Starcom was one of my absolute favorite action figure series out of the 80’s; every bit as good as Transformers and M.A.S.K. Those vehicles had so much playability and cool mechanized action gimmicks! Miss playing with those toys.
I loved StarCom! The motorized action and magnets were the kind of things that nailed it for me! That and zip lines so Sky Commanders were both hits for me...
I'm so glad that someone else remembers the SkyCommanders! I was living overseas at the time, and it always puzzled me as a kid how a toy line would be introduced and then disappear before the cartoon ever made it out to me. It was always a weird slice of America, and I figured that if I liked it, then everybody else would, too...
One interesting thing about this toy line was they failed to mention how each smaller toy was built around having a box transformation so it would fit in all of the cargo hold of the other bigger toys. The smaller tanks and flyers had a way to fold into the same square shape. I always thought that was kind of cool and original
The "We'll be right back" sections with the commercials are my favorite part of these series and an awesome touch. Man this channel deserves so many more subs I hope the stupid UA-cam algorithm picks up on you guys real soon.
I was going to say, the toys weren't cheap and like he said they got lost easy. I had the car thing and liked it a lot but it wasn't "compatible"with my other toys.
I had a bunch of these toys, they were some of my most favorite. But all the tiny accessories were indeed kinda flimsy and easy to lose. I had no idea they kept on in Europe after it was cancelled in the U.S though.
As a kid growing up in the 80s, I only remember three action figure toylines that I really fell in love with: MotU, M.A.S.K. and Starcom, even without having seen any of the corresponding series (things where different back then here in Europe). All that other stuff was fine and dandy, but these three were it. Sadly, while most of my friends back then shared the love of MotU and M.A.S.K., nobody got into Starcom. I really got a kick out of those little figures with their nifty play feature and all the small parts like the guns, visors and hoses that you could assemble and dissassemble. And the toy designs were the first that - for me - had a sense of "plausibility" to them without being directly lifted from actual military hardware. Thanks for bringing back some great memories.
Magnalock and Power Deploy. The two features that made Starcom the great toyline that it was. I had one of the toys back then. It was great playtime for me.
My brother and I adored Starcom. We had a bunch of the vehicles and it is one of the few lines I have gone back and re-collected. We had the Shadow Raider, Shadow Parasite, Shadow Invader, and the Battlecrane. We didn't have the Shadow Bat but it was awesome and had multiple Shadow Parasites that could detach from it. Motherships are radical. Snakebite from the Super Naturals toy line helped to reinforce my youthful interest in Egyptology and archaeology. I've been an archaeologist with state government for over ten years now.
Shadowbat blew my mind when I saw it at a friend's house. I LOVED the idea of the Parasites mounting on the wings AND the cargo bay underneath. I LOVED that it was a supply ship, essentially, instead of a heavily armed battleship.
The series needs a hard reboot. Take the best parts of GI JOE, Voltron Legendary Defender, Starship Troopers & MechWarrior and put them in a 20 episode updated cartoon run jointly on Netflix/VOD.
These were my favourite toys as a nerdy kid growing up in the '80s. The tiny astronaut dudes with the magnetic boots were just too cool. And how can you not love the universal cargo concept? The idea that you could configure the same vehicle to launch fighter jets or drop off ground vehicles was so cool. Sadly I never got the Starmax bomber but the other toys were incredibly fun too.
Loved my Starcom, so glad my mum kept them for my kids to also play with them 30 years later. They were so ahead of their time, great toys and no batteries required!
I've been trying(unsuccessfully) to tell my buddy about these toys for years whenever we talk about favorite childhood toys. Now, thanks to this channel, I finally remember what the hell they were called! Thank you, thank you!
Thank you for making this video. I mean, thank you for making ALL of your videos... but this one THIS ONE. I loved Starcom and was one of the dozens that had a whole bunch of these little dudes. They are so danged expensive to buy or my nostalgia would have gotten the better of me.
I love that the god guys had "factions" with the Command, Marines, and Star Wing groups...while I have few Starcom toys, I've mostly focused on the Star Wing guys....have the Starmax Bomber, a couple of Star Wolves, and several of the guys to crew the Bomber
I had one friend who was absolutely obsessed with StarCom and he had memorized all the ranks and names and everything on the filecards. I felt bad for him because no one was as into it as he was. I was all over the Shadow Bat, Parasites and anything painted black.
IKR! I had the Shadowbat ship and the Railgunner 6 wheeled turret buggy. Just looked online, granted only briefly, but it seemed to be about £70 to get both of them. They were really cool, but not £70 cool to just own. Bit different in your case as at least your son would get hands=on play enjoyment out of them!
@@lovecchio420 Don't feel bad. In 30 or so yrs, he'll remember the enjoyment of the Ipad (?!? I've never actually held one! :D Is 40 that old?*) and may think to get his kid one, but they'll be rare and/or obsolete and thus expensive and end up getting the new in thing of the 2050's (fully immersible, interactive VR with sensation suit, or something!? :D) and they won't see their kid for ages either! :D
I was a neat freak child and NEVER broke any of my toys which is one reason my dad would buy me toys like this. I still have all my StarCom and its all in working order still. ShadowBat and all. In fact before my daughter grew out of toys I used to play with my StarCom guys with her why she used her barbies and wanted to mix up the adventure! Still have all my Lego's and Micro Machines as well. It all just sits in a closet now though.
