The Interactive World of Vintage Insect-Themed Toys

The Interactive World of Vintage Insect-Themed Toys

If there is one corner of the market that has the most room for a creative’s imagination to run wild, it has to be children’s toys. All you have to do is walk down the toy aisles of a big box store to see the wide range of interests that children’s toys encapsulate. From plastic food to miniature cars to space-themed action figures, there is truly something for everyone. One category of toys that continues to rise and fall in popularity is bugs! Just think of how many commercials for bug-themed toys there have been over the past few decades, many of which are advertised with the advantage of scaring or grossing out (or both) your parents. Whether or not these toys delivered on their heavily-marketed promises, one thing is for sure: bug toys are not the most realistic toys ever. That’s not necessarily a bad thing since we have enough to worry about with actual insects and spiders. That being said, let’s dive into the facts and features of 4 different vintage (and some current) toys that take the concept of bugs to an entirely new level. 

Insecto-Bots

If you were a fan of Transformers as a kid, Insecto-Bots would’ve been right up your alley. These toys have a similar concept of starting as one mechanical-looking object and “transforming” into another. Insecto-Bots were essentially mutated insects that could transform into machines, giving children the option to play with the toys in both the “insect” and “robot” modes. While we know that these toys launched in 1991, the original designers and creators are strangely unknown. Chigo had the largest line of Insecto-Bots in the market, so they are still associated with the toy today. The obvious appeal of these toys is the cool concept of a giant insect turning into an action-oriented mechanism, and there were all kinds of ways for kids to let their imaginations run wild with these transformative bugs. As a child, there’s definitely more to appreciate with a mutant robot-insect than with a real insect that you can find in your backyard. 

 One advantage that these toys had going for them is their ease of manipulation, meaning that it was easy for children to transform the Insecto-Bots from insects to robots and back again. The movable parts could be quickly flipped and switched while the players frantically try to change their designated mutant insect in the middle of the fictional battle they created with their friends. Each Insecto-Bot came with two weapon accessories each, and we’re very thankful that actual insects don’t have their own battle weapons at the ready. The Insecto-Bots that were available to the public included the bee, wool bear, mantis, mosquito, butterfly, and beetle. All of them but the butterfly and beetle had movable arms to make them more interactive and therefore interesting. However, these toys clearly weren’t interesting enough to keep the attention of the young public for long after their launch. Insecto-Bots were discontinued after a short time on store shelves and have not made a comeback as of yet, which we guess means that transformative car-robot hybrids are the evergreen franchise concept that transformative bug-robot hybrids wished they were.

Splat! Bugs (And Its Predecessor)

This one is a bit more complex than the others in the blog, if only because the Splat! title was applied to more than one toy. The first (and actually vintage now) Splat! Item was a children’s board game of the same name that was first sold in 1990. This Milton-Bradley exclusive was enjoyed by younger children who loved creating with Play-Doh and liked the appeal of cartoonish bugs. The object of the game was to be the first player to get 2 dough-molded bugs to the fake box of cookies, which oddly sounds like the life goal of many invasive pests. The players first create their bug characters with the provided dough and the “Bug-O-Matic” mold, then play the game by taking turns at rolling the dice and moving their bug around the game board. The name of the game comes into play (literally) when a player’s bug lands on a Splat! space. They then have to squish all bugs matching the color of the bug on the Splat! card with the splatter tool, and we venture to guess that many young players opted to just use their hands instead. The Splat! board game was discontinued for undisclosed reasons, but it may have something to do with the extensive warnings and advice that the instruction manual gave on how to get sticky dough out of the carpeting. 

Flash forward to 2018, and the Splat! name was now applied to an entirely new toy concept. NSI International launched their latest creation of plastic bugs that could be repeatedly filled with non-toxic goo and squished to create the ultimate oozing effect. These bugs were sold individually or in 3-packs, but possibly the most popular way that Splat! Bugs were offered to the public was through a classic As Seen On TV commercial in 2020. This minute-long TV spot showcased the multiple uses of these cartoonish bugs, with plenty of footage of young kids (mostly boys) scaring their mothers, annoying their fathers, and taunting their sisters with these oozing bugs. The toys were advertised as being completely easy to fill with either of the included green or orange slimes, squish in a variety of ways, and then refill to start the fun all over again. There were multiple Splat! Bugs available for purchase, with some of the attention-grabbing names being Gross-Out Grub, Spider Splatter, and Whacka Wasp. It’s interesting to note that the most common word used to describe these bugs in all of the advertisements was “realistic,” since anyone can take one look at these cartoon monstrosities and see that they are the least factual bug toys ever. On the bright side, viewers of the commercial were invited to get six of the coveted Splat! Bugs immediately for the low price of (you guessed it) only $19.99!

Sectaurs

Fans of the classic Sectaur toys will be the first to tell you that these were not just any old action figures; they were part of a larger science-fiction universe that had its own cartoon series and original language. Sectaurs even had their own limited run in Marvel Comics! The basic explanation for these insectoid characters and their giant bugs is that the planet Symbion had a genetic experiment that went awry and resulted in human-insect hybrids, naturally. The insectoid people are telepathically bonded to their giant bugs, which look like our real pests but with larger fangs and more battle-ready features. The Sectaur action figures were from one of the two factions: the Shining Realm or the Dark Domain (guess which one was evil). Each figure and its bug companion had weapon accessories, movable limbs, and cool names. Some of the highlights include Dargon and Dragonflyer, Pinsor and Battle Beetle, Spidrax and Spiderflyer, and Waspax and Wingid.

