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Published by Shinseisha, Gamest was a Japanese video game magazine that specialized in covering arcade games. The first issue hit newsstands in May 1986, and was originally bi-monthly, becoming a monthly publication in the late '80s. The magazine had a heavy-focus on shoot 'em up arcade games, but would also cover games from other genres. An annual feature of the magazine was their 'Gamest Awards,' which awarded to games based on reader votes. Gamest originated from the bi-monthly fanzine VG2 Newsletter from the early '80s. The magazine ran for several years, with its final issue being released in September 1999. Following the bankruptcy of publisher Shinseisha, many editors would move to ASCII and create a successor, Monthly Arcadia.

Established in Santa Barbara, California in 1979, Nomura Racing was a bicycle shop and BMX racing team that pioneered a data and material-driven approach to bicycle frame design and fabrication. Wade Nomura's unique perspective on BMX racing quickly garnered attention, both for the lightweight design of Nomura frames, and also through the numerous titles won the Nomura Racing Team took home. The very first 20" Nomura Racing frame sold on June 10th 1980, and the final one was made in December 1984 after Nomura suffered a racing injury and discontinued BMX racing and fabricating frames. Nomura Racing's hand made, small batch BMX frames have become highly sought after by collectors all over the world decades later.

King Kobra was a hard rock group founded in 1983, releasing three LPs in the mid- to late '80s that ran the gamut from heavy metal to AOR. They disbanded in 1989 but reconvened in 2010 with a retooled lineup and issued two more full-length albums, King Kobra, and King Kobra II, before disbanding a second time.

Located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California, the Dudley Do-Right Emporium was a small, eccentric gift shop named after the fictional Canadian Mountie, Dudley Do-Right, The emporium was founded and run by Jay Ward, creator of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show (1959–73). The gift shop was located at 8200 Sunset Boulevard, a few yards from the former Jay Ward Productions office at 8218 Sunset Blvd., the tiny studio building where the cartoons were produced. The Dudley Do-Right Emporium opened in 1971, and after a 34-year run, closed its doors in April 2005.

People love a good eclipse, but what is arguably the most famous eclipse in history is from a beloved '80s movie when a kid on his BMX bike takes flight with his extraterrestrial pal and crossed in front of the full moon.

Killer shark movies got their start back in the '50s, and ended up being a film genre all their own that continues to be explored to this very day. From the absurd and ridiculous to the serious and realistic, there is no shortage of shark movies, over 180 of them, including the Japanese dubbed sequel, Monsutākirāsame 2 from 1978.

The Danse Society was a goth rock band formed in Barnsley, England in 1980 from the remnants of local post-punk bands Y? and Lips-X. Operating in a raw, atmospheric realm that is less campy than many of their goth peers, The Danse Society's general lack of concern with charts and commercial appeal was part of their charm. Between 1980 and 1982 the band released a handful of singles and EPs, and the debut album “Seduction” on their own label. The band topped the indie charts with the single “Somewhere,” and the success of “Seduction” resulted in a major label deal in 1983, followed by a sold out tour. The Danse Society released two more singles and the album “Looking Through” before breaking up in 1986.

The late '60s saw the birth of organized long distance desert racing, with the granddaddy of them all being the big 1000 event that started in 1967, with everything from trucks, dirt bikes, and buggies all competing at once. The course has remained relatively the same over the years, with about every other event being either a point-to-point race from Ensenada to La Paz or a loop race starting and finishing in Ensenada. Air-cooled buggies were one of the easiest ways for aspiring racers to get in on the action, and in 1971, Rapid Cool made it even easier with their line of oil and transmission coolers designed to keep air-cooled engines and their mated transmissions cool during the extremes of desert racing.

Tony's Express Inc. was founded in 1954 by Tony Raluy in Fontana, California. The company was family-owned for almost 70 years, but was sold in 2023. At the time they were sold, Tony's had 200 employees, 87 drivers, and a dozen owner-operator line haul drivers. The following year, the fortunes of Tony's Express took a turn as they suddenly found themselves insolvent, ultimately resulting in the troubled firm shutting down for good.

Eliminators is a low budget 1986 science fiction action film about a pilot who crashes and nearly dies, leading to a mad scientist turning him in a 'mandroid' time travel test pilot. Mandroid goes on the run, and meets a scientist, a riverboat guide, and a ninja. They band together to stop the mad scientist from traveling back in time and taking over the world. The whole thing is pretty bonkers, and while it's not that good, even as a B-movie, it actually did ok at the box office. In recent years, Eliminators has become a cult classic by cinephiles and VHS collectors alike, and is often screened at B-movie festivals and events.

