Pound Puppy
After 20 years on an assembly line in Ohio, Mike Bowling knew that to get his plush-pet idea off the ground, he needed to produce a variety of animals that were easily manufactured. Instead of a unique, complicated design for each toy, he opted for standard features that varied only in color. Pound Puppies were officially created in 1984, and though they were eventually purchased by Tonka, Bowling's fledgling puppies had some appeal problems early on. Still, once the toys hit store shelves, they were a smash. Eventually, feline counterparts, Pound Pur-r-ries, were introduced and sold to (er, "adopted by") children whose heartstrings were pulled by the sight of the poor creatures sadly hanging their heads from a cardboard doghouse. How could any child resist?