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Being the youngest member of my family, I was often on the outside of jokes that occurred before I was born. Usually, when these recurring inside jokes happened, I would beg to have them explained to me, and when they were, I was confused. Why was this thing funny to them? They would always say the same thing, “You had to be there.” A common “inside joke” in my family was to, whenever a ham sandwich was being eaten, say the word “Yumbo” both loudly and with exaggeration.
While I didn’t know what the word meant, I was pretty into saying, “Yumbo.” It was just a fun word to say. It just became the word we used for a ham sandwich, and I assumed it was something that was just made up because it had the word “Yum” in it. A few years later, I asked my Mom about it, and she told me that it was actually a reference to a sandwich they served at Burger King that she liked getting and one my sister thought was hilarious.
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The Burger King Yumbo was a hot ham and cheese sandwich that made its world premiere in 1971. This original Yumbo, it would change in the future, was served on a buttery bun and consisted of slices of lean ham and cheese piled high, served hot in a special container designed to maintain its temperature. The bun wasn’t the standard burger bun, but appeared to be more of a knotted-looking bread. The container, which I haven’t been able to find online, appeared to be a Styrofoam clamshell like they would later use for the McDLT, only less spacious. Here is a newspaper ad they ran in 1971 that showed the original Yumbo.
This is the only image I can find of this Yumbo. In 1974, a tray liner advertisement that was used in stores showed a different bun. This looks more like a standard Burger King sesame seed bun. The idea that the chain would bring in a special bun just for this one sandwich seems expensive. So I am wondering if the original advertisement was someone taking artistic license.
The sandwich proved very popular, and Burger King backed it up with plenty of advertising. In 1971, it was priced at 79 cents, but they ran a lot of buy-one-get-one-free specials, and I have seen it as cheap as 2 for 99 cents. Not a bad deal, and the Yumbo fans turned out to try it, and many were hooked. It would seem that the Yumbo would be around forever, but after about a decade, demand started to wane, and in late 1976, some locations started to remove it from the menu. Fortunately for fans, the removal was spotty at best, and some locations would continue to sell the sandwich well into the 1980s.
This removal, according to author Ed Pendrys, was an attempt to “stick with our core products—burgers, and the Whopper in particular—and not clutter the menu.” Pendrys, who would, during his long life, run 10 Burger King locations and other fast-food franchises, was also pitching a roast beef sandwich at the time, that was unfortunately rejected only to be revived just a few years later. Sadly, that sandwich lasted just about a year because of competition. Refocusing on core menu items isn’t unusual for fast-food restaurants. They are constantly in a cycle of experimenting and then returning to focus on core products. The Yumbo managed to survive a long time in this cutthroat environment, so I would label it a success.
Finding the calorie information for fast food in the past, wasn’t always easy. If you were curious how many calories the Yumbo had, it was 381. Here you can see it along with Burger King’s other offerings in 1981.
While I cannot find a single original commercial online for the Yumbo, I have found some interesting print marketing. One was for a Yumbo-themed toy giveaway for a Yumbo Yet (Jumbo Jet) glider, which any customer under 12 could get for free with the purchase of a sandwich in 1976. As you can see, it’s a pretty novel little glider, with broad oval wings that allowed for maximum print marketing on the wings. While the toy is great, I especially like the playful turn of “Jumbo Jet” into “Yumbo Yet.” Sadly, I haven’t been able to find a single surviving one of these toys. Maybe they weren’t very popular, or perhaps kids were just rough on them, and they didn’t survive.
Whoever came up with the “Yumbo Yet” concept really must have hit a home run at corporate because the company also ran a sweepstakes. If you went into a participating restaurant, you could fill out an entry form, and in November of that year, 160 couples would receive a 5-day, 4-night vacation in Jamaica. This included airfare on an Air Jamaica Yumbo Yet and a stay at one of two spectacular island hotels. I have been trying to find an entry form or mention of a winner, but so far, nothing has shown up.
While the Yumbo would eventually completely disappear, it was never forgotten. Reading through newspapers in the next two decades, you will find mentions of it as something missed. Other restaurants also started using the term more generically to describe a ham and cheese sandwich. The Yumbo refused to die.
First it was revived at some point in the later part of the eighties and Chris Meloni of Law & Order fame was used in the advertising. Its a strange commercial because it acts like they hadn’t used the term Yumbo before. Sadly it didn’t appear to last long or be distributed widely because I found a mention of it as a new sandwich in a newspaper article from 1988, but that is it.
Then in 2012, we received a nice bit of news: the Yumbo was coming back! Social media at the time was all over it, and you can find dozens, maybe even hundreds of videos online of people trying the Yumbo. The thing is, it wasn’t the same Yumbo. I am sure Burger King did a lot of testing before the re-release and ultimately decided to release it as one of their specialty sandwiches. This meant it was served on a toasted hoagie bun with lettuce and mayo. This was the Yumbo 2.0, and it did attract fans, both new and old. But for purists, it just wasn’t the same.
If you happened to live near a Hungry Jack’s in Australia in 2021, you were in for a real treat. They decided to re-release the Yumbo as well, but instead of reinventing the classic, their version looked just like the Yumbo of old. This version of the sandwich was still available until at least the early nineties, so not as much of a throwback as the American version. Still, for fans, it was a real treat.
Unfortunately, the Yumbo is no longer available. Its retro appeal wasn’t strong enough to trigger a complete return to the menu. While this is the case, for some, the Yumbo lives on in secret menu combinations that you can get at some locations willing to be adventurous with their breakfast meats. I have never tried it, but if you are bold, why not try ordering a hot ham and cheese on your next trip to Burger King (or Hungry Jack’s)? The worst that they can say is no.
In the end, the Yumbo may not have made its way back as a permanent fixture on the Burger King or Hungry Jack’s menu, but its legacy lives on as one of those quirky, beloved classics that fans remember fondly. Whether it's the memories of family jokes or the nostalgia for a simpler time when a hot ham and cheese sandwich seemed revolutionary, the Yumbo is more than just a sandwich, it’s a reminder of the fleeting but memorable experiments that give fast-food culture its charm. So, if you’re ever in the mood for a little culinary nostalgia, why not try ordering a Yumbo-inspired creation on your next visit? It might just take you back, if only for a moment, to a time when hot ham and cheese caused a minor craze.
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In the 1990s, I fell in love with the western genre because an amazing show premiered on FOX, The Adventures of Brisco Country Jr., starring Bruce Campbell. This show was expected to be a big hit and widely praised, but failed to find a home and sadly had only one season. Despite this, or maybe because of it, the show developed a cult following.
I start the show talking about the closest thing we had to the old west in New Jersey, Wild West City. It was a place where I could finally shine like the star that I was, but unfortunately my attempts at improv on the stagecoach did not go over well with the people trying to do their jobs and my creative urges were stifled. Which explain why I am a blogger podcaster and not a Hollywood superstar nowadays.
After I tell my story, I move onto the show itself. I explore the talented people both in front of and behind the camera, how the lead was cast, the writing came together and the shows stirring music. I also reference some interesting newspaper ads and articles I came across while researching the film’s impact and history. For those interested, I’ll be sharing those clippings over on my Patreon tomorrow.
This show was ahead of its time and attempted to reinvent the western. Unfortunately the world wasn’t ready for it and we only got the single season. Still at least we have that, and it holds up well even after all these years.
Listen and download The Adventures of Brisco County Jr Podcast* Download Episode (MP3 Format) (MP3)
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Production Notes This is the 329th episode of the Retroist Podcast and episode 4 of the new season. Thanks for sticking with me or trying out the show. * What a tv show. I can’t believe this is the first time I am covering something with Bruce Campbell in it. How long until I can do a Burn Notice Podcast? * I had two other stories about Bruce Campbell I intended to tell, but I will hold those for other episodes where I talk about Bruce’s work. * I was going to have metagirl in this episode, but I couldn’t get the subject to her in time. She is still ready to join the show and will show up this season. * The music from this show would show up from time to time on other shows and whenever it did I would jump up. I think I looked like that meme of DiCaprio from Once Upon In Hollywood* pointing at the TV. * This show is a reminder of why retro TV can be great. More practical effects, and some genuinely heartfelt performances. * Some fans are amazing. * Bonus Clipping should be up on Patreon tomorrow. * Music on the show is, as always, by Peachy.
Thanks for listening to the show and I hope you have a great weekend.
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Two years ago, I found a cassette tape with some found audio on it. This wasn’t the first bit of found audio I had found over the years, but the first one that I decided to share. If you collect old tapes in any format, you will be surprised what you will find. Maybe they digitized them or, perhaps, they just didn’t seem important. Whatever the reason, these are snippets of people’s lives captured and then somehow discarded, that have found their way into my life.
Luckily, you do not need to be a tape collector to hear or see some of these recordings. People post them online (although not enough). A few years ago, someone tried to get a Subreddit going at /r/foundsounds. Sadly, it didn’t catch on, but I am hopeful that someone might take it over and build it up.
I realize this is not a popular hobby, it is niche at best, but I am hoping to stir up a little more interest. Perhaps some of you have tapes lying around that would be great to share with the world?
We have lots of options for audio entertainment, but these found bits of audio, many of which were never meant to be public, hit very differently. So if you are looking for an interesting way to spend an evening, just head over to YouTube, SoundCloud, or the Internet Archive (when it is back) and search for found audio. It might take you a few clicks to find something good, but it’s worth the effort.
(If you have retro finds you would like for me to share, I want to hear them. What old useful website are still lurking on the web? Some old TV show streaming online? Old tech being brought back? Let me know.)
ONE COOL VIDEO
This interest of mine usually flares up when someone shares a new an exciting bit of found audio. Recently I found this audio of a teenager named Mary who wrote and then recorded a letter to her parents back in the 1950s. Mary proves that teenagers haven’t changed all that much since the term was invented. The logic at the end, is, I think, sort of sophisticated, and I like that she recognizes her contradictions.
I am not sure if her parents got the letter or the tape, but I have a few things I want to say. So Mary’s mom and dad, this is for you.
Just let her wear that t-shirt, let her drive, and let her listen to Rock N Roll. I do agree with you on one thing, Jimmy seems like bad news. With all the smoking and drinking, it ain’t going to end well.
TEN THINGS RETRO
💾 Floppies - The long battle to remove floppy discs continues, with San Francisco paying $212 million to end their transportation system’s reliance on 5.25-inch floppy disks.
🎵 Music - In 1983, San Diego alt-rock radio station 91X held the first X-Fest. The lineup included bands like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Ramones, Bow Wow Wow, Stray Cats and Modern English.
🎥 Movies - Star Wars: The Final Cut aims to remove the remove some of the more controversial changes that we made to the original trilogy over the year, but also maintain some of the better aspects of the altered films. Here is a supercut of every change they made in their mission.
🦗 Hoaxes - Where have all the giant grasshopper gone? The story of how the giant grasshopper postcard and other hoax postcards came to be popular.
🎮 Game Controllers - Before developing their own console, Sony was partnered with Nintendo. Their partnership device, which never made it to market, would have played games on CDs and been aptly called, the PlayStation. While the device is a footnote in history, anything related to it is exceptionally rare, and as you might guess, very valuable.
🔗 Forums - The Retroist used to have a fine forum community. Unfortunately, the software it was on become difficult to manage, and I had to shutter it. While I have not been happy with that decision, I am happy that other forums are still very active (I belong to a few) and that someone is trying to keep a list of some good ones.
📺 Television - If you are watching TV, nothing will get your attention faster than the tones associated with the Emergency Alert System. Using it unofficially can lead to fine, but that hasn’t stopped some companies from working it into ear-catching advertising.
🖥️ Computers - If you are a computer programmer, odds are you got your start playing around with BASIC. Clive Thompson has a written a wonderful article about the entry point to computers that so many of us share.
🛸 Science Fiction - By looking at Science Fiction films from the last seventy years, Alan Chang was able to see how the tone of the genre has changed and has compiled the findings in an interesting format.
🎞️ Documentary - Growing up in New Jersey, the decaying Ellis Island seemed so close and yet impossible to get to. Well, not for two young high school kids who grabbed a 16 mm camera, hopped in a rowboat, and explored the island before it was reclaimed.
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SUBSTACK RECOMMENDATION
I am a big fan of physical media for lots of reasons. Top of the list might be ownership of what you are paying for, but second were the incentives included in the product to get you to buy them. On movies, one of my favorite things were commentary tracks. Ryan Kindahl continues the case for physical media, this time focusing on DVD special features.
Obsolete MediaWhy DVD Special Features MatterHello, there! A big shoutout and thank you to those of you who’ve recently subscribed. This week’s newsletter should be considered part 2 of last week’s The Case for Physical Media. I cleaved it from the previous piece because it deserved its own real estate. Today we’re talking about special features; also known as extras, bonus features, or supplement…Read more17 days ago · 23 likes · 16 comments · Ryan Kindahl and Obsolete MediaFROM THE RETROIST ARCHIVE
Let's take a moment to look back at four posts from the Retroist's past. I have been at this a long time.
One Year Ago…
🎈 A History of the Goodyear Blimp
Five Years Ago…
🥫 What is the name of the Pringles Mascot?
Ten Years Ago…
🧁 Do you remember Pillsbury Pudding Pockets?
Fifteen Years Ago…
🧛 Proof that Monster Pops Existed!
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NEWSLETTER
I was not quick to get a smartphone. I was impressed when the iPhone and Blackberry were becoming popular, but I just didn’t see the purpose. So I was happy enough with my flip phone and patiently waited to be convinced otherwise. Ultimately, the thing that convinced me was something that has arguably become the most important part of a mobile phone, after the flashlight: the camera. I knew they had cameras, but until I got to play with one and saw how easy it was, and that the quality was “decent,” I just didn’t think I would ever use it.
Once I finally got to play with an iPhone with a decent camera, I was smitten. It was so easy to take photos and share them with people. After I bought one, my relationship with photo-taking changed. My point-and-click digital camera had already replaced my film camera, but I had to decide to take it with me. Now, if I just had my phone, I always had a camera. Slowly but surely, my relationship with photography changed. I would take dozens of photos just because I could, and despite my best efforts, once I had taken these photos, I rarely looked at them. Maybe I might share them, but mostly I treated them like reference material and didn’t appreciate them.
I started to recently feel sad about that. Perhaps I wasn’t very good at taking photos, but I enjoyed the act of thinking about what I wanted to photograph: angles, distance, framing. Then, one picture and done—I moved along. Not snapping 50 photos, rapidly snapping and then hoping filters and AI tools would improve them. So I started to make plans to change how I took photos. It wasn’t that I wanted to stop taking photos with my phone, but I wanted a slower, more deliberate experience.
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First, I tried using my phone to do just that, but it’s hard to be disciplined when you have nearly unlimited room to take photos. Then I considered going back to a film or standalone digital camera. At some point, I started looking at instant cameras. My family had a Polaroid when I was a kid and, while the quality of the photos wasn’t great, having a physical print so quickly was extremely satisfying. It was while looking at these instant cameras that I started to see kid’s cameras that printed photos on receipt paper using thermal printing.
This might be exactly what I was looking for. It checked off all sorts of boxes that had arisen once I started thinking about this, and some that I hadn’t.
- A standalone camera with no internet capability.
- Simple, easy-to-use point-and-click.
- Instant printed images that I could enjoy right away, and that slowed me down by forcing me to take a moment to consider each photo after I had taken it.
- Inexpensive to purchase the camera, and the added bonus of being very affordable to print per image.
I went online to search for a camera, and as I mentioned, most of these cameras are made for kids. While I love the idea of taking photos using a device that looked like a lime green cat’s face, I was hoping for something a little more sedate. That’s when I came across the all-black Yehtta Camera on Amazon. It was $36 and came with the camera, a USB-C wire for charging and moving photos (they also get stored digitally), a carrying strap, and three rolls of thermal receipt paper for printing. The camera is rechargeable, and the printer is built right into the unit. So once you take a photo, you can either review it before printing or have it print out automatically. You might waste more paper just printing, but I found that to be the mode I wanted to operate in.
The camera is subtle. It looks like a toy version of a real camera, and it has a 2.4-inch IPS screen, 1080p high-resolution video capability, 16x digital zoom, and a fill light on the front. The photos are taken in color, but the printing is black-and-white only. I thought this might be something I would get tired of after a while, but instead, I really enjoy it. It reminds me of the photos that you would get off a Game Boy Printer (same technology). The camera has other features, like games, various filters, and an MP3 player. I have zero interest in any of these features, so I haven’t used them. They feel like the manufacturer wanted to add some bullet points to the product description, and I would be much happier if I could delete them or at least remove them from the menu.
It has a 2000 mAh capacity battery, which allows for three hours of continuous shooting after fully charged. That’s about 20,000 photos or two hours of continuous camera video. It also comes with a 32 GB SD card, which can hold 60,000 photos, and the camera screen can view the photos and videos in the memory card. So you don’t need to ever hook it up to a computer unless you want to remove or back up the photos.
The photos print on receipt paper. You can choose from three different printing densities, which will give you photos that range from light gray-and-white to solid black-and-white. The resulting images can be quite striking.
And sometimes not perfect, but still wonderful.
When I took the camera out the first day, I wasn’t sure how often I would use it; all I knew was that I wanted to feel something different when I snapped a pic. As soon as the first image came scrolling out of the printer, I knew I loved it. The quality isn’t very clear, but there is something in the smudgy smoothness that I found very compelling. That day out, I proceeded to take lots of photos. Here are some samples that show how it captures different settings and things. Click on an image to see it in a larger size.
This little toy camera has brought a refreshing change to how I interact with photography. It’s not about abandoning modern technology, but about reclaiming a sense of mindfulness in how I capture moments. By slowing down, thinking more deliberately about each shot, and holding a physical print in my hands, I’ve rediscovered the joy of photography. It’s a small, affordable experiment that’s reminded me of something I’d forgotten: the magic of a photo isn’t always in its clarity or perfection, but in the experience of creating it and the emotions it evokes. In a world where we’re often overwhelmed by digital clutter, it feels good to create something tangible, something I can actually hold on to.
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Composer Lalo Schifrin was hired to work on what would become the hit 1973 film, The Exorcist. He had written some, what is described as “heavy” music for the film that was show in trailers. When the trailer was shown to audiences, they were frightened by the music combined with the film’s visuals. Which seems like what you want for a horror film, but I guess not this scary? The studio told the director of the film, William Friedkin, to tone down the music.
According to Schifrin, he never got that memo. I have read different stories online about what might have happened between these two. Whatever happened, it resulted in Friedkin dropping Schifrin and going in a different direction.
Instead of new music, Friedkin would use modern classical music. A lot of which he had already selected as example music he presented to potential music collaborators. He picked lots of interesting pieces, but the most memorable is used in only two scenes in the movie, Tubular Bells, by Mike Oldfield.
The music was selected not because it was frightening, but because it had a light, almost lullaby-like quality. Yet, in its brief appearances, the music, combined with certain scenes, makes it sound downright sinister.
Oldenfield never saw The Exorcist. In a quote mentioned in a 1974 edition of American Top 40, Casey Kasem said that the musician thought the movie would be “too scary.” He was right.
Tubular Bells is a nice album to own if you are a fan of The Exorcist, but it’s a much longer album than the segments used in the film. Despite that, even when owning the record, it is one that only comes out this time of year.
(If you have retro finds you would like for me to share, I want to hear them. What old useful website are still lurking on the web? Some old TV show streaming online? Old tech being brought back? Let me know.)
ONE COOL VIDEO
I believe this is the original trailer that audiences found so off-putting. Give it a watch and let me know if, after seeing it, you would have had a difficult time going to this movie?
Warning: This trailer has lots of blinking lights. Do not watch if you have any sort of sensitivity.
TEN THINGS RETRO
💿 Soundtrack - When Dark Night of the Scarecrow was released on TV, I don’t think anyone expected it to have so much enduring popularity, but it has. That is why it is one of those rare TV movies that has had their soundtrack released.
🖥️ Computer Games - In a bid to mock the Communist regime, Czechoslovak kids created illicit video games featuring iconic characters like Indiana Jones and Rambo, which supported protests and found their way into 1980s text adventures. [via] Spun Counterguy.
🎵 Music - People who grew up in the last few decades are sadly probably more familiar with Ozzy Osborne from his reality TV work. But before that, he really did know how to rock. Watch Black Sabbath perform War Pigs back in 1970 and see for yourself.
📺 Television - What happens if The Golden Girls had found the Fountain of Youth in their senior living facility? Friends FOREVER on the animated Golden Girls 3033, of course.
🐁 Pizza Mouse - Chuck E. Cheese filed for bankruptcy a few years ago and things weren’t looking great for Mr. Cheese’s chain of pizza arcades. In the years since then, though, the chain has changed it strategy and looks to be finding its way in the modern economy.
📼 VHS - It might be just a novelty release, but Alien: Romulus is getting a VHS release. So fire up that VCR or head to a thrift store and pick one up. [via] Ashley Thomas
🎵 Music - New musical genres that gain popularity often get co-opted into advertising as a shortcut to what is “hip.” Sometimes it works out, but usually it is an embarrassing mess. Either way, as pop culture artifacts, they are often interesting. Enjoy this Rap video that takes you through the MS-DOS 5 Upgrade process.
🎃 Halloween - Remember, if you want to get the attention of The Great Pumpkin this year, you better memorize your Pumpkin Carols.
🎩 Hats - For centuries, people wore hats. If people spotted you without one, it could be scandalous and, in some cases, criminal. So what changed in the middle of the last century that made hat popularity dwindle?
🗺️ Maps - The Pinball Map was started back in 2008 as a way for pinball fans to locate machines to play. Nowadays, they have 10,840 locations and 44,736 machines waiting for you to discover.
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SUBSTACK RECOMMENDATION
Daniel Sherrier takes a look at early Simpson’s Treehouse of Horror episodes, and it makes me nostalgic. I used to make little mini-marathons out of them this time of year, but haven’t in a while. I think it might be a good time to revive the tradition.
And the Quest for Pop CultureWhen the Simpsons Entered the ‘Treehouse of Horror’I’m always amazed to discover that The Simpsons is still on the air. It’s now in its thirty-sixth season. Community had famously set the lofty goal of “six seasons and a movie!” The Simpsons have hit thirty-six seasons and a movie—and counting…Read more18 days ago · 4 likes · Daniel SherrierFROM THE RETROIST ARCHIVE
Let's take a moment to look back at four posts from the Retroist's past. I have been at this a long time.
One Year Ago…
👻 ABC's Late '80s Gem: Free Spirit
Five Years Ago…
🏍️ Pinky and Leather Tuscadero
Ten Years Ago…
👑 King’s Quest – A Classic Adventure Returns?
Fifteen Years Ago…
🍘 Krunch Twist Crackers from Keebler
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NEWSLETTER
Halloween is just around the corner, and I wanted to talk about a made-for-TV movie that I first saw as a kid: Dark Night of the Scarecrow. This spooky revenge film revolves around a terrifying scarecrow and has haunted me ever since I first watched it. It’s a perfect film for this time of year, with its eerie atmosphere and unsettling themes, so I hope you’ll consider giving it a watch.
I kick off the episode by sharing a personal experience, an encounter I had with a scarecrow at my uncle’s house when I was younger. This scarecrow was positioned just outside the window, its creepy presence looming over the yard. For a long time, it became the subject of our family’s spooky tales, passed between me and my cousins. We’d often dare each other to get close, but then, one evening, things took a much darker, more sinister turn, and it’s a memory that still sends chills down my spine.
After sharing that story, I dive deep into the film itself. I explore the talented people both in front of and behind the camera, how the film’s production came together, and the chilling score that sets the perfect tone for the story. I also reference some interesting newspaper articles I came across while researching the film’s impact and history. For those interested, I’ll be sharing those clippings over on my Patreon tomorrow.
This is a solid, scary movie, and what makes it even more special is that, since it was made for television, it’s not overly graphic. It can actually be enjoyed by older kids who don’t get too scared, making it a great pick for a family movie night during the Halloween season. If you’re on the hunt for something spooky but not too extreme, Dark Night of the Scarecrow might just be the perfect fit. So, if you’re looking for something to watch, please, check it out and let me know what you think.
Listen and download the Dark Night of the Scarecrow Podcast* Download Episode (MP3 Format) (MP3)
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Production Notes This is the 328th episode of the Retroist Podcast and episode 3 of the new season. Thanks for sticking with me or trying out the show. * I wanted to cover this episode a few years ago and actually tried recording it, but didn’t like the way it turned out. I have another story about a scarecrow that I used on that one, but I prefer this one. * Charles Durning is a standout in this film. His portrayal of Otis P. Hazelrigg is so effective that, the first time I watched it, I found myself genuinely angry at him for being such a despicable character. That’s a testament to his talent—it’s not easy to pull off a villain who gets under your skin in such a visceral way. Durning really anchors the film with his performance. * What’s also interesting is the casting of Larry Drake as Bubba. Drake went on to have a very successful career, notably playing another memorable, darker role in Dr. Giggles, but his portrayal of Bubba, the gentle giant, is heart-wrenching and unforgettable. * The film is also a standout in the history of made-for-TV horror. Unlike the slasher films of the era, Dark Night of the Scarecrow relies more on atmosphere, tension, and psychological horror than on graphic violence. This is a great example of what is now a common theme in horror: the spirit or entity seeking vengeance for a wrong that wasn’t set right. * I think this is the only segment from the Strother Martin episode of Saturday Night Live* that is still online. * The soundtrack for the film can be listened to online on YouTube, but the Klaatu Records Release is worth owning. * Bonus Clipping should be up on Patreon tomorrow. * Music on the show is, as always, by Peachy.
Thanks for listening to the show and I hope you have a great weekend.
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I remember the first Walkman I ever saw in person. It belonged to a friend of my sister, who came by the house to show it off. It was a silver Sony WM-4, and it blew my mind. I only got a brief moment to put on the foam-covered headphones, but the sound coming out of this handheld wonder was enough to make me want one. That year, I planned to put the Walkman at the top of my Christmas list, but as the months passed and I started looking at other portable cassette players, my opinion changed. When it came time to make my Christmas list, I was very clear about which brand and model I wanted: the Panasonic RQ-WJ1, also known as "The Way."
It first caught my attention in various newspaper ads, long before I got to see one in person. Why? Because it was described as “the World’s Smallest Stereo Cassette Player.” I was already amazed by how small and functional the Sony Walkman was, but how could Panasonic have made something even smaller? I had to know just how much smaller it was, and I needed to get to a store to find out.
In the early eighties, Sam Goody didn’t just sell records and tapes; they also had a decent selection of audio equipment to play them. A mall we frequented had a Sam Goody, and my plan was to check it out there.
I still remember going into the store that day. My sister liked going into record stores, but this was an entirely new experience for me. The sights, and especially the sounds, were a bit overwhelming, and I was initially confused. After asking an employee, I was directed to the audio equipment.
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The newspaper illustrations of the RQ-WJ1 didn’t do it justice. It was so much smaller than any Walkman I had seen up to that point, but what really blew me away were the colors. It was bone white with two large buttons on the front—one red, one black. The rest of the controls were shiny silver. I couldn’t describe its design aesthetic at the time, but I was captivated.
Now, if I were to label it, I’d point to late seventies and early eighties’ futurism. The white body with colorful, clear buttons built into the front were cleanly labeled and easy to use. It might not be an accurate term, but to me, it felt like a device out of Star Trek or another optimistic, futuristic piece of entertainment. Whatever it was, I wanted one.
Before I reveal my "cunning" plan to get an RQ-WJ1, let’s talk about its capabilities. This thing was small—barely bigger than a cassette—and weighed a little more than 9 ounces (340.19 grams). That weight didn’t include the headphones, batteries, belt holster, or a cassette. For 1982, it was shockingly light. Panasonic achieved this by implementing some interesting features, starting with the fast-forward and rewind buttons.
These buttons were built into the cassette door, and when you pushed them, they engaged the sprocket directly. This feature was found in other cassette players, but I don't think it was implemented as well as it was here.
The real magic happened on the inside, which I only discovered when I opened it up to change the belts. Inside, I found a flexible printed circuit board that wrapped around itself. To access the belts, you had to carefully unfold it, like opening a book. Amazingly, after unfolding and refolding it, the player still worked. While this folding design kept the player small, it made servicing the unit very challenging.
Unlike many portable cassette players of the time, which often included AM/FM tuners, the RQ-WJ1 was solely dedicated to cassette playback. This streamlined focus allowed Panasonic to reduce weight further.
While I fell in love with the white version of the RQ-WJ1, it was also available in “bouncy bright red” (their words) and metallic gray (RQ-KJ1). The gray version might have been as small as the WJ1, but it lacked the cool color door buttons, on the RQ-KJ1, they blended in more, and the color was much more muted.
The player came with a pair of single-wire headphones, which were more convenient for this form factor since they tangled less. The headphone cord also had an in-line pause switch, which was advertised as a battery-saving feature. Like the early Sony Walkman, "The Way" had a second headphone jack so you could share your music with someone else.
Looks comfortable.You could also buy a belt holster with an ingenious design that allowed you to remove and insert cassettes without taking it off your belt, or an optional shoulder strap. Once you had it on your belt, you might want to buy the battery adapter for extra playtime, although it added weight and bulk.
Other features included Auto Stop, which automatically stopped the cassette when it finished playing. On the side, there was a tape selector that allowed you to choose the type of tape—Normal, Metal, or Chrome—for optimal sound quality.
This thing was cutting-edge, and I wanted one. The problem was the price. In 1982, it retailed for around $150, equivalent to about $489 today. Even though it occasionally went on sale for as little as $70, that was still around $228—more than my family was willing to spend on a personal cassette player. I tried saving money, but progress was slow, so as Christmas approached, I went on a charm offensive. Like Ralphie from A Christmas Story, I dropped hints and talked about how much of a game-changer the RQ-WJ1 would be.
I didn’t think my strategy through. What I failed to consider was that my mom would interpret my appeals for a cassette player as a request for any cassette player. So when Christmas came and I opened my last present, I found my very first portable cassette player—an MCS, which I believe they bought at JC Penney. I was both excited and disappointed, but I did my best to be enthusiastic.
I used that cassette player for many years. Its audio quality was okay, but it was heavy and burned through batteries. Eventually, I did get an RQ-KJ1, and it was everything I had hoped for. Unfortunately, by the time I got it, the heyday of cassettes was already over, and it has since stopped working (though I haven’t given up on it yet).
The makings of a perfect Saturday afternoon.Is it worth getting one nowadays? Probably not. They are hard to find and if you do find one, it usually doesn’t work. Add to that they whatever you find will be over-priced and that fixing them is extremely challenging. Unless this is your dream portable cassette player, admire it from afar, but if you got the fever like I do, nothing I say will stop you.
Looking back, my quest for the perfect cassette player was about more than just music. It was about chasing that feeling of owning something futuristic, something cool, something that felt like it came straight out of a sci-fi movie. The Panasonic RQ-WJ1 might not have been my first player, but it represented everything I wanted at the time: innovation, style, and a little bit of escape. Even though I didn’t get it right away, the memory of discovering it, the excitement it stirred, and the joy of eventually getting my hands on one is something I’ll always treasure. Sure, technology has moved on, but the magic of those early portable players and the dreams they sparked still feels as real as ever.
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In 1995, filmmaker Jeff Krulik, known for works like Heavy Metal Parking Lot and Led Zeppelin Played Here, hit the road with legendary actor Ernest Borgnine and his son, Cris. They traveled across the country in Borgnine’s bus, the "Sunbum," capturing the actor’s stories, reflections, and interactions with people along the way. The concept was intended to become a TV series, blending Borgnine's personal anecdotes with his road-trip adventures. It would have been well ahead of the curve for reality TV, and I would have tuned in every night. Sadly, the show never materialized. However, the footage from this trip is now available online, courtesy of Krulik.
I am realizing that some people might not be familiar with Borgnine, but you should. Ernest Borgnine was an iconic American actor known for his versatile roles in both film and television. With a career spanning over six decades, he won an Academy Award for his performance in Marty (1955) and gained widespread fame for his roles in The Wild Bunch and the TV series McHale's Navy. He lived to 95 and had a reputation for longevity.
In 1996, a 50-minute version of the journey was released straight to VHS under the title Ernest Borgnine on the Bus. I remember getting my hands on a copy and watching it multiple times. I was hooked on seeing Borgnine chat about his life, and just interact with people.
(If you have retro finds you would like for me to share, I want to hear them. What old useful website are still lurking on the web? Some old TV show streaming online? Old tech being brought back? Let me know.)
ONE COOL VIDEO
If you didn’t get your copy of Ernest Borgnine on the Bus when it came out, you are in lucky. The entirety of the original video has been posted online by Krulik.
TEN THINGS RETRO
🕒 Clocks - Are you a fan of vintage-style Casio watches, but find the watch format just too difficult to read? Now you can get a clock-sized version of the Casio A158W and hang it on your wall.
🎥 Movies - I have watched the various Star Wars films hundreds of times in my lifetime, and I can quote many lines by heart. But what if these films didn’t have any dialogue? Would they still work? Danny Boyd argues that the music and editing are so effective that they don’t need dialogue.
💰 Garage Sales - Thinking of having a garage sale? Want to maximize your profit, but don’t know how? Phyllis Diller has you covered.
🍔 McDonaldland - Do you remember going to McDonald’s when you were a kid and admiring all the wonderful McDonaldland art and sculptures? Those items have become sought after collector’s items that can be hard to find and restore. If you want to bring some of these classic characters home, you might want to visit Sugar Frosted’s Times-8 store.
🎢 Amusement Parks - I grew up hearing about ol’ Coney Island from my grandmother. She made it seem like a magical place to visit with amazing rides and attractions. Since hearing her stories, I have gotten to see older movies of the place and I got to say, that a lot of these old ride live up to the hype. Need an example, look at the action on the Scenic Spiral Wheel.
📼 VHS - Interested in starting your own Blockbuster Video Store? Ryan Finnie has created an editable template for a Blockbuster Video VHS clamshell case insert. It is not 100% accurate to the original inserts, but I doubt anyone will know the difference.
📎 Office Supplies - Paper Clips are everywhere, and for the most part they look alike. That hasn’t always been the case. Many people have tried to improve upon the basic design over the years, and the variations are wonderful to behold. That is why the Paper Clip section of the Office Museum exists.
🤘 Metal - Driving home from the Iron Maiden Concert? Bruce Dickinson has a reminder, “wear your seatbelt!” Or you might wind up like Eddie. Includes a great cameo by the Crash Test Dummies.
🕹️ Retro Gaming - Are you interested in an authentic retro gaming experience, but don’t have the money or room for lots of older systems? Maybe you want to give MiSTer FPGA a try. With one little box, you can faithfully emulate dozens of vintage computers and gaming systems.
🥋 Karate Music - “Ichi, ni, san, shi. C’mon, everybody, train karate!” Need some inspiration to learn karate? Perhaps you need to listen to The Karate Rap?
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SUBSTACK RECOMMENDATION
I was a big fan of the various Sega video game consoles, and I love using a Sega controller when possible to play retro games, especially the Sega Genesis. But I never sat down to read anyone who was taking a critical look at the controller.
Retro XPSega Genesis controller reviewThe standard Sega Genesis controller isn’t a bad gamepad. It just kind of is. It’s exceptionally large for the minimal number of buttons on the thing — you’ve got A, B, and C face buttons, a directional pad that is designed to make going in eight directions a little easier to do, and a Start button. It’s just kind of inexplicable in that regard and some…Read more3 years ago · 2 likes · Marc NormandinFROM THE RETROIST ARCHIVE
Let's take a moment to look back at four posts from the Retroist's past. I have been at this a long time.
One Year Ago…
🥣 A History of Yummy Mummy Cereal
Five Years Ago…
🍔 The Burger King Bacon Double Cheeseburger
Ten Years Ago…
🥧 Do you remember Pillsbury Pudding Pockets?
Fifteen Years Ago…
🦎 Retroist V Podcast
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NEWSLETTER
We were not the first family in our area to get cable television; other families had been using it for years. Although I was exposed to cable programming, the hardware behind it remained a mystery to me. I occasionally glimpsed the boxes the adults used to control the TV, but as a young guest, they were usually out of reach. When my family decided to get cable TV, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I figured it would involve some kind of remote control, probably a wired one, but I didn’t know the specifics.
The cable installation happened while I was at school, and knowing it was being installed, I rushed home that day. By the time I arrived, my mom and sisters had already spent hours exploring the new channels, leaving me with free rein over this exciting new gadget. The cable box was smaller and more wood-like than I had imagined, sitting on the coffee table with a cable running to a larger box on top of the television. It was made by a company called Jerrold, and you can see what it looked like above.
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This model, the Jerrold JRX-3, was the exact one we had, although ours, like many others, had a sticker over the numbers to show which channels they corresponded to. Even though the sticker is long gone, I still remember what most of the channels were. The device was intuitive, capable of tuning in up to 36 channels. It connected to the TV through a coaxial cable, with the output set to channel 3 in our case. You selected a channel by moving the switch on the left to choose a row, then pressing the button corresponding to the desired channel. On the far right was a fine-tuning dial to clear up any signal issues, although I don’t remember using it much, which wasn’t always typical.
I had to remake the sticker. So it’s not perfect…yet. But this is North NJ cable TV.This particular unit, the Jerrold JRX-3, was one of many similar devices, some larger or with fewer channels. As far as I know, Jerrold didn’t make any models capable of handling more than 36 channels or offering pay-per-view access. For those features, we eventually upgraded to a more advanced wireless system.
Here is a look at the full system, including the cable box and remote unit. Compared to today’s streaming boxes, it seems large, but at the time, it felt tiny and magical. We used Jerrold equipment in our home for at least a decade, though I never learned much about the company behind it.
A History of the Jerrold Electronics CorporationJerrold Electronics Corporation was a pioneer in cable television technology, founded in 1950 by Milton Shapp, who later became the Governor of Pennsylvania. Jerrold played a key role in developing Community Antenna Television (CATV), an early form of cable TV, by helping deliver TV signals to rural areas that couldn’t receive broadcasts via antenna. They achieved this by designing equipment to amplify and distribute signals through coaxial cables, laying the groundwork for the modern cable TV industry.
Jerrold gained prominence in the 1950s and 1960s when it began manufacturing cable equipment. Recognizing the challenge of providing television to remote or mountainous regions, Shapp devised the idea of shared antennas placed on high ground to capture signals and distribute them to homes via cable. This innovation led to the development of CATV. Jerrold not only created hardware but also offered turnkey solutions, helping design and build entire cable systems with equipment like amplifiers and head-end units for processing TV signals.
By the 1970s, Jerrold was the leading supplier of cable TV equipment in the U.S. The company was purchased by General Instrument in 1967 and continued to dominate the cable industry through the 1980s and 1990s as cable television became more widespread.
Jerrold Cable Boxes Through the YearsJerrold became well-known for its set-top boxes, which allowed consumers to access cable channels by decoding signals sent via coaxial cables. These boxes were critical in expanding cable services in urban and suburban areas.
Basic Analog Cable Boxes (1960s-1980s)Jerrold’s early cable boxes were simple devices used to convert cable TV signals into analog formats that home televisions could display. These early boxes were primarily channel selectors that allowed users to switch between a limited number of channels. The cable company sent a continuous signal carrying multiple channels, and the Jerrold box would convert the chosen frequency into a viewable channel on the television.
Addressable Boxes (1980s-1990s)As premium channels like HBO and pay-per-view services emerged, Jerrold introduced addressable cable boxes. These more advanced devices could be remotely controlled by the cable company to activate or deactivate channels based on the user’s subscription. Each box had a unique address, and cable providers could send signals to grant or deny access to specific channels, allowing for subscription-based services and scrambled premium content.
Converter/De-Scrambler Boxes (1980s-1990s)Jerrold also produced converter boxes that could unscramble encoded cable signals. As cable companies began protecting premium content, these boxes became essential. A market for black-market Jerrold boxes also emerged, with modified devices allowing customers to bypass payments and access premium channels for free.
Digital Set-Top Boxes (1990s-2000s)With technological advancements, Jerrold, under General Instrument, transitioned to digital set-top boxes. These devices decoded digital cable signals, offering improved picture quality and more channels. They also allowed for two-way communication between the user and the cable provider, which facilitated services like Video-On-Demand (VOD) and interactive program guides.
Jerrold’s DeclineJerrold was a major force in the cable TV industry from the 1950s to the 1990s, but as new technologies like satellite TV, fiber optics, and internet-based streaming gained popularity, traditional cable boxes became less relevant. General Instrument, which had acquired Jerrold, was absorbed by Motorola in 2000. Motorola continued developing cable box technology before selling its set-top box division to Google in 2012. Although the Jerrold brand no longer exists, its legacy lives on in the infrastructure that still supports cable TV and internet services today.
Jerrold Electronics Corporation played a crucial role in transforming cable television from a niche service into a household staple, shaping how millions of people watched TV from the 1960s to the early 2000s. Though the brand has faded, its innovations continue to influence modern cable systems and digital set-top boxes today. Nowadays, those boxes don’t serve a purpose, but you can often find them for sale on the cheap. For me, owning one is a physical connection to an amazing moment in my life when a new world opened up to me. All transmitted through a wire to this magical box.
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We have gained a lot of convenience when it comes to streaming TV and movies. Besides outages or unexpected content drops, services like Netflix or Amazon Prime serve up what you want, when you want. Having grown up before that period, I can say, with a few caveats, streaming has been pretty great. But part of me misses a few things. Number one would probably be the act of discovery. Finding something that just happens to be one and watching and enjoying it. The second thing I miss is the unexpected.
With broadcast TV, when it wasn’t live, you generally knew what was going to happen. But occasionally a technical glitch might pop up that changed the course of your viewing. It could be breaking news that cut into your favorite show, or it might be a technical issue. Technical issues were fascinating to me as a kid, they felt like a breaking of the fourth wall with whatever I was watching. One minute you are on the bridge of the Enterprise and then…
Just like that, you are reminded that this show is being served up from a location and that a human is there monitoring it. There is something magical, but also something that made me feel uneasy when it happened. Whenever it did happen, though, it would be all my friends would talk about the next day at school.
The above piece interruption or “Temporary Fault” is from a 1985 broadcast of the Star Trek episode, The Return of The Archons. The film appears to break, and then a person’s voice is heard. They then play what sounds like Westcoast Trip by Bob Mahaney. The music seems very incongruous for Star Trek, but seems very fitting for the situation.
This version is sort of a best case scenario. Often you would just get silence when a problem came up. Here is an example of that from one of my childhood local stations, WPIX in New York City. When your TV goes silent, it definitely captures your attention, and then what do you do? Wait in silence, hoping to learn why it happened, or do you change the channel? I usually waited and then programming would resume and I would learn nothing. Here is another version that is equally silent. It happened during a Courageous Cat & Minute Mouse cartoon.
(If you have retro finds you would like for me to share, I want to hear them. What old useful website are still lurking on the web? Some old TV show streaming online? Old tech being brought back? Let me know.)
ONE COOL VIDEO
Not all technical issues are an accident. For example, the Max Headroom incident occurred in 1987 when a hacker interrupted two Chicago TV broadcasts by hijacking the signal, showing a bizarre, masked figure mimicking the character Max Headroom. The distorted visuals, eerie voice, and unsettling behavior were super creepy. The randomness and lack of explanation behind the intrusion made it even more disturbing to viewers.
TEN THINGS RETRO
📺 Television - The “real” Max Headroom peaked in popularity in the mid-eighties, just before the incident I mentioned. At the height of his popularity, the faux-CGI character was interviewed by Terry Wogan at the BBC.
🏠 Scarebnb - As I mentioned previously, the house from the film Poltergeist was for sale. Sadly, I wasn’t able to make an offer, but someone did, and they are turning into an Airbnb. I can’t wait to stay there and see what’s on the TV.
🌈 Art - Do you need to be cheered up by colorful rainbow-infused eighties pop culture mash-up art? Check out the art of Amy Greenbank. A lot of it reminds me of Lisa Frank.
🎵 Music - Amazingly, The Cure hasn’t released a new album since 2008. That drought of new music ends on November 1st with their new album, Songs For A New World. The first single came out, Alone, and it’s great.
🃏 Card Games - You remember the video game, Centipede? It’s back, but as a card game.
🐉 Dungeons & Dragons - In the 1990s, they released a “Starter Set” to help introduce people to the 2nd Edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. I had been playing AD&D for a while at this point, so I never picked up this large box set. But I was always curious what was inside it.
📞 Phones - The 1990s were the high point for 1-900 numbers. They took some wild chances on themes, that still puzzle me 25+ years later. For example, who is paying money to a phone line to be insulted?
📼 Cassettes - You might hear the word cassingle and become nostalgic for simpler times, but is the cassingle worthy of your nostalgia? Learn a little about the history of the cassingle.
📖 Magazines - Twilight Zone Magazine lasted eight years, and you can often find issues of it for sale online or at flea markets. But if you prefer to read digitally, the Internet Archive had the magazine’s entire run available to read.
🖥️ Computer Games - Do you like to play old-school style computer role-playing games on modern systems? Check out SKALD: Against the Black Priory.
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SUBSTACK RECOMMENDATION
All this month, the other podcast I contribute to, The Video Store Podcast, is recommending Halloween-appropriate films. Sign up to get updates when new episodes are released (weekly).
Video Store PodcastWelcome to the Video Store Podcast, we have some movie suggestions we think you will enjoy.By RetroistFROM THE RETROIST ARCHIVE
Let's take a moment to look back at four posts from the Retroist's past. I have been at this a long time.
One Year Ago…
🌭 Hormel’s Frank ‘n Stuff Hot Dogs
Five Years Ago…
👻 Six Flags Great Adventure Fright Fest (1995)
Ten Years Ago…
🌰 Magnum P.I’s John Hillerman for Mauna Loa Macadamia Nuts
Fifteen Years Ago…
👁️ Ads that promise they can teach you how to Hypnotize People
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NEWSLETTER
Back in 2009, I recorded a podcast about It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. It was a childhood favorite and a podcast that many people have emailed me about over the years. So now that I am committed to revisiting some of my older episodes, this one went straight to the top of the list. It's a great subject to cover at this time of year, and I hope you enjoy it.
I start the episode by talking about a memorable time when I watched the show. If you've listened to the podcast or read the blog, you probably know that I like to make an event out of things. This story demonstrates the lengths I would go to. I wouldn’t recommend anyone try what I did, especially at the age I was, but in the end, it was rewarding.
Then I dive into the special itself. I discuss the people in front of and behind the camera, its production, music, and much more. I also reference some newspaper articles, and I will share my clippings over on Patreon tomorrow.
It really isn’t Halloween without watching the Peanuts special, and I make sure to watch it every year. Schulz was a brilliant cartoonist, and as I mention in the episode, it’s amazing how much of what appeared on the screen originated in his comic strip. He was a prolific creative genius who, for half a century, helped define and interpret American pop culture.
Listen and download the It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Podcast* Download Episode (MP3 Format) (MP3)
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Production Notes* This is the 327th episode of the Retroist Podcast and episode 2 of the new season. Thanks for sticking with me or trying out the show. * This is a revisited episode. It is similar to the original version I did in 2009, but it has new elements and new sound. I hope you like it. * I went to the Peanuts Museum in California many years ago. It was as unassuming as you would expect it to be. * My original had more retro audio in it, but I cut it down a lot. This episode was already getting a bit too long. * I originally mentioned a lot more Pumpkin Carols. I had to cut that down. I have transcribed a lot of them on the site. * Bonus Clipping should be up on Patreon tomorrow. * Music on the show is, as always, by Peachy.
Thanks for listening to the show and I hope you have a great weekend.
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Before the internet, I wasn’t aware that people had a problem with things like pineapple on pizza or candy corn, but apparently, according to thousands of articles, these are very divisive foods. Personally, I don’t have an issue with either of these foods. In fact, when it comes to candy corn, I am a cheerleader. Every year, when the weather cools and Halloween in nearing, I make sure to pick up a bag or two and by the time November rolls around, I have usually eaten all of it. I have eaten this foodstuff all my life, but I until recently I didn’t know much about its history.
Candy corn was created in the 1880s by George Renninger, an employee of the Wunderle Candy Company in Philadelphia. Originally called "Chicken Feed," the candy was designed to resemble corn kernels and targeted toward farmers, which were a significant population in America at the time. The treat quickly became popular due to its unique design, colorful tri-colored appearance, and sweet taste. In 1900, the Goelitz Confectionery Company (now known as Jelly Belly) began mass-producing candy corn, helping solidify its status as a seasonal treat associated with Halloween.
Candy corn, which are also called mellowcremes, are made from sugar, corn syrup, and other ingredients (sometimes honey). The candy was initially produced manually in large kettles. Candymakers would painstakingly pour the different colored layers one at a time into molds shaped like corn kernels. It was a crazy labor-intensive effort, but demand kept growing.
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By the mid-20th century, advancements in technology allowed for mass production of candy corn. This made it cheaper and quicker to make, but larger production also meant it was more widely available. Candy corn wasn’t just for farmers anymore. And it really found its niche in the 1950s when it started to get passed out to Trick or Treaters during Halloween. While the process of making it has evolved, the basic ingredients and tri-color design have remained consistent. Today, candy corn is a staple of Halloween in the United States, with millions of pounds produced each year.
Here is Food Network’s Unwrapped with a brief history and “How It’s Made” about candy corn.
Along with traditional candy corn, I also or sometimes even prefer the "Mellowcreme Pumpkins." These are made from the same ingredients as candy corn but shaped like small pumpkins with a green stem. Brach's is a major producer of these pumpkins, and they are commonly included in Halloween-themed candy mixes alongside candy corn. The pumpkins have a similar taste to candy corn, but are larger and have a slightly different texture due to their size and shape. If you have never tried them, I highly suggest you add them to your mix this year.
In addition to Jelly Belly, several other companies now produce candy corn, including Brach's, one of the largest manufacturers, as well as smaller brands like Zachary Confections. I always bought Brach’s. It is the version I grew up with, but over the last few years I have come around to Jelly Belly. So now I buy a bag of each. Typically finishing the smaller Jelly Belly bag first, then the Brach’s lingers through November.
While I prefer the big name brands, keep your eyes open this time of year for smaller brands. Candy corn is an affordable treat, so you can often find it in the discount candy section. You won’t get a superior tasting product, but they will frequently have fascinating or even retro-looking packaging. A few years ago, I picked up this package from Mayfair. Just look at this design.
I mentioned that I regularly have extra candy corn after the season has ended, and I got a great suggestion from Roger Barr over at i-Mockery, add it to a peanut butter sandwich. I was skeptical at first. Peanut butter is a strong flavor, but the candy corn does pop through and add some sweetness. My suggestion is to go with an open-faced sandwich to cut down on the candy to bread ratio.
While the traditional tri-color version is the most popular, candy corn has evolved to include a variety of flavors and colors. Some common variants include "Indian Corn," which features brown, orange, and white colors and a chocolate-flavored base, and "Reindeer Corn," which comes in red, green, and white for the Christmas season. There are also modern takes on the classic, such as caramel apple, s'mores, and of course pumpkin spice-flavored candy corn. The combinations and theming possibilities are nearly endless.
Whether you're a fan of candy corn or one of its many detractors, there’s no denying its place in the world of seasonal treats. For me, it’s more than just a sugary snack, it’s a reminder of fall, Halloween, and childhood traditions. Every year, the sight of those sugary little yellow, orange, and white kernels signals the start of the holiday season, and I can’t imagine October without them. So, whether you're indulging in classic candy corn, mellowcreme pumpkins, or one of the newer flavors, I hope you'll find a way to enjoy this quirky, colorful candy. After all, traditions are meant to be sweet.
And who knows? If you’ve never been a candy corn fan, maybe this is the year to give it another shot. Try it in a different mix or a new flavor. You might just surprise yourself, and if nothing else, you’ll have a story to tell about this divisive little candy that somehow continues to spark debate year after year.
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The weather is changing and fall is upon us, and for me that means it’s Zinger weather! Why do I associate Zingers with autumn? It is most definitely because of the commercials and sponsorship deals that they would run with, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
Zingers are snack cakes, introduced by Dolly Madison, but now made by Hostess. They come in three tasty flavors. The chocolate and vanilla Zingers feature a generous layer of icing atop a creamy non-dairy filling, while the raspberry variant skips the icing and instead offers a tantalizing blend of shaved coconut and raspberry-flavored syrup.
I bring up Zingers because Halloween is just around the corner and I think that snack cakes have been overlooked as possible Halloween treats. They have a few good things going for them:
- They are sugary sweet. Something every kid (and adults) wants this time of year.
- They are individually wrapped. So they live in a kid trick-or-treat bag or bucket.
- They have an incredible mascot just sitting on the shelf waiting to be dusted off, The Zinger Zapper.
I guess the one big drawback might be that they are easily damaged, but I think Hostess could develop a packaging that could help counteract that. I plan on picking up a package and putting them in with my treat bowl this year. If trick or treaters opt for something else? More for me!
(If you have retro finds you would like for me to share, I want to hear them. What old useful website are still lurking on the web? Some old TV show streaming online? Old tech being brought back? Let me know.)
ONE COOL VIDEO
Many people grew up with It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown but didn’t get exposed to its original sponsors. At the time they were originally broadcast, I didn’t pay too much attention to the commercials. Now that I am older, though, they often trigger more nostalgia than the actually programming they were a part of. Here is a nice commercial break from a seventies broadcast of the beloved peanut special.
TEN THINGS RETRO
🎥 Home Movies - When you watch a movie or TV show set in the 1980s, it doesn’t always capture the real look of the decade. That is why I will always watch any home videos that recorded in that era. I especially like ones that are almost taking a tour of a home.
⚙️ Gadgets - A lot of devices are being made for writers looking for a distraction-free experience. The Freewrite Alpha looks promising, but I think things will get better if the trend continues.
