The old days thread - WWF's cartoon era

[jonnybgoode82]

I got big in to wrestling in about 1990 and was considered the weirdo of the group because I was into WCW when everybody considered it to be shit. I had a WCW ring with a badass red cage. We'd all sit in my mates garden and use his WWF figures and my WCW ring and me getting in to WWF went from there because we didn't have Sky so my knowledge of the wrestlers was limited to the figures he had, the sticker albums and some tapes we'd watch. I remember in about '93 Poundland stocking WWF Hasbro figures which was unheard of becuase they were still massively popular. I think my collection went from 10 figures to 30 in about 2 weeks. My favourites were Taker, The Natural Disasters, Crush, Hogan, Savage and Warrior. I always wanted Papa Shango but never got my hands on him. Everything about that era is captured in those figures, everything is over the top, they've all got oversized arms, the colours are bright. I'm so glad I was a kid when all that was happening

 

Very similar here. In 1993/1994 two of our local stores started stocking Hasbro figures up until the end of 1991 series for between

[King Pitcos]

I wish I'd seen the figures in Poundland. I remember going to a cash & carry and there were loads of Hasbro figures in there (it was the series with Ultimate Warrior in white knickers), they had little hologram cards with them as well which are meant to be quite rare now.

 

The thing I still want to get from those days is the first wrestling merchandise I ever owned, even before actually watching it. The 1991 trading cards. Had Hulk Hogan on the packet, half-wrapped in an American flag. Blue borders on the cards. If I ever see a good set of 'em on eBay, I'm having 'em.

 

Him having this contact also meant that, on occasion, he would get figures of guys who hadn't been shown on WWF programming over here yet, so he got a lot shit from pissed off housewives who thought that the Kerry Von Erich Texas Tornado figure was a cheap copy based on a make believe wrestler.

There's been some wires crossed there. The Texas Tornado figure came out in 1992 in the US, about two years after his debut. We weren't two years behind on WWF programming then. What might have happened is when the figure came out, he'd already left, and that's why new fans didn't know who it was. But it would've been impossible for any of those figures to have been made before the wrestler had appeared on TV in the UK, because we were only about a week or so behind America, if that, and all the figures took a good year or so after a wrestler debuted.

[The Reverend]

The thing I still want to get from those days is the first wrestling merchandise I ever owned, even before actually watching it. The 1991 trading cards. Had Hulk Hogan on the packet, half-wrapped in an American flag. Blue borders on the cards. If I ever see a good set of 'em on eBay, I'm having 'em.

 

 

Awesome set - I still have a complete set that funnily I dug out the other week. I remember that a pack came free with one of the poster mags that the WWF used to put out each month (IIRC with the Warrior on the front) me an my mate got then mag and then realised the newsagent was selling the cards behind the counter too. Cue a mad scramble home on our bikes to scrape up any funds we could and then back to purchase about 10 packs each! (were they 50p a pack!) we then sat in the library that afternoon swapping any doubles we had. The Good Old Days!

[Ross]

Obviously us oldies would be a bit biased but surely, in terms of characters, the cartoon era would be so much more appealing to kids. I mean these guys were absolute superheroes and there were so many different looks and personalities. I know the kids have got Cena these days but as a whole it all seems so sterile. I'd imagine kids to be drawn in first by the actual in-ring action these days rather than the larger-than-life personalities.

[AshC]

The SummerSlam that was so big, it had it's own card collection!

 

[simonworden]

Didnt really watch wrestling till I was in my teens so missed the cartoon era first hand, but really like what I see revisiting.

 

The fact the fans enjoyed so much less in the ring but gave so much more reaction. Alongside this the charecters were great and still enjoyable to watch. I get a kick out of them now especially the over the top midcarders. In fact I have to ask why noboddy has started a family friendly promotion with an 80s 90s retro feel

[garynysmon]

Obviously us oldies would be a bit biased but surely, in terms of characters, the cartoon era would be so much more appealing to kids. I mean these guys were absolute superheroes and there were so many different looks and personalities. I know the kids have got Cena these days but as a whole it all seems so sterile. I'd imagine kids to be drawn in first by the actual in-ring action these days rather than the larger-than-life personalities.

 

Exactly. I think the ring entrances were the highlights for me when watching WWF Superstars!

 

The only regret I have is that no-one would take me to any of the UK tours as my Dad thought i'd grow out of watching that fake rubbish after a while. I would have done anything to have gone to UK Rampage 1993.

[psyclown]

my first hasbro figure was the bossman or the bushwackers.

 

one thing i always found weird was that the ric flair figure looked more like tom o connor

[Egg Shen]

My first hasbro wrestling figure was Akeem. My Mam went to Woolies on a Hulkster search and came back with The African Dream. Must have been the yellow that drew my old girl in.