Lasonic Electronics Corporation started out in 1978 designing portable audio devices, primarily what would become known as boomboxes, and had them manufactured by Yung Fu Electrical Appliances, which is based in Tainan City, Taiwan. After years of making some of the most popular boomboxes available, in 1985, Lasonic released what is arguably their crowing achievement — the flagship TRC-931. With a black case and colorful graphics accented by just the right amount of chrome, the TRC-931 could be seen everywhere from movies and music videos to skate parks and breakdancing sessions. Decades later, original TRC-931 boomboxes are considered the holy grail by many collectors and rarely change hands once they've been acquired.

The National Recovery Administration was part of a myriad of agencies formed under President Roosevelt's New Deal initiative, this one designed to help America recover from the Great Depression. Founded in 1933 to stimulate industrial recovery, The National Recovery's mission was to limit competition and halt the spiraling pattern of wage reduction and price falls, while maintaining the integrity of the free market. The administration requested the input of businesses, labor, and consumers in drafting new guidelines for working hours, minimum wages, and production norms. Registered businesses were allowed to exhibit a blue eagle emblem, and customers were encouraged to patronize establishments where this symbol was displayed. 

Rising (also known as Rainbow Rising) is the second studio album by the British-American heavy metal band Rainbow that was released on May 17, 1976. Rising captured Rainbow at the peak of their creative powers, chronicling the band's neoclassical metal compositions at their most ambitious, and their growing fixation with fantasy lyrical themes. The record is largely considered a masterpiece of heavy rock and is consistently included among the greatest heavy metal albums of all time.

Founded as Charles Auto Supply in 1934, Charles would go on to open a dozen locations throughout the greater Washington Metro area, subsequently changing their name to Charles Auto Supply Stores. The retailer's initial offerings were basic repair parts and supplies, but by the time the boys began coming home from WWII and began hot rodding their cars, the Charles stores began adding speed parts and go fast goodies. By the late '70s, dedicated speed shops and national auto parts supply stores were putting the squeeze on Charles Auto Supply Stores, and they struggled throughout the '80s before closing up shop some time in the '90s.

Based on the radio drama Challenge of the Yukon, Sergeant Preston of the Yukon was a half-hour American action adventure TV series. Broadcasted in color on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. from September 29, 1955, to September 25, 1958, the show ran for 78 episodes over three seasons. The show followed Sergeant Preston of the North-West Mounted Police, who patrolled the Yukon Territory in search of renegades and outlaws, during the time of the Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890s. Preston was assisted by his Alaskan Malamute, Yukon King, who had been raised by wolves. At the end of each episode, Preston would turn to his dog and say, "Well, King, this case is closed."

Before there was Torker BMX, there was a small family-owned and operated a company called Texon, run out of a garage in Anaheim Hills, California. Founded in 1975, the company was set up to design and build BMX racing frames. The following year, the company was renamed Johnson Engineering, and by year-end, it was renamed again, to Torker. The Johnson Engineering name was still attached for many years, most often in ads and on the head tube decals, but would eventually be phased out altogether as Torker BMX became a major player in high end BMX race bikes.

Fanny Farmer was an American candy manufacturer and retailer founded in Rochester, New York, by Canadian politician and businessman, Frank O'Connor in 1919. The company was named "Fanny Farmer" to exploit the exemplary reputation of one of America's foremost culinary experts, Fannie Farmer, who had died four years earlier, had nothing to do with the candy stores. The spelling of the first name was altered simply to avoid confusion. Fanny Farmer grew to over 400 stores before being bought and consolidated in 2004, ending an 85-year run making traditional old time candies and confections.

Released on May 10, 1984, Stay Hungry proved itself to be a staple of '80s glam metal and hard rock that remains a favorite of fans of the genre today.

The Goodwill Games were an international sports competition created in reaction to the political troubles surrounding other international sporting events in the Cold War era 1980s. The Goodwill Games were held every four years (with the exception of the final Games), and had a summer and winter component. The Summer Goodwill Games occurred five times, between 1986 and 2001, while the Winter Goodwill Games occurred only once, in 2000. The first Goodwill Games was held in Moscow in 1986, and featured 182 events and attracted over 3,000 athletes representing 79 countries.

In 1849, French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr wrote “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose,“ which translates to "the more things change, the more they stay the same." Greek pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus once said, “the only constant in life is change.” And in 1981, the Talking Heads said, "same as it ever was." If you think about it, they're all right, and really just saying the same thing, as things are always changing, but still staying the same, as change is constant. Or something.

