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Thread: This mid 90s gooey promo display for Converse 'T.O.U.C.H. EFX' sneakers reminded me of an aesthetic we've been studying at CARI, 'Neon Ooze' 
It seems the whole craze was initially kicked off by Mattel, with their 'Slime' line in 1976. This was followed by the associated 'Worms' and 'Slime Monster Game' in 1977.
We may be missing some links in the goo/slime/ooze history, but it seems like the next major appearance was the slime on the show 'You Can't Do That On Television' in 1979. The show would be picked up by the Nickelodeon network in 1981.
While slime was being integrated into the Nickelodeon brand identity as the 1980s wore on; there was also the emergence of it's 'toxic waste' cousin. Possibly a product of rising environmental concerns, seems like a major example was the Toxic Avenger movie in 1984.
The movie's popularity resulted in a 1991 cartoon version, and in typical 80s fashion, a surprisingly extensive toy line. The aesthetic of the line is core to the 'Neon Ooze' aesthetic, with bright neon tones, gross-out slime motifs, and 'heavy industry' iconography.
Contemporaneously, Ghostbusters (1984) had the literal embodiment of ooze, Slimer, and the general concept of Ectoplasm, both of which made appearances in various toy lines throughout the 80s and 90s.
Outside mainstream toys & kid's TV media, slime/ toxic waste and it's 'cool gross-out association' was also becoming popular. Examples from skateboarding culture (1 & 3), the Garbage Pail Kids (2), and 80s movies like 'The Stuff' and 'The Blob' remake in 1988.
Just a quick aside, this fascinating time capsule of when panic about acid rain was the hot news topic. Resulted in items like this, the 'Acid Rain Duane' card from a line called 'Toxic Waste Zombies' (1991)
Scanned from the book 'Airbrush Action 2'
Scanned from the book 'Airbrush Action 2'
The influence of second-wave environmentalism in the late 80s & early 90s led to an explosion of neon 'toxic waste' toys. Captain Planet's 'Toxic Sludge Dump' ('91), and GI Joe's 'Eco-Warriors' line ('91) are notable examples.
Even massively popular series like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles got in on the craze, with toys like the 'Sewer Squirter' water gun, 'Oozey' cannon, 'Flushomatic', and 'Retromutagen Ooze' amongst many others.
Nickelodeon continued to capitalize on their association with slime from the original 'YCDTOT' days; incorporating it on shows like Double Dare (1986), and releasing Green Slime products in the mid 1980s, Gak in 1992, and Floam in 1994.
Taking a quick break; next up are more selections from the Golden Age of Ooze in the early & mid 1990s
Throughout the 90s, Nickelodeon applied the 'green slime' motif to their ever-growing line of '__ Blaster' electronics, software, and even computer accessories
And my favorite strange manifestation of this trend, edible slime/goo. It appeared often in 'Mad Scientist'-style toys in that era, eg. Doctor Dreadful. Honorable edi-goo mentions: Queasy Bake Cookerator, Nickelodeon Green Slime cereal (theme only), and their Green Slime Pops.
Near the end of my childhood memory of the Ooze Craze are the various TV, movie & book appearances of the style. Goosebumps (1992-) comes to mind; with blobs, goo, and ooze appearing on book covers, TV bumpers, and toy lines.
And no thread would be complete without the apex of gooey movie villainy, Ivan Ooze from 'Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers' (1995)
Some other items I didn't get to mention: this 'Guk' toy ('90), Lava Lamp Phone, a toxic-waste themed display for Urge soda, and slimey decor in the 'Wow Factory'.
Stay tuned for the full launch of our CARI site, which will provide full pages on each of the aesthetics we study!
Stay tuned for the full launch of our CARI site, which will provide full pages on each of the aesthetics we study!
