Transcience Corporation (1970s)

Transcience Corporation

Originally established in New York on February 11, 1970, Transcience Corporation became Harold Braunhut’s new company and legal entity under which Sea-Monkeys & Harold’s other novelty products would continue to be produced and sold.

This decade saw more changes in the brand’s identity and product design. With a big ad presence in comic books, expansion in their retail presence and international markets, this decade boosted Sea-Monkeys to the iconic & nostalgic brand that it is to this day.

To this day, Transcience remains the rightful owner of Sea-Monkeys® & related brands.

3 Big Kits In One

Kit 800 – “The Wonderful World of Amazing Live Sea-Monkeys®”

The 3 Big Kits In One was a large retail box hobby kit introduced in the early 1970s, which provided a wide selection of supplies for the Sea-Monkeys hatching & care experience. This product remained in production well into the 1980s. The artwork on the box was done by illustrator Joe Orlando.

The “3 big kits” included were divided as follows:

Kit One: Water Purifier (Packet 1), Instant Life (Packet 2) & Living Plasma (Packet 3 at the time).

Kit Two: Sea-Monkey® Super Food packet, Red-Magic Sea-Monkey® Vitamins packet & the It’s Fun to Raise PET SEA-MONKEYS® handbook.

Kit Three: “Micro-Vue” Ocean-Zoo Aquarium, Aerating Ring, Stereo-Vue Cover, Vented Sea-Monkey® Feeding Cap & a Sea-Vac.

In the early years, the Ocean-Zoo aquarium having a cover was not the default, and instead it was a separate accessory. The “Cover Assembly”, item №52 in the Sea-Monkey Parts & Accessory list at the time, consisted of the outer “Aerating Ring” featuring a battlement design, and the Stereo-Vue Cover with a removable vented Sea-Monkey® feeding cap, which one could place in the “Aerating Ring.”

As Sea-Monkeys products evolved, so did the Ocean-Zoo cover, which has seen various iterations throughout the years depending on the licensee and kit design. The closed, single-piece “Aero-vent” cover we have to this day has been the standard for many years.

Sea-Monkey® Hobby Center

Kit 600

The Sea-Monkey Hobby Center was the smaller, trimmed-down counterpart of the “3 Big Kits in One.” Like its larger counterpart, this kit remained in production until the 1980s and also features the artwork done by Joe Orlando, framed by a porthole.

This kit included a Micro-Vue Ocean-Zoo, a copy of the It’s Fun to Raise PET SEA-MONKEYS® handbook, Water Purifier (Packet 1), Instant Life (Packet 2), Living Plasma (Packet 3 ) & a Sea-Monkey Growth Food packet.

Sea-Monkeys® Racetracks & Speedways

LIVE PETS Vs. People

Filed in 1973 and with the patent granted in 1975, this decade saw the introduction of the Aquatic Speedway, a Sea-Monkey racetrack to put your pet’s “racing” abilities to the test. The initial line of this product consisted of four different themed kits: Speedway, Ski-Trials, Cycle-Race, and Fox Hunt. Each game kit had its own themed box, themed game board, uniquely colored racetracks, and additional supplements for its gameplay.

That initial line of four themed kits had a short lifespan in the retail market, and by the late 1970s, this Sea-Monkey racing product was reworked into two smaller condensed versions, which only included one racetrack and a small selection of supplements. Using Speedway’s artwork, we got Sea-Monkey Racetrack I, and using Cycle-Race’s artwork, we got Sea-Monkey Racetrack II.

Sea-Monkey® Racing Fuel

The Sea-Monkey® racing kits included a unique packet called “Sea-Monkey® Racing Fuel,” which came in four different colours to match the themed kit it was included in. This “fuel” consisted of salt and dye, which allegedly helped Sea-Monkeys swim better.

With a copyright of 1975, the back of the packet read as follows:

“When mixed with one quart of water, this powder provides an ideal fluid for all Sea-Monkey races, games and sports. The color of the Fuel Can on the front is the color of the “fuel”. Harmless to Sea-Monkeys and the plastic playing tracks, it helps them to swim faster than with ordinary water. May be re-used many times until no longer clean.”

The back also identifies this packet as being item № 70, and had a price of 0.50 cents. This packet was never listed in the parts & supplies section of the Sea-Monkey handbook. Instead, in the parts & supplies list, item № 70 corresponded to the “Oxy-Mist” air pump, thus creating a conflict in the numbering.

Digital recreation.

Super Sea-Monkeys® Ocean-Zoo

During the mid-1970s, the Sea-Monkeys ads seen primarily in comic books started focusing on the new “hybrid” Super Sea-Monkeys, and by the end of this decade we saw the introduction of the Super Sea-Monkeys Ocean-Zoo.

