Home : The Retro Network

The Fast, Flashy, Transforming Universe of M.A.S.K.

M.A.S.K. turned ordinary vehicles into high speed heroes. With transforming cars, powered masks, and nonstop action, it became one of the most unforgettable cartoons of the 80s.

Big League Chew: The Bubble Gum That Made Every Kid Feel Like a Pro

Big League Chew turned every kid into a ballpark hero. One handful of shredded gum made backyard games feel bigger, brighter, and just a little closer to the majors.

The Retro Resurgence Podcast – Episode 41 | Top Five Jean-Claude Van Damme Flicks

Kumite! Kumite! Kumite! Episode 41 of the #RRPod is here -and we focus on the man, the myth, and the Belgian Martial Arts Master – the Muscles from Brussels. It’s Jean-Claude Van Damme Time! The

Transformers the Movie Is Returning to Theaters For It’s 40th Anniversay

The Transformers movie rolls back into theaters for its 40th anniversary, giving fans a chance to experience the classic in 4K.

Stretch Armstrong: The Indestructible Icon of Childhood

Stretch Armstrong was the toy that felt almost alive. Heavy, rubbery, and endlessly bendable, he turned every living room into a science experiment and every kid into a believer in indestructible heroes.

Evel Knievel’s Snake River Canyon Jump Disaster

Evel Knievel’s Snake River Canyon jump was part stunt, part spectacle, and pure American bravado. For one brief moment in 1974, he aimed a rocket at the sky and tried to make history.

Perfect Strangers – When Jennifer and Marry Anne Lost It

For seven plus years (1986–93), ABC entertained the American audience with the unique duo of distant cousins Larry Appleton (Mark Linn-Baker) and Balki Bartokomous (Bronson Pinchot) as protagonists of the sitcom Prefect Strangers. Viewers got

The 10 Most Remembered Colognes of the ’80s

The most iconic colognes of the 80s weren’t expensive. They were loud, legendary, and everywhere. From Brut to Rookie, these scents became the background notes of growing up in a louder, simpler decade.

Superstations: How Local Television Quietly Went National

Superstations reshaped early cable by turning local broadcasters into national channels, expanding viewer choice and introducing regional sports and culture to millions long before dedicated cable networks dominated the television landscape.

Spider-Woman Was Marvel’s Early Animated Pioneer

Spider Woman brought mystery, sci fi, and superhero adventure to Saturday mornings in 1979, giving Jessica Drew a bold animated debut that still feels like one of Marvel’s forgotten gems.

How The 13 Ghosts of Scooby‑Doo Became a Cult Classic in Just 13 Episodes

In the fall of 1985, Saturday morning cartoons took a spooky detour when The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo premiered on ABC. It was the seventh incarnation of the beloved franchise, but this time, the formula

This is Starcade!

When I was a kid game shows were a key part of my TV viewing experience. Whether it was a sick day from school, vacation or summer break, if I was home during the day

Whatever Happened to MTV’s Original VJs?

When MTV launched on August 1, 1981, it didn’t just revolutionize music television—it introduced the world to a new kind of celebrity: the Video Jockey, or VJ. Five charismatic personalities became the faces of the

The ’90s Closed the Book On Saturday Morning Cartoons

For generations of kids, Saturday mornings meant one thing: cereal in hand, eyes glued to the TV, and a lineup of animated heroes, slapstick antics, and toy-commercial interludes that stretched from dawn until lunch. But

When Ralston Ruled the Cereal Aisle

When kids go to the grocery store these days and browse the cereal aisle, they are treated by scores of colorful boxes and plenty of unique cereals to choose from. There is even a fair

Inside the Hardee’s Fried Chicken Experiment of the 90s

Hardee’s fried chicken arrived in the 90s with bold ambition, borrowing a beloved recipe and chasing new customers before fading away. It remains one of fast food’s most memorable lost experiments.

Crossbows and Catapults and the Joy of Total Destruction

Crossbows and Catapults turned living rooms into battlefields, mixing creativity, chaos, and pure childhood excitement. It was simple, loud, and unforgettable, and it became one of the great action games of its era.

Building a Universe: The Story of Valiant Comics in the 90s

Valiant Comics rose in the 90s with strong characters, tight continuity, and a universe that felt fresh and connected, becoming one of the decade’s most exciting and enduring comic book success stories.

Tales of the Gold Monkey: Looking Back at TV’s Forgotten Pulp Adventure Gem

Tales of the Gold Monkey brought classic pulp adventure to early 80s TV, mixing seaplanes, spies, and South Pacific mystery into a single season that still feels like a hidden treasure.

Atari: The Rise and Fall of the Company That Built Home Gaming

Atari built the home video game industry from the ground up, rose to unprecedented dominance, and then collapsed under market saturation, corporate missteps, and shifting competition, leaving a legacy that continues to shape modern gaming.

Heisenberg: My ’80s Contraband Life

Copying music from the radio in the ’80s was just a way of life. We never thought of the ramifications of what we were doing. This is my story…the story of a music pirate.

Memorable Sharks in Pop Culture History

Throughout the years, people everywhere have been fascinated with sharks. So it’s no wonder that sharks of all kinds have popped up in various forms of pop culture in the decades of mass entertainment. As

Angels With Filthy Souls: Home Alone’s Fake Gangster Movie

For many years, I never really considered Home Alone a Christmas movie. Of course, it takes place on Christmas and has nearly everything to do with the spirit of Christmas, but for whatever reason, my

Fascinating Facts About Mr. Wizard

Long before Bill Nye donned a bow tie or the MythBusters blew things up for science, there was Don Herbert, better known as Mr. Wizard, the calm, curious, and endlessly inventive host who brought science

MTV Unplugged: Top 10 Performances of the 90s

With the recent news of Paramount+ streaming the highly popular MTV Unplugged series I thought I’d take a look back at the top performance that defined the show. MTV Unplugged Debuted in 1989 featuring the

The Top Ten Moms in Television History

TV moms have always been the heart of the shows we love, offering comfort, chaos, wisdom, and warmth in every era. This list celebrates the unforgettable women who helped raise us from the living room couch.

How TaleSpin Blended Pulp Adventure With 90s Style

TaleSpin turned weekday afternoons into sky‑high adventures, sending kids soaring through Cape Suzette with Baloo, Kit, and the Sea Duck in a world where danger, humor, and pure imagination filled the skies.

When Nintendo Cereal Conquered the Breakfast Table

Nintendo Cereal turned breakfast into an adventure, splitting one box into two colorful worlds and giving late‑80s kids the thrill of starting their day with Mario, Link, and a bowl full of pure imagination.

The Retro Resurgence Podcast – Episode 40 | The ABC’s of Wrestling Show

Reach for Episode Number 40, and turn it up! The guys are back in this early May of 2026 release. It’s the Great ABC of Wrestling Show- a format they used once before with Toy

Racing Through Childhood: The Rise of Slot Car Tracks

Slot car racing turned living rooms into speedways, evolving from simple electric loops to wild themed sets that defined childhood play from the late seventies through the nineties and fueled imaginations for generations.

Super ’70s

Awesome ’80s

Nostalgic ’90s