Starcom was one of my absolute favorite action figure series out of the 80’s; every bit as good as Transformers and M.A.S.K. Those vehicles had so much playability and cool mechanized action gimmicks! Miss playing with those toys.
I loved StarCom! The motorized action and magnets were the kind of things that nailed it for me! That and zip lines so Sky Commanders were both hits for me...
I'm so glad that someone else remembers the SkyCommanders! I was living overseas at the time, and it always puzzled me as a kid how a toy line would be introduced and then disappear before the cartoon ever made it out to me. It was always a weird slice of America, and I figured that if I liked it, then everybody else would, too...
One interesting thing about this toy line was they failed to mention how each smaller toy was built around having a box transformation so it would fit in all of the cargo hold of the other bigger toys. The smaller tanks and flyers had a way to fold into the same square shape. I always thought that was kind of cool and original
I was going to say, the toys weren't cheap and like he said they got lost easy. I had the car thing and liked it a lot but it wasn't "compatible"with my other toys.
I had a bunch of these toys, they were some of my most favorite. But all the tiny accessories were indeed kinda flimsy and easy to lose. I had no idea they kept on in Europe after it was cancelled in the U.S though.
The series needs a hard reboot. Take the best parts of GI JOE, Voltron Legendary Defender, Starship Troopers & MechWarrior and put them in a 20 episode updated cartoon run jointly on Netflix/VOD.
The "We'll be right back" sections with the commercials are my favorite part of these series and an awesome touch. Man this channel deserves so many more subs I hope the stupid TH-cam algorithm picks up on you guys real soon.
This could make a comeback easily. Today's animation tech (anime style), CGI, in combination with a slight update to the toys which themselves were WAY ahead of their time are primed for a second bite of the apple. This needs an update for the 21st Century. Loved these toys as a kid.
Thank you for making this video. I mean, thank you for making ALL of your videos... but this one THIS ONE. I loved Starcom and was one of the dozens that had a whole bunch of these little dudes. They are so danged expensive to buy or my nostalgia would have gotten the better of me.
My brother and I adored Starcom. We had a bunch of the vehicles and it is one of the few lines I have gone back and re-collected. We had the Shadow Raider, Shadow Parasite, Shadow Invader, and the Battlecrane. We didn't have the Shadow Bat but it was awesome and had multiple Shadow Parasites that could detach from it. Motherships are radical. Snakebite from the Super Naturals toy line helped to reinforce my youthful interest in Egyptology and archaeology. I've been an archaeologist with state government for over ten years now.
Shadowbat blew my mind when I saw it at a friend's house. I LOVED the idea of the Parasites mounting on the wings AND the cargo bay underneath. I LOVED that it was a supply ship, essentially, instead of a heavily armed battleship.
IKR! I had the Shadowbat ship and the Railgunner 6 wheeled turret buggy. Just looked online, granted only briefly, but it seemed to be about £70 to get both of them. They were really cool, but not £70 cool to just own. Bit different in your case as at least your son would get hands=on play enjoyment out of them!
@@lovecchio420 Don't feel bad. In 30 or so yrs, he'll remember the enjoyment of the Ipad (?!? I've never actually held one! :D Is 40 that old?*) and may think to get his kid one, but they'll be rare and/or obsolete and thus expensive and end up getting the new in thing of the 2050's (fully immersible, interactive VR with sensation suit, or something!? :D) and they won't see their kid for ages either! :D
I was a neat freak child and NEVER broke any of my toys which is one reason my dad would buy me toys like this. I still have all my StarCom and its all in working order still. ShadowBat and all. In fact before my daughter grew out of toys I used to play with my StarCom guys with her why she used her barbies and wanted to mix up the adventure! Still have all my Lego's and Micro Machines as well. It all just sits in a closet now though.
@@lovecchio420 I got my daughter a computer 2 years ago too, Haven't seen her since she became lost in Roblox and Steam. I don't blame kids though it really is a different time sadly Pedo's everywhere and all.
I love that the god guys had "factions" with the Command, Marines, and Star Wing groups...while I have few Starcom toys, I've mostly focused on the Star Wing guys....have the Starmax Bomber, a couple of Star Wolves, and several of the guys to crew the Bomber
I had one friend who was absolutely obsessed with StarCom and he had memorized all the ranks and names and everything on the filecards. I felt bad for him because no one was as into it as he was. I was all over the Shadow Bat, Parasites and anything painted black.
I thought the toys were pretty cool. I only had the Starwolf, and starmax. But what really got me involved, was the animated series. I REALLY enjoyed the fact that not every episode was about fighting empower Dark. The sky whales, was cool. ( and also where I heard about something new ( Nantucket sleigh ride) the banter, jokes, back stories told,... it was a nice "older kid" cartoon. Although the quality of animation varied, in some episodes, usually it was quite good. ( especially the "Trojan Crowbar" episode. The colors, sound, and conversation, was really nice. The art style, and how it was thought out, was usually well designed. It was almost " a typical day in the life of (space) soldiers. I LOVED IT.
These were my favourite toys as a nerdy kid growing up in the '80s. The tiny astronaut dudes with the magnetic boots were just too cool. And how can you not love the universal cargo concept? The idea that you could configure the same vehicle to launch fighter jets or drop off ground vehicles was so cool. Sadly I never got the Starmax bomber but the other toys were incredibly fun too.
Magnalock and Power Deploy. The two features that made Starcom the great toyline that it was. I had one of the toys back then. It was great playtime for me.
Hello, Would it be possible to do an upload on " DEFENDERS OF THE EARTH..... ". Has everyone out there forgot about it. If anyone can do it, you can Dan. Cheers Dave in the UK.
Did anyone noticed that the Emperor looks just like Ganondorf and his sigil is the Tri Force emblem? Could this be the Darkest timeline of Hyrule? Did Link and Zelda lost the battle agains evil and Ganon managed to develop space travel technology to expand his empire into the stars? MIND BLOWN!!! (I'm wondering is the series lasted 1 more season would Link and Zelda make an appearance?)
As a kid growing up in the 80s, I only remember three action figure toylines that I really fell in love with: MotU, M.A.S.K. and Starcom, even without having seen any of the corresponding series (things where different back then here in Europe). All that other stuff was fine and dandy, but these three were it. Sadly, while most of my friends back then shared the love of MotU and M.A.S.K., nobody got into Starcom. I really got a kick out of those little figures with their nifty play feature and all the small parts like the guns, visors and hoses that you could assemble and dissassemble. And the toy designs were the first that - for me - had a sense of "plausibility" to them without being directly lifted from actual military hardware. Thanks for bringing back some great memories.
