Burt Meyer, the inventor of classic toys including Mouse Trap, Lite-Brite, and Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, has died at the age of 99. He passed away on October 30 at a retirement community in Illinois, according to those close to him.
Meyer was a key figure at Marvin Glass & Associates, a powerhouse of American toy design. His creations, which blended engineering precision with childlike imagination, became fixtures in postwar homes and remained popular for decades. Lite-Brite, devised in 1966 after Meyer and his boss spotted a New York window display, allowed children to create glowing artworks using a backlit box and black paper templates. It later earned a place in Time magazine's list of the 100 greatest toys and the US National Toy Hall of Fame.
Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots was born from a shelved arcade-boxing concept; Meyer replaced the human fighters with robots and added a comical spring-loaded head pop. The toy was later immortalised in the film Toy Story 2, with plans for a live-action adaptation announced. Meyer also created Mouse Trap, a chain-reaction board game that became a household name.
After leaving Marvin Glass & Associates in the mid-1980s, he launched his own firm, Meyer/Glass Design, producing hits such as Gooey Louie and Pretty Pretty Princess. Born Burton Carpenter Meyer in 1926, he served in the US Navy as an aircraft mechanic before entering the toy world. Even in retirement, he built and flew small aeroplanes near Chicago. His car number plate famously read TOYKING.
