Mickey Yarber, aka The Retro Rambler

The Six Million Dollar Man Action Figure: How a TV Icon Became a Toy‑Aisle Legend

If there was ever a television series that demanded a toy line for its merchandise, it was The Six Million Dollar Man. This classic series chronicling the adventures of a half-man, half-robot government agent named Steve

Lazer Tag: High‑Tech Hits and Pure 80s Power

Mickey Yarber

If you were a kid in 1986, you probably remember the hype. For months before Worlds of Wonder finally released Lazer Tag, the company built up suspense to unbelievable levels with a series of teasing

Etch A Sketch: The Mechanical Marvel Behind a Generational Favorite

Mickey Yarber

It’s a nice feeling to finish an Etch-A-Sketch picture you’re semi-proud of. “It actually looks like a tree this time!” you tell yourself. But then that brainy cousin of yours shows you the portrait he’s Etch-A-Sketched and

Just Add Water: The Magical Story of Sea Monkeys

Mickey Yarber

There have been plenty of toys that allowed children to put their natural creative energies to work. Legos, Erector sets, and countless other similar items let kids build elaborate kingdoms and complex machines to satisfy the need

Discontinued Taco Bell Menu Items You’ve Probably Forgotten About

Mickey Yarber

The Taco Bell food you enjoy today is probably not the same stuff you enjoyed in your younger years. That’s not a huge surprise as menus change through the years. Fast food restaurants are constantly

Whatever Happened to the Actual Love Boat?

Mickey Yarber

Even if you have never watched The Love Boat you know the show takes place on a ship. The iconic vessel is displayed prominently in the opening credits, serving as a backdrop to the frenzy of

How Jurassic Park Helped Create McDonald’s Supersize

Mickey Yarber

The term “supersize me” has existed for so long that people seem to have forgotten how it started. Sadly that means it was around for three decades. The supersize option at McDonald’s was not originally

The A-Team Was ’80s Action At It’s Best

Mickey Yarber

The A‑Team delivered explosive action, unforgettable characters, and pure 80s fun. This look back at the classic series revisits the missions, the mayhem, and the chemistry that made Hannibal, Face, Murdock, and B.A. television legends.

The McDonald’s McD.L.T.

Mickey Yarber

McDonald’s McDLT gets mentioned on its fair share of fondly remembered food lists and for good reason. Of all the great, and horrible, things to ever grace the menu of McDonald’s, the McDLT was one of the best items they created.

Street Hawk and the Era of Turbo‑Charged TV Action

Mickey Yarber

Street Hawk brought high‑speed action and futuristic style to 80s TV. This look back revisits Jesse Mach, the secret government project, and the supercharged motorcycle that turned a short‑lived series into a lasting cult favorite.

Time Capsule: Nintendo Power Magazine Issue #1 From 1988

Mickey Yarber

Nintendo Power was a monthly magazine published by Nintendo from 1988 to 2012, serving as the definitive guidebook for generations of players growing up with the NES, SNES, Game Boy, and beyond. Packed with strategy

The Theory That Changes Everything About Television As You Know It

Mickey Yarber

Almost all of television takes place inside the mind of an autistic child. Or so this crazy St. Elsewhere theory would have you believe.

When Ralston Ruled the Cereal Aisle

Mickey Yarber

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

Food

Fascinating Facts About Waffle House

Mickey Yarber

Waffle House signs have been a beacon of hope for hungry, late-night drivers for more than 60 years. Twenty-four hours a day, three hundred and sixty-five days a year, Waffle House has been there for

Spider‑Man and His Amazing Friends: The 80s Cartoon That Made Marvel Must‑See TV

Mickey Yarber

Marvel Comics’ famed webslinger returned to Saturday morning in 1981 with a pair of new companions. In this incarnation, Peter Parker was a college student at Empire State University, boarding with his Aunt May. While

Arcade All-Stars: X-Men Arcade Game

Mickey Yarber

Backed by a techno theme song, Marvel Comics’ band of misunderstood mutant superheroes stormed into arcades in 1992. Konami had built a mini-franchise using licensed characters in side-scrolling fighting games—Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Simpsons—and with

Howard the Duck Was the Wildest Movie the 80s Ever Hatched

Mickey Yarber

Howard the Duck was the strange, loud, unforgettable VHS discovery of the 80s, a neon‑soaked misfit adventure that felt too weird to explain and too fun to forget.