The 1980s

There weren't a lot of Yetis in the Eighties. 

Maybe because my childhood spans the decade, I associate the '80s first-and-foremost with Saturday morning cartoons. They were a pretty big deal growing up. And that seems to be where Yeti made most of his appearances.   Some notable favorites of the period featured cameos: The Smurfs, Thundercats, Dungeons & Dragons, Jem and the Holograms, Ewoks, DuckTales, Count Duckula.  He'd made a splash in comics during the 1970's and we can see this trend continuing in the first part of the '80s.  He also got his own Choose Your Own Adventure book.  And this is the first time he shows up in the burgeoning world of video games.  His first role was in Alpiner for the TI-99/4A, and it's not an auspicious start.  But by the end of the decade, he was playing the part of baddie in Wizardry V and Final Fantasy II, a marked improvement.

I can't help but mention a certain Elephant in the Room, or should I say Wampa in the Cave.  In 1980, The Empire Strikes Back introduced the Wampa to the world.  I have dubbed it an honorary Yeti and included it in the time line because it's clearly had a significant influence on the Yeti depictions that came after. This is probably the first Yeti-like creature with horns, and nowadays we see that characteristic all the time.  Star Wars is HUGE, an unstoppable pop-cultural force.  And a Star Wars Yeti makes a pretty big RARR throughout the yeti-sphere.

1980    Empire Strikes Back (film)
1981    Alpiner (game)
1981    The Smurfs (animation)
1981    Batman (comic)
1981    Caveman (film)
1981    Richie Rich (comic) [Not pictured]
1982    Creepshow (film) [Not pictured]
1982    Conan Savage Sword (comic)
1982    Choose Your Own Adventure: Abominable Snowman [Not pictured]
1983    Bigfoot (game)
1983    Spike's Peak (game)
1983    Master of Kung Fu (comic)
1983    King Conan 15 (comic)
1984    Dungeons & Dragons (cartoon)
1984    Yeti (game)
1985    Thundercats (animation)
1985    He-Man & She-Ra: A Christmas Special (animation)

1985    Ice Climber (game)
1986    Ewoks (animation)
1986    King's Quest III: To Heir Is Human (game)
1986    Dragon Quest (game)
1986    Gatchaman/G-Force (animation) [Not pictured]
1986    Frost Byte (game)
1986    Dragon (magazine cover)
1986    Badger (comic)
1987    Family Ties Christmas Special (television)
1987    Jem and the Holograms (animation)
1987    DuckTales (animation)

1987    Wonderboy in Monster Land (game)
1987    Cave of the Ice Ape (game)
1988    Dinosaucers (animation)
1988    Wizardy V Heart of the Maelstrom (game)
1988    Final Fantasy II (game)
1989    Paddington Bear (animation)
1989    Cheerios commercial (ad)
1989    Count Duckula (animation)

On to the Nineties...