Kenner – Q*bert Plush

Character Name: Q*bert
Series Name: Q*bert
Game: Q*bert
Company: Kenner
Year: 1983

This Q*bert plush came in two sizes, 12 inches and 8 inches, and this is the smaller 8 inch version. There’s a little ball in his nose that makes a squeaking sound if you squeeze it. On top of his head is a little elastic loop, presumably so that you can make him hop around.

Due to its age, I don’t have any photos of this one in the wild, but we can look back to period advertisements and articles to get a better idea of the Q*bert merchandise landscape of 1983. Archived by Pong Picture Page, we have an image of the Q*bert plush display box, as well as an advertisement from Kenner in Toy & Hobby World magazine showcasing the Q*bert plush as well as their wind-up toy, small figures, and Play-Doh set.

Image source: Pong Picture Page

Image source: Toy & Hobby World magazine, Pong Picture Page

And finally, here’s an article by Susan Cooke from the November 1983 issue of Electronic Games (Volume 2, Number 8) exploring an even wider array of Q*bert merchandise, archived by the Video Game History Foundation.

Image source: Electronic Games magazine, Video Game History Foundation Digital Archive