To make better use of retail shelf space, this product introduced a more efficient packaging solution by putting the necessary supplies inside the Ocean-Zoo aquarium. With this product, we also saw the introduction of one of the earliest inserts, which, like previous products, featured Joe Orlando’s artwork.

Executive
Sea-Monkeys®

Kit 900

As made clear by the product name, the Executive Sea-Monkeys was a kit targeted towards a more mature audience for a professional business environment. This initial kit featured a black Ocean-Zoo with a golden colored lid.

The Executive Sea-Monkeys product line ended up receiving various iterations from Transcience and a kit produced by Educational Insights.

Instant Life® Kits

In the 1970s, Instant Life kits saw a slew of different configurations and variants, mostly due to the various design changes the packets saw during this decade.

Three-pouch variant with Ben Harvey’s art. In another known configuration, only the Purifier and Eggs were included, with the middle slot including a magnifying glass. Another known narrower packaging consisted of only two pouches.

Three-pouch variant with Joe Orlando’s art, and a noticeable differece in the brand’s identity.

The Miracle of Instant Life®

In the mid-1970s, the box packaging from the Instant Life kit introduced in the late 1960s received an updated version, with changes to some of its visual elements and information. On the front, one immediately noticeable difference was the change of the word “Create” to “The Miracle of” above the Instant Life branding. The back, which used to feature illustrations of the old pouches, was replaced with large numbers representing the “easy” three-step process for “Instant Life.”

Like its predecessor, its design served as inspiration for a spiritual successor released in 2022 by Transcience, and for the Classic Sea-Monkeys Retro Instant Life kit produced by Dragon-i Toys in 2024 for a wider retail market.

"Port-A-Pet" Pocket Play Aquarium

The Port-A-Pet was a glass vial with a metal clip in which one could place Sea-Monkeys and carry them around in one’s pocket.

The Port-A-Pet trademark was subsequently used during the Educational Insights years for similar portable products.

Sea-Bubble

Released circa 1979, the Sea-Bubble was a cheaper replacement for the Sea-Gem introduced back in the late 1960s. While its predecessor consisted of a glass bubble and a gold chain, this version consisted of a plastic bubble & gold colored cord. Like its predecessor, the intended use of this item was to wear your Sea-Monkeys around one’s neck as a fashion accessory.

In the early 2000s, during the Educational Insights & Big Time Toys day, the Sea-Bubble trademark was brought back for a plastic bubble keychain accessory.

Handbook

In the 1970s, the handbook received an overhaul and saw two variations released that decade. The first variation published consists of the minimalistic waves design on the cover. The following edition features Joe Orlando’s iconic artwork of frolicking Sea-Monkeys, the same art that was used on the big boxed kits.

Packets

During the 1970s, the primary Sea-Monkey packets underwent various changes in their visual identity, and the consumer saw an expansion in the supplementary packets available to broaden one’s experience while raising Sea-Monkeys.

Primary Packets

Circa 1978 we saw the introduction of the packets with the large number design, which have since become the standard design for the primary packets.

Circa this time, we also saw the introduction of “Plasma II”; while similar in name, this was its own separate packet from the “Living Plasma” and was intended for one-time use close to the preparation of a new tank.

Supplementary Packets

New and pre-existing supplementary packets also received artwork by Joe Orlando.

Item № 68 – “SEA-MEDIC” Sea-Monkey® MEDICINE

Item № 75 – “GRO-KWIKLY” Growth Stimulator

Item № 84 - “CUPID’S ARROW” Mating Powder — Item № 84 – “CUPID’S ARROW” Mating Powder

Item № 98 – “RED MAGIC” Sea-Monkey® VITAMINS

Sea-Monkey® Sea Diamonds

Gimmicky in nature, Sea-Diamonds was a peculiar packet introduced in the 1970s that consisted of bits of plastic made from the same material as the Ocean-Zoo. One would pour these “diamonds” in the aquarium so your Sea-Monkeys could “play” with them.

Sea-Monkey® Jumbo Living Plasma

Item № 23

Intended to be mixed with a quart of water, the Jumbo Living Plasma, which had already been introduced some years prior, was also updated with the same art as its smaller counterpart.

In addition to replenishing the evaporated water on an existing Sea-Monkey® aquarium, this larger packet also served as an option for those wanting to create a larger volume Sea-Monkey® aquarium.

At a price of one US dollar, this item remained in stock and purchasable via the handbook order form all the way into the early 2000s.

With a copyright of 1972, the back of the packet read as follows:

“Dissolve powder in one quart of plain water. Store in clean jar or bottle. Living Plasma is an artificial ocean that replaces the used-up elements in Sea-Monkey water, needed for long life. Add some “Plasma” every 4th time you replace evaporated water, or as needed, and aerate the water by pouring it back and forth 12 times (with the Sea-Monkeys) from one container to another from a height of 6 inches. (Sea-Monkeys love the “ride” and won’t get hurt).”