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Cartoons and Toys

         With an increasing number of children in my family, I've been looking at more cartoons and toys lately. You can't help but compare to your own childhood days. I'm sure there was a lot of merchandising then, as well, but my parents were strict budget people, as most parents were. Kids today must really feel deprived if their parents keep a tight budget or simply can't afford all the goodies.

         We had Howdy Doody, Captain Kangaroo,  Sherry and Lambchop (the sock puppet), and Warner Brothers Cartoons. "Th-Th-Th-That's all, Folks." I guess you could count Roy Rogers, Sky King, and My Friend Flicker. Of course, there were comic books for children who could read. Even Disney wasn't selling clothes and such. You could get Super Man or Zorro lunch boxes, But most were just plain plaid or prints that you could use year after year. Book bags were plain. Knap sacks were olive and carried by boys only.

         Things began to change.Bugs Bunny and Barbie started showing up on school items, then GI Joe appeared.By the time I was in college, Charlie Brown's gang was seen everywhere. It took about 10 years or more after the books became best sellers and most newspapers carried the comic strip. Disney characters were being turned into toys and stamped on clothes. Within a few years, Disney stores appeared in malls all across the country, not just in theme parks.

         Posters became a mainstay of college dorms, featuring Yosemite Sam, Road Runner, sometimes with political remarks.By the late sixties posters were an economical replacement for framed photos and enabled children and young adults to make their statements. They're still mainstream today.

         So H R Puffenstuff is a thing of the past. Kids hardly know who Barney the purple dinosaur is. Not many know Tweety Bird, but the parents remember. So what do I see on TV with my little visitors? Paw Patrol. Sofia the First. Dora the Explorer. Spongebob Squarepants. The cartoon version of Mickey's Clubhouse. Bubble Guppies.

         In the toy aisle, I find Paw Patrol toys and games. Dora has been around for years, at first in books, now in dolls and games. Spongebob to the max, in many sizes with all his cohorts like Crabby Patty. Disney Princesses (how realistic is that for little girls?). Sofia the First in everything from party themes to costumes. to dolls, games, and books. Then there are the movie merchandise, like Frozen. I've never seen the movie, but preschoolers love it. They could fill a house with Frozen toys, musical instruments, home decor, etc.

         So if you're a writer, a cartoonist, or illustrator, copyright your idea. In the long run, you could have a clothing line, a toy line, a game line. bed linens, snacks, school supplies, outdoor decor (Minnie Mouse has garden items), even Christmas decor. Your idea could even sell insurance. And kids everywhere will cry to have it. The kids who grow up with it will want the sponsored items as adults, and your next generation will benefit from it. Today's kids are your marketplace.