I personally call it SPACE FORCE, GO! All caps, and one must add GO to the end. Makes it seem even more crazy 80s anime'ish. Unless you are into the 90s for some god awful reason, in which case switch to SPACE FORCE EXTREME!
love this one. I had these toys as a kid and I think about them from time to time and I always forget the name of the line and have to look 'em up by "80's toy with magnets in the feet" lol
Thank you, sir! My dad had the same story. He was a Joe fan growing up and eventually signed on. My grandfather was a Vietnam veteran and G.I. Joe was more than a hobby for them. 🇺🇸
For me, it was that all the smaller vehicles “transformed” into a standard cargo shape which in turn could be manipulated by the larger vehicles. I don’t even remember a cartoon of this. I’m not sure why I had access to this toy line in Northern Ontario, but my childhood is sure glad I did!
The toys were awesome. The cartoon sucked. I only knew two other kids in my school and neighborhood combined that had any of the toys. Me: "Hey friend, want to play Starcom?" Friend: "What's Starcom? Never mind, sounds boring. Let's play ninja turtles." And that was pretty much the problem. Of the toys I should have held on to but didn't, Starcom is near the top of the list.
I've been trying(unsuccessfully) to tell my buddy about these toys for years whenever we talk about favorite childhood toys. Now, thanks to this channel, I finally remember what the hell they were called! Thank you, thank you!
I had a pretty respectable collection of Starcom toys, though I swear the figures never had their helmet visors for more than a week or two before they would get lost. Same with the guns. Had backpacks from Hell to breakfast though! 🤣 Also, how did none of the badguys have concerns that their insignia seemed to be based on their boss's hairstyle? That should seriously be a flag for reevaluating your employment options.
I had some starcom toys- they were pretty sweet. I had a large triangular spaceship that belonged to the baddies- two smaller ships could be deployed from the wings and there was a cargo bay with room for another rolling vehicle (but I never had that). My older brother had the good guy’s stuff (their shuttle was the coolest). Shame these didn’t take off- they were really well made and the deploying gimmicks were cool (though noisy)
From the UK here. Had the Starmax Bomber when I was a kid, I remember one Christmas that these toys were in Argos and there was a slight hubub over it all. I loved this toy as a kid, but remember that none of the other toys or figures were available so much after I got this one, however this could be due to me living in the country as opposed to a city or town. After taking a look at Ebay, I wish I still had it...
I'm so shocked they didn't do well because a friend and I were super into them and it was a big toyline that stuck around for a good five years, but then I'm in the UK. I lost my collection a few years ago when they were donated to charity by mistake during the sale of my childhood home, and it was absolutely gutting because they were already inaccessibly priced on the collectors' market by then. It seems like the appeal of this line has held for a lot of us!
I loved the harder sci-fi of this series even as a kid, but I wonder if that was part of why it didn't do well for most. The toys are still some of the best ever though. So much complexity and variation, and how often do you see logistics considered in toy lines?!
I cared. Had em all,all started with a kid at school who got picked as my secret santa. She knew the kind of toys I liked,so she got me the little white one man space ship. I immediately had to get them all,black guy with a mustache wearing red and white was my favorite
Loved my Starcom, so glad my mum kept them for my kids to also play with them 30 years later. They were so ahead of their time, great toys and no batteries required!
There was a sound when the vehicles transforms, it was "keeeeeeeeeeeeeeee~chik", loved the toys! Only had one and it was the smallest one, I think it was one of the cargo blocks that acted as a vehicle as well
I had a few of these toys, UK, they were cool. If I close my eyes I can still hear the whirring noise they would make as the wings unfolded or the cargo bay slid out.
One of the best examples of 80s animation. It's sad that we've lost the ability to make cartoons this well-crafted. My 12-yr-old turns off Disney XD crap and watches old stuff like this instead. This decision will probably save him having his brain melted.
Now with the fruition of the United States Space Force becoming a reality FINALLY, this needs a major overhaul and updated graphics as well with a more legitimate storyline and it would possibly really get traction.
I remember having a small fighter that folds up that can fit into the cargo hold of the big fighter jet. (Sold separately) it was the coolest thing ever.
I had so many Starcom toys as a kid, but I never saw the animated series ever. I was just super into the toys, and still am. They hold up as great looking figures and vehicles to this day!
Starcom was hands down one of the most well-designed action figure toy series of the 80’s; right up there with M.A.S.K. The carrier spaceship and 4WD buggy that could ride in its cargo bay were absolute perfection... wish I still had mine.
Another great video! I loved the whole idea behind this toy line but missed both it and the TV series back in the day where I could only catch an episode here and there on TV. I recently picked up the complete series on DVD from Amazon for a really great price and I was able to pick up some Starcom figures and a complete Starcom Starmax shuttle and a near complete Starcom Starwolf fighter I am restoring. In many ways Starcom reminds me of the AMAZINGLY underappreciated modern show and toyline of Thunderbirds Are Go. Like Starcom both the show and toys scream quality but I never hear any collector talking about the toys. Over time I was able to pick up the complete line of Thunderbirds toys including the new Tracy Island playset and I am so glad I did. Please do a video on the Thunderbirds next. Keep up the great work!
It WAS almost called "Space Force" (Trump jokes aside). Specifically, "U.S. Space Force: Defenders of the Stars". My wife worked at Coleco at the time as an intern and I have an official ad slick of the Starmax Bomber's box art using the logo. As well as a hand-drawn (in marker) mock-up of the box art with some pieces glued on. The name of the ship is "Shuttle Bomber" on that. There's also an odd "Astronauts" logo on the art, which thanks to this video, I now know was the Young Astronauts logo!! I guess it almost made it on the box. According to my wife, the rumor at Coleco HQ was that the lawyers had an issue naming it that for some reason and they changed it. There was supposedly a bunch of stuff with "Space Force" printed already. You can see pictures of it on my IG page (WishItWas1984)
I really enjoyed Starcom. In 1987, I was hitting the beginning of my Dark Ages. Finishing my Freshman year in HS/starting my Soph year, summer job at Six Flags New Jersey, toys were being packed to be stowed away, LEGO in my closet, etc.! Enter Starcom; smaller than MASK, bigger than BSG pilots, they could only ever interact with themselves. Space Shuttle exploded only a couple of years prior, the idea of kids, younger kids, wanting to be astronauts was probably squashed by concerned parents; a teacher died, a civilian. The toys were awesome, but it was no longer the late 70s/early 80s when Space Lab was awesome, the first space shuttle was named after a famous starship, and every little boy wanted to be an astronaut. If Boss Fight Studio or Acid Rain picked up this franchise, made a 1:18 toy line, it could be incredible. Even if Acid Rain put it in their B25 (1:25) scale, it could still be great. Very few action figure molds needed, accessories abound, Sunok Studios even has a armour helmet seal design that is so cool. This line could even look cool in LEGO form, or in Diaclone scale. Alas, we, as the US Government, have to seek outside help to visit the ISS. Great summary. Keep it up. P.S. Those pesky magnets getting swallowed...nuff said! 😋
The problem with the Starcom cartoon, was that here in the states, it aired only on The Family Channel(before it was Freeform, ABC Family, and Fox Family),and The Family Channel back then was a premium channel,(much like HBO,Cinemax,Showtime,and The Movie Channel), so not everyone had The Family Channel...
