reiver-laser-force/README.md

# Laser Force

**Laser Force** is a vintage toy-line from the 1980s.

The **Laser Force** toy line consists of (toy) **vehicles** and **action figures** all in the 3¾ inch scale.

The **Laser Force** toy line (toy) vehicles are in a seemingly vintage futuristic sci-fi style.
And would fit in with many of the 1970s & 1980s sci-fi toy lines.

The (toy) **vehicles** seemed to be the focus of the **Laser Force** toy line.
Children seemed to often use **Laser Force** vehicles with other _compatible_ toy lines.

## Action Figures

_Action Figures_ are just dolls for boys.

The label “action figure” is said to have been coined by Donald Levine in 1964 while he was doing work for Hasbro.

As the story goes —

_Action Figures_ are just _dolls_.

But it was felt that (back then) the label “doll” had taken on a connotation where many felt that _dolls_ were toys just for girls.
And felt that — boys would not play with dolls.

So a new alternative label was created — “action figure”; which is a “doll” for boys.
(But in marketing media, “action figures” are intentionally never called “doll”.)

## G.I. Joe

The label “**G.I. Joe**” was originally just slang for — a U.S. soldier.

The plural version — “**G.I. Joes**” — was also common at in the past.

## G.I. Joe: America's Movable Fighting Man

Later the label “**G.I. Joe**” was appropriated by Hasbro as a label for their then (in the 1960s) new toy line — G.I. Joe: America's Movable Fighting Man.

As the story goes —

In 1963 Stan Weston came up with designs and rudimentary prototypes for a line to toy military figures, and showed them to Donald Levine, an executive at Hasbro at the time. Weston subsequently licensed the entire concept to Hasbro. And _G.I. Joe: America's Movable Fighting Man_ was born.

This first verion of _G.I. Joe: America's Movable Fighting Man_ is a lot different than the _G.I. Joe_ of the 1980s.
With _G.I. Joe: America's Movable Fighting Man_, **G.I. Joes** was a single individual (rather than the name of a team).
And the dolls / action figures were 12 inches tall (rather than 3¾ inch scale tall).

## G.I. Joe Adventure Team

## Henshin Cyborg

## Microman

## Adventure People

## Super Joe

## G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero

## Compatibility

Being in the 3¾ inch scale made **Laser Force** compatible with other 1980s era & 1970s area toy lines in the 3¾ inch scale; such as:

* **Adventure People** by Fisher Price _et al._,
* **A-Team** by Galoob  _et al._,
* **Black Hole** by Mego _et al._,
* **Buck Rogers** by Mego _et al._,
* **CHiPs** by Mego _et al._,
* **Dukes of Hazzard** by Mego _et al._,
* **G.I. Joe** by Hasbro _et al._,
* **Metal-Man** by Zee Toys, Zylmex, _et al._,
* **Micronauts** by Mego _et al._,
* **Pocket Super Heroes** by Mego  _et al._,
* **Star Wars** by Kenner _et al._,
* etc.

And one can speculate that this may have been the intent of **Laser Force**'s creators.
That they were making (toy) **vehicles** to be used with other toy lines made by others.

## Corporation

**Laser Force** was created, by people, through the company which is today known as — **American Plastic Toys Inc.**

Although “**American Plastic Toys Inc.**” was not the company's original name.
The company's previously was named — **Gay Toys Inc.**

Why the name change‽ —

This is speculation, but the common meaning for the word “gay” used to be —

> gay (adjective): joyous, joyful, happy.

It was likely this is the meaning for the word “gay” that the previous company name (“**Gay Toys Inc.**”) was derived.

Most people nowadays aren't aware of this meaning for the word “gay”.
And would probably assume a company named “Gay Toys Inc.” makes sex toys (rather than children's toys) which could be why the company changed its name.
The company makes childrens' toys, and may not have wanted to connote anything sexual (as it violates common taboos in common contemporary North American culture).

**Laser Force** toys seemed to be released both when the company was called ‘**Gay Toys Inc.**’, and when the company was called ‘**American Plastic Toys Inc.**’.