@@lovecchio420 I got my daughter a computer 2 years ago too, Haven't seen her since she became lost in Roblox and Steam. I don't blame kids though it really is a different time sadly Pedo's everywhere and all.
This could make a comeback easily. Today's animation tech (anime style), CGI, in combination with a slight update to the toys which themselves were WAY ahead of their time are primed for a second bite of the apple. This needs an update for the 21st Century. Loved these toys as a kid.
You guys rock, childhood memory unlocked thanks to this great channel again, i was part of that international fans that really loved the show, thanks again from Argentina
love this one. I had these toys as a kid and I think about them from time to time and I always forget the name of the line and have to look 'em up by "80's toy with magnets in the feet" lol
I thought the toys were pretty cool. I only had the Starwolf, and starmax. But what really got me involved, was the animated series. I REALLY enjoyed the fact that not every episode was about fighting empower Dark. The sky whales, was cool. ( and also where I heard about something new ( Nantucket sleigh ride) the banter, jokes, back stories told,... it was a nice "older kid" cartoon. Although the quality of animation varied, in some episodes, usually it was quite good. ( especially the "Trojan Crowbar" episode. The colors, sound, and conversation, was really nice. The art style, and how it was thought out, was usually well designed. It was almost " a typical day in the life of (space) soldiers. I LOVED IT.
There was a sound when the vehicles transforms, it was "keeeeeeeeeeeeeeee~chik", loved the toys! Only had one and it was the smallest one, I think it was one of the cargo blocks that acted as a vehicle as well
Oh my god! I loved this toy line and the cartoon, which I didn't get to see often. Thanks for doing this video. If it wasnt for the fact my family remembered this series I'd have thought I made this up, so few of my friends have ever heard of it.
For me, it was that all the smaller vehicles “transformed” into a standard cargo shape which in turn could be manipulated by the larger vehicles. I don’t even remember a cartoon of this. I’m not sure why I had access to this toy line in Northern Ontario, but my childhood is sure glad I did!
I am so glad you did a video on these. I loved my Starcom toys especially the magnets and motor aspects. Wish it would come back so I can get them for my son
I really enjoyed Starcom. In 1987, I was hitting the beginning of my Dark Ages. Finishing my Freshman year in HS/starting my Soph year, summer job at Six Flags New Jersey, toys were being packed to be stowed away, LEGO in my closet, etc.! Enter Starcom; smaller than MASK, bigger than BSG pilots, they could only ever interact with themselves. Space Shuttle exploded only a couple of years prior, the idea of kids, younger kids, wanting to be astronauts was probably squashed by concerned parents; a teacher died, a civilian. The toys were awesome, but it was no longer the late 70s/early 80s when Space Lab was awesome, the first space shuttle was named after a famous starship, and every little boy wanted to be an astronaut. If Boss Fight Studio or Acid Rain picked up this franchise, made a 1:18 toy line, it could be incredible. Even if Acid Rain put it in their B25 (1:25) scale, it could still be great. Very few action figure molds needed, accessories abound, Sunok Studios even has a armour helmet seal design that is so cool. This line could even look cool in LEGO form, or in Diaclone scale. Alas, we, as the US Government, have to seek outside help to visit the ISS. Great summary. Keep it up. P.S. Those pesky magnets getting swallowed...nuff said! 😋
I had so many Starcom toys as a kid, but I never saw the animated series ever. I was just super into the toys, and still am. They hold up as great looking figures and vehicles to this day!
Still love these. Everything worked without batteries and the deal with the magnets was so clever! There was some command station and you would put your marine in front of the airlock and push some lever. The first door would slide open, a hidden magnet in the floor would drag the marine inside, the door would close, the second door would open and the marine would be dragged through. All you had to do was move that lever and add your own sound effects. Then there was this turret. You wind it up and release it, but it doesn't move -- until you put a marine on it and the boot-magnets unlock the mechanism. It was just brilliant. I still have my toys and they still work. Here and there is a part missing or something is broken off... but those mechanisms are still doing fine. Great toys!
Another great video! I loved the whole idea behind this toy line but missed both it and the TV series back in the day where I could only catch an episode here and there on TV. I recently picked up the complete series on DVD from Amazon for a really great price and I was able to pick up some Starcom figures and a complete Starcom Starmax shuttle and a near complete Starcom Starwolf fighter I am restoring. In many ways Starcom reminds me of the AMAZINGLY underappreciated modern show and toyline of Thunderbirds Are Go. Like Starcom both the show and toys scream quality but I never hear any collector talking about the toys. Over time I was able to pick up the complete line of Thunderbirds toys including the new Tracy Island playset and I am so glad I did. Please do a video on the Thunderbirds next. Keep up the great work!
Now with the fruition of the United States Space Force becoming a reality FINALLY, this needs a major overhaul and updated graphics as well with a more legitimate storyline and it would possibly really get traction.
As a kid in the 80's based in Canada, I can remember having a ton of these vehicles and figures. They were really cool. Loved how they used to transform.
