I remember that commercial. I was not impressed. I thought it was too gimmicky. At that age I was thoroughly indoctrinated by the C B Colby book "Musket to M-14". My trademark toy plastic gun was a replica M-14.
I've been buying antique toy guns for years. Johnny Sevens were among the best and are some of the most collectible. Complete good condition OMAs will set you back as much as a brand-spankin'-new Noveske Infidel.
But what fascinates me more is that back in the day, they made toy guns that actually...SHOT projectiles out. Metal projectiles and they used caps and springs to project them. By the time I was a kid we had transitioned to rubber darts and sometime about the time I turned 9 or 10 the first serious NERF guns came out. Today NERF and airsoft are what we have, but most mothers and fathers wet themselves at the idea of a kid playing with guns that don't shoot imaginary projectiles of love. Seems a shame that when my dad was a kid, a Shootin' Shell Fanner 50 was an expensive, but relatively normal toy.
I don't have to just remember the ad, I remember the toy itself. And running around in the yard with it. I also remember my early discovery that such multi-functional things were compromises, and devices dedicated to a single function worked better and did not break as soon. But as a pigeon-chested nine-year-old, I sure wanted one, and I got it. The Magumba, on the other hand, was apparently too expensive for the family budget.
Mrs. Graybeard just observed, "This is the world we live in: we can dress our daughters as a ho, but can't dress our boys as soldiers. A prosti-tot is acceptable, a soldier isn't".
I remember a Air Bazooka. Didn't have a projo but we found out a Nerf ball fit perfectly. The cat would burn rubber getting out of dodge when it saw us coming. ;)
Our cat dreaded the day I received my "Johnny Magumbo" rifle. She would dash across clear spaces. You learn a lot about ballistic arch when firing a spring loaded bullet.
I had to wait until my early 20s to play with guns like that; then again, when it's an M16A2 with an M203 grenade launcher slung underneath, it's kind of worth the wait.
It's too bad no one came up with a "Johnny Ranger Forward Observer" playset complete with FDC screwing up your call-for-fire and a goofus Chief-of-Smoke at the firing line short-charging your DPICM rounds.
That ad takes me back ... to memories of subtle and extremely unsuccessful hints that the OMA would be the perfect Christmas present for a certain deserving boy.
As I recall they were kind of pricey, though. I never did get one, but (as usual with the cooler toy guns) played with the one belonging to the kid down the street.
Is it too late to add to my Christmas list?
ReplyDeleteHollee Jebus, if i had only been born a few years earlier...
ReplyDeletepew pew pew?
ReplyDeleteI hate to say this, but I remember that ad. :)
ReplyDeleteNJT:
ReplyDeleteI kind of had that thought myself. Then I remembered:
Whatever may happen, we have got
The Nerf N-Strike Vulcan
and they have not.
I remember that commercial. I was not impressed. I thought it was too gimmicky. At that age I was thoroughly indoctrinated by the C B Colby book "Musket to M-14". My trademark toy plastic gun was a replica M-14.
ReplyDeleteThe kid need to yell Wolverines!
ReplyDeleteWe had a toy mortar and bazooka in our neighborhood squad. There were long discussions on blast radius and damage.
Your dead!
No I'm not!
Yes you are!
Time out, then back to the battle!
Gerry
What about the perforated eardrum gap?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=El6t8lcz0V4
I've been buying antique toy guns for years. Johnny Sevens were among the best and are some of the most collectible. Complete good condition OMAs will set you back as much as a brand-spankin'-new Noveske Infidel.
ReplyDeleteBut what fascinates me more is that back in the day, they made toy guns that actually...SHOT projectiles out. Metal projectiles and they used caps and springs to project them. By the time I was a kid we had transitioned to rubber darts and sometime about the time I turned 9 or 10 the first serious NERF guns came out. Today NERF and airsoft are what we have, but most mothers and fathers wet themselves at the idea of a kid playing with guns that don't shoot imaginary projectiles of love. Seems a shame that when my dad was a kid, a Shootin' Shell Fanner 50 was an expensive, but relatively normal toy.
-Rob
I don't have to just remember the ad, I remember the toy itself. And running around in the yard with it. I also remember my early discovery that such multi-functional things were compromises, and devices dedicated to a single function worked better and did not break as soon.
ReplyDeleteBut as a pigeon-chested nine-year-old, I sure wanted one, and I got it. The Magumba, on the other hand, was apparently too expensive for the family budget.
I wanted one of those so bad...
ReplyDeleteMrs. Graybeard just observed, "This is the world we live in: we can dress our daughters as a ho, but can't dress our boys as soldiers. A prosti-tot is acceptable, a soldier isn't".
ReplyDeleteNever had one of those. :-(
ReplyDeleteI did get a Fanner Fifty with Matty Matel Shootin' Shells and Greenie Stickum Caps, though!
And, it's Dock Special brother!
What's worse than stepping on a Lego in the dark? Stepping on a tiny grey plastic bullet!
gfa
Graybeard:
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, it would be acceptable to dress your son as a female soldier.
I remember a Air Bazooka. Didn't have a projo but we found out a Nerf ball fit perfectly. The cat would burn rubber getting out of dodge when it saw us coming. ;)
ReplyDeleteGreatest toy gun evah! Won the Cold War with it (in my neighborhood anyway).
ReplyDeleteOur cat dreaded the day I received my "Johnny Magumbo" rifle. She would dash across clear spaces.
ReplyDeleteYou learn a lot about ballistic arch when firing a spring loaded bullet.
And Remco's products of a similar age. Monkey Divions & Hamilton Invaders.
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_Invaders
http://www.bigredtoybox.com/cgi-bin/toynfo.pl?monkeydivindex
http://www.flickr.com/photos/60585948@N00/3908542588/
DrBaboon
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_sop=3&_nkw=johnny++seven&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1&rt=nc
ReplyDeleteThat's where the idea for the Stoner 63 came from. Duh.
ReplyDeleteI had to wait until my early 20s to play with guns like that; then again, when it's an M16A2 with an M203 grenade launcher slung underneath, it's kind of worth the wait.
ReplyDeleteIt's too bad no one came up with a "Johnny Ranger Forward Observer" playset complete with FDC screwing up your call-for-fire and a goofus Chief-of-Smoke at the firing line short-charging your DPICM rounds.
gvi
Merry Chrostmas
ReplyDeleteThat ad takes me back ... to memories of subtle and extremely unsuccessful hints that the OMA would be the perfect Christmas present for a certain deserving boy.
ReplyDeleteAs I recall they were kind of pricey, though. I never did get one, but (as usual with the cooler toy guns) played with the one belonging to the kid down the street.
I had one of those.
ReplyDeleteProbably explains a lot.