Pod Stallions Episode 6: Rack Toys!

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In this super chunk installment, Jason and Brain extol their love for cheap, disposable pharmacy toys of bygone days.


"Rack Toys" gets into what they are, Brain's personal history and why he wrote a book about them. We talk about the major players, the hot licenses and our own personal stories of Rack Toy Love. We also try to explain why they are so appealing to us, even as adults and we create a "wish list" of Rack Toys we wish would have happened.

We also get POWERFULLY off track at times and discuss everything from Willy Wonka Vs Wizard of Oz, Mego toys and of course, Schneider from "One Day at a time" who I'm surprised has only come up once thus far...


Download the Show Here

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Show Links:

• [*=left]Brain's book Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings is available here.
  [*=left]Jason was instantly smitten by the Remco Mighty Crusaders line.
  [*=left]That great Gene Wilder interview that was mentioned, it has no relation to Rack Toys but you should watch it.
  [*=left]Brian mentioned this great book on vintage Superhero Toys.
  [*=left]The AHI Monster Bend 'Ems have groovy packaging art.
  [*=left]If you have a carded one of these and want to sell it, please contact Brain
  [*=left]The Spider-Man Exterminator set depicts a different side of Spidey than we're used to....
  [*=left]This Lonestar John Steed Cane Sword is one of Jason's favourite items, if you have information on the bowler hat contact us!
  [*=left]The weird Hogan's Heroes rack toy Brain recently didn't win.
  [*=left]AHI Lost in Space Rack Toys are somewhat pricey.

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For more Fashion Mockery and 70's toy love visit us at Plaid Stallions.com


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[Ranger 3]

I'd be going over well-trodden ground by discussing everything about rack-toys that you address in this podcast- dime-store era, simple pleasures, the coolness of lazy, semi-licenced toys, etc. But its all so true and its great to hear a casual discussion about the subject instead of just reading about it. Thanks for jarring those memories loose!

The rack-toy headquarters of my childhood was Kresgee's in St. Petersburg, Florida.

M

[Earth 2 Chris]

A fun show as always. Most of my rack toys came from Eastside Pharmacy which is still open, right up the street from my childhood home, where my dad still lives. Unfortunately, the rack toys are gone. But I remember buying just about everything you can possibly think of there as far as cheapo toys go. Bought most of my comics there too.

I wonder if the Mighty Crusader parachutists were in that squatty style like the figures, or were they lean and proportionate like the earlier Super Heroes? I had nearly the whole line of figures as a kid. I think I was only missing the Buzzard. I knew most of the heroes from a few Archie Comics I had. Never understood why they never made the Fly. He seemed to be one of the more popular characters.

I freely mixed them in with my Super Powers and Secret Wars, even if they did look a bit odd and out of place. The comet made a good stand-in for Cyclops and the Shield looked quite a bit like DC's Steel from Justice League Detroit.

Thanks for making a long Friday afternoon go by much quicker! Enjoy the con!

Chris

[palitoy]

Thanks for listening guys, everytime I do one of these I worry that we "go too inside". Glad to hear it's being appreciated by some, that's all that matters to me.

[cjefferys]

I just finished listening to the show, great job as usual, guys! Don't know if it's too inside, but I get 99% of the references, maybe I'm just on the same wavelength. I learned some new stuff which is always cool, and was flipping through my copy of Rack Toys while listening. I have to agree with Jason, I never heard the term "Rack Toys" until your book Brian, I understood the concept, but I don't really recall having a name for that particular kind of toy before. Anyway I was totally entertained by the show, and can completely relate to having a child who is obsessed with that damn Minecraft game right now, it's all my son talks about and he plays it as much as I let him.

[4NDR01D]

Another great podcast guys. I'm really enjoying these.

[MIB41]

As a kid of the 60's and 70's, I always thought of rack toys as something I was empowered to buy for myself with my allowance. Everything else was pretty much a wish list for my folks to use for birthdays, good grades, hard work, or Christmas. What I miss most are the little PVC figures that were always out in one form or another. My favorites were the Groovie Goolies and AHI monsters. AHI also had a nice variety of hero product. I lose count of how often that product found it's way into my bedroom as "get well" gifts, if I was ever down with an extended illness (like a really bad case of the flu). I can't tell you how many AHI Batmobiles, Batboats, Batman parachute figures, and Spiderman cycles came my way. But they always stirred my imagination and I just LOVED the fun packaging and artwork that made everything about them a keeper. You just don't see that type of thing anymore, because companies are so protective of their licenses. Especially anything that COULD be considered "collector" material. The days of cheap Batman and Spiderman toys are well behind us.

On a side note, I grew up with Lost in Space. It was part of my weekly viewing (and daily once it reached syndication). Lost in Space was quite big for it's day and was equally big in syndication in the early 70's. When people talk about the show, you tend to know who was there in the beginning and who came in after that point. Which is too bad, because the third season is unfortunately how some people profile the show in it's totality (especially the last episode). I still consider the first black and white season to be some of the best sci-fi ever made for television. And how can you beat a show that gave us John Williams for the score and sound effects that found their way into Star Wars? Not to mention a show Steven Spielberg has sited as being a favorite of his. I think it's in good company.