I cared. Had em all,all started with a kid at school who got picked as my secret santa. She knew the kind of toys I liked,so she got me the little white one man space ship. I immediately had to get them all,black guy with a mustache wearing red and white was my favorite
I remember having a small fighter that folds up that can fit into the cargo hold of the big fighter jet. (Sold separately) it was the coolest thing ever.
I'm so shocked they didn't do well because a friend and I were super into them and it was a big toyline that stuck around for a good five years, but then I'm in the UK. I lost my collection a few years ago when they were donated to charity by mistake during the sale of my childhood home, and it was absolutely gutting because they were already inaccessibly priced on the collectors' market by then. It seems like the appeal of this line has held for a lot of us!
From the UK here. Had the Starmax Bomber when I was a kid, I remember one Christmas that these toys were in Argos and there was a slight hubub over it all. I loved this toy as a kid, but remember that none of the other toys or figures were available so much after I got this one, however this could be due to me living in the country as opposed to a city or town. After taking a look at Ebay, I wish I still had it...
Starcom was hands down one of the most well-designed action figure toy series of the 80’s; right up there with M.A.S.K. The carrier spaceship and 4WD buggy that could ride in its cargo bay were absolute perfection... wish I still had mine.
I encountered StarCom in a toy store back in the late 80s before I knew anything about the cartoon. The thing that jazzed me the most about them, were their "Astro Marines" branch, giving us space Marine toy figures just a year after the release of ALIENS, also largely known for their space Marine "Colonial Marine Corps." In my mind, especially with no knowledge of any official cartoon to tell me otherwise, the Astro Marines of StarCom became the same thing, and it was with these figures that I played "ALIENS." As I got older, I even started getting extras of the Astro Marines figures, and customizing them to make even more Astro Marines, with versions of character from ALIENS, like Sgt. Apone, Hicks, etc. I even managed to not lose most of those visors! I still have them to this day, loved the detail of the rank insignia. Definitely one of my all-time favorite toy lines!
These toys were so ahead of their time. A friend of mine had the base. Needless to say that my mind was blown away by the elevator. Had a couple of vehicles myself. By far the coolest of my collection at the time.
One of the best examples of 80s animation. It's sad that we've lost the ability to make cartoons this well-crafted. My 12-yr-old turns off Disney XD crap and watches old stuff like this instead. This decision will probably save him having his brain melted.
I watched another vid thinking it was going to be for these beloved, but name forgotten, toy from my youth. Thank you for this concise video. Don’t recall ever learning any true science or being inspired by the cool toys; never saw the cartoon
I wore these toys out as a kid. I had a lot of the vehicles and the space station with the elevator. Because i grew up in the backwoods my tv only had 3 channels so I never knew the cartoon existed. Great episode!
I had these in the early 90s when I was about 8 or so due to some toy liquidator that opened near me as a kid. I ended up with lots of dead 80s toys. Starcom, MASK, Captain Power, Battle Beasts etc. Starcom was always my favorite. I took them everywhere, including school where I'd magnetize the figures to my desk.
I had the Starwolf and RAT... omg i played with those into my teens. you know the Starwolf was the inspiration for the Starfleet Runnabouts used on DS9, compare the two, you an see it in their designs, they both even have a swappable cargo payload area. even long after all of the starwolf's guns fell off, and the RAT's switches would no longer keep itself closed up, i still loved the microscopic attention to detail, the tiny computer panels, the pure feasibility of it, they really gave me such a great inkling that some people DO CARE about kid's and our/their perceptions, i remember feeling like kids did matter if they were going to make toys this well. so awesome.
I still have a bunch of Starcom toys in a box in my basement. Never getting rid of them. This explains why I was only ever able to see a couple of the episodes on TV though - too damn short!
I personally call it SPACE FORCE, GO! All caps, and one must add GO to the end. Makes it seem even more crazy 80s anime'ish. Unless you are into the 90s for some god awful reason, in which case switch to SPACE FORCE EXTREME!
I had no idea the cartoon existed, but the toys were some of my favorites. I was amazed at the way the magnetic features worked. Played with them for years.
I loved these things. Starcom was great but I watched so many 80s cartoons I never realized it was only 1 season. I played with these toys for years. They were travel ready when I had to go somewhere.
I had a few of these toys, UK, they were cool. If I close my eyes I can still hear the whirring noise they would make as the wings unfolded or the cargo bay slid out.
I had almost every single man, vehicle, base, the cards to go with the dudes, accessory packs etc. I sold them all to a guy a couple years ago for his larger collection to fill in his holes for like $50 bucks. I loved those things.
I don't think I was aware of the cartoon as a kid, but my grandma or my dad bought me a bunch of these one year. They were fantastic to play. Some of the few toys I kept around after I grew up. Then my daughters got to play with them, and they loved them too. Unfortunately, that last cycle with them pretty much finished them off for good.
I loved hanging these figures from the railing in my grandparents E Baltimore rowhome. Several times I recall forgetting one in an odd spot, sticking at an angle, poking out near the awful brown/black carpet. After weeks, I'd come back to find it still there. Perhaps knocked a bit to a new angle from a blind vacuum hit. Great stuff.
