80s Kid Pins and Buttons
Description: Popples were plush toys manufactured between 1986 and 1988. Each toy had a pouch on the back that could be inverted, so the character rolled into the pouch and resembled a brightly colored ball. Popples resembled colorful animals with long, pompom-tipped tails. The name "Popple" is a reference to the popping sound they make when unfolding themselves from such a ball, or pulling objects from their pouches. In the cartoon series of the same name, Popples commonly pulled large items from their pouches that could not possibly fit inside. In the "Popples Alley" episode, one of the Popples' human friends looks inside one of their pouches and sees numerous objects floating in a large void.
Description: Jolt Cola was a carbonated soft drink originally made by The Jolt Company of Rochester, New York. From the outset, Jolt’s marketing strategy centered on the caffeine content, billing the drink as a means to promote wakefulness, including a slogan of “All the sugar and twice the caffeine.” The highly caffeinated beverage was targeted towards students and young professionals, stressing its use as a stimulant in a similar manner as energy drinks. Jolt Cola is featured in the 1995 movie ‘Hackers’ as the hosts of a pirate television broadcast claim to be sponsored by the beverage and advertise Jolt Cola as “the soft drink of the elite hacker.”
Description: The Great Space Coaster was a live action children's television show that was broadcast in first-run syndication from 1981 to 1986. The show was about three young singers who are brought to a habitable asteroid in space called Coasterville by a clown named Baxter who pilots the "space coaster," a roller coaster-like spaceship. The asteroid is populated by strange-looking, wise-cracking puppet characters such as Goriddle Gorilla, Knock Knock the Woodpecker, Edison the Elephant, and Gary Gnu (host of "The Gary Gnu Show"). Baxter is forever on the run from M.T. Promises, a nefarious ringmaster who plans to re-capture Baxter and return him to the circus he worked at before he escaped. Each episode ended with a different life lesson.
Description: Jolt Cola was a carbonated beverage initially produced by The Jolt Company, based in Rochester, New York. From its inception, the marketing approach for Jolt emphasized its high caffeine content, promoting the drink as a means to enhance alertness, encapsulated in the slogan “All the sugar and twice the caffeine.” This highly caffeinated drink was aimed at students and young professionals, highlighting its role as a stimulant akin to energy drinks. Jolt Cola made an appearance in the 1995 film ‘Hackers,’ where the hosts of a pirate television broadcast claimed sponsorship by the drink, promoting it as “the soft drink of the elite hacker.”
Description: Five Alive was a line of fruit juice blends created in the late '70s, so if you're an '80s kid, you undoubtedly consumed some at one point. Both the name and the five colors of the logo referred to the five fruit juices each variety contains. Marketing for Five Alive featured the slant rhyme catchphrase “get a taste for life”. Starting in 1981, Five Alive was released in traditional juice box cartons alongside the 12 and 16 oz. cans of frozen concentrate. By the '90s, Five Alive was no longer available in the U.S. market and not long after that it had disappeared from international markets as well.
Description: Herself the Elf was an early '80s line of mother nature themed dolls that included not only Herself the Elf, but also Snowdrop, Meadow Morn, Willow Song, and Wood Pink. They all had their own magical powers and magic wands with which to use their powers, which were unique to each respective elf. In addition to the dolls and their three playsets (a house, a shower, and a vanity), a number of books, records, and even a cartoon was developed. The backstory was as follows: "Herself the Elf lives in a magical land tucked in a forest where tall trees stand. It's where birds and bees live happy as can be, with all kinds of animals great and small... 'cause Herself the Elf takes care of them all."
Description: Soundwave is a prominent Decepticon, functioning as the group's highly loyal communications officer and chief spymaster. His most iconic alternate mode is a microcassette recorder, from which form he commands a loyal legion of sidekicks disguised as cassette tapes, including Ravage and Laserbeak, who deploy from his chest. Soundwave is one of Megatron's most reliable troops, and he has positioned himself comfortably and irreplaceably in the Decepticon upper command structure. Though 'only' Communications Officer, Soundwave stands at Megatron's side as a confidant, comparable in rank to Starscream and Shockwave, but unlike them, entirely loyal to his leader.
Description: The Great Space Coaster was a live action children's television show that was broadcast in first-run syndication from 1981 to 1986. The show was about three young singers who are brought to a habitable asteroid in space called Coasterville by a clown named Baxter who pilots the "space coaster," a roller coaster-like spaceship. The asteroid is populated by strange-looking, wise-cracking puppet characters such as Goriddle Gorilla, Knock Knock the Woodpecker, Edison the Elephant, and Gary Gnu (host of "The Gary Gnu Show"). Baxter is forever on the run from M.T. Promises, a nefarious ringmaster who plans to re-capture Baxter and return him to the circus he worked at before he escaped. Each episode ended with a different life lesson.
Description: Kidd Video (originally in development as Hot Rocks) is an American Saturday morning live action/cartoon that originally ran from 1984 to 1985. In the show, four teenage band members are taken into a strange dimension called "The Flipside" and become cartoon characters, forced to fight the Master Blaster and his gang, the Copy Cats. The show featured then-current music videos from various artists, making it a music video show within the show.
Description: Chaotic magic, questionable aim, and plenty of style. For 80s and 90s nostalgics raised on misfired spells, clumsy heroes, and cartoons that ran on fun, not logic. If you’ve ever laughed more at the fail than the win, this design gets you. Because the best characters are rarely the perfect ones.
Description: Dana Michelle Plato (November 7, 1964 – May 8, 1999) was an American actress. An influential "teen idol" of the late 1970s and early 1980s, Plato was recognized for her television work. She was raised in San Fernando Valley and was an accomplished figure skater before acting, having trained for the Olympic Games.
