Much of the time, our definition of pop culture involves something inescapable and omnipresent, either in our minds or in reality. But a lot of it comes from a past that is lying dormant in the back of our minds until someone reminds us that it existed. And it turns out it was all great. Plaid Stallions is a website that constantly jogs the memories of its readers, and for that, Brian Heiler, the site’s founder, is named the Pop Culture Hall of Fame’s Historian for 2025.
PlaidStallions.com focuses on the stuff that made being a kid in the 1960s and 1970s so awesome, particularly toys, but also the fashion and entertainment of the era. In fact, the name of the site comes from the clothes one might have seen in 1970s catalogs. “The term ‘Plaid Stallions’ came about when I was in high school,” Heiler explains on his site. ‘I have always been crazy about department store catalogs, and while my friend and I were poring through them, I ripped out a page of guys in plaid leisure suits and said, “Check out the Plaid Stallions!”
Sure, everyone who was a kid in the 1970s vividly remembers the Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle or Stretch Armstrong, but when was the last time you thought about the Strange Change machine? Or the Girder and Panel construction sets? Fans of such toys probably have some foggy memories of what these things looked like or how they worked. And then suddenly, Plaid Stallions brings them into focus.
Combine all that with images from the classic Sears and Penney catalogs, and you’re suddenly playing in the basement on a shag carpet floor.
Calling Heiler a “historian” might be kind of a stretch in a way here. Plaid Stallions does not attempt to extensively document any line of toys for posterity. They are more in the business of reminding readers of many of the cool things they forgot from their childhood.
On the other hand, Heiler has published a history called Rack Toys: Cheap Crazed Playthings. While it’s not a complete history of the genre, it does an admirably deep dive into the subject. Again, the goal isn’t to be authoritative, but instead jolting someone’s memory of a long-lost bit of childhood. Then again, his parents were distributors of such toys when he was a kid, so he really does know more about them than you do.
He also published “Knock-Offs: Totally Unauthorized Action Figures,” which he describes as “a love letter to bootleg toys and action figures.” A lot of those items could be lost to history as their origins are murky, and describing them accurately is hit or miss. At least they found an official home with Heiler.
Heiler says, “I’m obsessed with toys and kid culture at the time, referring to his 1970s childhood. “I also miss avocado green fridges, Saturday morning cartoons, and a whole bunch of other things associated with growing up.” He is busy making new memories as well, with his Captain Canuck and Brick Mantooth action figures, as well as his Toy Ventures magazine.
For reminding us of the good, the great, and the sometimes ironic/cringy stuff of memories, Brian Heiler and Plaid Stallions deserve to be remembered as the PCHOF Historian of the Year for 2025.
