90s - 5/19 - Retroland

Violet Crumble

When you think of Australian foods that have made an impact in the States, your list might be limited to Foster's Beer, shrimps on the barbie, and perhaps a strange concoction known as Vegamite. Less easy to remember, but equally worthy of mention, is a tasty candy bar that emerged in the 80s called Violet Crumble. A unique confection sold in a shiny purple wrapper, the candy bar might not have given Snickers a run for their money, but they remain fondly remembered by many for being different, and delicious.

Hey Arnold!

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Life is hard enough when you are ten-year-old boy, even harder when you are forced to live with your grandparents, and inconceivable when you have a head shaped like a football. Such were the tribulations of Arnold, an orphaned fourth grader and star of the long running Nickelodeon animated series, Hey Arnold!

Underoos

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After eons of wearing simple white undergarments, something magical occurred in 1978 that would forever transform an underwear-wearing kid into a hero among mere mortals. Soon, herds of kids that wouldn’t have been caught dead displaying their skivvies in public were proudly displaying them for all to see. From under-dressed tot to Aquaman in a single bound, kids were transported into a wonderfully fun world of make-believe, thanks to a little fashion innovation lovingly known as Underoos. Let's take a look back at perhaps the most fondly remembered underwear of all time.

Micro Machines

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They say that good things come in small packages, and in the world of Toys, perhaps none have ever been smaller than Micro Machines – those tiny vehicles that made Matchbox cars look like a giant movie prop by comparison. And in the eyes of kids throughout the 90s, Micro Machines were must-have toys, beloved by car collectors, young and old alike.

The Lion King

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If there were any lingering questions about Disney's animated comeback in the 90s, The Lion King answered them all. Released in 1994, after a string of hits that included The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, the story of a young cub and his ascent to become ruler of Pride Rock surpassed them all. Bolstered by an all-star voice cast (James Earl Jones, Matthew Broderick, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Jeremy Irons, Whoopi Goldberg and too many others to mention) and by a multi-platinum album's worth of hit songs by Elton John and Tim Rice, Simba and company went on to become one of the highest-grossing films of all time.

The Littles

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Created by author John Peterson, The Littles were a series of popular children’s novels written in the late 60s and featured a family of tiny intelligent creatures that were part-human and part-rodent (evidenced by their long tails and mouse-like ears). In 1983, they emerged from the books to star in their very own Saturday morning cartoon series on ABC called, you guessed it, The Littles.

Jelly Belly

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Jelly beans are not a new confection by any means. In fact, versions of the kidney_shaped candy with the hard shell and gooey interior have a history that dates back to the Civil War era. For those who like variety, however, the traditional version never offered much more than a handful of generic, artificial flavors. That is, until the arrival of the Jelly Belly. From that day forth, seemingly every flavor under the sun became available in jelly bean form, thereby converting millions of candy fans into jelly bean connoisseurs.

Reading Rainbow

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For slightly over two decades, millions of children were encouraged to develop a love of literature, thanks to the innovative and critically-acclaimed PBS series, Reading Rainbow. For its efforts, the show garnered over 200 awards during its run and is still fondly remembered by many a former kid who spent hours in front of the television, enthralled by one good book after another.

Cereal Box Archive

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Through half-opened eyes and a cloud of sleep-deprived fog, we stared at them intently every morning while shoveled their contents into our mouth. That box of breakfast cereal greeted and enthralled us each day. And yet, take a walk down the cereal aisle today and only a handful of favorites from yesteryear remain – and most of those are barely recognizable. Wouldn’t it be nice if you had a place to go, where you could revisit the glory days of breakfast cereal boxes?

Star Trek: The Next Generation

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Surprisingly enough, the original Star Trek television series wasn’t all that popular when it first debuted in the 60s. But in the decades that followed, it achieved a cult-like status that few shows have ever equaled. For the most rabid of fans, annual conventions and fan-written books just didn’t satiate their thirst; they simply demanded some new Trek on TV. They finally got their wish in 1987, with the debut of Star Trek: The Next Generation. As an added bonus, original creator Gene Roddenberry returned to the helm, serving as executive producer.