who created the super soaker

Lonnie Johnson created the Super Soaker.
This iconic water gun revolutionized summer fun, turning backyard battles into epic soaks worldwide.

Inventor's Background

Lonnie George Johnson, born October 6, 1949, was an aerospace engineer who worked for the U.S. Air Force and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. A self- taught tinkerer from a young age, he drew inspiration from Black inventor George Washington Carver and built toys with his father. His NASA career involved high-stakes projects like the Galileo mission to Jupiter.

Accidental Invention Story

In 1982 (or 1985 per some accounts), Johnson experimented with a water-based refrigeration system in his bathroom. Hooking a nozzle to his sink, he blasted a powerful stream across the room—instant inspiration for a superior squirt gun. He prototyped it in his basement using Plexiglas, PVC pipes, seals, and a 2-liter soda bottle as the reservoir.

"He drew this big gun with a big bottle on top. It was very intriguing." – Larami executive recalling Johnson's pitch.

Path to Market Success

Johnson pitched tirelessly for seven years, leaving the Air Force to pursue it full-time. Initially called the "Power Drencher," it launched in 1990 via Larami Corporation after refinements by designers William Raucci and Bruce D'Andrade. Renamed Super Soaker in 1991, it exploded: $200 million in first-year sales, ranking among top-20 toys annually. Over hundreds of millions sold, inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2015.

Milestone| Year| Key Fact 159
---|---|---
Idea Conceived| 1982-85| Bathroom experiment gone wild
Prototype Built| Months later| Basement ingenuity with soda bottle
Sold to Larami| 1989| After Toy Fair pitch
Retail Launch| 1990| As Power Drencher
Peak Sales| 1991| $200M, rebranded Super Soaker
Hall of Fame| 2015| Billions in lifetime revenue

Cultural Splash and Legacy

The Super Soaker fostered safe, joyful "water wars," with Johnson visiting gun-violence-affected kids to highlight its life-giving fun from a Black inventor. Themed versions tied to Batman, Spider-Man, Jurassic Park boosted nostalgia. As of 2026, it remains a summertime staple, evolving with innovation while honoring roots—proving playful ideas can drench success. Johnson later focused on batteries and solar power.

TL;DR: Lonnie Johnson, NASA engineer, birthed the Super Soaker from a 1980s bathroom mishap, soaking up billions in sales and endless fun.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.