A Very Silly Book
Yes, as I promised last week the identity of the silly little dolls having a picnic is revealed.
Psychedelic Fun: Upsy Downsy Land
They are from Upsy Downsy Land. The Upsys are smaller and live right side up. The Downsys are larger and live either way up — they are very good at standing on their hands. Upsy Downsy Land is a very happy friendly place to hang out.
I remember playing with these trippy tiny people when I was little, first you’d connect up all the maps you had and then they would drive and drive and drive around. Occasionally they’d stop for a sandwich or a swim or sometimes a nap. It was a pretty idyllic flat little world but there were hazards — like the time the wizzer (with doll attached) went screaming across the kitchen floor and smacked our Mother right in the ankle (oh the shouting, oh the temporary banishment to our room).
Two pieces of Happidiculous survived my childhood: a somewhat worn ladybug car and the tiny blue bucket from the firetruck (oh yeah, the firetruck was an elephant). Fortunately I’ve been able to reacquire a small group of dolls, vehicles and accessories (thank you ebay) over the last few years.
Sadly, they were only made for one year, 1969. Read more about them here. It would have been really wonderful fun to see what other sets might have been introduced if the line had lasted. Mine have been lobbying for a drive-in theater and a downtown shopping area — also much larger play maps with more landscape in proportion to road. Oh, and they are demanding a electric car recharger and solar power arrays. Ha!
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