🎶 Music - Victor Tao built a music visualizer that looks just like the classic video game, PONG. The results are impressive.
🏠 Real Estate - Paul Reubens, who played, Pee-wee Herman, bought it Los Feliz, Ca home in 1985 for $415,000. After his passing it went back on the market for $3,805,000. Even if you aren’t interested in buying it, you can take a tour.
🗡️ Toys - Many of us have dreamed about having a toy lightsaber that expanded and retracted like in the Star Wars films. An inventor came up with a way to make this fantasy a reality, and for some reason the toy giant Hasbro passed on it.
💻 Computers - In an alternate universe, Canon Computers keyboard-forward Canon Cat were super popular (but not in this one).
⚙️ Gadgets - Clap on! Clap Off! Clap on, clap off! The Clapper! 👏👏
📻 Anime - The portrayal of technology in anime offers a stylistic look back at the devices that dominated the landscape in the 80s and 90s. I am not sure why, but everything in these videos just looks so much more high-tech than the technology we have nowadays.
🚂 Toys - If you grew up playing with Fisher-Price toys, and I think many of us did, you might want to take a look at this too quick video tour of the Fisher-Price archives.
🐁 Pizza Mouse - While things are pretty grim for the animatronic bands at Chuck E. Cheese, the outcry for fans scored a reprieve and will continue to entertain kids and their parents for at least a little while longer.
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SUBSTACK RECOMMENDATION
Lots of songs manage to find a second life when they are used on TV or in films years later. Some even go on to be bigger hits. Stat Significant takes a look at the music and, as usual, puts together a compelling statistical analysis.
Stat SignificantHow Are Hit Songs Rediscovered Decades Later? A Statistical AnalysisIntro: Is "Bohemian Rhapsody" the Most Rediscovered Song of All Time…Read morea month ago · 51 likes · 3 comments · Daniel ParrisFROM THE RETROIST ARCHIVE
Let's take a moment to look back at four posts from the Retroist's past. I have been at this a long time.
One Year Ago…
☎️ The Bellboy and the History of Telephone Pagers
Five Years Ago…
🐺 Retroist Werewolf Podcast
Ten Years Ago…
🥗 So much Suddenly Salad!
Fifteen Years Ago…
🛢️ Retroist Donkey Kong Podcast
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NEWSLETTER
The Retroist Podcast is back with an episode I promised to release during my first year of the podcast, The Goonies. On this episode, my first of the new season, I am happy to finally have covered this classic and beloved film.
I start the show off by talking about how the film was inspiring to me in unexpected ways that have had a positive long-term effect on me. Then I move onto the film itself, I talk about the people in front of and behind the camera, its production, location, video games, music, and much more.
This film, when it finally came out on cable and VHS was pretty much on a loop at my house at the time. That, combined with showings at video stores, make it difficult for me to estimate how many times I have seen it, but it is proudly, a lot. I wanted to say this because it took me a while to get around to making this episode not because I didn’t want to, but because I didn’t think I could do it justice. I hope you enjoy the episode and more importantly watch or rewatch the movie.
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Production Notes* This is the 326th episode of the Retroist Podcast and episode 1 of the new season. Thanks for sticking with me or trying out the show. * I have some plans around this new season. Lots of retro topics to cover. * This episode is on the long side, so I had to cut out some retro audio I wanted to include. I am happy with what I did include. * I have been to Astoria three times now, and each time I have tried to see something different. If you can include a few days on the Oregon Coast, it is a great vacation destination. * Maybe they should have included the Octopus scene? When I first saw it, I thought it was silly as well, but now I kind of love it. * I could see a remake as a TV series on a streaming service. Perhaps a sequel series? Although I am not sure how they would find the ship after it set sail. Possibly a 2nd ship?? * I might post a bonus track on Patreon with the alternate story I recorded for this episode. * The Cyndi Lauper music video is worth checking out. I had mentioned it during the show, but completely butchered my discussion of it. It’s got great wrestling connections. * Here is Donner seeing his cast while trying to relax in Hawaii. * Bonus Clipping should be up on Patreon tomorrow. * Music on the show is, as always, by Peachy.
Thanks for listening to the show and I hope you have a great weekend.
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Ever since my mom took me to my first McDonald’s, I’ve been fascinated by fast food. Sure, I enjoy a good burger or fried chicken sandwich as much as anyone, but what really intrigues me is how these places operate. How do they improve internal efficiencies? What food science breakthroughs are they utilizing? Whenever I visit a restaurant, I find myself looking around, trying to spot little details I might have missed. Doing this makes you develop strong opinions on a lot of things. Beyond the obvious factors like food quality, speed, affordability, and cleanliness, you start to notice things like the type of ice they use, the materials on the walls, and, of course, the menu.
A long-time trend in fast food has been novelty and diversity in menu offerings. While this has given us many great options over the years, it’s also led to menus becoming crowded and unfocused. This lack of focus in the kitchen often results in an over-reliance on food science to accommodate the larger variety of food items that need to be prepared, maintained, and served from a relatively small kitchen. I believe that a smaller, more focused menu can deliver a higher-quality product that people will want to come back for again and again.
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In-N-Out Burger is a great example of this strategy. While they have a larger "Secret Menu," their standard menu is very straightforward.
Now, compare that to a modern McDonald’s menu.
6 Panels!I know this might just be me daydreaming, but I’d love to see a world where McDonald’s adopts a strategy of quality and simplicity. They could focus their strengths and marketing expertise on a core product line centered around burgers, a reduced breakfast menu, and McNuggets, all available all day.
I have decided to put together a mission statement of sorts. It is based on what I believe is most important to deliver quality fast food to people. And I believe that McDonald’s has deviated from this. In this order, a good chain should focus on:
- Quality
- Value
- Speed
I’m fully aware that it’s highly unlikely McDonald’s will ever change course. I’m also aware that the choices I would make won’t appeal to everyone. But this is a personal project for me. As I mentioned earlier, if you have an opinion, I’d love to hear it.
To visualize this idea, I decided to create a revised McDonald’s menu. At first, I just wrote it out, but recently, I took the time to mock up a menu board. Here’s my first version, let’s call it Version 0.1.
If you’ve made it this far, menus matter to you. So, you probably have some opinions on this, and I’d love to hear them in the comments. But before you share, I want to explain my thinking behind some of these decisions.
My inspiration for these changes comes partly from In-N-Out and partly from the original McDonald’s menu board at their now-closed museum in Des Plaines, Illinois.
After deciding on some style choices and colors, I needed to pick the foods. This was challenging. McDonald’s offers many interesting products, many of which I wouldn’t want to see go away, but to make meaningful changes, something had to be cut. I’m not claiming to be an authority—most of these choices are just my own opinions—but here’s my thought process.
- McDonald’s started with burgers, so burgers remain the focus. But which ones? I decided to keep it simple: hamburger, cheeseburger, double cheeseburger, and the iconic Big Mac. This meant removing the Quarter Pounder, which is actually my favorite McDonald’s burger. However, I believe that if they focused on quality, the double cheeseburger could fill the gap.
- McDonald’s does french fries well, and I’d love to see them go back to their original cooking method. Even if that doesn’t happen, fries stay on the menu, but they will only be available in one size. Want more? Just order a second serving.
- McNuggets remain on the menu and will only come in one size, probably 6 or 8 pieces. Dipping sauces will still be available.
- Since I’ve removed the Filet-O-Fish, I’m introducing a new item: Fish McNuggets. They’ll either be prepared with the tempura batter of Chicken McNuggets or, if possible, the coating from the original Filet-O-Fish. Hamburger University will have to figure that out.
- I still think McDonald’s should offer limited-time specials and regional items, like how the Filet-O-Fish or McRib occasionally make a comeback.
- Breakfast will now be available all day, just like lunch and dinner. I’ve cut many breakfast items, but I’ve kept the Big Breakfast, McMuffin, and McGriddle. Personally, I’d have preferred to keep the biscuit sandwiches, but the McGriddle offers more variety compared to the McMuffin.
- Shakes stay on the menu, but no more complicated, high-tech ice cream machines. Let’s go back to simpler shake machines. I’ll miss the sundaes and McFlurries, but you have to draw the line somewhere. Shakes will also only come in one size.
- I’ve reduced the variety of drinks and brought back the original Orange Drink. If they need to keep Orange Hi-C, I’m okay with that.
- For dessert, you’ll be able to get a fried hot apple pie. It will be dangerously hot and delicious—you’ve been warned.
- Finally, you can still upgrade your meal to a Value or Happy Meal, which includes a drink and fries, and in the case of the Happy Meal, a toy.
I’m happy enough with this to call it Version 0.1, but there are a few things I’d like to consider for future versions:
- Can we come up with a new name for the double cheeseburger?
- Instead of having meal options, should there be set meal prices with numbers? How would those be displayed on the menu?
- Where should regional or limited-time offerings be listed?
- Should I change the font or lighten the price font color?
- What about the McChicken? Chicken sandwiches are very popular right now. Is that a long-term trend, or could better burgers shift the balance?
- What would this menu look like on an ordering kiosk? Would it be simplified compared to what they use now?
- This is based on pre-pandemic pricing. Should I add modern prices? And if so, where can I get accurate price data? I know my local McDonald’s charges more than the national average.
- What would this approach look like at other fast food chains?
To wrap things up, I know this whole idea might seem a bit far-fetched, and maybe it’s just me indulging in some wishful thinking. But the point of this exercise was to rethink what fast food could look like with a bit more focus on quality and simplicity. I’m not expecting McDonald’s or any major chain to overhaul their menus based on this, but it’s fun to imagine how small changes could have a big impact. If you’ve stuck with me this long, you probably care about this stuff too, so I’d love to hear your thoughts. Whether you agree, disagree, or have ideas of your own, drop them in the comments. Let’s keep the conversation going!
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Recently I wrote about the Wendy’s SuperBar. The SuperBar was Wendy’s reaction to dwindling sales, which had been inflated by an ad campaign that took America by storm, “Where’s the Beef?” In a series of commercials and print ads, octogenarian spokesperson, Clara Peller challenged non-Wendy’s burgers size, asking simply, “Where’s the Beef?” The phrase spread like wildfire and would become an accepted phrase when one wants to question the substance of something. It was even used in by Walter Mondale in the 1984 Democratic Primary Debate. It was a great catchphrase, but they also found the perfect person to deliver it.
CLARA PELLER
Clara Peller was born in Czarist Russia back in 1902. Her family moved to the United States a few years later. The family moved to Illinois and that is where Clara spent most of here life, working as a manicurist at a beauty salon. Then in 1982, she was hired as a manicurist for a television commercial and something about her impressed the agency handling the shoot. She soon found herself working in commercials, TV, films, music. Eventually, Peller would appear on a board game and even a watch. She would pass away just 3 years later, gathering more fame in those short years than many lifelong actors.
Her biggest claim to fame was working with Wendy’s, and it seemed like a great deal for both parties for a while. Clara wasn’t exclusive to Wendy’s and would take work with other brands. During one of those commercials for Prego pasta sauce, she states, "I found it! I really found it," implying that Prego was where the beef could be found.
Wendy’s did not like this and decided to terminate their work with Clara and they dropped the campaign completely. It was not an amicable split, and Peller was quoted as saying, "I've made them millions, and they don't appreciate me." Maybe it was just bad timing, but for two years after they ended “Where’s the Beef?,” profits at Wendy’s went down. Which is a reason why we got the SuperBar.
(If you have retro finds you would like for me to share, I want to hear them. What old useful website are still lurking on the web? Some old TV show streaming online? Old tech being brought back? Let me know.)
ONE COOL VIDEO
While not as a famous as here original commercial for Wendy’s this ad might have been just as consequential. Possibly the original ad campaign had run its course, but we will never know. What we do know is when they dumped Clara Peller, things went downhill for Wendy’s.
Watch it to the end to see Peller holding a comically oversized jar of Prego Plus.
TEN THINGS RETRO
📼 Cassettes - Do you like audio cassettes? Appreciate their physical design? Then you will probably enjoy tapedeck.org. It contains hundreds of photos of cassettes spanning dozens of brands. Many, I have never seen before.
❄️ Otter Pops - Summer is over, but that doesn’t mean you need to stop appreciating delicious Otter Pops. Scott Serkland has a great idea, with just a little changing to branding, Otter Pops become Slaughter Pops, the perfect ice pop to have during the Halloween season.
📺 Television - Henry Winkler has been working for decades, but is still probably most famous for playing The Fonz on Happy Days. During his one-man show, Henry Winkler: The Fonz and Beyond, he shares his journey to landing this iconic role.
🎮 Game Consoles - The Game Boy was many people’s first portable video game system. The look of games on its LCD screen is burned into my brain, but what if the Game Boy had a CRT monitor? Amazingly, someone made this happen using parts from an old intercom system and a lot of hot glue.
💾 Floppy Discs - A lot of companies and large organizations still use floppy discs to run important systems. Two years ago, Japan decided it was time for the floppy to go, and they just recently announced that they are now floppy-free.
🕹️ Video Games - Wizardry was a ground-breaking video game that spawned many sequels and inspired hundreds of other games. Sadly, Andrew C. Greenberg, co-creator of the game, has passed away.
🐸 Muppets - On an appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show, the legendary Jim Henson talks about the universal appeal of Muppets. He then proceeds to bring out Kermit and Rowlf to answer questions. What is amazing is that on the same couch is Reading Rainbow star, LeVar Burton.
💡 Inventors - In 1932, Francis Jehl appeared in a movie where he talks about working with Thomas Edison on the lightbulb back in 1879.
⌚ Watches - The modern smartwatch is an astounding piece of technology, but people have been trying to make the equivalent of smartwatches for decades. Seiko tried back in 1984 with their UC-2000.
🍔 Food - Usually when I got my hands on a cooking toy, like the EZ Bake Oven I just ate the raw ingredients. But what if you asked real chefs to make real food using old food playsets?
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SUBSTACK RECOMMENDATION
The Obsolete Sony Newsletter takes a look at the Evolution of the Cyber-shot Camera.
Obsolete Sony’s NewsletterThe Evolution of Sony's Cyber-shot Cameras (1996-2011)Since the mid-1990s, Sony’s Cyber-shot cameras have been at the cutting edge of digital photography, continuously redefining design, technology, and user experience. From the groundbreaking DSC-F1 to the feature-rich DSC-TX7, each model has pushed the boundaries and set new industry standards. Let’s delve into the landmark Cyber-shot models that have si…Read morea month ago · 26 likes · 2 comments · ObsoleteSonyFROM THE RETROIST ARCHIVE
Let's take a moment to look back at four posts from the Retroist's past. I have been at this a long time.
One Year Ago…
☎️ The Bellboy and the History of Telephone Pagers
Five Years Ago…
🎃 Peanuts Pumpkin Carols
Ten Years Ago…
🧜♀️ The McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish Mermaid
Fifteen Years Ago…
👁️ Ads that promise they can teach you how to Hypnotize People
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NEWSLETTER
A few decades ago, I found myself on a message board for Transformers fans. In one of the threads, someone mentioned a book that had a two-page spread featuring the iconic packaging of the Transformers toys from Hasbro. The book was called Package Design and Brand Identity: 38 Case Studies of Strategic Imagery for the Marketplace, and I knew right then that I wanted a copy for myself. After a bit of a hunt, I finally tracked down a copy online, in excellent condition, and I didn’t hesitate to order it. I’m so glad I did—not only does this book feature one of my favorite toys, but it captures a unique moment in time during the '80s and '90s when beloved brands were being reimagined and exciting new products were bursting onto the market.
What is this book?Package Design and Brand Identity is a collection of 38 case studies that showcase the creative process behind corporate identity and packaging design. These designs were developed by the communications and design firm Coleman, LiPuma, Segal & Morrill, Inc. (CLS&M). The book is primarily visual, illustrating how the firm approached their projects, blending traditional design techniques with the then-cutting-edge technology of computer graphics. We get a fascinating glimpse into an era when design was evolving rapidly—CLS&M wasn’t just designing products; they were helping to shape the visual language of consumer culture.
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At its core, the book is a bit of a portfolio—a showcase of the firm’s work with high-profile clients and the impact they made on large-scale marketing campaigns. This is the type of book you’d hand to a prospective client to say, “Look what we can do.” While it primarily focuses on the visual impact of the brands, the first few pages provide insight into CLS&M's research methodology and design philosophy. Admittedly, I initially skipped this section when I first got the book, opting to dive straight into the glossy photo spreads, but in hindsight, it’s worth reading. These pages highlight the complexities behind designing effective packaging and how success is measured, offering a thoughtful perspective that deepens your appreciation for the visuals that follow.
What’s in this book?As mentioned, the book includes 38 case studies of both well-known and more niche products. Each study spans 2–6 pages, featuring vibrant images of packaging, shelf displays, branding materials, and the occasional behind-the-scenes glimpse of the design process. What’s striking is the sheer variety, not only in the products but in the design approaches—CLS&M’s ability to tailor their work to different markets and aesthetics is on full display. Here are a few of the standouts:
Nestle Sweet Success
Sweet Success was a weight-loss product from Nestle, focused primarily on chocolate beverages. This case study gives us a behind-the-scenes look at their packaging development, from early rough sketches to the final product shot, which is beautifully staged.
One of the standout images is of the logo being rendered on a computer—this was the early days of digital design. While the shot is clearly staged (with the keyboard awkwardly shoved to the side), it’s still an interesting snapshot of how design technology was starting to change the industry.
Sculptured Pyrex
I didn’t even know Pyrex had a "sculptured" line of products. Learning about this was a revelation, and I’m grateful to the book for introducing me to it.
The design here is minimalist, yet elegant—capturing the simplicity and functionality that Pyrex is known for, while also making the product feel a bit more upscale with its sculptural shapes. This case study highlights how packaging can influence the perceived value of a product.
Ortega Taco
The branding for Ortega is a personal favorite—the case study includes great layouts that demonstrate the playful use of color and typography. There’s also another example of computers entering the design world, with an image of a computer screen displaying early packaging concepts.
We have two photos here. The one on the left, the setup is slightly more realistic here, with the monitor only tilted a bit to improve visibility. With the one on the right, it’s clear that the photo was staged for effect. Not just because of the computer placement, but also the product shot is superimposed onto the screen. Perhaps put there by that very computer?
Konica Cameras
The vibrant rainbow semicircle and confetti background featured in the Konica case study are nostalgic perfection, evoking a youthful, energetic vibe that was clearly meant to appeal to a younger audience at the time.
What I find especially fascinating is the inclusion of the original packaging alongside the updated version. It offers a rare opportunity to compare old versus new and to reflect on the choices made—whether it’s the subtle tweaks or bold changes that shaped how we saw the product. Seeing the Konica Tomato in its original packaging, I think they could have tried to include an image of one on the newer package.
The Transformers
This is the whole reason I initially wanted the book. The two-page spread on Transformers might be brief, but it’s absolutely essential for any fan who grew up with these toys. Seeing the original packaging concepts, alongside the final versions, was like stepping back in time to childhood.
Tastykake
This section was a real surprise, and it has since become my second favorite. I grew up eating Tastykakes, and I vividly remember when the packaging changed. My family wasn’t happy—especially my mom, who much preferred the older design.
The case study includes a shot of the endcaps from the stores in my area, capturing the classic packaging we all loved and the updated version.
The newer look is warmer and cozier, something you might associate more with baked goods, but the retro styling of the original still makes me nostalgic. Even today, I find myself wishing they’d revert to that simpler, more familiar design.
Pritikin
There are so many gems in this book, but one that really stands out is their work on Pritikin for Quaker Oats. The goal was to create a healthy food line that would jump off the shelves, but for some reason, I never encountered this product in stores. Having it captured here in full color is like discovering a forgotten piece of history.
Why I love this bookThat’s the real magic of Package Design and Brand Identity. Each entry feels like a little time capsule—a snapshot of a product that you might have used or at least encountered in passing. Packaging and shelving are ephemeral; they change so frequently that we often don’t notice them unless we stop and take a closer look. CLS&M has essentially created a yearbook of products, allowing us to appreciate the thought and care that went into something as seemingly simple as a box on a shelf. It’s both beautiful to look at and surprisingly thought-provoking.
While the book was probably conceived as a sales tool, I wish more companies put this level of love and craftsmanship into their promotional materials. If they did, I’d probably have a whole library of books like this one on my shelf.
Unfortunately, this book isn’t easy to come by. You might stumble across it online occasionally, but I don’t think too many were printed. So, if you have an interest in product design and you happen to see it at a reasonable price, don’t hesitate—scoop it up. It’s not only a great coffee table book, but also a wonderful conversation starter for anyone who shares a passion for design or nostalgia.
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Wendy’s wasn’t common in my area of New Jersey when I was a kid. We knew about it from commercials, but they didn’t start appearing everywhere until I was a teenager. My mom really liked their baked potato and chili, so whenever we had the chance to grab lunch or dinner there—which usually happened when we were away from home—we did. One of the places we visited regularly was down the shore. A day at the beach or boardwalk often ended with a trip to Wendy’s, where we all ordered our favorite meals. But that all changed one late summer night in the late eighties when we were in Wildwood, NJ. That’s when we were introduced to the Wendy’s SuperBar.
Wendy’s SuperBar. What a Spread!The SuperBar ExperienceWhen we first walked in, we were confused by the signage. We’d seen salad bars at fast-food places before, but nothing like this. It was as if they took the standard salad bar concept and expanded it into multiple stations. Instead of just cold salads, they offered hot foods as well. You paid one price per person, and it was all-you-can-eat. This was too good a deal for us to pass up. So we found a table in the corner of the restaurant, paid for each of us, and got to work.
Exploring the StationsThe SuperBar had three stations: Italian, Mexican, and Garden Spot Salads. Salad bars were old hat by this point, and I’d say this one covered most of the basics. You had leafy lettuce and other sliced raw vegetables for your base, and you could finish with croutons and your choice of dressing. Like many, I preferred the creamy dressings—and way too much of it.
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Since this was the “cold station,” it was also home to the dessert bar, which meant you often began and ended your SuperBar meal here. Desserts were simple but plentiful. My favorite was the butterscotch pudding, but they also had chocolate and vanilla, as well as assorted cut fresh fruit.
At the Italian station, you would first choose one of three pastas: rotini, rotini with vegetables, or fettuccine. Then you’d pick a sauce—marinara, meat sauce, or creamy Alfredo. You could grab a few slices of garlic toast, and you were done. That was until later in the year, when they added pizza to the menu. That was a game-changed for me. It might not have been the best pizza, but a lot of mediocre pizza is pretty great when you are a kid. Now, New Jersey has a strong pasta culture, so I didn’t need instructions on how to handle these ingredients. But the final station was very new to me: they wanted me to do something I had never done before—build a burrito.
At the time, New Jersey didn’t have a thriving Mexican food scene. Even Taco Bells were few and far between. But here was a chance to try an Americanized Mexican fast-food experience in the form of a burrito or taco, and I wasn’t going to pass it up. You were encouraged to build your creation on a flour tortilla or crispy corn taco shell, but it wasn’t a requirement. You could add refried beans, meat, shredded lettuce, cheese, rice, salsa, sour cream, olives, and jalapeños.
What I really liked were the tortilla chips, and I would snack on them frequently after finishing my main meal while waiting for my family to finish eating. They would have made for a fun nacho plate if they had a method for melting the cheese. Many of the items at the Mexican station also made great add-ons for the baked potato from their standard menu. If I remember correctly, you were allowed to top your potato with items from any of the stations—although maybe we were just bending the rules!
Expansion and the Popularity of the SuperBarWe went to this SuperBar twice, but eventually, we got a Wendy’s closer to home that also had a SuperBar, so we no longer needed to travel far to enjoy it. The first SuperBars were tested in early 1987 in company-owned stores and were a success, increasing sales by about 15 percent. Toward the end of 1987, Wendy’s did a big advertising push and planned to spend $35 million to install them in all 1,120 company-owned locations by the summer of 1988. They also offered financing for franchisees to help them install the buffets, each of which cost between $30,000 and $35,000.
The SuperBar was priced at $2.99 for lunch and $3.59 for dinner, with kids eating for $1.99 at launch. These prices were often reduced with various coupons and offers they ran at the time. Amazingly, by the last year of the SuperBar, prices had hardly changed much. It remained a good value for about a decade.
Many questioned whether this was a good move for Wendy’s. They speculated that it wasn’t part of their core business model and wouldn’t succeed. Similar bars had been tried for decades by other restaurants and were shown to be challenging to maintain. At the time, the chain Rax had a very similar system, and they were supposedly designed by the same people.
Wendy’s wasn’t exactly desperate, but sales had been declining each year since peaking during the “Where’s the Beef?” phase in 1984. Wendy’s needed something to bring people back, and they hoped this would appeal to customers who wanted more than just a burger (vegetarians also appreciated the options). This approach would help them avoid directly competing with the then-dominant McDonald’s and Burger King.
The End of an EraOver the years, SuperBars started appearing in stores across the country. The hype around them peaked as the eighties ended, but Wendy’s continued to promote the concept with meal deals, coupons, and, of course, menu changes. One of my family’s favorite additions was the seafood options. By the mid-nineties, however, the SuperBar had run out of steam, and before the end of the decade, they were all gone. The trend of food bars at fast-food restaurants had run its course, leaving fans to mourn their absence.
Was the food high quality? Not really. Were all the SuperBars well-maintained? Not by a long shot, but if you were on a budget and wanted to fill up on something that wasn’t your standard fast food offering, Wendy’s was giving you an option. That more than made up for the often mixed quality.
The Wendy’s SuperBar might be a memory now, but it represents a time when fast food was experimenting and pushing boundaries in ways that surprised and delighted customers. Though it eventually disappeared, the SuperBar left a lasting impression on those who experienced it, reminding us that even in the fast-paced world of quick service, there’s always room for a little bit of creativity and a lot of food.
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Recently, I posted on Notes a photo of the core four books I need to play 1st Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. These books have been with me since I was a kid, and I finally decided to return to them full time after having played 5th edition for a few years. The new editions are well-made and very playable, but after much thought, I started to see that I preferred the structure of 1st editions. It’s hard for me to separate the “why” from nostalgia for the game of my childhood, but I am not going to dissect it further, and I am just going to enjoy the game.
If you are interested in playing earlier editions of D&D, you used to be able to run to a used book store and pick them up for a song. Nowadays, though, the prices have gone through the roof, with original books often going for over $100 and higher in better condition. Fortunately, options exist online to get add these books to your shelf. DriveThruRPG has every book from 1st Edition you would need to play and all of them are available as a PDF for those who like digital, or you can go print-on-demand. I have had a great experience with their printed books, each one I have gotten has been good quality, maybe even better than the originals. It allows me to use the books at the gaming table while I used my original books for personal research and session planning.
A lifetime of gamingIf you really need to get vintage copies of the books, you can save some money by trying to find a lot. Just make sure to check the condition, especially on Unearthed Arcana, the binding on those could be rough. If you do get a double of a book, buying them this way, feel free to send them to me. I will always make room on my shelf for more.
(If you have retro finds you would like for me to share, I want to hear them. What old useful website are still lurking on the web? Some old TV show streaming online? Old tech being brought back? Let me know.)
ONE COOL VIDEO
Dungeons & Dragons seems pretty well accepted nowadays, but that wasn’t always the case. You can still find evidence of the crusade against it during the time that most people lump into the “Satanic Panic.” Here is a report from Canada that is trying to get to the bottom of this whole Dungeons & Dragons thing. What I love about these videos, isn’t the discussion of fear, but the fact that they often include footage from gaming sessions. They really take me back to my childhood. The kid with the Dungeon Master hat, Daniel Green, is particularly awesome.
TEN THINGS RETRO
🎥 Movie - In 1964, before he was lighting the world on fire in The Doors, a very clean-cut Jim Morrison made an appearance in a film for the University of Florida.
📀 Physical Media - If you are a buyer of physical media, you have probably been noticing the ever-growing price of vinyl records. That is because they are now more than expensive than ever.
🕹️ Video Game - Most people remember the Atari 2600, and while that might be the best-selling console, the Atari 7800 was their second most popular console, and it has an interesting history.
🏋️♀️ Fitness - If you owned an Intellivision Keyboard Component, you could have gotten in shape with Jack LaLanne's Physical Conditioning. It might seem simple by modern standards, but this was actually cutting-edge at the time.
⭐ Celebrity - In the latter half of the Twentieth Century, Andy Warhol and Frank Zappa were major contributors to the arts and pop culture. They also did not like each other.
📚 Archiving - A big part of education used to be filmstrips. Sadly, they are quickly being forgotten and even more quickly disappearing. Thankfully, some people are trying to do something about that.
🖍️ Crayons - Any time is a great time for crayons, but with back to school around the corner, here is a great article about how Crayola make crayons.
🥣 Cereal - Corn Flakes were invented as a health food in 1894. The original recipe for their creation still exists, and surprisingly the end result is not that different from the ones we can buy today.
🕹️ Video Game - In 1980, Nintendo licensed its Game & Watch title, Time Out, to Mego. When Mego advertised the game on television, it became the first sort of Nintendo product to be advertised on American television.
🎥 Movie - A new movie is coming out this fall that will dramatize how Saturday Night Live got on the air. It has a great cast, a solid subject, and the trailer makes it look compelling.
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SUBSTACK RECOMMENDATION
Why Rediscovered Realms? Because, I love pouring through the vintage RPG books, magazines, and ephemera. It makes me so happy to find someone else who enjoys it as much as I do.
Rediscovered RealmsThe weekly Fantasy newsletter that reconnects you with heroic fantasy worlds of your favorite books, epic games, unearthed magazines, forgotten gamebooks and enchanting art - old school & new.By J.Q. GrazianoFROM THE RETROIST ARCHIVE
Let's take a moment to look back at four posts from the Retroist's past. I have been at this a long time.
One Year Ago…
🎥 WPIX Revenge of the Creature in 3D
Five Years Ago…
🩸 Monkey’s Blood (Mercurochrome) for those boo-boos
Ten Years Ago…
🍍 The Great Dole Pineapple Orange Juice Mistake
Fifteen Years Ago…
🎙️ Retroist Knight Rider Podcast
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NEWSLETTER
In 1980, Fleer released Pac-Man stickers. At that time, Pac-Man Fever was in full effect in my world. So when I spotted the stickers at our local convenience store, I eagerly picked up my first pack for 30 cents. It was thrilling to have something representing Pac-Man in my hand, and from that moment on, all my money went towards getting more packs.
Each wax pack of cards contained six cards and a stick of gum. Three of the cards had stickers, and the other three featured rub-off games. These games were designed to be played like a game of Pac-Man. You start at the yellow Pac-Man in the center, then begin scratching off spaces as you move through the maze. Once you reveal three colored monsters (ghosts), your game is over. You then use the scoring system included on the back of the card to tally your score and write it down.
Even though the outcome was very random, my friends and I were obsessed with beating each other’s high scores. This competition was great because it meant we were all collecting the cards. With only three stickers per pack and duplicates being common, having more people with more cards to trade with was extremely helpful. Still, even with four of us collecting, it took me well over a year to complete my collection. This was only possible because, as time passed, my friends became less interested in collecting them all and eventually traded their cards to me for other ones we collected at the time.
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This also meant I ended up with a lot of duplicates, which was fun since these were stickers! And stickers were meant to stick! For years after these came out, Pac-Man stickers could be found on surfaces and objects all around our home.
Luckily, I had some self-control and held onto a full set, along with some extras. I’ve scanned these, and I’m going to share them here, but before I do, I want to talk about some details regarding the cards.
The cards were successful enough that they released multiple printings. They also did a European release, but I’ve never seen those. You can recognize the different printings in three ways:
- They redid some of the art, improving it after the first printing. The changes are subtle but noticeable.
- The easier method is by the color of the text on the back of the cards. The first, third, and fourth printings have blue text, while the second printing has red text.
- If you happened to keep your wax packs, the first release had a yellow background. Future releases had a white background.
Different Color FontsAs more Pac-Man games hit arcades, they released more card sets based on games like Ms. Pac-Man and Super Pac-Man. I also collected these, but I never came close to completing a set of them. Eventually, the cards disappeared or got stuck to something. I regret that now, but at the time, putting stickers on stuff was an important part of who I was.
Complete Set of Fleer Pac-Man StickersMy collection is a mix of editions that I accumulated during the first two years the cards were out. Well over seventy percent of them are from the first release. Here are the scans I took of them recently to share. Click on thumbnails to view larger versions.
Cards 1-3
-
Waka! Waka! Waka!
-
Charge! & Feet Don't Fail Me Now
-
Official Pac-Man Fan Club
Cards 4-6
-
U.S. Pac-Man Team
-
Pac-Man Operator's License
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Slide Out The Side Door / I’m Cookin’ Now
Cards 7-9
-
You'd Smile Too If You Could Eat Monsters!
-
Never! & Let's Get Together
-
Waka! Waka! Waka! Waka! GULP!
Cards 10-12
- Waka! Waka! & Here Comes Jaws!
- Slide Out The Side Door & I'm Cookin’ Now
- Pac-Man For President
Cards 13-15
- Pac-Man Headquarters: Counseling Available
- Pac-Man: For Challenge Call
- I Have Pac-Man Hangover!
Cards 16-18
- Where Are Those Monsters? & The Pac-Man Knows
- How About It? & Let's Get Together
- I'm Quick But You're Quicker & Eat My Dust
Cards 19-21
- Try It. & You’ll Like It!
- Be Kind To Pac-Man!
- Pac-Man Repairman… By Appointment Only & Join The Pac-Man Majority!
Cards 22-24
- Pac-Man Bites Back!
- U.S. Pac-Man Team
- Free Lunch! & I'm Cooked Now!
Cards 25-27
- Good To The Last Bite
- School’s Out, Pac-Man’s In!
- Are You Kidding? & Waka! Waka! Waka! Waka!
Cards 28-30
- How Far Can You Go?
- Gotcha! & Mommy!
- Kiss My Pac-Man
Cards 31-33
- I'll Get You Monsters!
- Today Is National Pac-Man Day & Pac-Man Does It With Monsters!
- Happiness Is A Hungry Pac-Man
Cards 34-36
- Catch Me If You Can!
- Eat My Dust Pac-Man!
- Yeah! & Support Your Local Pac-Man!
Cards 37-39
- Waka! Waka! Waka! Waka! & Here Comes Jaws!
- Smile… Pac-Man Is Watching!
- Weekends Were Made For Pac-Man
Cards 40-42
- Got’ Em On The Run & Gulp!
- Pac-Man Is Coming & Don't Play This Game… Pac-Man Is Better
- Waka! Waka! Waka! Waka! & Are You Kidding?
Cards 43-45
- Pac-Man Does It Again & Gotcha!
- Waka! Waka! Waka! Waka! & Look Out!
- I'm Eatin' Everything In Sight!
Cards 46-48
- Watch Out For Pac-Man!
- Let's Get Together & What If We're Caught?
- Pac-Man Report Card… Novice Fair Good Expert Out’A Sight!
Cards 49-51
- I'm Cookin’ & Slide Out The Side Door
- We Want Pac-Man & Pac-Man Does It With Monsters!
- Happiness Is A Hungry Pac-Man
Cards 52-54
- Ready? & I Am!
- Catch Me If You Can!
- Waka! Waka! ! & Who Me?
Note: I am not sure how they decided what punctuation to use and why. It all seems sort of random, but I tried to transcribe it like I see it on each card.
Looking back, these Pac-Man cards and stickers were more than just a collection; they were a piece of a larger craze that defined a moment in time. They connected me with friends, fueled our friendly competition, and brought a bit of the arcade magic into our everyday lives. Even now, years later, these stickers evoke memories of a simpler time when the thrill of tearing open a new pack was all it took to brighten my day.
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In a recent article, I discussed the TV video game show, TX PIXXX. Most of my memories of the video games they played on it were on the Intellivision. But it turns out that early episodes of the game show featured games on the often-overlooked The Fairchild Channel F (originally the Video Entertainment System). This was a console I only had a passing interest in getting at the time. I wouldn’t get to play it properly until only a few years ago at a friend’s house. The controller might have scared me, but the games on this system were very playable.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Would play again!The Fairchild Channel F, short for "Channel Fun" was released by Fairchild Camera and Instrument in November 1976. Developed by gaming pioneer Jerry Lawson, the system was notable for its quickness to market and its use of cartridges. Lawson’s led the team that developed and refined the cartridges, and to many (myself included), he is the father of the form factor.
Unfortunately for the Channel F, the Atari VCS would come to market not too long after it and would dominate the market. This is when they changed the name from Video Entertainment System to Channel F since Atari’s system was the Video Computer System (VCS). Fairchild would eventually sell the brand to Zircon International in 1979, and they would keep the brand going until 1983. Although it was a losing effort.
(If you have retro finds you would like for me to share, I want to hear them. What old useful website are still lurking on the web? Some old TV show streaming online? Old tech being brought back? Let me know.)
ONE COOL VIDEO
Jerry Lawson passed away in 2011, but we are lucky enough to have some videos of him online where he talks about his career. In 2005, he was the keynote speaker at the Classic Gaming Expo. He was there right at the start of video games, and his life and career intersected with other luminaries in the field. The entire speech was recorded and posted by VG Legacy.
TEN THINGS RETRO
👻 Real Estate - Good news for home buyers and lovers of horror. The house used in the film, Poltergeist, is for sale. Amazingly, after all these years, it is still very recognizable.
🎵 Music - 10 years ago, the 8-bit ode to Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, Kind of Bloop was released. It was one of the earliest Kickstarter successes and would result in a lawsuit for its album cover. For its anniversary, they are releasing the album to download for free.
🕹️ Video Game - The Nintendo Virtual Boy, with its red color palette and VR helmet, looked very futuristic. Unfortunately, it didn’t resonate and wasn’t a huge success, but it has become a cult classic over the years. If you are a Vision Pro owner, you can relive the glory of the console, without owning the original hardware.
🔗 Website - Caldor was a chain of stores that was founded in 1951. At its height, they were making a billion dollars a year, but in 1999, they closed their doors forever. The Caldor Rainbow is the only site on the internet dedicated to keep the chain’s memory alive.
🚀 Toys - With all the Colorforms playsets they made, it’s amazing that they were never able to get a license to make a Star Wars one. Now, because of a very talented maker, Scott Serkland, we get a look at what a set might have looked like.
🎥 Home Movie - I loved hearing about my Mom’s trips to the 1964 World’s Fair. It sounded like a magical experience. She didn’t have a camera to film the experience, but others did, and recently a film was found in a thrift ship, digitized and put online. It’s like time traveling into her memories, and I kept hoping to spot my Mom in the footage.
🎨 Art - Almost 40 years ago, Andy Warhol sat down to see what he could do with a Commodore Amiga. Recently, an engineer revealed they had the floppies with Warhol’s work on them. They offer a revealing look at an artist playing with technology.
🍳 Cooking - Vincent Price loved to cook. In 1971, Thames television did a six-part cooking show series with Price called, Cooking Price-Wise. It seemed like the show would never get seen again, but recently it was announced that the entire series is being released on Blu-Ray.
⚙️ Technology - In 1994, IBM released Simon, which in retrospect was one of the earliest attempts at a mobile smartphone. It might have been clunky, but it was way ahead of its time.
🍔 Book - The few times I have been to other countries, if I can, I try to visit a McDonald’s. It is a bit of home comfort, but it is also interesting to see how McDonald’s can be slightly reinterpreted. If this sort of thing interests you, check out one person’s world-traveling visits to McDonald’s in 50 countries, McAtlas.
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FROM THE RETROIST ARCHIVE
Let's take a moment to look back at four posts from the Retroist's past. I have been at this a long time.
One Year Ago…
🖍️ Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man Activity Books
Five Years Ago…
👾 Retro Arcade Games on Magnum PI
Ten Years Ago…
🍔 Do you remember Burger Queen?
Fifteen Years Ago…
📺 Retroist Mr. Belvedere Podcast
Thanks for reading The Retroist! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
Thanks for reading The Retroist! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
NEWSLETTER
Like most kids in the early eighties, I was obsessed with video games. All I wanted to do when I wasn’t at school was sit in front of the TV and play with my Atari 2600. Video games were my world, so when they started making inroads into other mediums, I was all for it. One of the most memorable examples was a short-form TV game show called TV PIXXX (or sometimes TV PIXX or some other variant), which was broadcast on a local TV station, WPIX. Seeing games on television felt like a game-changer, the start of a new era, and I couldn’t get enough.
WPIX, or as most of us referred to it, Channel 11, was a favorite channel of mine. They showed older TV shows and movies, local sports, and the yearly Christmas broadcast of the Yule Log. Because they aired kid programming in the after-school time slots, it was the first channel I turned on when I got home. That’s where I first saw TV PIXXX.
What Was TV PIXXX?TV PIXXX wasn’t a full program but instead a long commercial-length show. Hosted by the smooth-voiced Ralph Lowenstein, it began broadcasting in October 1979 and ran until 1982. Over the years, many lucky young people were given the opportunity to play a video game live on television.
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To participate, you would send in a postcard with your information, and they would try to call you to play the game. Over the years, I probably sent in about two dozen entries. Sadly, though, I was never selected.
If you were lucky enough to be chosen, Lowenstein would explain the simple rules. You would play a Fairchild Channel F or Intellivision video game, controlling the fire button. When you wanted it pressed, you would say the word “PIXXX.” That triggered the button, and if you hit something while firing, you scored a point. When done, you were then asked what the day’s secret word or character was, and if you knew it, you doubled your prize. It was a clever wrinkle that incentivized you to watch the channel each day. Prizes were pretty low-stakes, like a savings bond. But for many of us who wanted to play, it wasn’t about the prize; it was about getting to participate and demonstrate our skills on a local television station.
Where Did the Idea for TV PIXXX Come From?To get to the bottom of that, we need to leave the East Coast and travel to sunny California. There, a show called TV POWWW started on KTTV, where it ran for over a year, from January 15, 1979, to Friday, February 29, 1980. Now that you’ve seen TV PIXXX, the format of TV POWWW will be very familiar. It also featured young people calling in to play video games over the phone on television, but the format was longer, and the prizes were slightly more exciting (they had toys!).
The idea for the show came from Marvin Kempner, who would go on to license the show and the equipment to run it to over 50 American TV stations and a few overseas. Original participating stations were provided Fairchild Channel F consoles. That didn’t last long because Fairchild pulled out of the video game market. This opened the door for Intellivision, which became the console most people would remember.
A few games were used during the production of TV POWWW, and many of these same games appeared on TV PIXXX. Other games were used in marketing and were supposedly available, but these are the ones that have been verified as being used during broadcasts.
Fairchild Channel F Games:
- Baseball
- Bowling
- Shooting Gallery
Intellivision Games:
- Football
- Slots
- Soccer
- Space Battle
How Did It Work?According to many sources, Kempner would take the consoles (starting with the Fairchild) and modify the firing mechanism so that it could respond to voice commands. This sounds pretty amazing, but there was a problem due to the nature of transmissions at the time. No matter how well-connected a phone was, there was always a certain amount of lag between the voice command and the action on the screen. This frustrated many players, leading them to rapidly yell out the command word.
Even for the late seventies, this technology, while seeming high-tech, does not seem beyond the realm of possibility. I imagine rack-mounted TV POWWW units powered all this TV video game fun. But maybe not all of it?
In 2008, during a retrospective on WPIX’s storied history, they touched on TV PIXXX and dropped a bombshell: despite the show’s premise of cutting-edge voice control, the game was actually operated by a staff member at the TV station who pressed the fire button every time a kid on the phone shouted 'PIXXX.'
I can’t find anything to confirm or deny this, so I am guessing one of two options could be true:
- They licensed the tech but couldn’t get it to work, so they went with the simplest solution.
- Over the years, people have forgotten how the game was actually played, and this story of a low-tech solution has just become popular over time.
I’ve watched broadcasts of both TV POWWW and TV PIXXX, and both seem to play the same. So either a machine does just as good a job as a human, or the real story has been lost in the mists of time.
Whatever the case, TV PIXXX was a fun reason to run home and turn on the television. It was a unique blend of interactive entertainment and the burgeoning world of video games, something that felt both novel and exciting at the time. For kids like me, it wasn’t just about playing a game; it was about being part of a new, evolving culture that combined our love for video games with the magic of television. Though the technology may seem quaint by today’s standards, TV PIXXX left a lasting impression, reminding us of a time when the boundaries between media were just beginning to blur, creating unforgettable memories for a generation of young gamers.
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A few weeks ago, I wrote about the Coors Beer Wolf. While doing so, it got me thinking about the more famous of the beer canines, Spuds MacKenzie ("The Original Party Animal"). Spuds broke big in 1987, when he appeared in a Bud Light ad for Super Bowl XXI, but his first appearance was a few years earlier. Played by female, bull terrier, Evie, she made her earliest appearances in 1985, and was an almost instant hit. Quickly more ads were run, but Spuds also began appearing on shirts, calendars, posters, and much more. I had no interest in beer myself, but I still had two Spuds’ posters on my bedroom wall as a kid.
Evie’s full name was Honey Tree Evil Eye. She was born on October 7, 1983 in Woodstock Illinois. Entering the beer business while she was still below the drinking age, in dog years. Her spokesdog status would last until 1989, when Anheuser-Busch decided to retire the character, mentioning that the fame of Spud’s was overshadowing the product. Evie lived another four years before passing away in 1993.
The character was briefly brought out of retirement for the Super Bowl a few years ago. I was hoping that was the start of a renaissance, but that was just a one time thing. Will Spuds ever push suds again? I would think so, it is an adorable mascot with broad appeal and even after all these years, still has name recognition. Now, if only Bud Light had a reason for bringing the party animal back out as the face of their product.
(If you have retro finds you would like for me to share, I want to hear them. What old useful website are still lurking on the web? Some old TV show streaming online? Old tech being brought back? Let me know.)
ONE COOL VIDEO
If we are going to talk about Spuds, we need to feature one of his commercials. But which one was these Robin Leach narrated ads was most memorable? Was it the Olympics? The muscle beach one? Nah, for me, it was this Halloween-themed one where you could win an opportunity to party with Spuds at the Psycho Hotel.
TEN THINGS RETRO
⚙️ Technology - Have you heard of the Atari Video Music? It was an early music visualizer you hooked up to your stereo and TV. While it was really cool and loved by collectors, it was a flop at the time.
🎵 Music - Hear New Order’s Blue Monday as it was meant to be heard, performed completely on Vintage Casio Instruments by Polaroids of the Pyramids.
💾 Floppy - The floppy is still out there getting the job done. The German Navy still uses them on systems on their Brandenburg-class F123 warships, but they are looking for a new solution.
🥣 Food - Keep your lead out of my Lunchables and my Cocoa Puffs!
📀 DVD - In a world of streaming, how do you get people back to physical media? How about you offer them a high quality product with features they cannot get through streaming services?
🎥 Movie - In 1905, Einstein first published his Special Theory of Relativity, which describes his ideas about light, time, and energy. Just under two decade later a science film was made that explains the theory. It’s one of the first of the first science films and it is very enjoyable.
🖥️ Computer - Did you ever see a movie featuring a computer and wonder about the software system running on that computer? Ever wish you could recreate it? Well, someone did just that for the James Bond film, A View to a Kill.
🏀 Basketball - How big of a Michael Jordan fan are you? Big enough, and wealthy enough, to pay $2.9 million dollars for a trading card?
🍟 Fast Food - McDonald’s has been leaning into nostalgia to sell food lately, and this month they are going to release a Collector’s Meal that comes with a collectible glass. They will have six glasses and be available during breakfast hours and the rest of the day. I am guessing it will be pricey.
🔗 Website - History in Kodachrome is a site dedicated to sharing small moments from history captured and shared via transcribed love letters, View-Master history, and other ephemera.
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FROM THE RETROIST ARCHIVE
Let's take a moment to look back at four posts from the Retroist's past. I have been at this a long time.
One Year Ago…
👾 A Visit to the Funspot Arcade
Five Years Ago…
🔥 My time at Woodstock ’99
Ten Years Ago…
🧇 Wallace the Waffle-Whiffer
Fifteen Years Ago…
🔪 Retroist Friday the 13th Podcast
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NEWSLETTER
In 1896, the year of the first Olympiad, the host country Greece released commemorative postage stamps. This set a precedent, and other countries, some not even hosting the Olympics, would release stamps over the years. Before the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the United States had issued 22 stamps to honor the games. But for the 1984 Games, they decided to go big (like most things in those games) and release 12 stamps as part of the United States 1984 Olympic Stamp Collection. This joined 12 stamps released for the Winter Olympics for a total of 24 Olympic stamps that year. This was more Olympic stamps than had been released in the entire history of U.S. Olympic stamps up to that point.
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For many young people, this would be a colorful and exciting introduction to the world of stamp collecting. The surrounding hype started at least the year before the games, when there was an unveiling of the plans in print media and on television. The optimism around the release is demonstrated well in this commercial they ran in 1983 featuring Hardy Rawls. In it, you get to see what you would have spotted going to a post office that year: a giant display about the stamps, but also a premium offering you could get from the post office as part of the Olympic Challenge, a full-color poster and collector folder.
The poster was 32 inches (ca. 81 cm) tall by 21 inches (53.34 cm) wide and featured colorful images of the stamps with a little section in the corner where you could place the stamps you had collected. It was a clever way to inspire kids to want to “collect them all,” and I am sure it graced the walls of thousands of kids (and adults) across America.
Collect ‘em all!While the poster was cool and eye-catching, and on the surface might be the more compelling of the two offerings, the folder had a feature that was hard to beat. It had a listing of every event in the Games that year and a place for you to record who won the gold medal in that event and a place for records broken. Not only did it have all the Summer Olympics, but it also had a smaller section for the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo.
These were not the only things you could get from your post office at the time. You could order other useful postal-related items like postcards, stationery, and aerograms. Below are some samples they included in the folder.
They also had a book that they claimed would “become a valuable keepsake,” The 1984 Olympics: Sarajevo and Los Angeles. They estimated the cost of the book at about $10, which is about the same as what you will pay for a copy today. Stamps could be purchased at your post office, or you could order them through the mail.
An unusual bit of ephemera was a printed newsletter called the “Olympic Outlook.” Each one was printed on one sheet of paper, both sides, and featured news about the Olympics. The folder came with one, but it looks like you could read and pick up new ones at your local post office. I find it charming that the post offices were attempting to be a hub for Olympic activity in communities across the country. And, in a pre-internet world, this would have been a solid source of Olympic information for many communities. We might not need things like this anymore, but I wouldn’t mind if we did.
Finally, there were the stamps. They would start being issued on July 28, 1983, and according to what I read online, they made so many that they lingered for a while afterward. Each set of stamps consisted of 12 stamps that colorfully captured an Olympic sport, all of them with an athlete in motion. The denomination of these stamps varied, starting at 13 cents, which was a denomination that met the mailing rate for postcards at the time, and moving into airmail denominations of 28 and 40 cents.
These stamps featured artwork by Robert Peak. Peak also designed stamps for the Winter Olympics that year, and the design carries through both series. He added what were called “flowing strikes,” which are colored stripes that add a sense of movement to the work. The sports featured were:
- Shot put
- Rings
- Weightlifting
- Swimming
- Discus
- Archery
- Boxing
- High Jump
- Gymnastics
- Hurdles
- Basketball
- Soccer
Here are all the stamps in my collection:
Overall, the 1984 Olympic stamp collection was more than just a set of postage stamps; it was a piece of history and a gateway into the world of philately for many young collectors. It captured the excitement of the games and brought a slice of Olympic spirit to communities across America. Whether you were collecting stamps, filling out the poster, or keeping track of events in the folder, there was something magical about it all. It’s a reminder of a time when something as simple as a trip to the post office could connect you to a global event and ignite a lifelong passion. So, if you ever come across one of those old stamps or posters, take a moment to appreciate their history and the Olympic dreams they inspired.
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This week I released my final podcast of the season, which was about the first Olympic Games that I have a strong memory of, the 1984 Summer Olympics. These games introduced me to a lot of great athletes, dazzled me with spectacle, and made me feel hopeful about the future. What it didn’t do, which was a shame, was introduce me to the animated version of Sam the Olympic Eagle that ran in Japan in the year leading up to the games.
It’s okay, though, because I had an amazing Olympics-themed cartoon that was made a few years earlier, Animalympics. Made by the same studio that would give us TRON, this cartoon made it into regular rotation on cable TV. After that, thanks to the miracle of the VCR, I was able to record my own version and watch it again and again.
(If you have retro finds you would like for me to share, I want to hear them. What old useful website are still lurking on the web? Some old TV show streaming online? Old tech being brought back? Let me know.)
ONE COOL VIDEO
While earlier footage of the Olympics exists, I think this video showing various events from the 1908 Games in London is more interesting. Capturing things like pole-vaulting, the long jump, archery and diving, it gives us a glimpse at a very different time in sport. My favorite part is Tug of War at the 1:15 mark.
They only did the Tug of War in the Olympics from 1900 to 1920. So I never got to see it performed by modern Olympic athletes. I did however get to see often on Battle of the Network Stars.
TEN THINGS RETRO
📺 Television - Have an extra $100k lying around? A big fan of Star Trek? Might I suggest you take a look at an upcoming auction for a phaser and communicator from the Original Star Trek TV Series.
⚙️ Technology - Were you a fan of Winamp, but wished it came in its own box? Well, wait no longer. Rodmg has built Linamp, a Raspberry Pi-powered physical music player inspired by Winamp 2.91 and retro hi-fi gear.
🍕 Pizza - Are you a big fan of Showbiz Pizza and Chuck E. Cheese? You might want to browse this archive of company newsletters, The Pizza Times. Filled with interesting behind-the-scenes information, it really captures an exciting time at an interesting company.
🕹️ Video Game - Driving video games have come a long way in the last few decades, but it is always fun to look back at the games that blazed a trail. Especially ones we might not have gotten to play when they were released, like Tranz Am for the ZX Spectrum.
