Retroland - You Are What You Were. Celebrate Retro Pop Culture At Retroland.

Sea Monkeys

For the child seized by the creative spirit, when construction toys like Legos were simply not enough, Sea Monkeys satisfied a tyke’s urge to meddle in the realm of biology. Aided by an intensive ad campaign appearing in every comic book in the 1960s and 70s, Sea Monkeys sparked the imagination and intrigued the junior (mad) scientists of America.

The NeverEnding Story

Intellivision

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The video game console wars of the early 80s were reminiscent of the video format wars a few years earlier, where VHS won the popularity contest hands-down, yet Betamax still boasted a better quality. In this arena, the Atari 2600 played the role of the VHS tape and underdog challenger was Mattel’s Intellivision, a fine little video game system that never quite captured the same spotlight, but will forever be remembered by many from that era as the superior system.

ALF

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For all of the 80s shows mentioned on Retroland, perhaps one of the most fondly-remembered is ALF. Debuting in 1986 and airing for four seasons, ALF was an instant hit, as viewers couldn't help but fall in love with the furry orange alien, always funny and always armed with a wisecrack at the ready. Today, we take a look back at this beloved sitcom.

Schoolhouse Rock

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When it comes to scholastic studies, most kids loathe having to memorize things. When it comes to song lyrics, however, most kids can master them after only hearing the words a handful of times. With this in mind, Schoolhouse Rock debuted in 1972, catching children off-guard with their infectious little tunes that taught important lessons about history, science and grammar - without most kids ever realizing what was going on. How well did it work? Well, decades later, many of us can still remember the lyrics to some of our favorite Schoolhouse Rock segments as if it were yesterday. Let’s take a look back at these perpetually-popular educational shorts.

Tonka Trucks

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Let's face it: There are few ways to demonstrate the invincibility of a toy that are as convincing as having an elephant stand on it. And, as viewers of the highly successful 1974 commercial could readily attest, the imagery merely re-enforced a fact that every boy in America already knew; Tonka Trucks are virtually indestructible. This reputation of durability has made Tonka easily the most recognizable name in toy trucks for over 5 decades. Let’s take a look back.

Blazing Saddles

Extinct Fast Foods

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There is some apparent law in the universe that states that, if you grow attached to a quirky fast food item, it will someday just disappear without warning, without fanfare of any sort. Just gone. You unexpectedly pull into the drive-thru and your eyes scan the menu, from top to bottom, frantically searching for that one item that got you out of the house in the first place. Thinking there must be some mistake, you make inquiries with the helpful voice from the speaker, only to hear those maddening words – “nah, we don’t make those anymore.” Thoroughly dejected, often in state of shock, you order some crap sandwich in its place and curse the higher-ups for taking away something dear to your heart, or at least your stomach. Yes, today we are talking about extinct fast food items.

Dukes of Hazzard

My Bodyguard

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The pressures of grade school are traumatic enough for most kids. Throw a bully into the mix, however, and they become far more complicated. Such were the tribulations of a boy named Clifford in the cult-classic film from 1980, My Bodyguard.