The Force Beam

[RSS]

I remember watching an informercial in the 80s that interviewed the creator of the "Force Beam". He claimed he invented it while walking around a department store and it was just a golf tube stuck on a flashlight.

I'm sure George Lucas had steam coming out his ears when he saw kids playing with these.For more Fashion Mockery and 70's toy love visit us at Plaid Stallions.com


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[Mikey]

I used to have an even cheaper knockoff one than that.

Mine was clearly and old flashlight that was repainted and the telescoping parts were so lousy when the saber was funny extended it looked like a limp

[Hedji]

I like how the illustration of Luke is a rip off of the Howard Chaykin art for the corner pic of Marvel SW covers.

[palitoy]

[palitoy]

and i'm assuming after a cease and desist letter:

[Werewolf]

Wowzers, that's pretty blatant even for back then. They even tried to copy the SW font. That would never fly today.

[cjefferys]

Holy cow, it's like they were begging to get sued!

[tay666]

Looks kinda like the saber I had as a kid.
Don't know the exact name of it, but it was just a hollow tube on the end of a flashlight.
No telescoping or extending. But it was pretty sturdy, because my sister and I used to fight with them all the time.
This was during the 12-back figure period. They were in a similar display at Fisher's Big Wheel, which sat right by the figures.

[jwyblejr]

Still better than the balloon attached to a flashlight that Kenner came up with.

[Bruce Banner]

I had something similar to The Force Beam... a plastic flashlight type thing with a green filter over the bulb, and a rigid plastic tube.

[toothaction]

"[S]trong enough for heros - light enough for princesses!"

Heh. I heart casual sexism.