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.
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.’.