Blockbuster Blueprints

By the end of the Real American Hero era, the blueprint concept had become an afterthought. Rather than being printed on the back of the instruction sheet as a dedicated item, some were stuck on the first page and others left off entirely (I’m looking at you, Cobra Rat!) While it’s a shame to see the idea watered down, I

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MANTA Blueprints

Over the years, we’ve not covered one of the most integral elements of the 1980s Joe toys: blueprints. These little extras, printed on the reverse side of vehicle/playset instructions were yet another tool in Hasbro’s world-building arsenal. If a kid were so inclined they could pore over the more technical aspects of their new plaything. Another brilliant low-cost marketing feature

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