I loved these toys, and had most of the various vehicles that were released in the US. he visors definitely DID get lost easily, and playing in our back yard tended to gum up the mechanics of the vehicles after a while. They didn't scale 100% with each other, but they were a supplement to the "Jace and the Wheeled Warrior" toys for my brother and I.
I love that line, use to have a few, wish I would’ve kept them. I did heard they were over seas but I never seen any other vehicles then the ones we got here 🤔 Great video! As always Toy Galaxy never disappoints ✌🏽
I didn't watch the show at all, but I LOVED the toys so much. Combining the Starcom toys with Transformers toys worked remarkably well, since the scale of the 2" figures was pretty close to appropriate, and the cool spring-loaded and magnetic features made for some pretty epic battles in my imagination.
Did anyone noticed that the Emperor looks just like Ganondorf and his sigil is the Tri Force emblem? Could this be the Darkest timeline of Hyrule? Did Link and Zelda lost the battle agains evil and Ganon managed to develop space travel technology to expand his empire into the stars? MIND BLOWN!!! (I'm wondering is the series lasted 1 more season would Link and Zelda make an appearance?)
Starcom got buried. I remember only ever catching a part of one episode. It came on early on the weekdays if memory serves. A prime time slot for cartoons.
As a non-American, I was rather confused when you mentioned it wasn't popular since everyone I knew at the time had these toys. Then you mentioned it was more successful overseas, and it made sense.
I still have a couple of these figures that I've had on my refrigerator for decades. Every time I move I think I've lost them but they reappear and on my fridge they go
Re-watching older episodes and I just want to say that I put magnets on the feet of many of my figures because this toy line inspired my young mind. MAGNETS!
I was one of the dozens who liked StarCom! I remember having a white ship that had wings that unwound out when you pushed a button. I also had a dark gray ship with a gray and black baddie, who would wind up standing on the side of my family’s refrigerator for several years.
Starcom was one of my absolute favorite action figure series out of the 80’s; every bit as good as Transformers and M.A.S.K. Those vehicles had so much playability and cool mechanized action gimmicks! Miss playing with those toys.
It was a great toy line. Seemed super futuristic to me at the time!!
Me too, although i would say they were much better than Transformers, the toys i meant.
same here dude! Same here!
I was absolutely one of the dozens. Loved these figures
As was I!
Me too!!
Same
Same. I still have a bunch of them in storage but they have been abused by my imagination. 😂
Me too
I loved StarCom! The motorized action and magnets were the kind of things that nailed it for me! That and zip lines so Sky Commanders were both hits for me...
Bob Gosh yes! Sky commanders.
JT Manuel Right?! It made no sense, totally impractical but awesome and ZIP LINES!!!
I'm so glad that someone else remembers the SkyCommanders! I was living overseas at the time, and it always puzzled me as a kid how a toy line would be introduced and then disappear before the cartoon ever made it out to me. It was always a weird slice of America, and I figured that if I liked it, then everybody else would, too...
Sky Commanders! I’ve been trying to think of that name for the longest time. Hopefully they get the Toy Galaxy treatment in a future episode.
Same here! I had and love both StarCom and Sky Commanders, too!
One interesting thing about this toy line was they failed to mention how each smaller toy was built around having a box transformation so it would fit in all of the cargo hold of the other bigger toys. The smaller tanks and flyers had a way to fold into the same square shape. I always thought that was kind of cool and original
The "We'll be right back" sections with the commercials are my favorite part of these series and an awesome touch. Man this channel deserves so many more subs I hope the stupid UA-cam algorithm picks up on you guys real soon.
I loved Starcom. I had some of their toys. Wished my parents at the time had the money to get me all of them.
I was going to say, the toys weren't cheap and like he said they got lost easy. I had the car thing and liked it a lot but it wasn't "compatible"with my other toys.
Starcom was brilliant both in concept and playability.
I had a bunch of these toys, they were some of my most favorite. But all the tiny accessories were indeed kinda flimsy and easy to lose. I had no idea they kept on in Europe after it was cancelled in the U.S though.
Magnets in feet, just as Dads were bringing home floppy disks, with warnings from IT that magnets were the devil...
I loved the magnetic feet. I would walk the figures up and down the fridge and around the door frames etc.
As a kid growing up in the 80s, I only remember three action figure toylines that I really fell in love with: MotU, M.A.S.K. and Starcom, even without having seen any of the corresponding series (things where different back then here in Europe). All that other stuff was fine and dandy, but these three were it. Sadly, while most of my friends back then shared the love of MotU and M.A.S.K., nobody got into Starcom. I really got a kick out of those little figures with their nifty play feature and all the small parts like the guns, visors and hoses that you could assemble and dissassemble. And the toy designs were the first that - for me - had a sense of "plausibility" to them without being directly lifted from actual military hardware. Thanks for bringing back some great memories.
Exactly same for me - those 3 toy lines
The original Team America: World Police :D
Just less dirty
I swear to God, I'm not stalking you... BUT WHY DO I KEEP FINDING YOU IN EVER GODDAMN COMMENT SECTION?!
@@SecretGalaxyTV 😇
I can still hear that noise the toys made when you activated their ability
Krgggrgrgrgrgrrgrgrggrgrgrgrggrgrgrgrgrggrgr.... click.
