Barbarians! The Fantasy and Sword and Sorcery Toys of the Early 1980s

In this episode of The Little Things, we explore the savage and barbaric toy lines of the dark ages known as the early 1980s. In the 1980s, barbarians and sword wielding muscled warriors were all the rage in cinemas, comics, cartoons, the sides of sweet vans, and the toy aisles. And while the Masters of the Universe was the most successful of these fantasy toylines, they were far from the only Sword and Sorcery lines available. In fact, an entire industry based around imitating and supplementing that product line was a key element to early 80s toy culture. These included retro action figure toy lines such as Blackstar, Sun Man, Warlord, Warrior Beasts, The Other World, Dragon Riders of the Styx, Conan the Barbarian, Galaxy Warriors and Crystar, just to name a few. Journey back with us to the Age of High Adventure and take a nostalgic visit back to your barbaric and savage childhood. And see Baltard again too!
Also check out: Manimals! The Fantasy and Sword and Sorcery Toys of the Mid to Late 1980s
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Thanks to:
Plaid Stallions (Brick Mantooth)
Battle Ram Blog
Little Weirdos
Fantasy Toy Soldiers
2 Warps to Neptune
What'cha Readin? (Rob Greenwood)
Keith Allen (Collectors Guides)
Music: Cold Journey by Alexander Nakarada www.serpentsou...
Music promoted by www.free-stock...
Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
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[@MikkiThaiGuy13]

Early 80's were the best days of my life all my family was alive and transformers, G.I. Joe, and He Man were all there every birthday and christmas..

[@thelittlethings3309]

Some of the great pillars of 1980s toys! Thank you.

[@lonny5841]

Hell yes, I got to be a kid for the entire decade.

[@MaximumWarp2099]

John Buscema’s art on Conan was his best work ever in comics. (Edit) Let me also add that his art was also at its best when being inked by Ernie Chan.

[@thelittlethings3309]

I agree. I still pull out the old Buscema stuff just for a great nostalgic jolt. So many memories looking through that stuff, pretty much before I could even read. Him and Kirby...and Toth. They just look like childhood to me. Thanks for the comment.

[@MaximumWarp2099]

@@thelittlethings3309 The very first comic I ever bought was a Conan comic drawn by Big John. Made me love the character forever.

[@thelittlethings3309]

My Dad bought me some when I was really little, but now I realize he was probably buying them more for himself. I do the same thing with my kids now 😜. I couldn't really even read, but I was fascinated by the pictures and, in my mind, closely associated them with the "similar" shows on TV such as Thundarr. I just kept reading them (and buying them) as I grew up. I became a real fan of the Savage Sword comics line. That was some good times!

[@dannycruz5446]

I'd disagree about Buscema's art looking the best with Chan's inks. Best inks on Buscema are when he inked himself or when Alfredo Alcala inked him.

[@8arrows]

I more of a fan of Armando Gil, and Rudy Nebres.

[@crimsonorc]

Masters of the Universe is an absolute classic toy. The original concept drawing of He Man had him wearing a horned helmet

[@thelittlethings3309]

Yeah. Looked a lot like that Frazetta picture of Conan with the horned helmet. Crimson Orc is a great name! Thanks for watching.

[@drewtitanllc3891]

This is my childhood. I appreciate this.

[@thelittlethings3309]

I hope it brought back some great memories. Thanks!

[@1980sforever]

This has to be the single most epic awesome and fantastic intro to any KZbin vid that I have ever seen and heard. I was a kid in the 1980s and I remember very well the day when I went to the local toystore with my beloved grandmother and got my very first Masters of the universe figur and it was Skeletor. All the way through the 1980s and 1990s the interest in fantasy spawned by Masters of the universe followed me through life and made me play Dungeons and Dragons and read books like Dragonlance and the works of Tolkien and Hp Lovecraft and it spawned my huge love for Heavy Metal,like Iron Maiden,Manowar,Dio and many other bands. Those things combined with my fantastic uncle,who got a betamax and later vhs machine very early in the 1980s and his love for adventure,fantasy and science fiction movies and the Barbarian movies of the 1970s and 1980s,gave me an even bigger love for those kind of films and series. My uncle was also the first person in Denmark to order and buy a Sega master system and that spawned my love for video gaming. Now at nearly 50 years of age,I still have the same unbroken love for all those things and they have made me the person I am today. Seeing the intro to this vid simply made me cry like a little child and made me remember those times back then before the world got screwed up like it is now I dont know why,but the part of the intro that makes me cry the most,is the part and pictures that says, Brushed into the sides of powerful maunts. Absolute love and respekt from me her in Denmark to those who created this video and the music used in it

[@thelittlethings3309]

Thank you!!! This stuff brings back some great memories to me and I wanted to share it with others. I miss a lot of things about those times too, but they will live forever as long as we don't let them die. The heroes are still out there, kicking @$$ behind the scenes and in the shadows, and waiting for a chance to come back and tear it up all over the place! Get that vans rolling! Thanks for the comment buddy and let's not forget about the barbarian warriors who, as Conan once said, "left that for the philosophers to figure out." His job was to hit it with steel. Thanks for watching!

[@henryramirez1166]

Omg thank you I littery was in tears I grew up with this I'm 50 now can't believe time went so fast

[@ashcan6]

I had toys from nearly all these lines as a child. I think a precious few still live deep in the bowels of mom’s garage. I never knew the names of any of them, except a handful of the d+d ones. I would do almost anything to have them all back…miss you guys😢❤

[@thelittlethings3309]

Grab your weapon, gird yourself, and we will free our brethren from the bowels of this garage! Better bring along a few expendable warriors for atmosphere too. Thanks for the comment, and I hope this brought back some good memories.

