Coastin Carl
🥁 TOY SOLDIER Day ORIGIN & HISTORY
TOY SOLDIER Day is celebrated on the 4th Day in March which is a play on the words “March Fourth OR March Forth”.
The Army of Toy Soldiers originally started as the fan club of a talented street performer, musician, and internet personality known as Dr. Steel. Dr. Steel started his career in 1999 in Los Angeles, where he put on shows combining puppetry and video projections to help his audience better understand the meanings of his steampunk songs.
Later on, Dr. Steel moved on to performing in clubs and also released several CDs. Dr. Steel’s stage persona was very original—he portrayed himself as a mad scientist determined to take over the world and become its Emperor, which was also the reason why he needed The Army of Toy Soldiers.
The Army’s mission is to promote Dr. Steel’s philosophy of transhumanism, freedom of thought, and subjective reality, which can be done by the so-called “invasions” it sometimes makes—it is not uncommon for groups of these toy soldiers to “invade” theme parks around the world dressed in their full regalia. Toy Soldiers are also famous for doing charity work in uniform, such as clothing and toy drives for the less fortunate.
🎖️ HOW to Celebrate & Observe TOY SOLDIER Day?
Not sure how to LOVE the day? We’ve got a few interesting ideas to consider that may help get you started.
Here are some activities that you can do on TOY SOLDIER Day!
💙 PRETEND
Get out your old toy soldiers when you were a child. Or perhaps pick up a newer set of toy soldiers for your kids. Do you remember playing with yours? They could have been “little green army men” or perhaps G.I. Joes or some other action figure altogether. It’s not something that’s really popular when you get grown but it sure was fun to play war when you were a kid though … and shoot lasers … or shoot bang spit 🙂
💙 LISTEN
Listen to Doctor Steele’s music or watch a video of one of his band’s street performances.
💙 RAISE Social Awareness
Use social media posts with the hashtags #ToySoldierDay, #GIJoe, #ToySoldiers, #ArmyMen, #DoctorSteele, #FunHolidays, #MarchHolidays, #Holiday, #FindADayToLOVE, #iHEARTdays to support the importance of celebrating, promoting, and sharing with the world why you ❤️ TOY SOLDIER Day.
WATCH Sarge and his TOY SOLDIER ARMY on a mission
CLASSIC CLIP FROM THE ORIGINAL TOY STORY
DOCTOR STEEL: TOY SOLDIERS UNITE
TEN Fun Facts you never knew about TOY SOLDIER Day
- Toy soldiers come in different scales. Common scales include 54mm (about 2 inches) which is 1/32 scale for collectors and around 1.5 inches tall in 1/72 scale used for dioramas.
- Toy soldiers have a long history, dating back to ancient times. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans are known to have had miniature soldiers made from materials like silver, porcelain, wood, and clay.
- Some well-known toy soldier manufacturers include William Britain, who produced lead soldiers in the 19th century, and companies like Marx and Timpo, which became prominent in the mid-20th century.
- A toy soldier set contains four types of regiments including Soldiers, Scouts, Engineers, and Nurses. And there are no lieutenants or sergeants; all the toy soldiers have equal rank.
- In the 18th and 19th centuries, toy soldiers were often made of lead. These figures were beautifully detailed but posed a health risk due to the toxicity of lead.
- Tin became a popular material for toy soldiers in the 19th century. Tin soldiers were lighter and less expensive than lead ones.
- Doctor Steel was a prominent figure in the steampunk subculture, which combines elements of science fiction, fantasy, and Victorian-era aesthetics. His music often featured themes of retro-futurism and alternate history.
- Steel was not only a musician but also a puppeteer, filmmaker, and visual artist. He created a multimedia experience that combined music with elaborate costumes, puppets, and props.
- Doctor Steel referred to his fans as “Toy Soldiers” and encouraged them to embrace creativity, individuality, and playfulness. He envisioned his fans as part of a global movement to spread joy and imagination.
- In 2011, Doctor Steel suddenly disappeared from the public eye, leaving many fans wondering what had happened to him. While some speculated that it was part of his performance art, others hoped for his eventual return.
