Slime (toy)

Last updated

Slime
Green Slime.JPG
TypeNovelty toy and stress toy
Company Mattel
Country United States
Availability1976–present
Materials Guar gum, PVA glue
SloganGooey, drippy, oozy, cold 'n clammy [1]

Slime was a toy product manufactured by Mattel, sold in a plastic trash can and introduced in February 1976. [2] It consisted of a non-toxic viscous, squishy and oozy green or other color material made primarily from guar gum. [3] Different variations of Slime were released over the years, including Slime containing rubber insects, eyeballs, and worms.

Contents

The late 1970s also introduced a Slime Monster board game; the object of the game was to avoid having your game piece slimed on by a foot-tall plastic monster that had slime oozing from its mouth. Other toy companies have produced their own slime such as Hordak's Slime Pit playset as part of the Masters of the Universe toys in the 1980s, and Ecto-Plazm play gel [4] sold with selected figures in Kenner's Real Ghostbusters toy line. Playmates Toys' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figure line also had Retro-mutagen slime sold in containers and included with playsets. [5]

While the substance was non-toxic, it was extremely difficult to remove from soft furnishings.

Chemical components

The main components are the polysaccharide guar gum, and sodium tetraborate. As an alternative to the polysaccharide, other alcohol-group containing polymers (such as polyvinyl alcohol) may be used to a similar result. These non-polysaccharide polymer products are more often referred to as flubber. Due to its ingredients, leaving the slime outside its container could cause the slime to dry or get stuck in fabric or one's hair. [5]

Cultural impact

Slime has expanded into other franchises such as Masters of the Universe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Ghostbusters. The Masters of the Universe slime toy features Hordak, an antagonist from Masters of the Universe. Created by Kenner, Ghostbusters slime had different colors of slime, due to the food coloring Kenner added to it. It then expanded into action toys and a playset. For the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the slime is called Retromutagen Ooze, a reference to how the turtles were made. The slimes were later added to toy sets. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles slime line is made by Playmate. Slime use has expanded to various Nickelodeon game shows, including ['Super Sloppy'] Double Dare and -- most notably -- Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, [5] though the composition and history differs from that of the toy slime.

Toxicity scare

In 2018, Which? reported that eight out of eleven slime lines from Amazon contained boron levels that exceeded European Union safety standards. [6] Slime uses borax, a compound of boron, to give itself a gelatinous texture. Parents were warned that excessive exposure to boron can cause skin irritation, diarrhoea, vomiting and cramps. [7] However, according to Snopes , claims about slime's carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity, and neurotoxicity were either false or unlikely to matter in the concentrations available to consumers and through their typical routes of exposure. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guar</span> Species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae

The guar or cluster bean, with the botanical name Cyamopsis tetragonoloba, is an annual legume and the source of guar gum. It is also known as gavar, gawar, or guvar bean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guar gum</span> Vegetable gum from the guar bean, Cyamopsis tetragonoloba

Guar gum, also called guaran, is a galactomannan polysaccharide extracted from guar beans that has thickening and stabilizing properties useful in food, feed, and industrial applications. The guar seeds are mechanically dehusked, hydrated, milled and screened according to application. It is typically produced as a free-flowing, off-white powder.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, sometimes abbreviated to TMNT, is an American media franchise created by the comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It follows Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo, four anthropomorphic turtle brothers trained in ninjutsu who fight evil in New York City. Supporting characters include the turtles' sensei, a rat called Splinter, their human friends April O'Neil and Casey Jones, and enemies such as Baxter Stockman, Krang, and their archenemy, the Shredder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Action figure</span> Character toy figurine made commonly of plastic

An action figure is a poseable character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game or television program; fictional or historical. These figures are usually marketed toward boys and adult collectors. The term was coined by Hasbro in 1964 to market G.I. Joe to boys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polyvinyl acetate</span> Chemical compound

Polyvinyl acetate (PVA, PVAc, poly(ethenyl ethanoate)), commonly known as wood glue, PVA glue, white glue, carpenter's glue, school glue, or Elmer's glue in the US, is a widely available adhesive used for porous materials like wood, paper, and cloth. An aliphatic rubbery synthetic polymer with the formula (C4H6O2)n, it belongs to the polyvinyl ester family, with the general formula −[RCOOCHCH2]−. It is a type of thermoplastic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Eastman</span> American comic book artist and writer

Kevin Brooks Eastman is an American comic book artist and writer best known for co-creating the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with Peter Laird. Eastman was also formerly the editor and publisher of the magazine Heavy Metal.

Slime may refer to:

<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze</i> 1991 film by Michael Pressman

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze is a 1991 American superhero film directed by Michael Pressman and written by Todd W. Langen. It is the second theatrical Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, the sequel to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990), and the second installment in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film trilogy. The film stars Paige Turco and David Warner, with the voices of Brian Tochi, Robbie Rist, Adam Carl, and Laurie Faso. Resuming from the events of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the villain, the Shredder, returns to take back command of the Foot Clan and work towards getting revenge on the Turtles. When he learns the secret behind the turtles' mutation, he becomes more dangerous than ever. The film sheds some light on the origins of Splinter and the Turtles as well as introduces two new villains, Tokka and Rahzar.