I so loved Starcom, but yeah, you're VERY right about the lacking theme song. I have no idea what it is while i know just about all of the other cools show theme songs. That said, i doubt anythign will ever top the Batman Animated TV-series, which didn't have the toys as much as for instance G.I.Joe had, which i was heavily into. Quite a bit of M.A.S.K. as well. Wasn't that into the Transformers stuff. Oh yeah, and a few He-Man and TMNT as well... There was way too much choice back then.
I guess I was one of the dozens then? The StarMax Bomber and its -evil- hey-I’ll-be-a-jerk-for-a-dental-plan counterpart, the Shadowbat, were the flagships of my toy collection. And I’d never even heard of the show until I read about it decades later on Wikipedia.
I encountered StarCom in a toy store back in the late 80s before I knew anything about the cartoon. The thing that jazzed me the most about them, were their "Astro Marines" branch, giving us space Marine toy figures just a year after the release of ALIENS, also largely known for their space Marine "Colonial Marine Corps." In my mind, especially with no knowledge of any official cartoon to tell me otherwise, the Astro Marines of StarCom became the same thing, and it was with these figures that I played "ALIENS." As I got older, I even started getting extras of the Astro Marines figures, and customizing them to make even more Astro Marines, with versions of character from ALIENS, like Sgt. Apone, Hicks, etc. I even managed to not lose most of those visors! I still have them to this day, loved the detail of the rank insignia. Definitely one of my all-time favorite toy lines!
If Starcom get a chance of big screen adaption, what will it takes to rival Star Wars, Star Trek or Guardian Of The Galaxy? If Starcom gets video games treatment, I prefer to be in : Space Combat Stimulation like Wing Commander, No Man's Sky, Real Time Strategy like Starcraft or Homeland, Vertical or Horizontal shooter like Aero Fighters
Why is reanimator - Mask? And Tom Sellek Visionaries? Just the moustache? Didn't the Mask guy have a moustache, I can't remember anymore. Starcom was cool, but my friend had the toys not me, I had dino-riders, or battle beasts depending on the decade. Zoids were the best though. No cartoon of course, except the god-awful Japanese one like 10 years ago. M m m mask! Always riding hot on venoms trail!
I'd forgotten these existed entirely, until I saw that old commercial again. Then I remembered: THEY'RE BORING. Even as a kid, I thought they looked more like knockoff toys than "real" ones, particularly those tiny action figures. And the ships look totally generic. The magnet gimmick wasn't nearly enough to overcome how unappealing the basic line was.
I had these in the early 90s when I was about 8 or so due to some toy liquidator that opened near me as a kid. I ended up with lots of dead 80s toys. Starcom, MASK, Captain Power, Battle Beasts etc. Starcom was always my favorite. I took them everywhere, including school where I'd magnetize the figures to my desk.
I REALLY liked Starcom! Even today as an adult (approaching 50) I still mostly enjoy the series. With the exception of no real enemies, other than the emperor and his robots, there was a reasonably mature ( but not "adult") theme to it. It focused on "regular soldier" grumblings, and rants, some really funny jokes, that hold up today, and the fact that there was mature education/science involved. ( like the nantucket sleigh ride/first episode.) Some of the episode animations, special effects, visuals, and cut scenes were...AMAZING. I really wish they would reooot this series. But keep it loyal to the original. "Trojan Crowbar" two part episodes, is one of my favorites. Even if some stuff lacked explanation, it was still told in a reasonably realistic manner, that you kind of didn't notice the plot, or action hole. They applied a lot of history to the show that didn't get explored. Especially about the "tech". I.e. the Sturgeon ship, the updated starwolf with the new engine. The haulers, frigates, science exploration and other naval ships.It really had a tactile feel to the spaceforce. There was always something that I wanted to learn and explore inside the series. To me, it is like the Expanse, but animated. I just want all that ship and universe hard science info.
AH-HA! IT IS REAL! I remember seeing part of one episode of this show (I remember the ship with the face) and thinking it was pretty good, but then never saw it again. Pretty standard for south Florida where the predominantly elderly population loudly complain about anything made for young people and any television (esp cartoons) would get taken off the air pretty quick. Wondered if I imagined it until now. We had a youth center for organized after school activities for three days then the elderly had it shut down because dangerous numbers of young people were gathering there. I'm old now, I still hate those old people, and proudly support youth activities and organizations I never had.
G.I. Joe Star Brigade anyone? Those were Hasbro's attempt to make space toys using G.I. Joe branding but it was made from repaints and new toys that had less articulation than most other G.I. Joe toys except for gimmick heavy Ninja Force.
I was inspirated by STARCOMM to be a pilot(sadly I am a visually handicap) and I love spaces because of this show. I do however find the pilots boring other than their magnetic boots. But their ships and cruisers are a different story.... Because the ships and cruisers could stick on each other which make it awesome. I recalled I owned a Star Max but dad wouldn't buy me Starwolf which i really really wanted to form a set as we wasn't very well to do at that time.
I wanted StarCom stuff so bad. I was obsessed with magnets and space stuff. That was only *slightly* turned down to a mere nine from eleven because... well... Challenger... The toys were too expensive, though. For that same money, I opted for additional LEGO to add to my collection.
have you done a video yet on unlikely or absurd movie / show / toy tie-ins that companies have tried? for instance, how ridiculous / cool would action figures based on "Hereditary", "Law & Order", or "The Office" be? Hipsters will use that Frye meme en masse. I just want a Horatio with sunglasses and a screamin' Roger Daltrey midi file that plays when he puts them on.
I didn't watch the show at all, but I LOVED the toys so much. Combining the Starcom toys with Transformers toys worked remarkably well, since the scale of the 2" figures was pretty close to appropriate, and the cool spring-loaded and magnetic features made for some pretty epic battles in my imagination.
