Board Game Funk

1971 The Harlem Globetrotters Board Game by Milton Bradley

The Harlem Globetrotters board game is based on the world famous ballers who gradually worked comic routines into their act until they became known more for entertainment than sports.

The game board features the animated faces of the team members who starred in the Go-Go Globetrotters Saturday morning cartoon that ran from 1970 – 1972; “Meadowlark” Lemon, “Curly” Neal, “Geese” Ausbie, Bobby Joe Mason, “Gip” Gipson and Pablo Robertson. The object of The Harlem Globetrotters board game is to score points by collecting basketball cards. The person who scores the most baskets wins.

In 2006, The Harlem Globetrotters were made into a video game for the Nintendo DS – The Harlem Globetrotters World Tour.
We also found a 1979 Harlem Globetrotters Electronic Game.

1973 Fat Albert Board Game by Milton Bradley

The Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids board game is based on The Fat Albert Saturday morning cartoon that ran from 1972 – 1984.

The game includes cut out pieces of Bill, Fat Albert, Mushmouth and Russell. All eight characters are pictured on the playing cards. The object of The Fat Albert board game is to get the gang together by collecting each of their cards.

1974 Jackson 5ive Board Game by Shinda Toys

The Jackson 5ive Action Game is a card game based on The Jackson 5ive Saturday morning cartoon that ran from 1971 – 1973. The game cards feature the animated faces of the five brothers, Michael, Marlon, Jermaine, Tito and Jackie, plus one card that shows the entire group.

1984 The A Team Board Game by Parker Brothers

This A Team board game is based on the popular prime time TV action series that ran from 1983 – 1986 and featured Mr. T., or Bosco “B.A.” Barakus as he was known on the show. (B.A. is short for Bad Attitude).The premise of this game is that a top secret formula for a famous soft drink has been stolen by a crafty madman and his evil band. They are holding it for ransom at the island fortress from which they operate. The internationally-renowned company that owns the formula has hired The A-Team to go into the fortress and retrieve it before the public – and Wall Street – find out about it! The madman knows that The A-Team is on to him so he has set up a deadly game which they must play once inside the fortress. Dressed in outfits to look like fortress guards, The A-Team members must work alone to find the formula. But Hannibal is crafty, too. He has sent B.A. in ahead of the others to infiltrate. B.A. knows “where it’s at” and he is there to help you in your mission. So what this means is that the game that prominently features B.A. on the outside and inside of the box has no B.A. game piece. So you can’t “be the Black character”, which you know you would want to do if you owned this game. Instead, B.A.’s face is incorporated into the game cards and on the game board! Just another evil conspiracy of the man!!! The player that gets the secret formula out of the fortress wins.

Here are a few more board games featuring Black cartoon characters…

1969 Hardy Boys Board Game

1973 Sealab 2020 Board Game

All of these board games are a part of the Museum Of UnCut Funk Collection.