🦈 Toy - Just when you thought it was safe to play with Lego. Nearly 50 years after it was released, Lego is releasing a Jaws playset in that will let you replay the final showdown on Quint’s boat. They even released a short Lego Jaws movie that I want to be a full length motion picture.
✈️ Travel - Any plans to travel to New York? Love Retro style? The landmark 1962 TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport has been turned into a 512 room hotel. I want to swim in that rooftop pool and watch the planes takeoff.
📚 Book - In 1989, SimCity was released, and the gaming world was changed forever. The book, Building SimCity, uses the development and legacy of the game to help explore the history of computer simulation.
📈 Stats - A lot of us grew up in an era of movie stars. Where a film’s fortunes could be dictated just by the presence of one famous actor who carries the film. Recently, people have been talking a lot about how that system had been disappearing, but has it? Is movie stardom really in decline?
⚙️ Technology - In 1989 in Japan, Sony introduced the largest CRT ever built, the KV-45ED1, also known as the PVM-4300. These hand-built sets retailed for $40,000 in 1990, during a recession, and they probably didn’t sell too many. Still, with 43 inches (1.09 m) of visible television, it must have been something to behold.
📖 Magazine - For a long time, People Magazine was a popular and well-liked publication. It was a go-to place for celebrity news. Then things changed. So what exactly happened to People Magazine?
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FROM THE RETROIST ARCHIVE
Let's take a moment to look back at four posts from the Retroist's past. I have been at this a long time.
One Year Ago…
🐄 The Magic of See 'n Say
Five Years Ago…
☹️ Retroist Update 2019
Ten Years Ago…
🙂 Grins & Smiles & Giggles & Laughs Cereal
Fifteen Years Ago…
📺 The Mr Belvedere Theme Song in its Many Wondrous Forms
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NEWSLETTER
Welcome to the 400th episode of the Retroist Podcast. On this episode, my last of the season, I decided to talk about the 1984 Summer Olympics. These Los Angeles games were a big deal for me. I don’t remember any Olympic activity before it, and no other Games have been as enjoyable for me.
I begin the show discussing my bit of bootleg patriotism that I wore proudly that summer. Then I move onto the games itself, covering the lead up to the games, its finances, successes, failures, designs, sponsorships, and much more. Because they were very important to me at the time, I also talk about the McDonald’s game and the very cool mascot, Sam the Eagle.
This 1984 Olympics were not a guaranteed success. It was only through careful planning and innovative handling of the event that they were not only able to succeed, but set a new standard for the games. Its legacy went beyond a successful broadcast. It raised funds that have lasted for decades to support sports in the area.
The Olympics are about to start and will return to LA in 2028. I hope that everyone can enjoy them and appreciate the rich history of this optimistic international event.
Listen and download the 1984 Summer Olympics Podcast* Download Episode (MP3 Format) (MP3)
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Production Notes* This is the 325th episode of the Retroist Podcast and episode 26 of this season. This is my final episode of the season. * When you combine my Patreon episodes and my public episodes, this is my 400th episode of the Retroist Podcast. It will be a while until I hit 500, but I can see it on the horizon. * This continues to be my longest season of the Retroist in many years. * This looks like it is my longest solo episode I have done. Maybe I should have cut it in half? I think it moves along nicely even at this length. * If you are interested in 1984 Olympics Merchandise, a lot of it is out there. If you have a record player, you should at least check out the official soundtrack. Some great tracks on there. * I tried finding the shirt that I had from the time, but couldn’t find it. I am pretty sure it was a bootleg. * I considered doing a podcast or maybe an article on the McDonald’s contest. I still might. * I had a lot more retro audio, but the episode was getting a bit long, so I cut about half of them out. * The boycott was big news at the time. I am glad I was too young to fully understand it. * Still dream about carrying the Olympic torch. * The colors and visuals related to the game are worth searching for online. It really helped set a color pallet that would be very popular for a large part of the eighties. * Make sure to make your travel plans for the 2028 Olympics early. I am hoping to be there! * Bonus Clipping should be up on Patreon tomorrow. * Music on the show is, as always, by Peachy.
Thanks for listening to the show and I hope you have a great weekend.
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By the time MTV hit the airwaves in 1981, the VHS and Betamax formats were already widely available. This meant that anyone with access to recording technology and the channel could record the videos and rewatch them. Putting together a mixtape of my favorite music videos was one of my favorite pastimes during the first year we owned a VCR. Despite the low quality, it was an economical way for me to enjoy the video versions of my favorite music.
Other people were doing the same thing, and Sony saw it as an opportunity. What if, instead of people recording their favorite videos, they could buy standalone higher quality recordings that could not only function as a promotional tool for but also create a new revenue stream for artists and labels.
From that idea, the Sony Video 45 format was born.
What are Sony Video 45s?The name was a nod to the 7-inch, 45 RPM record, commonly referred to as a single because it contained one song. The Video 45 was similar, usually containing 2-4 music videos recorded in high quality with stereo sound on VHS, Beta, and even LaserDisc. By releasing Video 45s in multiple formats, Sony ensured that a wide range of consumers could access their products, regardless of their preferred video format.
Clocking in between 10 and 20 minutes, the tapes were reasonably priced for early to mid-eighties video. When they were first released, Sony’s own Beta format would cost about $15.95, while their rival VHS format was $19.95.
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Besides the higher quality audio and picture, why else would you buy a tape of music videos? In some cases, music videos were edited for things like violence or “adult themes.” Buying a tape allowed you to circumvent this censorship and see the original work the artist intended. You can see an example of this in a commercial selling Video 45s over the phone and talking about the uncut version of Duran Duran’s “Girls on Film.” Their price for both formats through this vendor was $16.95 plus shipping and handling.
Sony Video LPsAfter they kicked off their Video 45s, Sony turned their attention to a longer format, and the Sony Video LP was born. The tapes, which usually cost around $29.95, were an hour long and billed as “visual records.” These tapes were often a step up from non-Sony musical offerings in both quality and ambition. I wish Sony had been the one to release “The Making of Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller.’” That videotape’s quality was too mediocre for such an important release.
One interesting aspect of the Video 45/EP/LP format was its role in the early adoption of music videos as a legitimate art form. Before MTV and Video 45s, music videos were typically seen as mere promotional tools rather than standalone artistic expressions.
The higher quality and curated nature of Sony’s offering elevated the medium, allowing artists to experiment with narrative storytelling, visual effects, and thematic elements in ways that were not possible with traditional promotional clips. This newfound artistic freedom led to iconic and innovative video. The success (while limited) of these videos on physical media underscored the growing importance of visual creativity in the music industry and paved the way for more ambitious projects in the years to come.
One of my favorite bands, Devo, released “We are All Devo,” which was maybe the most cohesive Video LP ever released. Devo, known for embracing and experimenting with mediums, created and edited existing materials between music videos to make a complete package. It was a glimpse of what the format should look like. Unfortunately, other musical acts didn’t follow suit, and most other releases were just collections of videos. Higher quality videos? Yes, but still just some videos.
Sony and MCA Music Video EPsIf you are a fan of older formats, you will probably notice that I haven’t only mentioned EPs in passing. Sony did release an EP format, which included up to six videos on a tape. Like the non-visual musical recording, it occupied a strange middle ground. However, it did inspire others to get into the game.
Other music labels didn’t want to be left behind and jumped on the video bandwagon. In early 1983, MCA announced their first “video music EP” release. On January 26th, Olivia Newton-John’s “Twist of Fate” would hit store shelves. Clocking in at 25 minutes, the EP featured four tracks from the film of the same name and two additional songs. In addition to videocassette formats, this release would also be available on CED and LaserDisc. If you haven’t listened to the title track from this film, you should.
Sony Video 45s Hit the ChartsMTV was the biggest player in town when it came to music videos. To gauge the popularity of a video, we had to rely on the station’s internal mechanisms to surface and tell us what the hot videos were. This meant that music videos didn’t always reflect how popular an artist was. Video 45s allowed new sales charts to be created. While the appeal of an artist was certainly amplified by MTV, this new format gave us a new data stream for measuring the appeal of an artist.
Here is a chart listing from April 1984. As you can see, the album, single, and Video 45 top-sellers were very different.
The Decline of the Video 45By 1986, sales were already in decline. That year, Sony announced that they would start reducing the price of the Video 45, EP, and LP to $9.95, $14.95, and $19.95, respectively. Sony hoped that this price drop would encourage more stores to pick up the format. Sadly, it didn’t work, and by 1987, you could find most music video-based releases in the bargain bin. By 1988, they were gone.
While the format didn’t last long, it was an interesting attempt to add a new physical media format to the music world. Sony’s releases had high-quality picture and excellent audio. Was it enough to satisfy a true audiophile? Maybe not, but it received great reviews at the time for trying to present a better experience. The format would linger in collections and bargain bins, video stores, and personal collections, but it is now largely forgotten. A few people are out there, though, adding them to their personal collections and, in some cases, posting them online for people to enjoy. In a world where physical media is getting rarer, they are doing us all a favor.
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In 1983, beer maker Coors was evaluating the lineup of adult party holidays. New Year’s Eve and St. Patrick’s Day were already oversaturated with advertising and marketing. They wanted a holiday that adults celebrated but didn't heavily associate with drinking alcohol, particularly beer. In an effort led by ex-Schlitz brand manager Gary Naifeh, they decided on Halloween. While people did celebrate during this festive day, it was still mostly considered a kids’ holiday.
To capture the thirsty costume-wearing market, Coors decided to launch a large campaign promoting Coors as the beer to drink on Halloween. They planned to advertise on radio, television, and in stores. At the core of this campaign would be a brand-new, thirsty, and furry marketing character: Beer Wolf (sometimes spelled BeerWolf).
This character would evolve in style over the years, but during its initial release ("Turn it Loose with Beerwolf!" year), he was a dark-furred anthropomorphic wolf. While it is not explicitly stated, it’s safe to say that Beer Wolf is some sort of werewolf. Standing more than 6 feet (1.83 m) tall, he wore a Coors Light bandana and ball cap and was usually seen holding a Silver Bullet. In that first year, BeerWolf appeared in radio commercials, a contest, clothing, a Halloween costume, and a memorable television ad.
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This is the earliest version of BeerWolf I could find online. The commercial was labeled 1985, but I think they also ran it in 1984.
That first year, they must have sent out multiple costumed Beer Wolves because I found ads for numerous appearances, especially at events related to Halloween.
Who wouldn’t want to go into your local Walgreens and see the Coors Beer Wolf? What’s unusual about this ad is the shackle on his wrist. Not sure why they made that choice.
As the eighties continued, Beer Wolf changed. By 1986, his fur lightened a bit, and his snout was extended. At this point, he began to resemble Fruit Brute from the Monster Cereals. Here is a commercial where he is playing baseball:
Here is an ad where he is hanging out on a desert island.
And here is one where he is fishing:
Although he started as a Halloween marketing effort, Beer Wolf was soon used for other holidays. Here is a classic for St. Patrick’s Day. This wolf had range.
Before the eighties, Coors beer was not available nationwide due to production limitations, distribution challenges, and strategic decisions. Operating from a single brewery in Golden, Colorado, Coors relied on refrigerated transport for their unpasteurized beer, complicating and increasing the cost of distribution. Complex state alcohol laws added regulatory hurdles. Strategically, Coors focused on building a strong regional presence in the West, creating exclusivity and a loyal customer base, before expanding nationwide in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Its push toward nationwide distribution didn’t happen until the mid-eighties, coinciding with the peak of BeerWolf’s fame. So not only were people in the West seeing him, but Coors-curious East Coasters were also hearing him howl.
The hirsute hero of hops faded from large TV ads after a few years and does not appear to be used in advertising after 1992. The year after Coors was finally fully available nationwide.
However, his presence was still felt in bars, liquor stores, and any event where a giant beer werewolf could just wear a costume or DJ a dance party. In Canada, I was still finding stores selling Beer Wolf shirts in the early nineties.
For some reason, it is listed in the description, but not pictured. BeerWolf might have been more popular if Coors had not found an even more charismatic spokesperson to sell beer: Elvira. The year after the wolf was unleashed upon the world, the Mistress of the Dark also started appearing in advertising for Coors. Unsurprisingly, the Elvira marketing efforts were more popular, and BeerWolf became more of a second banana.
Elvira and the BeerWolfThey did appear together in print and point-of-sale advertising, but I can’t find any television commercials featuring them together. This ad featuring Elvira seems like it would be a perfect place to put BeerWolf in the background. Why that bear and not the wolf?
If you are looking to become a collector of Coors Beer Wolf merchandise, it is a mixed bag. They made a good amount of if it. Unfortunately, not enough of it surfaces online or in second-hand stores, where you can’t swing a silver bullet without hitting something Spuds Mackenzie related. Still, if you are persistent, you should be able to find what you are looking for and build a collection that will turn heads.
In 2012, Coors partnered with The Laundry Room to release brand new Beer Wolf merchandise. I am not sure how successful it was though because it’s been a few years and some clothing and accessories are still available. I think I want that bag.
While BeerWolf may not have reached the iconic status of some other advertising mascots, he remains a memorable figure for those who remember his brief but memorable reign. His legacy lives on in the vintage commercials and memorabilia that still spark joy and curiosity among beer enthusiasts and collectors. Though he eventually stepped aside for the more well-known Elvira, Beer Wolf's howl is a reminder of a time when a beer-drinking werewolf could capture the imagination of party-goers across the country. Here's to BeerWolf, the hirsute hero who made Halloween and beyond a little more spirited. Awooooo!
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It is amazing how fast people can solve a Rubik's Cube. Humans are incredible. You know what is even more impressive? Our ability to build machines that can solve a cube in less than a second. That is exactly what Mitsubishi Electric did with their remarkable cube-solving robot. It's time? .305 seconds! Feel free to blink because even with your eyes open you won't be able to see how fast this thing is moving.
I have been obsessed with the Rubik's Cube since it came out, and it was my first podcast. I would then revisit it again for my 108th episode and then covered the cartoon, Rubik the Amazing Cube. Most people thought that the cube was going to be a short-lived trend back in the eighties, but I am happy to see that we are probably going to be solving these things for a very long time.
(If you have retro finds you would like for me to share, I want to hear them. What old useful website are still lurking on the web? Some old TV show streaming online? Old tech being brought back? Let me know.)
ONE COOL VIDEO
The first Rubik's Cube World Championship was held in June 1982 in Budapest. The highlights include lots of impressive cubing from contestants from around the world. They are fast, but not as fast as most modern speed cubers.
TEN THINGS RETRO
⚙️ Technology - Did you ever want to watch movies on your Atari 2600? Now you can with MovieCart.
📺 Television - I don’t know if you heard, but classic cartoons are back on television. If you have a TV and antenna, you should be tuned into MeTV Toons.
📖 Magazines - Weird Tales was a ground-breaking publication that launched the careers of many great writers. Did you know that a large part of their archive is available online?
🕹️ Video Game - Adverware video games have come a long way since Pepsi Invaders. The restaurant Chili’s has put out a version of the video game BurgerTime, that is very playable.
🍪 Food - Kintsugi is the practice of mending broken pottery that doesn’t hide the breaks, but accentuates them. What does it look like when the same practice is applied to Oreos?
🎵 Music - It took over 4 decades, but they finally identified the model that was used for Patrick Nagel’s artwork on the cover of Duran Duran’s Album, Rio.
🥤 Soda - Big update in the ongoing Soda Wars. Pepsi, who were for a long time giving Coke a run for their money, is no longer the number two soda in America. That honor belongs to one of the older soda’s in the U.S., Dr. Pepper.
🕹️ Video Game - 3D Printers have been out for a while now. You can do lots of interesting things with them, but the coolest might be classic video game dioramas.
🎥 Movie -Butterfly in the Sky, I can go twice as high. Take a look, it's in a book, a Reading Rainbow!
💎 Magic Gemstone - You can buy a magic crystal that, can turn whatever you are to look through it at, into 8-bit.
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FROM THE RETROIST ARCHIVE
Let's take a moment to look back at four posts from the Retroist's past. I have been at this a long time.
One Year Ago…
🥣 Nerds Cereal
Five Years Ago…
🐉 Erol Otus – Dungeons & Dragons Artist
Ten Years Ago…
🍒 Anyone else miss Cherry Cola Slice?
Fifteen Years Ago…
🎵 Cylon Love Songs – “I Can’t Smile without You”
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NEWSLETTER
I loved contests and sweepstakes as a kid. Whenever the opportunity arose, especially when no purchase was necessary, I found myself filling out entry forms and begging my mother for a stamp so I could send it in. Sadly, I never won any of these contests, but that didn’t reduce the excitement of participating. My contest entries were an affordable fantasy, and my thoughts about them usually didn’t extend too far after entering. Occasionally, though, a contest would run longer or have a prize that captured my imagination. That is exactly what happened when one of my local papers started running the Adventures of EPCOT Center Sweepstakes.
The contest ran in various newspapers across the United States in the spring of 1984, but I played it in the New York Daily News after seeing commercials for it on local TV. It was convenient for me to enter since my family had a subscription to the paper. All I needed to do was pay attention to the date and make sure I started holding onto the paper when the contest began. On April 30th, I learned that you could get an official entry form in the Sunday paper on May 6th.
On the 6th, I got up, ran to the front door, and got the paper. It took me a few minutes, but I found the entry form and the details on how to enter the sweepstakes. It was easy. Every day of the week, they would give you an EPCOT-centric clue either in the Daily News or on WOR radio. Then you just put the clue into the official entry blanks and mail it in. You could enter as often as you liked, and no purchase was necessary. So I could take this entry blank, hand copy it, and send that in as well, which I did. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to enter the contest under my own name since I was under 18, but I convinced my mom to let me put her name on it, and we were off to the races.
They included a map of EPCOT Center that they claimed you could use as a key to answer daily clues. Now, I hadn’t seen the clues yet, so I thought I would need to match something on the map or maybe solve some sort of puzzle and compare it to the map. Fortunately for me, it was a lot easier.
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What did the clues look like? They were not mysterious at all and could not be clearer. They were either a country in World Showcase or a pavilion in Future World. You didn’t need to decipher anything. Instead, you had a clear image of the clue, the name of the clue, and a short description of it. They even described them as Clue/Answers.
Why did they make it so simple? Maybe they wanted to keep entry to the contest as easy as possible. Perhaps it had something to do with giving clues in print vs. on the radio. Whatever the case, this made it just a collecting game, and even at a young age, I knew I could handle that. Here are the 5 entries for Week 1 of the contest.
This contest would continue for multiple weeks. Each week would be different, and you could fill out a different entry blank if you wanted to. If you had already completed Week 1, I am not sure why you would continue to fill out different entries. Instead, the multi-week contest allowed people who missed an earlier week to continue to enter. They did mention that there were exciting Grand Prizes (plural). So possibly each week allowed another shot at the big prize? It is unclear. I only did the first week and entered multiple times off that entry.
Around the same time I discovered the contest, they started running commercials for it on television and the radio. I was already pretty excited seeing this in the paper, but seeing it in full-color TV made my excitement go way up.
What could you win?What I wanted was the non-transferable, no substitution grand prize of a 5-day, 4-night trip to the Walt Disney World Vacation Kingdom. The trip was locked in so you would depart on September 27 and return on October 1, 1984. The trip was for a family of 4, and they would fly you via Eastern Airlines to Orlando, where you would stay in the Hilton at the Walt Disney World Village Hotel Plaza.
That was the Grand Prize, but what else could you win?
- Gold Sampler Tea Sets from Twinings Teas
- 1/2 ounce bottles of Fidji Perfume from Guy La Roche
- Lambswool sweaters from Pringle of Scotland
- $50.00 Gift Certificates from I Santi Leather Goods for their Manhattan Store
- Gift sets of Bahlsen cookies
- $25.00 Gift Certificates from Mitsukoshi for their Manhattan Store
- M.I. Hummel figurines from Hummel
- This is a pretty worldly selection of prizes. I think they were going for a World Showcase theme, which is a nice touch.
Did I win?Each morning, I woke up with a sense of purpose, eager to find the next clue and piece it together with the map. It wasn't just about the potential trip to Disney World, it was about the journey of participation, the conversations it sparked with my family, and the sense of being part of something bigger. Despite multiple entries and a lot of enthusiasm, I did not win The Adventures of EPCOT Center Sweepstakes.
This made me sad at the time because, like any contest I took seriously, I was 100% sure that I was going to win. Even though it didn’t happen, it was still fun. My family was already getting the paper, and for the price of some diligence and a couple of stamps, I bought a dream. One where my family would be whisked away to sunny Florida to bask in the technological futurism and world-spanning wonder of EPCOT Center.
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On the newest episode of the Retroist Podcast, I am revisiting a subject I dealt with over a decade ago, the VCR. The original episode I did, had always been a favorite of mine, but I have wanted to revisit it to update the audio, mix, music, and information. It was fun to not just redo the episode, but listen to the original and see how much has changed with how I do the show. Still, I think the DNA of the show is pretty much the same. It has just evolved (and I got a better microphone).
I start the show talking about my family’s first VCR. It was beautiful and a centerpiece of family life for years. It almost wasn’t though because of an accident that occurred while I was attempting to learn how to set it up to record. This involves grape soda, and what should have been electrocution.
Then I talk about the VCR itself, tracing its evolution from reel-to-reel to cartridge format. The rise of Sony and how their superior format was somehow not so superior. Once VHS triumphs, I talk about the VHS, VCR Plus, the rise of DVD and so much more. Metagrrrl is back to revisit her top 5 list.
I am enjoying the revisited episode, and I hope you do as well. I am going to be doing one more episode this season before taking a short break. During the break, I will continue to put out some shows on Patreon in the meantime, so check out the extra content on there, and I look forward to bringing you more retro fun next season.
Listen and download the VCR Revisited Podcast* Download Episode (MP3 Format) (MP3)
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Production Notes* This is the 324th episode of the Retroist Podcast and episode 25 of this season. Getting really close to done with this season. * I have one more episode this season. It is a departure from my normal subject, and I am looking forward to seeing what everyone thinks. * This might be my longest season of the Retroist in years * We had that family VCR for years. Eventually we got a new one and it became mine. I think it kept running for over 15 years. Eventually, my sisters sold it or gave it away at a garage sale. Who knows, maybe it is still working? * I loved buying used blank tapes in the late 90s and early 2000s. At some point, a lot of people started collecting them as well. Nowadays, you are very lucky when you find anything good. * VCR Plus was a great idea, but it still managed to occasionally get things wrong. * I am annoyed with myself that eventually I started trying to record things to skip commercials. They really set the stage for me. * I had a section where I talked a little about Tivo. I didn’t like how it turned out, so I removed it. Look for my VCR Revisited Revisited Episode in 2034. * Bonus Clipping should be up on Patreon tomorrow. * Music on the show is, as always, by Peachy.
Thanks for listening to the show and I hope you have a great weekend.
Thanks for reading The Retroist! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
Welcome to another Retroist Newsletter. A few years ago, I did a podcast about The Cabbage Patch Kids. It brought back a lot of memories at the time and sent me looking through my Mom’s house trying to find the one she had given me. Sadly, no luck. If you are out there, Damian, I haven’t given up looking for you. I will find you someday!
In April, Thrillest took a trip to the Babyland General Hospital in Georgia and for a day the old Cabbage Patch was again getting discussed on social media. It was a great day for CPK enthusiasts, but it was short-lived.
I am very happy that they are still making Cabbage Patch Kids. So many fad toys have come and gone over the years. By just existing, they not only help to keep some magical memories from the eighties alive for many of us, but introduce new generations to the joy of doll-kid adoption.
Did you own a Cabbage Patch Kid? Do you remember their name? I would love to hear what it was in the comments.
(If you like the Retroist and have retro finds you would like for me to share, I want to hear them. What old useful website are still lurking on the web? Some old TV show streaming online? Old tech being brought back? Let me know.)
ONE COOL VIDEO
You can find many videos from Babyland General Hospital online and see a Cabbage Patch Kid being born. My favorite find though was a video from Australia showing the process back in 1984. It really drives home that this toy phenomenon managed to cross borders.
TEN THINGS RETRO
📝 Article - Fallout Shelters had a moment as the Cold War raged in the 1960s. It might not surprise you to find out that owning one was rather expensive. The mania for them grew, and the result was a Shelter Bubble.
🕹️ Video Game - We live in amazing times for retro gaming. Games thought lost for time are popping up and being made available to the community. A recent unearthed gem is Tarzan for the Atari 2600.
⚾ Sports - Willie Mays, the legendary and beloved "Say Hey Kid" known for captivating fans with his incredible skill and elegant play, passed away on Tuesday due to heart failure. He was 93 years old.
🖥️ Computers - Some older technology refuses to die. The floppy disc was an integral part of computing for decades, and some heroes just won’t give them up.
📝 Article - ICQ was a breakthrough messaging system that started back in 1996. It is now about to send it final message. RIP little green flower (1996-2024).
🎥 Movie - The “Brat Pack” was filled with recognizable young actors in the eighties. It seemed like a playful label, but the group was known for their bad behavior. One of its members, Andrew McCarthy, has directed a documentary about the group, Brats.
🎵 Music - You might want to check eBay or your local thrift store first, but if you can’t find the right stuff, you can order your own DIY Mixtape Kit.
⚙️ Technology - Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) TVs and monitors are still appreciated by many for playing games and watching movies and TV. But do you know how they work?
📝 Article - If you grew up in the golden age of music television, you might have gotten your news from MTV. The plug has been pull on MTV news, and now more than two decades of material had been removed from the MTV News archive. They also did something similar over at Comedy Central.
✖️Punk - Punk legend and SEO nightmare band, X, has been releasing music since 1978. They just announced they are releasing their final album and going on their final tour. There is a new single that you might want to check out.
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FROM THE RETROIST ARCHIVE
Let's take a moment to look back at four posts from the Retroist's past. I have been at this a long time.
One Year Ago…
🌪️ Enter the Spinjas
Five Years Ago…
🕹️ Basic Math for the Atari 2600
Ten Years Ago…
🖥️ Was I the only one who wanted to go to Atari Computer Camp?
Fifteen Years Ago…
🎥 What is an “Oily Variety Bohunk”?
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NEWSLETTER
In 2020, when the Living Computer Museum (LCM) in Seattle closed, many of us hoped that it was part of the temporary closures that were going on across the world in response to the pandemic. When things started re-opening and the LCM did not, it was concerning. Years ticked by, and it seemed less likely that people would get to enjoy the amazing collection that the museum held. Well, we need not wonder anymore. It was announced that the museum is officially closed and that parts of its considerable collection would be auctioned off.
I moved to Seattle at around the same time the museum opened, and it was one of the first places I visited. It was still unpolished, but I was enthralled. This was the first museum that I had been to that not only had rare machines and computers, but made many of them available to be used by the public. You had a few exhibits behind ropes or glass, but at least 80% of what was on display at the LCM was something anyone could use while there.
It quickly became my go-to place to visit in the city, and I encouraged anyone I met to visit. I racked up dozens of visits there and when membership became an option, I couldn’t wait to sign up. Museums are great, but this was the first one that I felt a deep connection to, these machines were important to me and I had finally found an institution that felt that same way. It was world-class, and it was in the same city as me. This was a dream come true.
Rather quickly, the staff and leadership at the LCM expanded it. Opening a new floor and increasing the scope of its missions to include “Labs” that would encourage engagement and education with technology.
The number of visitors increased, but if you came at the right time, you could still have quiet moments in the server room. Or you could sit in the retro living room exhibit and play some Atari with a friend without someone waiting their turn.
The technology, the education, the experiences are gone now. Ready to be auctioned off and shipped out. People will miss it, I am sure, but like so many things that vanish, it will eventually be shrugged off and mostly forgotten. The forgetting hurts most of all. This was an asset that very few cities could boast of, and now generations will come up not knowing what they missed out on.
The Living Computer Museum was more than just a collection of old machines; it was a place where people of all ages could learn and engage with technology in a hands-on environment. From school field trips to special events like coding workshops and a computer fair, the museum provided unique educational opportunities that will be sorely missed.
I wanted to share my thoughts and feelings about this great place and thank the people who developed the museum, maintained the collection, and made the Living Computer Museum such a welcoming place to visit. This city is a little grayer without what you made.
I took hundreds of photos while at the museum and while I am not a skilled photographer, under the circumstance, these are worth sharing.
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As this season of the Retroist Podcast wraps up, I wanted to cover some of the films that tried to cash in on the breakdancing craze. Breakin’ was the first film to hit the theaters, and it captured the attention of my friends and I. Our dancing crew wasn’t very good and didn’t last long, but it was a lot of fun. I start off the show talking about one of our last dance sessions.
Then I move onto the movie itself. I talk about the people in front of, and behind the camera, the film’s production, reception, and more. Some great clipping in this episode, so look for them over at Patreon soon.
While we might not have danced like we did as a group, I kept the torch alive. As soon as the film was on HBO, I taped it and would watch it often. Trying to copy the moves that I saw on screen. For a good year after the film came out, I thought breakdancing was going to last forever and get bigger and bigger. It didn’t.
Breakdancing might not be as prominent today, but its influence is still felt in music, fashion, and dance. It's been a lot of fun revisiting this movie and sharing my thoughts with all of you. Be sure to check out the extra content on Patreon, and I look forward to bringing you more retro fun next season.
Listen and download the Breakin’ Podcast* Download Episode (MP3 Format) (MP3)
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Production Notes* This is the 323rd episode of the Retroist Podcast and episode 24 of this season. Getting really close to done with this season. * This is the first episode after my coverage of the original Indiana Jones Trilogy. I might do another podcast or two with related movies. Working on them now. * After the accident, we didn’t Breakdance as much. The parents were really worried that more of us would get hurt. * It took me a while to record the VHS box. Now sure why, but it kept making me laugh. * NJ Kidd is always ready to break. * Some fun retro audio in the form of commercials. For a good year a bunch of products had a breakdancing theme. I would see them often while watching Saturday Morning Cartoons. * People complain about the plot being simple in this film, but that allows the focus to stay on the dancing. That is exactly what I wanted to see. * One thing I cut out because it didn’t sound good was a short discussion of the portrayal of California. I was always fascinated with California as a kid, and this was a whole new way of looking at it. * This film is under 90 minutes. This is the perfect length for a film like this. * When Lionel Richie performed All Night Long live at the American Music Awards, Boogaloo Shrimp & Shabba Doo were there. * Get this soundtrack (or at least stream it). * Bonus Clipping should be up on Patreon tomorrow. * Music on the show is, as always, by Peachy.
Thanks for listening to the show and I hope you have a great weekend.
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Welcome to the Retroist Newsletter. Last week, while writing about Breakdancing in Hawaii, I decided to revisit two related classic eighties films, Breakin’ and Beat Street. Don’t have the time to watch full movies, but till want to watch some classic breakdancing? How about Turbo’s Broom Dance Scene (which has some great grocery store shots) or maybe a video of this future king?
In the more modern world of Breaking, I am looking forward to seeing which county will take home the Break Dancing Gold at the Olympics in Paris this summer. I will be rooting for Victor and Sunny.
Did you breakdance? Did you have a cool nickname when you did? I would love to hear what it was in the comments, or you can email me. I tried to get NJ Kidd going, but my friends weren’t having it.
Share
(If you like the Retroist and have retro finds you would like for me to share, I want to hear them. What old useful website are still lurking on the web? Some old TV show streaming online? Old tech being brought back? Let me know.)
ONE COOL VIDEO
Early video of breakdancing are rare. So it is pretty special that this footage from 1981 featuring Rock Steady Crew vs. Floor Masters. Is this the earliest example of recorded dancing that would come to be referred to as breakdancing? It is the earliest I have been able to find.
TEN THINGS RETRO
📻 Radio - Radio Garden - I am still surprised at how many people haven’t discovered Radio Garden. Spin the globe and find a new radio station whenever you want. It was something I could only dream about when I was a kid.
📝 Article - Why I Started Renting DVDs Again: Quantifying a Silly Thing - A breakdown of the cost and reasoning around renting DVDs in the modern streaming age.
🎧 Music - Star Trek TOS Theme performed on a Theremin - A lot of people think that the theme to the Original Star Trek has a theremin in it. It does not. Instead, during the first season, it is a combination of instruments and the very talented soprano, Loulie Jean Norman. Later seasons would remix the theme to remove Norman. BOO!
🌐 Website - WhoSampled - Did you ever hear a sample used in a song and wonder where it came from? WhoSampled is a database of over a million song that allows you to explore connections of songs through Samples, Cover Songs and Remixes.
📝 Article - The Console Wars have Ended - It took over 40 years, but Atari has purchased Intellivision. Watch out Colecovision, you might be next!
⚙️ Project - Orange FM - Did you ever want to turn your Game Boy into an FM radio back in the day? Well, you couldn’t, but you might be able to soon with an Orange FM cartridge.
🌐 Website - The Ferris File - I miss fan-driven blogs that took deep dives into subjects. Luckily, some are keeping them alive. Tim Lybarger’s Ferris Files is doing a wonderfully deep dive into all things Ferris Bueller, with weekly posts that are super niche and super great. It would make a great podcast.
🎥 Video - Combat Heroes Books - Choose your own Adventure Books not challenging enough? How about a series of books that fell like a first person shooter on paper?
📝 Article - How to Copy a File From a 30-year-old Laptop - Using old technology can be a lot of fun, but sometimes even the simplest of tasks require some real cleverness.
🎨Art - X-Men ‘97 VHS Tape Covers - Hopefully you have all checked out the X-Men ‘97 TV series. It is great. But have you ever wondered what the X-Men heroes would look like if they were VHS covers? Wonder no more.
FROM THE RETROIST ARCHIVE
Let's take a moment to look back at three posts from the Retroist's past.
One Year Ago…
🍔 A Unique McDonald's in Freeport, Maine
Five Years Ago…
🥤 I don’t really like New Coke, but it was worth buying it again
Ten Years Ago…
🖥️ Computing in Amber
A NEWSLETTER?
Last month I tried out this format on Patreon and some people enjoyed it, so I thought I would try an old style newsletter here. If you like it, please let me know and I will put out more.
NEWSLETTERThanks for reading The Retroist! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
Wacky Packages ruled in the seventies. These wonderfully illustrated stickers featuring famous consumer products redone with hilarious names were everywhere. My sisters were avid collectors, and they stuck them everywhere—on books, the walls of their closets, and the heavily-stickered door that led to our basement. They had so many that they started showing up in our family junk drawer. That is where I discovered them years later, along with other Wacky-inspired products, like the Wacky TV Show Cards from Hostess.
Hostess was, and is, a manufacturer of tasty baked treats. Throughout the years, they would attempt to sweeten the deal of purchasing a box of Twinkies, Cupcakes, etc. by including a premium like a collector’s card. These cards and the boxes they came in have become more valuable over the years as people want to reclaim what was, to many, a fleeting but meaningful childhood memory.
I say fleeting because these cards, while fun, were often treated as disposable by the kids who received them. Fun for a quick smile, but then placed somewhere where they could be easily damaged and then discarded. So it is remarkable when any of these cards, especially ones with very limited availability, manage to survive. Any cards or stickers that survived in my household were the ones that were effectively discarded and forgotten in our family junk drawer. There, they might not have been preserved, but they were in a stable space, especially once they were buried a bit.
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The Wacky TV Show Cards all feature an image of a television set. Over the TV set is a funny take on an existing TV show, and on the TV, you will see an illustration of that name. That illustration sometimes, but rarely, has any real connection to the show they are referencing. So if you are unfamiliar with the TV shows of the seventies, a lot of these will be completely lost on you. Fortunately, many of them are easy to figure out. By reimagining TV shows with absurd names and whimsical illustrations, these cards, much like Wacky Packages, provided a form of subversive humor that appealed to both kids and adults.
I am not very good at identifying art styles, but a lot of cartoons and comics of this era featured this style. I have heard it referred to as psychedelic or post-sixties. Maybe I see a similarity to School House Rock, which I have heard people compare to the works of Heinz Edelmann, Milton Glaser, and Push Pin Studios. However you might describe the art on these cards, it’s a very accessible style, and you can see why kids would love it.
The reverse side of every card had the card’s number in the set and a wacky TV fact and riddle (which was more of a kid joke). The riddle also had a cute illustration featuring an anthropomorphic television set acting out the riddle in some form. Here is an example from the back of the Flea’s Company card.
The offer for these cards was brief. They were released in September and October 1978, just in time for school, and were only available while supplies lasted. With each purchase of specially marked boxes of Hostess products, you could get three cards, and the collection had a total of 48 cards. So if you hoped to score all the cards, you would need to purchase a minimum of 16 boxes in a two-month period. That was assuming you could find boxes that had the cards you were missing.
Your best bet? Collect ‘em and Trade ‘em. This was the staple of the schoolyard. Bring your cards with you to school and trade something else you have to get them. This was a bit more difficult with cards like this, but not impossible, especially for motived kids. When Start Wars cards started showing up on products, the trade on those was heavy. In a pinch, you might also be able to buy them from your friends or trade another card type to get what you want.
Being so limited and difficult to obtain, it shouldn’t be surprising that the cards are fairly uncommon to find out in the world. They do show up on auction sites, and prices are mixed. People will post them in response to their rarity, but with low demand, those prices will often go down. So if you do decide to collect them or complete your collection, be patient and you should be able to get the cards you need.
As I mentioned, they made a total of 48 cards. Each of them references a TV show that ran or was syndicated in the seventies. Can you figure out what shows they correspond to? Any favorites or ones you can’t figure out?
- The Walnuts
- The Rock Files
- Captain Klunkeroo
- Smell The Truth
- The Cod Couple
- Roper Room
- The Flying Bun
- Welcome Back Critters
- Mush
- Barnaby Bones
- Laff-Out
- Hoppy Days
- What’s Not Happening
- Charlie’s Angles
- The Price Is Wrong
- Let’s Make A Meal
- Shove Boat
- New Super Fiends
- Tar Trek
- The Hatch Game
- The Flintrocks
- Thunder Dog
- Hoagy’s Heros
- Brawl In The Family
- The Tardy Boys
- Starchy And Hush
- American Handstand
- Candied Camera
- Bad Times
- Operation Overcoat
- Snitch
- Greasy Addams
- One Way At A Time
- She Haw
- Hollywood Scares
- Barney Chiller
- Little Mouse On The Prairie
- The Arfies
- The Souper Bowl
- Flea’s Company
- The Bratty Bunch
- Blunder Woman
- The Six Million Dollar Mess
- Eight Is Too Much
- Wild World Of Shorts
- Mild Kingdom
- No Soap
- Bestiched
Hostess Wacky TV Show Cards were a very limited release on a product that wasn’t available in every market in the United States. If you were lucky enough to get a few, they have probably been stuck in your memory. Whenever I see the more famous Wacky Packages, I can’t help but think of them, and as a TV fan, wish they had been more broadly available. The scarcity of these cards only adds to their intrigue, making them a rare and sought-after collectible for enthusiasts of vintage memorabilia and seventies pop culture.
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I wanted to wrap up my coverage of Indiana Jones with a discussion of some Indy odds and ends. So on this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I am going to talk about Indiana Jones Merchandise. I focus on the things I was most familiar with while growing up, so this is not comprehensive.
The show starts with a little story about comic book collecting. Although maybe it is more of a story about how collecting has changed over the years as larger economies have grown up around it. Either way, the story ends with me having free comics, always a good way for a story to end.
Then I talk about:
- Marvel’s Indiana Jones Comics
- TSR’s Indiana Jones role-playing game
- Raiders of the Lost Ark Board Game
- Kenner’s Indiana Jones Action Figures
- LJN’s Temple of Doom Action Figures
- Micro Machines
The Indiana Jones films spawned lots of great merchandise. Sadly, I was too young to collect it all. While I might not have had everything, the things I did have were more meaningful. If you like to get into Indy collecting now, you will find some high-priced items, but also a plethora of affordable and fun things to put on your shelves.
Listen and download the Indiana Toys & Comics Podcast* Download Episode (MP3 Format) (MP3)
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If you have a moment, please stop by Apple Podcasts or wherever you might download the show and perhaps give the show a quick rating. It is very much appreciated.
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Production Notes* This is the 322nd episode of the Retroist Podcast and episode 23 of this season. Getting really close to done with this season. * This is the sixth and final episode in a series of podcasts I will be doing about Indiana Jones. It is probably the loosest show I have done. * I am sad that this is the end of my Indy coverage * I do not currently have any Indy stuff on display. I think I need to change that. * If Indiana Jones had used the GI Joe strategy for releasing new content based on the comic and maybe a cartoon, I think the entire 1980s might have been different. * I think Terry and Pirates would have been a solid template for growing the mythology off the big screen. * Fun that TSR and Marvel actually put out commercials that mentioned Indiana Jones. * After recording the show, there were two things I wished I had talked about. The Choose Your Own Adventures books and the 12 inch Indiana Jones figure. In a lot of ways, that figure was the perfect toy for playing Indy, as it focused on just Indy. * Up next, I think a movie? * Keeping this up here. I have been having issues with YouTube lately. Until that had been worked out, I will not be posting episodes of the show there. I apologize for the inconvenience. * Bonus Clipping should be up on Patreon tomorrow. * Music on the show is, as always, by Peachy.
Thanks for listening to the show and I hope you have a great weekend.
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When I was growing up, dance shows on television were very popular in our home. One of my older sisters was obsessed with them. Since she controlled the TV, I became a fan over time. A couple of the shows we watched were regional. Now, thanks to the magic of the internet, I have been able to find and enjoy other regional dance shows that I would have never gotten to see growing up in New Jersey. My new favorite was all about breakdancing and took place in Hawaii. This 1984 gem was aptly called Breakin' Hawaii.
1984 might have been the peak year of breakdancing in popular culture. On the big screen, we had movies like Breakin’ and Beat Street shining a light on the craze. While on TV, sitcoms and dance shows started to be influenced. It might have started in New York, but it didn’t take long for people of all ages to start moving their feet to this new fad across the US and eventually across the globe.
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In Hawaii, this took the form of a dance competition called Breakin’ Hawaii. Premiering on July 7, 1984, and hosted by Kamasami Kong, the show ran weekly on both the television station KGMB and on KIKI Radio up to and including the finale on August 25th.
About Kamasami KongThe host, Kamasami Kong, was pretty well-known in Hawaii. Born Robert W. Zix, he worked in Hawaiian radio for many years and was an early player of Japanese city pop in the United States. This allowed him to develop a following in Japan, where he would eventually move and continue his radio career in 2005.
Here is a great album of city pop music from 2015 hosted by Kong. I think his voice has just gotten better over the years.
The CompetitionEach episode featured young dancers from across the state, all trying their best to make it to the final and win awards in four categories: Solo, Duo, Trio, and Group. Each week, a winner would be chosen, and they steadily advanced towards the final show. Here is an example of part of an earlier episode. Check out Kong’s 🔥 MJ style jacket!
As you can see, like a true talent show, they included a mix of skill levels. This is a real amateur competition, which makes it exciting to watch. Add to this the fact that these episodes were broadcast live, and you have the makings of amazing summer evening television. What I really like is how close the audience is to the dancers. Some of them are right up on the dance floor. It is like a group of kids just getting together to watch their friends dance. The resolution isn’t HD, but you can see their expressions and reactions.
As the finals approached and the popularity of the show kept growing, they realized they were going to need a bigger venue to accommodate the crowds who wanted to watch them. The Kilauea Recreation Center in Honolulu was chosen because it could handle the capacity crowd of 2,000 that would attend. The problem was that the Center was on the other side of Diamond Head, which obstructed the signal to the TV tower. This meant the final show in the series would be pre-recorded. Although, when you watch it, you will notice that they are acting like it is being broadcast live.
Thirteen of the past winners would be in the finals as well as a trio that would be selected in the final show, for a total of fourteen finalists performing. Since this was being broadcast across the state, they wanted to make sure it was inclusive. So they brought in exhibition groups from each of the Neighbor Islands (Maui, Hawaii, Kauai, Lanai, & Molokai). Add to that an exhibition by Marian Jay Dancers about the Evolution of Dance and some extra Breakin’ by the Wizard B-Boyz crew, and you have an amazing 90 minutes of television.
Lots of prizes were offered to competitors along the way. This included tracksuits, portable tape players, albums or cassettes, boomboxes, shirts, and other small prizes, but the big Division level prizes were:
- Single Dancers - A $25 Savings Account and $250 Cash
- Duos - Toshiba Televisions
- Trio - Fisher VCRs
- Group - Ten Roundtrip tickets from Hawaiian Air to the Neighbor Islands.
- Overall Winner - An epic looking Sansui Home Entertainment System (valued at $2,200)
The finals broadcast does have all the energy of a completely live event. The crowd is into it, the dancers all deliver, and Kong keeps things moving. I found myself cheering along and hoping my favorite dancers would take home the big prizes. Who won, I won’t ruin that, but I will post the finals here for you to enjoy yourself.
Breakin’ Hawaii was like lightning in a bottle. The right show for the right time. The trend was at its peak and doing it as a live dance competition was a brilliant move by a local TV station. It was so successful that they were talking about following it up with a more general talent show called Hawaiian Starlight. This would happen, but under a different name.
That November, they launched a more general talent show called Hawaii High. This 14 episode series would also be broadcast live and would feature talent from 27 Ohahu high school. Also hosted by Kong, the show went beyond breakdancing, featuring a broad range of talented young people, and it all led up to a tie-in with the long-running Brown Bags to Stardom. Which is a local high school talent show run by KIKI. A few clips and at least one episode of Hawaii High is available to watch online. It is fun, but it is not as compelling as its predecessor as a TV program.
Why did they do Hawaii High? You could be around at the time and look at Breakin’ Hawaii and think you had a reproducible formula for TV, a live talent show for young people, but its magnetism had more to do with the dance fad than anything else. That’s what makes this show so special. It was the right people doing the right thing at the right time. I didn’t grow up anywhere near Hawaii, but even watching forty years later, I can recognize this.
So do yourself a favor and take some time to sit down and watch the finals. It is a long video, but everything about it is charming. If by the end of it, you don’t wish you could travel back to 1984 Hawaii, you have no place in my Breakdancing Crew.
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In this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I am going to take a look at the first two decades of video games featuring Indiana Jones. This started with me just going to talk about a couple of games, but then morphed into a 12 game extravaganza (maybe 13). Here are the games I discuss:
- Raiders of the Lost Ark (1982)
- Indiana Jones in the Lost Kingdom (1984)
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1985)
- Indiana Jones in Revenge of the Ancients (1987)
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1988)
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure (1989)
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Action Game (1989)
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1991)
- Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (1992)
- The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (1993)
- Indiana Jones' Greatest Adventures (1994)
- Indiana Jones and His Desktop Adventures (1996)
We kick things off by reminiscing about my childhood and the challenges of playing these beloved games. Back then, playing your favorite titles wasn’t always easy, but with enough determination, anything was possible.
From there, we move on to the games themselves. This episode is a bit different, as I focus more on my personal experiences with these games rather than just the gameplay details. It's a mix of memories and opinion that I hope will bring a smile to your face and perhaps a bit of nostalgia.
Join me as I recount the highs and lows of playing these Indiana Jones games, sharing what made each one unique and memorable. I hope you find this journey through Indiana Jones gaming history as enjoyable as I did.
If you have an opinion about one of these games, let me know in the comments or over on Discord.
Listen and download the Indiana Jones Video Games Podcast* Download Episode (MP3 Format) (MP3)
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Production Notes This is the 321st episode of the Retroist Podcast and episode 22 of this season. Almost done with this season! * This is the fifth episode in a series of podcasts I will be doing about Indiana Jones and the first outside the original trilogy. * When replaying them recently, I tried to play some on original hardware, but the MISTer was very convenient and saves a lot of time. * The arcade version of Temple of Doom might be my favorite, but Raiders for the Atari 2600 is a close second. * This was almost a podcast just about Raiders on Atari, I folded some of my story from that into this episode. Maybe I will revisit that idea in the future. * I decided to end in the 90s. I could have gone a little further, but wanted to really focus on games that I have strong memories of playing. I did play many of the games that followed, but I was a little older and viewed them differently. * I am trying to figure out how to cover some other things I would like to talk about in the Indyverse. I decided to not cover Crystal Skull right now, but I might return to it in a few years. Still, I have some other subjects I think are worth mentioning. * Found some fun retro audio to include. They didn’t advertise a lot of these games on TV or radio, unfortunately. * Up next, Something?* * Keeping this up here. I have been having issues with YouTube lately. Until that had been worked out, I will not be posting episodes of the show there. I apologize for the inconvenience. * Bonus Clipping should be up on Patreon tomorrow. * Music on the show is, as always, by Peachy.
Thanks for listening to the show and I hope you have a great weekend.
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In the late 1990s, I was working at a job writing computer code. It was a nice job, and one of the perks was exposure to other tech-minded people. One day, a co-worker brought something to the office that I had only ever read about—a digital camera. It was a Sony Digital Mavica FD7, and what it did seemed like magic. Instead of film, photos were captured onto floppy disks, and you could easily transfer those photos to your computer. It was like magic, and for the next few days, everyone in the office was obsessed with it. So where did this camera come from, and how did it end up in our midtown Manhattan office?
The Mavica, short for Magnetic Video Camera, was a line of cameras from Sony that used removable disks as their primary recording medium. Way back in August 1981, Sony introduced the prototype of the Mavica as the world's first electronic still video camera. Weighing 1.75 pounds (0.79 kg) and measuring 5x3x2 inches, it was hailed as the future of photography. Here you can see the prototype being demonstrated by Sony’s CEO, Akio Morita.
As you will hear and see in the video, this camera could not only take still pictures but could also take videos. This initial prototype could only capture video at ten frames per second, but Sony was confident they could get that number up to sixty frames per second by launch.
The quality of photos wasn’t great compared to a film camera. This version of the camera wasn’t digital yet. Instead, it produced an analog digital signal with a resolution of 570 × 490 pixels. Photos were stored on magnetic media called Mavipak 2.0" disks. These would later be known as Video Floppies (VF), and they had the capacity to store 50 still frames on each disk. Impressive!
At first, you couldn’t print these images out. Instead, images could be viewed on a television using a special playback viewer unit connected to the TV. Despite this and lower image quality when compared to film, interest in the camera was very high, especially with people who worked in the media. Just like computer professionals would take to digital photography early, news and media professionals realized that even this early camera would work well with the computing and telecommunications devices they used in broadcasting.
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To get these images to paper, Sony would release the Mavigraph, a thermal CMYK printer. It used a thermal printhead to apply heat to thermal paper, producing prints up to 120 mm x 160 mm on A5 paper. It wasn’t a fast printing system; an image would take about five minutes to print.
How much would this all cost you? The plan was to release them first in Japan, where it would sell for the equivalent of $646. The disks, which would be reusable, sold for $2.60 each, and the device you used to hook the camera to a television would go for $215.
Now, as you might remember, the Mavica took the world by storm in the eighties and photography changed virtually overnight. Wait, that didn’t happen. So what did happen?
The press conference for the release was in the second half of 1981, and it generated a lot of hype for what was supposed to be a late 1982 release. 1982 came and went, and we were well into 1983 when Akio Morita made another announcement. More time would be needed to develop the camera, and it seemed to boil down to image quality. While the camera worked well, the picture quality was a lot lower than 35 mm film. In fact, the quality was lower than that of a television picture, which really limited the appeal of the camera. What had happened?
According to the New York Times, “Analysts and competitors alike say that Sony’s announcement was premature—intended to bolster the company’s image as an innovator and perhaps bolster its stock price.”
Sony was waiting for innovation in electronic imaging to catch up to their ambition. At the same time, they didn’t want people to forget about the Mavica. So the brand would continue to appear at company events and get mentioned in stockholder literature.
Meanwhile, other companies were starting to catch up. In 1984, Canon was testing an electronic camera at the Olympic Games. According to Canon, this camera would serve as a prototype for a camera more suited for industrial use. In 1986, they began offering these camera systems to companies at a price of about $25,000. Despite this, they didn’t see it becoming competitive with film cameras for at least five years.
By 1986, other companies were starting to catch up, and other Still Video Camera Systems were being demonstrated at trade shows and getting into the hands of early adopters. By 1987, Canon, Minolta, Konica, Casio, and even Kodak had something to either demonstrate or show. Casio’s VS-101 was by far the most affordable option at the time, with units costing less than $1,000.
Sony, not wanting to be left behind, started to promote a ProMavica camera. It would be priced at around $4,000, with a tabletop recorder going for less than $3,000. Like the other companies, this version was being targeted by deep-pocketed early adopters. The 1981 dream of a small, affordable Mavica was still a couple of years away.
In 1989, the Sony Mavica MVC-C1 finally hit the market. Weighing 1.5 pounds (0.68 kg), it didn’t really resemble a standard camera. Instead, people at the time compared its horizontal form factor to a pair of binoculars. This is a little unfair; other cameras at the time, like my trusty Kodak 110 camera, were horizontal as well. This camera pretty much delivered on the promises made back in 1981, although the price was slightly higher at $1,000.
Reading reviews from the time, people seemed impressed with the picture quality when displayed on a screen or transferred to videotape. What I liked reading about were photographers already tinkering with the camera in ways that Sony didn’t predict. With no printing option, people could connect to a video digitizer and then scan the images into their computer. Once there, they could print the photos in high quality on a laser printer or even print a low-quality dot-matrix version. The future was finally arriving, and you could even find it on sale.
As home computers became more prevalent in the mid-nineties, the Mavica and other digital cameras began to become more appealing to amateurs. Prices were going down, tech specs were improving, and these cameras were starting to look a lot like, well, cameras.
The digital cameras of 1994.As the nineties continued, the Mavica continued to evolve, adding larger LCD screens, higher resolution, and easier ways to access photos. By 1997, the Mavica FD7 was being widely marketed and would be the first digital camera I would get to play with. Here is a commercial from the time demonstrating how easy it would be to violate someone’s privacy and virally spread photos to a large group of people using a Mavica.