<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III</i> 1993 film by Stuart Gillard

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III is a 1993 American superhero film written and directed by Stuart Gillard. It is the third theatrical Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, the sequel to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991), and the third and final installment in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film trilogy. It stars Elias Koteas, Paige Turco, Vivian Wu, Sab Shimono, and Stuart Wilson with the voices of Brian Tochi, Robbie Rist, Corey Feldman, and Tim Kelleher. The plot revolves around the "Sacred Sands of Time", a mystical scepter which transports the Turtles and April back in time to feudal Japan, where they become embroiled in a conflict between a daimyō and a group of rebellious villagers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bebop and Rocksteady</span> Comics character

Bebop and Rocksteady are a fictional duo of a mutant warthog and mutant rhinoceros that have made appearances as characters in various media releases of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. The two characters are henchmen who follow the orders of the villain and the main antagonist of the franchise Shredder, the leader of the Foot Clan. Their names are both derived from genres of music: bebop is a style of jazz, while rocksteady is a Jamaican music style, a precursor to reggae.

<i>Toxic Crusaders</i> 1991 animated series on Syndication

Toxic Crusaders is a 1991 animated series aimed at children, loosely based on The Toxic Avenger films. It features Toxie, the lead character of the films, leading a group of misfit superheroes who combat pollution. This followed a trend of environmentally considerate cartoons and comics of the time, including Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Swamp Thing, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures, as well as cartoons based on R-rated properties like RoboCop and Police Academy. As this incarnation was aimed at children, Toxic Crusaders is considerably tamer than the edgy films it was based on.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Brown (comics)</span>

Ryan Brown is a comic book writer and artist and toy designer best known for his work on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the animated series Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures</span> Action figures based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Action figures based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise have been produced by Playmates Toys since 1988. Staff artists at the Northampton, Massachusetts based Mirage Studios have provided conceptual designs for many of the figures, vehicles, and playsets and are credited on the packaging of the products they created.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zingers</span> Snack cake

Zingers is a snack cake produced and sold by Dolly Madison and Hostess, snack food brands owned by Hostess Brands.

The Ghostbusters franchise consists of American supernatural comedies, based on an original concept created by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis in 1984. The plot ostensibly centers around a group of eccentric New York City parapsychologists who investigate, encounter, and capture ghosts, paranormal manifestations, demigods and demons. The franchise expanded with licensed action figures, books, comic books, video games, television series, theme park attractions, and other original Ghostbusters-themed products.

Mirage Studios was an American comic book company founded in 1983 by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird in Dover, New Hampshire. The company was best known for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) comic book series and the subsequent franchise it has spawned.

<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i> (IDW Publishing) Ongoing American comic book series published by IDW Publishing, beginning in August 2011

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an ongoing American comic book series published by IDW Publishing. Debuting in August 2011, it was the first new comic version of the Turtles to debut after the sale of the media franchise to Nickelodeon in October 2009. The initial creative team consisted of Turtles co-creator Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz and artist Dan Duncan.

<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i> (2012 TV series) Animated series

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an American computer-animated television series developed by Ciro Nieli, Joshua Sternin, and Jennifer Ventimilia. It is the third animated series in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. The series aired on Nickelodeon in the United States from September 28, 2012, to November 12, 2017. It was produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio and LowBar Productions. Bardel Entertainment handled layout and CG animation services. The series begins with the Turtles emerging from their sewer home for the first time, using their ninjutsu training to fight enemies in present-day New York City.

<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i> (2014 film) 2014 superhero film directed by Jonathan Liebesman

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a 2014 American superhero film directed by Jonathan Liebesman and written by Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, and Evan Daugherty. It is the fifth theatrical Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, serving as a reboot of the series and the first in a duology of films. The film stars Megan Fox, Will Arnett, William Fichtner, Danny Woodburn, Abby Elliott, Noel Fisher, Jeremy Howard, Pete Ploszek, and Alan Ritchson, with the voices of Johnny Knoxville and Tony Shalhoub. In the film, four mutated reptilian warriors rise from the sewers to join forces with fearless reporter April O'Neil to save New York City from the Shredder and his evil minions.

References

  1. ↑ Engber, Daniel (2016-07-18). "Will Ghostbusters Bring Back the Glory Days of Slime?". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
  2. ↑ SLIME, ser. no. 75/198,386 (filed November 15, 1996), reg. no. 2,206,408 (December 1, 1998) (noting date of first use in commerce as February 18, 1976). United States Patent and Trademark Office. Accessed March 10, 2018.
  3. ↑ Guar Gum Slime, by David A. Katz
  4. ↑ "Real Ghostbusters Ecto-Plazm! | x-entertainment.com". x-entertainment.com. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
  5. 1 2 3 Wilson, John (22 March 2016). "Slime: A History Of Mattel's Grossest Toy Plus Tips On How to Make Slime!". Completeset. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
  6. ↑ Fox, Hannah (17 Jul 2018). "Children's toy slime on sale with up to four times EU safety limit of potentially unsafe chemical". Which?. Archived from the original on 22 May 2022.
  7. ↑ "Parents warned over 'toxic' slime". BBC. 17 July 2018.
  8. ↑ Kasprak, Alex (20 March 2017). "Does the "Slime" Craze Bring Serious Health Risks?". Snopes.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.