It's hard to express the creative urges that were kindled in me while I was playing with these Colorforms... I LOVED them. It's safe to say that this toy was one of the earliest catalysts for my love for art and (ab)using my imagination. I think I must have gotten the Colorforms from my parents as a Christmas present. I just remember that from the moment I saw the artwork on the box, I was hooked. The famous characters of horror, the colors, the detail, the haunted house / laboratory, and of course the personal customization of 1,000,00 scenes, it was truly an inspired gift.
Playing with the Colorforms is the first time I remember getting that frustrating creative dilemma... That deep desire to create something grand, something which is beyond my capacity to imagine, and needless to say beyond my artistic technical ability. This reminds me of an old Batman comic book, in which the Joker acquired from the Shaper of Worlds, the unlimited ability to create anything his mind could conceive.... But instead of building a universe to his tastes, the possibilities drove the Joker insane and put him in the mental asylum. I was actually getting those frustrated feelings today (thus prompting me to look up Colorforms on the internet). The Colorforms introduced me to the joy of arranging things in space, which eventually lead to my certain tastes in video games, and even in how I imagine scenes when I was drawing comic strips.
I remember wearing out the vinyl stickers until they would no longer cling to the board, and I'm sure that this wonderful toy ended up in a landfill somewhere. Aaaargh!
I don't recall ever having another set of Colorforms as a kid, which is kind of odd, given how much I enjoyed this one. This is the second time that I've seen this item for sale on Ebay. Maybe I should put in a bid for it, although this particular set is missing pieces and is banged up a bit.
Today, I often like to tell an expectant mother that one of the great joys of having a kid, must be exposing that child to things which will spark his / her imagination and perhaps set him / her on a path of exciting self discovery. I don't have kids, as I'm still trying to corral the one that's inside me. That little guy is still playing with his Colorforms and occasionally peeing on my sense of mature responsibility.
No comments:
Post a Comment