This year marks the 40th anniversary of a lot of landmarks in pop culture, especially sci-fi and fantasy. So many franchises were born in 1984. Some came to define the genre or invent new genres. The great podcast Imaginary Worlds noticed this and produced a three-part series about 1984's Cambrian explosion of creativity that landed on the big screen, the small screen, bookstore shelves and, of course, the toy store.
In this episode we learn about at two iconic franchises that launched in 1984: Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. They came from opposite ends of the business spectrum. Transformers was a top-down marketing synergy between American and Japanese toy companies along with Marvel Comics to compete against He-Man -- another TV toy behemoth. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle would eventually rival them in cultural dominance, but it began with two indie comic book creators making a black and white comic as a lark. But Turtles and Transformers both ended up wrestling with similar questions around what happens when you put the cart before the horse in creating content to sell products.
Toyetic
521- A Sea of Yellow
520- Mini-Stories: Volume 16
519- Balikbayan Boxes
518- Mini-Stories: Volume 15
517- The Divided Dial
516- Cougar Town
515- Super Citizens
405- Freedom House Ambulance Service: American Sirens
514- Train Set: Track Two
Articles of Interest: American Ivy
513- The Safety Bicycle
512- Walk of Fame
511- Vuvuzela
510- Wickedest Sound
509- Tale of the Jackalope
508- President Clinton Interviews Roman Mars
507- Search and Ye Might Find
506- Monumental Diplomacy
505- First Errand
504- Bleep!
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