I wonder who (if anyone) owns the Starcom IP now? The thought that inspired this question basically consisted of two words '3D Printers'. I was thinking that if the IP was in limbo then it might be up for grabs for fans to snatch it up and go wild with recreating the original toys with a combination of 3D printing and group purchases of specialized parts (like the windup assemblies) and creating new toys as the original story line is further fleshed out and expanded such as parts/platforms that can be connected together to create unique complex bases. A different approach to inspire more S.T.E.M.-like thinking could add networks of sensors/microcontrollers to the bases to watch out for attackers in the form of modified vehicle designs that are basically programmable robots.
My family didn't have a lot of money in the 80s but I had lots of Starcom and Silverhawks....wait a minute, were my parents just shopping for me in the clearance aisles? Lol
I remember the first starcom figure I owned, Sargent Victor Rivera, I was about 8 and didn't even need to Google the name 32 years later. I thought thier uniforms looked bad ass and the back packs with the hose and laser cannons were awesome. One of my favorite ships was the F1400 star wolf. When I was playing I pretended it crash landed on a desert planet in the sand.... The actual sand messed up the motor it never worked properly after.... What I also had which was neat was the pods you could attach together to make a 4 section base.... With med Bay and garage etc. They were awesome toys....
Star com was the shit!!! One of my favorite animated series and toy line as a young lad of 80s. They certainly don't make them like they use too. Thanks for sharing. Have a very Geek ish day.🤓👽🖖🛸🚀
Loved these toys, had no idea there was a cartoon. As with Captain Power, MASK, GI Joe and everything else I got the bad guy stuff and my brother got the good guy stuff. Worked out fine for me, black is way cooler😎
I loved hanging these figures from the railing in my grandparents E Baltimore rowhome. Several times I recall forgetting one in an odd spot, sticking at an angle, poking out near the awful brown/black carpet. After weeks, I'd come back to find it still there. Perhaps knocked a bit to a new angle from a blind vacuum hit. Great stuff.
"Magnetic feet-ure on the tiny figures' boots." Nothing against NASA, but if the figure was magnetized to the outside of _Red Dwarf,_ it would have sold like a sonic screwdriver does for _Dr. Who_ fans.
I had the Starwolf and RAT... omg i played with those into my teens. you know the Starwolf was the inspiration for the Starfleet Runnabouts used on DS9, compare the two, you an see it in their designs, they both even have a swappable cargo payload area. even long after all of the starwolf's guns fell off, and the RAT's switches would no longer keep itself closed up, i still loved the microscopic attention to detail, the tiny computer panels, the pure feasibility of it, they really gave me such a great inkling that some people DO CARE about kid's and our/their perceptions, i remember feeling like kids did matter if they were going to make toys this well. so awesome.
Re-watching older episodes and I just want to say that I put magnets on the feet of many of my figures because this toy line inspired my young mind. MAGNETS!
“…and created in association with NASA. Why isn’t this one of the most popular toy lines that ever existed?” - You realize you just answered your own question, right?
Loved StarCom toys as a kid, when I came across a couple a few years back. They still worked, not greatly, but still. Now I don't know where they are. I think my cousin's kid grabbed them and they are in a box will all of his toys...
What about AirRaiders? Their figures were the same size but less articulated and more like sci-fi green army men, more function than personality. I didn't have much of either, so played well all together...
I had a few of these! quite fun but definitely loos-able. speaking of more obscure lines, do you remember Eagle Force? early 80's die-cast figures. commercials alone are worth a watch!
I bought one of these fighter ships with 1 figure out of the box at a store. It was not in the box and had a missing laser gun and my mom bought me it. It was one of my favorite toys. It was a black triangle haped fighter and maye have been a bad guy. All I know is I pretended he was on the moon or in space walking on metal doors and things.
I was a StarCom fan and it inspired my career. I'm wearing magnetic boots in my transforming Lazy-Boy recliner watching from Deimos base orbiting Mars right now as I fight space whales and study terrorists...wait a minute...
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Starcom was one of my absolute favorite action figure series out of the 80’s; every bit as good as Transformers and M.A.S.K. Those vehicles had so much playability and cool mechanized action gimmicks! Miss playing with those toys.
It was a great toy line. Seemed super futuristic to me at the time!!
Me too, although i would say they were much better than Transformers, the toys i meant.
I was absolutely one of the dozens. Loved these figures
As was I!
Me too!!
Same
Same. I still have a bunch of them in storage but they have been abused by my imagination. 😂
Me too
I loved StarCom! The motorized action and magnets were the kind of things that nailed it for me! That and zip lines so Sky Commanders were both hits for me...
Bob Gosh yes! Sky commanders.
JT Manuel Right?! It made no sense, totally impractical but awesome and ZIP LINES!!!
I'm so glad that someone else remembers the SkyCommanders! I was living overseas at the time, and it always puzzled me as a kid how a toy line would be introduced and then disappear before the cartoon ever made it out to me. It was always a weird slice of America, and I figured that if I liked it, then everybody else would, too...
Sky Commanders! I’ve been trying to think of that name for the longest time. Hopefully they get the Toy Galaxy treatment in a future episode.
Same here! I had and love both StarCom and Sky Commanders, too!
The original Team America: World Police :D
Just less dirty
I swear to God, I'm not stalking you... BUT WHY DO I KEEP FINDING YOU IN EVER GODDAMN COMMENT SECTION?!
@@SecretGalaxyTV 😇
One interesting thing about this toy line was they failed to mention how each smaller toy was built around having a box transformation so it would fit in all of the cargo hold of the other bigger toys. The smaller tanks and flyers had a way to fold into the same square shape. I always thought that was kind of cool and original
I loved Starcom. I had some of their toys. Wished my parents at the time had the money to get me all of them.
I was going to say, the toys weren't cheap and like he said they got lost easy. I had the car thing and liked it a lot but it wasn't "compatible"with my other toys.
Starcom was brilliant both in concept and playability.
I had a bunch of these toys, they were some of my most favorite. But all the tiny accessories were indeed kinda flimsy and easy to lose. I had no idea they kept on in Europe after it was cancelled in the U.S though.
Magnets in feet, just as Dads were bringing home floppy disks, with warnings from IT that magnets were the devil...
I loved the magnetic feet. I would walk the figures up and down the fridge and around the door frames etc.
The series needs a hard reboot. Take the best parts of GI JOE, Voltron Legendary Defender, Starship Troopers & MechWarrior and put them in a 20 episode updated cartoon run jointly on Netflix/VOD.
Donald Trump must have been a fan. He made the US Space force to make StarCom for real!
@@joshyfox1 then so are the Russians and Chinese, they've both had a space force for 20+ years.
@@matthewsmith2979 Well there you go then. Star Com is beloved by all.
@@joshyfox1 when I first heard trump say the US needed a space force.... Magna lock deploy echoed in my head.
totally agree.
