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toy gun: Bub-L-Rocket

Kenner1952

The Strong National Museum of Play

The Strong National Museum of Play
Rochester , United States

In 1940s, brothers Phil, Albert, and Joseph Steiner ran the Grandpa Soap Co., a soap, flavoring, and extract business with offices on Kenner Street, just north of Cincinnati Union Terminal, in Ohio. By 1947, the brothers formed Kenner Products and introduced the Bubbl-Matic Gun, a plastic gun that shot bubbles with every squeeze of its trigger. The company also sold the gun’s ammo, Bubbl-Tablets, which were tablets formed from bubble solution that dissolved in water. The Bubbl-Matic came packaged in boxes of soap and was well received by consumers. Kenner’s early bubble-based toys proved the root of their success. Other offerings included the Bubbl-Jet, Bubble Trumpet, and Bubbl-Matic, among others. Dealers of the Bub-L-Rocket were encouraged to display the instructions on their counters. The display included a note from Kenner's Captain Space--"Subject: Fueling and operating Capt. Space Bub-L-Rocket. I have designed my Bub-L-Rocket as a precision toy. I expect all my crew members to keep their equipment in perfect condition at all times. Follow these instructions!"

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  • Title: toy gun: Bub-L-Rocket
  • Creator: Kenner
  • Date Created: 1952
  • Subject Keywords: bubbles, space, gun
  • Type: Outdoor Play
  • Medium: molded plastic
The Strong National Museum of Play

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