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New Article: The Maxx Steele Erector Set!

Since so many articles over the past few months have been holiday-themed, I figured we should get back to basics. Oh hey! Here's something basic: Maxx Steele Erector Set. Some of you might remember Maxx as the lead hero from "Robo Force," though he's appeared in other forms on the site through the years. Well, he's back. And now he's an Erector set. Review includes a video clip of the original commercial, and an exhaustive study of the actual kit, which I own. Things didn't pan out the way I hoped in creating my new robot, but at least I can fall back on the timeless "oh, a pineapple got involved" excuse and not feel too bad about it.

Next Macy's Parade review should be up by Monday...Tuesday the latest. I originally intended to go with 1986 next, but wouldn't you know it, the '85 video just fell in my lap. So I guess that's coming up. I know I'll never go backwards, so if you guys are going to see everything, it's going to have to be chronologically. I wouldn't put it on par with the '86 parade, but there were a few key moments definitely worth seeing. It was pouring rain on Thanksgiving in 1985, and that made for a very strange parade. Sajak's new co-host? Claire Huxtable. Yup.

By the way, I know some of the site's readers had some legitimate luck in winning prizes with a few of UGO's many contests, so if you feel like giving a new one a shot, here it is. It's a promo for that new "Gothika" flick, but you don't need to be interested in that to like the prizes. Pocket PCs and that sorta stuff -- you know, the kind of crap you want to own just so you can tell people you own it. Anyway, these contests are on the up and up and I gain nothing whether you enter or not, so izz up to you. Though, if you do win, make sure somebody knows where you came from. Ya came from heah.

There might be another new article up before the next parade review -- as an old eBay habit, I still pick up old board games whenever I find 'em cheap. These, by the way, are some of the easiest auction moneymakers in as far as the price you pay versus the price you can get for 'em. You'll rarely pay more than 2-3 bucks for one at a yard sale/thrift shop, and more typically even less. Keep it in mind if you ever need quick cash. Anyway, through this, I've gathered up some really good ones that tie into the kind of shit talked about on the site. None of 'em warrant a full length article, so I'm gonna lump them together for a boosted review. The lot includes two 80s faves and one video-turned-board game too awful to go unpunished.

I'll go back and fix the static link later, but those who couldn't download the Toys 'R' Us "Stompers" commercial from the '84 parade review, now you can.

Posted by Matt on 11/13/2003. E-mail me!



Discussion Thread: 55 comments

I wish I was made of pineapple. Because then, should I ever become traped in a well, I would be able to devour myself without remorse.

Chestnuts roasted by Goodolwt @ 11/13/2003 7:11 AM


It’s a shame you couldn’t figure out how to get the whole thing together, but at least you thought of a creative way to get it looking somewhat like a robot. Close enough.

Chestnuts roasted by starwenn @ 11/13/2003 7:56 AM


wooo hoooo third post take that peter fonda…….ok i need to go back to sleep the goblins are eating my brain again

Chestnuts roasted by atomrenner @ 11/13/2003 8:09 AM


I very much do NOT remember Robo Force or Maxx Steele, though I have the articles about the metal head in the past. I guess this is just sumpin’ that may have zoomed over my head. Pineapples are one of my fave fruits. Good selection, Mr. Matt. I will check into Robo Force a little more. Geez, I gotta know my own youth better. Muppet babies just won’t cut it in the age of the 80′s revival. Fare thee well, looney tunes!

Chestnuts roasted by Armagideon Time @ 11/13/2003 8:33 AM


ok before sleep maxxapple wasent that bad i mean sure his robot grip arm couldent crush a marshmellow if it wanted to and the metal pole arm wasent even an arm but it wasent an arm on mazz steele it was a pole and what does maxxapple have that maxxsteele doesnt a cool ass leafy hat so Nuts to you maxxsteele NUTS TO YOU!

Chestnuts roasted by atomrenner @ 11/13/2003 8:33 AM


Matt, you should try to find an instruction booklet on the web. Then try to adapt it to a working Maxapple. It would be like a cyborg, except fruit style. A tropical terminator.

Maybe you shouldn’t do that.

Chestnuts roasted by Sean @ 11/13/2003 9:02 AM


This article is both kind of a letdown, and kind of an uplift. How is that possible?

Chestnuts roasted by spazzamatic @ 11/13/2003 9:29 AM


also from the commercial, the grandfather kinda hesitates twice. Once before saying johny’s name… and then he says he can be very exciting… and… um… usefull. It’s like they were holding a gun to his head while he read it.

That’s why I like it.

Chestnuts roasted by chad @ 11/13/2003 10:23 AM


I never owned a max steele but my cousin did i always wondered what the robot was. he just let it collect dust it was so kick ass though the arms where the best part. it was so much better then the pinebot. but after seeing this i think erector sets should be combined with food more often we need a pudding robot. i like butterscotch myself but if u want choclate or tapicoa it could work.

