David Murphy - Totally the 80's

Why Swatch Watches Were the Wrist Candy Every Kid Wanted

Before phones took over our pockets and our attention, your wrist could do a lot of talking. If you grew up anywhere near the 1980s or 1990s, you probably remember…

Pop Culture Action Figures Saturday Morning Cartoons Toys and Games

G.I. Joe Toys and the Real American Hero Craze

Before Cobra was a household name, a 3.75-inch soldier could turn a patch of backyard dirt into a full-blown battlefield. G.I. Joe toys did not ask kids to sit still.…

Pop Culture Toys and Games Trends

Strawberry Shortcake Dolls and the Scents We Remember

One whiff of strawberry scented plastic can send an 80s kid straight back to a bedroom floor covered in toys, coloring books, and tiny plastic shoes. Strawberry Shortcake dolls weren't…

Fraggle Rock: The Puppet World We Could Visit Daily

Pop Culture Cult Classics Saturday Morning Cartoons TV Shows

Fraggle Rock was The Puppet World We Could Visit Daily

You didn't merely watch Fraggle Rock. You dropped in. One minute you were on the living-room carpet, probably with a bowl of cereal nearby, and the next you were headed…

An old television glows with a cartoon warrior scene inside a cozy retro room.

Pop Culture Animated TV Shows

ThunderCats Cartoon and the After-School Rush

You knew the feeling. The school bus had barely disappeared, your backpack hit the floor, and the TV was already warming up in the den. The ThunderCats cartoon was more…

A packet of colorful popping candy next to a fizzing glass bottle of cola on a table.

Pop Culture Discontinued Treats Food Trends

Pop Rocks Myth and The Schoolyard Soda Scare

A tiny packet of popping candy could turn your whole mouth into a fireworks show. That was the magic of Pop Rocks, and for 80s kids, it came with one…

A gray Nintendo Power Glove on a dark table next to an NES and a glowing CRT television.

Pop Culture Toys and Games Video Games

Nintendo Power Glove and Why the Future Failed in 1989

The future arrived in 1989 wearing gray plastic, a black keypad, and enough attitude to make every kid feel like they belonged in a sci-fi movie. The Nintendo Power Glove…

A colorful plastic Skip-It toy on asphalt during golden afternoon recess.

Pop Culture Fads Toys and Games

Why the Skip-It Toy Took Over Recess

One plastic hoop, one swinging ball, one badly timed jump, and suddenly the whole playground had an audience. The Skip-It toy looked almost too simple to become a sensation, yet…

Pop Culture Action Figures Fads Toys and Games Trends

M.U.S.C.L.E. Figures: Tiny Wrestlers, Huge 80s Fun

They fit in your palm, vanished under the couch, and somehow became the most important professional wrestling athletes in your bedroom. M.U.S.C.L.E. figures were small, pink, weird, and ready to…

Pop Culture Cult Classics Movies

The Goonies Treasure Hunt We All Wanted to Join

Every kid who watched The Goonies had the same thought by the time Mikey Walsh unrolled that battered pirate map: "Okay, where do I sign up?" Brought to life by…