Space Warrior Baldios (宇宙戦士 バルディオス, Uchū Senshi Barudiosu) is a 1980 Japanese super robot mecha anime TV series. 34 episodes were produced, but only 31 aired before its cancellation. In 1981, a feature film was produced using footage from the unaired episodes as well as newly animated material to properly conclude the series. The plot is based on evil aliens who have polluted their own planet, so they go to take over Earth to make it their new home. Now, an outcast and his super mecha spacecraft try to defend the earth against his own people.

Xero Gas is a fictional petroleum company in the GTA video game series. Xero first appears in GTA IV, though unlike competitors, such as RON, Globe Oil, and Terroil, Xero does not appear to run any gas stations in Liberty, just a refinery in Alderney. GTAV takes us to the state of San Andreas where Xero has stations across the state, though none of these stations have interiors that are accessible in game. Xero also has an industrial building at LSIA, as well as a refinery in Blaine County. Xero is also a major sponsor of motorsports events, and can be found on racing liveries of various vehicles.

Back in the late '50s, hot rodders were increasingly attracted to newer cars making their way into junkyards, or more specifically, the OHV V8 engines they brought with them. An engine that made more power than their flathead V8's, was all too enticing, though the swap wasn't exactly straight forward. Of course, hot rodders were an ingenious bunch, and came up with all kinds of mounting solutions, but none of them were exactly great (or safe). Seeing a need, Hurst came out with their Adjusta-Torque engine conversion mount in 1960, promising a true bolt on solution for OHV engine swaps.

If your cartoons ended with this swirling star closing animation as a kid, you were probably a kid in the '80s and had a rad childhood.

Twin Cobra, known as Kyukyoku Tiger in Japan, is a vertical scroller arcade shooter developed by Toaplan and released for arcades in 1987 as a sequel to the 1985 arcade game Tiger-Heli. Controlling the titular attack helicopter, the players must fight endless waves of military vehicles while avoiding collision with their projectiles and other obstacles. It was the fourth shooter from Toaplan, and their tenth game overall. It was ported to multiple platforms, with each done by different third-party developers that made several changes or additions. Twin Cobra was a success for Toaplan, garnering positive and earning numerous awards. In 1995, the sequel Twin Cobra II was released, though it failed to capture the magic of the original.

Santa Catalina Island, one of eight islands in California’s Channel Island Archipelago, lies southwest of Los Angeles. It's known for its wildlife, dive sites and Mt. Orizaba, its highest peak. The resort town of Two Harbors lies to the north. To the south, in the city of Avalon, palm trees and cabanas line Descanso Beach. Avalon’s circular, art deco Catalina Casino is a cultural center with a movie theater, ballroom, and museum. This souvenir style design is a throwback to that family trip to Catalina Island in the '80s.

If you've seen the '70s cult classic horror film, Driller Killer, then you are no doubt familiar with the fictional punk band, Tony Cola and the Roosters. In the film, unsuccessful New York artist Reno Miller is seen living off the largesse of his gallerist, and unable to break through a creative block. Facing an eviction deadline and a painting due in a week, he's already on the edge of snapping. Complicating things is his new neighbor, Tony Cola, whose band practices incessantly next door, causes Miller to lose his grip on reality. He snaps and embarks on a killing spree with the movie’s eponymous power tool. If you're into punk, Tony Cola and the Roosters isn't too bad, but hearing them incessantly could drive anyone crazy.

Fantastic Planet (French: La Planète sauvage; Czech: Divoká planeta, lit. 'The Wild Planet') is a 1973 French-language experimental independent adult animated science fiction art film. The movie was an international co-production between companies from France and Czechoslovakia. The allegorical story, about humans living on a strange planet dominated by giant humanoid aliens who consider them animals, is based on the 1957 novel Oms en série by French writer Stefan Wul. Fantastic Planet was the first animated movie to be rated PG in the US, and as such, many kids were inadvertently taken to see the film, only to be left with nightmares from some of the more complex topics and related visuals.

Howard Dean began his presidential big at number eight of a dozen potential Democrat contenders in May 2002. In March 2003 he gave a speech critical of party leadership at the California Democratic Convention that attracted the attention of grassroots activists and set the tone of his candidacy. By Fall 2003, Dean had become the front-runner, with an army of supporters known as 'Deaniacs' behind him. Things were looking good for Dean, but at an energetic rally on the evening of January 19, 2004, Dean emitted a shrieking scream that many claim ended his political career. The “Dean Scream,” as it quickly came to be known, was a unique and revealing moment in early-21st century American politics.

