this post was submitted on 05 Oct 2026
60 points (100.0% liked)

Vintage and Retro Ads, Promos, Fliers, Etc.

2575 readers
344 users here now

For sharing images of vintage magazine ads, fliers, promos, etc.

We're going to play it pretty loose with timeframe here so please don't get offended anyone :)


Be nice. All instance rules apply.


Rules:

  • Be respectful. Everyone should feel welcome here.
  • No bigotry - including racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, or xenophobia.
  • No Ads / Spamming.
  • No pornography.

Règles :

  • Soyez respectueux. Tout le monde doit se sentir le bienvenu ici.
  • Pas de bigoterie - y compris le racisme, le sexisme, le capacitisme, l’homophobie, la transphobie ou la xénophobie.
  • Pas de publicités / Pas de spam.
  • Pas de pornographie.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Stretch Armstrong was first sold in 1976, and is still available today. The dolls were latex skin filled with a thick gel that would give it a little bit of shape inertia.

There was nearly a Stretch Armstrong movie, although the project ultimately fell through. I personally feel that is probably for the best.

Here is an unstretched Armstrong.

Unstretched Armstrong

And stretched.

Stretched Armstrong

top 18 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Duchess@piefed.linenoise.vip 14 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

He was filled with corn syrup no joke

[–] _haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.works 9 points 2 weeks ago

I remember there was a badguy/nemesis who was full of packing styrofoam, and you used a pump to vacuum the air out and make him moldable/stretchable.

[–] AI_toothbrush@lemmy.zip 4 points 2 weeks ago

Yup, corn subsidies do wonders

[–] k0e3@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Is that what it was? My brother and I managed to tear the arm off and there was this clear goo in it.

[–] Duchess@piefed.linenoise.vip 1 points 1 week ago

Yes, gelatinized corn syrup!

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 weeks ago

So, like any typical American kid.

[–] schipelblorp@sh.itjust.works 7 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (3 children)

I feel like his spiritual successors are Plasticman, Richard Reed from Fantastic 4, and Mrs. Incredible (with delicious feminist implications).

I was also just thinking how plastics is a nice contrast to AI. People keep trying to convince us to use AI, but we don't want to because we know it makes us stupid and we know it is absolutely unreliable. But plastics, man, plastics were fucking everywhere all at once, because they were actually useful in a lot of different contexts.

Edit: Looks like Plastic Man (1941) predates Stretch (1976), but I mostly know Plastic Man from Saturday Morning.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_Man

[–] BuckFutter@timeyak.com 1 points 2 weeks ago

There were the muscle men minatures too that came out in the 80’s but yah the incredibles movie seems to be the current equivalent.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 weeks ago

Yet, Kenner never marketed him as a superhero license from Marvel.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] Sxan@piefed.zip 1 points 2 weeks ago

Stretch was a great toy.

[–] Bonesince1997@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Resistance bands, for kids

[–] BuckFutter@timeyak.com 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I remember this, that and the miniature muscle men made out of a similar plastic.

[–] baggachipz@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Millions of Unusual Small Creatures Lurking Everywhere! I loved those things. Never understood the wrestling tie-in, but whatever.

[–] BuckFutter@timeyak.com 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yah I forget where that theme was from but I thought it was a play on the popular he man tv series…but in miniature form. Micro machines were also super popular back then too.

[–] baggachipz@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

That guy sure could talk fast!

[–] BuckFutter@timeyak.com 1 points 2 weeks ago

He certainly could lol