| Version | Summary | Created by | Modification | Content Size | Created at | Operation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sirius Huang | -- | 1531 | 2022-11-29 01:39:58 |
Talkboy is a line of handheld voice recorder and sound novelty toys manufactured by Tiger Electronics (now owned by Hasbro) in the 1990s. The Talkboy was originally conceived as a cassette recorder and player prop for the 1992 film Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. At the request of director John Hughes and 20th Century Fox, Tiger designed and built the prop, and was given permission by the movie studio to sell a retail version of the toy. Two cassette recorders modeled after the film prop were released in 1992 and 1993, respectively. The original model did not have the variable-speed voice changer of the film version and sold only moderately during the 1992 holiday shopping season. In April 1993, Tiger released the Deluxe model, which added the voice-changing feature. Following the release of Home Alone 2 on home video in July with an insert advertising the Deluxe Talkboy, interest in the toy spiked. Retailers had severely underestimated demand, and as a result the Deluxe Talkboy was one of the most highly sought-after toys during the 1993 holiday shopping season, selling out of stores across the United States. A pink version of the cassette recorder called "Deluxe Talkgirl" was released in 1995. The success of the Talkboy cassette recorders spawned a product line of electronic toys. Tiger transitioned to digital recorders for subsequent devices, using solid-state storage and adding sound effects, beginning with "Talkboy/Talkgirl F/X+" pens in 1995, which sold more than a million units in 45 days.