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: +
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- 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. +
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.’. +
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