On the schoolyard in the 1970s, a lunchbox was more than just something to hold your PB&J. It was your essence, your personality, your entire presentation. This was as important as a logo on a baseball cap or a sweatshirt. Strutting into school with a slick new box was one of the greatest feelings alive, especially if you had one of these classics.
Star Wars
In 1977, “Star Wars” changed everything about the world of sci-fi and movie-making, and the merch that succeeded the release was bountiful. No matter if your lunchbox was adorned with an X-Wing, Darth Vader, or the classic poster image, “Star Wars” lunchboxes were everything.
Charlie’s Angels
Ideally, you and some friends would roll into school, each with your different character-specific “Charlie’s Angels” lunchbox and strike a pose. If you don’t have that much time to coordinate, or if you just don’t have any coordination in general, a single lunchbox also does the trick.
The Six Million Dollar Man
While it was pretty sweet to show up with the Six Million Dollar Man on your lunchbox, it is a bit disappointing that these ones didn’t have any sort of gadgets or tech. Feels like a no-brainer that these lunchboxes should have been better, stronger, and faster.
Evel Knievel
Evel performed his final jump in 1975, but his legacy went far beyond that. If you were the one to pull out an Evel Knieval lunchbox, his big portrait grinning as he soars through the air, there was almost no difference between you two.
Planet of the Apes
The 1968 release of “Planet of the Apes” was a pretty big deal. For starters, they’re still making those suckers, with plenty more on the way. Secondly, it gave birth to a new line of lunchboxes, all of which landed you major props when you rolled into school with one.
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Scooby-Doo
“Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!” premiered in 1969, and by the 70s it was a full-blown hit. You could find tons of lunchboxes featuring Soob and the gang, from Mystery Machine-shaped boxes to scenes of our heroes getting spooked by spectres.
The Fonz
Stroll into school with a guy as rad as The Fonz from “Happy Days” on your lunchbox, and people are gonna recognize what’s going on. Two kings are in the building. Ayyy!!
Sigmund and the Sea Monsters
Of course, you remember the hit television program, “Sigmund and the Sea Monsters,” which ran from ‘72 to ‘75, right? The show about a sea monster named Sigmund who hid in two teenage boys’ clubhouse? The show that almost lost everything when a hot light fell and almost burned the whole set down? The show that had a title that implied the two teenagers that hung out with Sigmund were in fact the sea monsters? Well, for a brief, beautiful, three-year period in the 70s, you could grab yourself a Sigmund-themed lunchbox. And again in 2016.
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Emergency!
Starring Randolph Mantooth and Kevin Tighe, the TV show “Emergency!” (1972-1979) followed the crew of Los Angeles County Fire Department Station 51 on countless rescues. The fast-paced action undoubtedly inspired many future firefighters and paramedics, and a lunchbox was the best way to show off your future ambitions of bravery.
Superheroes
Classic. Timeless. Simple. Superman, Spider-Man, Batman, and the rest of the classics were well into the mainstream by now. The Avengers sold merch even back then.
Bobby Sherman
In the late 60s and early 70s, Bobby Sherman was a teen idol, famous for his song, “Little Woman.” If a lot of the boys were running around with Superman lunchboxes, you’d probably find ole’ Bobby Sherman in the hands of the girls.
Snoopy
Snoopy’s unique design and general outside-the-box thinking are really nice here, but I can’t help but wonder if that same ingenuity ultimately led to his downfall. How easy was it to fit this enormous, rounded lunchbox into a backpack? It looks like it wouldn’t be easy at all.
King Kong
What better way to show that you’re king of the school yard than with the king of the apes? As with all lunch sets, this was 100 times cooler if you had the matching thermos.
Buck Rogers
“Buck Rogers in the 25th Century” was a huge part of the sci-fi boom in the 70s, and the feature film that served as a pilot dropped in 1979.
Johnny Lightning
In 1969, a year after Hot Wheels first hit the scene, a competitor called Johnny Lightning pulled up. There were a slew of lunchboxes to match, but when you rolled in with Lightning instead of Wheels, you had a little bit more of that deep-cut edge.
Sports
Sports are about as classic as it gets. Whether you were repping your team or just a big NFL logo, there were lots of ways you could show some team pride.
Elvis
Want to prove you’re the king of the schoolyard? Easy. Be the king of the lunchboxes, by showing up with The King on your lunchbox.
