90s - 5/19 - Retroland

Combat Boots

From necessary battlefield footwear, to part of an oft-repeated childhood taunt, to rugged fashion statement, combat boots have certainly left their footprints on society. Boys and girls alike have embraced the formidable footwear over the years to make a variety of statements about themselves and each other.

Creepy Crawlers

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Many boys harbor a fondness for bugs. Not only are they fun to play with, but there is also the realization of the sadistic havoc you can wreak with them. Every family member had a target on their back and if you played your cards right, you could evoke a scream of blood-curdling fear with just the right placement. Of course, like all of God’s creatures, the little critters wanted nothing more than to escape your clutches and, therefore, weren’t the most cooperative accomplices. If only someone could invent a bug that didn’t run away. Even better, if only you could manufacture an endless supply of inanimate insects all for yourself, imagine the terror you could induce. Mattel Toys, always plugged in to the secret desires of youth, came through by offering your very own bug factory. You know them as Creepy Crawlers.

Crystal Pepsi

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Competition has always been the name of the game in the cola beverage industry, with the two giants, Coke and Pepsi consistently trying to capture more of the other's market with new and innovative soft drinks. It's a risky endeavor to be sure, a primary example being the highly-touted New Coke, which fizzled quickly and became an embarrassment for the company. And on the other side of the aisle, the competition will always be remembered for the grandiose introduction, yet short history, of Crystal Pepsi.

Dairy Queen

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To survive in the ice cream business for over 70 years with only one flavor is a pretty monumental feat. But from 1940 to the present, Dairy Queen has been milking their vanilla soft-serve delicacy for all its worth, creating a variety of frozen treats sure to sooth on a hot summer day. And perhaps their most successful concoction is the Blizzard, a sublime blend of soft-serve and candy/cookie chunks that is sure to satiate any sweet tooth. Let's take a look back.

Disneyland

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It’s hard to imagine a world without a Disneyland. Disneyland is an American icon – no, a global icon – that has set the standard for family fun for over half a century. More than a place, it is a symbol of childhood dreams, of timeless wonder, and of the power of fantasy. But once upon a time Disneyland itself was a mere dream that would take years of planning to become a reality.

Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead

Donkey Kong

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Even when apes are angry and throwing things at you, they still retain a certain adorable charm which is why the big gorilla on a rampage in Manhattan is actually the tragic hero of 1933's King Kong. Nintendo might have gambled on simian appeal but could not have foreseen the lasting popularity their Donkey Kong character would have for decades to come. The game, released in 1981, would spawn countless sequels, spin-off and imitators - and even launched the career of Donkey Kong's nemesis, Jumpman.

Double Dare

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Nickelodeon brought green slime to the forefront of television with its 1986 program, Double Dare. A combination of quiz show and obstacle course, the kid’s network made sure to provide plenty of slime, jelly, syrup, and other forms of goo. Host Marc Summers started things off by having the two competing teams, decked out in [...]

DuckTales

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"Life is like a hurricane, here in Duckburg…" "Race cars, lasers, aeroplanes, it's a duck blur, You might solve a mystery, or rewrite history, DuckTales, woo-oo!" (Oh, come on, you know the words!) With its ‘tales of derring-do, bad and good luck tales’ (A-woo-ooh!), DuckTales made its foray into daily syndication in the fall of [...]

Dynamite

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If you were a kid of the 70s and 80s, there’s a pretty good chance that you remember Dynamite magazine. One of the most popular kids-oriented publications of the era, Dynamite was where you learned about your favorite celebrities and teen idols, played games and puzzles, and got some really cool stuff, like a 3D King Kong poster (glasses included). Published from 1974-1992, and distributed by schoolteachers through Scholastic Press, Dynamite was a magazine that most every kid wanted to check out for at least a few minutes, and if you didn’t order your very own issue, you tried to borrow (or steal) a friend's copy.