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Freezy Freakies?

I've gotten a bunch of e-mails about this, and while I don't have enough material about the things to work an entire article around, they're certainly worthy of a mention. A lot of you seem to recall owning a pair of really cool gloves that featured words and/or characters that appeared and disappeared as they got colder and warmer. You're not crazy -- they really existed, and they were called "Freezy Freakies."

At the peak of the gloves' popularity, it seemed like every kid had a pair. At that young age, it was really difficult to pick "cool clothes." We usually had our terminally unhip mothers guiding the shopping experience, and that matched with the low-rent stores our outfits were purchased at made for some major fashion faux plural-of-pas. With the advent of Freezy Freakies, at least you had your hands covered. Everybody thought Freezy Freakies were cool.

Shown above is one of the old favorites -- the "Robot" Freezy Freakies. When cold, a robot would appear under the title. Other gloves had schemes to delight both male and female audiences, and eventually, there were a number of knockoff gloves that used the same mechanics for more recognizable cartoon characters. They haven't been made for years, save for the occasional "retro month" at some "boutique" that's brave enough to use the Freezy Freakies copyright without permission. Even at the deepest corners of the collector's market, they're tragically hard to find. If you're lucky enough to find a pair, buy 'em immediately. If you were smart enough to hold on to a pair since childhood, do the right thing and give 'em here.

Even if you couldn't throw a lick, "Freezy Freakies" made snowball fights so much fun.

Posted by Matt on 01/12/2004. E-mail me!



Discussion Thread: 85 comments

That sounds awesome! I always wanted to have robot hands… unfortunately, growing up in Southern California meant the only reason to have something like that would be to pull the pudding pops out of the freezer… And if you needed gloves to pull out a pudding pop, you were a considered a total wuss.

…which i was.

Chestnuts roasted by Chopstick Sensei @ 01/12/2004 1:06 AM

Dood! I remember these!!! I wanted some desperately but I don’t think the folks caved. They did for my bro, though. He had a pair. Hell, even my neighbors, whose parents were the cheapest SOBs around, both had some. I would gladly relate how cheap the neighbors were if anyone wants to know.

Chestnuts roasted by Killer Duck @ 01/12/2004 1:57 AM

I agree with chopstick sensei I also grew up in southern California and I used to use my plain mittens to eat otter pops. I stained them blue.

Chestnuts roasted by pikachulover @ 01/12/2004 2:04 AM

I don’t remember these. But I do remember wanting a knee-length winter coat that my three best friends had. They were neon colours, almost like a neo quilt with really big patches. My parents said no, and I ended up with a lime green snowsuit with hot pink accents. When I look back, my snowsuit kicked the long coat’s ass, because I could roll around in the snow without getting my pants all wet and snowy.

Chestnuts roasted by Gabbylicious @ 01/12/2004 2:24 AM

Oh man, I totally had those robot freazy freakies as a kid! I thought they were the best. I had some other pairs later but I will always remember the robots because I was robot-obsessed, as with many kids. I think I may have worn Freakies long after they were fashionable and moved into the ‘you get picked on for them’ stage, but then my sister had them too (it was an age thing I guess). In the summer, I always kept mine in the freezer.

Chestnuts roasted by Kit @ 01/12/2004 2:39 AM

I only vaugely (SP) remember those but I would love to have a pair now. If they didn’t, they should have made ones with super heros and when it’s warm the glove shows just the normal person (i.e. Peter Parker) and then when it gets cold they go away and out comes the super hero (i.e. Spiderman)
That would be boss.

Chestnuts roasted by Big Will @ 01/12/2004 8:04 AM

Anything that changes color immediately has cool factor points in its corner. As for Robots, more points for that too.

Chestnuts roasted by Don't Touch, Willy @ 01/12/2004 9:22 AM

damn I’m jealos I don’t think Ive ever seen these, and they are the coolest thing ever. I want em right now.

Chestnuts roasted by brandon @ 01/12/2004 9:55 AM

I had a pair…they were light purple with a rainbow across them, and a cute little unicorn appeared when they got cold. And surprisingly, I still have them!

Chestnuts roasted by Pam @ 01/12/2004 10:35 AM

I loved those Freezy Freakies. I like every single other kid in my school had a pair. I don’t remember which ones i had exactly but i remember i had gloves that had pictures appear on them in the cold.

Chestnuts roasted by Bright Noah @ 01/12/2004 10:43 AM

Ahem…. I take offense at the suggestion that robots would not appeal to females. When I was a kid I always played with the "boy" toys, and any Barbies I may have owned usually ended up being tortured and killed by a team of Lego men and Batman action figures.

…Although I have to admit, I did have a particular fondness for My Little Ponies.

At any rate, I never heard of those gloves but I can’t believe they’re not still on the market. They’re one of those fun AND practical toys. Trippy robots, magic pictures, what’s not to like? How did they work?

Chestnuts roasted by Kristen @ 01/12/2004 11:34 AM

I used to have a Super Powers Mr. Freeze that would change color in the freezer. And, yeah, it was cool.

