Note: This article first appeared, in a slightly different form, in 1998)

If you haven't been stuck on a desert island for the last few years, you might have run across an odd cultural phenomenon known as Pokemon. This Japanese import, heir to Far East fads like the Tomigotchi, the Pokemon seem to be everywhere, far outliving the 12-18 month maximum fad lifespan. Unlike other once-hot toys, which now populate cutout bins across the country, Pokemon's corporate masters have kept their product in the public mind through an ever-increasing series of spin-offs.

At first, Pokemon was just another Game Boy game from Nintendo. Players would collect and "train" little monsters, called Pocket Monsters in Japan (The Americanized name is simply an abbreviation of that, POKEt MONsters.) The game, like the Tomigotchi, involved getting your monster to grow by interacting with them via simple command buttons. The Game Boy version spawned a cartoon series, spin-off games, T-shirts and more. Imagine Hello Kitty on steroids and controlled by an army of 11-year-old Japanese kids looking to vent their adolescent aggression in a socially acceptable way.

Soon enough, Pokemon was seen as a prime import candidate. But the US has always been a tough proving ground for Japanese icons. Americans are at heart wary of it, sensing that Japanese pop culture is a twisted funhouse mirror of our own corrupt values. To wit, the object of Pokemon is to capture little creatures, train them and pit them against each other in some sort of bizarre anime cockfight. Is this appropriate entertainment for our young people?

My Friend Flicker
The danger of the Pokemon is not limited to its anti-social tendencies. In fact, many American's first exposure to them was a curious story that made most of the major news wires in December, 1997.

About 700 children were stricken with epileptic-like symptoms during an episode of the Pokemon cartoon. Blame was placed on a segment with flashing lights during a bottle inside a computer.

The incident raised a lot of eyebrows around the world, but it wasn't the first time people were affected by a moving picture. Back in 1966, a short film by experimental filmmaker Tony Conrad had a similar impact.

Conrad was a pivotal member of the early Velvet Underground scene, playing with Lou Reed and John Cale before recording his own series of minimalist albums. During the 1966 New York Film Festival, his film, Flicker, presented a series of alternating black and white frames. Viewers reported headaches and visions. To this day, the film carries a warning that it should only be viewed with a doctor present.

Is this truly epilepsy? Probably not. Only about one in 15,000 people would be affected in that way. In truth, most doctors think that the Pokemon and Flicker incidents are caused by simple screen hypnosis, enchanted by the setting and subject matter.

Beware! Pikachu is (Still) Here!
So, why haven't these creepy little guys been replaced yet? It might be that some Pokemon collectibles can be a a cash cow for third graders, with rare cards fetching hundreds of dollars. And the GameBoy franchise is still going strong, as is the series of theatrical films.

Also in Pokemon's corner is the fact that they have a seriously cute mascot. The most popular of the 150-plus Pokemon monsters is Pikachu, a cat-like creature that is the star of his own series of spin-off products. Like a mutant Garfield with teeth, Pikachu is a huge star in Japan. Then again, so are Rick Derringer and Joe Jackson.

The Pokemon cartoon is still available in almost every television market in the US. Watch at your own risk.