162 lines
6.0 KiB
HTML
162 lines
6.0 KiB
HTML
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<!DOCTYPE html>
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<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en">
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<head>
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<meta charset="utf-8" />
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<title>Laser Force</title>
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</head>
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<body>
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<main>
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<article>
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<h1>Laser Force</h1>
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<section>
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<address class="h-card">
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by
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<a rel="author" class="u-url" href="http://changelog.ca/"><span class="p-given-name">Charles</span> <span class="p-additional-name">Iliya</span> <span class="p-family-name">Krempeaux</span></a>
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</address>
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</section>
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<section>
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<p>
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<strong>Laser Force</strong> is a vintage toy-line from the 1980s.
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</p>
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<p>
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The <strong>Laser Force</strong> toy line consists of (toy) <strong>vehicles</strong> and <strong>action figures</strong> all in the 3¾ inch scale.
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</p>
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<p>
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The <strong>Laser Force</strong> toy line (toy) vehicles are in a seemingly vintage futuristic sci-fi style.
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And would fit in with many of the 1970s & 1980s sci-fi toy lines.
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</p>
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<p>
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The (toy) <strong>vehicles</strong> seemed to be the focus of the <strong>Laser Force</strong> toy line.
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Children seemed to often use <strong>Laser Force</strong> vehicles with other <em>compatible</em> toy lines.
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</p>
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</section>
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<section>
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<h2>Action Figures</h2>
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<p>
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<em>Action Figures</em> are just dolls for boys.
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</p>
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<p>
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The label “action figure” is said to have been coined by Donald Levine in 1964 while he was doing work for Hasbro.
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</p>
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<p>
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As the story goes —
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</p>
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<p>
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<em>Action Figures</em> are just <em>dolls</em>.
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</p>
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<p>
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But it was felt that (back then) the label “doll” had taken on a connotation where many felt that <em>dolls</em> were toys just for girls.
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And felt that — boys would not play with dolls.
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</p>
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<p>
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So a new alternative label was created — “action figure”; which is a “doll” for boys.
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(But in marketing media, “action figures” are intentionally never called “doll”.)
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</p>
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</section>
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<section>
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<h2>G.I. Joe</h2>
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<p>
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The label “<strong>G.I. Joe</strong>” was originally just slang for — a U.S. soldier.
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</p>
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<p>
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The plural version — “<strong>G.I. Joes</strong>” — was also common at in the past.
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</p>
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</section>
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<section>
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<h2>G.I. Joe: America's Movable Fighting Man</h2>
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<p>
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Later the label “<strong>G.I. Joe</strong>” was appropriated by Hasbro as a label for their then (in the 1960s) new toy line — G.I. Joe: America's Movable Fighting Man.
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</p>
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<p>
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As the story goes —
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</p>
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<p>
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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 <em>G.I. Joe: America's Movable Fighting Man</em> was born.
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</p>
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<p>
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This first verion of <em>G.I. Joe: America's Movable Fighting Man</em> is a lot different than the <em>G.I. Joe</em> of the 1980s.
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With <em>G.I. Joe: America's Movable Fighting Man</em>, <strong>G.I. Joes</strong> was a single individual (rather than the name of a team).
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And the dolls / action figures were 12 inches tall (rather than 3¾ inch scale tall).
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</p>
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</section>
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<section>
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<h2>G.I. Joe Adventure Team</h2>
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</section>
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<section>
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<h2>Henshin Cyborg</h2>
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</section>
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<section>
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<h2>Microman</h2>
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</section>
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<section>
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<h2>Adventure People</h2>
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</section>
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<section>
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<h2>Super Joe</h2>
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</section>
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<section>
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<h2>G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero</h2>
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</section>
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<section>
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<h2>Compatibility</h2>
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<p>
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Being in the 3¾ inch scale made <strong>Laser Force</strong> compatible with other 1980s era & 1970s area toy lines in the 3¾ inch scale; such as:
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</p>
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<ul>
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<li><strong>Adventure People</strong> by Fisher Price <em>et al.</em>,</li>
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<li><strong>A-Team</strong> by Galoob <em>et al.</em>,</li>
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<li><strong>Black Hole</strong> by Mego <em>et al.</em>,</li>
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<li><strong>Buck Rogers</strong> by Mego <em>et al.</em>,</li>
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<li><strong>CHiPs</strong> by Mego <em>et al.</em>,</li>
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<li><strong>Dukes of Hazzard</strong> by Mego <em>et al.</em>,</li>
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<li><strong>G.I. Joe</strong> by Hasbro <em>et al.</em>,</li>
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<li><strong>Metal-Man</strong> by Zee Toys, Zylmex, <em>et al.</em>,</li>
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<li><strong>Micronauts</strong> by Mego <em>et al.</em>,</li>
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<li><strong>Pocket Super Heroes</strong> by Mego <em>et al.</em>,</li>
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<li><strong>Star Wars</strong> by Kenner <em>et al.</em>,</li>
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<li>etc.</li>
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</ul>
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And one can speculate that this may have been the intent of <strong>Laser Force</strong>'s creators.
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That they were making (toy) <strong>vehicles</strong> to be used with other toy lines made by others.
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</section>
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<section>
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<h2>Corporation</h2>
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<p>
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<strong>Laser Force</strong> was created, by people, through the company which is today known as — <strong>American Plastic Toys Inc.</strong>
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</p>
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<p>
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Although “<strong>American Plastic Toys Inc.</strong>” was not the company's original name.
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The company's previously was named — <strong>Gay Toys Inc.</strong>
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</p>
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<p>
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Why the name change‽ —
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</p>
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<p>
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This is speculation, but the common meaning for the word “gay” used to be —
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</p>
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<blockquote>
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gay (adjective): joyous, joyful, happy.
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</blockquote>
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<p>
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It was likely this is the meaning for the word “gay” that the previous company name (“<strong>Gay Toys Inc.</strong>”) was derived.
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</p>
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<p>
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Most people nowadays aren't aware of this meaning for the word “gay”.
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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.
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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).
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</p>
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<p>
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<strong>Laser Force</strong> toys seemed to be released both when the company was called ‘<strong>Gay Toys Inc.</strong>’, and when the company was called ‘<strong>American Plastic Toys Inc.</strong>’.
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</p>
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</section>
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</article>
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</main>
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</body>
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</html>
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