Magnalock and Power Deploy. The two features that made Starcom the great toyline that it was. I had one of the toys back then. It was great playtime for me.
My brother and I adored Starcom. We had a bunch of the vehicles and it is one of the few lines I have gone back and re-collected. We had the Shadow Raider, Shadow Parasite, Shadow Invader, and the Battlecrane. We didn't have the Shadow Bat but it was awesome and had multiple Shadow Parasites that could detach from it. Motherships are radical.
Snakebite from the Super Naturals toy line helped to reinforce my youthful interest in Egyptology and archaeology. I've been an archaeologist with state government for over ten years now.
Shadowbat blew my mind when I saw it at a friend's house. I LOVED the idea of the Parasites mounting on the wings AND the cargo bay underneath. I LOVED that it was a supply ship, essentially, instead of a heavily armed battleship.
I had the Shadowbat but only ever had one Parasite. My parents refused to buy a second one just so I could have them on both wings...
The series needs a hard reboot. Take the best parts of GI JOE, Voltron Legendary Defender, Starship Troopers & MechWarrior and put them in a 20 episode updated cartoon run jointly on Netflix/VOD.
Donald Trump must have been a fan. He made the US Space force to make StarCom for real!
@@joshyfox1 then so are the Russians and Chinese, they've both had a space force for 20+ years.
@@matthewsmith2979 Well there you go then. Star Com is beloved by all.
@@joshyfox1 when I first heard trump say the US needed a space force.... Magna lock deploy echoed in my head.
totally agree.
These were my favourite toys as a nerdy kid growing up in the '80s. The tiny astronaut dudes with the magnetic boots were just too cool. And how can you not love the universal cargo concept? The idea that you could configure the same vehicle to launch fighter jets or drop off ground vehicles was so cool. Sadly I never got the Starmax bomber but the other toys were incredibly fun too.
I *loved* StarCom. I have fond memories of when I received some of my favorite vehicles and I couldn't get enough.
To this day, I still have 2 of these figures that have lived on my refrigerator for the last 3 decades. It's become a tradition now
Same, but I have 6 doing the Abby Road walk 🚶🚶🏃🚶🏃🚶
along the edge of my refrigerator. No accessories, no visors,
& Never had Any of the vehicles... 👍
I have one walking on my fridge as well, 30-ish years or so later...
I’m not the only one......
We should all get together like Veterans do. lol
Wow dude! 👍🏿
you still have the tube and the gun and the visor?
Loved my Starcom, so glad my mum kept them for my kids to also play with them 30 years later. They were so ahead of their time, great toys and no batteries required!
I've been trying(unsuccessfully) to tell my buddy about these toys for years whenever we talk about favorite childhood toys. Now, thanks to this channel, I finally remember what the hell they were called! Thank you, thank you!
Thank you for making this video. I mean, thank you for making ALL of your videos... but this one THIS ONE. I loved Starcom and was one of the dozens that had a whole bunch of these little dudes. They are so danged expensive to buy or my nostalgia would have gotten the better of me.
I love that the god guys had "factions" with the Command, Marines, and Star Wing groups...while I have few Starcom toys, I've mostly focused on the Star Wing guys....have the Starmax Bomber, a couple of Star Wolves, and several of the guys to crew the Bomber
I had one friend who was absolutely obsessed with StarCom and he had memorized all the ranks and names and everything on the filecards. I felt bad for him because no one was as into it as he was. I was all over the Shadow Bat, Parasites and anything painted black.
I was born in '79, these were my favorite toys as a kid in the 80's. They were so great, i would rebuy them for my son if they didnt cost$$$$
IKR! I had the Shadowbat ship and the Railgunner 6 wheeled turret buggy. Just looked online, granted only briefly, but it seemed to be about £70 to get both of them. They were really cool, but not £70 cool to just own. Bit different in your case as at least your son would get hands=on play enjoyment out of them!
@@TheEyez187 I ended up buying him an Ipad, and havnt seen him in 2 years.
@@lovecchio420 Don't feel bad. In 30 or so yrs, he'll remember the enjoyment of the Ipad (?!? I've never actually held one! :D Is 40 that old?*) and may think to get his kid one, but they'll be rare and/or obsolete and thus expensive and end up getting the new in thing of the 2050's (fully immersible, interactive VR with sensation suit, or something!? :D) and they won't see their kid for ages either! :D
I was a neat freak child and NEVER broke any of my toys which is one reason my dad would buy me toys like this. I still have all my StarCom and its all in working order still. ShadowBat and all. In fact before my daughter grew out of toys I used to play with my StarCom guys with her why she used her barbies and wanted to mix up the adventure! Still have all my Lego's and Micro Machines as well. It all just sits in a closet now though.
@@lovecchio420 I got my daughter a computer 2 years ago too, Haven't seen her since she became lost in Roblox and Steam. I don't blame kids though it really is a different time sadly Pedo's everywhere and all.
This could make a comeback easily. Today's animation tech (anime style), CGI, in combination with a slight update to the toys which themselves were WAY ahead of their time are primed for a second bite of the apple.
This needs an update for the 21st Century. Loved these toys as a kid.
