Burt Meyer, the mastermind behind beloved toys such as Lite‑Brite, Rock “Em Sock “Em Robots, and a string of classic board games, died at 99 after a life of daring exploits and a passion for bringing smiles to kids around the world.
Though his name may not have been a household one, his creations have been a staple in countless homes for over six decades, lighting up game rooms and family gatherings alike.
Meyer’s spark for Rock “Em Sock “Em Robots originated in the early 1960s when he and his boss, Marvin Glass, spotted a coin‑operated arcade game that let players battle in a mock boxing ring. Inspired, Meyer sketched out the robot fighters. However, the death of real‑life boxer Davey Moore in 1963 prompted him to shift from human pugilists to robotic ones—termed the Red Rocker and Blue Bomber—to tone down the violence. The final product featured a miniature ring, dual joysticks, and a head‑spring that popped up when a jackhammer‑style punch landed on the opponent’s jaw.
Launched in 1964, the toy has stood the test of time, still being produced today. It earned a place as Time’s 49th greatest toy and made a cameo in Pixar’s “Toy Story 2.”
Meyer’s favorite brainchild, however, was Lite‑Brite. The idea struck when he watched a Manhattan building illuminated by thousands of tiny lights. The result was a set that lets users drive colored pegs into a grid covered with black paper, creating glittery light shows. Since its 1967 debut and licensing by Hasbro, the toy has sold over 20 million units, earned Time’s 55th spot on its all‑time list, and experienced a 600 percent sales surge after featuring prominently in two seasons of Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” which is set in the ’80s.
During his heyday in the 1960s, Meyer also helped birth the board game Mouse Trap, where players build a Rube Goldberg‑style machine to ensnare plastic rodents. Over the years, his designs found homes with major firms such as Ideal, Mattel, Hasbro, Parker Brothers, and Louis Marx & Company.
In the 1980s, Meyer split from Marvin Glass and founded Meyer/Glass Design. The firm rolled out hits like Pretty Pretty Princess, Catch Phrase, and the shockingly funny Gooey Louie, a game in which participants hunt for “boogers” stuck in the titular character’s oversized nose.
Born on April 18 1926 in Hinsdale, Illinois, to a pharmacist and a homemaker, Meyer served as an aircraft mechanic in the U.S. Navy for two years before earning a product design degree from West Georgia College and the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1952. An intrepid explorer, he flew single‑engine planes into his late 80s, rode a 45‑day solo bike bike trip from San Francisco to Charleston, dived in Fiji and the Solomon Islands, and trekked the North Pole for 12 days at 69.
Meyer is survived by his daughter Sheryl and sons Lee and Steve—his latter former president of Meyer/Glass—six grandchildren and six great‑grandchildren. His wife Marcia predeceased him in 2001.
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