Weird Toys From My Youth: M.U.S.C.L.E. Figures

Recently I had to return to the land of my ancestors: Nebraska. Everytime I visit that mysterious southern kingdom i get a flood of memories. I see a building and remember what used to be there. Like the record stores I went to while I was in college.

On this latest trip I was showing my kids some of the places where I lived during, inbetween and after my glorious stint the University of Nebraska at Kearney. This led me to thinking about the houses I grew up in, then to thinking about various rooms where I spent most of my pre-driver licence years.

One bedroom in particular I remember having a shelf full of little plastic figures called M.U.S.C.L.E. (Millions of Unusual Small Creatures Lurking Everywhere). They were weird little pink figures about the size of a Hot Wheel car. They were supposed to be wrestlers I guess. There were over 200 different wrestlers. They were a big hit in the mid-80s then seemed to disappear. Along with my collection. I don't remember throwing them out or even having them in high school. They just vanished.

I know now that they originated in Japan. There were TV shows and movies to go along with the Japanese version.

I only knew that these weird little things were kind of like 3-D Garbage Pail Kids that scratched the collecting itch that I seem to have been born with. They were also part of that weird 80s toy trent that led to this:

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