Have You Got the GUTS?
If ever there was a toy that fully represented a chunk of the childhood of every red-blooded American boy over 30, plastic Army men has got to be it. From the moment boys could understand that guns made cool sounds and troops in the Military wore really cool outfits, they’ve all wanted to be an Army Man. And the closest thing we had -aside from toy guns- was the nondescript green plastic toys that would eventually litter our rooms like marauding insects and become the bane of every mother’s bare feet. But even boys had to grow up.
Eventually, by 1986, a new breed of toy soldiers were hitting the scene and they were something very special indeed. Rather than plain, molded green plastic, the new Army Men, called GUTS! were rendered beautifully including colorful paint jobs, actual facial features, and gun-metal hued weaponry! Oh the GUTS! were amazing!
Coming in packs of 2, 5, and 10, the GUTS! featured six specific ‘units’ of soldiers including Aikido Force (a group of ninja warriors), Ground Troops (grunts in green fatigues), Green Berets (special forces soldiers identified by their hats), Underwater Demolition Team (troopers in wet-suits), Jungle Fighters (a team of Rambo-like militiamen), and Laser Fighters (futuristic soldiers with space outfits and weaponry).
Each ‘unit’ contained 10 total figures each with a codename, dossier, and specs making these soldiers more akin to G.I. Joe in their ultimate complexity. Equally as awesome was the fact that each of the ‘units’ had specific vehicles that would work with them, kind of like those lame green helicopters and jeeps you could get with Army Men, only far, far better. Sadly, GUTS! have been MIA since 1989 -over 25 years- which makes them prime candidates for a little nostalgic look-see. Enjoy!