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Rise and Fall of the 80s Toon Empire
Jason Waguespack. CreateSpace, $18.99 trade paper (402p) ISBN 978-1-974098-60-6
Waguespack presents an in-depth look at the cartoon industry in the 1980s in this over-long but fascinating work. The late 1970s was a turning point in television, Waguespack argues, when the FCC implemented new regulations that made it easier for independent stations to start up due to concerns that the big three networks were monopolizing content. Soon, the Reagan administration rolled back advertising restrictions on commercial time during children’s programming, which meant more advertising opportunities for toy companies. This confluence of events was the catalyst for the biggest boon in children’s entertainment, with shows like Strawberry Shortcake, Transformers, and Thundercats becoming mega hits. But by the end of the 1980s, the glut of properties (and toys) caused the balloon to pop. When the toys stopped selling, companies stopped advertising and studios lost their production partners, causing studios to close. Waguespack offers clear, detailed assessments of the decade’s cartoons as a watershed moment in entertainment history: “The creation of so many hits made it possible for children of the ’80s to immerse themselves in their favorite fantastic universes as never before in American culture.” Waguespack has provided a valuable—if at times overly detailed—history, which will be of most interest to diehard fans of TV cartoons. (BookLife)

Reviewed by Publishers Weekly on 04/06/2018

Release date 10/01/2017

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