[@raysullya.k.amassholehead817]

Blackstars light was a flint & lighter gimmick thing....😂

[@thelittlethings3309]

Yup. Just a lighter mechanism without fuel. Laser light my a$$.

[@kendrickcunningham3168]

Conan the barbarian is one of my favorite movies. And you nailed that intro 👍🔥👏

[@thelittlethings3309]

Ha! It was goofy but fun. Thanks!

[@kotvas1]

I remember a cartoon called Thundar the barbarian it was a cool show!

[@slayskool1964]

I had some of these figures. I loved those AD&D Instant Rub-down Picture Transfers when I was little.

[@themadhamster3771]

Any video that features Arco's the other world toys deserves an automatic thumbs up. To this day its still my favorite toy-line of all time.

[@thelittlethings3309]

That toy line was strange but crazy imaginative. I was fascinated with the monsters from it as a kid, as they were just so...different. I don't know how to put this, but they felt like monsters from the arcade days of barbarian and fantasy video games. That Frogacudda guy got matriculated into many days of play with a lot of different toy lines. Thanks for the thumbs-up!

[@johnlumbano3109]

I’m glade I saved a large majority of my collections as a kid. I’m 48 years old 4 daughters later 22 years of marriage and these are the days that where the best times. The music,movies,toy, and clothes where awesome… love my 80’s..

[@thelittlethings3309]

I totally agree. I did not keep a lot of my stuff, and I regret it. The little I did keep is now like treasure to me. But mostly, I like sharing the memories and those things that help jog those memories, especially stuff we forgot about, and gets brought back suddenly upon hearing a song, seeing a commercial, or looking at a toy (or object) from the times. Thanks for watching and I hope this brought back some great memories!

[@ricosuave6898]

"Between the time when the stars were at war and the rise of the sons of Cybertron"... Brilliant writing!

[@thelittlethings3309]

Ha! Thank you. It was my best Bea Arthur impression 😁

[@tacobellalugosi2527]

Wow !! What a way to make a guy feel old . Jeezsh lol. No this was an awesome walk down memory lane I do remember having a lot of these Crystar I did have one got stolen by someone at school in the first grade . But my mom bought me another one a few weeks later but man the 80’s as a kid was an amazing time I will never forget and will keep in my heart . Thank u for this video

[@thelittlethings3309]

Let's go find that kid and teach them a lesson. Number One rule of the schoolyard: you never take another man's Crystar! If not No. 1, then definitely in the top 100 in the 1980s. Or should have been. Thanks for watching and I am glad it brought back some good memories.

[@marcacosta7594]

Your mass research on these was most impressively outstanding. For that alone, I shall subscribe 👍

[@thelittlethings3309]

Welcome aboard! I hope it brought back some good memories.

[@theafroalien3169]

The first 20 seconds had me😄👍🏾. Insightful, creative, and excellently articulated. Captured the zeitgeist and mindset of the children during that time… subscribed Even though it wasn’t a toy , Wizards and Warriors on CBS had my attention during that time too

[@thelittlethings3309]

Thank you! That was exactly what I wanted to do. Showcase a cultural movement and its associated aesthetic, as well as bring back some great memories. Welcome aboard!

[@jamievaughn1485]

I had two of the Dragon riders of the Styx figures and until now had no idea what line they came from. I just loved the green dragon man figure and didn’t care as a kid. Great coverage on such a wonderful time in my youth.

[@thelittlethings3309]

That dragon head guy was pretty neat. He looked a little dopey, but I think I like him more for it. I hope the video brought back some great memories. Thanks for watching!

[@MythonThePython]

So awesome watching this! I’m glad I own this piece of art by you! …and that Bob Ross clip, “Beat the devil outta it!” 😂😂😂

[@davidbranch1077]

I remember these days, the movie's television and toy shelves was overstocked with them. These toys would be sold out days once on the shelves, every boy had and had to have them and my brothers and I was among them. Conan, red Sonya ,Krull and beast master . I too own a Black Star figure, on Saturday morning in 1979-1980 Thundarr the Barbarian cartoon. I also has the Thunder Cats figures, and the nose diver vehicle . I was spoiled as were many in my family up to our adulthood. I'm glad to have come upon this video, as it has brought back memories of my childhood. Time stamped 5:27am ( 3-27-23)👍💙💯

[@thelittlethings3309]

Thanks. I had collected a bunch of pictures of these toys because I liked the way they brought back memories of things (and times) that I did not even know I had forgotten about. It was fun sharing them and seeing the responses. I guess a lot of people have fond memories of these toys too. Thanks for watching and I hope if brought back some great memories!

[@randypeppercorn1865]

"Trobbit" and "Digitino" are gold 😆

[@thelittlethings3309]

It's raining molded plastic gold, baby!

[@manofaction1807]

I want these, again.

[@thelittlethings3309]

Yeah, me too. This stuff was definitely a product of the time. Thanks for watching!

[@seanahmed9079]

How interesting!! I love this kinda stuff. When I was growing up in Bangladesh I used to see the ads for these toys in comics etc and was totally transfixed by them!!

[@thelittlethings3309]

Thanks! My goal is to bring back some good memories.

[@T.R.R.Jolkien]

How do you speak English if you grew up in Bangladesh?