As digital camera technology advanced with higher resolutions, USB interfaces, and high-capacity storage media, Mavica cameras evolved as well. The floppy-disk Mavicas began to support Memory Sticks, initially through an adapter and eventually with a dedicated slot. A huge leap happened in 2000 when Sony introduced the CD Mavica series, which used 8 cm CD-R/CD-RW media.
The MVC-CD1000 featured a 10× optical zoom and could write to CD-R discs. It also had a USB interface to read images from non-finalized CDs. They would eventually make more compact models with reduced optical zoom, but still capable of writing to CD. Some models also combined single-lens reflex components with interchangeable lenses, and a few versions included lens mount adapters for added flexibility.
Unfortunately for Sony and its Mavica, as the 2000s continued, other companies entered the camera business and focused on lower-priced point-and-shoot cameras. Many worked just as well as or better than the Mavica brand, and it just didn’t make sense to continue to sell them anymore. This might not have been a bad move because just a few years later, mobile phone cameras would become all the rage and photography would again change dramatically.
By the time I saw my first Sony Mavica, it was already almost two decades old. Sure, the technology had changed during those twenty years, but it still felt novel. A camera that could take photos without film felt futuristic at the time. If you were lucky enough to get to use one, it was pretty obvious that things were changing, but I still would not have predicted how abrupt and total those changes were about to become.
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In this episode of the Retroist Podcast, we are looking at the "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles," a TV series that charts the early adventures of the iconic Indiana Jones. This series fleshes out the formative years of the young Indy as he travels the globe and, like Forrest Gump, he engages with historical figures and participates in key events that shaped the 20th century. Unlike the high-stakes treasure hunts typical of the Indiana Jones film saga, this series opts for a more educational and character-driven exploration of Indy's development into the archaeologist we know from the films.
The fun thing about "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" is how it cleverly intertwines real historical contexts with the Indy’s fictional world, offering us a blend of adventure and a history lesson in each episode. The series production stands out by its unique approach to storytelling, where each episode is a standalone story that that can also be combined with another episode to make a feature length film. That capability really highlights the craftsmanship of George Lucas.
In this episode of the podcast, we will explore how "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" not only plays with the Indiana Jones narrative but also serves as a crucial component in understanding the complexities of Indy's character. Did we need all this info about Indy? Probably not, but for fans of the show, it was a great wait to give us more of the character when we couldn’t get prime Harrison Ford Indy to make more movies. Despite having so many episodes, this show is weirdly overlooked. I hope by talking about it, I can get you to look at it again or the first time.
Listen and download The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles Podcast* Download Episode (MP3 Format) (MP3)
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Production Notes This is the 320th episode of the Retroist Podcast and episode 21 of this season. That is a lot. * This is the fourth episode in a series of podcasts I will be doing about Indiana Jones and the first outside the original trilogy. * Some names I tried really hard to say correctly in this one. I think I did it. * I have tried on many styles throughout my life, but never returned to my psuedo Indy look. * Surprising little interesting advertising for the show. I don’t feel like it was well-supported. * A lot of the episodes are online. * I preferred the less young Indiana Jones stories. They were just more similar to the real Indy stories. * The Harrison Ford episode got some promos and hype at the time. After watching it, my Mom asked me what I thought and remember complaining that he wasn’t in it enough. * I feel like I mispronounced one name here. I tried listening to it online, but I am not sure if I got it right. Maybe I did, so I won’t talk about it any further. * I wonder if Disney talks about doing another series like this? I thought I remember them talking about Marion Ravewood as a series. With a bigger budget, they could make a few Young Indy films each year. * Up next, Crystal Skull or Indiana Jones Video Games*. * Keeping this up here. I have been having issues with YouTube lately. Until that had been worked out, I will not be posting episodes of the show there. I apologize for the inconvenience. * Bonus Clipping should be up on Patron tomorrow. * Music on the show is, as always, by Peachy.
Thanks for listening to the show and I hope you have a great weekend.
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In 1985, I had been comfortably playing Dungeons & Dragons for a few years. My family accepted my fandom and constant playing of the game. All was right with the world. That is when the TV show 60 Minutes, which the adults in my household watched every week, threw my life a curveball. On the September 15th episode of the series that year, Ed Bradley did a story that attempted to connect the hobby to suicides and murders in young people. This unfortunate sensationalist story led to some painful discussions with both my mother and grandmother who bought into the hype.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see the story at the time. I wouldn’t see it until a copy of it found its way to the internet, and even though decades had passed since its airing, the segment still made me furious.
There is a lot to be furious about here. Dungeons & Dragons, like many trends and interests, has been correlated with bad things since mainstream media first got wind of it. Pieces like this, and Rona Jaffe’s Mazes & Monsters, just helped to amplify these bad opinions. Before I get to the heart of the problem with this report, and I will be using the words of a D&D legend to refute it, I wanted to talk about why else this is worth watching.
- You get footage of Gary Gygax logically defending his creation in an amazing sweater.
- You get footage of people actually engaged in playing the game at the time. It looks like 1st Edition AD&D.
- The footage and discussion of some beautiful precision dice. Although, they treat the dice like they are way more unusual than they actually are.
Beautiful Dice.I was rewatching this recently and thought it would be interesting to discuss. Often the early unfounded D&D controversy is dominated by the Satanic Panic, and this particular bit of televised history gets overshadowed by it. But if you lived in the suburbs in the mid-80s, there was a good chance that this was the first time your parents bought into the controversy around the game. If it wasn’t the first time, it certainly was a reminder.
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I didn’t really know how to defend my hobby against such attacks. If I had seen Gygax speaking, I would have probably reiterated his points. Since I didn’t, I had to fall back on trying to reassure my mom that this wasn’t what the game was about. That it was just a game, a fun escape, no different from the board games that I also loved. Luckily, I had adults who, while careful, also trusted me. A lot of kids lost their ability to play the game after this aired.
After the rewatch, I started to look online for discussions of the segment when I stumbled across this letter that was written by one of my favorite fantasy artists and Dungeons & Dragons legend, David A. Trampier (DAT).
Trampier illustrated a lot of the early game material that helped me fall in love with the game. He also created the comic Wormy and the war game, Titan, before leaving the RPG world completely and seemingly abruptly in the late eighties.
One thing I didn’t know about Trampier is that he liked to write letters to the local newspaper in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. In a September 1985 issue of The Lake Geneva Regional News, they published this letter from DAT.
What Tramp is saying here is exactly what I would have liked to say to the people that Ed Bradley was pushing sensationalist nonsense. When you look at the numbers presented in the report, they add up to a game that doesn’t take lives, but saves them. I wouldn’t make that bold of a claim, I don’t have the experience or nuanced statistics needed to do so. But as a young player, who played the game through some difficult times, I can testify to its positive impact on my mental health and social skills.
The camaraderie and teamwork required in the game provided a sense of belonging and support that was otherwise lacking in other aspects of my life. The strategic thinking and problem-solving it encouraged helped me develop critical life skills that I use to this day. So, while sensational claims grab headlines, it’s important to consider the beneficial effects that often go unreported.
Images are not a great way of sharing and preserving information. So, I am going to transcribe Trampier’s letter below. Seeing his passion for defending a game that means so much to me, at a time when I was having a hard time figuring out how to do that myself, makes me appreciate his contribution to this game even more.
D&D Saves Lives Writer SaysTo the Editor:
According to Ed Bradley of “60 Minutes” (Sept. 15) the suicide of 12 Dungeons & Dragons players in one year is proof of causal connection. It’s incredible that a person who has attained the position of responsibility that Mr. Bradley holds could get there without having learned the rudiments of statistical analysis.
Let’s look at Mr. Bradley’s own figures. Of the forty million teenagers in America, three million play Dungeons & Dragons. Of the 5,000 teenage suicides last year, twelve were players of Dungeons & Dragons. Seven percent of the teenagers in this country are Dungeons & Dragons players. One fourth of a percent (.0024) of the teen suicides were by Dungeons & Dragons players. If Dungeons & Dragons were in any way associated with teen suicides, the percentage of suicides who were Dungeons & Dragons players would be higher than the percent of the populace who play Dungeons & Dragons. Instead, the rate of suicide among those who play Dungeons & Dragons is 96 percent lower than the rest of the teenage populace.
If Ed Bradley and the attackers of Dungeons & Dragons are going to use numbers as a basis for conclusions, clearly the only conclusion that can be drawn is that Dungeons & Dragons saves lives!
The important question is this: What is the motive of those who would invert such obvious arithmetic?
Sincerely,
David Trampier
Lake Geneva
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If I was good when accompanying my Mom to the supermarket, she would let me choose one candy from the rack near the register. While chocolate was always tempting, there was a brand of gum I couldn’t resist, Fruit Stripe. With its vibrant, colorful packaging and zebra mascot, how could any kids resist? Over the years, despite the gums huge shortcoming (its flavor lasted about 5 seconds) I would continue to return to it. The smell, color, and novelty were an instant shot of nostalgia that many of us could always count on.
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Let there be Stripes!Fruit Stripe was introduced in the United States in 1961 by the Beech-Nut company. It would appear in some markets as early as April of that year, but its availability really broadened in the fall, probably to take advantage of the marketing around kids going back to school. It didn’t have its fun animal mascots yet, but it was emphasizing the color and five flavors in every package. A package that year would cost about between 3 and 5 cents. That would be the equivalent of 30 and 50 cents today.
Fruit Stripe Gum in 1961The five original flavors of Fruit Stripe gum in 1961 included cherry, grape, lemon, orange, and mixed fruit. Over the years the gum would add other flavors, but the basic concept would remain. In this initial marketing push, it was clear, this gum was all about its bright, multicolored appearance and burst of fruit flavor. But Beach-Nut would introduce a new component to Fruit Stripe Gum that would elevate the brand even more, mascots.
Yipes! The Zebra and the RestIn 1963 Fruit Stripe introduced a series of stuffed animal mascots as as part of a promotional offer. You would buy 6 packs of gum, send the packages in along with $1.50 cents, and they would send you one of four fruit themed stuffed animals. Each one representing a flavor in the pack. They had:
- Orange Stripes the Mouse
- Lemon Stripes the Elephant
- Cherry Stripes the horse
- Lime Stripes the Tiger
You will notice two things here. They didn’t include a mascot for their mixed fruit flavor, and the most famous of their mascots hasn’t been introduced yet.
They also a bendy toy that was a walking pack of fruit stripe gum of this era. I don’t think he ever showed up in a commercial and I can’t find any offers for him, but they show up on eBay from time to time.
One of my favorite commercials from this era was stop-motion, and it not only walks us through the flavors of Fruit Stripe, but also introduces us to the other Stripe gums that Beach-Nut was selling. Did you know they made a Mint Stripe gum?
The four different mascots were cute, but they really didn’t come across as a cohesive team like Rice Krispies’ Snap, Crackly and Pop. Instead, they were just striped animals with very little personality of their own. What Fruit Stripe needed was a true mascot, one that embodies the attitude and look of the gum. It would take a few years, but in 1971, the Fruit Stripe Zebra began appearing in advertising.
This voice of this delightful zebra was provided by Warren Burton. Burton has done work in film, television, and video games. In a 1975 interview with the San Francisco Examiner, Burton said of the gig, “That funny quirk in my voice stood me in good stead later because I got a job doing TV commercials as the voiceover for the zebra on the Beach-Nut Fruit Stripe gum ads. They’ve been running for four yours now and the residuals are very reassuring for an actor who is sometimes unemployed.”
The very year he made his premier, they tried to do a similar promotion to the one they had run in 1963. They made this one even more challenging this time around. You needed to send in two dollars and TEN wrappers, and they would send you this handsome looking stuffed Zebra.
The Fruit Stripe ZebraThey would continue this offer for multiple years. Unfortunately, these didn’t seem to be a big hit. I found this letter that was sent in 1974. In it, a kid was complaining to their local newspaper’s consumer advocate, that they had sent their money, but never got the zebra. The letter got them a zebra and also a quote from the group product manage for gums, Robert Denny, who said, “I wish I had more people who wanted zebras.”
Too many zebras?As the Seventies came to a close, bubble gum became very popular and Fruit Stripe tried to jump on the trend that would dominate kids gum in the 80s, and they introduced their very own bubble gum.
The thing is, this Zebra still didn’t have a name. That wouldn’t come until the 1990s. When a revival for the gum was planned. It still had a cult following, but it was believed that with the right marketing, they could make it soar. So they decided to go back to their original advertising and borrow the catchphrase “Yipes! Stripes!” but apply it as the name of their Zebra mascot. They also gave him a slight more 90s look.
Fruit Stripe Gum TattoosOne of the smarter things that Fruit Stripe did was take some of the gum wrappers in each pack and make them temporary tattoos. That’s right, not only could you get some super fruit gum, but a lingering inky reminder that you had chewed it. The tattoos were simple and cheap, and more often than not, very smudged. But whenever my Mom bought me a pack, I would use each one on my arm and thought I looked cool as all get out.
It is unclear to me what year they added tattoos to the packaging. I would guess the 1970s, but cannot find evidence online. If you have a specific memory of seeing it earlier, please let me know.
Beech-Nut and Gums and CandyBeech-Nut, originally established as an American chewing gum and packaged food company, has a long history intertwined with the candy and gum industry. Founded in 1891 in Canajoharie, New York, Beech-Nut initially gained confection prominence through its success with peppermint gum, which paved the way for its expansion into a variety of food products. Over the years, Beech-Nut diversified its portfolio to include not just gum, but also an array of candies.
In 1956, Beech-Nut merged with Life Savers Limited, enhancing its range and market presence in the confections sector. Despite shifting its focus towards baby food products later in the century, Beech-Nut’s legacy in the gum and candy sector remains significant, highlighting its role in shaping American tastes and preferences in sugary treats.
Over the years, Fruit Stripe Gum underwent several ownership changes. After Beech-Nut, the brand was acquired by The Hershey Company in the late 1980s. Hershey continued to market Fruit Stripe alongside its other products, but eventually sold it to the Farley's & Sathers Candy Company, which later became part of the Ferrara Candy Company.
DiscontinuationIn 2023, Ferrara Candy Company announced the discontinuation of Fruit Stripe Gum. The decision marked the end of an era for a product that had been a staple in American culture for over six decades. The company cited shifting consumer preferences and the challenging economics of producing a niche product as key reasons for the decision. Of course, it probably made business sense and I can’t say I have bought more than a pack a year in the last ten years, but it still makes me sad. It was impossibly colorful, wonderfully fruity sweet, and the flavor was fleeting, but the world was just a bit more magic with Fruit Stripe Gum in it.
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Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, released in 1989, as the first of the Indy films that I saw by myself. Much like in the other films, it follows the intrepid archaeologist, played by the Harrison Ford, as he embarks on a quest not just for the mythical Holy Grail but also for his estranged father, portrayed by Sean Connery. This new dynamic injects a unique layer of family drama and humor into the series. The chemistry between Ford and Connery is particularly notable, providing both comedic relief and a heartwarming exploration of father-son relationships.
This film marks a return to the lighter-toned roots of the original Raiders of the Lost Ark. Sure, it embraces the classic elements of treasure hunting and globe-trotting escapades, but lacks the horror elements of Temple of Doom. Director Steven Spielberg and producer George Lucas, in what would have been the series capper, masterfully balance action-packed sequences with poignant moments, creating a compelling mix of thrill and sentiment.
This installment also benefits from John Williams’ continued participation. The grandmaster of film music elevates the film. From chasing the Grail to reconciling with his father, Williams tells the story through music that is as re-listenable as the film is re-watchable.
In this episode itself, I’ll delve into how The Last Crusade not only continues the legacy of Indiana Jones but also enhances it. We get backstory and themes of redemption and family relationships that weren’t in the first two films. As with the other two episodes, we will revisit the relationship between the dynamic duo of Spielberg and Lucas that led to this globe-trotting adventure. Whether you're revisiting this film or discovering it for the first time, this films is an amazing cinematic experience that only adds to the unending appeal of Indiana Jones.
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If you have a moment, please stop by Apple Podcasts or wherever you might download the show and perhaps give the show a quick rating. It is very much appreciated.
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Production Notes This is the 319th episode of the Retroist Podcast and episode 20 of this season. * This is the third episode in a series of podcasts I will be doing about Indiana Jones. I will be covering the original trilogy and more. * Some names I tried really hard to say correctly in this one. I think I did it. * The soundtrack for this film is great. Before recording this, I listened to it infrequently, but not anymore. * While doing a series like this, I try not to repeat myself about the same people over and over. I do repeat some stuff, but try to change it up. Hope that works. * Pepsi AND Coke getting onboard as sponsors. * This is my 3rd favorite of the original trilogy films. I am a sucker for Temple of Doom. * I miss the Burger King I would visit near the theater. You could see the box office while sitting near the window. I liked people-watching the lines of people on these big blockbuster films. * Where’s Animal! * I do wish I could remember what I did when I got home after seeing this film. I am sure I watched TV, but what? * At Suncoast Video, Indy was an easy sell. Just put any of them on the TVs and people would come in and buy them. * I will post the clipping I mention over on Patreon soon. Got some good ones. * Up next, Crystal Skull or Young Indiana Jones Chronicles*. * Keeping this up here. I have been having issues with YouTube lately. Until that had been worked out, I will not be posting episodes of the show there. I apologize for the inconvenience. * Follow Lou Lumenick on Twitter. He was my favorite childhood move reviewer. * Music on the show is, as always, by Peachy.
Thanks for listening to the show and I hope you have a great weekend.
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Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom carved its niche as a riveting piece of film history, captivating audiences with its daring escapades and dark undertones. Released in 1984, this sequel to the iconic Raiders of the Lost Ark takes us back into the thrilling world of archaeology and myth, transporting viewers from the vibrant streets of Shanghai to the heart of India.
What sets this film apart? It might be its audacious blend of dark supernatural elements, perilous adventures, and the charismatic yet fallible hero, Indiana Jones, played with unparalleled zest by Harrison Ford. Or perhaps it's the film's ability to balance that darkness with moments of humor and heart that keeps it enduringly beloved.
In this episode, we dive deep into the heart of darkness that is Temple of Doom. Beyond my own fondness for the film and its impact on the genre, we'll explore what makes Temple of Doom a cinematic experience worth revisiting. I'll dissect the collaboration between Spielberg and Lucas, how they crafted a film that not only expanded the Indiana Jones universe but also took a path that set it apart from its predecessors and successors alike.
Then I will talk about the mesmerizing score by John Williams and how it added layers of depth to the movie, transporting audiences to an exotic and perilous world. The challenges Indiana Jones faces, from confronting cult leaders to rescuing enslaved children, are all set to the perfect music.
So, whether you're a long-time fan who revels in Indiana Jones’s thrilling escapades or new to the films, this episode promises an enjoyable journey into the darkest chapter of Indy’s adventures.
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Production Notes This is the 318th episode of the Retroist Podcast and episode 19 of this season. * This is the second episode in a series of podcasts I will be doing about Indiana Jones. I will be covering the original trilogy and more. * I again had some technical difficulties while recording the show. I think the dark forces of Mola Ram did not want me to succeed. * I would love to have had a Haunted House version of Indiana Jones. Something that really focused on ghosts and hauntings. * This movie was a favorite to play at the video stores I worked at. At Suncoast, we weren’t allowed to play it because our manager told us it was too dark. I wonder whose policy that was? * I would have preferred Marion Ravenwood in this film as Indy’s partner. Why couldn’t they have had more adventures before Raiders? I am still all for a Marion Ravenwood series. Show her life leading up to Raiders. * We had a party at home when this came out on VHS. My family was supposed to watch it together, but my sisters bailed, and my mom got sick. So I was watching it with my Grandmother, who was not impressed. * I mention the Temple of Doom arcade game, but will go deeper on that in a future episode. Same with the comics. * Just want to talk about that convenience store/deli I mentioned in the notes last week. It was near the movies, and you could walk by it on the way home. I had my first Snapple there, way before Snapple was a widely available drink. They really had an amazing cold drinks selection. Also good ice cream. * I will post the clipping I mention over on Patreon soon. Got some good ones. * Up next, Last Crusade*. * Keeping this up here. I have been having issues with YouTube lately. Until that had been worked out, I will not be posting episodes of the show there. I apologize for the inconvenience. * Follow Lou Lumenick on Twitter. He was my favorite childhood move reviewer. * Music on the show is, as always, by Peachy.
Thanks for listening to the show and I hope you have a great weekend.
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Back in 1984, when Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom hit the screens, it wasn't just mine car chases and ancient curses that had fans buzzing. 7 Up, seizing the moment like Indy grabbing his hat from under a closing stone door, launched the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Game. This was no ordinary promo; it was like finding a golden idol in your local supermarket. For a die-hard Indy fan, which I proudly was (and still am), this game was a treasure map to excitement.
The deal was simple: grab a game card from any participating supermarket or your local paper during the week of May 20, 1984. If the character on your card matched the one in the store display EXACTLY, boom, you won a prize. EXACTLY was the important word. You could have a card with Indy on it, and you needed to make sure the Indy you had wasn't different from the display version.
A card just like this was with me for months after the contest ended.Support the Retroist on Patreon
The prizes were the stuff of legend. The grand prize winners would be jetting off on a two-week adventure to India, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka—or pocketing a cool $10,000. Then there were TVs, VCRs (with a Raiders of the Lost Ark cassette, no less), exclusive T-shirts, and loads of 7 Up coupons with a side of Indy mini-posters. They even had a second chance draw for the big stuff that nobody claimed. This meant just sending in a 3×5 card with your info for a drawing. I was big on these sorts of entries, although I never won.
Now, finding one of these game cards turned grocery shopping trips with my family into an adventure. Every soda aisle or featured endcap held the potential for discovery. I haven't been able to confirm this exactly, but I believe the characters we were hoping to match were Indy, Short Round, Mola Ram, Willie Scott, and Chattar Lal.
So blurry…Striding into the supermarket, spotting that Indy-themed display—it made me feel more connected to the movie. The air buzzed with possibility. Would today be the day you'd win the big trip, or at least snag a poster?
7 Up didn't just throw up a few store displays and call it a day. They went all out. There were commercials that I found thrilling at the time, one featured the legendary Geoffrey Holder, the 7 Up spokesperson, and another diving straight into the heart of Temple of Doom. It felt like 7 Up got it. They knew why we loved Indy, and they played it up perfectly.
That year, 7 Up would spend $13 million on 7 Up television advertising, which would be close to $40 million today. A good portion went to this Temple of Doom Tie-in. For fans like me, this was a good investment. I enjoyed 7 Up and Like Cola, but this contest broadened their appeal by associating them with one of my heroes. I still think this might be why I like 7 Up so much.
Despite my Indiana Jones-level dedication, nabbing the grand prize eluded me. I did, however, land a fourth prize—coupons and a mini-poster. Though, to my disappointment, the spoils never made their way to my mailbox. But the thrill of the hunt? That was real. And even after the promo ended, I carried my game card around like a talisman. First I think I just wasn't sure the promotion was over, but eventually it would act as a reminder of the excitement of the contest.
Years later, I stumbled upon one of those mini-posters from the fourth prize. Turns out, it was part of a series of four. Which might have been the same posters they were giving out at the store. They were two-sided. One side had a standalone poster, and the other side had part of a larger poster. When you put all four together, you got a much larger Temple of Doom poster. Now, as an adult with a bit more disposable income and the same burning love for all things Indy, I've toyed with the idea of collecting them all. Because, why not? It's a small way to keep the adventure alive.
Reflecting on it now, the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Game was more than a marketing stunt. Like most good contests, it helped to move 7 Up product while building excitement. In a small way, it helped to transform us from passive viewers into participants in Indy's world with the promise of world travel. For a few months in 1984, I wasn't just watching the adventure; I could really dream about being a part of it. And that, my friends, is marketing gold.
So here's to 7 Up, for understanding the heart of an Indy fan and for a game that, decades later, still brings a smile to my face. It wasn't just about the prizes (okay, it kind of was), but about feeling closer to the world of Indiana Jones. And isn't that what every fan dreams of?
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In the annals of cinematic excellence, Raiders of the Lost Ark emerges as an archetype of adventure filmmaking, etching its mark on the hearts of moviegoers with its blend of exhilaration and timeless storytelling. Released in 1981, Raiders redefined the adventure genre, introducing the world to the indomitable archaeologist Indiana Jones, portrayed by Harrison Ford. What makes it standout? Perhaps it's the film's perfect concoction of action, history, and myth, combined with Spielberg's masterful direction, that has enchanted audiences for generations. Or maybe it's the irresistible charm and wit of its leading man, alongside the captivating narrative that weaves together ancient legends with heart-stopping adventure.
Raiders of the Lost Ark transcends the typical action-adventure film by fusing Spielberg's visionary filmmaking with George Lucas’s unparalleled storytelling. This ingenious blend of historical intrigue and cinematic spectacle, along with its iconic characters, elevates Raiders from mere blockbuster to a cultural monument of the early 80s cinema, resonating with viewers beyond its initial release.
In this episode, we embark on an expedition into the legacy of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Beyond my nostalgic admiration and the impact it had on the film industry, we'll uncover the elements that render Raiders a movie worth revisiting time and again. I'll analyze the creative synergy of Spielberg and Lucas, how they conjured a film that stood apart in a decade defined by cinematic innovation, and the lasting allure of its storytelling and action sequences.
The creative team behind Raiders brought an audacious vision to life with a mixture of creative genius and cinematic craftsmanship. Spielberg’s direction, combined with Lucas's story, crafted a narrative that was not only groundbreaking but also ahead of its time in reimagining the adventure genre.
Moreover, the iconic score by John Williams and the memorable visual effects contributed to Raiders' immersive experience, creating a film that was both fantastical and incredibly gripping. The challenges faced by Indiana Jones, from navigating booby-trapped ruins to the quest for the Ark of the Covenant, offered an unparalleled cinematic adventure that I continue to find irresistible.
So, whether you're a devotee who has watched Indiana Jones outwit foes and escape peril time and again, or a newcomer intrigued by the films that have shaped modern adventure cinema, this episode promises to delve into the rich history and enduring legacy of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Tune in as we uncover the treasures of this quintessential Spielberg classic, embarking on a nostalgic journey back to the golden age of movies.
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Production Notes* 15 years ago today, I released the first episode of the podcast. I didn’t expect this show to go on this long, but here we are. Thanks to everyone for listening all these years. * This is the 317th episode of the Retroist Podcast and episode 18 of this season. * This is the first in a series of podcast I will be doing about Indiana Jones. I will be covering the original trilogy and more. * I had wanted to make my 15th anniversary special. So I decided to cover my favorite film and to make it the start of a series of podcasts. * This episode almost didn’t happen. During editing, I had a crash and the entire audio project was corrupted, and I had to start over. Anything worth doing is worth doing twice. * Big factual error in this episode when I mention Drew Struzan. I might edit and re-release the episode to take that out. * When I first bought the VHS, I watched nothing but this movie at home for a month. One of my first purchases when I went to work at Suncoast Motion Picture Company was a new copy of the film. I would eventually own the box set. * The soundtrack for this film is so good. Please listen to it. * Danny Devito in Raiders!? It’s probably good it didn’t happen, but in some alternate universe, Tom Selleck and him were on-screen together. * When this came out on VHS, my friend had a party at his home for use to watch it on his family’s brand-new VCR. We watch it twice that night, and his father had to chase us out of the house, or we would have watched it all night. Once we learned, you could pause and rewind! We couldn’t stop that either. * Whenever I think of a film at the four-plex theater, I think of the convenience store we would stop at on the way home. It had this wonderful wall of refrigerators and every cold drink you could ever want, it also had a decent deli and smelled amazing. * I did buy a copy of Raiders at McDonald’s. I didn’t even need it, but I couldn’t resist. * I will post the clipping I mention over on Patreon soon. * I had some more audio in this, but want to save some of it for future Indy episodes. * Keeping this up here. I have been having issues with YouTube lately. Until that had been worked out, I will not be posting episodes of the show there. I apologize for the inconvenience. * Follow Lou Lumenick on Twitter. He was my favorite childhood move reviewer. * Music on the show is, as always, by Peachy.
Thanks for listening to the show and I hope you have a great weekend.
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As a kid, I remember heading to my cousin’s house and getting to play with a remarkable toy, Mr. Machine. It was loud, colorful, and moved under its own power. Just the type of toy a kid would find impossible to put down. I spent the whole day playing with Mr. Machine and begged my mom to get me one. She wisely, probably recalling the noise, never got me one. Still, that day left me with very fond memories of the toy, and I think about it often.
Mr. Machine was launched in 1960. This transparent, gear-filled automaton enchanted a generation with its blend of play and building that gave it a similar allure to that of Lego. Mr. Machine was more than just a toy; it was an interactive adventure in mechanics, offering children a hands-on exploration of the wonders of machinery.
If you were a kid in the 1960s, how could you resist this?
Crafted by the visionary team at Marvin Glass and Associates, Mr. Machine's initial design was revolutionary. With its clear plastic body, children could peer into its inner workings, witnessing the turning of the gears and levers that propelled it forward. It made for a visual spectacle that made you want to engage with the toy. What made it more special was that the original Mr. Machine was a puzzle to be “solved.” It was a creation to be built by the very hands that would wind its mechanism and set it in motion. It was this aspect of assembly and discovery that cemented its place in the hearts of those who encountered it.
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This 1960 version was a hit during the Christmas it was released. Who could blame kids when they saw that commercial. It retailed for $12. This would be the equivalent of about $125 today. So, a pretty pricey toy for its day.
The marketing went well beyond the television advertising. Papers across the country would include Mr. Machine in their buying guide for Christmas that year. In this caption and photo from the time explaining the concept, we learn that while young kids can enjoy Mr. Machine, older kids can take him apart. So fun for all ages! My favorite of the buyers guides of the era described the toy as a “rolling mass of bolts.”
Here is a solo video demonstrating an original Mr. Machine:
About Marvin Glass and AssociatesFounded in 1941 by Marvin Glass, Marvin Glass and Associates (MGA) was a pioneer in toy design and licensing, known for its innovative and creative products. With Marvin Glass's unmatched salesmanship and a knack for fostering creativity, the company saw its first major success with Mr. Machine, invented by Leo Kripak and licensed to Ideal Toys, eventually becoming a company mascot.
The firm's business model, crafted by general counsel James F. Coffee and accountant Ernest Sonderling, involved patenting designs and licensing them to manufacturers for royalties, a practice protected by intellectual property specialist Robert J. Schneider.
They weren’t a one hit wonder. Key designer Joseph M. Burck contributed to the company's success with creations like Lite-Brite and the Evel Knievel toy line. But it didn’t stop there, they were also the company behind Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, Ants in the Pants, Mouse Trap, Operation, and Simon,
Despite the tragic deaths of Marvin Glass in 1974 and three company members in a 1976 shooting, MGA ventured into video game design in the 1980s with titles like Tapper and Timber. They ceased operations in 1988, leading to the formation of Big Monster Toys by former partners.
Changes to Mr. Machine in the SeventiesHowever, as the seventies dawned and the toy landscape evolved, Mr. Machine underwent a transformation that would ultimately dilute its original charm. In an effort to modernize, Ideal introduced a new version of Mr. Machine, one that eschewed the hands-on assembly for a pre-built model. I have read that this simplification was brought about because the small parts of the toy were a choking hazard.
This iteration, while still maintaining the aesthetic and mechanical intrigue of its predecessor, lacked the interactive element that had so closely mirrored the creative joy found in building toys. The inability to dismantle and reconstruct Mr. Machine meant that the toy no longer offered the same educational or engagement value. Children could watch and wonder, but they could not touch, explore, or recreate.
This new version of Mr. Machine retailed for about $15. Although, as you can see from the ad above, it could be purchased for as low as $9.99. That would be about $71 today. The lower price, compared to the original, is probably because of the more simple construction and improvements in manufacturing.
They did make one change I really like, though. They made Mr. Machine Whistle. By adding a bellow system, your mechanical buddy could whistle, “This Old Man,” like an automated Columbo. Here is a demonstration of the 1970s “Whistling” Mr. Machine in action:
I like the whistle, but not the rest. This design shift marked a departure from the essence of what made Mr. Machine a beloved icon. The original model had invited users to engage directly with its mechanics, promoting not just a sense of accomplishment but an intimate understanding of the principles governing its movements. In contrast, the seventies version presented a sealed mystery, a spectacle to observe rather than a challenge to understand and overcome.
Despite this, the legacy of the original Mr. Machine endured and in 2004 a replica of the original was released for its aging and nostalgic fans. The new millennium Mr. Machine was a total throwback with all the bells, whistles, and magic of the original. This version was well-done and, much like the other two versions, is highly collectible. It looks like another release happened in 2015, but I cannot find any release information about that version. I assume it is a re-release of the 2004 version.
The original Mr. Machine stands as a symbol for toys that blend learning with play, encouraging discovery through direct manipulation and creativity. The charm of assembling and setting into motion one's own mechanical companion speaks to the fundamental human desire to understand how things work. Mr. Machine, in its original incarnation, tapped into this desire, offering a hands-on experience that was both educational and genuinely entertaining. These are the hallmarks of a truly memorable toy.
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My dog and I loved exploring the hidden corners of my hometown.Growing up in a swampy suburb of New Jersey, my world was painted in hues of green and brown, a landscape alive with the hum of highways and the buzzing of mosquitos. The dense marshes, twisted roads, and towering reeds were playgrounds for my imagination, setting the stage for tales of pirates, ghosts, and adventurers long before I discovered the existence of Weird NJ. It was within this soggy enclave, often trash-strewn world, that I first felt the stirrings of curiosity for the unknown, a yearning to explore the mysteries that lay hidden beneath the surface of my home state.
The day I stumbled upon the inaugural issue of Weird NJ at a local store marked the beginning of a new chapter in my life. The magazine was unlike anything I had ever seen, brimming with stories of haunted roads, hidden treasures, and unexplained phenomena, all nestled within the familiar confines of New Jersey. It was as if I had uncovered a secret map, a guide to a world of wonders that existed just beyond the boundaries of my swampy suburb.
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Weird NJ, a beacon for those fascinated by the peculiar and the unexplained, was birthed from the minds of Mark Sceurman and Mark Moran in the late 1980s. Initially, it started as a newsletter, shared among friends and acquaintances, driven by a shared passion for New Jersey's hidden oddities and ghostly lore. Over time, this newsletter blossomed into a magazine, capturing the essence of New Jersey's most intriguing mysteries and local legends. As it grew in popularity, Weird NJ became a cult phenomenon, not just a publication but a community for enthusiasts of the strange and supernatural. It's through this rich history that Weird NJ has woven itself into the fabric of New Jersey culture, becoming an indispensable guide for those eager to explore the shadowy corners of the state. This evolution from a simple newsletter to a statewide compendium of the curious has mirrored my own journey of discovery as I grew older and bolder in my explorations.
One of the first locations that caught my eye was the Pine Barrens, a vast expanse of forest that seemed a world away from the marshy landscapes of my youth. Tales of the Jersey Devil, a creature said to haunt the woods, filled me with both dread and excitement. Armed with determination and a copy of Weird NJ, I vowed to explore the Pine Barrens, to someday tread the same paths that had inspired countless legends.
The Jersey DevilAnother article detailed the mysteries of the Clinton Road, a seemingly ordinary stretch of asphalt that harbored tales of bizarre occurrences. The allure of such a place was irresistible. Once I had access to a car, my friends and I embarked on a journey to Clinton Road, our hearts racing with anticipation at the possibility of experiencing its supernatural reputation firsthand.
Each expedition to these locations, and countless others mentioned in Weird NJ, was an adventure. We looked for abandoned wild animal parks, puzzled over how to get into dilapidated psychiatric hospitals, wandered through forgotten graveyards, and even sought out the lesser-known tales of haunted houses in neighboring towns. With every site we visited, the stories from Weird NJ came to life, embedding themselves in our memories and forever changing how we viewed our home state.
The magazine did more than just introduce me to the hidden wonders of New Jersey; it transformed the way I saw the world around me. My swampy suburb, once a backdrop for childhood play, became a gateway to the unknown. I began to see the magic and mystery in the everyday, to appreciate the rich tapestry of stories that wove together the fabric of New Jersey.
What makes publications like Weird NJ invaluable is their ability to uncover the extraordinary in the ordinary. They serve as a reminder that adventure and mystery are not exclusive to far-off lands or exotic locales; they are all around us, hidden in plain sight, waiting to be discovered. These stories invite us to look closer at the places we call home, to question the familiar and seek out the hidden gems that lie just beneath the surface.
For those who have yet to explore the pages of a local lore magazine or embark on a journey to uncover the mysteries of their own state, I cannot recommend it highly enough. The experience of discovering the unknown in your own backyard is transformative, offering a sense of wonder and connection that is rare in our increasingly globalized world. It is a testament to the power of storytelling and the endless capacity for curiosity that resides within us all.
The impact of Weird NJ on my life cannot be overstated. It taught me to embrace the unknown, to seek out the stories that make each place unique, and to find adventure in the most unlikely of places. As I reflect on the adventures it inspired, the locations explored, and the mysteries uncovered, I am reminded of the importance of these publications.
They are not just for those from New Jersey or any specific state; they are for anyone who seeks to see the magic in the world around them, to rediscover the sense of wonder that makes life truly special. So, to those from other states and beyond, I encourage you to seek out your own version of Weird NJ. Embark on your own adventures, uncover the stories that lie hidden in your midst, and you may find that the world is far more magical and special than you ever imagined.
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In 2009, I launched a podcast episode that delved into the iconic TV series "Magnum P.I.," a show that not only defined an era but also captured the hearts of millions with its thrilling adventures and charismatic lead, Thomas Magnum. Since that initial foray, my understanding of both podcasting and "Magnum P.I." has deepened significantly, compelling me to revisit the sun-soaked shores of Oahu for a revisit on this beloved series.
For those who tuned in to the original broadcast, you'll find echoes of the past mingled with a wealth of new insights and an improved audio quality. I am happy to report that Metagirl was nice enough to re-record her original portions of the episode to help capture a bit of the original magic.
Let's rewind to a younger version of myself, sprawled out in the living room with family, eagerly awaiting the latest escapades of Magnum, Higgins, T.C., and Rick. These evenings were more than just TV time; they were a gateway into a world of intrigue and camaraderie set against the backdrop of Hawaii's breathtaking landscapes. These memories have fueled my passion for "Magnum P.I." and helped inspire an unforgettable trip to Hawaii.
In this episode, we embark on a journey back to the show's inception, exploring the reason and people behind its creation. Ultimately, "Magnum P.I." wasn't just a detective show; it was a pop culture phenomenon
We'll dive into the series' evolution, its production and characters. By appreciating the nuanced performances and rich character development, we'll understand why "Magnum P.I." remains a touchstone of 1980s television.
Revisiting "Magnum P.I." for this podcast was an enriching experience, and I'm excited for you to join me on this nostalgic journey. Whether you're a long-time fan or newly introduced to the charms of Thomas Magnum and his eclectic circle of friends. The show really captured the spirit of its time and would leave a lasting mark on pop culture. So, adjust your Detroit Tigers cap, hop into the Ferrari, and let's again relive the magic of "Magnum P.I." together.
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Production Notes* This is the 316th episode of the Retroist Podcast and episode 18 of this season. * This is the 3rd time I revisited a topic on the show. The first was the Rubik’s Cube. I think the next one will be the VCR (maybe Ghostbusters). * This episode is about 60% longer than the original episode. * I chose to redo this episode since it has long been a fan favorite. I also love this series still and just finished a complete rewatch. * Metagirl is back and rerecorded her original segments exactly as they had been. We discussed altering them, but ultimately decided it was nice to recreate something from the original 2009 episode. Just let it be noted that I believe Metagirl would have changed every top episode to something different now (and so might I). * I had a lot more retro audio in this episode that I took out. It was already getting too long. Its funny I used to insert a lot more audio bits in the show with characters speaking. I forgot about that. * Audio is a lot cleaner. * If you want the show in HD, the best bet still is to import the Blu-Ray release from the UK. * When I first recorded the show, the new Magnum wasn’t on the horizon. They were still talking about reuniting the original cast. I mention the new show this time around, but I don’t go deep into it. * My initial story is a bit longer than the original. Even then, I cut out a lot of details. * Finally got to put in a little AT40 on the show. Wanted to do that for a while. * I won’t argue with people that the Magnum theme is iconic, but I really love the original jazzy theme. It has more of the energy that you were hearing in other detective shows at the time. * Why we didn’t get Magnum TV movies after the show wrapped is still a puzzle to me. Seems the perfect format for a “Retired” detective show. Maybe budget? Lack of interest from cast? * I will include some bonus clippings on Patreon this weekend. * I have been having issues with YouTube lately. Until that had been worked out, I will not be posting episodes of the show there. I apologize for the inconvenience. * Music on the show is, as always, by Peachy.
Thanks for listening to the show and I hope you have a great weekend.
In early 1986, over a year after the movie Ghostbusters had dominated the box office, my family went to our local ShopRite for our monthly grocery shopping. Like most kids, I loved the cereal aisle. It was the one place that my mom would often let me make a random buying choice. Yet this choice was rarely random. I tended to stick with my favorites time and again, but not this time. This time I spotted a brand-new cereal on the shelf with a familiar name that I didn’t expect to be on a cereal, Ghostbusters.
It was a complete surprise. Ghostbusters, while beloved, was a while ago and The Real Ghostbusters was 5 months away and not even on my radar. But the people behind the series knew it was coming that autumn and, more importantly, the company that made this cereal, Ralston, did too.
Ralston and CerealRalston Purina Company, originally known as Ralston, had a significant history in the cereal industry. Founded in the late 19th century, Ralston started as a company focused on health and wellness through nutrition, closely tied to the principles of the Ralstonism movement (Do read about it). Among many things, the movement emphasized whole grains and healthy living, which were reflected in the company's early product offerings.
Over the years, Ralston became well-known for its range of breakfast cereals. The company's portfolio included popular cereals such as Chex, Cookie Crisp, and many other cereals and food products. The cereals became breakfast staples in many households across the United States and beyond, showcasing Ralston's ability to innovate and adapt to consumer tastes and preferences.
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In the 20th century, Ralston expanded its business beyond cereals. It ventured into pet food, animal feeds, and other food products, diversifying its operations and leveraging its expertise in nutrition and food processing. This led to the formation of Ralston Purina, which became a major player in both the human and pet food industries.
The 1980s and 1990s saw further changes for Ralston, including corporate restructuring and strategic shifts to focus on its core businesses. The company eventually sold its cereal operations to General Mills in the late 1990s, which allowed Ralston to concentrate on their pet food and animal feed businesses. This sale marked the end of Ralston's direct involvement in the cereal industry, but its legacy and impact on breakfast tables and food culture continue to be felt.
The Original Release of Ghostbusters CerealAround April 1986, Ghostbusters cereal hit store shelves. While late to the party, it capitalized ingeniously on the blockbuster success of the Ghostbusters film and the upcoming animated series. For fans of the nascent franchise, it introduced a breakfast experience that allowed us to start our day with a reminder of a movie we loved. But this cereal wasn't just another sugary start to the day; it was an invitation to join the ranks of the ghost-chasing heroes in animated form, right at your breakfast table.
Distinctively packaged with vivid, eye-catching artwork that echoed the film's ghost-hunting theme, the boxes were almost collectible items in their own right (just check eBay). The front of the box depicted the iconic Ghostbusters logo, with Slimer and other ghostly entities making appearances, creating a visual appeal that grabbed attention from kids like me.
The cereal itself was a mix of fruit-flavored crunchy pieces and marshmallows, the latter shaped like ghosts, the Ghostbusters' logo, and other motifs directly lifted from the film's universe. This combination of flavors and fun shapes worked aesthetically and tasted great. The cereal crunch level was decent. Marshmallow cereals are a mixed bag when you add them to milk, but they did a decent job putting together the crunch cereal bits.
Over time, the cereal would change, especially with the release of The Real Ghostbusters cartoon. The characters of the show would begin to be featured on the box and in the premiums offered. The cereal would become a mirror of the franchise. As Slimer became the featured character in the Nineties, he would become displayed more prominently until finally the cereal was renamed, Slimer and the Real Ghostbusters cereal.
During the Real Ghostbusters phase of the cereal, Ralston offered very cool hologram cover boxes. At the time, I collected these and cut them out and hung them on my bedroom wall. Sadly, I didn’t hold onto them, but you can find them online if you are interested in seeing them. Photos don’t really do the holograms justice.
The Ghostbusters film sequel caused a brief renaming of the cereal to Ghostbuster II cereal. This didn’t last long, and it is probably remembered for the flexidisc record premium contest they ran as cereal premium.
As the nineties marched forward, the popularity of the show and the franchise began to wane. While the focus on Slimer might have prolonged the show’s life, it was on life support. By late 1991, mentions of the cereal began to disappear and by 1992, it is no longer showing up in supermarket advertising.
When Ghostbusters: Afterlife hit theaters, Ghostbusters cereal was revived again, making a lot of fans happy. Older fans had been hoping for years to get to have the cereal again, while younger fans would get to try it for the first time. The cereal was fairly well-received and as the franchise continues its revival, I think you can expect to see it again on store shelves.
Ghostbusters Cereal CommercialPerhaps most memorable were the commercials that marketed Ghostbusters cereal. These ads would be set against the famous Ray Parker Jr. song. Some were purely animated, while others had live-action elements. Just like the cereal, they would slowly morph from being generally about the Ghostbusters to become about The Real Ghostbusters, and eventually mostly focused on Slimer.
Here is an original ad:
Here is an ad from after The Real Ghostbusters started being broadcast.
That day in 1986, when Ghostbusters cereal first caught my eye in the cereal aisle, it wasn't just about finding a new favorite breakfast. It was a small, yet profound, example of how our favorite stories from movies and TV can pop up in the most unexpected places, like our morning meal.
Ralston, by turning a popular movie into a cereal, reinforced just how normal it had become to mix entertainment with everyday life. As the Ghostbusters franchise grew and changed, so did the cereal, reflecting the shifts in the story and its characters. The cereal's disappearance and eventual return years later with Ghostbusters Afterlife reminds us of the lasting impact these stories have. They’re not just confined to the screen; they become part of our daily routines, turning something as simple as breakfast into a connection to a franchise we love.
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In the pantheon of video game classics, Joust stands as a testament to innovation and simplicity, capturing the hearts of gamers with its unique gameplay and imaginative design. Released by Williams Electronics in 1982, Joust broke the mold with its two-player cooperative play, pitting knights riding flying giant birds against enemy knights on buzzards in a fantastical medieval jousting tournament. What sets it apart? Perhaps it's the game's simplicity, combined with its challenging gameplay, that has captivated players for decades. Or maybe it's the camaraderie and competition fostered by its cooperative and versus modes.
Joust transcends the typical arcade game classification by marrying straightforward controls with complex strategic depth. This ingenious blend of easy-to-learn yet hard-to-master gameplay, along with its distinctive setting, elevates Joust from mere entertainment to a cultural touchstone of the early 80s arcade era, resonating with players beyond its original release.
In this episode, we take a deep dive into the legacy of Joust. Beyond my nostalgic recollections and the impact it had on the arcade scene, we'll explore the elements that make Joust a game worth revisiting. I'll examine the creative vision of its developers, how they crafted a game that stood out in a sea of space shooters and maze chases, and the enduring appeal of its gameplay mechanics.
The development team behind Joust brought a novel concept to life with a mix of creativity and technical prowess. The game's designer, John Newcomer, aimed to create a game that emphasized cooperative play, a rarity at the time. This vision resulted in a game that was not only innovative but also ahead of its time in promoting multiplayer engagement.
Moreover, the iconic art and sound effects contributed to Joust's immersive experience, creating a game environment that was both fantastical and inviting. The challenge of balancing on a flying ostrich, knocking opponents off their mounts, and navigating the dynamic levels offered an unforgettable arcade experience.
So, whether you're a veteran who spent countless quarters mastering Joust's jousting mechanics or a newcomer curious about the classics that paved the way for today's video games, this episode promises to delve into the rich history and enduring legacy of Joust. Tune in as we take flight on a nostalgic journey back to the golden age of arcades.
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Production Notes* This is the 315th episode of the Retroist Podcast and episode 17 of this season. * Fourth episode of 2024. You might notice this wasn’t supposed to come out anytime soon, but I got Joust fever recently and decided to finally tackle it. * This show was released late. I apologize for the delay. * I have looked at Joust a lot and never realized that in the arcade game, player 1 and 2 weren’t both ostriches. A stork??! * The laser disc video game craze was so overblown. Amazing how much money disappeared on that tech. * The flap mechanic seems like it should be cumbersome, but on Joust I find it really intuitive. They really got the flap to life ratio right. * I am very pro Buzzard outside this game. * I cut out a section about how colorful this game is and compared it favorably to Centipede in art style. Joust has a solid and bright color pallet. * I played this at the store near me, but in the same year, two of the other three places in my town that had arcade games got a Joust machine. We were Joust saturated. * I think they could give this game an update with a large screen like Killer Queen. Maybe bring it up to 4 or more players? * If you have the opportunity to play a working version of Joust pinball, do it. But be gentle, it’s rare. * I will post the clipping I mention over on Patreon soon. * With this big Joust score busting marathon, they must have kept the arcade open overnight for this young kid. I wonder if people were allowed to be in the arcade all night while he was playing? All-night arcade was a dream of mine as a kid. * Keeping this up here. I have been having issues with YouTube lately. Until that had been worked out, I will not be posting episodes of the show there. I apologize for the inconvenience. * Music on the show is, as always, by Peachy.
Thanks for listening to the show and I hope you have a great weekend.
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Authentic Moon Boots? Who knows!Like many kids, I loved playing in the snow. I would try to dress warmly with a pair of rubber boots over two pairs of socks, gloves, a hat, and as many other layers as I could put together. Fashion never really entered into the mix until one year, when a friend of mine showed up to play in the snow in the most interesting footwear any of us had ever seen. When we asked what they were, the answer he gave was perfectly descriptive, Moon Boots.
We all suddenly had Moon Boot fever and that Christmas they made it to my Christmas list. I wanted these blue ones with a red, white, and blue chevron. When Christmas morning came, I did get a pair of winter boots, but they were not Moon Boots. My mom explained that even though I liked the boots, they were more for girls and that these boots, which were boring as all get out, would be more suitable for me. Not really understanding, but trusting her judgement, I assumed she was right. The next day, when my friends and I gathered in the field down my block to hang out and play, each of them had a pair of Moon Boots. Not cool.
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This was the eighties, but the history of Moon Boots actually goes back much further, way back to the 1960s. That is when Italian entrepreneur Giancarlo Zanatta, inspired by the United States’ missions to the moon, decided to make a boot that resembled those that the Apollo astronauts would wear on the lunar surface. While they were designed in the late 1960s, they wouldn’t come to market until 1971. The Moon Boot US trademark was registered in 1978.
This trademark is important because over the years, many have tried to copy the style of the Moon Boot. So If you see something advertising as “Moon Boot” style boots, you might be getting a decent boot, but it’s not an original Moon Boot.
What are Moon Boots?Moon Boots are known for their thick padding, large, rounded shape, and often bright, reflective materials, making them resemble the boots worn by astronauts. They are broadly characterized by their water-resistant synthetic upper, thick rubber outsole, and thermal insulation, making them particularly popular for winter wear and snow activities. They typically feature a lace-up design or straps for securing the boot around the foot and leg, providing both warmth and a snug fit.
Moon Boots are warm and great for outdoor activity in the cold. But back in the day, if you planned on going out in areas with large puddles, they might not be for you. They would let water in and that is not the greatest combination during the winter, but if you are mostly trouncing through a light snow, or walking in a cold area, they were a fashionable way to stay warm. In more modern times, it looks like they are using newer high-tech materials. So maybe these modern Moon Boots have you covered in all environments.
Moon Boots and FashionMoon Boots quickly transitioned from practical winter gear to fashion icons. Which I think was the intention of their creator. Their bold, often colorful and metallic finishes, appealed to a wide audience looking to make a statement with their footwear. The boots' ability to stand out in a crowd made them popular not just among winter sports enthusiasts, but also among those looking to make a bold fashion statement.
The popularity of Moon Boots has seen several resurgences since their initial introduction. In the 70s, they capitalized on the fascination with space exploration and the glamour of ski culture in the 1970s. In the 1980s, losing some of their disco appeal, they became popular among children and teenagers as part of the decade's vibrant and often eccentric fashion trends. While they might have been trendy, parents liked them as well because they also made for practical footwear in snowy condition.
The early 2000s saw a revival of many 1970s and 1980s trends, including Moon Boots. High-profile fashion designers and luxury brands began to incorporate Moon Boots into their collections, frequently with updated materials, colors, and embellishments, making them a statement piece once again. And who could forget the biggest champion of the Moon Boot from this decade, Napoleon Dynamite.
How much did Moon Boots cost?The price of Moon Boots has climbed over the last decade as they become trendier and more fashion forward. But back in the early to mid-80s you could find them at the modern equivalent of $75-$150 on sale. That would have been about $25-$50 a pair in 1983. Not exactly cheap, but much more affordable than the $200+ versions you will find today.
But good luck finding authentic ones, the market was flooded with boots claiming to be Moon Boots at impossibly low prices. I can’t say I would have minded a knockoff pair as a kid, but I am sure these releases kept a lawyer or two busy trying to protect the brand.
The FontBesides the style, the thing that is memorable about the Moon Boot is the font they chose for the name. This font is most likely Amelia, which was created by Stan Davis in 1967. The name as inspired by and named after his newly born daughter, and its aesthetic shares a superficial similarity with MICR symbols. If it looks familiar, you have probably scoped it on some Moon Boots or recognize it from the title design of the film "Yellow Submarine."