Chestnuts roasted by jc @ 11/13/2003 10:40 AM


Wow, a pineapple robot, yummy

Chestnuts roasted by Xen @ 11/13/2003 10:50 AM


I think you’ve invented a new toyline matt. Plus in the cartoons they could use it as propaganda to have kids eat fruit. Their enemies could be chocobots with an occasional cameo by Starscream or Rick James

Chestnuts roasted by man at arms @ 11/13/2003 11:25 AM


Bring on the ’85 Macy’s parade! Can’t wait for that.

Chestnuts roasted by Scott @ 11/13/2003 11:27 AM


Okay, so the 1985 parade is coming up next, and I’m sure that will be great, but I’m REALLY looking forward to the 1986 parade.

If you didn’t know, the impossible-to-find Bubble-Eez commercial aired only in 1986, usually during cartoons. I don’t know if it was one of the commercials during he parade, but I can always hope.

I never bought the gum, but the jingle alone was justification enough for the product’s existence. Bubble-Eez bubble gum. Best jingle ever.

I will see that commercial again some day. I don’t know when and I don’t know where, but X-E is probably my best bet. I just have to be patient.

If I could re-discover General Mills Powdered Donutz Cereal in a blue box from 1980 (something that I was in search of for many years) then surely I will come across the elusive Bubble-Eez commercial one of these days.

There is one other thing I want to find. A music video in which a guy who works on a dam falls to his death, but I digress…..

I’m rambling. I’ll stop. Keep up the good work. Thanks for the cool articles.

Chestnuts roasted by Chaos Mage @ 11/13/2003 12:18 PM


You wouldn’t believe how handy my plastic claw comes in.

Thanks for the commercial with the stompers. If I win my auctions this weekend, I’ll drop a couple of bits into the tip jar for the bandwidth when I am paying.

Chestnuts roasted by klatubaradanikto @ 11/13/2003 12:30 PM


I wonder how many of the actors/actresses portraying the grandparents/parents in the plethora of commercials on X-E are dead now.

Chestnuts roasted by sweepthelegjohnny @ 11/13/2003 1:02 PM


That is quite possibly the greatest robot of all time.Matt,you are a freakin GENIUS!

Chestnuts roasted by Icymatt @ 11/13/2003 1:52 PM


I’m one of those winner’s Matt, thanks for steering me towards the contest’s on UGO, i’ve never won anything before. Wish it was one of the larger contests they have, but I’m not complainin, free is free. I won one of the Samsonite backpacks with the DVD’s and Games in it. It says it comes with 50 dollars worth of "The latest video games and DVDs" Hope it’s not Troll 2 and ET for the Atari 2600!

Chestnuts roasted by Bizzar @ 11/13/2003 3:28 PM


I just want to say thank you Matt, because I was one of the few you talked about that remembered them fondly, but for the longest freakin’ time I couldn’t remember this toy line’s name. You have shown me the light. I loved these guys, especially suction cup asses and the bendy straw arms. Too much fun we had in the 80′s, too much fun I say! ^_^

Chestnuts roasted by eyeless @ 11/13/2003 3:36 PM


I never had an Erector set. I always wanted one though. Espectially after seeing that awesome Erector contraption from The Sandlot. I hated The Sandlot, but that Erector deal was pretty good.

Wow, 50 dollars worth of the latest video games and DVDs? That’s like 1 game or 2-3 DVDs…

Chestnuts roasted by Tony @ 11/13/2003 3:54 PM


Loved the article as always, but I’d thought I’d just point out that the first paragraph is repeated twice.

Chestnuts roasted by Gregory @ 11/13/2003 4:04 PM


Great article I wish i had an Erector set.Keep up the good work

Chestnuts roasted by Romo @ 11/13/2003 4:19 PM


Doesn’t matter to me, I’m just thrilled I actually won something online that’s not a scam!

Chestnuts roasted by Bizzar @ 11/13/2003 4:19 PM


Oops! Thanks Gregory – fixed now.

Chestnuts roasted by Matt @ 11/13/2003 4:32 PM


I just saw this on good ol’ (evil) ebay, and thought it would be of interest. If there is anyone here that can afford it, good for you, you must be living right. Or cheating through an accountant.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3154177092&category=18989

The weirdest thing? It’s the WHOLE MOTU universe. Even She-Ra stuff!

Chestnuts roasted by Sean @ 11/13/2003 4:58 PM


OK, I’m the first one posting to actually own up to owning the Maxx Steele Erector Set as a child. I had it and put the whole damn thing together too. Seems like it took forever, and I was CONSTANTLY working at it. I think I had the opposite of ADD. I had Attention Abundance Disorder. I could focus like nobody’s business.

Anyway, it was actually dissapointing once he was finished. The plastic claw was too weak to hold anything heavier than the Popoid Matt is illustrating in his picture, and it was too noisy to sneak up and grab the cat’s tail. I expected a robot to do all my chores while I lounged in my Dad’s armchair, but I had to stay a foot and a half behind the thing due to the tethered remote.

Don’t even get me started on the "magnet" arm.

Cool article though.

Chestnuts roasted by Dane E. Coffey @ 11/13/2003 8:46 PM


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