The League: The year I tunrned 12 and cheap neon plastic

It's that time again!  The league has called and I must answer.  This time we are going back to our youth and think about that least year of childhood the 12th year!

—-
Grab Rufus and head to the phone booth, because this week, we’re going back in time! Dial up the year you turned 12, and revisit the last official year of your “childhood.”
—-

 Super man had been dead for a few month now, and was yet to be revived.  Funerals were being held!  There had been runs on comic shops across the world to buy massively over produced comics. Even the "Normals" had graced the doors of the all forbidding comic shops in the hopes of a large pay out down the road.  Nerd culture was beginning to change even then, and I wasn't even involved yet.  In 1993 though superman was buried and did eventually come back.

I had been into comics pretty heavy for the last few years thanks to my dad and my uncle helping me out.  I was still collecting in 93, I was a wolverine fan and Wolverine 75 fame out that year.  I remember there was a lot of hub hub about it.  to be honest I didn't really read a lot of the comics.  It wasn't until a few years later that I would understand that reading wasn't a bad thing (not sure why really.)  Wolverine was what I lived for though.  That, of course fed into my love for toys.

 X-men and other marvel toys had been being put out for the last few years, but in 93 they really pushed it up.  This was in large part due to the success of the X-men Cartoon that was currently on fox (which I never really got to see as we didn't get a fox affiliate.)  There were lots of action features and lots of new characters being put out that that were in the current comics.  Looking back the toys weren't that great, but they were a lot of fun and they were the best thing we had.  They were finally putting out new super hero toys, which is something kid's hadn't had for a while.  Take a look at this commercial for the line.
   



In 93 I was still in elementary school.  It was this year that the pilfering of my childhood began.  Hasbro saw the mounting popularity of their canceled Transformer line and decided to give it another go.  It was the year of the G2 Transformers.  Yes the neon nintiesfied transformers, cheap plastic and all!  I loved them at the time only because it was the only way I was ever going to get a hold of all the awesome transformers I had always wanted.  I rushed the toy aisles to find bumble bee and star scream.  People were beginning to tell me I was too old for toys.  But I didn't care.   At this point in my life (and for years later . . . OK maybe even now) I fit the nerdy white kid stereotype and I was proud of it and had no intention to change (and I never really did.)

I remember going to school telling my friends what I had discovered.  Transformers were back!  I was so excited.  I didn't even think about them being made of horrible plastic or their bright neon deco.   Some of my nerdy friends were excited too!  We were all excited to see it back.  I remember a transformer craze hit us all.  We all began going back looking for our old transformers and traded them!  It was a glorious time actually!   



1993 was also the year of a few movies worth mentioning, Jurassic Park brought life like dinosaurs to movie screens every where.  Kids love dinosaurs and I was no different.  My dad took me to see it, and I loved it.  It was even a little scary.  Even though I don't care much for the movie these days, it is still very memorable to me.

93 also brought the 3rd installment of the tmnt movie franchise.  I remember even as a 12 year old being a little jaded about this movie.  It didn't capture the essence of the other two for me (not to mention I was getting tired of the turtles as a franchise at this point . . . somewhere deep inside something was telling me to grow up. . . eventually I ignored that.)  I actually haven't seen that move since I saw it in the theater that year.  I should probably at least try to watch it!         




As I watched that trailer, I realize they were just playing to all of the popular gags of the first two (and a few time sensitive social references that really dates it.)


As I write this I think about not only the 12 year old me, but also about me now.  I realize I haven't changed much from that 12 year old self.  I am a caricature of myself at that age.  My 12 year old me would have liked me I think.  I love the things I loved then, except now I have some kind of disposable income, that I did not have then!  


Check out these other Leaguers posts:
Check out 1985 at Memories of Tomorrow   
Check out 82 over at AEIOU and sometimes Why
Check out 82 again at Lefty Limbo 
Check out 89 at Branded in the 80s
Check out 88 at Flashlights are something to Eat
Check out 1992 at The Claymation Werewolf