Reflecting on my childhood longing for Moon Boots brings a smile to my face now. That desire, fueled by the blend of practicality and sheer fashion statement, encapsulates the whimsical intersection of childhood dreams and the era's unique fashion sensibilities. The journey of Moon Boots, from Giancarlo Zanatta's vision inspired by lunar astronauts to their status as both a practical winter necessity and a bold fashion statement, mirrors the evolution of many cultural trends. These boots, embodying a fusion of innovation, nostalgia, and style, remind us of the ways in which fashion intersects with our personal histories and the larger cultural moment. As I look back, the disappointment of not receiving those boots for Christmas fades, replaced by an appreciation for the history of the things we wear on our feet and the memories they create. Some as vivid and enduring as the footprints left on the moon.
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In the early 1980s, companies began to realize that changes were occurring in the way cookies were consumed in the United States. People were buying more packaged cookies and baking less at home. Store-bought cookies were crisp and didn’t resemble those fresh from the oven. Manufacturers started to wonder, "Is there a market for a new type of ‘soft’ cookie?" If so, how could they be made and packaged? As it turned out, people did want this new type of cookie, and a couple of well-known companies, like Keebler, jumped into the market.
Often referred to at the time as "ready-to-eat" homemade cookies, soft cookies were first brought to market by Procter & Gamble under its Duncan Hines brand. Their version hit store shelves in test markets in January of 1983 and was a big success. Other companies quickly took notice. We got Frito-Lay's Grandma’s Rich’n Chewy cookies, Nabisco’s Almost Home and Chewy Chips Ahoy, and finally, Keebler would enter the space with Soft Batch.
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Soft Batch became by far my favorite, but I was cynical when I first saw them. A friend of the family, who worked as a food distributor, would bring us a bag of fun snack foods every other month. In the summer of 1984, a bag of Soft Batch was in the mix, and I didn’t trust them. With my mom's urging, I tried one, and it was a revelation; I was hooked. From that day forward, whenever I had the opportunity to have a cookie from the supermarket, I chose Keebler Soft Batch.
They were slightly firm on the outside, soft on the inside, and could withstand a dunking in milk with the best of them. A package weighed 12 ounces (0.45 kg) and retailed for around $1.69, although you could usually find a coupon in your local paper. While Chocolate Chip was the best flavor, they also released a few other flavors, including:
- Peanut Butter
- Oatmeal Raisin
- Sugar
- Fudge Almond Coconut
- Mint Chocolate Chip
- Walnut Chocolate Chip
- Peanut Butter Fudge Chocolate Chip
I eventually tried all of these flavors. Most of them I could take or leave, but the Mint Chocolate Chip and both Peanut Butter flavors worked really well in soft cookie form.
My family was pretty excited about their release, and the next time we received our “Bag of Snacks,” we had multiple bags of Soft Batch cookies in various flavors. We also got a collector's glass that I used until it faded from over-cleaning. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was part of a set of four. Those glasses, along with many other Soft Batch-related merchandise from the time, can be bought online, and the prices can be reasonable.
I wasn’t the only one; these soft cookies were turning into a big deal. By the middle of 1985, according to the Macon Telegraph and News, cookie retail sales for 1985 were expected to be around $2.8 billion. Jay Friedman, a bakery analyst at Kidder Peabody & Co., estimated that soft cookies would account for about $450 million. This was a significant jump from 1984 when soft cookies made up just 8.6% of sales. By the middle of 1985, they accounted for 16%. The reason for the big jump? Hype. Soft Cookies were appearing everywhere, with a deluge of advertisements from all the big companies. This push was already starting to wane, and as soft cookies moved into 1986, the sales growth flattened significantly.
Keebler Soft Batch makes an appearance in an episode of Magnum PIKeebler was late to this cookie party, but when they jumped in, they quickly moved to the top of the sales ranking. How did they do it? Well, according to Keebler spokesperson Stuart Greenblatt, "We had a product like that soft cookie for some time. But we were careful in our development. We watched the marketplace and worked on our brand and feel that in waiting, we came up with a superior product." It was a solid product, with a nice texture and consistent taste. It also happened to have a set of child-friendly spokes-elves that I am sure helped get the Soft Batch brand into the minds of children across the country.
Waiting seemed to work out well for Keebler, but other companies, Procter & Gamble (P&G) in particular, were not so sure that they were just “watching the market.” They thought they might be watching P&G factories.
In 1979, two P&G researchers, William J. Brabbs and Charles A. Hong, applied for a patent on a soft cookie-making process. It was granted in June 1984, and soon lawsuits were filed against their competitors. They alleged that Nabisco entered a bakery where cookies were manufactured, Keebler flew a plane over to photograph the construction of their cookie plant, and that Frito-Lay had an employee pose as a customer to attend a confidential presentation.
The case was settled in 1989, and the three companies were ordered to pay P&G $125 million in damages. It was a victory, but not much of one. By this point, the three other companies had all developed new methods for soft cookie production, so they were not forced to stop making cookies. This was also well after the golden age of soft cookies, which peaked in 1987. According to Advertising Age, in 1989, soft cookies made up just 10% of the then $3.2 billion ready-to-eat retail cookie market. It should also be noted that the new top soft cookie was Chewy Chips Ahoy, which landed on shelves after the lawsuit had been filed.
The soft cookie war of the 1980s, while brief, left a delicious legacy that continues to influence the cookie aisles of supermarkets today. Keebler's Soft Batch cookies, with their innovative soft texture that captured the fresh-from-the-oven taste, not only dominated the market during their peak but also set a new standard for what consumers expect from packaged cookies. Despite the intense competition and the eventual legal battles over proprietary baking processes, the enduring appeal of Soft Batch cookies speaks volumes about their impact. Today, as we reach for a package of Keebler Soft Batch or perhaps some Chewy Chips Ahoy, we're not just indulging in a snack; we're savoring a piece of the mid-80s cookie revolution—a time when the quest for the perfect soft cookie changed the snack world forever.
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I love "Matinee" and was mad at myself for never covering it in an episode. However, after a rewatch and with a newfound determination, I decided it was time to finally cover this gem. Though I missed a perfect release opportunity around its 30th anniversary, I'm excited to share it with you now.
"Matinee" is a film that brilliantly encapsulates the nostalgia of the early 1960s, set against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Directed by Joe Dante, this 1993 masterpiece is more than just a movie about movies; it's a heartfelt homage to the power of cinema, blending comedy, drama, and a bit of historical fiction. What sets it apart? Perhaps it's its affectionate nod to the era's monster movies or its clever commentary on the socio-political climate of the time. Or maybe it's the way it captures the innocence of youth and the magic of movie-making.
This film transcends the typical nostalgia piece by weaving together an engaging narrative with memorable characters, all while maintaining a light-hearted tone that's both witty and poignant. Its clever script and charismatic performances elevate "Matinee" from simple homage to a rich, multi-layered story that appeals to both cinema aficionados and casual viewers alike.
In this episode, I dive into the heart of "Matinee," exploring what makes it such a captivating film. I start by talking about the impact it had on me and my early days working at video stores. We'll examine the stellar performances by John Goodman, who plays Lawrence Woolsey, a character inspired by real-life movie promoter William Castle, and the ensemble cast that brings this love letter to classic cinema to life.
Goodman's portrayal of Woolsey, a showman dedicated to giving his audience not just a film but an experience, embodies the spirit of the golden age of B-movies. His character's enthusiasm and ingenious, if not outrageous, promotional tactics capture the essence of a bygone era of filmmaking. The young cast, including Simon Fenton as Gene Loomis, brings a genuine sense of wonder and discovery, highlighting the transformative power of cinema.
With engaging supporting performances and a storyline that resonates on multiple levels, "Matinee" is a film that deserves more recognition. It's not just a nostalgic look back but a timeless reminder of how movies can inspire, entertain, and even help us navigate through uncertain times.
So, whether you've seen "Matinee" a dozen times or are just hearing about it, this episode is packed with insights and anecdotes that will deepen your appreciation for this unique cinematic experience. Join us as we revisit this homage to the magic of movies and the era they helped define.
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Production Notes* This is the 314th episode of the Retroist Podcast and episode 16 of this season. * Fourth episode of 2024. I should have put this film out last year for its anniversary. If you look at my release schedule, you might notice I have rarely done anything like that. * It was a great joy when someone would come into the video store after enjoying something you had recommended. It was addictive. * This film is an oddball when you look at the release calendar of 1993. It is so different. I wonder if it would have done better if it had been released in the summer? * John Goodman has something that goes beyond talent. I just enjoy watching him on screen. Always have. I guess that is “star power.” I wish that translated into better box office numbers, but I guess not everyone sees or feels the power equally. * I put some fun retro audio in here. Not a lot of “Matinee” related material, so I got to have some fun with it. It is great to have related audio, but its a lot more fun when I can go more on theme instead. * Someone asked if I have any favorite movie reviewers nowadays. I do have some people I will check out when I am unsure of a film, but generally I avoid reviews nowadays. * It would have been great to have Termite Terrace instead of Space Jam. I would take one Termite Terrace over a dozen Space Jams. * I have been having issues with YouTube lately. Until that had been worked out, I will not be posting episodes of the show there. I apologize for the inconvenience. * Music on the show is, as always, by Peachy.
Thanks for listening to the show and I hope you have a great weekend.
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A nearly forgotten gem from the mid-eighties era of Dungeons & Dragons is the unusual album, First Quest: The Music, not to be confused with the 1994 release by TSR, also called First Quest. I had been playing D&D for a few years by the time this came out, but I do not remember seeing or hearing about it until the early nineties. That is when I started playing the game with a new group and one of the players, who had been playing as long as I had, brought the record to one of our sessions.
We all sat there, passing the album around and listening to this strange mix of spoken word and electronic orchestration. Eventually, we all just huddled over the table trying to read the adventure module that came with it. It had caught our attention, but despite the album being in front of us, no one knew anything about it.
A few years ago, I was browsing YouTube for D&D material when this album showed up. I bookmarked it and have listened to it a few times since. Enough to develop an opinion on the album and I have to say, I like it. It’s a bit uneven, which might be because it has various artists working on it, but many of the tracks are solid, and the narration is wonderful.
The narration was provided by Valentine Dyall (1908-1985), who passed away before the album was released. Dyall was a character actor, with a great voice. He was the narrator of the BBC Radio horror series Appointment with Fear and played the Black Guardian during the Tom Baker's era of Doctor Who.
Released in 1985, the double album was available on LP and cassette, with plans for it to be released on Compact Disc. I think mediocre sales doomed the CD release, a shame since a digital version would have likely helped preserve the album. At least it would have raised the probability of it availability in the digital era of music.
The electronic-based music seems perfect for the era of gaming. It adds an otherworldliness to the album. The seventies and eighties were a great time for the growth of electronic music in both pop culture and film music. Its rise paralleled the birth and growth of D&D. So it seems natural that an early attempt to add music to role-playing would lean into it. I could do without the more repetitive tracks, but even if I don’t love a track, it does help set a mood.
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First Quest also included an adventure outline, and it is not one to be entered into casually. The creators suggest 15th level or higher. Even with that level, I think you would need the right mix and a lenient Dungeon Master to succeed in the game. I have never played or run First Quest. If I did, I would spend a good amount of time balancing it out and fleshing out the outline, since it is lacking the detail most players would expect by 1985 game standards.
According to a contest run by White Dwarf Magazine in 1986, the concept had some talented people behind it, including Tom Kirby, Jim Bambra, Phil Gallagher of TSR (UK), and Paul Cockburn. The project seems to have largely originated with TSR UK. They would even fly out to Los Angeles to meet with Gary Gygax to get his blessing on the album before its release. Gary had this to say about the album:
Close your eyes and experience a musical odyssey through a magical underworld of adventure filled with hobgoblins, gnomes, dragons, monsters, and heroes.
E. Gary Gygax
While First Quest was available in the United States, I don’t remember it being mentioned in any US-based publications. It was featured in the UK-based White Dwarf, which not only advertised the album but also hosted a contest. In issue 23, they state, “White Dwarf has 25 copies of First Quest, the AD&D double LP, to give away, along with 3 First Quest T-shirts. First Quest is a new venture as far as role-playing goes: it comes complete with outlines for an AD&D adventure on the sleeves of the two records.”
I love this contest because it makes you answer two questions, although they give you a hint, to make it a little easier. What they want to know where the artwork included in the album comes from and who painted it. I cannot find a photo of the shirt, but I would guess it was printed with the album contest and that I would love to own one. Here is the contest page. Would you have been able to enter the contest?
Looking at the album’s entry on Discogs, I see a bunch of names attached to the album including David Miller, Denis Haines, Steve Parsons, Phil Thornton, G.P. Hall, and Barrie Guard, all of whom contributed tracks to the album. Miller is especially interesting, I stumbled across this often-cited comment by David Miller on Blogonomicon:
Greetings - my name is David Miller and I was one of the contributors/organizers of/for/to this album. It was a lot of fun getting it together. As anyone who's played D&D knows, you can't really play a loose, free-wheeling game to the constraints of the flow of the tracks but it was a gas, nevertheless. As part of all this I went to Los Angeles and visited E. Gary Gygax to get his blessing and support. He lived (as you might expect) in this weird, large old house that did, in fact, look somewhat spooky. As I knocked on the door I heard the sound of a very large and intimidating dog barking from somewhere inside - that was somewhat unsettling... Eventually Mr Gygax let me in, listened to the album and he was well into it. He also demonstrated for me a variety of manoeuvers by which one could dispatch a varying quantity of orcs, depending on how they approached you, what armaments they were carrying and what mood they were in....it may come in useful one day....
I worked as a team with Phil Thornton (we were both in the band/group/entity/manifestation known as Expandis which is still a going concern). It was, as I say, a lot of fun doing this and would incorporate such unorthodox techniques as mildly tormenting one of his young infant children so as to achieve some authentically pitiful cries of despair on one of the tracks. That sons therapy is still on-going to this day. I too am amused by the "especially mediocre" description...I shall comfort myself by deciding that that was due to the other contributors efforts or lack thereof. I don't know who did the Bloodguard track but it wasn't us....I am a huge Thomas Covenant fan and wouldn't disrespect them like that...not after all they went through. There were also First Quest T-Shirts (of which I have a couple, still unwrapped) and other stuff, I'm sure. I was responsible for bringing Valentine Dyall on board, more because I've always been a huge Goons fan and he was on those recording from time to time sounding quite menacing even amidst the madness. I'm afraid I wrote his voice-over script, which is, indeed, especially mediocre and I cringe even to this day when I hear it. He deserved much better than that, especially as he passed on soon after...not the most fitting swan song. My belated apologies to him. He hadn't been getting any work for a long time and I hear he was very grateful for this so I'm glad of that, at least. I would have loved to have met him but was out of town when his recording sessions occurred.
Thanks for posting the tracks - I really enjoyed having them pop up out of the woodwork and listening to them again after all this time, mediocre as they may be... :)
Bye for now.....
With Dungeons & Dragons collecting continuing to grow in popularity, the price for First Quest in either LP or cassette continues to climb. Lucky for the curious, collectors like Blognomicon have helped preserve this gem. From their single post, the information, and their scans and audio files have found their ways to dozens of places on the internet. It has also inspired other collectors to find a copy of their own.
First Quest was a niche product and I want to say it was ahead of its time, and that’s why it didn’t succeed, but I don’t think that’s what happened. While an album adventure for RPGs seems like a fun idea, it takes away agency from the people running the game. Add to that its limited replayability, and it becomes pretty obvious why we never got more of these albums. Still, we are lucky we got this one album. It is a wonderful artifact of its time that was put together by talented people and thanks to the internet, we all get an opportunity to enjoy it.
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In 1993, my family had already been enjoying Burger King’s table service whenever we could. It was an affordable dinner out, and it felt just a bit more special when someone delivered food to you. If that wasn’t fancy enough, they also added dinner basket service to the mix. This little bit of extra classiness was enough to convince my grandmother, long a hold out from our fast food visits, to join us. When she did, she ordered a new and unconventional offering from the King, a Meatloaf Sandwich.
While almost forgotten now, the Burger King Meatloaf Sandwich made a splash when it was first released. Print ads and commercials ran in most major markets. When you went into any restaurant they had signage promoting their new creation and a fast food loving nation decided to give it a try. Sadly, for the most part, they didn’t order it again.
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Introduced in March 1993, the Meatloaf Sandwich consisted of a meatloaf patty served on a long soft sesame seed bun, ketchup, and raw onions. It was an appeal to older patrons who wanted something different from the standard burger. With the ability to substitute a baked potato or green salad for a french fries, it really did feel like more of a “sit down” restaurant meal.
Being a fan of meatloaf when it is served at home, I decided to follow my grandmother’s lead and try the sandwich early in its availability. It was okay. I remember making a stink about not liking raw onions and taking them off, complaining the whole time that they should have warned me that they were there. The patty was thicker than a standard burger, and the texture was somewhere between homemade meatloaf and a burger. The flame broiling was nice, but it also made it taste more like a standard burger. It was my first and last time ordering one. It just didn’t feel different enough from a burger to make any impressions on me.
Burger King did try to stir up awareness and excitement for their new offerings as part of their BK TeeVee ad campaign. They did multiple ads, one of course, starred BK TeeVee superstar Dan Cortese. The commercial has a very strange tone. It tried to discuss a more traditional food offering in an aggressive manner. I wasn’t sold.
Maybe I wasn’t alone in thinking that the Meatloaf Sandwich needed a different type of spokesperson. Burger King must have felt the same way and brought in Mr. Baseball and star of Mr. Belvedere, Bob Uecker to help. The commercial is in the same style as all the other BK TeeVee ads, but for some reason, I believe that Bob would actually order the Meatloaf Sandwich Dinner basket.
Unfortunately for Burger King no amount of clever advertising could convince enough people that this new sandwich was better than their traditional offerings. So by early 1994, less than a year after it was introduced, the Meatloaf Sandwich was discontinued.
The sandwich, as well as the dinner baskets, were a response to a long-running problem at Burger King, loss of market share. For over seven years they had been slipping in market share to rivals like McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Taco Bell. In the year these innovations were introduced, their market share hit a low of 6.1%, compared to 8.7% in 1986.
It’s not like they weren’t trying to fix things. Since 1980, they had moved through eight chief executives. A few months after the launch of the Meatloaf Sandwich, a new CEO was hired, Jim Adamson. His strategy was, “Burger King should sell burgers.”
This meant cutting the menu, as well as shaking things up at BK HQ. When he took the reins, the company had 56 items on their menu, many of which were unpopular with franchisees, who complained that they couldn’t keep up with all the new offering and that it hurt quality. The new approach, focusing on burgers, fries, and soft drinks, was designed to minimize mistakes and boost consumer happiness (and hopefully purchases). While a few people might miss these new creations, fans of the companies traditional offerings were thrilled at this refocusing.
As the story of the Burger King Meatloaf Sandwich comes to a close, it's a stark reminder of the trials and tribulations in the world of fast food. Despite its unique flair, the sandwich couldn't secure a strong foothold in the market, echoing Burger King's broader struggle with falling market shares. This period marked a significant turning point with the appointment of a new CEO, Jim Adamson, whose mantra was simple yet pivotal: 'Burger King should sell burgers.' His strategy led to a pared-down menu, focusing back on the basics – burgers, fries, and soft drinks. This move, though it meant saying goodbye to the Meatloaf Sandwich and other such culinary experiments, was a nod to the classic offerings that had originally put Burger King on the map. In the ever-competitive landscape of fast food, Burger King's experience with the Meatloaf Sandwich serves as a valuable lesson in the delicate balance between innovation and sticking to your roots.
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"Wizardry," released in 1981, is a seminal game in the computer RPG genre, setting a benchmark for what video games could achieve in storytelling and complexity. This game not only captured the essence of dungeon crawlers but also paved the way for future classics in the RPG genre. What makes it so enduring? Perhaps it's the intricate gameplay and the depth of its character creation system, or maybe it's the sense of adventure and danger lurking in every dungeon corridor.
"Wizardry" surpasses its initial impression as a simple fantasy game by weaving together challenging puzzles, strategic combat, and a richly detailed world. Its influence on the RPG genre is immense, inspiring countless games that followed. The game's combination of intricate gameplay mechanics, alongside a mysterious and immersive world, elevates it from a mere early computer game to a timeless classic, resonating with gamers across generations.
In this episode, we delve deep into the labyrinth of "Wizardry." I'll share my personal experiences and the impact this game had on me and my circle of friends. We'll explore the ingenuity of the game's creators, Robert Woodhead and Andrew Greenberg, their vision in bringing this complex world to life, and the legacy that "Wizardry" has left in the gaming world.
The heart of "Wizardry" lies in its groundbreaking approach to gameplay. It introduced gamers to RPG concepts and character development that was unprecedented at the time. The game's difficulty and the need for careful planning and patience made every victory feel monumental and every defeat a learning experience.
Moreover, the game's influence extended beyond its immediate gameplay. It inspired a generation of game designers and players alike, laying the groundwork for the future of RPGs. It was a pioneer in creating immersive, complex gaming worlds, where players could truly lose themselves in the adventure.
So, whether you're a long-time fan of "Wizardry" or just discovering this cornerstone of RPG history, this episode hopes to offer new insights and rekindle your appreciation for this revolutionary game. Tune in and join me as I revisit this beloved classic game.
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Production Notes* This is the 313th episode of the Retroist Podcast and episode 15 of this season. * Third episode of 2024. Originally planned for 2011. No episode should be 13 years in the making, but like many I have put off, here we are. * I would have many great experiences with this game, since it remained popular in the circles I ran in for at least a half a decade after its release. It was a constant opportunity to bond with like-minded gamers. * I was so thrilled the first time I got to play a ninja in the game, you would think I had actually become a ninja. I remember bragging to my sisters about it and them not being sure what I was talking about. * I wish they had some early Wizardry advertising. I opted for Apple II related advertising. The vocoder voice one reminds me of ads for Carvel Ice Cream starring Cookie Puss. * I have played a bunch of the sequels, although none like I played the first one. I even got the more recent version on Steam. * Here is the Zimlabs work on Wizardry that I mentioned. * After recording this I had a dream that I had found a velvet poster that had the original box art on it at a store, and they wanted $2000 for it or something like that. * I bought most of my computer games at the Willowbrook Mall in Northern New Jersey. They had some great stores there and when I picture a mall of my youth, I am often thinking of this or an older mall, The Bergen Mall. Sadly, both were not near where I lived, but my family went frequently enough. * I have been having issues with YouTube lately. Until that had been worked out, I will not be posting episodes of the show there. I apologize for the inconvenience. * Music on the show is, as always, by Peachy.
Thanks for listening to the show and I hope you have a great weekend.
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Every time I went to visit my cousins, they would have some new toy or board game to wow me. I distinctly remember going to their house after Christmas and heading to the basement. As I descended the stairs, I heard a commotion. It was a combination of yelling, laughing, and the hammering of plastic. What I didn’t realize was that I was about to encounter Hungry Hungry Hippos for the first time.
I was familiar with the game from commercials that ran non-stop with kids’ programming, but it didn’t do the game justice. I am not talking about the physical game, which was fine, I am talking about the explosion of kid energy that each game brought out. When a new round started, it was like setting off a stampede, and each kid player seemed to unleash some inner monster that had one goal: to get that hippo to eat as many marbles as possible.
If you haven’t played it before, Hungry Hungry Hippos is a fast-paced, action-packed board game designed for 2 to 4 players. The game is set up with a large plastic playing field featuring four colorful hippo figures at each corner. Each hippo is connected to a lever, and players are assigned a specific hippo. The objective is to capture as many of the small, plastic marbles that are released into the center of the playing field as possible.
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Players rapidly press the lever associated with their hippo, causing it to extend its neck towards the center and open its mouth in an attempt to "eat" the marbles. Timing and speed are crucial, as all players are simultaneously trying to capture the marbles. The game ends when all marbles have been captured, and the player whose hippo has eaten the most marbles is declared the winner.
The History of Hungry Hungry HipposThe game got its start in Japan, but would eventually find its way to America thanks to Fred Kroll. After serving in World War II, Kroll became part of the Pressman Toy Company. He would leave them to found his own company, Fred Kroll Associates. While there, he would help to develop the now classic board game, Trouble.
Later, on a work visit to Japan in the Seventies, he discovered an exciting game that was being made by Tokyo's Agatsuma company. Instantly recognizing its appeal, Kroll obtained the global licensing rights and later passed them to Hasbro. Originally selling it under the Hasbro name, eventually switching it to Milton Bradley, they would introduce the game as Hungry Hungry Hippos, to the United States in 1978.
Released just in time for Christmas 1978, the toy was a big hit. Which was no small feat. The toy shelves in 1978 gave it some impressive competition. Other toys you could find on shelves that year include: Merlin, Simon, Alphie, Battlestar Galactica, and a little toy line called, Star Wars. This was also a big year for electronic games, with many people in newspapers citing as the dawn of an electronic age in toys.
Even a year later, stores were having a hard time keeping the game in stock during Christmas.Despite this, Hungry Hungry Hippos managed to become very popular. In a 1978 article in the Star-Telegram, department store manager Joe Thompson said about the game, “What I have heard with everyone calling, it is one of those games that no one seems to have in the area.” Hasbro had invested a good deal of money into television advertising aimed squarely at children, and it had paid off that year. Thompson continued, “I don’t think they were expecting the demand. Apparently they didn’t think it would take off as big as it did.”
It’s hard to find sales figures for the game, but you can find evidence for its popularity when browsing old newspapers. If you turn to the 'Letters to Santa' sections, that used to be very popular, you will find thousands of kids of all ages, asking for Hungry Hungry Hippos. And it doesn’t end in 1978. Demand for the game seemed to always climb around the holidays, and I found frequent mention of it well into the 1980s.
For the first few years, the game was generally priced at about ten dollars. This would drop during sales and holidays. Between 1978 and 1980, I wasn’t able to find a store selling it for less than $7 or more than $11. Adjusted for inflation, that would be between about $33 and $51 today. So not the cheapest toy out there, but a bargain compared to the electronic toys. And a real bang for your buck when I consider how much play time my friends and I got out of the game over the years.
The Hippos have names. They have been changed now, but the four hippopotamuses in the original version of the game were Happy Hippo (pink), Henry Hippo (orange), Homer Hippo (green), and Harry Hippo (yellow). My friends and I would fight over which Hippo to play. It originally started with picking your favorite color or name. However, as Homer Hippo got used frequently and his mechanism weakened, we moved onto lesser-used Hippos like Happy. It is amazing just how much abuse we heaped upon this game, and it was so well-built that it kept being playable for years.
If you had an original version of the game, you might be playing it a decade later, but even if it broke, you could get a replacement. Hungry Hungry Hippos hasn’t just endured over the years, it has thrived. From its initial popularity in the United States, it was exported around the world. While language and small design changes have been made to the game, the basic gameplay is exactly the same. A kid from 1978 could play it and not even realize that it is a different version.
The kid on the right is hogging the hippos. Let the middle kid play!From its creation in the 1970s to its continued popularity today, Hungry Hungry Hippos illustrates more than just the success of a children's game. It highlights that an innovative toy doesn’t need to change much, even in an ever-evolving toy market. The game's straightforward mechanics and the thrill of competition have kept it relevant and beloved across multiple decades. Its persistence in the face of technological advancements and changing play patterns among children underscores its unique charm. It stands as a shining example of how a simple concept can endure and thrive, capturing the hearts of successive generations.
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My family are Coca-Cola drinkers. From an early age, I learned of this brand loyalty from my Mom. We were always up on whatever news was happening in the world of our favorite soft drinks. Of course, we couldn’t wait to try Cherry Coke and New Coke. Then of course we couldn’t wait till we got Coca-Cola Classic back. So when Coke announced that they were going to run their MagiCan Contest with fun cans that awarded prizes, we were ready to pop one open and win.
What was the MagiCan?The MagiCan concept was clever. You would buy a can of Coca-Cola and instead of opening and getting a delicious beverage, a prize was inside. This prize was delivered via a spring-loaded mechanism that raised the prize out of the can when opened. You are probably wondering, “wouldn’t I be able to tell the difference between a regular can and a MagiCan?”
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Coca-Cola went through a lot of development to make them as close as possible. This meant weighting them correctly and filling the area around the inside of the can with carbonated water. This water would chill at the same rate as regular Coke cans and combined with the prize mechanism gave them the same weight. Thus preventing people from trying to guess at winners simply by feel.
They also didn’t want people trying to drink the soda if the prize mechanism malfunctioned and somehow this water leaked into an area it was accessible. To discourage this, they added chlorine and ammonium sulfate. The thinking was that anyone who encountered this smelly concoction wouldn’t take a sip, even though it was technically safe to drink. As we will discuss a little later, they were wrong.
MagiCan TestingCoca-Cola didn’t rush into this release, they did do some testing in 1989. As reported in the Quad City region (a region of cities in Iowa and Illinois), the company release 2000 of the cans into the normal distribution network. With cash prizes ranging from $1 to $100 and vouchers for larger prizes, it didn’t take long for the first winner to step forward.
Lasting for about two months, the promotion was a success, and it set the stage for the nationwide contest that would start in May of 1990. Just in time to face off against Pepsi, who was running their own “Cool Cans” contest. Which was a much simpler contest where the prizes were printed on the bottom of the can.
The MagiCan Contest goes LiveIn March of 1990, Coca-Cola officially announced the MagiCan contest would be part of their $100 million Magic Summer campaign. In addition to the MagiCan, they would also start offering MagiCups at participating restaurants. These were simpler peel-away contest with prizes hidden on each cup. Winners could find rolled up currency in denominations ranging from $1 to $500 or coupons that you could use for trips or physical prizes.
The even bigger news was that the company would be sponsoring the New Kids on the Block’s Magic Summer Tour. The tour’s name was directly taken from Coke’s ad theme, not the other way around. All these giveaways combined with the power of NKotB promised to help push Coke’s reputation and sales up in their ongoing war with Pepsi. With commercials like this on screens, how could they go wrong?
Things went wrong rather quickly.
We’ve had 70,000 winners so far, and less than 50 say they had this problem with the can.
Randal W. Donaldson (Coca-Cola spokesperson)
Consumers weren’t aware of all the work and testing Coke did with the cans before the national release. Following the launch of the promotion, some consumers began shaking and weighing cans of soda in stores, hoping to detect the special cans that contained prizes. This behavior was driven by the curiosity and excitement surrounding the possibility of finding a prize, leading to an unusual shopping phenomenon. The promotion had unintentionally turned the routine act of buying a soda into a mini treasure hunt for many consumers. As you might guess, I was one of those people who was sure that just given time, I could figure out which cans were winners.
With a 1 in 2700 chance of winning, there were a lot of MagiCans out there (750,000). Remember all that engineering and preparation they did to the cans and how it was supposed to prevent people from drinking from the can if something went wrong? Well, something went wrong. Shortly after the contest began, an 11-year-old got one of the defective cans and drank from it. His parents, rightfully concerned, thought it might be a case of product tampering and called the police. The police discovered the defective mechanism and $5.
Coke responded immediately. They ran full page ads in 50 large newspapers and bought ad time on television to explain the contest and how it was supposed to work. Generally, when you need to go through this much effort to explain a contest, it might not be the best type of contest.
Things just got worse for Coke. The press was only interested in what was going wrong. Whispers of lawsuits for damages or mislabeling were being thrown around. So they inevitably did the sensible thing and decided to cut the contest short. The 750,000 cans they had distributed would be it and no cans would be recalled.
The Coca-Cola MagiCans promotion of 1990 serves as a notable example of a well-intentioned marketing strategy that faltered due to unforeseen complications. The innovative idea of placing cash prizes and redeemable coupons inside cans, which at first seemed like a clever way to spark consumer interest, quickly turned problematic. The technical glitches leading to malfunctioning cans not only disappointed customers but also raised health concerns. Furthermore, the insufficient communication regarding the nature of the promotion added to public confusion and skepticism. This fiasco underscored the importance of thorough testing and clear communication in promotional campaigns. Coca-Cola's experience with the MagiCans promotion remains a cautionary tale for marketers about the risks of innovative but inadequately vetted marketing strategies.
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I can’t believe I have never released an episode based on “Night of the Comet" in all of my years podcast. I found evidence that I attempted an episode way back in 2012, but I must have not been happy with it. Well, some people have been talking about it and I thought I would release it for Halloween 2023. That came and went, but I didn’t give up, and here we are.
In the realm of cult classics, 'Night of the Comet' stands out as a unique blend of horror, sci-fi, and dark comedy. Released in 1984, this film captured the essence of the era while projecting a post-apocalyptic world that resonates with audiences even today. What makes it so memorable? Perhaps it's the blend of humor with a sense of doom, or maybe it's the strong, relatable characters who navigate a world turned upside down.
Whatever the reason, ‘Night of the Comet’ exceeds its B-movie classification by blending sharp writing with well-developed characters, transcending typical genre constraints. Its clever mix of horror, sci-fi, and comedy, coupled with a self-aware tone, elevates it from mere 80s kitsch to a cult classic, resonating with audiences beyond its expected scope.
In this episode, I dive deep into the heart of this cult phenomenon. Beyond my personal recollections and the path it set for me and my friends, we explore the layers that make 'Night of the Comet' a film worth revisiting. I'll look at the innovative vision of writer-director Thom Eberhardt, how he and the cast brought this story to life, and the distinctive 80s soundtrack that still echoes in the minds of its fans.
The cast of 'Night of the Comet' brought a dynamic energy and charm that significantly contributed to the film's lasting appeal. Anchored by the talents of Catherine Mary Stewart and Kelli Maroney, who played the lead sisters Regina and Samantha Belmont, the film captured the spirit of resilience and determination of youth in the face of catastrophe.
Stewart's portrayal of Regina combined strength and vulnerability, making her a relatable and compelling protagonist, while Maroney's Samantha offered a blend of youthful exuberance and wit. The chemistry between the two sisters provided a heartfelt and engaging core to the story.
Supporting roles, including Robert Beltran as Hector, added depth and humor to the narrative. Each cast member delivered performances that resonated authenticity and charisma, ensuring that 'Night of the Comet' wasn't just a display of 80s sci-fi tropes, but a movie with characters that viewers could genuinely care about and root for.
So, whether you're a long-time fan or new to this gem, this episode promises to offer fresh insights and reignite your appreciation for this quirky, end-of-the-world adventure. Tune in and join us on this retrospective journey.
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Production Notes* This is the 312th episode of the Retroist Podcast and episode 14 of this season. * Second episode of 2024. This episode was planned for 2023 around Halloween, but got delayed. * I was very sick for the last few weeks. This is the first real recording I did since recovering. It felt good to record and do some editing. Hopefully I will get back on my more regular schedule. * This moves was on HBO a lot. I remember recording it at one point, and I watched that version of the film until I started working at the video store. Once I started working in video, I got more sensitive to quality and wanted better versions of all the movies I enjoyed. * I had two more retro commercials that I removed. I couldn’t find a ton of relevant stuff, so it felt like padding. So I removed them. I liked putting a Betamax commercial in here. It was either that or a mall commercial. Ultimately, the mall commercials were kinda boring sound-wise. * Kelli Maroney is very active on social media. You should follow her. * The Tami Holbrook version of Girls Just Want to Have Fun. * Sorry to sound so negative about Good Times videos. When I worked at Suncoast, we got a lot of returns on Good Times tapes. * I will include some clippings in a Bonus Clippings post on Patreon this weekend. Let me know if you would like me to include info from the area you lived in growing up. * This episode was supposed to be released before Frost the Snowman, but I got ill, and it was delayed. Still happy to have something to edit and mix while my voice recovers. * I have been having issues with YouTube lately. Until that had been worked out, I will not be posting episodes of the show there. I apologize for the inconvenience. * Follow Lou Lumenick on Twitter. He was my favorite childhood move reviewer. * Music on the show is, as always, by Peachy.
Thanks for listening to the show and I hope you have a great weekend.
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In 1974, Kraft released a tasty product line called Koogle. Available in four delicious flavors, Koogle was an instant hit with kids who loved its wild memorable mascot, smooth taste, and high sugar levels. This stuff was a hit in my family’s house. So much so that it would be discussed in reverent tones for at least a decade after it was discontinued. With both of my sisters bragging on each eating entire jars while watching TV after school on many occasions.
Why Koogle?Starting in the 1950s, the landscape of the American food industry underwent a significant transformation with the rising popularity of convenience foods. This era, marked by a burgeoning consumer culture and a shift towards faster, more practical living, saw households increasingly embracing pre-packaged and easy-to-prepare food products. Driven by the growing number of dual-income families and the desire for time-saving options, the demand for convenience foods skyrocketed.
Companies responded by introducing a variety of innovative products, ranging from frozen dinners and snack foods to spreadable and ready-to-eat items. This trend was also fueled by advancements in food technology and preservation, enabling longer shelf lives and better quality of pre-packaged foods.
The introduction of products like Koogle by Kraft can be seen as a direct response to this cultural shift. Koogle, with its unique flavors and easy-to-spread texture, catered to the desire for novel, convenient food options, particularly appealing to children and busy families seeking quick and tasty snack alternatives. The success of such products reflected a broader societal trend where convenience often trumped traditional food preparation methods, reshaping the American diet and food industry landscape.
What was Koogle?Koogle was billed as a peanut butter upon release, yet it differed significantly from traditional peanut butter. It was more of a flavored peanut spread. Peanut-based, but heavily flavored, it was more akin to Nutella than anything else you might find in the peanut butter section of your grocery store. It was described by many as something akin to the candy-fication of peanut butter, and its flavors and marketing were aimed squarely at kids.
It was available in 4 tasty flavors:
- Banana
- Cinnamon
- Chocolate
- Vanilla
My family liked the chocolate, and who could blame them. Who hasn’t dreamed of taking Reese’s Peanut Butter cups and turning them into a spread. It was by far the most successful of the flavors.
Kraft was aware that this was not your parent’s peanut butter, and in advertising discussed novel ways in which it could be used.
- As a spread just like peanut butter, it could be paired with jelly or bananas.
- Melted in a sauce pan, Koogle worked as an excellent poured topping on ice cream, cakes, and pies.
- You could dip fruits, like bananas or berries, on a stick into Koogle and then freeze them for later consumption.
- Koogle could also be whipped. So you could use it to replace frosting on cakes.
Koogle was versatile because it functioned differently than peanut butter. That’s because it wasn’t peanut butter.
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What was in Koogle?Ingredients differed by products, but they did have a few elements in common like: peanuts, partially hardened vegetable oil (which I believe is now called partially hydrogenated vegetable oil), dextrose, and salt. Here is the full ingredient list for each type:
Chocolate Koogle
Peanuts, Partially Hardened Vegetable Oils, Sugar, Cocoa Processed with Alkali, Dextrose, Salt, Nonfat Dry Milk, Artificial Flavor
Cinnamon Koogle
Peanuts, Partially Hardened Vegetable Oils, Sugar, Cinnamon, Dextrose, Salt
Banana Koogle
Peanuts, Partially Hardened Vegetable Oils, Sugar, Dextrose, Salt, Artificial Color and Flavor
Vanilla Koogle
Peanuts, Partially Hardened Vegetable Oils, Sugar, Dextrose, Salt, Artificial Flavor
It is not clear how many calories Koogle had, this was in an era before mandatory nutrition labels. Based on what I read from journalists at the time, the differences between Koogle and regular peanut butter differed significantly.
In 1975, Consumer Reports issued a report urging parents to avoid Koogle. Stating that “It may be better for kids than candy, but it’s certainly not better than plain old peanut butter.”
Here are some facts they mention about the product:
- Koogle contains only 60% peanuts, whereas the FDA requires peanut butter to contain at least 90% peanuts.
- Three of the varieties contain artificial flavors, a component not permitted in traditional peanut butter.
- Koogle has 8% less protein per serving and 4% more carbohydrates than peanut butter.
- Koogle has three times the sodium of peanut butter
Kraft fired back at the allegations, stating that they weren’t trying to represent Koogle as peanut butter, but as a peanut flavored spread. They also conducted their own tests, finding that 19 popular brands of smooth peanut butter contained more sodium than Koogle. They can see that their product was a peanut-flavored spread, but time and again, you will find supermarket advertising that refers to it only as peanut butter.
This article sparked a lot of debate, and discussions of it began appearing in other newspapers. These discussions combined nutritional concerns with the product's higher price per ounce to dissuade parents from purchasing it. But as noted by many, it is hard to compete with Koogle’s advertising. Especially once kids are introduced to the Koogle Nut.
The Mascot: The Koogle NutKraft spent a good amount on Koogle advertising, both in print and television. An earlier commercial focused on the fact that, unlike peanut butter, it didn’t stick to your mouth. The commercial is well produced, but kind of boring.
Boring by far when compared to the introduction of a super cool multi-googly-eyed monster mascot, The Koogle Nut. The exact nature of this gruff-voiced mascot is unclear. Maybe just the embodiment of people’s passion for Koogle?
I am a fool for a spokesmonster and with this adorable little dance and song, I still find the Koogle concept irresistible.
When was Koogle Released?If you look online, you will find all sorts of information about when Koogle hit the market. Much of that info is wrong and give the product a much longer lifespan than it actually had.
Koogle hit supermarket shelves in September of 1974. Just in time to be made into delicious sandwiches for school lunches.
At the time, depending on the market, you could get a 12 ounce (0.45 kg) jar for about 59 cents. Although that price during the first few months could be much lower since they put out a lot of coupons around the launch.
Unfortunately, Koogle didn’t last very long. By 1976, it is already disappearing from the US market. The last mention of it in the US market I could find was from 1978. In Canada, it seemed to die out in 1977.
ConclusionKoogle is well-remembered by those who got to try it, but the window to do so was narrow. It is not clear exactly why it failed. Perhaps it was the article from Consumer Reports, or maybe people were just happy with good ol’ peanut butter. Whatever the case, the memories of it are still floating out there along with old jars, print ads, and commercials. Precious reminders of these flavored peanut spreads and their kooky mascot.
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My hometown had no major chain eateries for a long time. Then one day they tore down our main gas station and a few months later we got a Dunkin’ Donuts. It was a big deal, and I remember the first few months tagging along with my sisters and loving the smell of donuts and coffee as we ordered a box. Then one day we went in, and the place smelled different, it smelled like soup.
It might not be common knowledge to younger Dunkin’ eaters, but for over a decade, Dunkin’ Donuts served soup alongside their sweeter offerings. It was an early attempt to expand the menu and reach a larger audience at different parts of the day without cannibalizing sales from existing items.
When did Dunkin’ Donuts Start serving soup?They began rolling out their soup offering in April of 1974. Billed as Super Soup, this initial release was “All you can eat” for the low low price of 79 cents. This is the equivalent of about $5 today, and in their advertising all this soup was paired with bread and butter, which I assume was also unlimited.
Even at five bucks, that is a pretty good deal for all you can eat. As you can see in the ad, you could also take your Souper Soup to go, although it is not clear if you could get a to-go container after indulging in a good amount of refills. I doubt it.
What types of Soup did Dunkin’ Donuts serve?Over the years, they would serve many varieties of soup. That first year, the number of choices was pretty impressive. They had:
- Home Style Pea Soup
- Chili
- Beef Minestrone
- Beef Barley
- Beef Noodle
- Chicken Noodle
- Real New England Clam Chowder
- Yankee Chowder
Later they would add soups like:
- Manhattan Clam Chowder
- Cream of Broccoli
- Creamy Mushroom
My family was always up for Pea Soup, but while it’s been a while, I was a big fan of Beef Noodle Soup as a kid. This selection of soup appears to have stay steady for most of the 1970s. Then in the early 80s, some locations had Fisherman’s Chowder, Stew, and Baked Beans on the menu.
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They were also selling soup at Canadian locations and in 1983, they added six new soups to the menu there.
- Creamy Chicken Gumbo
- Chicken a la rouge
- Choo choo
- Soupe Jardinière
- Country Style
- Cream Velvet
The “all you can eat” offerings are long gone, but Souper Soup was now offered as part of a souper-douper special that included bread and butter, a muffin of your choice, and a cup of coffee.
What were the containers like?The soup offerings look fantastic, but what is might be the most memorable were the containers they served them in. For years, they served the soup in attractive reusable dishwasher safe containers.
Designed to comfortable hold about 8 ounces (302.39 g) of soup. These cups were not only attractively designed but practical. It had a strong handle on the side, allowing you to hold the cup even when its contents were piping hot.
Each cup was also branded with what soup you were getting. So if you ordered Chicken Noodle or Minestrone, it said it right on the cup.
If you lived in a thrift household, that liked convenient cups to consume soup and your family liked Dunkin’ Donuts, you might have had a stack of these cups in your cabinet.
If your family really liked Dunkin’ Donuts soup, they might have picked up the attractive soup crock that they were selling in 1981. Made of glazed stoneware, this cup was a step up from their plastic cups. You could pick one up for $2.29, and they would fill it up with a soup of your choice.
I have been trying to get my hands on one of these crocks for a while. Either they didn’t have Dunkin’ Donuts branding on them to make them easier to find, or people just can’t bring themselves to part with them.
If that wasn’t cool enough, they also offered a Souper Soup Thermos full of soup. In the ad, they appear to have the soup branding on them, but I haven’t been able to find one that looks like this. So I am thinking that maybe they used a more traditional Dunkin’ Donuts branded thermos and just filled it with soup. I would love to be wrong about that.
Did they sell it in cans at the Supermarket?For a brief time, you could go to your local grocery store and find Dunkin’ Donuts Soups on the shelves next to more familiar offerings. It seemed mostly confined to the midwestern United States, and I could only find it in stores that sold it in bulk. But if you were a fan and lived in the right location, you could head to your local market and find Dunkin’ Donuts Chili, Chicken Vegetable, and Chicken Noodle Soups.
When did they stop serving soup at Dunkin’ Donuts?Based on advertising, soup at Dunkin’ Donuts peaked in the early eighties. After about 1982, mentions of it begin to dwindle rapidly, and in 1987 we see the last mention of soup being sold at any location. It appears that each location was given a choice of what they wanted to serve, and many got out of the soup game as quickly as they could.
By the mid-eighties, the store in my town had become an institution and donuts and coffee were selling strong throughout the day. I don’t recall when soup went away there, it was probably in the before 1987, but I do remember in the early nineties they began selling sandwiches, much to everyone’s surprise.
ConclusionOver the years, people seem to be surprised when Dunkin’ Donuts tried new products. While I preferred their donuts, especially their Munchkins, to anything else they made, I wasn’t shocked when new items showed up. Soup was a big swing from the company, and they stuck by it for years at many locations. It showed that for a long time they have wanted to grow their offerings beyond donuts and coffee.
As I reminisce about those early days, walking into Dunkin' Donuts with my sisters, greeted by the smell of coffee and donuts, and later, the unexpected aroma of soup, I am reminded of the constant evolution of our tastes and experiences. Dunkin' Donuts, much like my hometown, grew and adapted, always finding new ways to serve its community, one cup of coffee, one donut, and for a memorable time, one bowl of soup at a time. On cold days, when I am feeling nostalgic (which is often), I wish I could go back and get one more bowl.
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When I was a kid, "convenience foods" were an important staple in our house. If they were filling and affordable, we would stock up on them. This instilled in me an unhealthy affection for hot dogs that has kept me hooked throughout my entire life. While I enjoy a classic dog, over the years, novelty frankfurters and even hot dog buns have come in and out of my life.
Most of them are easy to forget, but more than a few still haunt my memories and make me wish they could make a comeback. One of my favorites was a wonderful Hormel product from around 1984, the Frank 'n Stuff Hot Dog.
The premise of this frankenfood was simple: we all love chili dogs, so what if there was a hot dog with the chili built right into it? That's right; inside each Frank 'n Stuff was a meaty reservoir of Hormel Chili. You'd bite it open, and it would start oozing out, which is either satisfying or terrifying depending on your feelings toward secret chili. For me, it was a positive experience.
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A few reporters covered its release. The concept, as you might guess, received mixed reactions. One of the more interesting things I read, talked about how adding chili to a hot dog could potentially include less meat, which could lower its fat content, making it a “healthier” option. I don’t have a degree in nutrition, but I happily endorse anything that attempts to bring more chili into people’s diets.
After the initial success of the product, or perhaps because they already had it in the pipeline, they released a cheese version. I know what you're thinking, did they ever go for broke and release a version with both chili AND cheese? I am sad to say they didn't, although I imagine if Frank 'n Stuff had lasted longer, they might have given it a try.
What made the product so interesting, besides the mad food science around its premise, was the ad campaign Hormel ran in 1987. That year, they leaned heavily into the Frankenstein association. Most of the print advertising that I remember and have been able to track down featured Franky. The one television commercial that has survived doesn't have him, but instead features Doctor Frank 'n Stuff and his Igor-like sidekick revealing his magnificent creation.
Bringing out Frankenstein was a smart move, and they used him in a cash giveaway contest. By entering, you could win a grand prize of $10,000, one of five first prizes of $2,000, or one of fifteen second prizes of $1,000. No purchase was necessary; they had entry forms in the newspapers that you could cut out and send in to win. During this run, they also offered coupons for $1.25 off in each package you bought, which at the time would have gotten you your Frank 'n Stuffs less than half-price.
Unfortunately, after the contest was over, they went back to a more sedate, less monster-centric commercial the following year.
Want more real world frights? The product was involved in some food tampering controversy in 1986. Consumers in Minnesota reported finding razor blade pieces in Frank 'n Stuff Hot Dogs. I could only find a single mention of this, but it was in multiple newspapers. They implied that the food tampering might have been associated with striking Hormel workers at the time. Fortunately, the problem did not appear to be widespread.
I ate these a few times a year, and I remember that the package mentioned three ways to prepare them:
- Boil them.
- Fry them.
- Microwave them.
No matter which option you chose, you should remember that whatever filling is in your Frank 'n Stuff is going to be hotter than you expected. But if you decided to microwave it, that thing was going to be hotter than Hades. Even after you let it cool, you could take a bite and scald the inside of your mouth badly. My technique was to try to take the smallest bite possible to expose the insides and let them cool off a bit. It was tough to do; I just wanted to eat, but I got burned enough to know that slowing down was worth it.
The Frank 'n Stuff wasn't a flash in the pan. They continued to pop up on store shelves until 1996. For over a decade, people got to enjoy these tasty dogs. A generation came of age only knowing a world where they existed, and they are still hungry for them.
So, good people of Hormel, if you ever read this, please bring back the Frank 'n Stuff. Just think of all the other delicious things you could stuff into a hot dog that didn't exist a quarter of a century ago.
Perhaps, with the Frankenstein association, you could even make it a seasonal food and lean more heavily into that for advertising around Halloween. I don't want to tell you how to run your company, but I wouldn't mind having one more go at a Frank 'n Stuff hot dog. Oh, and if you could make a chili-cheese variety, that would be great.
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The pager changed the way we kept in touch and would lead to the smartphone you carry around in your pocket today.
Use your imagination to join in the adventures of Indiana Jones with this unique album.
As McDonald's continues to update its older restaurants, it's nice to take a moment to appreciate its more unique locations.
In 1989, Spinjas, the short-lived toy based on spinning top combat, hit stores. While they didn't last long, they are well-remembered by everyone who played with them.
He's the bat you love to hate! Press his back! See "blood" flow in chest! Shake him and his wings flap!
To help celebrate the release of Ms. Pac-Man, Roy Rogers ran a contest where the top prize was your very own Ms. Pac-Man arcade game.
Dunkin' Donuts (now just Dunkin’), a renowned name in the world of coffee and baked goods, has delighted customers with its array of delectable treats for decades. Among its iconic offerings, Munchkins hold a special place in the hearts and taste buds of doughnut enthusiasts. These bite-sized balls of goodness have become a beloved snack, perfect for enjoying with a cup of coffee or as a delightful treat on their own. Let's take a look into the history of Dunkin' Donuts Munchkins and explore their journey from creation to becoming a favorite indulgence for millions.
Doughnuts have existed for a long time. The modern doughnut, with the hole in the center, seems to have been popularized in the 19th century by Elizabeth Gregory and her Sea Captain son, Hanson Crockett Gregory. As the story goes, while Hanson was at sea and frying up some dough, he came up with a way to lighten his mother’s doughnut recipe, and have it cook up more evenly, by cutting a hole in the center.
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This story is probably apocryphal, since I have read several other stories about how that hole got there. What I do know is that Elizabeth Gregory made some tasty fried dough cakes and her son figured out to pop out the center and made history.
Before we get to the origin of the Munchkin, we should talk about Doughnut Holes as a treat. Something resembling a Munchkin has existed long before they came to be sold at Dunkin’ Donuts. It is basically just a smaller amount of fried dough. What Dunkin’ Donuts did was market them in a way no one had before.
Origin of the MunchkinThe story of Dunkin' Donuts Munchkins begins in the early 1970s. I have read a bunch of stories about how they came about, with various people credited with their invention. The one thread these stories have in common is an attempt to prevent waste. The company would, when making doughnuts, cut out the center. This dough wouldn’t be thrown away. Instead, it was re-rolled and used to make more doughnuts. The problem was, the doughnuts made from this method were less tender.
By reusing the dough to make smaller doughnuts, they could both make a better product and cater to some customers' preferences for smaller portions. The introduction of Munchkins marked a new era for Dunkin' Donuts. These bite-sized delights would gain popularity among customers, who eventually embraced the idea of enjoying their favorite doughnut flavors in a more compact and shareable form. Where you could eat multiple Munchkins, each a different flavor, and still just have eaten the equivalent of a single full-sized doughnut.
But it wasn’t an instant success.
They would try this concept more than once. The first time, they called them Donut Holes and sold them for 19 cents a bag. The issue with them was a typical one for restaurants with a good idea. Sure, the new products sold, but that was because people liked the variety and low price, but they were taking away from the sale of their traditional doughnut. So they stopped sales and went back to the drawing board.