[@albertomorales9493]

Wow what a great video. I am impressed. You are the Toy Master! Thank you for never letting go of the memories..... We were quite lucky growing up in the era of toy collecting! A +++

[@thelittlethings3309]

There was a lot of great toys available back then. A lot of imagination and innovation. I am glad you liked it. Thanks for watching!

[@dankeith6522]

Thank you, for being you. And reminding us we're all little kid nerds. Great channel truly!

[@thelittlethings3309]

No problem! This stuff is not only the stuff we played with, but sort of forms the "background scenery" of many of our youths. We were all heroes, if just for a day. At least we still have Bowie. Thank you for the kind word and encouragement!

[@jesseperry9602]

I had several characters of these lesser toy lines that I used to pick up at a local mom and pop general store my grandparents frequented. They always had a very strange variety of toys. There would be Galaxy Warriors next to Warriors of the Styx and then some Japanese imports. I got my first Veritech fighter toy there and at the time I had no idea there were whole Macross lines in Japan. I just thought I found the only Robotech toy in the world on that day. Ah...to be a kid again

[@thelittlethings3309]

Exactly! Those toy lines were in the strangest, slightly "off", places, giving them an even stranger feel. That, "what the heck am I looking at here" feel. Sometimes there was gems, like Robotech, sometimes there were figures or lines that you would, years later, wonder if you ever really even saw that. Was that real or did I dream it?

[@jesseperry9602]

@The Little Things I got a Great Raiden from Shogun Warriors at a open air flea market that also sold comic books, home furniture and goats and rabbits in the 80's. It was a crazy time! 🤪

[@thelittlethings3309]

I remember going to a place like that where I lived, especially during the summer. Oppressive heat and awesome finds. It's hard to find a place like that now. I had a couple of second-hand Shogun Warriors and played with them with other toy lines for years. I still have the Godzilla Shogun Warrior. Its launching hand had a hair trigger and would shoot off and slam into me all the time. It actually really hurt. My Dad eventually bolted the hand in to increase my chances of making it to adulthood. It was definitely crazy times!

[@williamruffin7605]

This is the MOST EPIC INTRO on KZbin!! 80s kids stand up!!!

[@thelittlethings3309]

Stand up!..and then sit back down because our backs hurt 😜. Ha! Crom has not time for back pain! Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment!

[@robertoacevedo6247]

I was in my late teens when He Man toys came out, I still have some of them I'm 57 now, I also had Remco AWA wrestlers wich I still have 2 sets of the Road Warriors , I had 2 diferent Conan, Warlord, Arak, Hercules and Maciste also from Remco.

[@thelittlethings3309]

Remco actually made some great stuff back then. It was just so cold there in Mattel's (and Hasbro's, Kenner's, LJN's, etc.) shadow. Sounds like you had some of the best. Pour some out tonight for Remco 😢. Thanks for watching and I hope it brought back some great memories!

[@nealwestmoreland8576]

What a great retrospective.Thanks for making this.

[@thelittlethings3309]

Glad you liked it. Thanks for watching!

[@murmanpoet]

Great video. I loved your introduction. Thanks!

[@thelittlethings3309]

Thank you! I hope it made you laugh.

[@loki2240]

I missed out on this. He-Man came out when I was in 5th grade, and I had stopped playing with action figures. I still watched the cartoon, but I was all about sports and video games. I didn't go back to action figures until I was in my 20's. 😂 (and it's mainly been with Spider-Man figures).

[@jamescalderon1309]

AWESOME INTRO, Played it back 2xs... great video all around as well. Very informative!!!

[@thelittlethings3309]

So nice you played it twice!? Ha! Thanks for watching!

[@MementoMorituri]

Dang! Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Very comprehensive. I think I've seen most of these.👍

[@thelittlethings3309]

You're welcome. I had a great time making this. Thanks for watching!

[@mlang28]

I love this..definitely remember buying a warlord hercules figure still have it till this

[@thelittlethings3309]

One of the best! Thanks for watching!

[@hanone-fs4yb]

Great video!

[@screwyourfeelings]

Awesome video. Really kicked butt.

[@thelittlethings3309]

Thanks!

[@paulfanning9327]

Excellent video... The Other World by Arco was a great toy line! Thanks.

[@thelittlethings3309]

I like Other World. It was so weird in both design and execution, but a good kind of weird that is just so...well...1980s fantasy. And the glowing weapons were just one of the best things about that toy line. Thanks for watching.

[@domls1317]

It sounds exactly like Mako... jk. But interesting video nonetheless. One of my favorite movies. Good job.

[@thelittlethings3309]

Haha! Thanks! No one can sound like Mako but Mako. I sure miss that guy. I will work on my Mako impression though 😁. Kinda hurts my throat after a while. Thanks for watching!

[@subraxas]

Amazing, AMAZING video/mini-documentary ! ! ! ! ! 👍 ❤ 👍 ❤

[@thelittlethings3309]

Thank you. I am glad you liked it. I hope it brought back some great memories.

[@exoticcarfactsofficialchan7050]

This was a great video 😎👍

[@thelittlethings3309]

Glad you enjoyed it I hope it brought back some great memories. Thanks for watching!

[@michaelj2276]

Sweet Lord. Subscribed. It's like you're *in* my head. 🤯

[@thelittlethings3309]

I'm living there rent free, man! Come on in and pull up a chair. We are reading Conan comics and talking about old times right now. Thanks for subscribing!

