Super Jock Toys made for great weapons of war
Super Jock Toys were a line of toys made by Schaper starting in the seventies. Super Jocks were sports-based, hence the use of “Jock”. Each play set consisted of action figures playing sports including basketball, hockey, baseball, football, and soccer. To play with them, you would press down on the toy’s head. This caused your Super Jock to either kick/throw/hit a ball or puck.
Before the ubiquity of video and electronic games, Super Jock Toys were a great way to play versions of your favorite sports. My cousin was a collector of them. We spent many a rainy afternoon in his basement playing Super Jocks basketball and football. We also figured out another fun aspect of Super Jock Toys. They made for wonderful weapons of war.
We mostly used them with Star Wars figures, which we would set up among based made from wooden blocks. Then we would measure out a few feet, put Super Jock football player down, and start plugging away.
The first person to knock down all the other player’s figures would be the winner. The challenge was heightened by the player having to move the Super Jock further and further away with each attack. Kids are wonderfully imaginative. Especially when it comes to making a toy more destructive.
Launched by Schaper in 1976, Super Jock toys peaked in popularity by 1978. By the early Eighties, they were already becoming only a memory for most kids.