Gretyuo attended the local 3D printer show hosted by a global toy manufacturer looking for the latest in state-of-the-art ideas from home builders.

Gretyuo was looking for anyone who may have beat him to a design he was going to reveal the last day of the show.

Nothing, not even close.

The next two days he demonstrated a line of toys with harmless laser pointers, attracting a few buyers but nothing that paid for his booth.

Then, on the last day, two hours before closing, Gretyuo pressed Play on his MP3 player and a loud blast of trumpets blared from speakers hidden in the display at the top of his booth.

Waiting a little while for the first people to arrive, Gretyuo flipped a switch on a large countdown clock, starting with five minutes.

4:59…

3:59…

2:59…

2:30…

2:00…

1:45…

1:30…

1:15…

1:00…

00:45…

00:40…

00:35…

00:30…

00:10…

00:09…

00:08…

00:07…

00:06…

00:05…

00:04…

00:03…

00:02…

00:01…

00:00

The trumpets blared one more time and Gretyuo pulled down a black curtain that divided the front half of the booth from the back half.

Gretyuo motioned a small boy over and offered him “Camo Carl,” a G.I. Joe-style action figure to hold.

Gretyuo showed the boy how to press a fire button on the shoulder-mounted launcher on Camo Carl.

The boy pressed the Fire button and a little laser light flashed at the end of the barrel.

Gretyuo pointed to an action figure standing on a stage at the back of the booth and asked the boy to aim the laser light at the figure.

The figure snapped apart as if it had been hit by a bomb.

Gretyuo repeated this for other action figures, some whose limbs fell off and some whose clothing seemed to change from camo to red as if they were bleeding.

Within the next two hours, Gretyuo had sold out of his supply and signed a deal with the global manufacturer.

Children’s military action toys were never the same…