Ah,the good old days of astronauts ,spaceships and intergalactic battles ,Starcom was the shit back in the 80's ,great video guys.
You guys rock, childhood memory unlocked thanks to this great channel again, i was part of that international fans that really loved the show, thanks again from Argentina
Newly invented legend has it that having failed at space exploration, they switched to space communication & renamed themselves COMSTA --- Space AT&T.
3:21 That little car and its driver are still on my toy shelf. Starcom was awesome!
I remember getting one of the spaceship toys on Christmas when I was a kid. Probably the coolest toy I ever got, not including Nintendo of course.
love this one. I had these toys as a kid and I think about them from time to time and I always forget the name of the line and have to look 'em up by "80's toy with magnets in the feet" lol
I had a few of these. They were absolutely awesome.
I thought the toys were pretty cool. I only had the Starwolf, and starmax. But what really got me involved, was the animated series. I REALLY enjoyed the fact that not every episode was about fighting empower Dark. The sky whales, was cool. ( and also where I heard about something new ( Nantucket sleigh ride) the banter, jokes, back stories told,... it was a nice "older kid" cartoon. Although the quality of animation varied, in some episodes, usually it was quite good. ( especially the "Trojan Crowbar" episode. The colors, sound, and conversation, was really nice. The art style, and how it was thought out, was usually well designed. It was almost " a typical day in the life of (space) soldiers. I LOVED IT.
Yeeeeeeesssss! I still play with my Starcom...I'm always having the starmax bomber doings bomb runs on parked shadowbat vehicles.
I love the mistakes and that you guys leave them in. Toygalaxy has easily become one of my favorite channels
This entire show and toy line was too ahead of its time. I enjoyed both the show AND the toys as a kid.
THANK YOU for this episode. I loved these toys as a kid and was not able to see the show (for some reason) until now.
There was a sound when the vehicles transforms, it was "keeeeeeeeeeeeeeee~chik", loved the toys! Only had one and it was the smallest one, I think it was one of the cargo blocks that acted as a vehicle as well
Oh my god! I loved this toy line and the cartoon, which I didn't get to see often. Thanks for doing this video. If it wasnt for the fact my family remembered this series I'd have thought I made this up, so few of my friends have ever heard of it.
For me, it was that all the smaller vehicles “transformed” into a standard cargo shape which in turn could be manipulated by the larger vehicles. I don’t even remember a cartoon of this. I’m not sure why I had access to this toy line in Northern Ontario, but my childhood is sure glad I did!
Interestingly, it was my searches to see the StarCom toys that brought me to this channel to begin with. I have very fond memories of those toys.
This is the first video on the channel I've ever seen and I already love it, lol!
SUBSCRIBED!
I assume this was never very popular...cant remember this cartoon & i am a big fan of 80s cartoon.
I am so glad you did a video on these. I loved my Starcom toys especially the magnets and motor aspects. Wish it would come back so I can get them for my son
I really enjoyed Starcom. In 1987, I was hitting the beginning of my Dark Ages. Finishing my Freshman year in HS/starting my Soph year, summer job at Six Flags New Jersey, toys were being packed to be stowed away, LEGO in my closet, etc.! Enter Starcom; smaller than MASK, bigger than BSG pilots, they could only ever interact with themselves. Space Shuttle exploded only a couple of years prior, the idea of kids, younger kids, wanting to be astronauts was probably squashed by concerned parents; a teacher died, a civilian. The toys were awesome, but it was no longer the late 70s/early 80s when Space Lab was awesome, the first space shuttle was named after a famous starship, and every little boy wanted to be an astronaut.
If Boss Fight Studio or Acid Rain picked up this franchise, made a 1:18 toy line, it could be incredible. Even if Acid Rain put it in their B25 (1:25) scale, it could still be great. Very few action figure molds needed, accessories abound, Sunok Studios even has a armour helmet seal design that is so cool.
This line could even look cool in LEGO form, or in Diaclone scale. Alas, we, as the US Government, have to seek outside help to visit the ISS. Great summary. Keep it up.
P.S. Those pesky magnets getting swallowed...nuff said! 😋
I had so many Starcom toys as a kid, but I never saw the animated series ever. I was just super into the toys, and still am. They hold up as great looking figures and vehicles to this day!
Still love these. Everything worked without batteries and the deal with the magnets was so clever!
There was some command station and you would put your marine in front of the airlock and push some lever. The first door would slide open, a hidden magnet in the floor would drag the marine inside, the door would close, the second door would open and the marine would be dragged through. All you had to do was move that lever and add your own sound effects.
Then there was this turret. You wind it up and release it, but it doesn't move -- until you put a marine on it and the boot-magnets unlock the mechanism. It was just brilliant.
I still have my toys and they still work. Here and there is a part missing or something is broken off... but those mechanisms are still doing fine. Great toys!
Another great video! I loved the whole idea behind this toy line but missed both it and the TV series back in the day where I could only catch an episode here and there on TV. I recently picked up the complete series on DVD from Amazon for a really great price and I was able to pick up some Starcom figures and a complete Starcom Starmax shuttle and a near complete Starcom Starwolf fighter I am restoring. In many ways Starcom reminds me of the AMAZINGLY underappreciated modern show and toyline of Thunderbirds Are Go. Like Starcom both the show and toys scream quality but I never hear any collector talking about the toys. Over time I was able to pick up the complete line of Thunderbirds toys including the new Tracy Island playset and I am so glad I did. Please do a video on the Thunderbirds next. Keep up the great work!
