​When you think about slide projectors, chances are you either recall memories of excruciating family photos or that really neat ad presentation Don Draper did that one time for Kodak. If either is the case with you, then you probably missed out on much of the wonderful world of slide projector toys. From the 1960s to the 1980s, Kenner released a ton of these things under such names a See-A-Show, Screen-A-Show, Give-A-Show, the Talking Show Projector, etc. Although the branding may have been different, each of the items essentially was a miniature projector that came packaged with a large variety of slides featuring complete stories from several popular properties of the time. These toys were a fun, lawsuit-free place where Popeye could rub elbows with the Flintstones or Mister Spock with Archie. Meanwhile, over in the UK, the Chad Valley company was also offering their own sets using the same low-fi technology (i.e. slides lit by a flashlight battery that could be projected onto any flat surface). Highlighted by psychedelic art, these tended to showcase popular UK shows like Doctor Who. But both Chad Valley and Kenner's slide projectors made pop culture available to kids in an era before home video was commonplace.

Yet just as video killed the radio star, it also decimated the Give-A-Show projector industry. After all, why would kids watch drawings of cartoon characters when they could catch the real thing anytime they liked? Seemingly overnight a 30-year toy industry staple became obsolete and largely forgotten. One person who still remembers is Jon B. Knutson, who has meticulously scanned hundreds of old sets from Kenner and Chad Valley through his Give-A-Show Blog and his YouTube page. For collectors who love this stuff, Knutson is doing invaluable work. Those of you who fondly remember sitting on your rec room floor making your own picture shows will find today's list of the 10 greatest slide projector character sets to be a welcome trip down memory lane. As for everyone else, here's a terrifying glimpse at what life was like before VCRs.

10) Archie

What year was it released? 1972.
What slide projector was it released for? Kenner's Screen-A-Show projector, a nifty little device that packed the slides in self-contained cassettes that could be manually advanced. It came with its own detachable screen that allowed the images to be beamed onto other surfaces. The particular set this one came with also included Josie and the Pussycats and Sabrina the Teenage Witch cassettes -- resulting in a hat trick of Archie awesomeness.
Why is it so great? Readers of Life with Archie who are confused by Hiram Lodge's wicked personality traits in the magazine may take some comfort in the fact that he was an evil jerk back in the 1970s, too. After discovering that his company is polluting Riverdale's water supply, a nonplussed Mr. Lodge continues his day of golf as if he wasn't slaughtering innocent wildlife. Then an oil-covered duck flies into his face and knocks him on his ass. In the world of Screen-A-Show adventures, karmic retribution is swift.

9) Scooby-Doo

What year was it released?This particular example was available in 1983, but Scooby-themed adventures were a mainstay of Kenner's various projector toys throughout the years.
What slide projector was it released for?Kenner's Discovery Time Give-A-Show Projector.
Why is it so great? Scrappy-Doo is the cartoon dog equivalent of cholera. Nobody wants him around. So to have him turn up as he does here and not completely ruin the fun makes this an especially worthy outing for the Mystery Incorporated gang. In many ways, this adventure is the perfect primer for anyone unfamiliar with what makes the whole Scooby-Doo phenomenon so great in the first place. Here's what we learn in a mere seven panels: Shaggy loves food, he's a tremendous coward and his friends enjoy fucking with him. That about sums it up. Eddie Izzard has a great bit in his Dressed to Kill concert special about how Scoob and company are amongst the finest characters in the history of pop culture. This entry kind of reaffirms that assessment, wouldn't you agree?

8) Land of the Lost

What year was it released? 1975.
What slide projector was it released for? Kenner's Give-A-Show Projector.
Why is it so great? Duh. Because it brought Marshall, Will and Holly into your living rooms! Land of the Lost was the most coherent of the various Sid and Marty Krofft shows. It was full of creatures like the still cool-looking Sleestaks and excitement that sent 7-year-old minds into overdrive. Some of the show's episodes, like the paradoxical mindfuck "Circle," remain genuinely fun today. This toy may seem cheesy from a jaded 2012 point-of-view, but to recreate the show's goofy fun anytime was a welcome thing for kids of the 1970s.

7) Planet of the Apes

What year was it released? 1975.
What slide projector was it released for? Chad Valley's awesomely named (and oh-so-British) Sliderama projector.
Why is it so great? The only downside to last year's Rise of the Planet of the Apes is that the film's release didn't have a corresponding merchandising blitz. There were no action figures, Shrinky Dinks or fast food tie-ins. Boo. In fact, the movie seemed more interested in getting Andy Serkis an Oscar nod for his impressive mocap work than soiling its good name with dubious spin-off products. You may see this as a positive thing, but personally, I can never have enough monkey nonsense in my life. Which is probably the main reason I appreciate this entry so much. Each of the set's 224 slides is packed with more color and excitement than the lackluster TV series on which it was based (with apologies to the James Naughton fans amongst you). The various toy slide projectors I'm celebrating here today are niche collectibles, as are items based on the Apes TV show. So to have a product like this one that is a niche within a niche creates the sort of toy euphoria that collectors dream about. In the end, drink and drugs won't be my downfall, but obscure plastic wonders like this set might very well be. Damn it all to hell indeed.

6) The Black Hole

What year was it released? 1980.
What slide projector was it released for? This was a Chad Valley movie-specific projector set that told the film's story in 120 slides. Taking you to hell and back, soiling your pants along the way.
Why is it so great? The Black Hole is a weird little movie that kicked off Disney's experimental period that culminated in the release of Tron in 1982. Tonally, the movie shifts from cutesy robot antics to a nightmare-inducing finale. Even if you dismiss it as being an inconsequential hodgepodge of elements from 2001: A Space Odyssey and Star Wars, you've got to admit that it has some pretty subversive moments for a Disney flick. Fittingly, some of the tie-in products were also pretty strange. Want an example? Jump to 4:41 in the above video of the Chad Valley Black Hole projector set and you'll see that the toy ranks alongside of the Dune coloring book in terms of inappropriateness for young audiences.