The "We'll be right back" sections with the commercials are my favorite part of these series and an awesome touch. Man this channel deserves so many more subs I hope the stupid TH-cam algorithm picks up on you guys real soon.
I can still hear that noise the toys made when you activated their ability
Krgggrgrgrgrgrrgrgrggrgrgrgrggrgrgrgrgrggrgr.... click.
This could make a comeback easily. Today's animation tech (anime style), CGI, in combination with a slight update to the toys which themselves were WAY ahead of their time are primed for a second bite of the apple.
This needs an update for the 21st Century. Loved these toys as a kid.
Yeeeeeeesssss! I still play with my Starcom...I'm always having the starmax bomber doings bomb runs on parked shadowbat vehicles.
Thank you for making this video. I mean, thank you for making ALL of your videos... but this one THIS ONE. I loved Starcom and was one of the dozens that had a whole bunch of these little dudes. They are so danged expensive to buy or my nostalgia would have gotten the better of me.
My brother and I adored Starcom. We had a bunch of the vehicles and it is one of the few lines I have gone back and re-collected. We had the Shadow Raider, Shadow Parasite, Shadow Invader, and the Battlecrane. We didn't have the Shadow Bat but it was awesome and had multiple Shadow Parasites that could detach from it. Motherships are radical.
Snakebite from the Super Naturals toy line helped to reinforce my youthful interest in Egyptology and archaeology. I've been an archaeologist with state government for over ten years now.
Shadowbat blew my mind when I saw it at a friend's house. I LOVED the idea of the Parasites mounting on the wings AND the cargo bay underneath. I LOVED that it was a supply ship, essentially, instead of a heavily armed battleship.
I had the Shadowbat but only ever had one Parasite. My parents refused to buy a second one just so I could have them on both wings...
To this day, I still have 2 of these figures that have lived on my refrigerator for the last 3 decades. It's become a tradition now
Same, but I have 6 doing the Abby Road walk 🚶🚶🏃🚶🏃🚶
along the edge of my refrigerator. No accessories, no visors,
& Never had Any of the vehicles... 👍
I have one walking on my fridge as well, 30-ish years or so later...
I’m not the only one......
We should all get together like Veterans do. lol
Wow dude! 👍🏿
you still have the tube and the gun and the visor?
I was born in '79, these were my favorite toys as a kid in the 80's. They were so great, i would rebuy them for my son if they didnt cost$$$$
IKR! I had the Shadowbat ship and the Railgunner 6 wheeled turret buggy. Just looked online, granted only briefly, but it seemed to be about £70 to get both of them. They were really cool, but not £70 cool to just own. Bit different in your case as at least your son would get hands=on play enjoyment out of them!
@@TheEyez187 I ended up buying him an Ipad, and havnt seen him in 2 years.
@@lovecchio420 Don't feel bad. In 30 or so yrs, he'll remember the enjoyment of the Ipad (?!? I've never actually held one! :D Is 40 that old?*) and may think to get his kid one, but they'll be rare and/or obsolete and thus expensive and end up getting the new in thing of the 2050's (fully immersible, interactive VR with sensation suit, or something!? :D) and they won't see their kid for ages either! :D
I was a neat freak child and NEVER broke any of my toys which is one reason my dad would buy me toys like this. I still have all my StarCom and its all in working order still. ShadowBat and all. In fact before my daughter grew out of toys I used to play with my StarCom guys with her why she used her barbies and wanted to mix up the adventure! Still have all my Lego's and Micro Machines as well. It all just sits in a closet now though.
@@lovecchio420 I got my daughter a computer 2 years ago too, Haven't seen her since she became lost in Roblox and Steam. I don't blame kids though it really is a different time sadly Pedo's everywhere and all.
I loved my StarCom toys so much. Too bad it never really took off. :(
Agreed,had the lil sumbitches standing on everything metal in my home
I love that the god guys had "factions" with the Command, Marines, and Star Wing groups...while I have few Starcom toys, I've mostly focused on the Star Wing guys....have the Starmax Bomber, a couple of Star Wolves, and several of the guys to crew the Bomber
I had one friend who was absolutely obsessed with StarCom and he had memorized all the ranks and names and everything on the filecards. I felt bad for him because no one was as into it as he was. I was all over the Shadow Bat, Parasites and anything painted black.
These toys were absolutely amazing. Maybe a little fragile.
I thought the toys were pretty cool. I only had the Starwolf, and starmax. But what really got me involved, was the animated series. I REALLY enjoyed the fact that not every episode was about fighting empower Dark. The sky whales, was cool. ( and also where I heard about something new ( Nantucket sleigh ride) the banter, jokes, back stories told,... it was a nice "older kid" cartoon. Although the quality of animation varied, in some episodes, usually it was quite good. ( especially the "Trojan Crowbar" episode. The colors, sound, and conversation, was really nice. The art style, and how it was thought out, was usually well designed. It was almost " a typical day in the life of (space) soldiers. I LOVED IT.
These were my favourite toys as a nerdy kid growing up in the '80s. The tiny astronaut dudes with the magnetic boots were just too cool. And how can you not love the universal cargo concept? The idea that you could configure the same vehicle to launch fighter jets or drop off ground vehicles was so cool. Sadly I never got the Starmax bomber but the other toys were incredibly fun too.
I *loved* StarCom. I have fond memories of when I received some of my favorite vehicles and I couldn't get enough.
Magnalock and Power Deploy. The two features that made Starcom the great toyline that it was. I had one of the toys back then. It was great playtime for me.
Hello, Would it be possible to do an upload on " DEFENDERS OF THE EARTH..... ". Has everyone out there forgot about it. If anyone can do it, you can Dan. Cheers Dave in the UK.
Ah yes, Defenders of the Earth. That show had one awesome 80's theme song.
You can catch the show on the app Tubi.
Did anyone noticed that the Emperor looks just like Ganondorf and his sigil is the Tri Force emblem? Could this be the Darkest timeline of Hyrule? Did Link and Zelda lost the battle agains evil and Ganon managed to develop space travel technology to expand his empire into the stars? MIND BLOWN!!! (I'm wondering is the series lasted 1 more season would Link and Zelda make an appearance?)
As a kid growing up in the 80s, I only remember three action figure toylines that I really fell in love with: MotU, M.A.S.K. and Starcom, even without having seen any of the corresponding series (things where different back then here in Europe). All that other stuff was fine and dandy, but these three were it. Sadly, while most of my friends back then shared the love of MotU and M.A.S.K., nobody got into Starcom. I really got a kick out of those little figures with their nifty play feature and all the small parts like the guns, visors and hoses that you could assemble and dissassemble. And the toy designs were the first that - for me - had a sense of "plausibility" to them without being directly lifted from actual military hardware. Thanks for bringing back some great memories.