If you were an 80s kid who spent a lot of time perusing the toy shelves at your local stores, you might have thought Sectaurs were a figment of your imagination due to their incredibly short time on the market. They launched in 1985 and held their ground through 1986, but eventually faded away into the long line of discontinued toys. Their untimely demise was before the creative team’s big plans for a second wave of Sectaur action figures could come to fruition, which would’ve included many more characters and the first female Sectaur in the line. There isn’t one concrete reason why these toys were discontinued so quickly. The numbers show that the first wave of action figures didn’t sell very well at all, so that was undoubtedly a big part of it. Sectaurs were more expensive than their primary competitors — G.I. Joe and Masters of the Universe — so it was probably easier for parents to suggest their children redirect their attention to the more cost-effective action heroes. The fact that Sectaurs rode giant monstrous bugs didn’t help their case much either, presumably.

Butterfly Garden

This final toy comes with a few caveats since it’s 1) not exactly a toy and 2) still freshly produced and sold today. But the concept of the child-friendly butterfly garden is worth including because of how long this product has been educating young minds on the process of metamorphosis. Insect Lore may be the leading company that sells butterfly garden kits today, which include all kinds of essential and educational tools for children and their parents to witness the miracle of metamorphosis in their own home. This specific butterfly garden kit comes with a cup of live caterpillars, 1-foot-tall habitat, feeder, small log, sugar to make nectar, instructions, and activity journal. The process is advertised to take about 3 weeks total, which feels like an eternity to a child. But for parents and teachers who utilize this kit, the educational value and the lesson of patience that it teaches young participants are well worth the price of admission (or, you know, the price of the garden).

As naturally fascinating as a butterfly garden is, it definitely has more risks than any action figure or board game. This comes with the territory of using live creatures for an activity rather than plastic ones. Insect Lore gives plenty of warnings in the description and FAQ for their butterfly garden in order to set customers’ expectations and gently introduce their young clientele to the harsh reality of nature. For one, they only guarantee that 3 of the 5 caterpillars will survive, provided the customer follows all of the kit instructions. If the instructions aren’t completely followed, the guarantee is lost. They also emphasize the importance of temperature regulation for the garden — within the wide range of 55 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit — since caterpillars are affected by extreme heat and cold. The explanation for all of this is that “nature is unpredictable,” which is perhaps the truest statement of all. These specific butterfly garden kits aren’t even permitted to ship outside of the U.S. because all of the caterpillars are local to this country and would therefore influence the ecosystem of other countries if they were to be integrated. For those of you who are concerned about the ethical background of purchasable butterfly gardens, rest assured: these kinds of locally-sourced kits are safe for caterpillars and butterflies, and don’t make an impact on the wild butterflies that are protected by the law.

Pointe Puts the Fun in Your Pest Solutions

These toys and games can be fun for the whole family — provided everyone’s idea of fun also includes cartoonish bugs — but real pests are not a good time in any way. When pests invade your home or business, they introduce all kinds of problems: contaminated surfaces, transmittable diseases, soiled food, structural damage, itchy bites, and more. Instead of battling these real-life nuisances, leave the hassle of pest control to the experts at Pointe! Our highly-trained technicians are dedicated to solving every pest issue with the utmost care and efficiency. Between our thorough inspections and customized treatment plans, we guarantee that we will get to the root of your pest issues. Plus, all of our treatments are completely safe for both humans and pets, so you won’t have the unnecessary stress of toxic pesticides on your mind. We look forward to protecting your home and family from all kinds of creepy-crawlies, so contact us today for a free quote on our reliable pest control services!

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Citations

Are butterfly kits ethical?. (n.d.). Buy Butterflies. Retrieved October 10, 2023, from https://buy-butterflies.com/are-butterfly-kits-ethical/

Butterfly garden with live cup of caterpillars. (n.d.). Insect Lore. Retrieved October 10, 2023, from https://www.insectlore.com/products/live-butterfly-garden-shipped-with-live-caterpillars-now

Mierzejewski, A. (2020, April 17). Squish, stomp, and smash with NSI’s Splat Bugs. The Toy Insider. Available at https://thetoyinsider.com/splat-bugs-review/ (Accessed on October 11, 2023).

Splat! Instructions. (1990). Hasbro. Retrieved October 11, 2023, from https://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/Splat!.PDF

Swanson, B. (n.d.). 6 things you didn’t know about the 1980s toy — Sectaurs: Warriors of Symbion. Entertainment Earth News. Available at https://www.entertainmentearth.com/news/sectaurs-action-figures/ (Accessed on October 11, 2023).

The toys. (n.d.). Sectaurs.com. Retrieved October 11, 2023, from https://www.sectaurs.com/the-toys

Valmeo, J. (2019, December 28). Insecto-Bots. Robo-Synergy. Available at http://robo-synergy.blogspot.com/2019/12/insecto-bots.html (Accessed on October 11, 2023).