[@michaelj2276]

@@thelittlethings3309 Ha! Thank *you* for putting so much time and effort into these videos! They really take me back... 🥰

[@thelittlethings3309]

👍

[@curtisclarkson1652]

I had most of these pass through my hands, thanks for the awesome video

[@thelittlethings3309]

Thanks for watching!

[@user-px7wy4bg7u]

As a kindergartner the gimmicks of motu figures blew my mind back then, the rotating faces of man e faces, the little turning gears inside the transparent body of roboto, the gogogadget neck guy, fisto’ detachable and springy fist, spring legs of ram man, hiss king’ snake body, i was obsessed with them until i moved on to nintendo

[@thelittlethings3309]

Yup. Those folks at Mattel really knew what they were doing. I remember some people complaining about how cheap and badly made Ram Man was back in the day, but I thought he was great, and really liked his springing action. They don't make them like that anymore. Thanks for watching.

[@tonyvillarreal1812]

The Savage sword of Conan was my favorite comic line. The black n white ink work. The scroll like paper. After his story finished. There was an extra tale to be told. Red Sonya, King Kull or Solomon Kane Chuck Dixon was my favorite artist.

[@thelittlethings3309]

Thanks again for the great comment!

[@nathan_the_barbarian7974]

You’ll be happy to know that formo toys is reviving the Galaxy Warriors and the first two Baltard and Magnon are going up for preorder on June 10th 😎

[@papashong4958]

Man I miss my childhood 😢

[@thelittlethings3309]

Good times. I hope it brought back some great memories. Thanks for watching.

[@cyberray1976]

Watching this brought back a flash flood of memories from my youth. Very informative, insightful, and interesting. Thank you so very much for this video.

[@thelittlethings3309]

That's exactly what I was going for. I love that moment when an image hits you, and suddenly you are back in your youth, seeing details and stuff you didn't even know you forgot. Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment!

[@joelfaulder8985]

Subscribing just based on the strength of that intro alone...

[@thelittlethings3309]

Crom does not care for my intro. He laughed at me and tossed me off of his mountain. But I am glad you did. Thanks for subscribing!

[@joelfaulder8985]

@@thelittlethings3309 That was the perfect response. 😄

[@joelfaulder8985]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jWauZHSBoZqkpsU

[@thelittlethings3309]

😎

[@thelittlethings3309]

One of the greatest moments in cinematic history. It swept the Oscars...in a better world.

[@josemontano7767]

Great video I enjoyed it very much

[@thelittlethings3309]

Thanks! I hope it brought back some great memories.

[@Darkworldinc1313]

Feeding the KZbin gods. Nice video man.

[@thelittlethings3309]

Crom laughs at your KZbin gods. Laughs from his mountain. But I live under the KZbin gods. Thanks for watching, I hope it brought back some great memories!

[@mycomicshopcanada]

great video, thanks so much for this! Was trying to do some research on Other World toys. Very comprehensive!

[@thelittlethings3309]

Thank you for watching! The Other World stuff is pretty interesting to me. The look of the toys are so weird but really imaginative. They really deserve a more in-depth review. I hope this helped!

[@Vampiranhador]

Nice one!

[@thelittlethings3309]

Thanks!

[@Heartborne7thSeeker]

I can absolutely second what other users write about this video and it is without any doubt the one video on youtube that has the most awesome and epic opening ever. Just like the guy from Denmark writes,the part that says, Brushed into the sides of powerful mounts,simply makes me cry like a little child and I don't quite know why,but it might have something to do with the way our world is changing into something so bad and far far far worse than it has ever been before and those powerful mounts are disappearing and are being replaced with plastic electric boxes with no soul or personality about them.Those powerful mounts back then was the ultimate symbol of freedom and the right to be a real man without being shamed by the insane and evil woke people.The music used in the opening is also mindblowing and seems to almost come from a distant time of power,freedom and phantasy, Like other people writing about this vid,I am also almost 50 years old now and I still listen to real Heavy Metal,read Dragonlance,Hp Lovecraft,Tolkien and other classic phantasy writers.I still watch the old movies from the 1970's and 1980's and they are so much better than anything made after the year 2015,before the evil that is woke and lgbt,killed everything of quality and good in this world.I still collect ation figures and play video games and I will until the day the grey havens are calling me away.I also drive an Oldsmobile Toronado Super Rocket V8 from 1967 with 740 horsepower and NO one will ever take that car away from me,even if it will be my last fight on this earth.Thank you for bringing tears of pure awe to my eyes.

[@thelittlethings3309]

I hear ya. I still become stunned with awe whenever I hear the Conan the Barbarian theme start up and remember how it felt in those days long past. Glimpses of it can still be seen here and there, and I argue that the main theme from Skyrim has some of the same kick (though it too is getting old now). So jump in that Bad@$$ Oldsmobile, slap on some AC/DC, turn it up loud, and remind them that gods still walk among them! St. George didn't slay the dragon by hugging it. He charged at it while the bards belted "Back in Black" from the city walls ...or so I like to think. Keep up the good work cause we may be down but we are not out! Oh, and thanks for watching.

[@aislemontecristo]

Just found this channel and I'm really liking what I see. Already subscribed. ✌🏻

[@thelittlethings3309]

Welcome aboard! Thank you for subscribing!

[@jimminybunkwhack5706]

I had that green double-headed dragon!

[@thelittlethings3309]

Me too! One of the best! Thanks for watching.

[@MoonGooseMcQueen47804]

I still have the dragon in the right panel at 17:14 on my dresser right now. I had forgotten what toyline he came from. Thanks for the info! 😊

[@thelittlethings3309]

The Daggers, Knights and Dragons dragon! I used to really like that guy. I hope the video brought back some great memories. Thanks for watching.