Chestnuts roasted by kingklash @ 01/12/2004 12:12 PM

Hey, Matt, I’ve been catching up on your site again because I need something to do now that I’ve been working full time again. You’re doing a nice variety now, and your writing has improved. Hey, you even inspired me to start writing long, drawn out articles again. Keep it up!

Chestnuts roasted by Aaron @ 01/12/2004 12:22 PM

I was going to ask if Zartan changed colors in the freezer but I think it was with a light bulb or sun or whatever. Ditto his siblings.
How cheap my neighbors were- They have two kids, son and daughter. They’re adults now but we all hung out as little ‘uns. One year for Xmas they gave their son something like a Voltron lions set (kickass) and OPtimus Prime. They gave their daughter a television for her bedroom. Thing is, the tv had been the one in the family room. They got new TV for the family room and gave her the old tv. I remember being stunned that parents would do that. In fact, I am still stunned looking back. The daughter is now a research scientist.

Chestnuts roasted by Killer Duck @ 01/12/2004 1:39 PM

I too had the unicorn ones that Pam brought up. I think the figers of the gloves were decorated in this rainbow pattern. My mom ordered my niece (yes, I have a niece my age) and I the gloves from the Sears Catalouge, and we got them in the mail in August, and I remember doing things such as putting ice cubes and water on the gloves to make the unicorn appear.

I must think about those things once a week.

Chestnuts roasted by Anita @ 01/12/2004 1:51 PM

Zartan had kneepads and a chestplate that were temperature sensitive. Little Brother got two Zartans one Christmas. One became the subject of experimentation involving a B.A.T. and a Buck Rodgers figure, with the help of a small screwdriver and the whispered commands of my TransFormers.

Chestnuts roasted by kingklash @ 01/12/2004 2:07 PM

I wish I had robot mittens. Mittens are much like a de-evolution, one that gives you two fingers. They make snowball fights a bitch. But if they turned into -robot- gloves, then it’d be worth it!

Chestnuts roasted by KTK @ 01/12/2004 2:53 PM

Hmmmm…
must be an American thang. I’m in no way cool enough to use "thang" by the way.
Hey Killer Duck, Flying Tukeys can beat killer ducks any day of the f’n week.
It’s the dark vs. the lite (or white, everybody loves the white meat) poultry style.

Chestnuts roasted by turkeys can't fly? @ 01/12/2004 3:56 PM

You two mutated fowl can have your showdown in my state, we’re still arguing over the whole cockfighting issue here. It’s "Diblets on the Giblets" only on Pay-per-view! Who wants concession rights?

Chestnuts roasted by kingklash @ 01/12/2004 4:28 PM

Is it fowl?
I in no way meant that last comment to sound like a hate comment. Although reading it now, I can see how some may interprit it as such.
Ah what the hell, everybody knows that turkeys are the supreme fowls/poultrys. Chickens/ducks and I think partridges beware…
Turkey Power!!!!

Chestnuts roasted by turkeys can't fly? @ 01/12/2004 4:44 PM

Um…I have had to explain to king before that I am not really a duck, I just play one on TV. King, I am still trying to figure out what state you live in (I was guessing Oklahoma). I don’t fight anymore. I have been trying to give up the violent part of my life except for watching horror movies. And collecting knives. But I don’t use the knives. Well, except to cut food but that’s a different knife. And well, knives for hobbies and shit…and throwing knives but I only throw at targets. That are not alive. Well hay bales and cork and wood used to be alive but I don’t even throw at trees (can damage them, according to the guy who taught me to throw). Aw hell I don;t know why I feel compelled to explain.

Chestnuts roasted by Killer Duck @ 01/12/2004 5:13 PM

It’s Oklahoma, Duck. And it could be just a heated game of Scrabble. Loser recieves a wedgie. Whatever blows your hair back. In my culture, women always carried knives. Knives are cool.

Chestnuts roasted by kingklash @ 01/12/2004 5:41 PM

The neon tetra’s or whatever are really common around southern Idaho, everybody’s got them, and they look kick ass as far as I’m concerened. Of course I always wanted one of those see-through catfish.

well here’s something randomly unrelated, I was reminicing over old articles here on x-e, and double agent 73 came up. I used the search on the main page, and found mr t’s recepie for sexy things to do w/ land o’ lakes butter. but no acctual review. Are there still some things missing matt?

Chestnuts roasted by brandon @ 01/12/2004 6:11 PM

Killer Duck and turkeys, you two must realize that once Super Chicken shows up there will be no stopping UltraMegaTurDucken!
Links with fun Turducken pictures:
http://origins.colorado.edu/~kachun/turducken.shtml
http://webhome.idirect.com/~boof/tdk10.htm
http://www.lasternet.com/turducken/
http://www.augustachronicle.com/stories/112797/fea_turd.html

Random clip from "Monster" for fans of random acts:
http://multimedia.badmovies.org/moviesi/monster1.mpg

Chestnuts roasted by EM, ME's recently discovered dyslexic doppelganger @ 01/12/2004 6:28 PM

My little brother made turducken for Christmas last year. It took hours.

Chestnuts roasted by Kristen @ 01/12/2004 6:49 PM

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This entry was posted on Monday, January 12th, 2004 at 12:57 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.