Upsy Downsy is a brand developed by Mattel. It concerns two races of strange beings, one that lives rightside-up (The Upsys), the other upside-down (The Downsys).[1] These psychedelic creatures and their fantasy world were featured in a short-lived line of colorful toys and story books for young children in 1970 (copyright in 1969).
The Toy Line
The toys were small plastic characters with fabric clothing and synthetic yarn hair, all in fantastic, garishly bright colors. Each came with a fold-out cardboard Playland mat, a "Magic Bridge Clip" to link one mat to another, some wild (and often quite fragile!) accessories, a mode of transportation, and a name that summed up their character in a few nonsensical words. All of the individual Playland mats were designed to be placed together using the Bridge Clips to make the "Happidiculous World" of The Upsys and Downsys. The Upsy figures were approximately 2-1/2" tall, basically humanoid in shape, with tiny bodies and huge oversized heads topped with a large bright yarn pompom for hair. The Downsys, on the other hand, were more cartoonish beings, about 4" in height with wild, goofy faces in the middle of a large, rounded body. Downsys' hands are positioned on the tops of their heads, to allow them to stand upside-down.
The Toys
Upsys
Like many things in Upsy Downsy Land, the gender of little Baby So-High, the infant pilot, appears a bit confused. In most instances, including all of the books and even the back of the toy's original packaging, Baby is referred to as a "she". But the bright billboard that came in that same package proclaims:
"Air Show Today! See Baby So-High Fly his Airo-Zoomer!" (emphasis added)
- #3825 Tickle Pinkle - The Upsy Beauty and her Bugabout Car
- #3826 Pudgy Fudgy - The Upsy Eat-Too-Mucher and her Piggybus
- #3827 Flossy Glossy - The Upsy Fire Chiefess and her Elewettrer Fire Engine
- #3828 Baby So-High - The Upsy Hero and her Airo-Zoomer Plane
Downsys
For reasons that remain unclear, the name of Miss Information's Round-Eared, Three-Wheeled, Orange and Turquoise Conveyance has been popularly misnamed by many sources as "Booth Moose". While most of the Upsy vehicles seem to have been based on a particular animal (Piggybus springs to mind), the Downsy rigs are not so designed or constrained. And seeing that The Miss Information Booth hasn't anything remotely resembling antlers, this writer cannot see the remotest basis for this incorrect name.
The Book Line
Eight of the main Upsy Downsy characters were spotlighted in a series of lush, colorful (and slightly psychedelic) Storybooks that chronicled their crazy adventures.
There was also a larger book, Welcome to Upsy Downsy Land, which introduced the Happidiculous World and its inhabitants as a whole.
This book told of the surreal origins of the Upsys and Downsys. They were once merely flowers, covering an entire world made of fuzzy dandelions. A sentient wind called The Great Huff passed by this world long ago, and, having his nose tickled by the dandelions, blew them all away. As the dandelions fell back to earth, some of them fell through a rainbow, and were magically changed into rightside-up beings known as Upsys. Other dandelions fell through a storm cloud, and became upside-down creatures called Downsys. The two factions, despite each being the others' polar opposite, got along famously, and developed their own little civilization, which came to be known as "Upsy Downsy Land".
The Storybooks
- "Welcome To Upsy Downsy Land"
- "Flossy Glossy and The Hard-to-find Fire"
- "Tickle Pinkle and The Beautiful Birthday Party"
- "Pudgy Fudgy and The Whirl-around Picnic"; For the second time in the storybook series, Pudgy Fudgy winds up commandeering the Furry Hurry Wiz-z-zer, whose actual corresponding Upsy, Hithery Thithery, is nowhere to be found. He DID make an unbilled, silent cameo in Flossy Glossy's book, which is the extent of the characterization that he ever received.
References
- Hollis, Tim. Christmas Wishes Stackpole Books, 2010^