[@marcussmith4913]

epic... thanks for this.

[@thelittlethings3309]

Thank you for watching!

[@MrLabelasEnoreth]

awesome! thanks for all this knowledge! I was too young to enjoy the masters of the universe toys but I love the sword and sorcery culture.

[@thelittlethings3309]

That time period had a look and feel all to itself. Thank you for watching!

[@vinnieharper]

Great intro😊

[@thelittlethings3309]

Crom saw my plight and decided to help me this once. Thanks for watching!

[@davidbranch1077]

Fantasy World, yes the Family Dollar or Ames special, my brothers had one Herocon and one black and red lordor? These was a choice my mother get them, until I explained to her (master of the universe ) are true figures to have. These cheap Fantasy World figures was just something to shut my brothers up quickly in the Family Dollar toy aisle. Also ,you've chosen great music to support this video. Time stamped 5:37am(3-28-23)💯💙👍 💙💯👍

[@thelittlethings3309]

Thanks. I really got lucky finding the music. I thought it fit great. Yeah, I remember finding the knock-off and supplemental toy lines at some "out of the ordinary" type stores and just sitting and wondering about them and how weird they were. Even when I got some (some by gifts, and some actually by choice) I still was kind of critical of them, but played with them (with the official lines) pretty regularly. But there were lots of moments of stopping, looking at the toy, and thinking "who thought of this weird thing?" Now I find that I really like them for the imagination and style. Thanks for watching and for the comments!

[@paulcoy9060]

21:08 I had/have that! Still have the mat, and most of the figures, except the actual Dragonriders, don't remember seeing them in my version. Lost the castle, which sucks, because it was perfect for D&D scale minis.

[@thelittlethings3309]

Nice! I have a real soft spot for those vintage sword and sorcery playsets from that time period. Check out my video that is dedicated to them. It's called "Siege! The Sword and Sorcery Playsets of the Early 1980s". It might bring back some good memories too. Thanks for watching.

[@unorthdoxcleric6953]

great vid

[@thelittlethings3309]

Thanks! I hope it brought back some great memories.

[@maxheadroom4659]

Great Conan movie parody intro. :)

[@thelittlethings3309]

Thanks! I like the name. Thanks for watching!

[@TabletopJason]

There was so many random fantasy toys in the early 80s, some pretty neat and other kinda eh. I do regret selling a bunch of them on ebay several years ago though.

[@thelittlethings3309]

Yeah. There are a bunch a wish I kept too. The eighties toys did vary highly in quality, but I am amazed at the strangeness and imagination behind a lot of them too. Sometimes you have to say "who the heck designed this and what were they thinking?" They definitely are products of their time. Thanks for watching.

[@randomrickreviewsrrr4662]

Awesome stuff Almost odd I haven't come across your channel before.

[@thelittlethings3309]

We have been hiding in the shadows, just out of site or frame. Sometimes, if you look closely, we have been in the background, just out of focus, the whole time 😁. Just joshing! The channel is pretty new and is a labor of love. Thanks for watching and the comment!

[@randomrickreviewsrrr4662]

@@thelittlethings3309 Like a Bigfoot sighting! lol. I had a lot of those fantasy figures growing up. Cool stuff. Warduke was and is my favorite out of those.

[@thelittlethings3309]

He was definitely one of my favorite too. I just bought the Neca one. I mentioned it in another reply, but I swore I heard AC/DC's Back in Black play as I slowly opened the box and saw him again. I wish I still had the original.

[@randomrickreviewsrrr4662]

@@thelittlethings3309 Yeah saw that neca one was really thinking about getting it. I saw the Original one at a toy show a few months ago in package they were asking $175!!!

[@thelittlethings3309]

What!? $175!? Dirty deeds done NOT cheap. His services were always expensive, but those evil wizards were paying for quality. I guess, if we will ever own another original, we will have to cough up the gold pieces 😒.

[@godofzombi]

Besides Masters of the universe I got Blackstar, Galaxy warriors, Other world and a Griffin by imperial that had surprisingly shrap claws for a plastic toy. I got mots of these at a carnival.

[@thelittlethings3309]

I remember those Imperial Monsters having really sharp features made out of that hard rubber. I would dig into a toy box and it was like something bit me. It was the Gom Jabbar of my youth. I also think it is great you got them at a carnival. I think that is the perfect setting to get those knock-off toys. Thanks for the comment!

[@godofzombi]

@@thelittlethings3309 Gom Jabbar! Nice! Keep those videos coming!

[@thelittlethings3309]

Thanks. I will try to get some more good ones out.

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

I had the purple snake man. My mom worked at K-Mart and got it for me. I wish I still had it. 🙁

[@thelittlethings3309]

You had an "in" at the Big K! I got some from Kmart back in the day too. Wow, that brought back a lot of memories! Used to love going there. Always makes me think of: Shop smart, shop S-Mart! You never know, you might one day find that snake man again. If you love something, set it free...and all that stuff. Thanks for the comment!

[@fosscruz2638]

Excellent work my friend. Growing up a lot of my toys came from second-hand and thrift stores so they rarely had their original packaging. I never realized I had toys from so many different lines.

[@thelittlethings3309]

I was one of those kids that, in general, played with most of my toys together, especially if I could think of a good way to integrate them or they were similar enough. After a while, the lines blurred and there are some toys from other lines that I permanently put in other toy line "boxes". I guess as long as you had fun, it didn't matter. I hope it brought back some good memories, and thanks for the comment!

