Toys that were made to be broken

Ben Marks says: "We just published an interview with Brian Heiler, author of Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings and the guy behind Plaid Stallions. We spoke with him about the lineage of all those shoddy toys that hang on racks at checkout counters. You know, the stuff people will be buying for their kids this weekend…"

One of the most bizarre items I found was a water pistol in the shape of Adam West as Batman. The squirt trigger is in an inappropriate place, and the place where you put water in would be equally inappropriate. He’s actually bending over, and water squirts out of his mouth. And well, you can do the rest of the math.

Mark Frauenfelder is the founder of Boing Boing and the editor-in-chief of MAKE and Cool Tools. Twitter: @frauenfelder. Come and hear Mark speak at the ALA conference in Chicago on July 1.

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The Snowden Principle

lafave

i must have one
http://www.youtube.com/user/Freethinkersanon Christopher

I can’t look at that water pistol without laughing. I think I really need help. I feel like my sense of humor is more juvenile in my forties than it was when I was four.
http://2012diaries.blogspot.com/ tristan eldritch

That guy’s website is fantastic. I could look at pictures of that wonderful junk for hours. Outsider Toys!
Mitch_M

Batman’s wiener is between his knees?
Brainspore

It’s not the location of the trigger that gets me, it’s the location of the water filling hole (and plug).
- Mitch_M
  
  I believe the stopper is properly called a “bung”.
u89djt

You could have one right now for 250 dollars. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BATMAN-1966-ADAM-WEST-TV-SHOW-BATMAN-FIGURE-WATER-GUN-SQUIRT-GUN-SEALED-MIP-/230852693776
http://www.kmoser.com kmoser

Inappropriate? Actually, they are extremely appropriate.
Antinous / Moderator

Seven comments and nobody has used the word ‘blumpkin’ yet?
- Jake0748
  
  You need the Robin squirt gun so Batman can get his blumpkin.
Kenmrph

I don’t see the problem with the batman water pistol. At some point, we all need to learn that superheroes need to be given enemas then jerked off until they vomit.
- http://2012diaries.blogspot.com/ tristan eldritch
  
  ”At some point, we all need to learn that superheroes need to be given enemas then jerked off until they vomit.”
  
  That, combined with an ant-Occupy subplot, was the gist of Frank Miller’s most recent pitch to DC.
- Boundegar
  
  Well who doesn’t?
mikei

Where do you put in the ooze?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdAIt4MgnHc
Robert

Thing is, you probably can’t make a character into a squirtgun without being inappropriate unless you reverse the character so he’s bending over backwards.

No wait, then you end up with a trigger that repeatedly plunges into his bum. That doesn’t work. I take it back. There is no unless. It can’t be done.