When you were in your early years of grade school, all sorts of school supplies were bursting with personality to give you a bit of flair to get recognized. Maybe you'd get complimented just by the kind of pencil case that you brought in, or a trapper keeper with a familiar cartoon character that another student likes. But to me, seeing everyone else with various Thermos lunch boxes was pretty common from preschool to 3rd grade, and giving an example of what the students were into, and probably more than that.

Super Mario Bros. 2/Legend of Zelda II Thermos

If you're an avid gamer like me (or a Nintendo fan in general) most likely the Super Mario Bros. 2 and Legend of Zelda II combo Thermos was a must own. Released in 1989 the lunchbox came in two colors, red and blue. Hey, if you weren't allowed to bring in your Game Boy to school, at least there was another way of bringing Nintendo into the cafeteria!

Beetlejuice Thermos

Perhaps you were the kind of kid that wished Halloween lasted every month, or, you just didn't squirm at the sight of something gross, well, this Thermos has you covered. Giving a nice painted background straight out of the cartoon, along with the animated series designs of Beetlejuice and Lydia, it was great sporting a lunchbox that was fitting for the October season. Just don't say that name three times, I almost did!

Aladdin (and other Disney lunchboxes)

With Disney in their animation renaissance era through the 1990s, more than likely there were Disney fans out during school lunch. Maybe sporting a Thermos based on one of their TV shows at the time like Darkwing Duck, or a movie like Lion King. The famous brand sported tons of different properties featuring many characters of their history at the time.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (and other childhood heroes)

Cracking open a box of cereal to watch Saturday morning cartoons with characters fighting for justice was no doubt a weekend lifestyle of every kid that brought in their lunch, and kids of the 80s and 90s mostly had the heroes they wanted printed on a Thermos lunchbox, whether it was the likes of Thundercats, the Ninja Turtles, or heck, even The Tick! But for me, I couldn't say no to saying "turtle power!" after taking a sip of applejuice in my Thermos mug.

Thermos lunchboxes based on movies

Going out to see big hit theatrical releases could also get you some popularity in the school cafeteria if you owned a Thermos based on movies released at the time, sometimes featuring key scenes from the films, or rare art that could fit nicely for the box artwork. I loved how creative the Jurassic Park Thermos was, treating the drinking mug beverage like a scientific chemical.

Did you have a Thermos that most suited you? Leave a comment and as always, see you next article!