[@elskeletor3566]

I wish we'd get Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery movies again. I really enjoy those films. I think Alan Ritchson would make a Great Conan The Barbarian.

[@thelittlethings3309]

Me too. Ritchson could make a great Conan, but he would need to do one thing that all Conan actors forget (since Schwarzenegger). Don't talk too much. I know that they had Arnie stay mostly silent for the first film due to his...abilities...with the english language, but it worked! It gave Conan that quiet, brooding intensity that he had in the comics. That, and he has to fight a large monster or beast. I am writing up the contract now. They can freely use it. Now, is bad@$$ one word or two 🤔

[@elskeletor3566]

@@thelittlethings3309 I agree with you

[@markusb.6087]

Solid video. Very informative and entertaining. I especially liked how You did the intro narration based on the intro of the first Conan-movie. Just one thing: IMHO You should have also mentioned the attempts by the toy companies to expand the topic of Sword and Sorcery-Toys to girls back in the day. Namely She-Ra and Golden Girl.

[@thelittlethings3309]

Thank you. That is a really good idea. I had planned to create a video that solely covered all of the "girl" sword and sorcery toys, such as She-Ra and Golden girl, but I still have not had time to do it. I should have at least mentioned it in this video. Thanks for the comment!

[@markusb.6087]

@@thelittlethings3309 time will come...until then you have a new follower...😁

[@BMichaelGalloway]

Your narrative, in homage of the Conan film, was 💯 ❤sublime!! 🤘😎🤘

[@thelittlethings3309]

I had never prayed to Crom before, I had no tongue for it. But I said, "Crom, help me with this intro, or to h3!l with you"! Thanks for watching!

[@gemini_man66]

Awesome vid! Subbed.

[@thelittlethings3309]

Thank you! I hope it brought back some great memories!

[@gemini_man66]

@@thelittlethings3309 Absolutely! Fond memories, indeed. It was an amazing time to be a kid for sure.

[@thelittlethings3309]

Thanks for watching!

[@distantearth]

It's a really fantastic history video and explanation, thank you. And the backing music is perfect. Just a small piece of feedback - injecting sudden, loud, jarring sound effects over the music - such as at 13:44 - really doesn't work and unfortunately becomes annoying. I've noticed it on several videos from this channel. Your historical narrations are really excellent and come across as being well-informed and classy. It's just a shame they are interrupted sometimes by the odd weird voice or dramatic sound effect. Your choice of course, I just thought I'd mention it. Appreciate your work!

[@thelittlethings3309]

OK, fair enough. I will consider that. Thanks for your input and thanks for your compliments too.

[@acemarvel1564]

WE ARE BAR BARIAAAAAAANS

[@thelittlethings3309]

CROM!!

[@vinnyvinson]

Thank you for your insight. Appreciate the fact you mentioned transformers. Gi Joe was a factor that took away from the popularity of the fantasy warrior genre. Pro wrestling/bodybuilding had to influence this too

[@thelittlethings3309]

So true. G.I. Joe was so popular that it affected everything at the time, and it feels like the Pro Wrestling toys was an evolution or off-shoot of the Barbarian type toys. Good comment. Thanks!

[@vinnyvinson]

@@thelittlethings3309 guys started getting bigger in the mid 70s early 80s. Roid culture

[@bar-1studios]

16:52 & 17:03 The two-headed dragon is actually based on the dragon from the Bert I Gordon fantasy movie *The Magic Sword*

[@jamespero6803]

I was born in 77, this is what I think off when I hear the word Nostalgia

[@thelittlethings3309]

Yes! I hope it brought back some great memories. Thanks for watching!

[@wimvanderstraeten6521]

I used to have a couple of Galaxy Fighters or Warriors. I think I got them at a carnival.

[@thelittlethings3309]

That's great! A carnival has got to be one of the best places I've ever heard of someone getting them from. It really fits that toy line. I hope you went to a great Spooky ride or attraction that was decorated with fantastic beasts and/or barbarians on the same day. Thanks for sharing this.

[@wimvanderstraeten6521]

@@thelittlethings3309 I probably got them from a shooting gallery, because that's where you could find a lot of cheap knock-off toys, like Galaxy Fighters and ninja figures. I guess shooting gallery owners simply took the action figures that toy stores weren't interested in selling.

[@godofzombi]

@@wimvanderstraeten6521 Ha! Same here! I got a Blackstar and two Powerlords figure from fishing ducks at the carnival. I also saw quite a few Star Wars toys at carnival booths after they had dissapeared from toy stores. Those where often some of the harder to get prizes.I did manage to get a Jabba the hut play set.

[@thelittlethings3309]

I never got anything that good from a carnival. You guys were lucky.

[@godofzombi]

@@thelittlethings3309 I asumed those guys used to buy up leftover stock for cheap to use as prizes in their stalls. You won't see that nowadays. These days it's bootleg stuff from the get go. But when you are young a toy is a toy.

[@raysullya.k.amassholehead817]

Awa/NWA WReSTLERS WERE AWESOME MIXING THEM with He-Man stuff & vice versa .. RIC FLAIR VS Beast-Man in the steel cage ....Also some Ninja Turtles & foot figures were compatible...lmao.. Good times..

[@thelittlethings3309]

All were really built to play together. At least it seemed like it. Thanks for watching and for the comments!

