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MEMORIES:
Stratoman remembers...One of the very best rainy day or cold weather activities. You could use them alone or in groups. Great ... More »
Posted on 03/07/09
PHOTOS:
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"They stick like magic!"
Well, truth be told, they stick like plastic. But, as plastic goes, when cut thin and flimsy and shaped like anything from a geometric equation to a sitcom star, it might even be cooler than magic.
In the middle of the twentieth century, the toy market welcomed a new and unheralded member to its ranks. Easy, educational, and entertaining, Colorforms (both a company and the product) was manna for those lacking artistic talent but drawn to the savors of composition nonetheless. Instead of suffering under the torment of broken, waxy crayons, Colorforms put plastic safely and cheaply into the hands of kids. Colorforms were bright, shiny, wafer-thin plastic decals that stuck to and peeled off of the accompanying playboard with equal ease. Parents praised it for its low price, low maintenance, and low risk (appropriate for ages three and up) while kids embraced it for its high fun.
In its initial release, Colorforms went with very simple themes such as basic shapes, or letters and numbers. Not unlike refrigerator magnets, kids could spend time learning simple math or improving their knowledge of the alphabet under the guise of playing. Change came in during the next decade when the ever-pleasant Miss Weather Colorforms blew into stores in 1965. What took humanity millions of years, Colorforms did in under twenty when it evolved into humans. Prepared with the very best press-on fashion, Miss Weather Colorforms could handle any climate, including the popular one that followed.
What began with the friendly but unfamiliar Miss Weather quickly translated into fashionable and famous marketing tie-ins. Popeye, Sleeping Beauty, and many others made their way from T.V., comics, and cartoons into the Colorforms world. Colorforms issued new playboards that featured empty bedrooms or expansive landscapes just waiting to be enhanced with sticky plastic decals. Not only could kids dress the characters but they could now set the stage. As time moved through the 1970s and 80s, the stream of characters made into Colorforms became a flood of whole casts. Virtually every popular T.V. show aimed at kids found itself living the Colorform dream. Colorforms threw open the doors to movies (such as The Wizard of Oz) and superheroes (The Green Hornet). Even the legendary rock band KISS delighted kids, collectors, and groupies alike by settling into the Colorforms neighborhood.
All this fun with no fuss in the form of a simple piece of plastic. Scholars will argue what to kids is obvious… it must be magic.