Nice redux of this episode. This is one of those toy lines that I'm sure I would have loved- had I known they existed.
Now with the fruition of the United States Space Force becoming a reality FINALLY, this needs a major overhaul and updated graphics as well with a more legitimate storyline and it would possibly really get traction.
Tango Down No kidding!
As a kid in the 80's based in Canada, I can remember having a ton of these vehicles and figures. They were really cool. Loved how they used to transform.
These toys were absolutely amazing. Maybe a little fragile.
I cared. Had em all,all started with a kid at school who got picked as my secret santa. She knew the kind of toys I liked,so she got me the little white one man space ship. I immediately had to get them all,black guy with a mustache wearing red and white was my favorite
I remember having a small fighter that folds up that can fit into the cargo hold of the big fighter jet. (Sold separately) it was the coolest thing ever.
I'm so shocked they didn't do well because a friend and I were super into them and it was a big toyline that stuck around for a good five years, but then I'm in the UK.
I lost my collection a few years ago when they were donated to charity by mistake during the sale of my childhood home, and it was absolutely gutting because they were already inaccessibly priced on the collectors' market by then. It seems like the appeal of this line has held for a lot of us!
Awesome show guy's. Thanks for the bloopers. Keep up the good work. I grew up with these toys. Great to get the history.
From the UK here. Had the Starmax Bomber when I was a kid, I remember one Christmas that these toys were in Argos and there was a slight hubub over it all.
I loved this toy as a kid, but remember that none of the other toys or figures were available so much after I got this one, however this could be due to me living in the country as opposed to a city or town.
After taking a look at Ebay, I wish I still had it...
Starcom was hands down one of the most well-designed action figure toy series of the 80’s; right up there with M.A.S.K. The carrier spaceship and 4WD buggy that could ride in its cargo bay were absolute perfection... wish I still had mine.
I encountered StarCom in a toy store back in the late 80s before I knew anything about the cartoon. The thing that jazzed me the most about them, were their "Astro Marines" branch, giving us space Marine toy figures just a year after the release of ALIENS, also largely known for their space Marine "Colonial Marine Corps." In my mind, especially with no knowledge of any official cartoon to tell me otherwise, the Astro Marines of StarCom became the same thing, and it was with these figures that I played "ALIENS." As I got older, I even started getting extras of the Astro Marines figures, and customizing them to make even more Astro Marines, with versions of character from ALIENS, like Sgt. Apone, Hicks, etc. I even managed to not lose most of those visors! I still have them to this day, loved the detail of the rank insignia. Definitely one of my all-time favorite toy lines!
I loved my StarCom toys so much. Too bad it never really took off. :(
Agreed,had the lil sumbitches standing on everything metal in my home
That's it. After watching many episodes, finally subscribed!!! Such a great show.
Thank you very much.
These toys were so ahead of their time. A friend of mine had the base. Needless to say that my mind was blown away by the elevator. Had a couple of vehicles myself. By far the coolest of my collection at the time.
I actually had several of these toys and complete forgot about them until watching this. Thanks for reminding me these existed.
One of the best examples of 80s animation. It's sad that we've lost the ability to make cartoons this well-crafted. My 12-yr-old turns off Disney XD crap and watches old stuff like this instead. This decision will probably save him having his brain melted.
They had me at magnalock on, getting one of them to walk straight up a fridge, that was fun.
AAAH Starcom... damn, thank you! i was trying so hard to remember how these were called... Loved it, show and toys alike.
I watched another vid thinking it was going to be for these beloved, but name forgotten, toy from my youth. Thank you for this concise video. Don’t recall ever learning any true science or being inspired by the cool toys; never saw the cartoon
I wore these toys out as a kid. I had a lot of the vehicles and the space station with the elevator. Because i grew up in the backwoods my tv only had 3 channels so I never knew the cartoon existed. Great episode!
I had these in the early 90s when I was about 8 or so due to some toy liquidator that opened near me as a kid. I ended up with lots of dead 80s toys. Starcom, MASK, Captain Power, Battle Beasts etc. Starcom was always my favorite. I took them everywhere, including school where I'd magnetize the figures to my desk.
I had the Starwolf and RAT... omg i played with those into my teens. you know the Starwolf was the inspiration for the Starfleet Runnabouts used on DS9, compare the two, you an see it in their designs, they both even have a swappable cargo payload area. even long after all of the starwolf's guns fell off, and the RAT's switches would no longer keep itself closed up, i still loved the microscopic attention to detail, the tiny computer panels, the pure feasibility of it, they really gave me such a great inkling that some people DO CARE about kid's and our/their perceptions, i remember feeling like kids did matter if they were going to make toys this well. so awesome.
I still have a bunch of Starcom toys in a box in my basement. Never getting rid of them. This explains why I was only ever able to see a couple of the episodes on TV though - too damn short!