[@thegodemperorhiram]

You should have included the warriors of the forgoten sewer, a tmnt line that showed the turtles and their enemies in a sword and sorcerer setting, with Leonardo as the barbarian, and donatello as the dwarf. Raphael and Michaelangelo figures where planned and even had prototypes made, but werent released

[@thelittlethings3309]

I actually really like those guys, even though I didn't own them. I remember seeing them and thinking about how cool they were. They would have been a good addition, but I think they were created as a throwback, or reference to, the "barbarian" time period of toys and not really a part of it. I really should have bought that Conan/Leo toy, it was great 😢 . I think I might have to create an "addendum" to several of these videos, and I might include them for the barbarian one 😊. Thanks for the tip and thanks for watching!

[@hectormontalvo5565]

I had ALL of these action figures! Hey I loved the Galaxy figures which then came out with wrestlers and boxers. I think the last ones I bought were the Lords Of Time and Lords Of Insects. I also had the Power Lords and Sectaurs. Great video bro!👉😃👈

[@thelittlethings3309]

I stumbled on the Lords of Insects guys when I was getting info for this video. I never saw them before. That stuff was amazing. I really liked the Sectaurs, so it was up my alley. I had some of the Galaxy figs as a kid, and I played with them along with everything else, but I really like them now. I know I was a bit harsh on them in the vid, but ribbing on them is half the fun 😁. I am glad you liked the video and thanks for watching!

[@hectormontalvo5565]

@@thelittlethings3309 long story short I had an enormous toy collection from 70s, 80s and 90s. But in 1999 I lost my job and the corrupt Department Of Unemployment didn't want to give me my benefits so I was forced to sell my WHOLE collection for peanuts because collecting in those days is not what it is today. What hurt me the most were the robots Mazinger-Z, Shogun Warriors, GoDaikin, Robotech, Orguss, etc. I planned to inherit these toys for my future son but thanks to the Unemployment Department I couldn't. I lost $1,000s!😭

[@thelittlethings3309]

Oh no, not the Shogun Warriors! That is a TERRIBLE story. That really really really sucks and hurts to hear it. There are no words... Man, I hope things are better now. 🤞

[@hectormontalvo5565]

@@thelittlethings3309 I stopped collecting toys then. Now I collect horror movies, anime and videogames. But I do miss the robots!😭

[@thelittlethings3309]

I bet! Still, it is good to hear you are collecting stuff and moving forward. I wish you the best!

[@skogangcobra4604]

dude i think i had at least one of every figure on here i forgot most of these.

[@thelittlethings3309]

I hope it brought back some great memories. Thanks for watching and the comment!

[@lordjubilus]

i think the lion pelt on the conan figure is cause he was called amra the lion when he was with belit in the black coast

[@thelittlethings3309]

Wow. That would be a pretty deep reference! I wonder if that would be a call-back to the original Howard stuff or the Marvel Comic storyline. Either way, it might be a little too nuanced for Remco. Still, that is a good reference. Thanks!

[@lordjubilus]

@@thelittlethings3309 its not a deep reference its from one of the howard´s most famous original history the Queen of the Black Coast, that roy thomas turned in a huge story arc

[@thelittlethings3309]

Yup. Deep reference for Remco. I don't think they were thinking about Howard's original works.

[@godofzombi]

@@lordjubilus Still pretty deep for a toyline aimed at kids.

[@8arrows]

I have all of McFarlane’s Conan line of action figures.

[@MB-wf3rx]

Ha I still have one of my The Other World bendies. I used to love these weirdos

[@thelittlethings3309]

There was a crazy amount of imagination behind that toy line. I like the lines that were so weird that it made you step back and think "what the heck am I witnessing here?!" Thanks for watching!

[@billhenricksen7419]

Just came across your channel....Excellent job my friend! Great content...humor....history.....good pacing.....Keep it up!

[@thelittlethings3309]

Thank you! I wanted to bring back good memories and show some things that folks either forgot or did not know about.

[@billhenricksen7419]

@@thelittlethings3309 You nailed it!

[@thelittlethings3309]

Thanks. I hope to a new one out soon.

[@christophern.5921]

Great video. Missed seeing Power Lords though ..

[@thelittlethings3309]

I really liked the Power Lords too. Great toys based on Wayne Barlowe's art. I considered it Sci Fi though and didn't want to include it. I am thinking about doing something similar to this, but with some obscure 1980s Sci Fi lines. I will definitely include Power Lords if I do. Thanks for the comment.

[@trainedbyuk]

Awesome channel! Subscriber 613 👍💯

[@thelittlethings3309]

Welcome aboard! Thank you for subscribing.

[@dlpi9212]

Great video! One suggestion- the background music level needs to be adjusted as you begin your narration. Your voice ends up competing with it, and it's a little distracting to hear while you speak. Usually, BGM either fades out or is adjusted once the main dialogue begins. In this case, since your music is on a loop, I would suggest letting it fade out since the pause between loops is also a little odd.

[@thelittlethings3309]

Yeah, I can see what you mean. The music is a bit hard to get right on these videos, and I am just working our the kinks. I will give it a try. Thanks for the tip!

[@phantomcritic4721]

Blackstars space ship is actually the core fighter from the original RX-73 Gundam!!!

[@thelittlethings3309]

I saw another comment that pointed that out! I didn't even notice, but you guys are right. I know what the toy designers were into... Thanks for the observation!

[@chrislaughery8456]

Great video! Keep it up

[@thelittlethings3309]

Thanks, will do!

[@nosferatu-369]

I always thought the Warlord figure came with the most badass sword ever.

[@thelittlethings3309]

I liked the sword too. Part rapier, part broadsword, all bada$$.