 

 

I actually think my first figure was Akeem as well, loved that fat little fucker until i found him snapped in two in the goal area of my table football set after a kids party. I've always had my suspicions on did it, but i never confronted them about the incident.

 

To lose a figure like that when your 10 is pretty traumatic, i aint sure i ever fully recovered. RIP Akeem.

[King Pitcos]

I once lost a Ghostbusters Egon whilst go-karting. I cried and cried.

[Mikeymike83]

Oh man that SummerSlam card, this may sound quite weird but I am absolutely brimming with nostalgic emotion inside now. They were fecking quality. Also, does anyone remember those trading cards that were a picture of a wrestling match (through JCP/NWA, WCW & WWF I believe) that a wrestler(s) saying a joke in a speech bubble? Only crappy little jokes, ie . a wrestler in a headlock who's grimacing would say something akin to "I wish you'd have used deodorant today, brother!"

 

Also, the bright blue WWF sticker album followed by the bright pink one. By the time the black Undertaker one had come out most of my friends and age group had grown out of wrestling, I still collected it though! It was round this time I got my first WWF magazine, (I believe) May 1994 edition with Adam Bomb on the front. I got it every month after that,

[King Pitcos]

Oh man that SummerSlam card, this may sound quite weird but I am absolutely brimming with nostalgic emotion inside now. They were fecking quality. Also, does anyone remember those trading cards that were a picture of a wrestling match (through JCP/NWA, WCW & WWF I believe) that a wrestler(s) saying a joke in a speech bubble? Only crappy little jokes, ie . a wrestler in a headlock who's grimacing would say something akin to "I wish you'd have used deodorant today, brother!"

 

http://www.wrestlingtradingcards.com/1993_..._wrestling.html

[Taylorslade]

I wish I'd seen the figures in Poundland. I remember going to a cash & carry and there were loads of Hasbro figures in there (it was the series with Ultimate Warrior in white knickers), they had little hologram cards with them as well which are meant to be quite rare now.

 

The thing I still want to get from those days is the first wrestling merchandise I ever owned, even before actually watching it. The 1991 trading cards. Had Hulk Hogan on the packet, half-wrapped in an American flag. Blue borders on the cards. If I ever see a good set of 'em on eBay, I'm having 'em.

 

Him having this contact also meant that, on occasion, he would get figures of guys who hadn't been shown on WWF programming over here yet, so he got a lot shit from pissed off housewives who thought that the Kerry Von Erich Texas Tornado figure was a cheap copy based on a make believe wrestler.

There's been some wires crossed there. The Texas Tornado figure came out in 1992 in the US, about two years after his debut. We weren't two years behind on WWF programming then. What might have happened is when the figure came out, he'd already left, and that's why new fans didn't know who it was. But it would've been impossible for any of those figures to have been made before the wrestler had appeared on TV in the UK, because we were only about a week or so behind America, if that, and all the figures took a good year or so after a wrestler debuted.

 

The Kerry Von Erich example wasn't one that actually happened, I jut threw that in there to illustrate the point, but I should of known better really as sooner or later someone on here would of pulled me up on it, my fault though because I know to only deal with facts on here but I was half asleep at the time. There was a load of carry on about it up here and it ended up in the local paper with a fair sized column, which he still has. Ill ask him for a look at it, but whatever the specifics, he had more than one "incident" where someone implied he was selling fake gear, sometimes it got out of hand and the coppers had to come.

[Mikeymike83]

Oh man that SummerSlam card, this may sound quite weird but I am absolutely brimming with nostalgic emotion inside now. They were fecking quality. Also, does anyone remember those trading cards that were a picture of a wrestling match (through JCP/NWA, WCW & WWF I believe) that a wrestler(s) saying a joke in a speech bubble? Only crappy little jokes, ie . a wrestler in a headlock who's grimacing would say something akin to "I wish you'd have used deodorant today, brother!"

 

http://www.wrestlingtradingcards.com/1993_..._wrestling.html

 

The very cards Pity, what was the deal with these? They obviously had no affiliation with the organisations they were showing so how were they allowed? Even back then I remember thinking how tacky and naff the 'jokes' were!

 

EDIT: Also, did these cards come with the stick of gum? I remember The Simpsons and Turtles (both cartoon and film versions) did. Who can forget the smell of new card and bubble gum mixed in after opening that lovely foil wrapper?!

[King Pitcos]

They did come with gum, yeah. I'm not sure how they were allowed, but the packets had a disclaimer. "The publishers wish to make it clear that this is an independent publication and is in no way authorized by individual wrestlers or their management. The publishers cannot enter into correspondence regarding text and photographs used in this series."