What they needed was a new target audience for these Holes. It was Bob Kamersham who came up with a marketing idea that he could test. They would pick a handful of stores and in half of them they would sell the Dunkin’ Donuts Donut Holes. In the other half, they would sell the same product, but they would call them Munchkins and brand them with a Wizard of Oz “Munchkin” character.
The test was very conclusive. In the stores they sold them as Donut Holes, sales for doughnuts fell, but not in the stores where they were called Munchkins. There people bought both, doughnuts for the adults and a bag of Munchkins for the kids. Although I am sure some of those adults grabbed a few of the Munchkins for themselves.
Dunkin’ Donuts had figured it out. They needed to target children, and they leaned into it, making displays and boxes that would be appealing to young doughnut eaters. After a full Munchkin rollout, the company was making $300 million yearly, and ten percent of that was from this new product. It is a brilliant example of how marketing can change the perception of a product.
Expansion and EvolutionAs Munchkins continued to captivate customers' taste buds, Dunkin' Donuts recognized the need to expand the range of flavors and options. At this point they had grown beyond targeting kids, they had a generation that had grown up eating them by now, but they always kept it fun to appeal to the young at heart. This meant things like promotion around Halloween and Christmas that helped to build a strong association with the holiday seasons.
As Dunkin' Donuts rebranded itself to Dunkin' in 2018, they didn’t drop their doughnuts from stores and Munchkins are still going strong today. What started as an attempt to more efficiently use dough has turned into a memorable brand in its own right. Often imitated, they continue to show up at homes and workplaces to the delight of people who have come to love this sweet treat.
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I enjoy when old TV shows shoot on location. They open a window to the past in a realer way than any amount of art direction could accomplish. In a 1984 episode of the classic TV show, Fraggle Rock, the character of Traveling Matt visited the Undercurrent arcade in Toronto’s CN Tower. As you might guess, his observations were humorous, but the footage also gave us a rare glimpse of this classic arcade.
The CN Tower in Toronto, Canada, stands as an iconic symbol of the city's skyline and a testament to engineering marvels. Construction on the tower began in February 1973 and was completed in April 1976. Standing at a staggering height of 553.33 meters (1,815 feet and 5 inches), it held the title of the world's tallest freestanding structure for over 30 years. Originally built by the Canadian National Railway to improve telecommunication signals, the tower's design was a collaborative effort involving multiple architects and engineers. Today, it serves as a popular tourist attraction, offering breathtaking views of Toronto and its surroundings from its observation decks.
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While it was famed for its size, it also featured many attractions to satisfy visitors over the years. Things like a revolving restaurant, the highest disco in the world (Sparkles), a spaceship simulator, and an arcade could keep families entertained for hours while they explored this behemoth. It is the arcade, Undercurrent, that has become my obsession since rewatching this episode, but that simulator looked like a lot of fun.
The footage from the episode if very focused on video games, but in this brochure you can see hints of other amusements in this high concept arcade. It had a rolling slide, climbing tunnels, skee-ball, and some manner of ball shooting guns. This against a neon drenched bright orange backdrop, with the occasional suited mascot making an appearance. Unfortunately, very little footage or images of the arcade can be found online, which makes this Fraggle Rock segment even more compelling.
It begins with Uncle Matt entering the arcade, and a group of kids come running down the stairs. You can see the Undercurrent signage on the upper level and a bunch of arcade games below. The stairwell appears to have a lot of staining on the concrete stairwell. This was filmed in 1983, and Undercurrent would have already been many years old at this point. So it appears that Uncle Matt caught them when they needed some maintenance.
You can see some games in the distance, but they are pretty far away and difficult to identify. Luckily for us, in the next shot, we get a close-up that gives us a good view of some games you could have played at the time, Zero Hour, Zaxxon, Space Invaders, and Berzerk.
Where is Zaxxon you ask? I believe it is the game that you can’t see in the foreground. I base that on the little montage they do of controllers and closeups. There you can clearly see the Zaxxon controller and part of the screen.
My favorite part of the segment is the part where Uncle Matt can’t stop leaning into the screen while some kid tries to play Space Invaders. This behavior is very close to how I tended to act at arcades at the time.
That was me.The biggest problem with this visit to the arcade is that it is way too short. Still, I am happy that watching it now has made me aware of this long gone classic arcade. I will be keeping my eyes open online in hopes of finding more information, photos, and videos that I can share in the future. Thanks to Jeremiah Jones-Goldstein over on the Retroist Discord for bringing this to my attention.
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Goodbye, Old Friend.I have been a collector of “stuff” for as long as I can remember. As a kid, if I had a box or shelf, I felt compelled to fill it with things I bought or found. Quickly, these things started to accumulate and take up too much space in my childhood home. Back then, when this happened, my Mom would find a way to make the stuff disappear. This new-found cleared space was just a new challenge for me to fill up, and the process repeated itself.
As an adult, I have found it necessary to police my collecting all by myself. This means I have developed criteria around what I buy, and more importantly, what I hold onto. Even with a page full of rules I have generated for myself over the years, I still find letting go of some things difficult.
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For example, I collect stereo equipment. This is a collection that just sort of grew out of my desire to listen to physical media on a regular basis. At first, as I picked up a new component here and there, I wasn’t sure it was a “collection.” Eventually, though, volume dictated that I acknowledge that I had moved into the collection realm.
No big deal, I had done this before and I have developed a system around collecting that helps to constrain what I will collect. What I try to do is narrow the scope of what I can collect. In the case of the stereo equipment, it was simple:
- What brand will I collect?
- What window of time will I choose models from?
- How much am I willing to spend?
- What do I retain?
The first three were very easy for me to figure out. I knew that I wanted to rebuild a stereo from my youth, and that I didn’t want to spend more than I might on a good modern stereo. Retention, though, that was a tricky one.
It was tricky because over time I have learned to fix some fairly common problems with electronics. Unfortunately, this has also led me to believe that fixing a less common issue was just one good video or forum post away from being learned. This led me to hold onto things that were broken in the hopes that one day I would get around to fixing them.
That policy ended this month.
I have decided that once a broken component has gone beyond my ability to either fix it or pay someone to have it fixed, it has got to go. So this week, I am saying goodbye to my Technics SL-P1 CD Player from 1985. Although mine was made in 1984.
Amazed that it lasted this long.The SL-P1 was Technics’ first commercially available CD Player. This monster has a great sound and a handsome look that was guaranteed to turn heads. Unfortunately, it also stopped working.
After tinkering with it for a few months and watching lots of videos, I decided that it was time to donate it to a thrift shop. My hope is that it will find its way to a more knowledgeable owner who can fix it or use it for parts.
All boxed up.This brings me to my new tradition, and one that I think will help make the parting easier, the photo shoot. Before packing it up, I put it back up on the shelf and snapped a bunch of photos for posterity. It might not be mine any longer, but I will at least have something to remember it by.
So, enjoy these photos of a great CD player that I hope has gone on to bigger and better things.
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For the few who do not know, Chicken McNuggets are a deep-fried breaded chicken nugget product sold by the fast food chain, McDonald's. They were born in the early 1980s and took America and eventually the world by storm. In the process they would change not just fast food, but how we consume chicken in our homes.
It is a remarkable story, but before we get into the history of the McNuggets, we should mention two very important people who worked at McDonald's at the time of their creation. Ray Kroc, the chairman and founder of the company and Fred Turner who was the CEO.
Ray KrocRaymond Albert Kroc affectively purchased the fast food company McDonald's in 1961 from the McDonalds brothers. He would be the CEO from 1967 to 1973. He is credited with the initial growth of the company and shepherding it through its first few decades. Taking a single restaurant and transforming it into the most successful fast food corporation in the world.
While Kroc was innovative when it came to standardizing the McDonald's system, he also had a soft spot for innovation. Willing to take chances, he would push the company to experiment with the menu. Harnessing the power of the company's franchisees to gain insight into what consumers wanted, but also bringing their ideas for menu items into the McDonald's system.
From Big Macs to Onion Nuggets to everything in between (like a pineapple burger), Kroc believed that McDonald's needed to experiment.
A company like McDonald's though, thrives by standardization. So new items needed to be well thought out. Fortunately Kroc had hired someone way back in 1956 who had a knack for that sort of work, Fred Turner.
Fred TurnerTurner started as a grill operator and quickly moved up the ranks at McDonald’s. In just two years he was the Operations Vice President, and he would continue to get promoted. Landing the job of CEO, a role he held from 1973–1987.
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What made Turner special? His attention to detail. He would establish strict guidelines that governed all aspects of McDonald’s business. His motto of "Quality, Service, and Cleanliness," would permeate all aspects of McDonald's operations. From the design of the restaurants to the exact thickness of the fries.
Under his leadership, McDonald’s would expand to 118 countries with over 31,000 restaurants and as the signs said, billions of hamburgers were sold.
Both Turner and Kroc are important to the origin of the McNugget, we will talk about their contributions later, but they didn't invent the chicken nugget, that honor went to...
Robert BakerRobert Baker was a renowned food scientist who has often been referred to as the "George Washington Carver of poultry." He got that moniker because he saw the vast potential of poultry and used his know-how to stretch its capabilities. He is credited with more than 40 poultry-related innovations and he published countless papers on the subject, but it was one amazing creation that would help change how we eat fast food, the chicken nugget.
The nugget was invented by Baker in the 1950s while he was a professor at Cornell University. There he published an unpatented work for a bite-sized batter-dipped, "Chicken Crispie." It solved two big problems that the poultry industry was having at the time. How to form ground chicken into shapes that would hold together and how to batter and freeze the final product so that it could be cooked at a later time. It was a huge leap forward in processed chicken and one people would build upon for decades.
Baker didn't just stumble upon chicken. He, like many people, was trying to solve a very real problem.
This story goes back to World War II. During the war, the military requisitioned most of the beef production in the United States. That meant civilians needed an alternative protein source and many of them moved towards chicken. As the war continued, the military started to also demand chicken. This incentivized farms and the food processing industry to ramp up to meet demands. When the war ended, Americans had a greater appreciation for chicken and the infrastructure to support it.
They also had beef again and people flocked back to it for many reasons. One of those was the convenience.
The problem with chicken at the time was that the portions were all wrong. The size of the bird, the time to cook it, and how it made to the table wasn't convenient for the post war society. It couldn't compete with all the ways beef was currently being used. So, people like Baker needed to figure out how to make it convenient, flexible, and easy.
But Why Chicken Now?During the 1970s, chicken consumption had greatly increased in the United States, largely owing to fast food chains such as KFC, Chicken Delight, Chick-fil-A, and Church’s Chicken. At the same time, the medical profession praised the healthful benefits of chicken as opposed to hamburgers. This caused a stir in the hamburger fast food industry.
As the 70s drew to a close a few factors would contribute to a chicken boom that would get only larger in the 80s.
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People perceived chicken as a healthier option.
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Chicken was cheaper on average than beef. Which would allow people to buy more of it, but would also allow restaurants to price the food similarly or just a little less than beef offerings and still make money.
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Technology for the processing and growing of chickens would bring down prices and increase availability and varieties of offerings.
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Fast food companies were showing lackluster sales overall. They needed to add new products to the menu to bring people through the door.
Onion Nuggets Lead to Chicken McNuggetsI do not remember McDonald’s Onion Nuggets, but members of my family were big onion ring fans. So much so that they would only go to fast food places that had onion rings when I was a kid. They would speak of a time when McDonald’s sold these magical bite-size onion treats at dinner time and how sad they were to see them go.
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These savory morsels were launched in the Seventies, and it appears McDonald’s was pretty serious about them. The problem was that consistency with Onion Nuggets was difficult. Especially when you had different onion suppliers. McDonald's just couldn't nail it down. So, the Onion Nugget would need to be scrapped, but what could they replace it with?
Before we get to that though, we need to meet...
René ArendRené Arend was McDonald's Executive Chef from 1976 to 2004. He would be involved in some of McDonald's most memorable creations, including Chicken McNuggets and the McRib.
Arend was a fancy type chef when he met Ray Kroc who was impressed with his skills and tried to lure him into McDonald's. Arend was confused by the offer. Why would McDonald's want to bring in a chef of his background if they were serving burgers and fries? Kroc believed he would be an asset in the creation of new products, even though Fred Turner was opposed to it. Kroc eventually triumphed. Fred Turner relented, and Arend, after some resistance, joined the company in 1976.
One of his early projects was the onion nugget. And despite his best efforts to make them delicious, they just couldn't be worked into the McDonald's system. The Onion Nuggets would fail, despite my Mother's affection for them. Ultimately it was Fred Turner who would turn him away from onions, killing the project. But when he did, he said to Arend, why not try chicken instead?
McNuggets are BornNew McDonald's Menu items can come from many sources, key players in their development are the chefs in the corporate kitchen and the franchise owners. The owners are key since they are closest to the consumer and will notice a need. Sometimes this results in them taking matters into their own hands, but more often they bring the idea to corporate for consideration. That is how we got such iconic products as the Big Mac, Filet-O-Fish, and Egg McMuffin.
The process for the development of a new menu item is a long process. From ideation to launch can take several years. Along the way it will be tested at many levels of the company.
With chicken, franchisees were noticing the growing success of chicken-based fast food. They wanted a solution so that they could compete. Chicken nuggets were not the first choice, they tried fried chicken and chicken sandwiches, they even played around with the idea of chicken pot pie. Ultimately the convenience of the nugget as a controllable finger food won out.
Arend went right to work on nuggets cutting up a chicken breast, breading it, frying it and developing dipping sauces. He brought it to be tested and people LOVED it. But the administration at McDonalds realized the technical issues that would arise trying to source and process chicken, so they needed a solution. A technical solution.
So, they went to Banquet Foods. Banquet was still relying on a meat-grinding technology. So they could grind chicken meat and form it into a shape, but the texture was more akin to a chicken sausage and their diamond shape made them seem even more unnatural. That just wouldn't do.
Next Fred Turner went to Gorton's, who specialized in battered and frozen fish. To get the people and project going, McDonald’s formed an internal/external partnership headed by Gorton's Bud Sweeney. It was Sweeney bringing Gorton's expertise to bear that solved the problem on how they would batter the nuggets. Eventually arriving on a tempura coating that gave the appearance of having been freshly battered.
The problem was, they still didn't have an efficient nugget they could use. Sweeney explored all manner of options, but chicken at the time was sold in ways that wouldn't scale to produce nugget-sized chicken in a dependable way. This process needed to be mechanized and at a huge scale.
So that problem was sent to Keystone Foods.
Who are Keystone FoodsKeystone foods started in Philadelphia as a small family-owned meat business. They would grow when the company's leader Herb Lotman figured out how to quickly freeze beef patties in a way that would allow them to retain their taste and texture. This would become known as the Individual Quick Freezing process (IQF). McDonald's would embrace IQF and would use it moving forward. Cementing a relationship with Key Food that would last for decades.
The two companies would grow even closer when together they developed a total distribution concept. If you were a new franchise owner, everything you needed to run your new restaurant would be delivered to you. This allowed the new owners to not worry about supplies and equipment and focus on what was important, customers.
With that partnership secured, Keystone would grow into one of the biggest food companies in the world. Eventually they would be bought and sold before winding up in the hands of Tyson Foods in 2018.
Keystone had been focused on the thing that McDonald's needed, beef. So how did they make the move to chicken?
How did Keystone Solve the Problem?Keystone solved the process through a combination of manual human powered line work and automation. The humans would be deployed doing the complicated deboning process. The deboned chicken would be sent to a heavily modified hamburger machine that could take the chicken and nuggetize them.
Lotman was convinced this was going to be important. He believed in McDonald's and had taken chances earlier in his career betting on them. It had paid off in a big way. When a test of the nuggets were done in early 1980 at a single store and were a hit. Keystone rushed to build a plant to make the nuggets.
With no assurances from McDonald's Keystone built a 13 million dollar plant (the equivalent of about 47 million today) in just over 3 months.
It would take time to ramp things up. Mostly because demand was so high during the first two years or so. As the rollout continued, more nuggets were needed, and Tyson Foods, who would eventually purchase Keystone, would get involved. Realizing that they couldn't handle the workload alone, Keystone chose to share tech and processes with Tyson, which had a big effect on the chickens themselves.
Tyson, who raised and processed chickens, would develop a whole new breed of chicken to meet demand. It was nearly twice as large as the standard supermarket chicken at the time. Packing on more meat to increase the yield before the mcnuggetting process.
Fun Fact: The original McNuggets contained ground chicken skin in addition to chicken meat, and they were fried in oil. When the McNuggets were tested by McDonald’s technicians, six of them had twice as much fat as a Big Mac. The chicken skin was eliminated and the improved McNuggets weighed in at 16.3 grams of fat, compared to 32.4 grams for the Big Mac.
How are they madeChicken McNuggets are mostly made from a mix of full cuts of meat, chicken breasts, rib meat, tenderloin and skin. They do a rough grind of the meat before adding flavors and preservatives. After that, it is molded into shapes that are battered, breaded, and finally coated in a leavened tempura batter. They then cook them a bit to set the tempura batter.
The chicken is uncooked at this point and flash frozen before delivery to restaurants. It is there that they are deep fried to the proper serving temperature.
According to McDonald's, the flavor of McNugget's should be chickeny with slight pepper and celery notes. Over the years the recipe will change as they altered the amount of dark meat and skin. They will also change and remove the types and number of preservatives. Some have said this has changed the flavor over the years and I agree.
Despite what you might read online, the McNuggets are not made from any sort of meat slime or unusual chicken parts.
While flavor and components might have changed, the shapes of the McNuggets have been consistent.
The ShapesAccording to McDonald's, the nuggets come in four shapes: the bell, the bow-tie, the ball, and the boot. The reason for the consistent shaping is to ensure proper cooking times for food safety. You cook too many nuggets of different sizes, and you might get an inconsistent cooking of the batch.
The shapes also make them fun and ensure that they will give a dependable experience while using the cups the dipping sauces comes in.
When McNuggets were being tested, it’s not clear if they had settled on these four shapes. I have found images that look more like just "the ball shape" in a pile. I am guessing this is just simplicity in advertising, but it is worth noting.
Another important aspect of the nugget is the size itself. They are not too big and not too small, which makes them a food that a person in a car would feel comfortable eating while on the go. Like how one might eat french fries.
Whatever the case, people have their favorites, and some have even associated different flavors with different shapes. This is just in their heads. Each McNugget's taste is exactly the same. You can change that flavor though, with the dipping sauces, which were being developed at McDonald's kitchen while the McNuggets were being worked on.
Arend keeps at itWhile the technical parts of the McNuggets system was being sorted out at Keystone and Tyson, Chef Arend was staying busy. These new nuggets had to be tested and cooked in the kitchens of actual McDonald’s.
How longs should they be cooked? How long could they be served after being cooked?
Most important, what sauces would be served up with the McNuggets and Arend came up with 4.
The Original SaucesThe original McNugget sauces were BBQ, Sweet & Sour, Hot Mustard, and Honey. The sauces would change over the years with new ones being added and removed, but you can still get the four original today, although Hot Mustard is now, Honey Mustard.
Arguably, it is the sauce that is the big attraction and when I was a kid my friends and I would debate which flavor was the best. We also liked to experiment with mixing sauces together. Some of the combos were interesting, especially BBQ/Sweet & Sour, but I prefer to keep my sauces separate.
Initial ReleaseIf you went to a McDonald's in the early 1980s that happened to be selling McNuggets, initially you could only get them in one size, the 6 Piece. It wouldn't be until October of 1982 that they would add the 9 Piece, and 20 Piece. Those would go wider in 1983.
The McNuggets rollout was slow. Which is probably why they didn't move to larger sizes right away. That is because there just wasn't enough chicken. It would take time for Tyson to come up with a new breed and for farmers to raise all those chickens.
The good news is that the McNuggets shortage would lead Arend to create another famous menu item, the McRib in 1981.
A chicken shortage leads to the McRib!The McRib, which is a pork product, would not exist if not for the Chicken McNugget. McNuggets, even in testing, were a huge hit, which led to shortages and complaints from both customers and franchisees.
This shortage would lead directly to the creation of the McRib. In a 2009 interview, Arend said, “There wasn’t a system to supply enough chicken. We had to come up with something to give the other franchises as a new product. So, the McRib came about because of the shortage of chickens.”
For more information on the McRib, check out the post I did on that other legendary McFood.
The McChicken SandwichAt the same time that McNuggets were being rolled out, they also were pushing a chicken sandwich. The McChicken was originally introduced in 1980 as an after 4pm dinner special along with their Chopped Beefsteak Sandwich. It consisted of a chicken patty weighing 3.6 ounces, served on a toasted sesame seed bun with lettuce and dressing.
For a bit there, it was like the McChicken and McNuggets were competing against each other to see which would be more popular. The McChicken was a less consistent experience and complaints about the sandwich were more frequent. It also didn't have the buzz of McNuggets, which were something new, while chicken sandwiches were available at multiple fast food restaurants.
In the end, there could be only one. The McChicken was canceled and wouldn't be revived until 1988.
Success!McNuggets were a massive success. Within three years of going national, they accounted for 7.5% of McDonald's domestic sales. In 1985, they made more than $700 million in McNugget sales alone. In the blink of an eye, McDonald's, the largest supplier of hamburgers in the United States, became the second largest chicken retailer behind Kentucky Fried Chicken.
It would take KFC three years to finally introduce a chicken nugget of their own, but it was too late. McDonald's had taken advantage of its core strengths; its ability to combine speedy technical food innovation with a streamlined supply chain. The result would have other fast food companies playing catch-up for years to come.
McNugget BuddiesMcDonald's was using anthropomorphic Chicken McNuggets in their McDonaldland commercial advertising to some success. Eventually they would figure out that these adorable little guys would make great happy meal toys. In late 1988, they started advertising their new McNugget Buddies Happy Meals.
The line-up, which would expand and change in years to come, was initially 10 different characters. They were made of molded rubber, and each had removable accessories like a hat or belt, and came with a one line biography to tell kids what they were about. The fun thing about those accessories is that you could mix and match them to increase the variation on your McNugget Buddies.
I had always been a fan of the McNugget Buddies and hoped they would have been bigger than they were. I think if they had gotten them out in the earlier part of the decade, say 1984, they could have made them a minor rival to the Smurfs.
McNuggets Changed How We EatMcNuggets helped change not only the American diet but also the system of raising and processing poultry. In 1980, most chickens were sold whole; today about 90 percent of chickens sold in the United States have been cut into pieces to produce cutlets or nuggets. In 1992, the American consumption of chicken surpassed that of beef for the first time and because of the McNugget, McDonald’s is the nation’s second-largest chicken seller after KFC.
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In 1985, newspapers in the northeastern United States started to mention that a musical about Captain America was in the works. It wasn’t clear at first how they would bring this pinnacle of patriotism to the stage, but they had some talented people lined up to participate. Even decades later and as massive interest in the character grew, the attempt to bring him to Broadways at this time is not discussed often. So let’s take a look at what we know about what could have been.
If you were doing a musical about Captain America, what would you make it about? His wartime efforts? The drama of being reborn into an age you didn’t belong? Dealing with the pressure of being a living symbol of a country?
While various details about what the musical have managed to leak out through the decades, we do know this musical would have been about Captain America going through a midlife crisis. Sure, it would still have action. In it, Ol’ Cap is dating a presidential candidate, who he wishes was more “traditional.” She gets kidnapped, and he needs to face off against terrorists to save her.
We live in a golden age of comic entertainment. People might complain about a film or TV show, but almost everything we have now at least makes a nod to the comic book version of the character they are based upon. What they planned for this stage musical is exactly what I expect from the era. Made by people who liked the name, maybe the imagery, but didn’t expect to use anything beyond the superficial in their storytelling.
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While the musical might not have had serious comic book talent, it did have the blessing of Marvel Comics, and some talented theater people trying to get it going. Music and lyrics to the show were provided by Mel Mandel and Norman Sachs.
Mandel and Sachs had previously worked on Gambler's Paradise, Jekyll and Hyde, and My Old Friends. Mandel would conceive the story and the lyrics. He began work on the show in 1982 and imagined a less than ideal Captain. Someone who was out of shape and on the verge of being forgotten. Through the kidnapping and rescue, our hero would be re-energized and reborn as a symbol of a reinvigorated country. A narrative that was playing out repeatedly in TV, movies, and politics of Eighties America.
According to Mandel, “This is essentially a love story about a man who’s always been strong, independent – even macho – and a sensitive, assertive, bright and political woman.”
A few years ago, Act1, Scene 1 of the script appeared on Reddit, and we got an idea of some of the songs we might have heard. They include:
- A Slightly Uncommon Cold
- March of the Merchandise
- Dynamite!
- The Man I am with Her
- Don’t Let Harvey Mittleman Get You Down
- Abraham Lincoln Dance
- Fly the Flag
Marvel got involved in 1983, providing funding for early drafts of the show. Director and producer, Philip Rose got involved in the show and began searching for someone who could help shepherd the show as the producer. They would eventually meet with Shari Upbin who expressed interest, but was working on a project based around the life of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. When the Robinson project fell through, Captain America seemed like a nice change of pace, and she joined the team as producer in the spring of 1985.
With Upbin steering the project and the addition of John Cullum who had been in “1776” and “Shenandoah,” suddenly people were starting to talk about the project, and it starts to me mentioned in newspapers and magazines. This is when I first heard about it.
In 1985, I opened one of my comic books and saw this very memorable ad:
Captain America was by far my favorite comic character at the time, and I also had a soft spot for musicals. While I didn’t have any talent for the stage, I remember seeing that they wanted a girl for the role and being depressed about it. In my kid mind, I thought it very reasonable that I might be able to learn how to sing and dance in time to successfully audition for the role. Sadly, it just wasn’t meant to be and the role of Mister, the 12-year-old tomboy, would need to go to a more qualified child actor.
This appeared to be the high-water mark in the production of the musical. With writing, planning, and casting coming together quickly. According to reports, the production would have been effects-laden. With lasers, projectors, and hydraulic stage elements help to capture some of the feel of a comic book. All the things you might expect from a musical with an estimated budget of $4 million.
Sadly, though, the money was not forthcoming. Upbin shopped it around, but couldn’t find many interested investors who could buy into the show. That famous Marvel ad and casting call? After appearing in comics and papers, it never happened.
They initially planned to stage the musical in the spring of 1986. That was moved to the fall and finally pushed back to 1987. Despite these setbacks, Upbin kept tenaciously pushing. On the positive side of things, the delays in production allowed technical innovation to catch up to the vision of the show. On the negative side of things, this show wasn’t going to be able to take advantage of those innovations because it couldn’t find a home on Broadway. So they looked for a more regional solution.
A big breakthrough was landing potential backing at the Pennsylvania Stage Company (PSC). But unfortunately, even at a scaled down price, the musical was going to be a stretch. So they were back to trying to raise more money, which ended the same as it had in New York City. With Captain America, getting some interesting press, but going back on the shelf for lack of funding.
I have read a few stories about scaled-down musical numbers being performed for fund-raising purposes. A few photos of Callum as Captain America even made it into print. Sadly, no videos of those performances are available online.
When Marvel came under new management in the late eighties, big cuts were announced. The Captain America musical, which had started to resemble a pipe dream, was an easy thing to let go.
It would have been forgotten if it wasn’t for the Marvel renaissance triggered by the success of the cinematic universe. Now people are hungry for Marvel historical oddities, and a 1980s musical about Captain America fits that bill perfectly.
Will we ever have a musical set in the Marvel Universe? The way Disney monetizes and finds ways to use their IP makes me think it might happen someday. Even if it is a joke of sorts, the fictitious musical about Cap in the recent Hawkeye TV series, shows that someone internally was at least thinking about it. As we can see in the D23 performance of Rogers the Musical, what finally makes it to the stage probably won’t be anything like what they had planned for 1986. But it’s important to remember what could have been, and respect the dreamers who tried to make Captain America a Broadway star almost 40 years ago.
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In the 1980s, the popularity of the tabletop role-playing game Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) soared, and toys were quick to follow. LJN created a line of action figures, playsets, and accessories that were popular with younger gamers like myself.
LJN's AD&D toy line was launched in 1983 and featured a wide range of figures, from basic humanoid characters to dragons and other mythical beasts. Each figure was nicely detailed, and the action figures featured a decent range of articulation. This made them ideal for imaginative play and as props in role-playing sessions. Some of the most popular figures included the likes of Warduke, Strongheart, and Zarak, as well as monsters like the Neo-Otyugh and the Umber Hulk.
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D&D could be played with or without miniatures, and I played it both ways. And I loved to have my little metal figures, but I had a problem. I had no talent for painting. So after attempting to paint a few, I just kept getting new ones, but never breaking out the paint. Getting these toys, was like a technicolor injection for my imagination.
Sadly, they didn’t catch on at the time and their marketing was very limited. I can only remember seeing these commercials once or twice at the time. When they came on, time froze, it felt like my beloved game was finally getting some mainstream exposure beyond the animated series. After seeing them, I remember telling my friends and not one of them believed me. Decades later, I would finally see these commercials again on YouTube. They are everything I remembered.
This first one starts with some great animation that would work well when paired with the original, and I believe first, D&D commercial. After that, it goes into a fairly standard eighties style toy commercial that features kids in a backyard setting playing with Strongheart, Warduke, Kelek, and Bronze Dragon.
Some fun play details:
- Strongheart swings in on a string held by the kid.
- The balls of foil that are supposed to be a pile of treasure.
The wizard on the cover of the revised 1983 printing of the Player’s Handbook is named Aldarr, and he is wonderfully animated and leaps off the cover in this next commercial. We then get some fun cross-cutting between the live toys and their animated versions, featuring Strongheart and Bronze Dragon vs. Warduke and Nightmare.
This animated Warduke/Nightmare pairing is like something out of my daydreams in 1983.
The final commercial is one I didn’t see back in the eighties. It has some kids in a very stylized dungeon setting, playing with their Shield Shooter and Battle-Matic figures. I never even saw these figures in stores, but the art direction in this ad is remarkable. I still smile when the “evil kid” rotates out of the wall at the end.
These commercials are everything I wanted them to be, and I thought the toys were great. Like many fans of the game, I overestimated the appeal of it in the mainstream. So I bought the toys, assuming they would continue to produce new products for years to come. Sadly, even though they were well-done, the LJN figures were short-lived, succumbing to the cresting of the original wave of D&D mania in the mid-eighties.
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Around 1995, I was walking through Barnes & Noble when I spotted a familiar title, Monster Manual, on a book I didn’t recognize. As a player of Dungeons & Dragons, that title was reserved for various lexicons of monsters that added color to any RPG session. But this book was something different, it wasn’t affiliated with any gaming company, instead it was a book aimed at entertaining kids while introducing them to monsters. Never one to let an age recommendation limit my reading material, I picked it up, found a quiet seat, and started reading.
The book’s full title is Monster Manual: A Complete Guide to Your Favorite Creatures. It is credited to author Erich Ballinger and was released in 1994 by Lerner Publications. Looking inside, it appears that this is a reprint of the German language book, ABC für Monsterfans: ein Leseleikon.
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The book is organized alphabetically, with entries for every letter of the alphabet. Monster coverage is uneven and sometimes inconsistent. Jumping from specific creatures like Dracula to more monster adjacent topics like, 3-D movies. It makes the book more of a journey than a straightforward reference book. Which is a great way to introduce this material to kids.
The book is chock-full of illustrations, both humorous and slightly edgy. It’s kind of fun to see cartoon style art next to more traditional monsters. This art direction choice allows for a gradual introduction to the more grown-up monster concept, with mind-cleansing silliness always just a page away.
Even though I was not the target audience for this book, I picked it up because it was just the type of book I was looking for as a kid. Its short chapters, filled with illustrations, make it a page turner. When I went to bed at night, I wanted something to fire my imagination, but not something that would give me nightmares. This book would have done the job.
I wanted to share it here for two reasons.
- I don’t think this book is as well-known as other horror or monster-themed books that are making the rounds online. It certainly doesn’t help that, with its title matching a VERY popular D&D book, this is a hard one to search for.
- In a world where older books like this are going through the roof price-wise, this title is still very accessible. I see copies of it online for as low as $2.
Books like this were often popular in libraries. Something to be pawed over while in school and discussed with friends on the bus ride home. Sadly for many, that was the extent of their exposure to the book, and it would live on only in vague memories. The more obscure the title, the less probable it will be made commercially available digitally, which is where this Monster Manual finds itself. Well, I am happy to say that a piece of your childhood is still out there in plentiful supply in old school print and is very easy to find. So do yourself a favor and pick one up for yourself or the young monster fan in your life.
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A few years ago, I wrote about the HBO original series, “Remember When.” While doing so, I mentioned my affection for the theme song of the show and how I wanted an original recording. A week or so later, someone emailed me to tell me that in 1985, HBO did release the song as part of their album, “HBO: Music Made for Television.” I was pretty excited, and I rushed to find the album, and sadly came up with nothing, except a single track pulled from a cassette.
For years, I have had an eBay search running, hoping that I would get a hit, but this record alluded me. That changed a few days ago when someone on the Retroist Facebook pointed me towards a YouTube video that had been posted over a year ago. I had been so focused on trying to find a physical copy of the album that I hadn’t bothered to follow up with any searches after my initial ones.
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I was ecstatic and quickly gave the digitized album a listen.
As you can see, the album has eight tracks. So not only do I get a swell stereo version of the “Remember When” theme song, I get so much more. Including multiple versions of the HBO Main theme, which I have already listened to a dozen times, both with lyrics and without.
I was pretty happy with just being able to stream the album, but the uploader went a step further. They broke the album down by track and made it available to download in high quality WAV files. Which you can access in the description of the video.
The music for the album was composed by Ferdinand Jay Smith III. Smith, is an American composer and co-founder of Jay Advertising. He has composed music that has been featured in various television promotions, show intros, and incidental music, including the "HBO In Space" feature presentation intro and the ABC "Star Tunnel" movie of the week intro package.
Digitizing and sharing out-of-print music online can have several benefits. Firstly, it allows people to access and discover music that may not be available in their local record stores or on mainstream streaming platforms. Digitization also helps preserve the music for future generations by creating an archive that can be accessed and preserved indefinitely.
Additionally, it allows for easy sharing, commenting, and collaboration among musicians, music fans, and historians, fostering a sense of community around what could easily become forgotten music. Overall, digitizing these works can help ensure that important and culturally significant music is preserved, accessible, and celebrated for years to come.
While I still don’t own the physical vinyl copy of this album. Having it in digital format and available to stream on a service like YouTube is almost as good. In a world where some media can still be nearly impossible to find, a single person can make a big impact. So I want to thank uploader, SmallPerson Roo for making my world just a little brighter by sharing what they were lucky enough to find.
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Flintstones Vitamins are a popular brand of children's multivitamin supplements. The now iconic vitamins are shaped like the characters from the popular animated TV show "The Flintstones," which aired from 1960 to 1966. The history of Flintstones Vitamins dates back to 1968 and is closely tied to the rise of dietary supplements and the changing landscape of children's health.
The story of Flintstones Vitamins begins in the early 1960s when Miles Laboratories, a pharmaceutical company which was bought by Bayer in 1979, was searching for a way to create a palatable and appealing vitamin supplement for children. At that time, children's vitamins were typically bland-tasting and difficult to swallow, which made it challenging for parents to ensure their children would take them. Miles saw an opportunity to develop a new type of children's vitamin that would be both fun, effective, and full of sugar.
They would partner with Hanna-Barbera Productions, the creators of "The Flintstones" TV show, to develop a line of vitamins inspired by the beloved animated characters. Who were still rather new and trendy at the time.
The first Flintstones Vitamins were introduced in 1968 and quickly gained popularity due to their unique shape, colorful appearance, and fruity flavors that appealed to kids.
The vitamins are shaped like characters from the show. Slowly but surely they included the entire cast, with Betty finally getting into the jar in 1995 after a poll was held. It was weird that she wasn’t included since the shape she replaced has been around for decades, the Flintstones Car (Flintmobile). Betty is better than the car!
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The line was launched with a successful series of ad campaigns that targeted adults and kids alike. If you grew up in the age of network television, you will probably remember the jingle, "We are Flintstones Kids, Ten Million Strong and Growing…" It was written by Martin O'Donnell (music) and Jim Morris (lyrics).
If you haven’t heard this earworm, or it’s been a while, you are in for a real treat.
The launch of Flintstones Vitamins was a game-changer by making taking vitamins a more enjoyable experience for kids. Furthermore, because of changing attitudes towards vitamins in the 1970s and 1980s, parents were more likely to give their children a daily vitamin supplement. It was a perfect convergence.
Their success also helped to establish the concept of character-based vitamins, leading to the development of other similar products featuring popular animated characters from various TV shows, movies, and video games.
My favorite?
Without Fred and the gang, we might not have had Pac-Man VitaminsThese vitamins were successful, but could sometimes be too successful. As I mentioned, the advertising was aimed at both kids and adults. With commercials running during children’s programming, what kid wasn’t bothering their parents to pick up a bottle? I was one of those kids, and eventually my mother relented.
The problem was, I didn’t understand that vitamins are not candy. Which in the case of children’s vitamin can be confusing. After all, they are chewable, fruit-flavored, and feature beloved cartoon characters.
So when my family got them, I quickly started sneaking extra vitamins like they were candy. Taking a fistful of multi-vitamins is not advisable at any age. Even if you didn’t get sick, it was alarming for a parent, especially in the pre-internet age, where information was challenging to find.
Do you go to the hospital after eating half a bottle of vitamins if you don’t feel sick? Because of my poor impulse control, Flintstones vitamins were a one-time purchase in our house.
Parents are right to be wary. According to a 2012 study, about 4,600 children go to the emergency room every year because of dietary supplements. Most took a vitamin or mineral when unsupervised.
That didn’t stop me from wanting them, though. The advertising was pervasive and the premium offer for things like themed cups were like catnip to me. They even sold the vitamins on card backs like an action figure. They would have a month’s worth of them on there, and each one would have a message or riddle when you opened it.
If you are a collector, you can find all sorts of fun Flintstones Vitamins collectibles. From the original glass bottles, to the premiums you could send away for, it has become a pretty collectible niche. Happily, one that has not yet become overpriced. So if you have good memories associated with them, it might be a fun collection to start.
Despite the evolving landscape of childcare, Flintstones Vitamins have remained a popular choice for parents and children alike. The history of these vitamins is a fascinating tale of innovation, collaboration, and evolution in the field of children's nutrition. It was a clever idea, served up at the right time, and it looks like it will be with us for many years to come.
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At some point in the eighties, my friends and I discovered martial arts magazines at the corner store. It was like a switch was flipped and suddenly martial art stuff was all we could talk about. We read magazines, played video games, and rented any movie with a martial arts theme. The only thing we didn’t do was learn any martial arts.
Over the years, a few martial artists would rise to the top of our list of favorites, people like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Chuck Norris, Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung, and Cynthia Rothrocks. We all had our favorites. My one friend was obsessed with Chuck Norris above all else. This was before all the internet memes about Norris, but if you talked with my friend, you could get a sense of how those memes would start.
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One day, we were leafing through a magazine, and we saw an ad for Chuck Norris Action Jeans. It stopped us in our tracks. Jeans for martial arts? But how?
Cowboy Boots not includedThe Action Jeans actually started way back in the 1977 as “Kickin’ Jeans” and you can find all sorts of fun ads for them in magazines. Because of their novelty of seeing someone high kick in jeans, most of these have been posted online.
Style here was a little more 1970sIt wouldn’t be until 1981 that the company that made them, Century, entered into an endorsement deal with Chuck Norris and they switched the name. He would remain the name on the jeans for about a decade. With his name attached, you actually started to see the jeans advertised in newspapers.
What set these jeans apart from your ordinary denim?
Well, it was all in the design. These jeans were made with a unique blend of denim and stretch fabric that allows for maximum flexibility and freedom of movement. Whether you're running, jumping, kicking, or doing any other high-intensity activity, Chuck Norris Action Jeans wouldn’t hold you back.
But that's not all! Chuck Norris Action Jeans also feature a reinforced slim gusset crotch, ensuring durability and longevity even during the most strenuous activities. The jeans are also designed with a relaxed fit, providing comfort and ease of wear all day long. So you can go from the dojo to the roadhouse without going home to change. Oh, and let's not forget the Norris’ embroidered signature on the back pocket, reminding you that you're wearing jeans that he would wear.
The thing is, the term “action jeans” wasn’t specific to martial arts themed leg wear. Over the decades, many brands would sell dungarees using that moniker. My friends and I were not aware of this. When one friend got a pair of jeans with the action label and attempted to demonstrate their amazing flexibility, they ripped almost immediately (and his kicks were not very high). They might have been jeans built for action, but not the action required to be a skilled martial artist.
It is fun to look back at these jeans and have a little fun with their style and advertising, but they were meant to be used. They were also popular enough to be brought back in 2015 under the Action Jeans name. It appeared to be for a limited time, but some martial arts supply companies still have them in stock. So if you want to live out your high kickin’ jean-wearing fantasies, you can still pick up a pair at a reasonable price. So, gear up, put on your Action Jeans, and get ready to take on the world in unbeatable style.
Welcome to the 25th episode of the 15th season of the Retroist Podcast. Today’s episode, number 298, is all about the fast food phenomenon that took the world by storm, McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets. This will be the final episode of the season, but a new one is already in the works.
I begin the show talking about my first time eating McNuggets and how I made them a part of my identity. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the processed meat nuggets would be a regular part of my life moving forward. My Mom appeared happy that I made a choice, up until that point I was just along for the ride, but ordering my own food was a useful step in growing up.
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After the story is over, I move onto the McNuggets themselves. I discuss their creation, where they came from, who worked on them, and how long it took. Along the way, I delve into the world of McDonald’s and how a product there can come to market.
Chicken McNuggets are weirdly controversial. They are a processed food, but the extent of their processing has been greatly exaggerated by the people who would rather see them not exist. For me, they were delicious hot food that I could go out and eat with my family. It felt special, and I will always have a soft spot for them because of it.
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Production Notes* 25th episode of the new season and the 298th episode of the Retroist Podcast. This is the final episode of the season! * This will be the first episode I am sharing via email. I hope if you haven’t tried the podcast before, you give it a listen. * I enjoy doing fast food-related podcasts, especially ones at McDonald’s. The company has a rich history and interesting processes. * For years, all I got at McDonald’s was McNuggets. I think I was a teen before I got a burger of any sort again. * I had some more background on bios of everyone involved, but I cut a bunch of it out. Probably about 3 minutes of edited show. * Reduced the section of Baker to focus on just his Nugget work. * A lot of people do not give the credits to all the people involved with the final process. That makes sense with technical foods. I liked being able to name the people and how they participated. * I decided to keep my focus on the first few years of the nuggets. So I do not trace the full evolution of the nuggets over the years. I had recorded some stuff, but cut that all out. * Because I stay in the 80s, I don’t go into details about how the recipe has changed. The McNugget we have now does not taste like the McNuggets from the past. This was supposed to be to keep them healthier and less processed. I preferred the old ones. * I play a good amount of retro audio in this episode. The company has great advertising. I had to remove all that I wanted to include. It felt too much. * A lot of bad information on McNuggets out there. It is a heavily processed food, but the claims about what is in it are often greatly exaggerated. * It is amazing that they developed a chicken for the McNugget. * Yes, McDonald’s tried to sell Fried Chicken. I might do a short podcast about that in a supporter episode in the future. * If you want better McNuggets, go to lunch early. In my experience, the earlier nuggets are better. I like to go between 11 and Noon. * Music on the show is, as always, by Peachy. * Art used to promote this episode by Christoper Tupa.
Thanks for listening to the show and I hope you have a great weekend.
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OP Fashion hits the mallOh, the memories of those sun-soaked days, with sand between our toes and the scent of saltwater in the air. Maybe you are up early, ready to catch some waves before school? Growing up in a landlocked swamp town in New Jersey, none of this applied to me, but like many people, I dreamed of what that sort of living might have been like.
The closest I would get, were too infrequent trips down the shore and a single t-shirt from a brand that encapsulated the carefree spirit of the beach, Ocean Pacific, or OP for short. Back in the 70s and 80s, OP was the epitome of a vision of laid-back California cool, with its “rad” surfwear and swimwear that had me dreaming of lounging in the sun, drinking cold orange soda, and catching the perfect wave.
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Ocean Pacific, commonly known as OP, is a popular American surf and lifestyle brand that has a rich history dating back to the 1970s. The brand was founded in 1972 by Jim Jenks in Southern California. Originally, Ocean Pacific started as a surfboard label, selling surfboards out of a garage. However, the brand quickly gained popularity among surfers and beachgoers for its cool designs. Ocean Pacific's distinctive logo would become shorthand for the surf culture that was growing rapidly in California at the time.
While it started as a surfboard brand, it found greater success as a clothing line. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Ocean Pacific expanded its product offerings beyond surfboards to include surfwear, swimwear, and casual clothing. They were known for their vibrant colors and bold graphics, which resonated with the emerging youth culture and the casual lifestyle of Southern California.
As the market matured, other edgier brands like Quicksilver would capture more attention from surfers and skaters. So OP went in a different direction, selling to a more mainstream market by being carried in major clothing stores.
The resulted in significant growth. Which allowed OP to become a recognized national brand. For a couple of years, Ocean Pacific apparel became a staple in mainstream fashion and popular culture. While most of us couldn’t enjoy the lifestyle the brand represented, OP's products could now be worn by everyday people who embraced the brand's representation of a carefree and adventurous attitude.
In the 1990s, Ocean Pacific faced some challenges, including changes in ownership and shifts in consumer preferences. However, the brand continued to evolve, adapting to the changing market and somehow holding on. They would even expand their offerings. At this point, they had been around long enough that they could even leverage their own heritage to sell on nostalgia.
Today, Ocean Pacific is still out there. Even people who didn’t grow up wearing them will know it for its historic connection to surf culture. They continue to sell a wide range of offerings that embody that original spirit that made them famous.
I wore my OP shirt until it was threadbare, and my mother insisted that we throw it away. Still, the memory of that shirt, with its bright bold colors, have stuck with me. Every time I put it on, I was making a statement about the life I dreamed about. I didn’t live on the beach, but when I wore my OP, for brief moments, when the air was blowing in from the river and the seagulls from the landfills were flying overhead, it’s like I was there.
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Lego, the iconic Danish toy company known for its colorful interlocking bricks, has faced numerous legal challenges over the years from clone manufacturers who produce similar products. These legal battles have centered around issues such as patent and trademark infringement, with Lego often seeking to protect its intellectual property rights. Let's take a look at one of the more notable lawsuits Lego has been involved in against the company Tyco.
The battle with Tyco was one of Lego’s earlier legal challenges to try to curb imitation after their patents has expired in 1978. In 1984, Tyco started to produce its own line of interlocking bricks, they called “Super Blocks.” Of course, to roll it out they hired someone who could really move product to kids, Betty White.
Okay, so maybe they were trying to appeal to adults with this commercial. And Betty’s message was the big push with Super Blocks. Most of their advertising was aimed at parents and centered around cost. Why pay more for Lego, when compatible Super Blocks were more affordable? This strategy, was clever, but it also set the stage for a lawsuit between the two companies.
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Tyco, a company that was based in New Jersey, had mostly been known for making models and toy trains. That changed when they got into the block business. By 1986, Super Blocks accounted for almost 25% of the company’s annual sales of $87.7 million. It was just a small segment of Lego’s $600 million sales that year, but it was a threat. The U.S. was important to Lego, and Tyco had grabbed 20% of the market.
Tyco wasn’t the only competitor to jump into the market. Products like Loc Blocs and Coko blocks were finding their way into stores. But the Super Blocks sales strategy was aggressive with slogans like “If you can’t tell the difference, why pay the difference?” And advertising, like the one featuring Betty White, that directly invoked the Lego name.
Maybe it was just because I lived in the state where Tyco was based, but I remember hearing about the lawsuit at the time. As is typical for a kid, I decided that it was essential for me to pick a side, and I was team Lego all the way. After all, they had made the space sets that had brought me great joy.
In the summer of 1984, Lego initiated a lawsuit against Tyco in Hong Kong, where molds of the bricks were made. They contended that the designs were derived from copied drawings. That case was ruled in favor of Lego, but on appeal, Tyco only had to pay legal fees. Still, the threat posed by these lawsuits hung over Tyco’s future.
So in August 1984, Tyco pre-emptively filed the first U.S. lawsuit. They wanted the court to uphold their rights to manufacture the look-a-like bricks. Filing in New Jersey was also part of the company’s strategy to give them a venue close to home, since Lego tended to file suits in locations that were not convenient to the defendant.
The case had two major points:
- Tyco’s advertising claims that the Super Blocks are cheaper than Lego, but of the same quality. And that they are currently, and always will be, compatible with Lego Products.
- That the shape of a Lego is an “implied trademark.” Yes, the patents have expired, but Tyco, by producing blocks that are so similar, is confusing buyers.
The case would finally be settled in 1987, when the US District Court ruledthat Tyco could keep making Super Blocks. Though, they had to stop using the Lego trademark and claiming that their products were "Lego, but only cheaper." Both companies saw this ruling as a victory. Lego got them to stop using their brand in advertising, and Tyco could continue to manufacture and sell Super Blocks.
The real winner though in such a lawsuit is the consumer. Not only did they now have more building bricks to choose from, they would also benefit from the increased competition. Need tangible proof? If Super Blocks has been shut down, we may have never enjoyed the super cool Super Blocks Military Series. A set of toys I don’t think Lego would have made.
This was not the only lawsuit Lego would be involved with to try to hold back a wave of copycat products. Over the years they have engaged in litigation with mixed success for their bricks and their very popular minifigs. The clones are out there, but Lego continues to hold onto the market through a savvy combination of lawsuits and their imaginative product development. The latter has been the more potent force for the brand, as it opened up new markets for the company and pushes the product in new directions. But even a bottomless well of creativity won’t keep companies from taking things to the courts.
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One of my favorite parts of watching older TV shows is when they shoot on location. It helps to reinforce the time that the show was filmed, and if often does it better than any amount of art direction. So when a favorite show of mine takes the action to an arcade or a supermarket, I grab the remote and start pausing to better appreciate all the details.
In 1987, Magnum PI went on location to the Safeway supermarket at 377 Keahole Street in Honolulu, HI. We can confirm this because, at least right now, besides the windows and signage, the facade is still very similar.
The episode, S08E03, Innocence... A Broad, aired in October 1987. The plot involved Magnum having to take on an assistant while investigating a case. It is very typical Magnum stuff, but the real magic happens at just over 15 minutes into the episode, when Magnum and his new sidekick arrive at the Safeway.
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They are tailing someone they assume will do a slip and fall con to sue the store. This is great because it allows them to slowly move through the store as to not arouse suspicion, giving us a nice little tour in the process.
They start off in the soda aisle. Where we get a good view of classic Pepsi and Coca-Cola packaging.
Then at the end cap, we get a shot of a delightful 7-Up display. It might not be very clear, but if you look to the right of the 7-Up you will see some packages on the second shelf from the top, that I believe are the classic snack, Screaming Yellow Zonkers. Below that are some old style Pringles cans.
Note: I am not a fan of the belt Magnum is wearing.
Next up, we have a pretty common site on Hawaii, a Lion Coffee display. Lion Coffee was founded way back in 1864 in Toledo, OH. The company would eventually fold in the 1960s before the name was purchased, and the company was moved to Hawaii. Where it is still based today. At this point, the company’s revival was less than a decade old. So a nice bit of history to spot.
Short-lived snack alert! I believe we are seeing a display from what was the rollout of Nabisco duck-shaped crackers, Quackers. Dubbed the “little ducks with a lot of flavor,” they came in 3 favors, original, sour cream & onion, and cheddar. Sadly, Quackers didn’t last long, maybe 4 years, but they were really tasty. So it is pretty exciting to see them on the shelves.
Back in the day, the pet stuff at Safeway could be found at the “Snoopy Pet Center.”
Next we head over to the produce section. We get an impressive shot of “The Melon Patch” signage, as well as the Flowers department with its Mylar balloons. Which I still thought were pretty exciting and futuristic in 1987.
Outside the Safeway, we get a great shot across the parking lot, where we see a fast food place I was surprised to see in Hawaii, Taco Time. Founded in the Pacific Northwest in 1960, the company began franchising in 1962. Taco Time opened its first location in Hawaii in 1979. Sadly, none are there nowadays.
Just for fun, I dug up this Safeway ad from the summer of 1987, which was the approximate time they were shooting this episode. I know you were all curious to see how much a cantaloupe from the “Melon Patch” would cost you back then.
Not every show will shoot on location, but I am glad when they do. This episode of Magnum takes the time to linger in the aisles and gives us a look at what supermarkets were like in 1987 in the realest way possible for a network TV show. They didn’t plan it at the time, but by doing so they allow future generations who enjoy the show to add something extra to their rewatching, time travel.
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Kids love dinosaurs. They can be awe-inspiring and frightening while still being far enough in the past to not be a real threat. I fell under the spell of dinosaurs when I first saw them in reruns of the TV show Land of the Lost, but it was an educational cassette recording about dinosaurs that really fired my imagination.
It was a spring day in NJ, and I was seated near a window next to a brand-new industrial-looking cassette player that had shown up in my classroom. This was some new attempt to making learning fun. So twice a week we were given time to pick a cassette and do what they called “free learning.” I really just wanted to stare out the window, but my teacher insisted I pick something and once I saw the dinosaur tape, it was easy.
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While I didn’t know the name of the tape at the time, it was Our Dinosaur Friends – For The Early Years by Art Barduhn. An entertaining and educational album about dinosaurs, it quickly won me over and for the next month I listened to it exclusively till the songs were entrenched in my head.