[@robertodell9193]

That IS one hell of a sword!

[@thelittlethings3309]

Yeah it is 😎.

[@jeffreycoogan09]

@The Little Things The film ''Star Wars'' was released in 1977. The Kenner toy line was released in 1978.

[@thelittlethings3309]

You are absolutely correct. That was my mistake. I got it mixed up with the re-release in 1978 (which is when I saw it). Thanks for the catch.

[@jeffreycoogan09]

@@thelittlethings3309 No, problem.

[@thelittlethings3309]

👍

[@deburton7245]

I don't think family and grandparents were being frugal when it came to the cheaper action figure, some people just don't pay attention or even know and they all look the same to them... nice lift from Junkman's gag though

[@thelittlethings3309]

You're probably right, though I was given one by a pretty uninvolved grandparent myself. It still got regular play in my line up, even though I was critical of it. Now, I find that I really love the knock-offs and all the weird off-shoots, not just for MOTU but for a lot of the popular toy lines of that time period. Ribbing on those product lines is just part of the fun and nostalgia.

[@deburton7245]

@The Little Things all those random knock offs were great for expanding the collections and army building. I had a blueish Alien guy with an eye patch that I made as a nuetral who'd always switch sides

[@thelittlethings3309]

That was the best part of the knock-offs. They could play any role since they were not relegated to roles in the cartoons or other media. I usually found that I would purchase (or ask for) anything that I thought looked cool or made for good playing, regardless of the pedigree. I freely mixed my Blackstar, MOTU, D&D and Warlord with stuff from other toy lines (and altogether) if they looked interesting. I thought everyone did, but I have seen a few say that they didn't like to mix lines. To each their own I guess.

[@solomonallen3524]

Galoob toys had a Female warrior line Golden Girls in the 80's

[@thelittlethings3309]

I remember those! I am trying to convince my wife to do a video dedicated to that stuff too. Like Thanos, maybe I will just do it myself. Thanks for the tip!

[@brianmurphy250]

I’m disappointed no company never made a Thundarr the Barbarian line. Demon Dogs!

[@thelittlethings3309]

I was too. For me, He-Man toys became a generic Sword and Sorcery and Barbarian line for me to play out all of my Conan and Thundarr type adventures. There were several times that He-man, Teela and Beastman became stand-ins for Thundarr, Ariel, and Ookla (you know, the Mock). I freaking loved that cartoon...even more than the actual Masters of the Universe cartoon. Thanks for the comment!

[@romannoellocsin9950]

Interesting how Blackstar's spaceship gets its design cues from the Core Fighter from Mobile Suit Gundam.

[@thelittlethings3309]

I didn't notice that but I see what you are talking about. Those big, boxy vents in particular. I have actually never seen that ship toy in real life. I didn't know anyone who had it. Thanks for watching!

[@romannoellocsin9950]

@@thelittlethings3309 I was always more of a sci-fi/ mecha person, but fantasy also has a place in my heart. I am currently rebuilding my He-Man collection.

[@thelittlethings3309]

I tend toward the fantasy stuff, but I love the Sci Fi stuff too. I think I want to do something about the Sci Fi aesthetic of the time too, but that is really HUGE. So many great sci fi toys from that time too! Good luck getting that MOTU collection back together.

[@MadisonCarter]

I can't even begin to list all the stuff from this video I had as a kid (but god knows I'm going to try) - Dragon Man from the Dragon Riders of the Styx line was a childhood favorite of mine, had a couple of the Imperial steeds (still have them, too) and even the child-sized sword shown in one of the stills (sadly, don't have that anymore). I still have a bag full of the little dudes from the playsets, along with a bunch of their way-too-bright weapons. As far as the rest of the lines, I never had a whole bunch from any of these smaller lines, I can safely say I had at least one figure from all of the ones featured here except the Soma one.

[@thelittlethings3309]

You must have been into the fantasy stuff. I know I was. I had a lot of this too, but there was still a lot of it I didn't have, but wanted or I just looked at in wonder and awe. I was sometimes just floored about how strange some of it was as a kid. And that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Thanks for watching and I hope it brought back some great memories!

[@MadisonCarter]

@@thelittlethings3309 I was just into toys and figures, but MOTU and the stuff that worked well with it played into that huge (6-year old me had He-Man and Skeletor within 3-4 months of them hitting shelves and was ride or die well into the New Adventures run). Anything that fleshed that world out was welcomed by this kid. .

[@thelittlethings3309]

I agree with that. If I could find a good reason to integrate toys from other lines, or the were similar enough, I played with them together. Sounds like you were a fun kid.

[@lukebaldock4672]

Zoloworld is still making great fantasy figures

[@thelittlethings3309]

I am not aware of them, but I am going to look them up now. Thanks for the comment.

[@adamwest3266]

No one, I repeat no one had a SunMan figure that I know of. I never saw that toy line on the store shelves in my city, or region for that matter. Trust me, I was a toy buying fanatic from 1978 onward.

[@thelittlethings3309]

I didn't have one either, but it was still an interesting line from a bygone era. I wonder how the sales for the current re-makes in the new MOTU line are going.

[@adamwest3266]

@@thelittlethings3309 Right? I would imagine about the same from a different perspective.

[@flintsvariety811]

I had one! But I’m quite sure they had a limited distribution because they weren’t always in Toys R Us but in K&B toys

[@thelittlethings3309]

It was a pretty small company that made these, so that makes sense. I do remember seeing them in a Christmas catalog.