I hecking loved Starcom. I had all the toys. Also think this show is a prime candidate for a reboot.
Because someone is going to say it: Space Force. There. Now we can move on.😉
Space Force!!
I personally call it SPACE FORCE, GO! All caps, and one must add GO to the end. Makes it seem even more crazy 80s anime'ish. Unless you are into the 90s for some god awful reason, in which case switch to SPACE FORCE EXTREME!
See my comment above. It actually was almost called Space Force. lol
first thing i thought of when 45 announced it was this cartoon
@@billford171 Yep, that sounds right
I still have my Star Com toys in a box in the closet. They were fantastic. I had little figures walking all over the fridge when I was a kid.
One of my favorite toy line growing up, toys had a great design and good price point back in the day. Had like five of them on my grandmothers fridge
Gotta be against some YT law that this channel only has 222k subs! Time flies by when watching.
I had no idea the cartoon existed, but the toys were some of my favorites. I was amazed at the way the magnetic features worked. Played with them for years.
I loved these things. Starcom was great but I watched so many 80s cartoons I never realized it was only 1 season. I played with these toys for years. They were travel ready when I had to go somewhere.
Ahhh so nice, i had some Starcom toys back in the days, amazing stuff, i have a lot of fond memories about it , thanks
Nice reup... loved these toys. They were awesome! The Shadow Bat and Parasites were some serious hardwarr.
ok i thought i was having a stroke
I had a couple of these figures from a discount store. So glad to finally find out more about them.
Starcom was so great! I loved how the smaller vehicles could be carried in the larger ones, and the scale was appealing, too.
I had a few of these toys, UK, they were cool. If I close my eyes I can still hear the whirring noise they would make as the wings unfolded or the cargo bay slid out.
I had almost every single man, vehicle, base, the cards to go with the dudes, accessory packs etc. I sold them all to a guy a couple years ago for his larger collection to fill in his holes for like $50 bucks. I loved those things.
I don't think I was aware of the cartoon as a kid, but my grandma or my dad bought me a bunch of these one year. They were fantastic to play. Some of the few toys I kept around after I grew up. Then my daughters got to play with them, and they loved them too. Unfortunately, that last cycle with them pretty much finished them off for good.
Starcom is awesome. Most of the stuff still works. The young one in the house is now playing with the spaceships.
I loved hanging these figures from the railing in my grandparents E Baltimore rowhome. Several times I recall forgetting one in an odd spot, sticking at an angle, poking out near the awful brown/black carpet. After weeks, I'd come back to find it still there. Perhaps knocked a bit to a new angle from a blind vacuum hit. Great stuff.
I loved these toys, and had most of the various vehicles that were released in the US. he visors definitely DID get lost easily, and playing in our back yard tended to gum up the mechanics of the vehicles after a while. They didn't scale 100% with each other, but they were a supplement to the "Jace and the Wheeled Warrior" toys for my brother and I.
I loved this show as a kid in Sweden. Had some of the figures, but never any of the ships. Loved the ads back on the comic books.
Cue a dozen Brits all exclaiming “So THAT’S what those magnet-feet toys were!”
I love that line, use to have a few, wish I would’ve kept them. I did heard they were over seas but I never seen any other vehicles then the ones we got here 🤔
Great video! As always Toy Galaxy never disappoints ✌🏽
I didn't watch the show at all, but I LOVED the toys so much. Combining the Starcom toys with Transformers toys worked remarkably well, since the scale of the 2" figures was pretty close to appropriate, and the cool spring-loaded and magnetic features made for some pretty epic battles in my imagination.
I had the M6-Railgunner, which I always flew around inside the Shadowbat. Fun toys, though I never saw the cartoon as a kid!
Did anyone noticed that the Emperor looks just like Ganondorf and his sigil is the Tri Force emblem? Could this be the Darkest timeline of Hyrule? Did Link and Zelda lost the battle agains evil and Ganon managed to develop space travel technology to expand his empire into the stars? MIND BLOWN!!! (I'm wondering is the series lasted 1 more season would Link and Zelda make an appearance?)
Starcom got buried. I remember only ever catching a part of one episode. It came on early on the weekdays if memory serves. A prime time slot for cartoons.
i wore starcom shoes and had the shoe box in my closet for like 20 years as a storage box and never even knew they had a cartoon or toys
Dude I LOVED STARCOM. Those little things were so sick.
As a non-American, I was rather confused when you mentioned it wasn't popular since everyone I knew at the time had these toys. Then you mentioned it was more successful overseas, and it made sense.
I still have a couple of these figures that I've had on my refrigerator for decades. Every time I move I think I've lost them but they reappear and on my fridge they go
I loved my handmedown starcom figures when I was younger. Recently scored one still in the package this year.
I love seeing them carded. Tiny little figures on a full size blister card.
Re-watching older episodes and I just want to say that I put magnets on the feet of many of my figures because this toy line inspired my young mind. MAGNETS!
I was one of the dozens who liked StarCom!
I remember having a white ship that had wings that unwound out when you pushed a button.
I also had a dark gray ship with a gray and black baddie, who would wind up standing on the side of my family’s refrigerator for several years.
Awesome video! I was one of the dozens! I still have my Starcom Laser Rat vehicle.