More than Meets the Eye

Wired has a pretty cool overview of the toy/media phenomena that started with Star Wars and rears it's ugly head this summer with Transformers.

Favorite quote from the article concerning GI Joe:

Hasbro's product manager for the revamped G.I. Joe in 1982. The new figures — dozens of characters — were highly poseable, stood 3.75 inches tall, and had gear Darpa would shoot a puppy for.

A Transformers timeline, with lots of YouTube goodness can be found HERE.