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Named after Spud Melin and Rich Knerr, creators of dozens of iconic American toys, Chuck Knerr named the company to honor his mentors and bring their brand of "Funomenal Fun" to a new generation.
It starts in a garage with our namesakes, Spud Melin and Rich Knerr.
Hear them tell their story in their own words. The Toy Industry Association asked Chuck to produce this video for Spud and Rich's induction into the TIA Hall of Fame.
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To help children better develop their God-given abilities by encouraging learning and imagination through physically active play.
Unleashing phenomenal properties of physics, we make toys that foster a sense of awe and wonder we call "Funomenal Fun." To make the fun sustainable, we strive to use the best materials and design to deliver heirloom quality and tons of fun for years to come.
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How many of these do you remember?
Watch the video to see some of the original TV commercials!
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"It was pipes and plywood and not ready for market." Chuck Knerr was a 5-year old test pilot. "Dad constantly warned me to not get tangled up in the steel legs. I'll never forget the exhilaration of spinning. Our patio was like Cape Canaveral!" But Spud and Rich had their hands full with Slip 'N Slide sweeping the country so they gave up! Chuck has finished Whirly•Go•Round 60 years later.
"Inventors brought Spud and Rich ideas because they were honest and their door was always open."
--Dick Gillespie, their employee for 31 years
Remember the first time you threw a Frisbee? Or running barefoot on the lawn, hurling yourself along a wet sheet of yellow called, Slip 'N Slide? Or dropped your first Super Ball?
I felt the same joy and wonder. Only difference was, my dad didn't bring those toys home from the store; he brought them home from the factory.
Toys Spud and Rich made were a special kind of fun. They harnessed phenomenal properties of physics to produce what I call, "Funomenal Fun." It's what makes a Hula Hoop defy gravity or a Frisbee float across the sky.
These kinds of behaviors defied expectations, invoking a kind of awe, even a thrill.
Describing the physics involved is dull compared to streaking across a Slip 'N Slide, feeling a Super Ball exploding skyward, or the exhiliration of spinning as fast and long as you like. It's Funomenal!
--CHUCK KNERR
Daily newspapers were like the Internet for previous generations. As a boy, Rich Knerr loved the "funny papers," as the comic section was called; especially the Sunday funnies. One Sunday, while Chuck was spread out on the floor with the Sunday comic section, Rich was inspired to create Giant Comics.
It's one and only addition is a collector's item and as large as a newspaper. Spud and Rich enlisted some of the most well known writers and pencillers who created original stories for the world's biggest comic book. This ad from its pages, illustrates their unique spirit of fun!
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