by Remco
In 1968 Remco released a unique and fun to play with toy called Tricky Doodle Duck. Tricky Doodle Duck came with a “magic Duck Whistle” that when blown into, would make the duck magically waddle towards you. As he waddled, he would open and close his mouth and quack. When you stopped blowing the whistle, he stopped also. This was possible because of a new transistorized control circuit built by AT&T. It worked similar to the way a garage door opener works. The control circuit was featured in sound-activated toys for preschoolers called “magic whistle toys.” There were no wires or other connections. Tricky Doodle Duck ran using two D batteries. The “magic whistle” toys responded to clapping as well.
In February of 1968, Remco successfully sold these toys under the name, “Tricky Dicky Duck”. The company was prepared to start shipping in October for the CHRISTmas season. That fall, Richard Nixon won the Republican nomination for the presidency, prompting Remco to reprint millions of labels for what then became Tricky Doodle Duck.
Tricky Peter Penguin was one of the variations available from Remco. Still uses the whistle. Still tricky, but this tricky “bird” is a penguin!