Exactly same for me - those 3 toy lines
Because someone is going to say it: Space Force. There. Now we can move on.😉
Space Force!!
I personally call it SPACE FORCE, GO! All caps, and one must add GO to the end. Makes it seem even more crazy 80s anime'ish. Unless you are into the 90s for some god awful reason, in which case switch to SPACE FORCE EXTREME!
See my comment above. It actually was almost called Space Force. lol
first thing i thought of when 45 announced it was this cartoon
@@billford171 Yep, that sounds right
love this one. I had these toys as a kid and I think about them from time to time and I always forget the name of the line and have to look 'em up by "80's toy with magnets in the feet" lol
G. I. Joe inspired me as a youth to work hard in school and join the U.S. Army.
HEY, KNOWLEDGE IS HALF THE BATTLE! I`m pretty sure the other half is massive firepower....I mean, GO JOE!
Thank you, sir!
My dad had the same story. He was a Joe fan growing up and eventually signed on. My grandfather was a Vietnam veteran and G.I. Joe was more than a hobby for them. 🇺🇸
Propaganda kills.
25% Red lasers
25% Blue laser
50% Knowing
@@nobdydoh4263 I think all of the original Joes, except Scarlet, were Vietnam vets in their back stories.
For me, it was that all the smaller vehicles “transformed” into a standard cargo shape which in turn could be manipulated by the larger vehicles. I don’t even remember a cartoon of this. I’m not sure why I had access to this toy line in Northern Ontario, but my childhood is sure glad I did!
I had a few of these. They were absolutely awesome.
The toys were awesome. The cartoon sucked. I only knew two other kids in my school and neighborhood combined that had any of the toys.
Me: "Hey friend, want to play Starcom?"
Friend: "What's Starcom? Never mind, sounds boring. Let's play ninja turtles."
And that was pretty much the problem. Of the toys I should have held on to but didn't, Starcom is near the top of the list.
Newly invented legend has it that having failed at space exploration, they switched to space communication & renamed themselves COMSTA --- Space AT&T.
I've been trying(unsuccessfully) to tell my buddy about these toys for years whenever we talk about favorite childhood toys. Now, thanks to this channel, I finally remember what the hell they were called! Thank you, thank you!
I had a pretty respectable collection of Starcom toys, though I swear the figures never had their helmet visors for more than a week or two before they would get lost. Same with the guns. Had backpacks from Hell to breakfast though! 🤣
Also, how did none of the badguys have concerns that their insignia seemed to be based on their boss's hairstyle? That should seriously be a flag for reevaluating your employment options.
I had some starcom toys- they were pretty sweet. I had a large triangular spaceship that belonged to the baddies- two smaller ships could be deployed from the wings and there was a cargo bay with room for another rolling vehicle (but I never had that). My older brother had the good guy’s stuff (their shuttle was the coolest). Shame these didn’t take off- they were really well made and the deploying gimmicks were cool (though noisy)
Ah,the good old days of astronauts ,spaceships and intergalactic battles ,Starcom was the shit back in the 80's ,great video guys.
I remember getting one of the spaceship toys on Christmas when I was a kid. Probably the coolest toy I ever got, not including Nintendo of course.
C.O.P.S. convinced me to become a cop. After about ten years, I said "To heck with this!" and went to work in a nuclear power plant.
From the UK here. Had the Starmax Bomber when I was a kid, I remember one Christmas that these toys were in Argos and there was a slight hubub over it all.
I loved this toy as a kid, but remember that none of the other toys or figures were available so much after I got this one, however this could be due to me living in the country as opposed to a city or town.
After taking a look at Ebay, I wish I still had it...
I'm so shocked they didn't do well because a friend and I were super into them and it was a big toyline that stuck around for a good five years, but then I'm in the UK.
I lost my collection a few years ago when they were donated to charity by mistake during the sale of my childhood home, and it was absolutely gutting because they were already inaccessibly priced on the collectors' market by then. It seems like the appeal of this line has held for a lot of us!
I loved the harder sci-fi of this series even as a kid, but I wonder if that was part of why it didn't do well for most.
The toys are still some of the best ever though. So much complexity and variation, and how often do you see logistics considered in toy lines?!
I cared. Had em all,all started with a kid at school who got picked as my secret santa. She knew the kind of toys I liked,so she got me the little white one man space ship. I immediately had to get them all,black guy with a mustache wearing red and white was my favorite
I assume this was never very popular...cant remember this cartoon & i am a big fan of 80s cartoon.
Loved my Starcom, so glad my mum kept them for my kids to also play with them 30 years later. They were so ahead of their time, great toys and no batteries required!
Always felt like the villains in Starcom had way better equipment though.
There was a sound when the vehicles transforms, it was "keeeeeeeeeeeeeeee~chik", loved the toys! Only had one and it was the smallest one, I think it was one of the cargo blocks that acted as a vehicle as well
I had a few of these toys, UK, they were cool. If I close my eyes I can still hear the whirring noise they would make as the wings unfolded or the cargo bay slid out.
I hecking loved Starcom. I had all the toys. Also think this show is a prime candidate for a reboot.
They had me at magnalock on, getting one of them to walk straight up a fridge, that was fun.
Interestingly, it was my searches to see the StarCom toys that brought me to this channel to begin with. I have very fond memories of those toys.
One of the best examples of 80s animation. It's sad that we've lost the ability to make cartoons this well-crafted. My 12-yr-old turns off Disney XD crap and watches old stuff like this instead. This decision will probably save him having his brain melted.
This entire show and toy line was too ahead of its time. I enjoyed both the show AND the toys as a kid.
Now with the fruition of the United States Space Force becoming a reality FINALLY, this needs a major overhaul and updated graphics as well with a more legitimate storyline and it would possibly really get traction.
Tango Down No kidding!
I remember having a small fighter that folds up that can fit into the cargo hold of the big fighter jet. (Sold separately) it was the coolest thing ever.
I found the complete Starcom DVD series at an FYE for $5. Great value investment.
This is the first video on the channel I've ever seen and I already love it, lol!
SUBSCRIBED!
i had a bunch of the toys and liked the cartoon. i bought the dvd last year,it had some good stories.
I had so many Starcom toys as a kid, but I never saw the animated series ever. I was just super into the toys, and still am. They hold up as great looking figures and vehicles to this day!
"Their just collecting paychecks." Still, don't collect your money from evil.
I love the mistakes and that you guys leave them in. Toygalaxy has easily become one of my favorite channels
AAAH Starcom... damn, thank you! i was trying so hard to remember how these were called... Loved it, show and toys alike.