The tape, like most, has two sides. Side A is 7 tracks and contains 6 songs with lyrics and one track that is just narration. Side B is just instrumental with the 6 tracks. The hope is that you would learn the lyrics on Side A and then sing along with Side B. I didn’t know it at the time, but that would be an important part of my learning.
Here is the track listing:
A1 My Name Is Stegosaurus
A2 Pterodactyl
A3 Brontosaurus
A4 Triceratops
A5 Tyrannosaurus Rex
A6 Our Dinosaur Friends Song
A7 Narration
B1 My Name Is Stegosaurus (Instrumental)
B2 Pterodactyl (Instrumental)
B3 Brontosaurus (Instrumental)
B4 Triceratops (Instrumental)
B5 Tyrannosaurus Rex (Instrumental)
B6 Our Dinosaur Friends Song (Instrumental)
The record was produced by Art Barduhn who started his entertainment career on Seattle TV with the “King of Scandinavian Humor,” Stan Boreson. He would eventually move to Los Angeles, continuing to perform and make music. He was the creator of the successful Teddy Bear Series for Stepping Tones Records. But it was his work on this dinosaur album and its follow up in 1978 that put his name and music in my head.
The music and lyrics were provided by Barduhn and Pam Johnson. Johnson, according to the album sleeve, was an elementary school teacher and the director of music at a Methodist Church in Pasadena, CA. So, both brought musical skill to the record, but Johnson brought her background in education. Johnson sings on the record and is joined by Eric Miller and Wayne Parker would also add their voices to the record.
This album is filled with earworms, just give it a listen and hear it for yourself:
I don’t believe these songs would hold up to the scrutiny of modern paleontology, but for a kid in eighties New Jersey, they were irresistible. I found myself singing along constantly, but when it came time for my teacher to “test” me on what I had learned, I clammed up. It is not clear why, but I just couldn’t properly take the songs and explain these dinosaurs to her. So she did something I didn’t expect. She flipped the tape over and asked me to sing along with the album.
While my singing might not have been great, my retention of the information was complete, and I was awarded a positive grade for the assignment. Sadly, this would be the only time we did this style of learning in my school, but the memory of it has survived in my ongoing appreciation for this album. That is why I wanted to write about it.
Educational material is a timely genre. Its passing is often overlooked, buried under heaps of more commercial or personal nostalgia. How we teach and what we teach changes rapidly. While some things are probably okay to forget, an effective and entertaining teaching aid should not be. This not an album you pull out to teach kids about what is cutting edge in dinosaur science. But maybe we can learn something from its presentation, or just appreciate its charming simplicity.
Online, these albums can range in price from $10 to as much as $80, depending on condition. If you are lucky, though, you might find a copy in the discount bins at your local thrift store. So keep your eyes open.
For those who are willing to skip physical media, the album, and its follow-up, has been posted online repeatedly in video format. If you want the album in a more portable digital format, it was shared by the sphinx back in 2014, and it is still available there for download.
I want to leave you with my favorite song from the album, Tyrannosaurus Rex. Click the video to listen to the track and follow along with the lyrics below.
Every story seems to have a villain.Ours will be the reptile they call T. Rex.Chorus:Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.Tyrannosaurus Rex means tyrant king.He terrorized the countrysideAnd made the giant reptiles hide.Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.Tyrannosaurus Rex was a very mean king.If it wasn’t for him, we’d have a happy ending.Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.Mean and cruel was Tyrannosaurus Rex.Caught his victims by their necks.Repeat ChorusWalked on his back feet, for they were big and strong.Used his short front feet like we use our arms.Repeat Chorus
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In the early 2000s, I was working in an office with a co-worker who was obsessed with toys and video games. We got along well. I recognized most of the toys on his desk, but a couple that looked like a spandex clad superhero emblazoned with the Pepsi logo puzzled me. What I didn’t realize is that I was seeing a character that, while not well-known in the United States, was big in Japan, Pepsiman.
Starting off In the mid-1990s, as an advertising character. Pepsiman burst onto the scene and quickly became a phenomenon. With his bold red striped silver-clad suit, and the unmistakable Pepsi shield emblazoned across his chest, Pepsiman entertained and quenched thirsts. This quirky and unlikely hero quickly gained a cult following, becoming a cult icon in advertising and gaming. So let’s delve into the fascinating story of Pepsiman, exploring his origins, impact, and enduring legacy.
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The Origins of PepsimanPepsiman originated in Japan as part of a marketing campaign by PepsiCo that featured a series of commercials that ran from 1996 to 2003. As usual, in the mid-1990s, the Japanese unit of the company was looking for innovative ways to promote their flagship brand, Pepsi, and increase its popularity among younger consumers. Who, they correctly assumed, would take to this muscle-bound silver digital superhero.
The commercials are simple. Generally, someone is thirsty and they cut to Pepsiman speeding towards them. He arrives and delivers some Pepsi with a trademark open-mouthed soda-sounding “burp.” After delivering some refreshing cola, he would typically injure himself in some way. While, the character is compelling, it is these little moments of levity that make the commercials so memorable, and the character so endearing.
Many, if not all the commercials, appear to take place in the United States. While set in the US, the ads themselves have been crafted through the lens of Japan’s perception of the United States. That gives them a uniqueness that makes them hard to stop watching.
Pepsiman was created by designer, Takuya Onuki, who drew inspiration from the superhero genre and combined it with Pepsi's iconic color scheme and added a healthy dose of whimsy. The result was a unique and instantly recognizable character that won hearts and found its way outside of advertising.
Twist of LemonTo promote their Twist of Lemon version of Pepsi, they introduced two new characters to the Pepsiman universe, Lemon Pepsiman and Pepsiwoman. Lemon Pepsiman, looks just like Pepsiman, but with a Yellow ski mask that covers his entire head.
Pepsiwoman also wears the ski mask. She appears in only one commercial promoting the diet version of the Lemon Twist Pepsi.
Pepsiman MerchandiseMy first encounter with Pepsiman was through merchandise. He would appear on a bunch of apparel, but probably most famously, he was featured on bottle caps with Pepsiman figures on the cap. They would do multiple sets over the years.
Some featuring Pepsiman injuring himself:
Others of Pepsiman with some foods that go well with Pepsi:
But probably the best set is the ones that featured Pepsiman interacting with the Universal Monsters!
But the fun didn’t stop there. In addition to those small bottle caps, he would be on this large electronic bottle cap.
These windup toys.
And, what I think is my favorite offering, this digital watch.
Just point your browser to eBay and marvel at all the merchandise they made. I have a long-running saved search there, and over the years many surprises have popped up that I didn’t expect.
All this merchandise is fun, but it’s not how most people outside of Japan are going to know this character. They will know him through his appearance in video games. Both his own and an appearance in Fighting Vipers.
Pepsiman: The Video GamePepsiman’s video game debuted in 1999 on the original PlayStation console. Developed by KID, the game featured Pepsiman as the only playable character. He is tasked with delivering Pepsi to thirsty consumers in a variety of challenging levels. Players have to guide Pepsiman through different environments, collecting Pepsi cans while avoiding obstacles.
This game is one giant advertisement, but it’s a creative one, and very playable. It also has some very unusual videos in the game.
They are of a real actor, named Mike Butters, drinking Pepsi, and they help to forward the story When you first see the footage, it is slightly confusing, but it works well and adds to the quirkiness of the game. Done to keep costs low, they work just as well if not better than an animated video.
The game's fast-paced and action-packed nature, combined with its humorous, and lighthearted tone, made it popular among gamers in Japan. But although publishers in the United States looked into publishing it, the game remained a Japanese exclusive.
As I mentioned, this game is why a lot of people know this character. Why? The internet. As online videos started to become popular on YouTube, people who featured video games started to discover or rediscover the game. That coverage combined with the game’s uniqueness have helped spread the word.
If you do not have access to a PlayStation, you can still have the Pepsiman experience thanks to the Internet Archive. They host a bunch of PlayStation games, all playable through browser emulation.
Pepsiman: The Global PhenomenonDespite being released only in Japan, Pepsiman would eventually gain international attention and became a global phenomenon. The game's unique and quirky premise, coupled with Pepsiman's distinctive appearance, captured the imagination of gamers and non-gamers alike around the world.
Pepsiman's popularity was further boosted by PepsiCo's clever marketing campaign, which in addition to the series of TV commercials, also featured print ads, and promotional events. Pepsiman has become a niche, but recognizable figure not just among gamers, but also in wider popular culture. Will Pepsiman return? Will his next set of adventures be more global? We can only wait and hope.
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When I was a kid, there was a candy that I used to buy before school called "Chewy Chalk." It was a strange candy that resembled a piece of chalk in both shape and size. Maybe it was a bit smaller than regular chalk? I am not sure, I was young and everything looked larger back then. The outside was covered in this white powder, but it had a soft, chewy cherry flavored interior that was nothing like actual chalk.
I thought I was clever, and I used to try to eat it during class at school, thinking that I wouldn't get in trouble because it looked like chalk. Which I know makes no sense to an adult, but it seemed very reasonable when I was a kid. Of course, the teachers eventually caught on when dozens of kids had the same idea, and Chewy Chalk was effectively banned from the school. Still, it remained a popular treat for kids in my town outside of school.
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Chewy Chalk was born in 1987. It was deep in that time period when novelty candies were all the rage and was made by the now-defunct Leaf Candy Company, which also produced other classic candies like Milk Duds, Sixlets, and Jolly Ranchers. Yes, a version of Leaf still exists today and sells candy, but it is not exactly the same company that made Chewy Chalk.
The novelty of the chalk-like appearance helped sell the candy, but the strong cherry flavor kept you coming back for more. One of the most interesting things about chewy chalk was its texture. It was soft and chewy on the inside, which I thought was delicious, but the white stuff added an interesting wrinkle via texture.
When they rolled it out in 1987, they went big with ads in comic books where you could send away for a Chewy Chalk calculator. They also used the brand in a Space Camp contest that Leaf was sponsoring. (I want that calculator!)
And here is the Space Camp Essay contest entry form, also from 1987. Anyone who sent in their essay by October 31st would automatically get a Space Camp patch!
It was a reasonably priced candy for the time. I would buy it for about 25 cents a pack. I don't think they ever made larger or fun-sized packages of it. That's a shame, I think it would have made a great Halloween treat.
Despite its popularity, Chewy Chalk had a relatively short lifespan. I can't find much about the candy as we rolled into the Nineties. So if it did exist then, it was difficult to find.
Why did it go away? Maybe it wasn't as popular as it could have been? Perhaps it was due to concerns about its chalk-like appearance and the potential for kids to mistake it for actual chalk?
Looking back on it now, it's not too hard to understand why we were so drawn to a candy that looked like chalk. There was something subversive about trying to sneakily eat candy in school. That, combined with a well-made product, was a potent combo. Chewy Chalk was fleeting, but remains a unique part of candy history. It will always hold a special place in the hearts (and taste buds) of those of us who got to try it.
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On this all new episode of the Retroist Podcast, I talk all about the sometimes overlooked transforming robot toys, The Gobots.
Let's take a journey back in time to the Great Adventure amusement park of the late seventies through the magic of digitized home movies.
Do you have an Atari 2600? Want to play it on your Modern HD television? This little guide should help you get started quickly and with very little investment.
When Donkey Kong Junior came out on the ColecoVision, my friend got a copy. It quickly became an obsession for me and I become a frequent and as it turns out, unwanted guest.
It only last a few years, but Simba soda left its mark on a thirsty public. A lemon citrus beverage, it is well-remembered by those who tried it, but sadly couldn't find a wide audience.
In the eighties, I developed a problem with 976 phone numbers. Frequently calling to listen to movie or cartoon characters. It was a strange, but pricey fixation, and eventually I had to face the consequences for ringing up high phone bills.
On this all new episode of the Retroist Podcast, I talk all about the 1986 childhood-damaging animated classic, Transformers the Movie.
On this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I talk all about the amazing Marvel Comics run of, The Transformers. I discuss the people who made it happen, the differences between the US and UK version, and much more.
On Part 2 of the Retroist Podcast's ongoing series on The Transformers, I continue our walk down memory lane by covering the iconic 80s cartoon, from its rushed beginnings to its longer term cultural impact.
Let's reminisce about the good old days of Transformers toys and their iconic Rubsigns. When the simple yet magical act of rubbing a sticker to reveal a hidden logo captured our imagination and remains a beloved part of the franchise's history.
In this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I reflect on my personal experiences playing with the original Transformers toys as a kid, their origins, history, and lasting popularity.
On this new episode of the Retroist Podcast, I talk all about the 1989 sci-fi buddy cop TV show, Alien Nation. This is an amazing show that exceeded the film and was canceled way too soon. Join me as a take a look back at this wonderful series.
I wanted to move away from Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, but my players were resistant until Wizards of the Coast stepped in and saved the day.
On this new episode of the Retroist Podcast, I talk all about the 1988 sci-fi buddy cop classic, Alien Nation. This is a great film with relatable themes that led to a great TV series. I hope I can persuade you to check it out or rewatch it.
One of my early jobs was working at CVS. It was an interesting place to work, and it prepared me for my future years working in mall retail.
On this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I discuss the 1989 romantic comedy classic, When Harry Met Sally. This film is expertly constructed and worthy of your time. Hopefully by talking about it today, I can persuade you to check it out or revisit it.
On this episode of the Retroist Podcast I talk all about the Bill Murray Christmas classic, Scrooged. I enjoy this rough gem of a film and I hope I can convince you to rewatch or discover it for the first time.
On the newest episode of the Retroist Podcast, I talk all about “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.” It is a rare instance of a film and sequel both becoming holiday classics.
In November 1983, Toy "R" Us sent out this pre-Christmas sale circular. It is filled with all the great toys that would make 1983 such a memorable year. So let's take a look at what you might have received for Christmas in 1983.
It is not every day that we get a new flavor of SPAM. So I picked up some Limited Edition Holiday SPAM Figgy Pudding and fried it up to try it out.
On this all new episode of the Retroist Podcast, I talk about the 1990 film classic, Home Alone. This movie was a massive runaway hit and I hope you enjoy taking a look at it with me.
Over forty years ago, Lee and Netteka recorded a tape for a friend in the United States about their trip from the United Kingdom to Italy. I picked this tape up at a thrift store and thought I would share this bit of Found Audio.
In the late 70s, electronic toys were all the rage. Jumping on the trend, Mattel released a memorable and successful musical toy, the Magical Musical Thing.
In 1978, Disco TV peaked when Hot City hit the airwaves. While it only lasted a season, this memorable show encapsulated how many Americans perceived disco at the time.
Something Wicked This Way Comes is a film drenched in nostalgia. On today’s episode of the Retroist Podcast, I discuss this underrated and wildly entertaining Disney film.
Friday the 13th: The Series was a great TV show that was ahead of its time. On today's episode of the Retroist Podcast, I dive into this classic bit of TV horror, and hopefully I can convince you to revisit it or check it out for the first time.
In 1995, McDonald's released a Happy Meal where you could get an audio cassette with scary sound effects. I picked one up at a flea market a year later and have been enjoying it every Halloween since then.
On this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I take a look at the 1981 horror film, Ghost Story. With its amazing cast and talented director, Ghost Story hearkens back to the golden age of classic, spooky storytelling.
I got my first Adult Happy Meal today. While I think the box could use some work, the toy was strangely compelling, and I think I will be trying to collect 'em all.
The Sega Dreamcast was an amazing console that should have cemented Sega as an ongoing player in the console wars, but sadly it failed. On this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I discuss the rise and too quick fall of this wonderful system.
In 1957, Fizzies hit stores, and they were quickly snatched up by bubble beverage-loving Americans. Their success and availability were disrupted by the loss of one of its sweeteners, but that has not stopped Fizzies from making multiple comebacks over the years.
K·B Toys was the premier mall-based toy store for decades, but sadly it didn't survive. On this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I discuss the rise and fall of this storied purveyor of toys.
In the early 1980s, trivia mania swept across America. The cause? A board game from Canada that no one saw coming, Trivial Pursuit. On this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I look at the history of this long-running phenomenon.
Twenty-five years ago, Netflix solved a BIG problem for movie lovers. Me included, it changed how I watched movies and motivated me to buy a DVD player.
Some trends are brief, but still memorable. Hasbro's PoGo Bal was everywhere for about a year in the 1980s before slowly disappearing. Let's take a look at the rise and fall and rise again of this bouncing wonder.
Riptide was an excellent TV show that combined light-hearted action with science fiction and detective elements in a compelling package. On this new Supporter episode of the Retroist Podcast, I talk all about this overlooked show.
The Six Million Dollar Man was not only a great show, but it spawned a toy line. It was very popular and would influence the toy market well beyond the run of the show. On today's show, I take a fun and casual look at some of the great toys they produced for this iconic series.
We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. Better, stronger, faster. Did you guys love “The Six Million Dollar Man” as much as I did?
If so, you might want to check out the latest episode of the Retroist Podcast, where I talk all about this iconic ‘70s sci-fi/action series. At the time, it was the most successful superhero TV show ever made. It even spawned a successful spinoff and managed to survive in TV-movie-form for a decade after the show was canceled.
Forsaken by its maker in 2019, forlorn fans still clamor for the silky feel and the smell of summer that was, Bain de Soleil Orange Gelée.
Let’s reflect on the rise of Bain de Soleil alongside the advent of modern tanning, and its fall in parallel with changing norms. We’ll look back at a product so captivating that people will spend small fortunes just to relive the experience.
While not for everyone, TV Edit Horror has become its own sub-genre that is enjoyed by many. For the more timid, it acts as a bridge that gradually introduces them to horror. I was one of those people, and I am still a fan.
In 1985, the sci-fi comedy, Real Genius, hit theaters. Perhaps ahead of its time, its message made it a bit different from many other college-themed films that had come before it.
While not a blockbuster, the film would develop a cult following and had a great run on cable TV and home video.
Willow is a charming fantasy film from 1988 that often gets overlooked. On this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I look at the conception, production, and reception of this wonderful movie.
For over 30 years, one cookie has embodied FUN with its fun tastes, fun shapes, fun colors, and fun ingredients...the E.L. Fudge Cookie from Keebler.
What does E.L. Fudge stand for? When were E.L. Fudges born? How have their elfin lives evolved over time? Who are those elves anyway and what are they trying to convey with their cryptic cookie messages?
Grab your lute, call your fellow adventurers, and join me as I summon up memories of the highly influential, and very replayable, 1985 video game computer classic, The Bard's Tale.
We'll explore the game's premise, gameplay, development, reception, and legacy. Along the way we'll enjoy some delightful music and retro advertising, plus you'll hear how I was initiated into the game when I was a kid.
In 1976, The Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz, blew into Sesame Street. It was a great appearance by the originator of the role, Margaret Hamilton. Unfortunately, the segments were judged to be too intense, and the episode was locked away, until now.
In 1987, McDonald's started a clothing line in partnership with Sears. That relationship didn't last, but it has spawned a spinoff brand that has lasted for decades, McKids.
Today's show is all about the 1983 cult classic film, Krull. This memorable film has a great cast, wonderful score and one of the coolest throwing weapons to ever appear on-screen.
On this new supporter episode of the Retroist Podcast, I discuss the teen romantic comedy classic, Sixteen Candles. This is a fun film that encapsulates what many people think of when they say "Eighties."
The latest Retroist Podcast show is here! Come on a journey with us into the magical shrinking world of Shrinky Dinks!
We'll tell you all about the creation of Shrinky Dinks; its inventors; its rise, fall, and resurgence in popularity; as well as other applications of the technology behind the colorful polystyrene toy.
In 1973, Shrinky Dinks began appearing on store shelves, and home craft play time would never be the same. Let's take a look back at the history of this amazing toy, from its birth in the 1970s, through the dizzying height of the 1980s, its 1990s low point and its rebirth as we moved into the new millennium.
On an all new Retroist Podcast Special, supporters of the show share some of their own memories of things I discussed this season.
Pizza Huts' Priazzo came on the heels of the massively successful Personal Pan Pizza. While it might not have been the hit Pizza Hut hoped, it was an influential creation, that is still well-remembered by many.
The Love Boat is a classic show filled with a talented cast and an amazing array of guest stars. On this episode of the podcast, I board the Pacific Princess to discuss the series.
I have a handful of older phones that had just been gathering dust, but now thanks to a simple Bluetooth device I can easily make and receive calls on them using my mobile connection.
For over 15 years, The Nickelodeon Super Toy Run fired up the imagination of kids across America. Let's take a look back at this remarkable annual event from its birth in 1984 all the way up to the final run in 2000.
On this episode of the podcast, I discuss Emergency! A TV show with a great cast that effortlessly combined the medical drama and action-adventure genres while popularizing the idea of paramedics and EMS in America.
On this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I discuss the often overlooked disc video format, Capacitance Electronic Disc or CED. This technology is dying quickly, I hope people can learn a little about it and appreciate it before it is gone completely.
On this all new episode of the Retroist Podcast, I talk about the arcade classic, Mappy. This often overlooked game should be in everyone's top 10. Hopefully I can persuade you to try it.
In 1975, a paper cup design, "Orange and Yellow Flowers," was unleashed upon the world. While not as well-remembered as the "Jazz" design, it would be a staple in homes and restaurants for decades.
Coca-Cola released a brand-new limited edition flavor called Starlight. I picked some up today and share my initial impressions on this "space flavored" soft drink.
In 1983, Pizza Hut released their Sports Bag. Commonly referred to as the Bag Bag, it wasn't an uncommon site for decades after the promotion ended.
The infamous party rock 'n' roll music used in Adam-12 is a popular subject amongst its longtime watchers. One talented fan took it upon themselves to recreate the song for the world to enjoy.
Mac Tonight was a smash success, but quickly faded from the scene, only to be revived by Mcdonald's sporadically. On this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I look at the history of this famed spokesmoon.
In 1988, 7 Up introduced a new product that they were sure was going to take the world by storm, 7 Up Gold. Unfortunately, they forgot to ask the world if it wanted 7 Up Gold.
The Nova Rotating Pyramid CD/Cassette Stereo from RadioShack might not have been the best sounding stereo system, but what it lacked in power it more than made up for in commitment to a theme.
In 1989, the film classic, The Wizard, was released. While not a smash hit at the time, it has grown into a cult classic. In this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I discuss this film that is a lot more than just a feature-length commercial for Nintendo.
In the spring of 2021 I spotted a Muttley stuffed animal in a crane game at my local supermarket. Over the next 8 months, I would make repeated attempts to win him. I am happy to announce that my quest is over and Muttley is finally free and home with me.
In 1983, Atari released an official set of wireless joysticks. While they didn't set the gaming world on fire, they did offer a glimpse of the wire-optional gaming world we enjoy today.
In 1987, Sid Meier’s Pirates! was released. It is a near perfect game that gets overshadowed by Meier’s other colossal accomplishment, Civilization. On this Retroist Podcast, I take a deeper look at the game’s inception, development, and follow-ups.
In the mid-eighties, LJN starting selling realistic-looking water guns under the Entertech label. They were controversial among many groups, but for at least one summer they were the hottest toys on my block.
In 1978, Funstuf released the Incredible Hulk Rage Cage. A delightfully simple, but visceral toy set that allowed kids of all ages to live out their Hulk-rage fantasies.
The Wizard was a short-lived show, but it captured the imagination of many who were lucky enough to see it. On this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I talk about this cult classic 80s TV show.
Mac Tonight was McDonald's spokesmoon for just a few short years, but he was a runaway success who is still well-remembered today. Let's take a look at the creation, success, and history of this delightful moon-headed singer.
In 1974, The Year Without a Santa Claus, expanded the Christmas character canon by giving us more Mrs. Claus and introducing the Miser Brothers. On this episode of the show, we take a look at this holiday classic.
To help get into a festive mood, I gathered together some of my favorite Christmas-themed fast-food commercials for a new supporter Retroist Podcast.
The Atari Lynx is a great "what if" in the history of hand-held consoles. Far from perfect, it was an interesting alternative to the Donkey Kong-sized gorilla that was the Game Boy. On this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I take a look back at the rise, fall, and legacy of the Atari Lynx.
McDonald's might not have been the first fast food chain to introduce a breakfast menu, but when they did, it took America by storm. On this supporter episode of the Retroist, I discuss the history of McDonald's breakfast.
On this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I discuss the 1983 cult classic TV show, Automan. This TRON-influenced show was short-lived, but it is well-remembered by people who watched it at the time.
As a tie-in with Ghostbusters II, they launched a cereal-based contest where you could win a meeting with a Real Ghostbuster. It was mini-record based and brought in Maurice LaMarche, who played Egon on the Real Ghostbusters, to read for the record.
In 1995, the techno-thriller, "The Net," hit theaters. It was a box office success, but it was also way ahead of its time on issues related to privacy and security that are still important today. On this episode of the Retroist, I take a look at this Nineties classic.
Taco Bell's Bell Beefer had a long lineage that stretched back to the start of the franchise. Let's take a look at the evolution of this gone, but not forgotten, fast food sandwich.
In 1983, Gates McFadden appeared in a commercial for The National Enquirer. While she appeared in a few things before and after, it was this commercial I remembered her for when she made her first appearance on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
My family had about a half dozen of the Burger King Toy Chariots. While the functionality they feature in the commercial is a lie, it was still a fun free toy to get.
In the eighties, Pierre Cardin lent its name to a host of products, ranging from cigarettes to stereo systems. Let's take a look at the Pierre Cardin Environment 2000 AM/FM Stereo Cassette System.
In 1967, Rankin/Bass' Mad Monster Part was released in theaters. A couple of years later they would start showing it on TV and for many it became a Halloween tradition. The newest episode of the Retroist Podcast is all about this underrated holiday classic.
In 1981, a group of friends got together to play Dungeons & Dragons. One of those friends captured the session on 8 mm film, and it makes for a wonderful time capsule of the era.
In the mid-eighties, Hamburger Helper released Pizza and Tacobakes. They were a fun variation on the original Hamburger Helper formula that are well-remembered by many today.
In 1990, Nintendo, in partnership with Revlon, released Super Mario Bros. shampoo and bubble bath. It only lasted a few years, but it made bath time more enjoyable and was a favorite for many young gamers.
In the 1970s, Burger King was already selling a Mustard Whopper. This zingy mayo-free alternative survived in certain areas of the US for over a decade and is still available as a "secret menu" option.
On the newest episode of the Retroist Podcast, I take a look back at the 1985 horror comedy classic, Re-Animator, starring Jeffrey Combs.
In 1982, TSR released their Administrator Screens for Top Secret. While not a history changing release, its useful tables and charts were what many players found themselves staring at for hours while playing this spy RPG.
In 1998, McDonald's released The Ronald and Pals Haunted Halloween Happy Meal Toys. These masked citizens of McDonaldland were great for holding candy and getting people into the spirit of the holiday.
On this Supporter Episode of the Retroist Podcast, I discuss the Atari 2600 game from Parker Brothers, GI Joe Cobra Strike.
In 1980, Burger King released a Roast Beef Sandwich. It had everything you might want in a specialty sandwich, but it just couldn’t find an audience. Just over a year later, it had completely disappeared.
GI Joe: The Movie went straight to video in 1987. It introduced a slew of new fun characters and has one of the best GI Joe vs. Cobra fights ever animated in the first five minutes.
I always treasured any catalogs that came with my toys. Good ones, like this 1985 offering from Lego, fired up the imagination with great photos and illustrations.
If you were growing up in the Nineties, you probably remember Betty Crocker's Fruit Gushers. Born in 1992, Fruit Gushers are still available today.
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero was one of the definitive cartoons of the eighties. While it accomplished its goals of selling toys, it also brought a very talented group of people together to create an enduring and well-remembered TV show.
On the newest Supporter Episode of the Retroist, I talk about the arcade classic, Zaxxon.
GI Joe hit comic shelves in 1982 and would run for over a decade. On this episode of the Retroist Podcast I discuss the book, the talent behind it, and its rise and fall.
Plastic cereal premiums used to be common. Nowadays they are extremely rare and I get excited whenever I spot one. I was happy to add my first of the Kellogg's Bowl Buddies to my collection today.
As a tie-in with the film Ghostbusters Afterlife a brand new cereal has been released. Is it good? Do I have what it takes to be a Ghostbuster? Who is that breakout character on the back of the box?
The resurgence of GI Joe in the 1980s was a high water mark for toys during that decade. On this episode of the Retroist Podcast I take a look at the history of the figures leading up to this monumental toy release.
In 1978, Texas Instruments' Speak & Spell made its public debut. Soon it would become a household name. It entertained children around the world and was integral in a certain alien's attempt to phone home. Learn all about it in this detailed history of the Speak & Spell.
I am happy to announce the next season of the Retroist Podcast is on its way. Here is what you can expect to hear this season.
In the 1990s my family, like many others, discovered the Outback Steakhouse. The first visit triggered a multi-year love affair with the chain. Looking at this old menu now triggers longing for huge portions and memories of a full aching stomach.
They started showing Animalympics on HBO just in time for the 1984 Olympic Games. I enjoyed watching the athletes in the real Olympics that year, but I LOVED watching my favorite animated animals compete in their own games and I haven't stopped watching it since then.
In the 1980s I owned an Aiwa CS-210 Boombox. I am not sure when it died, but its been lost to me for decades. That was until I found this beautiful diamond in the rough while at a thrift store.
The newest Supporter Episode of the Retroist Podcast is all about the electronic talking teaching wonder, the Speak & Spell.
From the early to mid Nineties, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were making appearances at Disney-MGM Studios. I only got to see them on one visit, but it made a lasting impression.
To finish this season of the Retroist, I asked some people to share some of their own memories of subjects I covered during this season. I put them together in a new episode I am calling the "Memories Special."
In 1987, Sid Meier's Pirates! was released. It is a near perfect game that gets overshadowed by Meier's other colossal accomplishment, Civilization. So I thought I would take a deeper look at the game's inception, development, and follow-ups.
On this all-new Supporter episode of the Retroist Podcast, I discuss the 1985 cult classic superhero tv show, Misfits of Science.
I recently upgraded my TV antenna and was able to more than double the number of over the air channels I receive on my television in the middle of a large city.
A few months ago I jumped into the world of MiSTer FPGA and it has been amazing. Here is how I got started, the items I bought, the tutorials I watched, and the people I follow.
For this Supporter Only Podcast I decided to take a look at some of the best (and my favorite) commercials that Pizza Hut has released over the years.
Before I started playing official Dungeons & Dragons products, I tried making up my own game with the only dice I had around. This is my first attempt to recreate the game in writing.
On this episode of the Retroist Podcast I take a look at the history of the pizza-producing powerhouse Pizza Hut from its humble origins to its current status as a globally recognized food brand.
Sprinkled Chips Ahoy appeared in stores in 1990. They didn't taste very different than standard Chips Ahoy, but they were still a lot more fun to eat.
On this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I talk about the ground-breaking game, King's Quest. This was a genre redefining game brought to the world by the brilliant Roberta and Ken Williams.
Toufayan Snuggles Hot Dog Buns were like no other hot dog bun. They aren't being made anymore, but comments by the company keeps hope of a revival alive.
The LaserDisc lasted for over two decades and was very influential on the optical formats that would follow in its footsteps. On this episode of the Retroist Podcast I discuss the LaserDisc from its inception to its demise just after the turn of the millennium.
In 1968, Kentucky Fried Chicken jumped into a new market and opened its first Kentucky Roast Beef Restaurant. It was a short-lived chain with explosive growth and a quality product. So what went wrong?
Quincy ME was a groundbreaking show with a passionate and charismatic lead actor, Jack Klugman. It is one of my favorite TV shows and I am happy to cover it as my 250th episode of the Retroist Podcast.
People are always debating the merits of pineapple on pizza, but what about pineapple on a burger?
I have decided to take the research tangents that I enjoy while working on podcasts and blog posts and put them in a new newsletter, "The Act of Discovery."
I picked up a box of Limited Edition Lucky Charms that claims it would turn my milk green. I was not disappointed.
In 1985, Pepsi embraced the Transforming robot fad. They not only released a handful of branded GoBot style toys but also made a commercial featuring transforming soda machines.
The McRib is a fascinating bit of food science that refuses to be defeated. Time and again when it has been counted out, it starts appearing again. On this episode I discuss its history, creations and ability to endure.
The ColecoVision is a legendary console with a relatively short life, that peaked in popularity in 1983. Did you ever wonder how much one would have cost you then and what that would run you today?
The Atari Jaguar didn't last long, but it was an interesting attempt by an iconic company to jump back into an industry they helped to define. On this episode of the Retroist Podcast I discuss this too short-lived console.
Supporters over on Patreon have spoken and the first supporter-only episode of the Retroist Podcast is all about the McDonald's Roast Beef Sandwich.
Everyone knew that The Empire Strikes Back was going to be a big hit, not just in the theaters, but in toy stores. Here are 25 amazing minutes of footage of WABC reporter Peter Bannon at a Toys R Us on May 21, 1980.
In Search Of was a show that dealt with the mysterious and unexplained phenomena. Hosted by Leonard Nimoy, it was a popular show at the time and a cult hit now. It was also more influential on modern television than you realize.
Almost as soon as they started selling Golden Grahams, they started publishing recipes for Golden Grahams S'mores. While they have packaged this in bar form, it was never as good as the original. So with the release of Retro Recipe Golden Grahams, I thought I would revisit this old favorite of mine.
Premiering in 1979, Supertrain was one of the most expensive TV shows of its time. Billed as a sort of Love Boat on a nuclear-powered bullet train, the show bombed and helped to nearly bankrupt a major TV network.
Batman '89 was a cultural phenomenon. Its a good film, but the deeper you got into Batman and embraced Batmania, the more enjoyable it is. So join me as I jump back to 1989, put on my cowl and talk about Batman.
In 1993, the Pizza Hut Bigfoot Pizza left a big cheesy footprint on America's dinner table. It was two square feet of pizza at a bargain price that is well remembered by pizza fans who were low on cash and blimp crash enthusiasts. Yes, this story has a blimp crash.
In 1982, a news report was filed from the computer and video game department of Sears. They shot a lot of "B-Roll" and the result is a wonderful video time capsule of some standout technology from that year.
Defender is a fast-paced and innovative game, that belongs up there in the pantheon of most influential early arcade games. Not only was it a mega-hit, but it put into motion game trends that would help to define modern gaming.
In 1978, Ronald McDonald got his own comic strip featuring all the great characters from McDonaldland. A year later it was gone, but thanks to the effort of a dedicated fan, you can finally find the entire run in print once again.
In this episode of the Retroist Podcast I discuss the 1991 classic, The Rocketeer. This cult classic was epic in scope and has a slew of dedicated fans. I am one of them and couldn't wait to cover it in an episode.
In 1987, Coleco released the Couch Potato Pal. While not as big a hit as the Cabbage Patch Kid, the Couch Potato has a dedicated fanbase and an interesting history.
It is time for a new season of the Retroist Podcast. Season 13! After over a decade of podcasting I am making some changes to how I do things.
In 1975 Sesame Seed Doritos landed in some markets in the United States. While they didn’t set the world on fire, they are fondly remembered by many and it is time to bring them back.
The 1979 JCPenney Christmas Catalog is a wonderland of toys. Action Figures and Video Games are just starting to move front and center, yet not everything is defined by franchises. So let's take a look back at a few of the toys that made this catalog so great.
The Orange Whip was a fountain style non-alcoholic beverage that was served all around the United States. Now it is mostly remembered as a humorous reference in The Blues Brothers. I decided to try and recreate the original drink from memory.
A year after Right Said Fred's hit "I'm Too Sexy" hit the charts, they started using it in a JC Penney Commercial. My mother would discover it and this song, which had long since faded as a hit, would get played for another solid year in our house.
In 1988, Die Hard would hit theaters and action films would never be the same again. It is a film that would alter our heroes, the expectations of our villains, and would eventually make people question their definition of Christmas films.
Addams Groove was just one component of a marketing juggernaut that helped make The Addams Family a success. With all that stuff out there, it might be easy to overlook the Addams Groove. But for me, this song is tied to the film and was the soundtrack to my winter in 1991.
In 1985 a Scott Adams text adventure was released based on the film The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension. Let's take a look at it.
Die Hard is an amazing movie, but did you ever notice the problem with the touchscreens at Nakatomi Plaza? Given time, this interface would eventually do more damage than Hans Gruber and all his cronies.
In late 1993, the Fox Network ran an X-Files promo where Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny speculate that perhaps Santa Claus is in fact an Extra-Terrestrial.
On today's New episode of the Retroist Podcast, I discuss Mr. Mom. A hit film that had a good run on cable television and entertained a generation. In recent years it has lost some of its momentum. I hope I can steer some people back to it.
In the early eighties the band, The Monroes, came out with a sound that magically blended guitar rock with synth music. It would perfectly encapsulate the new music that would dominate the early to mid-Eighties. Sadly it was a short-lived band, mostly remembered as a "one hit wonder," but if you give them a listen, I think you will hear how they are so much more than that.
In 1982 my obsession with Pac-Man briefly caused my family to buy a different type of bread just so I could get another copy of a single sticker that I already owned. It was a magical time to be alive.
People have been enjoying the McRib since 1981. It is a unique fast food offering with a complicated history. So let's take a look back at the rise, fall and rise again of this often elusive sandwich.
On this episode of the Retroist Podcast I discuss the 1978 sitcom, Diff'rent Strokes. Almost everyone I talk to has heard of this show, but I am surprised how many have not yet seen an episode. I hope I can change that.
Are you tired of being on the cutting edge of everything as it is reported in our 24 hour news cycle? Then why not point your time machine or browser to the past and start watching Old News.
Halloween styles change over the years and many costumes are very much of their era. I dug up some old photos of a New Jersey Halloween back in 1983 and found some great artifacts that typify that decade.
Halloween III: Season of the Witch has not always received the respect other Halloween films have gotten. It is time to abandon your expectations of a Michael Myers kill-fest and embrace the genius of a film that combines, Stonehenge, microchips and the catchiest horror film jingle ever made.
Teen Witch is a messy earnest mixture of teen fantasy, rap music, and magic. No wonder this 1989 film has earned a reputation as a cult classic.
In 1988, Freddy's Nightmare started being broadcast on TVs across America. A lot of people freaked out that a show this racy could make it onto over-the-air television and feared that it would confuse and desensitize youth. This, of course, just made the show more appealing to the youth they were trying to protect.
In 1973, WOR-TV (channel 9) launched a late night movie presentation called, Fright Night. It ran for 14 years and for many in the New Jersey and New York area, it would be our first exposure to many classic and not-so-classic horror films.
Fright Night is a 1985 horror classic that expertly combines horror, humor and a bit of self-awareness. On this episode of the Retroist Podcast I discuss the creation, success and enduring popularity of this amazing film.
In 1991, PepsiCo united two of its brands, Pepsi and Doritos, in a very memorable Halloween contest. The odds of winning a valuable prize were small, but the contest, with its Universal Monster's theming, was so great, we all won.
Time Traveler and Eighties icon, Marty McFly has a look that is not difficult to duplicate. With just a few pieces of clothing and accessories, you can recreate his look for cosplay, Halloween or just because it is amazing.
Retro Recipe Golden Grahams (Honey is Back) have hit store shelves. "Inspired" by the recipe that was used in the Eighties, the difference is subtle, but nice. Now they just need to bring back the retro packaging.
In 1975, Panasonic released the Sky-Lite Microwave Oven. It only lasted a few years, but its unique and memorable form-factor has made it stand out as a rebel in the rather bland history of microwave ovens.
In 1988, Nasta released Hit Stix. They promised to bring sound to air drumming. While they did make a sound, they were not the most dependable toy and the advertising might have been their greatest asset.
Sometimes a movie will teach you an unexpected, but useful lesson. In the movie WarGames we learn about the dangers of lapse computer security, but more importantly, we learn of a novel way to butter corn on the cob.
In the 1985 Magnum PI episode, "Little Games," Magnum crashed a very expensive computer playing the game "The Dungeon Master." Sadly, it is not a game that ever existed, but the creativity and artwork around it make it look like it would have been a lot of fun.
In the Seventies, the restaurant chain, Beefsteak Charlie's would begin to flourish in and around New York City. In 1984, they had 68 locations and were poised to go nationwide, but tastes began to rapidly change and by 1989, the chain filed for Bankruptcy.
Computronic makes tone perfect soundtracks for Eighties films that never existed. From concept, through casting and production, each is a wonderful throwback-style musical gem.
In 1965 catsup technology peaked and we were introduced to pizza flavor catsup. It has been over 50 years since it graced a burger or fries and it is time to bring it back.
Stan Freburg was a brilliant entertainer. The type who elevated advertising and made it hilarious and memorable. His style was clever and could border on the silly. You can see the DNA of it in movies like Airplane! and Naked Gun.
In 1990, Disney released Disneyland Fun on VHS. For many, myself included, it was more memorable than all of the Disney Animated Classics that would dominate VCRs that decade.
In 1979, Coca-Cola released this memorable Star Wars-themed intermission snipe, Star Snacks. With great visuals and haunting electronic audio, it should still be playing in movie theaters today.
In 1991, Nerf released the Turbo Screamer Football. This football not only went further than a standard Nerf Football, it also whistled while doing so. Over the years it has become a rarity and has developed a cult following.
Crap from the Past is a decades spanning radio show that dives deeply into pop music. Educating and entertaining, it should be a part of your listening routine.
Released on VHS and Laserdisc starting in 1988, Walt Disney Mini Classics were very popular in the video stores I worked at when I was younger.
Supermarket Sweep is a great gameshow that had an original run in the Sixties and an iconic run in Nineties. The show is now poised for a return, which makes it an ideal time to look back at the older versions.
Not exactly a racy scene, but this cut scene from the 1982 classic, TRON, adds interesting depth to its anthropomorphized computer programs.
"Power of Ten" is a wild ride. Starting with a closeup of a man sleeping near a lake, it makes its way quickly to the edge of the known universe. Then, just as quickly, it reverses course and descends down to the level of a carbon atom.
Video stores would get screeners that included promotional marketing pitches to help drive sales. They were usually low-budget, but that could lead to some amazing creativity like what you will see in this screener for A Nightmare On Elm Street 5.
The late eighties and early nineties were a desert for Star Wars fans. The best we could hope for were books and video games, but occasionally a small nugget of Star Wars hope would show up, like this interview with Lucas from 1992.
Elephant Films has announced that they are finally going to bring the cult horror TV classic, "Werewolf," to DVD. This wonderful show was first broadcast in 1987 and has never had a home video release.
Xanadu is a fun movie to watch. A big part of the fun is the music. While the soundtrack for Xanadu is available, it is missing some great tracks. Thankfully fans have put together this expanded version for your listening enjoyment.
Bubo was a highlight for me when watching the original Clash of the Titans. So I was very happy when I found a reasonably priced plastic Bubo to buy online. I just hope he become available again soon.
Ain't Gonna Eat My Mind would play intermittently on PBS in my area when I was a kid and I would watch it not fully comprehending how the stuff mentioned here was going on not too far from where I lived. It is a remarkable piece of history and well worth your time.
While they had existed before 1983, that was the years the Care Bears exploded in popularity. In addition to some amazing toys and animation, they also partnered with Buster Brown on some very memorable footwear.
Put together in 1976, the Star Wars teaser trailer attempts to sell a film that has not yet defined itself. It isn't perfect, but the pieces come together to make a compelling tease of a film that would make history.
Search for the Gods is a 1975 cult classic TV movie. Originally made as a pilot for a series that was to focus on the mythology of ancient aliens, it works very well as a standalone film and is available to watch online.
On this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I discuss the Inhumanoids. This toyline and animated series combined, humor, horror, sci-fi and animation like no other. It is well worth your time.
Enjoli is a perfume that I couldn't pick out of a lineup, but it had an ad campaign that included an earworm based on the Leiber & Stoller classic, "I'm a Woman." So, over forty years later many of us still remember Anjoli.
Leon Neon was a short-lived glow-in-dark toy that was released in 1986 by Mattel. While not a huge hit, it had an ad campaign and cereal premium that made it very memorable. It also unleashed glow-in-the-dark tubing as a toy, a toy still sold today. So while they might not sell this brand, in some way Leon Neon continues to shine.
The Cap' Crunch Toy Shopping Spree Contest was escapist fantasy to be dreamed about while staring at the back of the box while eating bowl after bowl of this delicious crunchy cereal.
Missile Command is back with a new release for its 40th anniversary in the form of Missile Command Recharged. Not so much a re-imagining as an update. Recharged manages to stay true to the original while adding a few extra bells and whistles.
From late 1984 to early 1985, televisions and radios across the nation were blaring "Neutron Dance." A song by the Pointer Sisters that would be popularized by its inclusion in the "Beverly Hills Cop" soundtrack. It is a great song, but it was written for a completely different film, almost didn't get recorded, and nearly got removed from the film.
Was Brad Pitt always meant to be a giant star? Let's take a look back to an early stage in his career, when a shirtless Pitt ate Pringles by the beach with his friends and was captivated by a bear.
In 1986, &-Up launched a wide ranging ad campaign that married 7-Up with refreshing rain imagery. The "Feels So Good Comin’ Down" ad campaign didn't last as long other 7-Up campaigns, but it was so well done and ubiquitous that many people remember it.
Video game Journalism was a lot slower in the Eighties. Here we see the release of E.T. for Atari, which was a pretty big deal at the time, lagging behind for months in the print news.
The Saturday Morning Cartoon, "It's Punky Brewster," ran for a remarkable two seasons during the eighties. While similar in premise to many cartoons of the era, it managed to do better than others by keeping quality high and bringing much of the talented live-action cast onto the show.
Want to master the arcade classic, Dig Dug? This strategy guide from 1983 will not only give you some tips and tricks for playing, but will show you the patterns you will need to follow to defeat level after level.
After the success of E.T. a store was opened near Universal Studio Tours for people to buy all sorts of E.T, merchandise. It is not clear what lurked on the shelves of this wondrous store, but I imagine it would have been magical and costly to visit.
Gator Gum was a surprisingly long-lived gum that I absolutely loved. It has an intense strong flavor that almost made your mouth hurt, but it was the perfect cure for what their ads called "Dry Mouth."
At the turn of the millennium, Hostess introduced a nearly forgotten snack treat, the Leopard. A Twinkie with spots made from soft chocolate chips, the Leopard didn't last long, but it is well remembered by its fans.
The Mattel Aquarius is merely a blip in the history of computers. But to some people, this was their first machine. On this episode of the Retroist Podcast I take a look at the Mattel Aquarius. A computer that wanted to be more than it turned out to be.
Furskin Bears were a follow-up toy from Cabbage Patch Kids designer, Xavier Roberts. Furskins never really caught on, but it was a great toy with a lot of potential with a low bar of entry for new collectors.
Like Cat vs. Mouse cartoon antics, but are tired of Tom & Jerry? Than why not check out the hilarious cartoons of Pixie & Dixie and Mr. Jinks.
Throughout the seventies and eighties, we were driven to the lemon lime sweetness by the even sweeter voice of one person, Geoffrey Holder. Holder was not only a great soda spokesperson, but a talented actor and artist.
Hägar the Horrible might not be well-know as an advertising character, but in the eighties he appeared a set of popular commercials and advertisements for Skol beer. A few years later he would appear in advertising for both IBM and Mug Root Beer.
I love to see a good robot triumph against the bad guys. If you are anything like me, you will want to check out this the famous Target Practice scene from the 1979 sci-fi classic, The Black Hole.
In 1977 Sears released an their exclusive Bat Machine. A three-wheeled beauty that might not have been as popular as the green machine, but might have been more compelling.
In 1988, commercials at the start of your VHS tapes was still a fairly new thing. Working in a video store, I was a captive audience for this new type of marketing and it has left its mark on me ever since.
Disney produced dozens of educational films in the Fifties. Many of which persisted at schools for decades. Because of this, I grew up learning all about being human from an anthropomorphic cricket.
If you watch "The Little Rascals" or "Our Gang" you probably have a favorite character. I liked Spanky and Alfalfa, but my favorite by far is Petey the dog. Here is a little video showing some behind the scenes work of the dog who would play Petey.
Before E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial became an iconic mega-hit, it was just another big summer movie. That means a trailer. While many of us remember the more famous full trailer, another teaser trailer preceded it. It is very different from the final and is a relic of a different time in trailer production.
In 1983, this wonderful live-action commercial for Donkey Kong Jr. on the ColecoVision hit the airwaves. It is an earnest mix of live-action and gameplay footage that left me wanting more of both.
The Kodak Disc was a technological marvel. It excelled at capturing the imagination and money of a whole lot of people. Sadly it didn't excel at taking photos. Nowadays people look back on it as an icon of the eighties, but many people might not realize what a costly failure it was for the company that made it.
In 1980, SPI released Dallas: The Television Role-Playing game. It might not be the best RPG, but it was the only one at its time that allowed my grandmother to connect her interests with mine.
As a kid, I wanted a Big Wheel. Then one Christmas this low to the ground wide wheeled contraption showed up under our Christmas tree. It wasn't at all what I wanted, but it would turn out to be one of the most memorable toys I would ever get.
For years I always thought the paperback cover art for Jaws by Robert Kastel was my favorite, but recently I picked up an original hardcover with art by Paul Bacon. Now I am not sure which is my favorite.
In 1976, DC Comics launched a toll-free hotline that crippled phone service and demonstrated the raw untapped power of comic book fandom to the world. Despite this (with some exceptions) It would take decades for the mainstream to realize the full commercial potential of comic books.
In 1982, Sears tried to capitalize on the upcoming release of the film, Annie. They created a fashion line and some branded toys. Sadly the film and the merchandise would ultimately under-perform.
In 1982, McDonald's released a Playmobil Happy Meal. Ultimately they were supposed to release five toys, but after two they were recalled because they were a choking hazard.
I want to feel the warm golden metallic glow of the late seventies and early eighties. I want to be serenaded by soft music while tapping my foot on dark thick carpeting. I want to be surrounded by greenery while a light breeze blows through plantation shutters. I want to live the LeisureWave Aesthetic.
In 2010, seemingly out of nowhere Warren Beatty put on the yellow trench coat once again and played Dick Tracy in a one time TV special. Its a strange creation with an interesting reason for existing.
Pillsbury Fudge Jumbles were a delicious fudgey oatmeal treat that I was suspicious of at first when I was a kid. Under my Grandmother's watchful eye, they would soon win me over and turn me into a lifelong fan.
Perhaps not as well-known as her fellow artist and husband, Jim Roslof, Laura Roslof was an early contributor to the art that would define Dungeons & Dragons.
A rumor stared circulating years ago that the makers of Dungeons & Dragons were trying to copyright the word, Nazi. This turned out not be true, but the background of why is a pretty interesting story.
In the early Seventies, Coca-Cola ran this ad touting its association with a selection of unique and not so unique burger combinations. Let's take a look at what paired well with a bottle of ice cold Coke in the "Me" decade.
I collect a lot of what I think are interesting facts over the course of a year. Typically I just left them in a doc to use in the future, but this year I thought I would share them here on the blog.
Incredible Hulk Instant Muscles were inflatable toy muscles you wore under your shirt. They could take you from zero to hulk bulked hero in just a few pumps. Sadly all that flexing and inflating was rough on these faux muscles, so not a lot of them have survived.
In 1982, a triumph of portable amateur photography hit the market, the Kodak Disc Camera. It would be greeted with much fanfare, but its reputation would quickly tarnish. So what went wrong with Disc Cameras?
Basic Programming for the Atari 2600 is a fascinating attempt to bring simple programming concepts to this low-powered system. Sadly it can be a frustrating experience for people trying it now, but back in the day it opened a very small window to what "could be" for many young wannabe programmers.
Happy Thanksgiving! On today's episode of the Retroist Podcast, I would like to talk to you about the late eighties holiday classic, Garfield's Thanksgiving.
Space Food Sticks did actually get their start as snacks for astronauts, eventually being utilized during a Skylab mission. Still they are more fondly and widely remembered as a commercial product with out of this world origins. So lets take a look back and celebrate this iconic treat.
Fast food restaurants no longer release collectible glasses like they did in the eighties. So through the magic of computers and poor art skills I attempt to capture what it might look like if they still did.
In 1982, during the height of E.T. mania, aired on CBS. Hosted by Robin Williams, it is an energetic tour of many sci-fi films and a snapshot of early 80s film famdom.
I finally return to the arcade, this time covering the vector-based masterpiece Tempest. I might be terrible at this game, but I am in love with its aesthetics.
In 1968, a new snack was born, the potato crisp known as the Pringle. Of course, an innovative snack like this needs a great mascot and they came up with a mustachioed character to adorn their new snack's cylindrical container. But do you know the name of this old timey looking fella? The answer might surprise you.
Happy Days introduced two sisters to the show that are still fondly remembered today, Pinky and Leather Tuscadero. Let's take a quick look back at these side characters and the out sized impact they had on the show.
In 1982, Burger Kings decided to add bacon to their double cheeseburger. It was embraced by consumers and became an enduring taste sensation.
In October of every year since 1992, Six Flags Great Adventure becomes costumed with the sights and sounds of Halloween during their annual haunt festival. In 1995, I visited for the first time and enjoyed it thoroughly.
On this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I talk about the 1987 TV horror show, Werewolf. This was a one season wonder produced by Frank Lupo that was part of the Fox Networks inaugural season. Unfortunately it just didn’t last. I start off by talking about how I found the show, but also what it…
Are you not happy with your sing-a-long options during the Halloween season? In 1966, the Peanuts released a set of Pumpkin Carols that should help this season be a bit more musical.
Do you remember Monkey's Blood or Mercurochrome? It was an antiseptic that burned like crazy, dyed your skin reddish orange and contained mercury. Oh and for seven decades parents loved the stuff.
In the 1984 episode of Magnum PI, Jororo Farewell, Magnum PI works to prevent the kidnapping of the prince of Jororo. His work takes him to an interesting location, the local arcade.