Carson Pirie Scott & Co. (CSP) was an American department store founded in 1854, which grew to over 50 locations, primarily in the Midwest. The chain began in 1854 when Samuel Carson and John Thomas Pirie first clerked in Murray's Dry Goods in Peru, Illinois, then opened their own store in LaSalle, followed by one in Amboy. John Edwin Scott ran a dry goods store in Ottawa, Illinois, and later moved up to Chicago as a partner in creating CSP. When Schlesinger & Mayer went bankrupt in 1904, CSP bought their store at 1 South State Street on the corner of East Madison in 1904. The grand building would become CSP's flagship store for 114 years until the CSP closed down in 2018.

SilverHawks is a carton series developed by Rankin/Bass Productions in 1986 as a space-based equivalent of their previous series, Thunder Cats. As with earlier works, the animated series was accompanied by an action figure line as well as a comic book series. The plot finds a bionic space enforcer called Commander Stargazer recruited by the SilverHawks, cybernetic heroes who fight evil. Specifically, they fight Mon*Star, an escaped alien crime boss who transforms into an enormous armor-plated creature with the help of Limbo's Moonstar. Joining Mon*Star in his villainy is an intergalactic mob. The series ran for a single season of 65 episodes, and the comics and toy line didn't come out until the show was in syndication the following year.

Burger World is a fictional fast food restaurant and recurring location in Beavis and Butt-Head. The boys managed to hold part-time jobs there, despite being just awful employees. They routinely wreak havoc as they goof off and fail to perform simple tasks, including taking orders. They have also damaged the drive-thru speaker, rearranged letters on the menu to spell something disgusting or vulgar, fried just about every kind of small creature there is, stolen money from the register, and slowed service so badly that everybody left. Despite all this, the manager has kept them employed. He puts up with their goofing off and never fires them. It's possible that because of the duo's antics, Burger World is a horrible place to work...

Lufkin Foundry & Machine Company was founded in 1902 in Lufkin, Texas as a repair shop and parts supply house for regional sawmills. The company ventured into the petroleum industry and manufactured the first enclosed geared pumping unit, and a counterbalanced crank that improved the pumping unit and made a name for the company worldwide. In 1939, the company bought the Martin Wagon and Trailer Company, established the Lufkin Trailers to manufacture heavy-duty truck trailers. Leveraging their extensive design experience, Lufkin began building the lightest and toughest trailers in the industry, and could barely keep up with demand. In 1970, a new 400 acre trailer plant was built south of Lufkin, allowing production to meet demand.

In saloons of the Old West, you would order whiskey by the width of the bartender's finger. If you asked for two fingers of whiskey, you would get straight, room-temperature spirit poured in an old-fashioned glass to the height of two fingers. In 1976, this digit based measuring method was invoked in naming Two Fingers Tequila, with marketing leaning heavily on the name's double entendre. Ads featured headlines like 'two fingers is all it takes,' accompanied by beautiful women in a pair of tight jeans and a Two Fingers shirt. The ads were a hit, so they began offering the t-shirt as a $6.95 mail order deal. As for the liquor, it apparently wasn't that bad, but also wasn't exactly all that great, but that's what marketing is for, right?

Fastway were an English metal band formed in 1982. They released their self-titled debut in 1983, which was both a critical and commercial success. A second album, All Fired Up, dropped in 1984, but failed to get traction due to the rise of glam. In 1985, the group released Waiting for the Roar, which was more of an album-oriented rock sound, instead of the bluesy-metal of the previous albums. Success was limited, and disappointed many fans, but the same year, Fastway was approached to make the soundtrack for the heavy metal horror film Trick or Treat. The film flopped, but the soundtrack re-established Fastway as a hard-hitting metal band. The soundtrack was a moderate success and stayed on the Top 200 chart for eleven months.

In 1922, two friends formed a partnership to haul sand and gravel during the early Los Angeles boom. They started on credit, buying 15 dump trucks, but soon, the fleet grew to 26 units. In 1929, C&T added tankers to move petroleum. In 1936, they purchased Western which allowed them to move into dry freight, and then in 1956, purchasing Gillette Motor Freight had them changing names to Western Gillette Motor Freight and reaching Chicago and serving 1,400 cities in between. By the ’70s, the company had over 2,000 employees operating out of 52 company terminals in 15 States and a fleet of over 1,000 trucks. In 1976 the company was sold to Roadway, marking the end of Western Gillette, and C&T, as well as their signature 'sunshine service.'