Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

This is fascinating! I love it when a graphic novel uses it's format to inform, and entertain at the same time. It was especially interesting how war, propaganda and advertising played such a huge role in our childhood memories. A fascinating (and a little terrifying!) slice of history. ( )

A depressing but lively look at how toy corporations have been grooming children for the past century to make them brand-loyal consumers whose nostalgia will keep them worshiping at corporate IP altars their whole lives.

The irony of course is that as Box Brown points out how nostalgia has made us marketing prisoners I spend most of the book going, "Ooh, I remember those!" as he discusses various toys and story franchises. And with his last few books about Tetris, Andre the Giant, and Andy Kaufman, Brown is no stranger to exploiting pop culture nostalgia for his own book sales.

Brown cites the Netflix "Toys That Made Us" documentary series several times. If you haven't had a chance, that show is as fun and enlightening as this. ( )