for the Sweathogs though. They should have given them a couple of Big Jim's guns too so the Sweathogs could bust a cap in Mr. Woodman's a s s! Now that would have appealed to me as a kid!

[HardyGirl]

I remember seeing this ad on TV as a kid. I never really wanted it, but I thought it was cool. Girls probably liked this more than guys, considering girls like dramatic play like house and school.

[MegoScott]

A vinyl record of voices with the playset? That's pretty cool! Looks like one of those cardboard kind of records they printed on cereal boxes....?

[HardyGirl]

A vinyl record of voices with the playset? That's pretty cool! Looks like one of those cardboard kind of records they printed on cereal boxes....?

Actually it's more of the thin vinyl kind they put in National Geographic or choir music samples. I remember the ad and the record would say: Kotter: "Morning people!" class: "Good morning Mr. Kotter."

[Megosean]

Yeah these never appealed to me either...I liked the show but without guns or a gang for them to get mixed up with...what fun are they?

[DocDrako]

My cousin Cliff had the figures and the classroom, which was odd because we didn't watch the show. But his mom bought him the entire set of figures and the playset. Maybe she wanted to inspire him to "get into" school or something. It didn't work.

We used them mostly as victims of our other figures' rage except for Vinnie Barbarino, which was my older brothers toy version of himself, and therefore immune to any pain, and master of all fighting styles. Vinnie NEVER lost a fight when my brother played.

I think they'd be better with different hands instead of the Ken-esque "slapping action". How are they supposed to ride that cool bike? And, like Sweep said, if the whole concept wasn't based on something as actionless as "going to school", they might be fun.

I'd like to own them just because I like the show now, and also for the nostalgia factor of the toys.



By the way, Gabe Kaplan's book is interesting. People take what he tells them at face value. Maybe they should realize that he's a comedian.

[jwyblejr]

Sadly,I had a couple of the figures. Was a huge disappointment when I found out they didn't pose as well as my Megos.

[Dave Mc]

I admit, I wanted one. Still do.

[dogman67]

Yeah, its cool in a way, then in another way, it isnt. I never wanted any Kotter stuff, because I never really saw the fun in it....But to each his/her own I guess...