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[ Retro Scan of the Week ] Meet Spikemaster

March 30th, 2009 by Benj Edwards

Spikemaster Surge Suppressor Ad - 1985I smell a potential children’s cartoon franchise.

I don’t know what’s more ridiculous: the fact that the Spikemaster surge suppressor has a humanoid superhero mascot with powers of unknown capacity, or the fact that the company producing the suppressor is named “Discwasher.”

Either way, I know what I’m dressing up as this Halloween.

[ From Popular Computing, February 1985 ]

Discussion topic of the week: What do you think Spikemaster’s superhero powers should be?

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This entry was posted on Monday, March 30th, 2009 at 11:49 am and is filed under Computer History, Humor, Regular Features, Retro Scan of the Week, Vintage Computing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

8 Responses to “[ Retro Scan of the Week ] Meet Spikemaster”

  1. JackSoar Says:
    March 30th, 2009 at 4:49 pm

    Oh, perhaps the power to stand at absurd, spine-breaking angles without becoming paralyzed?

  2. Fessic Says:
    March 31st, 2009 at 12:01 am

    Some kind of Super Dragon Punch capable of knocking out Conficker Botnets. Of course by day we’ll have to make him a mild mannered Geek Squad chap.

  3. Chris Says:
    March 31st, 2009 at 8:37 am

    Aw, poor Spikemaster, always falling down because one leg is deformed and half as long as the other one.

  4. pinball22 Says:
    March 31st, 2009 at 11:49 am

    Discwasher thought everything should be somethingmaster, apparently… they also made these joysticks:

    http://farm1.static.flickr.com/35/64644570_1e467e1f1d.jpg

  5. Geoff V. Says:
    April 1st, 2009 at 8:40 am

    I’d imagine walking would be rather painful for our oddly proportioned hero. His thigh armor looks like it would lacerate his mid-section with every step.

    I love the artistic style of the mid-eighties. The gleaming bluish steel reminds me of all the sci-fi books and movies of that generation. Artist Syd Mead (of Blade Runner, Star Trek(TMP), 2010, TRON, Short Circuit and Aliens) used the blue against red throughout the 80’s.

  6. Jim Ulrich Says:
    April 1st, 2009 at 1:26 pm

    Holy crap! They still make SpikeMaster products:

    http://www.spikemaster.net/

  7. Heather Says:
    April 1st, 2009 at 4:12 pm

    OMG! I remember this advertisement. Although, I don’t remember it being for a surge protector. Too funny!

  8. Benj Edwards Says:
    April 2nd, 2009 at 8:11 pm

    Wow, Jim. That’s an great find. I wonder when they ditched their Spikemaster mascot. 🙂

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