“Underground” from The Redhead League
Reagan enacted the Strawberry Shortcake laws in the 80s, making it legal for the first time to advertise to children. My generation was directly targeted and trained-while-vulnerable to watch cartoons and buy the action figures. We grew up seriously investing in our fandoms and per capita are comprised of more nostalgia junkies than is healthy, the kind of collectors that hold on to our toys for half a century. I still remember my cartoon-inspired pencil cases, erasers, action figures, and stuffies, from Transformers to My Little Pony, Star Wars to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. (Consults recent remakes? Yup, checks out.)