Rock 'em Sock 'Em Scions!

MEETS

The release of the The Playmakers has certainly resulted in some seriously fun phone calls here at Keys Publishing. Last week one of the best came from Original Productions, the people behind Discover Channel’s Monster Garage. For those of you who aren’t gear heads, this insanely cool show features renowned motorcycle designer Jesse James, who along with his various “build teams,” transforms a common vehicle (lawn-mower, golf-ball collector, Celica) into a wildly uncommon “Monster” ride.

As Tod Mesirow of Original Productions explained, Monster Garage is in the editing stage with two episodes that feature the transformation of a pair of dueling Scions, inspired by the 1965 classic, Rock ’em Sock ’em Robots. One build team will transform a red Scion into a “Red Rocker” Scion and the other will reinterpret a blue Scion into (you guessed it) a “Blue Bomber” Scion. In the end the two Monster vehicles will duke it out to determine “The Battle of the Century!” Tod wanted to confirm the origin of the classic Marvin Glass-designed game, so he searched the net and found The Playmakers website and the answers he was looking for. I gladly sent him a copy of the book and some cool pictures from the Rock ’em Sock ’em Robots chapter. Here’s hoping they make it into one or both episodes.

The Rock ’em Sock ’em Scions episodes air on the Discovery Channel on April 12th and April 19th.

Florida Fun-Coast is "Toying with Fame"

Check out the great story on The Playmakers that ran in today’s Sarasota Herald-Tribune

PW's full review of The Playmakers

Publishers Weekly, the 131-year-old international news magazine which reaches every major publisher worldwide has just reviewed The Playmakers.

“A fun book that feels like it should accompany a museum exhibition, Walsh’s history includes toy timelines (beginning with the Flexible Flyer in 1900); postcards, ads and articles (such as a 1980s Newsweek cover on “The Cabbage Patch Craze”); and close-up photos of game pieces (including a board from a 1949 version of Candy Land in which a boy has a peculiar line running up his leg, which Walsh supposes might “speak volumes to… young polio victims”). Centered on toys that sold at least 10 million copies, were invented outside of the major toy companies (so no Mattel Hot Wheels or Hasbro Easy-Bake Oven) and that had significance to the author—a game inventor and 15-year veteran of the toy industry—and his friends, Walsh’s account gives the particulars of 75 toys that enchanted American kids from 1900 to the 1990s. Among the playthings Walsh examines are Lincoln Logs, Monopoly, Barbie, Slip ’n Slide, Mouse Trap, GI Joe and Rubik’s Cube. The book’s nostalgic feel should appeal to fans of Americana.”

Spring Breakers Get Soaked

Panama City, Florida has always been a prime destination for spring breakers looking to leave the colder climes for some sunshine. Now this hot spot got even cooler. Newstream.com is reporting that…

The “Super Soaker Survivor Challenge” — a three-day game of Soakertag in Panama City, Florida — has come to a soaking conclusion. Using Super Soaker Water Blasters, players battled it out on the beach until there was just one (watered down) winner.
But this was no typical water fight where everyone just gets wet. Instead, Soakertag was played using water-soluble targets attached to the players. The object — dissolve your opponent’s target before he dissolves yours.
The game became more intense when the new line-up of Super Soaker blasters let players drench their opponents in every way possible. Their options included nozzles that shoot two blasts at the same time and a detachable min-soaker that shoots a foam-soaked ball.
Even though the last Super Soaker warrior standing was drenched, he did walk away with a $4,000 grand prize. Hopefully, he’ll use some of it to buy a few towels for his friends.

Super Soaker water guns were invented by Dr. Lonnie Johnson, one the smartest (and nicest) inventors I had the privledge to interview for The Playmakers. At first the toy was called the Power Drencher and was released by Larami in the fall of 1990. After a trademark infringement claim by a rival water gun maker, the Power Drencher’s name was changed to Super Soaker in 1991. The rest, as they say, is squirt gun history. By 1994 the air-powered water gun market was a $215 million a year business.

To those water gun warriors who grew up Pre-Super Soaker, Johnson’s invention seems like a technological leap of epic proportions. Maybe that’s why adults loved Super Soakers from the start. A 35-foot stream of continuous water tends to impress us more than kids who never had to suffer the indignities of our “ray gun” water pistols with a “squirt” range that peaked at a whopping three feet.

At an estimated 300 million sold and 15 years on the market, Super Soaker still delivers the water and the promise: “Don’t get wet … get soaked!”

Crossword Puzzling Anyone?

The 27th Annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament begins this week in Stamford, Connecticut and runs March 12-14th. According to the official site, the tournament “…is the nation’s oldest and largest crossword competition. Solvers tackle eight original crosswords created and edited specially for this event. Scoring is based on accuracy and speed. Prizes are awarded in more than 20 categories, including a $4,000 grand prize. Evening games, guest speakers, and a wine and cheese reception allow solvers to meet each other in a relaxed and entertaining atmosphere.” The tournament is directed by New York Times Crossword Puzzle Editor Will Shortz, (whom I had the privilege to interview for the Crossword chapter of The Playmakers) and promises to be great fun.

Abridged from The Playmakers:

It all started on December 21, 1913, when an unassuming, diamond-shaped collection of numbered boxes appeared in the Sunday issue of the New York World newspaper. It occupied the “Fun” section of that day’s edition, with simple instructions that read, “Fill in small squares with words which agree with the following definitions.” The man who wrote those instructions is the man credited as inventor of the crossword puzzle, “Fun” editor, Arthur Wynne. The popularity of the puzzles grew over time and a little over a decade later Richard Simon, together with his friend and partner Max Schuster, decided that the promising popularity of the puzzles just might be the perfect launching pad for their fledgling publishing firm. In 1924, Plaza Publishing printed 3,600 copies of The Cross Word Puzzle Book, a collection of Cross Words edited by Wynne’s successor at the New York World, Margaret Petherbridge, and others. With a lot on the line, the two entrepreneurs packaged the book with a free pencil and eraser and gave copies away in the hope of luring orders from bookstores. The books sold quickly. Plaza Publishing rushed back to print and sold out of the new run as well. The phenomenon had begun. Shortly thereafter Plaza Publishing changed their name to Simon & Schuster.

Today it is estimated that 27% of Americans work crosswords at least occasionally, putting the number of fans at 50 million. With nearly every newspaper running its own, this ubiquitous puzzle has indeed become the most popular game in the world.

If you can’t make it to Stamford you can solve at home by mailing a form along with $20 to: American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, 55 Great Oak Lane, Pleasantville, NY 10570.