Starcom was very cool. I still watch the series on Dailymotion
Starcom was hands down one of the most well-designed action figure toy series of the 80’s; right up there with M.A.S.K. The carrier spaceship and 4WD buggy that could ride in its cargo bay were absolute perfection... wish I still had mine.
Another great video! I loved the whole idea behind this toy line but missed both it and the TV series back in the day where I could only catch an episode here and there on TV. I recently picked up the complete series on DVD from Amazon for a really great price and I was able to pick up some Starcom figures and a complete Starcom Starmax shuttle and a near complete Starcom Starwolf fighter I am restoring. In many ways Starcom reminds me of the AMAZINGLY underappreciated modern show and toyline of Thunderbirds Are Go. Like Starcom both the show and toys scream quality but I never hear any collector talking about the toys. Over time I was able to pick up the complete line of Thunderbirds toys including the new Tracy Island playset and I am so glad I did. Please do a video on the Thunderbirds next. Keep up the great work!
It WAS almost called "Space Force" (Trump jokes aside). Specifically, "U.S. Space Force: Defenders of the Stars". My wife worked at Coleco at the time as an intern and I have an official ad slick of the Starmax Bomber's box art using the logo. As well as a hand-drawn (in marker) mock-up of the box art with some pieces glued on. The name of the ship is "Shuttle Bomber" on that. There's also an odd "Astronauts" logo on the art, which thanks to this video, I now know was the Young Astronauts logo!! I guess it almost made it on the box. According to my wife, the rumor at Coleco HQ was that the lawyers had an issue naming it that for some reason and they changed it. There was supposedly a bunch of stuff with "Space Force" printed already. You can see pictures of it on my IG page (WishItWas1984)
I really enjoyed Starcom. In 1987, I was hitting the beginning of my Dark Ages. Finishing my Freshman year in HS/starting my Soph year, summer job at Six Flags New Jersey, toys were being packed to be stowed away, LEGO in my closet, etc.! Enter Starcom; smaller than MASK, bigger than BSG pilots, they could only ever interact with themselves. Space Shuttle exploded only a couple of years prior, the idea of kids, younger kids, wanting to be astronauts was probably squashed by concerned parents; a teacher died, a civilian. The toys were awesome, but it was no longer the late 70s/early 80s when Space Lab was awesome, the first space shuttle was named after a famous starship, and every little boy wanted to be an astronaut.
If Boss Fight Studio or Acid Rain picked up this franchise, made a 1:18 toy line, it could be incredible. Even if Acid Rain put it in their B25 (1:25) scale, it could still be great. Very few action figure molds needed, accessories abound, Sunok Studios even has a armour helmet seal design that is so cool.
This line could even look cool in LEGO form, or in Diaclone scale. Alas, we, as the US Government, have to seek outside help to visit the ISS. Great summary. Keep it up.
P.S. Those pesky magnets getting swallowed...nuff said! 😋
The problem with the Starcom cartoon, was that here in the states, it aired only on The Family Channel(before it was Freeform, ABC Family, and Fox Family),and The Family Channel back then was a premium channel,(much like HBO,Cinemax,Showtime,and The Movie Channel), so not everyone had The Family Channel...
I so loved Starcom, but yeah, you're VERY right about the lacking theme song.
I have no idea what it is while i know just about all of the other cools show theme songs.
That said, i doubt anythign will ever top the Batman Animated TV-series, which didn't have the toys as much as for instance G.I.Joe had, which i was heavily into.
Quite a bit of M.A.S.K. as well.
Wasn't that into the Transformers stuff.
Oh yeah, and a few He-Man and TMNT as well...
There was way too much choice back then.
I guess I was one of the dozens then? The StarMax Bomber and its -evil- hey-I’ll-be-a-jerk-for-a-dental-plan counterpart, the Shadowbat, were the flagships of my toy collection. And I’d never even heard of the show until I read about it decades later on Wikipedia.
I encountered StarCom in a toy store back in the late 80s before I knew anything about the cartoon. The thing that jazzed me the most about them, were their "Astro Marines" branch, giving us space Marine toy figures just a year after the release of ALIENS, also largely known for their space Marine "Colonial Marine Corps." In my mind, especially with no knowledge of any official cartoon to tell me otherwise, the Astro Marines of StarCom became the same thing, and it was with these figures that I played "ALIENS." As I got older, I even started getting extras of the Astro Marines figures, and customizing them to make even more Astro Marines, with versions of character from ALIENS, like Sgt. Apone, Hicks, etc. I even managed to not lose most of those visors! I still have them to this day, loved the detail of the rank insignia. Definitely one of my all-time favorite toy lines!
If Starcom get a chance of big screen adaption, what will it takes to rival Star Wars, Star Trek or Guardian Of The Galaxy?
If Starcom gets video games treatment, I prefer to be in :
Space Combat Stimulation like Wing Commander, No Man's Sky,
Real Time Strategy like Starcraft or Homeland,
Vertical or Horizontal shooter like Aero Fighters
Why is reanimator - Mask? And Tom Sellek Visionaries? Just the moustache? Didn't the Mask guy have a moustache, I can't remember anymore. Starcom was cool, but my friend had the toys not me, I had dino-riders, or battle beasts depending on the decade. Zoids were the best though. No cartoon of course, except the god-awful Japanese one like 10 years ago. M m m mask! Always riding hot on venoms trail!
I'd forgotten these existed entirely, until I saw that old commercial again. Then I remembered: THEY'RE BORING. Even as a kid, I thought they looked more like knockoff toys than "real" ones, particularly those tiny action figures. And the ships look totally generic. The magnet gimmick wasn't nearly enough to overcome how unappealing the basic line was.
I had these in the early 90s when I was about 8 or so due to some toy liquidator that opened near me as a kid. I ended up with lots of dead 80s toys. Starcom, MASK, Captain Power, Battle Beasts etc. Starcom was always my favorite. I took them everywhere, including school where I'd magnetize the figures to my desk.
I REALLY liked Starcom! Even today as an adult (approaching 50) I still mostly enjoy the series. With the exception of no real enemies, other than the emperor and his robots, there was a reasonably mature ( but not "adult") theme to it. It focused on "regular soldier" grumblings, and rants, some really funny jokes, that hold up today, and the fact that there was mature education/science involved. ( like the nantucket sleigh ride/first episode.) Some of the episode animations, special effects, visuals, and cut scenes were...AMAZING. I really wish they would reooot this series. But keep it loyal to the original. "Trojan Crowbar" two part episodes, is one of my favorites. Even if some stuff lacked explanation, it was still told in a reasonably realistic manner, that you kind of didn't notice the plot, or action hole. They applied a lot of history to the show that didn't get explored. Especially about the "tech". I.e. the Sturgeon ship, the updated starwolf with the new engine. The haulers, frigates, science exploration and other naval ships.It really had a tactile feel to the spaceforce. There was always something that I wanted to learn and explore inside the series. To me, it is like the Expanse, but animated. I just want all that ship and universe hard science info.
