Upsy Downsy

Introduced by Mattel Toys in 1969, Upsy Downsys were a collection of psychedelic plastic figures in garishly bright colours with yarn hairdos.

Each character came with their own radical custom vehicle (such as the Airo-Zoomer plane and the Bugabout car) and a fold-out 8¼ x 11½” cardboard Playland mat.

The mats could be linked together with a “Magic Bridge Clip” to make the “Happidiculous World” of The Upsys and Downsys.

There were two distinct breeds of Upsy Downsy – those who lived right-side-up (the ‘Upsys’, who were slightly over 2″ tall) and those who were upside-down (the ‘Downsys’ who were about 4″ in height).

The Upsys were: Baby So-High, the Upsy Hero who flew in her Airo-Zoomer plane; Flossy Glossy, the fire chiefess who had an elephant-shaped fire engine called the “Elewetter”; Tickle Pinkle, the Upsy beauty who drove her Bugabout car; and Pudgy-Fudgy, the Upsy Eat-too-mucher, who travelled in her (insensitively-named) Piggybus.

Two supplementary Upsys – Foozie Woozie and Tingle Dingle – were supplied with the Happy-Go-Round accessory.

The Downsys were: Downy Dilly, a mischief-maker who travelled in her Footmobile; Mother What Now, a “Frazzled Mom™” and her Go-Getter car; Pocus Hocus, a mixed-up magician who had a vehicle called the Dragon Wagon; and Miss Information, the “Opposite Directions Teller” who got about in her mobile Miss Information Booth (pictured below).

Mattel also released a pair of Upsy Downsy Wizzzers (gyro-powered toy tops that spun crazily when their tips were wound) – Hithery Thithery and Skelter Helter, who rode on spinning Wizzzers named Furry Hurry and Hairy Hurry – and a series of eight books about the characters and their adventures – such as “Flossy Glossy and the Hard-to-Find Fire,” “Pocus Hocus and The Magic House Tree” and “Baby So-High and The Just-Right Pet”.