99 lines
4.1 KiB
Markdown
99 lines
4.1 KiB
Markdown
# 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.**’.
|