I always thought Max Ray from Centurions looked more like Tom Selleck than Leorick from Visionaries.
AH-HA! IT IS REAL! I remember seeing part of one episode of this show (I remember the ship with the face) and thinking it was pretty good, but then never saw it again. Pretty standard for south Florida where the predominantly elderly population loudly complain about anything made for young people and any television (esp cartoons) would get taken off the air pretty quick. Wondered if I imagined it until now. We had a youth center for organized after school activities for three days then the elderly had it shut down because dangerous numbers of young people were gathering there. I'm old now, I still hate those old people, and proudly support youth activities and organizations I never had.
G.I. Joe Star Brigade anyone? Those were Hasbro's attempt to make space toys using G.I. Joe branding but it was made from repaints and new toys that had less articulation than most other G.I. Joe toys except for gimmick heavy Ninja Force.
I was inspirated by STARCOMM to be a pilot(sadly I am a visually handicap) and I love spaces because of this show. I do however find the pilots boring other than their magnetic boots. But their ships and cruisers are a different story.... Because the ships and cruisers could stick on each other which make it awesome. I recalled I owned a Star Max but dad wouldn't buy me Starwolf which i really really wanted to form a set as we wasn't very well to do at that time.
I wanted StarCom stuff so bad. I was obsessed with magnets and space stuff. That was only *slightly* turned down to a mere nine from eleven because... well... Challenger...
The toys were too expensive, though. For that same money, I opted for additional LEGO to add to my collection.
have you done a video yet on unlikely or absurd movie / show / toy tie-ins that companies have tried? for instance, how ridiculous / cool would action figures based on "Hereditary", "Law & Order", or "The Office" be? Hipsters will use that Frye meme en masse. I just want a Horatio with sunglasses and a screamin' Roger Daltrey midi file that plays when he puts them on.
I didn't watch the show at all, but I LOVED the toys so much. Combining the Starcom toys with Transformers toys worked remarkably well, since the scale of the 2" figures was pretty close to appropriate, and the cool spring-loaded and magnetic features made for some pretty epic battles in my imagination.
I wonder who (if anyone) owns the Starcom IP now?
The thought that inspired this question basically consisted of two words '3D Printers'.
I was thinking that if the IP was in limbo then it might be up for grabs for fans to snatch it up and go wild with recreating the original toys with a combination of 3D printing and group purchases of specialized parts (like the windup assemblies) and creating new toys as the original story line is further fleshed out and expanded such as parts/platforms that can be connected together to create unique complex bases.
A different approach to inspire more S.T.E.M.-like thinking could add networks of sensors/microcontrollers to the bases to watch out for attackers in the form of modified vehicle designs that are basically programmable robots.
WTF would 55 👎EO 👎LE even... smh...
I have 6 of these lil dudes on my fridge, 0
vehicles, 0 visors.
My family didn't have a lot of money in the 80s but I had lots of Starcom and Silverhawks....wait a minute, were my parents just shopping for me in the clearance aisles? Lol
I remember the first starcom figure I owned,
Sargent Victor Rivera, I was about 8 and didn't even need to Google the name 32 years later.
I thought thier uniforms looked bad ass and the back packs with the hose and laser cannons were awesome.
One of my favorite ships was the F1400 star wolf.
When I was playing I pretended it crash landed on a desert planet in the sand....
The actual sand messed up the motor it never worked properly after....
What I also had which was neat was the pods you could attach together to make a 4 section base.... With med Bay and garage etc.
They were awesome toys....
My absolute favorite toys, replaced by transformers before they became the plastic junk. Starcom was awesome. Ah, the nostalgia.
Star com was the shit!!! One of my favorite animated series and toy line as a young lad of 80s. They certainly don't make them like they use too. Thanks for sharing. Have a very Geek ish day.🤓👽🖖🛸🚀
Loved these toys, had no idea there was a cartoon. As with Captain Power, MASK, GI Joe and everything else I got the bad guy stuff and my brother got the good guy stuff. Worked out fine for me, black is way cooler😎
I loved hanging these figures from the railing in my grandparents E Baltimore rowhome. Several times I recall forgetting one in an odd spot, sticking at an angle, poking out near the awful brown/black carpet. After weeks, I'd come back to find it still there. Perhaps knocked a bit to a new angle from a blind vacuum hit. Great stuff.
"Magnetic feet-ure on the tiny figures' boots." Nothing against NASA, but if the figure was magnetized to the outside of _Red Dwarf,_ it would have sold like a sonic screwdriver does for _Dr. Who_ fans.
I had the Starwolf and RAT... omg i played with those into my teens. you know the Starwolf was the inspiration for the Starfleet Runnabouts used on DS9, compare the two, you an see it in their designs, they both even have a swappable cargo payload area. even long after all of the starwolf's guns fell off, and the RAT's switches would no longer keep itself closed up, i still loved the microscopic attention to detail, the tiny computer panels, the pure feasibility of it, they really gave me such a great inkling that some people DO CARE about kid's and our/their perceptions, i remember feeling like kids did matter if they were going to make toys this well. so awesome.
Re-watching older episodes and I just want to say that I put magnets on the feet of many of my figures because this toy line inspired my young mind. MAGNETS!
“…and created in association with NASA. Why isn’t this one of the most popular toy lines that ever existed?” - You realize you just answered your own question, right?
Loved StarCom toys as a kid, when I came across a couple a few years back. They still worked, not greatly, but still. Now I don't know where they are. I think my cousin's kid grabbed them and they are in a box will all of his toys...
What about AirRaiders? Their figures were the same size but less articulated and more like sci-fi green army men, more function than personality. I didn't have much of either, so played well all together...
I had a few of these! quite fun but definitely loos-able. speaking of more obscure lines, do you remember Eagle Force? early 80's die-cast figures. commercials alone are worth a watch!
I bought one of these fighter ships with 1 figure out of the box at a store. It was not in the box and had a missing laser gun and my mom bought me it. It was one of my favorite toys. It was a black triangle haped fighter and maye have been a bad guy. All I know is I pretended he was on the moon or in space walking on metal doors and things.
I was a StarCom fan and it inspired my career. I'm wearing magnetic boots in my transforming Lazy-Boy recliner watching from Deimos base orbiting Mars right now as I fight space whales and study terrorists...wait a minute...