Tonka facts for kids
 |
|
|
Formerly
|
|
|---|---|
| Joint venture | |
| Fate | Acquired by Hasbro in 1991, becoming a brand of it |
| Founded | June 22, 1946 in Mound, Minnesota |
| Founder |
|
| Headquarters | , |
|
Key people
|
Russell L. Wenkstern |
| Products | Toys and games |
| Owner |
|
| Subsidiaries |
|
Tonka is a well-known American brand that makes toy trucks. The company is famous for its strong, steel toy models of construction vehicles and other machinery. Today, another company called Maisto International, which makes small metal toy cars, uses the Tonka name for its own line of toy trucks.
Contents
History of Tonka
Tonka started in 1946 in Mound, Minnesota. It was first called "Mound Metalcraft" and made tools for gardening. Three friends, Lynn Everett Baker, Avery F. Crounse, and Alvin F. Tesch, started the company. They worked in an old schoolhouse.
The company that used the building before them, Streater Company, had made some toy trucks. The owners of Streater Company were not interested in making toys anymore. So, they offered the toy designs to Mound Metalcraft. The three friends thought making toys could be a good side business.
Alvin Tesch improved the toy truck designs. A new logo was created by Erling Eklof. Soon, selling metal toys became the main business for the company. The logo was based on a drawing by Donald B. Olson, who later became a chief engineer for the company. The word tanka in the logo comes from the Dakota language. It means "great" or "big."
In November 1955, Mound Metalcraft changed its name to "Tonka Toys Incorporated." From 1947 to 1957, their logo was an oval. It showed the Tonka Toys name in red, with blue ocean waves and seagulls. This was a nod to nearby Lake Minnetonka.
The logo changed a few times over the years. From 1958 to 1961, it no longer had seagulls. The colors also changed to white, grey, and red. In 1963, the colors became red and gold. By 1978, the oval was removed, and the company just used the name Tonka on its toys.
In 1964, Tonka bought a company called Mell Manufacturing Company. This allowed Tonka to make barbecue grills, which they sold as Tonka Firebowl.
In 1987, Tonka bought another big toy company called Kenner Parker. This purchase cost a lot of money. Because of this, Tonka itself needed to find a buyer. In 1991, a company called Hasbro bought Tonka. Tonka's main office moved from Minnesota to Hasbro's location in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
Later, in 1998, Hasbro made a deal with Funrise Toys. Funrise Toys started making and selling Tonka trucks. These new trucks sometimes had lights and sounds. This agreement ended in 2020. Now, Basic Fun! makes Tonka toys. Basic Fun! also makes other popular toys like Care Bears and My Little Pony.
What Tonka Makes
Tonka has made many different kinds of toys. Besides trucks, they have made dolls like Star Fairies and Maple Town. They also made toys for girls like Keypers. For boys, they made toys like Gobots and Rock Lords. Tonka was also the first company to make the popular Pound Puppies toys.
Tonka also got into making video games. They released games like Tonka Raceway. They even sold the Sega Master System game console for a while. However, Tonka was not very experienced with video games. So, the Master System did not sell well for them.
In 2001, Tonka trucks were added to the National Toy Hall of Fame. This is a special place that honors famous toys. There is also a museum in Winifred, Montana, that has over 3,000 Tonka toys! In 2002, Ford even worked with Tonka to create a special concept truck called the Mighty F-350.
Tonka in Movies and Games
Tonka toys have also appeared in video games and TV shows.
Video Games
Thirteen video games based on Tonka toys were released between 1996 and 2006.
| Game Title | Release Date | Developer | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tonka Construction | August 20, 1996 | Vortex Media Arts | Hasbro Interactive |
| Tonka Search & Rescue | October 15, 1997 | Media Station | |
| Tonka Garage | April 7, 1998 | ||
| Tonka Construction 2 | October 2, 1999 | ImaginEngine Magellan Interactive |
|
| Tonka Raceway | December 6, 1999 | Media Station | |
| Tonka Space Station | November 6, 2000 | Data Design Interactive |
|
| Tonka Monster Trucks | September 25, 2001 | Data Design Interactive | Infogrames Interactive |
| Tonka Search & Rescue 2 | November 15, 2002 | Artech Studios | |
| Tonka Construction Site | May 30, 2002 | Cosmigo | TDK Mediactive |
| Tonka Town | Late 2003 | ImaginEngine | Atari Interactive |
| Tonka: Rescue Patrol | November 18, 2003 | Lucky Chicken Games | TDK Mediactive |
| Tonka Firefighter | February 27, 2004 | Boston Animation, Inc. | Atari Interactive |
| Tonka: On the Job | November 15, 2006 | Webfoot Technologies | THQ |
TV Shows
| Title | Premiere date | End date | Network | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Challenge of the GoBots | September 8, 1984 | 1985 | First-run syndication | co-production with Hanna-Barbera Productions |
| Pound Puppies | September 13, 1986 | December 19, 1987 | ABC |
TV Movies and Specials
| Title | Premiere date | Network | Co-production with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Star Fairies | October 26, 1985 | Syndication | Hanna-Barbera Productions |
| Pound Puppies | ABC |
Films
| # | Title | Release date | Co-production with |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords | March 21, 1986 | Hanna-Barbera Productions and Clubhouse Pictures |
| 2 | Pound Puppies and the Legend of Big Paw | March 18, 1988 | Tristar Pictures, Carolco Pictures, Atlantic/Kushner-Locke, The Maltese Companies, Cuckoo's Nest Studio, and Wang Film Productions |
| 3 | Tonka Tough Truck Adventures: The Biggest Show on Wheels! (Direct-to-Video; CGI) | September 28, 2004 | Hasbro Studios, SD Entertainment, and Paramount Home Entertainment |
In 2012, there were plans to make an animated movie based on the Tonka trucks. It was going to be made by Sony Pictures Animation and Hasbro Studios.
