What kid didn’t want to be a super spy in the 1980s? Growing up, I watched countless hours of James Bond movies with my dad at the dining table in our modest kitchen (Sure, Daniel Craig’s a great Bond, but he ain’t got nothin’ on Sean Connery!). By the time the ’90s rolled in, I was soon immersed in the animated James Bond Jr. TV series. Even cartoons like M.A.S.K. and shows like The A-Team and Knight Rider had elements of espionage in them. And we have to mention all the cool vehicles and gadgets Q would cook up for the famous British secret agent; they made my imagination run wild with wonder at the possibilities: what if Iwere a spy like Bond? I’d silently muse to myself as I shoveled another spoonful of Peanut Butter Crunch into my mouth before it was time to cut James Bond Jr. short and make the long (short) trek uphill to my school. What kind of devices might I have at my disposal?
Well, in 1989 and on into the early nineties, all of our 007 dreams came true. That was the year Tyco unveiled Spy Tech, a collection of snooping gear aimed at kids with a penchant for espionage and international intrigue. As Paul from the Bennett Media blog eloquently stated, Spy Tech toys “…would blur the line between science, magic, and imagination––all with a badass attitude.” Granted, Spy Tech wasn’t the first spy-centric toy line to hit the market. Walkie-Talkies have always been connected to the idea of being a secret agent, and if you were like me, you definitely had a pair of Fisher-Price walkie-talkies with the Morse Code decals on them. (And the first acronym we all learned to blip out to one another was “S-O-S.”) But Spy Tech was the first line to make a kid feel as though we were part of some secret organization of undercover neighborhood enforcers with special access to some top-of-the-line technology. I mean, just check out this iconic commercial. (“They have Spy Tech…they know!”)
Read more about Spy Tech over at Retrofied’s website!
JOHN T. TRIGONIS 