In the summer of 1999, while employed at a tech company, I traveled to Rome, NY to work at Woodstock '99. The excitement of the music festival quickly turned ominous and we fled in the middle of the night. It has been two decades since those hot few days in upstate New York and I thought I would share my memories of being there.
I wanted to talk to you a bit about the Retroist and the Retroist Podcast. Most of it lays out my reduced output and feelings about running the site. I cannot speculate what the future will be, but it will most certainly be something different.
Erol Otus was an early artist with the original makers of Dungeons & Dragons, TSR. His contributions are legendary at this point, but he continues to still be slightly enigmatic. So let's take a quick look at the work and career of this amazing artist.
I payed ten bucks a can to get my hands on some New Coke. I drank a bunch of it and I didn't like it. Oddly enough, this is exactly what I was hoping for. Proving that nostalgia can be very complicated.
Atari released a lot of good titles over the years. Unfortunately Basic Math is not one of them. Instead it is an overly simplified math game with limited replayability.
Barnstorming is an exceptionally attractive game for the Atari 2600. It is fun to play, but also has a secret. The game works really well as a multi-player title. So fire it up, pass around the joystick and enjoy this 1982 classic with some friends.
The Sahuagin are Dungeons & Dragons Monster royalty. Appearing at the birth of the game and continuing to be reinvented in every edition. Let's take a look at the early appearances and art of these "Devil Men of the Deep."
On the newest episode of the Retroist Podcast, I discuss the baseball comedy classic, Major League. This is a fun summer film about America's sport. I hope listening to the show might persuade you to check it out,
Starting with its Monster Card from 1983 by Jim Roslof, let's take a look at the development and many early appearances of the iconic Dungeons & Dragons Monster, the Red Dragon.
Atari Backgammon is a fun port of the ancient board game that works surprisingly well on the Atari 2600, especially in two-player mode.
Released in 1989, BMX Airmaster for the Atari 2600 is a great looking game with advanced gameplay. Unfortunately, the release in 1989 is deep into next generation console territory. So by the standards of the day, this game looks a bit primitive. Still it is a great game and worth tracking down for your collection.
The Neo-otyugh is one of two Gulguthra or "Dung-Eaters" in Dungeons & Dragons. Join me as a I take a look at the early history of this tentacled waste-eating monstrosity.
Have you ever wondered how to pronounce words used in Dungeons & Dragons? I tended to butcher the words until I found this wonderful pronunciation guide from 1985. It covers most of the more difficult words used in 1st edition AD&D
The mysterious underutilized Mihstu was a monster that peaked during Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition. It is an interesting creature with a twisting origin, so lets take a look at the Monster Card for the Mihstu and see what we can learn.
The Lizard Man in Dungeons & Dragons is a monster we all fight and unsurprising it hasn't changed much from its origin in 1975 through its appearance on this Monster Card by Jim Roslof.
Kobolds are in the DNA of Dungeons & Dragons. So let's take a look at the art for his ever-evolving monster, starting with the Jim Roslof Monster Card and moving onto its appearances in the 1st edition Monster Manual and 2nd edition Monstrous Manual.
The Grippli are a race of humanoid frog-like creatures that could make interesting allies to a party. That is, if they can overcome the grippli's monstrous appearance, as captured by Erol Otus, on this AD&D Monster Card.
The art for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Monster Card for the Giant Weasel is by Jim Roslof. The Giant Weasel does not get the respect it deserves, so lets take a look at the adorable blood draining killers. Perhaps it will inspire you to add one to your next gaming session.
On this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I tackle the 1988 cult classic, Mac and Me. Despite knowing that his film is unintentionally funny, I find it charming and worthy of watching unironically.
Imagic's Atlantis for the Atari 2600 is a beautiful game that is sadly undone by its shallow and repetitive gameplay. It only become challenging when you play at higher difficulty level.
Erol Otus' Ghoul is a terrifying undead creation. It uses its shard disease-ridden claws and bizarre body hair to take down even the most seasoned of adventurers. Break out your holy symbol, we are about to take a look at AD&D Monster Card for the Ghoul.
The Frost Giant, as captured by Bill Willingham, is grim and terrifying. Let's take a look at its AD&D Monster Card art and other early examples of this Norse flavored early D&D monster.
Astroblast was the Astromash port for the Atari 2600. It is a delightful instance of a port of a game, despite having lower graphics, is actually better than the original.
The DIsplacer Beast is a terrifying space-shifting feline that has been around for the entire time Dungeons & Dragons has existing. So let's take a look at the Monster Card that was released for it in 1982 and learn a little bit about the origins of this iconic creature.
Released in 1983, Assault is a decent game from Bomb. It is fast based with good graphics and interesting gameplay. I am happy to have it in my Atari collection.
The Giant Constrictor Snake is a powerful serpent that does not get much attention from the Monster Manual. In the AD&D Monster cards though, it gets a beautiful color illustration by the unmistakable Erol Otus.
Artillery Duel is a wonderfully made game filled with lots of features and solid Atari graphics. Unfortunately it is also painfully slow. Which makes it fun to try, but does not add much in the way replayability.
A legendary creature from mythology that is half human and half horse WITH art by Jeff Dee? Enjoy the AD& Centaur Monster card. It is amazing.
Alpha Beam with Ernie for the Atari 2600 is an attractive title with interesting graphics and quality sound. Unfortunately it lacks anything resembling real gameplay. This game was targeted at children, but I think anything above a toddler will get bored quickly.
The Barbed Devil was no joke. It is a challenge to even the most seasoned of adventurers. It is also, because of the Satanic Panic around Dungeons & Dragons, one the most polarizing cards from Set 1 of the AD&D Monster Cards.
Air Raid is a rare Atari 2600 game. I decided I had very little chance of finding one at a garage sale or flea market, so finally fired it up via emulator. I was very happy I did, its a clever little game with compelling, but frantic gameplay.
The Anhkheg is terrifying burrowing insect monster that can destroy even the most well-balanced party of adventurers. Let's take a look at its appearance in the 1st set of the 1981 AD&D Monster Cards.
Some games on the Atari 2600 just work best as two-player games. Air-Sea Battle is a middling game when played alone, but plug in that second joystick and invite a friend over and you have a delightful afternoon of video game fun ahead of you.
Adventure is one of the best games ever made for the Atari 2600. A feature rich title, with complex gameplay, it had tremendous replayability that still makes it an entertaining title today. It also happened to be the first video game to contain an Easter Egg.
Battle Chess was a game that made me laugh and kept me constantly entertained. Surprisingly though, it taught me nothing about how to win at chess.
In 1983, Activision's Enduro was released on the Atari 2600. It would quickly become my favorite racing game and a top 10 game for me.
(even though I never got the patch)
The commercial itself pretty much IS a music video, featuring the music and members of The Manhattan Transfer and their song, Birdland. It has a sterile industrial vibe with red/white/black color pallette that I always associate with new wave music and Mtv. Not with a vocal jazz group from the late 60s.
In 1983 Nerds candy was released by Wonka. They were a runaway hit. Over two decades later I bought a lot of Nerd Magnets, here is that story.
On this week's Retroist Podcast I discuss the 1980 comedy classic, "The Private Eyes," starring Don Knotts and Tim Conway. An underrated classic that I hope you will check out.
In the summer of 1978, Hoxie Bros Circus came to Secaucus, NJ. Luckily for us, someone captured the circus on glorious 8mm color film.
In 1987, CBS aired "The Popcorn Kid." It was about a young kid who worked at a movie theater in Kansas and wanted to work in film. As a video store worker through most of my teens, I identified with it and loved it.
In 1956 my Great Aunt wrote a letter to Con Edison to thank them for helping to retrieve her earrings. It is quite a nice thank-you letter.
In 1981, Disney released this ambient audio dream of an album and I have been listening to it ever since.
Let's take a look at a controversy that is over the 30 years old. Did Castlevania II rip off the art style of Ravenloft?
In 1987, Mattel released a barbie sized doll called Spectra. Her and Shimeroons didn't last long, but they were still amazing.
On this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I discuss the eighties comedy classic, "Trading Places." It is a perfect film to watch this holiday season. Even if you don't listen to the show, I hope this reminds you to rewatch the movie.
I watch Die Hard every Christmas. That does not make it a Christmas movie. It is a Christmas movie, because it is a Christmas movie.
They made a commercial for Qbert the board game in 1983 that featured a live-action version of Qbert. I would have watched this as a TV series.
Gemstones is a fun and simple game, that is sadly out of print. So I thought I would share my latest find of a sealed game package along with the rules for anyone who wants to try it out at home.
The eighties and nineties were a golden age for dial-in hotlines. Starting with 976 numbers and rolling into 1-900 numbers, the nations appetite for canned recordings could not be abated. I myself was a fan of these type of numbers. Calling them more than I would like to admit. Having lived through these decades, and…
When the Atari 2600 dominated the video game market, Activision offered patches for those who reached high scores in their games. To get one, you simply needed to take a photo of your TV screen and send the photo to Activision. It was an amazing promotion. One that I desperately wanted to be a part…
On today's show I talk the groundbreaking early computer game, Hunt the Wumpus. I begin the show talking about how accessible the game was to a young me and how it was the highlight of my early time in my High School Computer Club. After that I move onto the game itself.
Jon-Eric Hexum was an actor/model who had an all too short career that came to an abrupt end due to an accidental death. He had the talents and the looks, but like most tragedies, we are all just left with a big "What if."
Communication now is ubiquitous. We are basically living in a science fiction world on the communication front. One technology though, for many years, allowed for freedom that would hint at the remarkable future in which we currently exist, the walkie-talkie.
In 1984, Plymouth released this commercial for its Duster during the Mtv Video Music Awards. The commercial in this length was very infrequently broadcast and developed a reputation because of its perceived connection to cocaine.
Armory Dice Markers are great looking artifacts from a different time in gaming. It is nice to see that someone preserved them up until now and that people value them enough to pay a ludicrous amount of money for 4 used crayons.
Welcome to the 2018 edition of the Retroist Halloween Special Podcast. On today’s show, I finally shut up and turn the microphone over to other people who tell their Halloween stories. The Retroist Podcast is divided into two sections. A smaller section where I tell a story related to the subject of the podcast and…
On today's show, I share with you a few of my favorite from the past on the Retroist Halloween Commercial Specials Podcast. From food to haunted mansions, I play a wide array of ads, all of them focused around this most creepy of holidays.
Listen to the season 11 premier episode of the Retroist Podcast, CHiPs. Join Ponch, Jon and the rest of the California Highway Patrol as they fight crime, have fun and look great doing it.
In 1984, Role Aids publish and adventure based on the 1983 film, "The Keep." I have run this adventure a couple of times over the years. Here is a little background info on this overlooked accessory.
Like podcasts that are Halloween themed? Here is a list of all of the Retroist podcasts that work well during the Halloween season.
I have taken a break from the “specials” format of the podcast recently, but I put 3 on the schedule for this year and I am looking for folks who might want to participate. To participate you will need: The ability to record yourself speaking and a decent microphone to do it on A story…
Hires Root Beer has been around since 1876. Making it the 2nd oldest continuously made soft drink in the United States.
While walking to work this morning, I was stunned to spot 3 people walking down the street wearing Members Only jackets. They were not bunched together, but individuals. This got me thinking about the classic line of jackets that had up until recently functioned mostly as a fashion punchline. The Members Only brand of clothing…
Welcome to the Retroist Season 11 Fall Preview! On today's show I hope to give you a glimpse into the new season and entertain you a bit.
The art, which I believe is by house illustrator Gary Scrace, is straightforward. A clean, yet compelling illustration of the game with just the right amount of detail without being underdesigned.
Planters reintroduced Cheez Balls and Cheez Curls. I had a hard time finding them. Until last night!
I have spent a good amount of time at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. During my time visiting the parks, I have been on rides that have broken down many times. Very few of those times though have we actually needed to be taken off the ride. Usually we just sit there until the…
I have wanted a set of modern dice that matched the style of the original Dungeon & Dragons box sets. I am proud to announce that I finally found a set.
The Karate Kid was released in 1984 and it shined a light on the Golf N’ Stuff Family Fun Center in Norwalk, CA. It is where Alli and Daniel have their first date and figures so heavily into the Karate Kid mythos that it is revised as a date location for Cobra Kai. Three years…
I went to the supermarket the other day and while walking past the deli, I spotted their Pepsi soda fountain. Usually, I just walk past this self-service dispenser of sugary deliciousness, but something new caught my attention. Actually I should say, something old. They had replaced their standard fountain soda cups with this wonderful Limited…
Remember when you first got cable television and would use it to check the weather? I am not talking about the first time you saw the weather channel, I am referring to an even earlier time. When they had just a streaming page with the weather. I am betting it looked something like the image…
On Labor Day of 1995, Hulk Hogan opened his Pastamania Restaurant at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. Just a few months before this opening I made my first visit to this gigantic mall. Sadly it was nowhere near the Labor Day launch of Pastamania or I would have extended my trip to witness…
In 1984, the Activision fan club held a contest tie-in with Pitfall II – Lost Caverns. They created ten special Treasure Hunt cartridges and put them out into circulation. These ten cartridges didn’t have a game, but instead had a very special message. Any gamer who found them, could contact the Fun Club to claim…
In 1989, Summer CES took place in Chicago. Marvel was sent three of their biggest characters, Captain America, Spider-Man and Doctor Doom to promote some of the games in which their characters would appear. As we moved into 1990, we reached a turning point with Marvel Games. Sure the Questprobe games and Spider-Man for the…
Today on Twitter I sent out a request. I would like to see a version of Space Invaders based on the art that displayed in their 1980s catalog. This art is colorful and evocative. It seems ripe for a way to reboot the game in a new way that is also respectful of the title’s…
David A. Trampier or DAT, put together some of the most iconic roleplaying game art. His fingerprints are all over the early version of the game. Sadly he passed away and before that mysteriously stopped producting the fantasy style art we all loved. I am constantly looking at his art in the many books I…
This week’s Retroist Podcast is about the classic toy from World’s of Wonder, Lazer Tag. I start the show with a story about how my friends and I spent a good part of an amazing summer playing Lazer Tag together. It is a cherished memory that would not have happened without Lazer Tag. Then I…
In 1988, Listerine unveiled their Ghostbusters-like troop of bad breath fighters, the Listermen. They make their first and I believe only appearance in a commercial for a better tasting version of Listerine, Listermint. In the ad, a couple are enjoying a bubbling hot tub. Things are looking to get romantic, but unfortunately the guy in…
I lose all objectivity when it comes to Crystal Pepsi, or as we used to call it “Crystal P.” To me, and my close circle of friends, it was an exaggerated big deal. We drank and celebrated this clear cola and somehow were never tainted by any backlash. So while others might roll their eyes…
This week’s Retroist Podcast is about the classic sitcom, Night Court. I begin the show talking about how Harry Anderson inspired my love of magic, even though I am not that good at it. I was not planning on doing a Night Court podcast this season. It was a subject I tried to record a…
I have encountered the Salton Beachcomber Radio many times while browsing thrift stores. This mid-eighties beauty always makes me pause and with good reason. It was a mini-boombox designed to be taken to the beach and while you get the impression of “beach radio” when you look at it. Upon further inspection, you realize that…
This week’s Retroist Podcast is about the 1985 cult film classic, “Gymkata” I begin the podcast talking about my first exposure to the film. How I found the concept of combining gymnastics and karate compelling at first, but ultimately came to find this idea strange. Finally I summarize my own martial arts style and how…
This week’s Retroist Podcast is about a show that recently returned after a long break, “Roseanne.” on the Retroist Roseanne Podcast I start off talking about why I watched Roseanne during its first run and why I will be checking out the reboots. I tried recording this show a few years ago and was never…
This week’s Retroist Podcast is all about the 1978 comedy-thriller, “Foul Play”. I start off by talking about how I briefly lived my dream of reenacting a scene from this movie after I moved to California. It was glorious. Then I talk about the writer/director, the cast, the locations, the soundtrack, the TV series, and…
I was not sure if I was going to go to Toys R Us before it closed. Part of me wanted to not taint the good memories I had of the store. But another part of me was curious to see what was going on during these last days at the biggest toy store there…
This week on the Retroist Podcast I tackle a film I have attempted to record a few times in the past, Three Amigos. I start off talking about quoting and emulating films will always be popular and how the infamous Three Amigos salute was banned in my school. Which naturally just made it a lot…
On this week’s show, I talk about the world’s biggest toy store, Toys R Us. I open by talking about how I felt special going to Toys R Us because it felt like it was a store meant for me. I originally attempted to record this show a few years ago and was not happy…
On this week’s show I talk about the storied video game console, the Sega Genesis or Mega Drive. I begin the episode by discussing how the Genesis would become my entry point to the world of retro gaming, well before that was a thing. This episode has been requested by lots of people over the…
The words “two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun” are ingrained in my head forever! I’d bet it might be for you too? In the commercial below we see folks struggling with the now more than famous slogan for the classic McDonald’s Big Mac. I remember this commercial…
On today’s show, I talk about the game show classic, Press Your Luck. I kick off the show talking about how comforting it was to watch great shows like this when I was home from school. Then I talk a little about how I turned the Whammies from the show into monsters in my Dungeons…
I recently watched the Fast and the Furious for the first time. Its similarities to Point Break drove me to rewatch Point Break. This despite having some negative feelings about the film. So I talk about those feelings, where they come from, and how some things are worth revisiting despite your feelings. Then I move…
On today’s show, I talk about the eighties comedy classic, 9 to 5. I start off talking about how I would lay around listening to Dolly Parton, much to my sister’s confusion. If only she had joined me, she would have been much happier, but she was just too much of a punk. A lot…
On today’s show I talk all about the video game masterpiece, Moon Patrol. I start by talking about how obsessed I was with finding arcade games as a kid. It was a remarkable and magical time, but obsession with anything can take away from other things, like a once in a lifetime vacation experience. Then…
In April of 1989, history was changed forever. It was there, at the tail-end of eighties that Spiffits launched as the first complete line of pre-moistened household cleaning towelettes. These are pretty common products nowadays, but in 1989, this was a big deal. To roll them out, the Dow Chemical company launched with an $18…
I don’t think I owned any Ocean Pacific (or OP) clothing when I was a kid. But it was so ubiquitous that I was well aware of it. I even had vague notions of what the brand stood for. Sunshine. California. Relaxed. These words still are what come to mind, even though I could barely…
I was a dangerous kid to bring to the supermarket. When new products were advertised on television, I wanted to try them and was not above begging to get what I wanted. That meant my Mom needed to have a core of iron and patience as deep as the ocean. Both are noble traits, but…
Recently I asked the podcast RetroWDW to investigate the short lived Disney Channel news magazine, EPCOT Magazine. Naturally they were able to uncover some wonderful details about the production of the show and shared it in their episode, Polynesian Dreams – Part I. It is a great episode if you love the Polynesian Resort at…
In 1983 Rice Krispies ran a promo for a 7 inch record full of their classic jingles, their Snap Crackle Pop Tunes. Getting it was simple, you would cut out UPC codes and send them shipping money and 6-8 weeks later your record would arrive. I wanted this album, but it was a problematic proposition…
Stay Alive was originally published by Milton Bradley in 1971. The idea of the game is pretty simple. You must “stay alive.” The game consists of a 7×7 grid with random holes and sliders. You place marbles in the sliders in positions that have no holes and then take turns sliding the sliders, hoping that…
Sometimes I find myself singing a song that I cannot for the life of me place. Over the years, I have learned that most of these songs are either jingles from old commercials or phantom songs recorded for TV episodes. Last weekend I found myself singing “Baby I’m Back In Love Again” as sung by…
Back before I did the Retroist, I used to blog about Disney. One of my odd passions was for the themed garbage cans in the parks. When I started going to the parks as an adult, you could often find me laying down or crouched in front of a garbage can, snapping photos. This weekend,…
Ah yes, the 70’s were a hotbed of Bigfoot goodness! 70’s television, drive-ins, and popular culture were all dazzled by the subject. With that, I bring you my top 10 Bigfoot “documentaries” of the 70’s! Okay, four of them are In Search Of… episodes, but trust me every one of them is a shiny little gem!…
Christmas Eve and it is not quite midnight. So I have time to write this post before Santa should show up. Although, I spent a lot of my time in my youth waiting up till after midnight and could never catch him. For a guy in an XXXL red suit, he is remarkably crafty. The…
After watching the classic film, “Alice doesn’t live here Anymore” a few months ago, I was inspired to rewatch its TV show spinoff, “Alice.” It is great classic television. The writing can be witty and it has a wonderful cast that make the show very watchable. The great thing about a rewatch is rediscovering moments…
Welcome to the Retroist Thriller Podcast. On today’s show I talk all about the music video masterpiece, Thriller. I start off talking about how I was terrified by the monologue from this song while visiting a Ground Round. Then I move onto Michael Jackson and the song, album, and video he brought to the world.…
As a kid, I was a sucker for a good 976 number. I called the Chipmunks, Howard the Duck, Santa, and many more. All of this without my Mom’s permission. Which caused some issues. So it was probably a good thing that I did not live in California, where I could have called Kitt from…
My family enjoyed going out for fast food. We liked the price and we really enjoyed the taste. It was not something we did all the time, but when we did, we made an event out of it. So when Burger King Table Service began we were drawn to it immediately. Burger King Table Service…
Halloween shopping keeps starting earlier each year. Despite my love for the holiday, I do try to limit my browsing until the month of October. I violated that rule (again) today at the supermarket today after spotting the retro packaging of Mayfair Candy Corn. It was not even in the main Halloween candy spot, just…
In 1984, like in many years for it and after, Pay N Save sent out coupon books. I am sure many people used them, but an equal number threw them in the garbage. Luckily some people squirreled them away. That way 33 years later I could scan this 1984 Pay-N-Save Coupon Book and share it…
Unless you lived in the 1930s or are a fan of vintage comic strips you might not be aware of the attempted Mickey Mouse suicide. But it was a very real thing that ran in the Mickey Mouse comic strip from October 8th to the 24th of 1930. It is a grim series of strips,…
Like many people who grew up in the eighties, I watched The Dukes of Hazzard. I liked the car chases, the simple plots, and the charisma of the actors. My grandmother knew that I was a fan and fed my fandom by purchasing me a Boss Hogg Action Figure. The gift came out of nowhere.…
When I was growing up, my family home was covered in wood paneling. This process started well before I was around. Not just in the home I was raised, but in all the homes and apartments, my family ever lived. They were just obsessed with wood paneling. Sadly I don’t have a lot of photos…
Long before Grand Theft Auto was freaking everyone out, we had the Death Race Video Game Controversy. Death Race is still a controversial arcade game. It was released by Exidy in the United States in 1976 and they only made about 500 of these cabinets. This makes this infamous game a difficult one to find.…
Yogis Space Race was a short-lived 90-minute Saturday morning cartoon. It ran on NBC from September 9, 1978 to March 3, 1979. That short run resulted in just 13 episodes. While it might have been epic to have a 90-minute cartoon, the show was divided into segments to make it easier to hold young kid’s…
William Shatner will always be Captain Kirk. It is the role that defined him to the world. But Shatner has worked as an actor consistently throughout his career. Just review his IMDB and you will see that post-Trek he worked a lot on TV. For fans, this means a veritable treasure trove of small gems.…
When you think Star Trek Original Series VHS, you probably think back to your local video store or mail-order offers. While I worked in a video store and obsessed with mail-order, it is not what I think about when I think of Star Trek the Original Series on VHS. No, I think about supermarkets. In…
If you are not familiar with candy buttons, they are the little dots of flavored sugar attached to paper. They tend to sell them nowadays at more retro-style candy joints in jars or in drugstores handing from a peg in a bag. When I was a kid, we could get the candy buttons by the…
As a kid, I watched wrestling. For a short while, I could not get enough of it. That obsession happened to coincide with the release of G.L.O.W (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling) and I watched that as well. Being a fan, I was pleased as punch when Netflix announced the GLOW series a few months ago.…
As a kid, anything with sugar in it was alright with me. So I took to juice boxes and Capri Suns like a fish to water. Just hand me a tiny straw and container with some sweet fluid in it and I would attack it with gusto. This meant that when given the opportunity, I…
I was in the store today and spotted a new Dr. Pepper bottle. It appeared to be normal Dr. Pepper, but it had a fancy TRON-style label on it. After taking a photo and putting a bottle in my cart, I started thinking about other products that might be improved with a TRON remake. One…
When you think of Hawaii, what do you think of? Sandy beaches? Beautiful sunsets? Groundbreaking rock bands from Akron, OH? Not many people will think that last one, but thanks to a contest that MTV ran back in 1982, Devo and Hawaii are never far apart in mind. The MTV Hawaiian Holiday With Devo ran…
MCI Mail was a commercial email and messaging. It was operated by MCI Communications from 1983 to 2003. Started on September 23, 1983, it was ahead of its time. Naturally being one of the first commercial email services in the United States, it was met with confusion by many. The commercials they released for MCI…
Last weekend I was at a flea market and spotted an MC Hammer Concert Doll in pretty poor shape. This is not the first MC Hammer Concert Doll that I have seen over the years, so I imagine he is not that rare. Now Hammer was a pretty big deal in the music scene, but…
Many people have heard of Video Professor. They ran commercials on cable TV channels and on late-night programming throughout the nineties. I recall seeing the commercials and laughing at some of the concepts. In the mid-nineties, I was already “online” most days. So a lot of the concepts in videos like Learn to use the…
I feel like we have revisited this famous Nuttin Polly-O String Cheese Commercial so often on the site that I could do a podcast on it. Why can’t I stop talking about it? It is one of the more memorable commercials from my youth for a few reasons. I loved pizza. The people in the…
Welcome to the Retroist Breakout Podcast. On today’s show, I talk all about the video game masterpiece, Breakout. I start the show talking about how I bonded with my eldest sister over Breakout and how I do not resent that she is better at Breakout than me. Not at all. Then I move onto the…
When I was in college, I had various jobs. One of my better jobs was working security at Giants Stadium in New Jersey. I was not one of the people who patrolled the parking lot or asked you to stop smoking or drink up in the seats. For most of the time I was there,…
I received an email last week from someone who remembered having a game where you spun coins on these “paddles.” My inbox is full of emails just like this one. They are enjoyable to receive because they often force me to do some research. For this one though, I only had to think back to…
Robert Morgan, Bigfoot Hunter Extraordinaire heads up a summertime expedition to prove the existence of Bigfoot! Morgan, the hard-driving team leader pushes his team of scientists, and naturalists to their limits in hopes of finally proving that Bigfoot is REAL! Aside from the generic nature shots that have come to be the obvious go-to filler for…
During the nineties, my interest in action figures dwindled. Yes, we had a Star Wars resurgence, but it never captured my imagination. I still had all of my original toys, and to me the new figures just looked wrong. This decade should have put an end to my collecting of figures, but I briefly got…
As you might guess from retro film and television from the seventies, disco was a big deal. It was a trend that was easy to latch onto and appealed to multiple generations. So a lot of people latched onto it. A great example of how much it had infiltrated our culture is this educational “Disco…
Aztec was created by Paul Stephenson for the Apple II and published by Datamost in 1982. It would later be ported to Atari computers and the C64, making it a very memorable game across multiple computer lines.
When I was a kid, my Mother would talk all about this Tic Tac Toe playing chicken that they had in New York City’s Chinatown. It captured my imagination like nothing else. You could have told me that a robot or some sort of supercomputer was playing tic tac toe. I would not have been…
Why is it that breakfast cereal goes so well with nostalgia? Not a week goes by when I don’t get a pang of hunger and nostalgia for some bygone brand of cereal. Products that had a short run, made a big impact on me. Probably because they combined food, colorful characters, and amazing television advertising.…
In the late nineties, I knew about High Definition TV, but it still seemed very far away. Fortunately it was just around the corner. Some local TV stations were even beginning to test the technology. Which is why we are lucky to have this wonderful, now vintage video footage of 1999 New York City in…
Sometimes something that is small can really help to sum up a time or place. Such is the case with this 1979 TV Guide Fall Preview Guide commercial. It is simple, but it is chock full of wonderful sounds and visuals that scream the late 1970s. The commercial is more of a promo and clocks…
If you are ever in a beach town, one place you should always stop is the local pharmacy. Better yet, if they have one, a Five and Ten store. They are filled with wondrous beach-related items, which are sometimes available outside of that world, but usually not in such numbers. Recently I was lucky enough…
I was at the Living Computer Museum again last weekend. No surprise for people who read this blog. It is one of my favorite places to visit in Seattle. Every time I go there, I find something new that captures my imagination or educates me. Today I would like to talk about another way of…
When E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial hit theaters, it was a big deal. E.T. was everywhere after that. He did commercials for lots of products, including a very memorable Atari commercial. One that I always remembered was this ET Special Olympics PSA. In it, E.T. is simply watching a child work hard on mastering the high jump.…
Growing up and loving computer with little to no money was difficult. You tended to hoard your computer supplies, especially floppy disks. I would climb through dumpsters and wheel and deal with friends to get my hands on the magnetic gold. While all brands were welcome at my desk, Elephant Memory Systems floppy disks were…
In Christmas of 1984, the toy world was shifting. Video games were hitting a rough spot and action figure toys were already years old. Even the heavy hitter of the year before, the Cabbage Patch Kid was not looking to repeat what it did the year before. No, according to just about everyone, the hot…
When Hostess fell apart a few years ago, I stocked up on my favorite snack cakes. The one I could not get my hands on was the Chocodile. Which sadly happened to be the one snack cake I had the strongest feelings for. Now, I was happy to see Hostess reform and I have enjoyed…
Super Jock Toys were a line of toys made by Schaper starting in the seventies. Super Jocks were sports-based, hence the use of “Jock”. Each playset consisted of action figures playing sports including basketball, hockey, baseball, football, and soccer. To play with them, you would press down on the toy’s head. This caused your Super…
It is easy to get nostalgic for stuff. Every day I find myself fixating on things from the past. Usually, it is not surprising stuff. A TV show, movie, or a toy are easy things to recall and to have a fondness for. Today though, it was something else. I went to use a pencil…
I love purchasing vintage collector’s glasses. If you do the same and put them in a collectors cabinet, you should love me. Because I am the person making all of your glasses rarer. That is right, I like to use the glasses that I buy. Not only do I use them, but I use them…
I am not sure who put together this commercial for the Pee-wee Herman Store, but they are either a genius or quite mad. The ad itself is about 30 seconds long. 26 seconds of it is completely wordless. Featuring children dressed in Pee-wee Herman Store clothing dancing crazily to rhythmic music. They dance for so…
If you visited my house when I was growing up, to play a game and asked for a snack, I would offer you Ellio’s Pizza. Ellio’s Pizza was not the greatest pizza, it also wasn’t the cheapest. It occupied that middle ground. It was moderately priced mediocre pizza and I loved it. Now, I did…
I was watching some Disney character training videos when a saw a different mouse video recommendation. It was a link to this wonderful Chuck E Cheese Character Training Video from 1991. By the 1990s, my Chuck E Cheese visits were infrequent, but it had a special place in my heart. So it is interesting to…
As a kid I inherited a bunch of cassettes from my older sisters. Between those and what I could scrounge up at neighborhood garage sales, I had a decent collection. Some of my favorite cassettes were not the big artists, but oddball ones. Often they were rerecorded copies of copies. To me this just made…
As a kid, I had a lot of friends who were into fitness. They would huddle in their basements, around rusty workbenches trying to get pumped up. On their walls were posters of the people they were trying to emulate. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mike Tyson and other beefy fellows loomed large. One of my friends was…
This weekend I sat down to watch Comet TV. It is an over the air station that usually comes in very crisply, but for some reason, my signal was terrible. I was going to turn on a movie when I remembered that you could watch Comet TV online on their website. This is great, but…
In 1985 they broadcast a very memorable celebration for Disneyland’s 30th Anniversary. I cannot recall where I got a VHS copy of this special, but at some point in the 1980s it started getting heavy play in my VCR. The special has a lot of great moments, but my favorite is when the Pointer Sisters…
I never purchased a Sega CD or Saturn. So sadly never experimented with playing Sega CD audio. The first console I owned that played CDs was the Sega Dreamcast. One of the first things I attempted to do on the Dreamcast was to put the discs from it into my stereo CD player to see…
Welcome to the Retroist River Raid Podcast. On today’s show I talk about the Atari 2600 classic, River Raid. I begin the show by discussing how while I miss a lot of the stuff from the past, being connected and online has its advantages. Especially when it comes to high scores in video games. Then…
Warm earth music for plants and the people who love them. Like many people, when I was growing up, my early music experiences were shaped by my parent’s record collection. I am happy to say that while my family had pretty standard old-school taste in music, they also had some oddities. One of the records…
In the 1980s and 1990s, we were really getting jaded with that miracle of communication, the telephone. No longer did we venerate this hi-tech bit of magic with a place of honor on the wall or a special telephone table. No, the phone had become so ubiquitous that you could throw some anywhere. Not only…
Getting HBO in the 1980s was a real treat. Especially if you did not have a VCR or easy access to a decent video store. On it you could get films that you would never see on broadcast television. The entire experience was thrilling, but when I think back on it, one aspect of the…
Recently I have started sharing my collection of unpainted miniatures online. I should clarify, when I am referring to miniatures, I am referring to the miniature figures used in Dungeons & Dragons. Being a lifelong gamer, I have accumulated a few of these over the years. When I was very young, I even tried to…
Adrien van Viersen is a lifelong Superman Fan and storyboard artist with some nice superhero bonafides. He has done work on X2, X3, Game of Thrones, and The Flash. This week though he turned he released a project about Golden Age Superman. It is a wonderfully written and well-illustrated take on the Man of Steel…
The video game crash happened in 1983. The market had become saturated and it would send that industry into a spiral. But it was not as precipitous a plunge as people might think is was now. Instead the media and public took a while to realize that it was not business as usual. I love…
Welcome to the Retroist Dinosaurs Podcast. On today’s show, I talk about the nineties TV cult classic, Dinosaurs. I begin by talking about my mixed feelings about how this show ended and how I feel about sitcoms who have “unique” endings. Then I move onto the show itself. First I talk about the show’s creation…
This ad was from Best Buy that features 1996 computers, was posted online a few months ago. It really brought back a lot of memories. In 1996, I was lucky enough to have a 486 computer, but all of my serious computer friends had been talking about Pentiums since 1993. As you can see, three…
Browsing online this morning I came across this stunning auction on eBay for an original Atari Combat Two Oil Painting by commercial freelance illustrator Michel Allaire. I had followed some of Allaire’s other auctions lately, this Star Wars one (auction removed) is pretty great, and was slowly turning into a fan. But this 16.5 x…
Have you ever had a quarter that was painted red and wonder, "Why would someone paint a quarter red?" Rarer to find today, many of these crimson coins can be traced back to video arcades.
People who are fans of retro gaming will probably want to add an Atari 2600 to their collection. As they browse the endless numbers of them for sale online, they are probably wondering, how much did they cost “back in the day.” Unsurprisingly, the answer changes by year. Just like all technology, the Atari 2600…
I bookmark a lot of websites. So many that it can take me months or even years to re-stumble upon something I thought I needed to share. In 2015 this 1994 Best Buy Ad was posted on Imgur. I drooled over it for about an hour back then, but moved on. This week I rediscovered…
I almost hate to write this post, but the time has come. If you follow me on social media, you might notice that every once in a while I post an ad for Kraft Potato Fudge. It is one of my favorite ads to post and it also fake
I was obsessed with shooting games when I was a kid. When we went to arcades or any places that had games with guns, I would spend my time pretend playing. Just holding the gun, shooting at the screen and making shooting sounds. It was the best activity for a kid who didn’t have any…
Welcome to the Retroist MacGyver Podcast. On today’s show, I talk about the classic TV show, MacGyver. I start off talking about what a poor MacGyver I would make since I lack subtlety in my handiness. Then I move onto the show itself. I talk about the cast, the people in front of and behind…
Five Alive was a juice drink I used to love. This summer I was reminded of this magical elixir while waiting for a Ferry Boat in British Columbia, Canada. They had it listed on the soda machine and I ran to get a cold can. Sadly it was all out. What a disappointment! I could…
In 1983, the band Cinderella made a commercial for a chili dog restaurant called Pat's. In 30 seconds it combines wonderful local advertising with a snapshot of a band on the rise.
If a Superman Anti-Smoking PSA couldn’t convince you to not try smoking as a kid, I am not sure what could. These ads are not familiar to me. I never saw them when I was growing, but I believe they were created in the UK. At least that is what I would guess from the…
Welcome to the Retroist Rubik the Amazing Cube Podcast. On today’s show I start off by talking about the dark urges one feels when challenged to solve a puzzle they are not capable of solving. Needless to say, it is not pretty. After I unburden myself of this, I move onto the subject of the…
Last week I got to remove another machine from my Pinball Bucket List, Grand Lizard Pinball. This was a game had some vague memories of playing as a kid, but could not nail down what I liked about it. It became very apparent when I started playing it. Grand Lizard Pinball, while a simpler machine,…
Some songs get released and are quickly forgotten. That is a shame when that song SHOULD become a holiday classic. In 1986, the song by Max Headroom, Merry Christmas Santa Claus (You’re A Lovely Guy) was released and unfortunately did not take the world by storm. Why you ask? Let’s assume it isn’t because of…
When commercials started showing up in movie theaters, people started freaking out. It really didn’t bother me all that much. As long as the commercial was well-made and short, I didn’t mind extending my time in the theater. Although, when a commercial was well-made and featured something I was interested in, then you could show…
As the 1990s rolled around, the Cola Wars continued to rage. Coke and Pepsi would lock horns time and again. One releasing a new product and the other firing right back. It was a great time for novelty in the industry. New flavors and talking cans abounded. This was also the time that rewards cards…
I do not know how to play an instrument. That doesn’t mean I never tried. In school, I tried to play instruments, but that went nowhere. When I went to the mall as a kid, I inevitably gravitated to the instrument store at some point. Usually I would play around with the organs. If those…
Since moving to Seattle, I have been a fan of the amazing Living Computer Museum. It is a regular stop for me when I have free time. Over the short years I have been here, it has continued to grow its historical collection. But this week, the museum is taking a leap into the future.…
I grew up in an area of New Jersey where pizza parlors were very common. They all had pretty decent pizza, but not one offered the Hair Metal Pizza Experience of Pony Express Pizza. This pizzeria existed in Redwood City, CA and according to some info I found online, “It was a place where garage…
I was looking through some old photo albums last week when I found an envelope of wallet sized photos. These were all photos of my sisters when they were kids. Based on their size, I would say they must be between the ages of 4 and 8. This make sense because a regular rite of…
To celebrate the release of the mighty, but tiny NES Classic Edition, Nintendo has revived their iconic Powerline for one weekend only. Starting today, November 11th, the Powerline will be available until November 13th. So what do you get when you call the famous phone number? To start with you get about a one minute…
The holidays are quickly approaching. Soon we will be decorating our homes. As you make your list for holiday decorating needs, might I suggest you add Spray Snow to that list. Spray Snow has had a long history but sadly seems to have dwindled in popularity. It is time for it to make a comeback!…
A few years ago I cut the cord. After years of trying to wrestle with my increasing cable bill, I went cold turkey. At first I regretted it. I missed my old stations. Especially the well-curated Turner Classic Movies. Then I bought TV antenna and things got a lot better. I knew nothing of what…
Ah, Autumn in New York. With crisp air and beautiful changing leaves, who wouldn’t want to visit the Empire State this time of year? Oddly enough, a lot of people. That is why New York ran its long-running, “Autumn in New York” ad campaign. I remember it as an adjunct to the more famous, “I…
Did you ever wonder what the world would be like if ALF ran for President? Sure we all have had those thoughts. Picture the countless commercials, the ALF for President signs, and bumper stickers. Not to mention the resurgence of talking ALF dolls. It would be heaven on earth for ALF fans. While this reality…
When I call people nowadays, very rarely does anyone pick up the phone. People who know me will often text me back very quickly with an answer after listening to my message. We are living in a world that has shifted away from using voice to communicate and I am fine with it. Still, I…
Welcome to the Retroist Mazes and Monsters Podcast. On today’s show, I start off by talking about my encounters with the film, but more importantly how my family reacted to it. As it turns out, I have a pretty cool family. After I get through that, I start talking about this 1982 telefilm. I talk…
It took me a while, but I am finally releasing the Retroist Xanadu Podcast. In this episode, I start off talking about how I liked to enjoy this film as a kid. This leads to an encounter with one of my sister’s boyfriends that did not go well (for him). Then I move onto the…
In the late 1980s, Ralston came up with a brilliant idea. People love to read the funnies while eating their morning breakfast, so why not combine the two? To that end, they created the short-lived cereal, Morning Funnies Cereal. Now you could skip dragging in your morning newspaper and instead read your cereal box, which…
Once I started playing Dungeons & Dragons as a kid, I voraciously consumed anything related to the game. One of my “holy grail” items was a copy of Mattel’s Dungeons & Dragons Computer Labyrinth Game and one Christmas there it was under the tree. I was ecstatic and spent the entire winter break playing it.…
The music from cartoons, especially the stuff made in the 60’s and 70’s is criminally underrated. Many big time talents made beautiful tunes that set the mood for low quality animation, often carrying the story forward when budgets were tight. A few weeks ago, I talked about the talented Ray Ellis, and 11db11’s amazing work…
When I first stumbled upon this commercial for a 1-900 number for crying, I thought, “This is amazing!” Mostly because I am not sure what to make of it. When you called this 1-900 number do you hear people crying? Was it sad stories that were supposed to make you cry? Would a caller be…
The world was an interesting place in the early 2000s. Taco Bell had ended its very popular Taco Bell Chihuahua ads (RIP Gidget) and was looking for a fresh face to help sell its various incarnations of the exact same thing. One of their ideas that surprisingly did not catch on was using Amazon’s CEO,…
The music from the 1967 Spider-Man animated series is jazzy and catchy. Unfortunately, the music has never been released in a format that would allow us to enjoy it completely. I often wondered what it would be like to capture the music from a series that never did a soundtrack, but I don’t have to…
The MS-DOS 5 Promo Video with its memorable visuals and music stylings is pretty close to perfect as advertising. Now you might laugh at the notion, but consider this one important fact. It is decades later and we are still talking about it. Now it might not be in the same league as advertising classics…
The Burnin’ Key Car concept was pretty simple. You get a small toy car and a key. Put the key in the small car. Give it a squeeze. Watch it go. If you loved toy cars in the eighties, you probably crossed paths with one and if you had a wide enough kitchen floor or…
Welcome to the Retroist Buckaroo Banzai Podcast. On today’s show, I talk about the film classic, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension. I start off talking about how lucky I was to see the movie as a kid and then how difficult it was trying to convince everyone that the movie was…
Flying for most people is not enjoyable. It is cramped with little room to move around and most of the time you are just counting the seconds until you can get off the place. That was not always the case. During the Golden and Silver ages of air travel, people would treat air travel as…
While most of us remember how magical and painful the Water Wiggle was, we don’t talk about Water Wiggles slightly less painful cousin, The Fun Fountain. This “fountain” consisted of a clown head-shaped base that sprayed water at high pressure skyward and a clown hat that you placed over the stream. The water pressure would…
While we never had an arcade, several locations in my hometown when I was growing up had video games. Off the top of my head I can name six of them, although I am sure there were more. I made my rounds between those locations on foot and by bike almost daily. Not just to…
Ark II is an American live-action science fiction series, aimed at children, that aired on CBS, beginning on September 11, 1976 and ending on December 18, 1976. The show’s opening monologue follows: “For millions of years, Earth was fertile and rich. Then pollution and waste began to take their toll. Civilization fell into ruin. This…
In 1963, TV legend Rod Serling, was interviewed on Australian radio. In the interview he does talk about his legendary creation, “The Twilight Zone“, even setting the host who had not seen the show at ease by mentioning that many of his friends and family members have not seen the show. The more interesting parts…
The image above is from an ad for a series of a well-loved, but somewhat forgotten game line. They ran in a lot of comics trying to get people excited for the amazing Questprobe line of games featuring Marvel characters. Designed by the legendary game designer Scott Adams, Questprobe games were some of the earliest…
Johnson did not really want to go to the 1983 Amusement Operators Expo. Sure he liked video games as much as the next person, but his job working at a game maker was only a step on his path to big business success. As soon as he finished his MBA at night school, he would…
Have you ever had an awkward handshake that revolved around a greeting or departure? Maybe you led with the wrong hand or your handshake was too firm or too limp? Perhaps your experience was even worse? Maybe instead of a handshake you wound up hugging the person who interviewed you for a job you really…
Back when Pac-Mania was sweeping the nation, the Pac-Man marketing machine was in full swing. Cranking out quality items like coloring books, t-shirts, flying discs, kites, sneakers and of course “action” figures. While not exactly the perfect toyline for the figure collector who liked to tell stories when they played with their toys, these plastic…
Many weekends during my childhood were spent dragged from our home to our family cabin nestled in the Wallowa Mountains in Eastern Oregon. Many a morning I’d wake up and find a thin layer of ice had formed across the top of the water that filled the toilet in the bathroom. Folks, in the wintertime,…
Do you remember your first glow stick? I got mine one fine Halloween in the 1980s and to say I was fascinated with it would be an understatement. My mother had bought it for me for “safety reasons”. Something I could wear around my neck while out Trick or Treating at night and not get…
I have always been more of a Marvel reader, but I am aware of the relative strengths of the various DC superheroes. Because of this, I have a hard time believing that Captain Cold would think that he could use any of his freeze weapons on Superman. It just defies logic. Superman dispatches cold with…
Welcome to the Retroist BJ and the Bear Podcast. On today’s show, I talk about the classic TV show trucking with a chimp comedy, “BJ and the Bear”. I start off talking about my experience with CB Radio and how it became a bit of an obsession. Then I talk about this amazing TV show.…
Like many people, when I find a food I enjoy, I want to eat it all the time. Nowadays, I realize that what I am going to get in the “home” version, will never be as good as what I get out. So, I usually just stick to basics and make those foods a real…
There she is, your quarry. You have hunted her from one side of the house to the other. Creeping along silently, waiting for the perfect moment to pull the trigger on your toy gun. The problem is, your sister is much larger than you. She can move more quickly and if she catches you, she…
When Gary Burton decided to pick up a new phone for his classic eighties car, he thought, “Why not add the ultimate eighties car accessory, the cellphone?” So he hit the antique mall and picked up a Uniden phone. That in itself is pretty great, but what he found with the phone is even more…
Browsing old magazines and newspapers, it is amazing to see just how many people were using the United State’s 200th birthday as a flimsy excuse to sell something. I am sure they seemed like a good idea at the time, but now they really do seem like a cash grab and I love it. Radio…
If you enjoy the TV show, Mr. Belvedere, you might be surprised to learn that the show that we came to love in the eighties was actually the 4th attempt to bring the characters to the small screen. That series was based on a film trilogy that starred Clifton Webb as the Lynn Belvedere, and…
For those who grew up in the Eighties, you probably have some memory of the yellow domed Tomytronic version of Pac-Man. While not a completely faithful port of the original game, this beautiful handheld was a reasonable facsimile, and more importantly, it was very popular for a public hungry for a portable Pac-Man experience. It…
Before R. L. Stine began dominating bookshelves with his famous Goosebumps books, he wrote lots of fun books for young people, including a run on the Indiana Jones “Find your Fate Books“. They published 11 of the books in total during the 1980s and 4 of those were by R. L. Stine including my favorite…
I am not sure if Board Game is the right term for Screech. It was more of a version of concentration, but a 1000 times more amazing since you played it in the dark and with a toy owl. In this 1972 game by Parker Brothers, Screech will inform you what sort of insect he…
While strolling through the dairy section of my local supermarket last week I stumbled upon something a product that I had never seen before. An alliance of chocolate and marshmallow flavor in liquid form, Peeps Milk. While not a brand new product, Peeps Milk has finally reach my sleep little city and it will forever…
While I am a fan of using original hardware to play my Atari games, sometimes I have a hankering to play when I am not at home. When that happens I usually fire up an emulator, plug in my usb old school Atari joystick all of my favorite games. Despite having this ability, I am…
Do you see that button above? Hard to resist right? I first saw one of these when I was a kid and my father took me to work. The machine was impressive, but that button…oh that button was irresistible and I wanted to pull it more than anything. My father told me, “No way!”, but…
If you have not seen or heard of the Sixties toy “Sixfinger”, you are in for a real treat. It is a toy finger that does very un-fingery stuff like a substitute for a pen or a can be a finger signal thing or shoot finger bullets, bombs, and messages. The Sixfinger does it all.…
In 1982, Detroit’s Count Scary (portrayed by Detroit, Michigan-area radio disc jockey Tom Ryan) broadcast a 3-D TV special featuring the classic film, “Gorilla at Large”. Since everyone didn’t have 3-D glasses just lying around, Count Scary partnered with Wendy’s to distribute the glasses for the low low price of 39 cents. Here is a…
Welcome to the Retroist Duck Hunt Podcast. On today’s show, I talk about the seminal video game shooting classic, Duck Hunt. I start off talking about my early experience with Duck Hunt and how it fueled my desire for a Nintendo Entertainment System. Then, in between butchering people’s names, I talk about the game itself.…
I spend a lot of time at the Internet Archive. Any why wouldn’t I? They have music, podcasts, newspapers, magazines, video games and so much more. Recently my attention has turned to their vast collection of literature in the public domain, especially their The Pulp Magazine Archive. Pulp magazines (often referred to as “the pulps”),…
I have always thought eggs were pretty cool, but when people started getting concerned about cholesterol, eggs were listed as a “sometimes food”. The Egg Industry did not quietly accept this judgment and fired back with ads and commercials touting the awesomeness of eggs. While they were not as successful as the Milk Council’s work,…
If you go to flea markets or garage sales on a regular basis, you start to see recurring items that fire your imagination. With smartphones, it is pretty easy to find out what something is (and often a good price to pay), but before the internet was in the palm of you hand, it could…
In the 1980s McGruff the Crime Dog was a force to be reckoned with. He made appearances in countless PSAs and if you were in school during this period you were probably shown videos featuring this tough-talking dog or if you were very lucky had McGruff make an appearance. Sadly he never made an in-person…
The first 2-liter bottle of soda was released by Pepsi in 1970. The decision to size-up the beverage was pulled from market research led by John Sculley, who would eventually go on to lead Apple.
My cousin had multiple slot car racing sets and every time I visited we would spend hours aggressively racing one another until rooms reeked of ozone and/or the cars were destroyed from flying off the track and smacking into walls. The A-Team Action Racing by Tyco was a pretty simple setup as slot car tracks…
A few years ago, The Verge did a story about two guys who created a modern hotline for Hall and Oates. I called that hotline a couple of times and told my friends about it, but then forgot about it. That was until last week when someone brought it up at work. Dialing it, I…
In the early Nineties the video, “The Agony of Defeat” swept through the video store I worked at like a hurricane. People could not get enough of these insane, life-threatening sports bloopers and no matter how many copies we had, especially around the holidays, we couldn’t keep them in stock. It seemed that every boyfriend,…
Welcome to the Retroist Newhart Podcast. On today’s show I talk about the eighties’ sitcom hit, “Newhart”. I start off talking about how I would and still do run a good catchphrase into the ground (it is a compulsion of mine), then I move onto the show. I talk about the cast, the creator, the…
Original titled The Art Baker Show, You Asked for It was an early American TV show that original aired between 1950 and 1959. The concept of the show was great, which is probably why they have tried to revive it multiple times. Viewers would send in letters requesting to know or see stuff and Art…
For those of you who grew up watching “The Price is Right” in the eighties and nineties, you might be surprised to learn that the format of the show shifted its formula only a few years after re-premiering in the seventies (it had run in the fifties and sixties as well). Not only did the…
I remember heading over to New York City in the 1980s and riding on the subway. It was a memorable and somewhat scary experience, where I never felt in danger, but just felt what I can only describe now as sensory overload. This experience has been hard to translate into words. It is a snapshot…
In the not too distant past, litter was a real problem. I am not talking about the problem we have now with litter, but comically serious. People would toss stuff from moving cars, into oceans and rivers, you name it. Then in the 1960s and 1970s, a lot of effort went into trying to change…
Welcome to the Retroist RAD Podcast. On today’s show, I talk about the 1986 epic BMX-themed masterpiece, RAD. I start off talking about my short-lived bike helmet, then I move onto the movie. I talk about the Director, writers, cast, plot, reception and I throw in a few surprises here and there. It still surprises…
My sisters, like many people who like to rock, were a big fan of STYX. They saw STYX in concert, wore STYX shirts, and played their music incessantly. As someone who was slow to open up to different types of music at an early age, I didn’t know what to make of it. I also…
Battle of the Bullies a.k.a. Revenge of the Nerd is near and dear to my heart. I watched this one a number of times in 1983. Incidentally, it is considered one of the better known CBS Afternoon Playhouse specials. It is a film about Bertram, a nerdy kid who gets picked on by the cooler…
When you think of slot car racing, I am sure just one thing comes to mind… Thunder…Thunder… Thundercats Ho! In the mid-eighties, at the height of ThunderCats fever, Tyco released the Thundercats: Race To The Eye of Thundera electric racing set and if you blinked, you probably missed it. Which is sad because it was…
Why do companies invest so much money in buttery-voiced spokespeople who try to lure us in with their melodious voices when a monotone robot is scientifically proven to be 6 times more effective? Maybe they were sold on the human voices by robots? It is a lingering mystery. Whatever the reason, I am glad, because…
The internet is a magical place for fans of nostalgia. Not only can it allow you to relive great moments from your past, but it can expose you to things that you never got to experience first-hand. I was watching some old TV shows online last night when I saw a link to something called…
It doesn’t make sense that a gravely voiced man talking about cakes should be so comforting, but if you grew up within the selling range of Carvel Ice Cream and its peculiarly voiced founder Tom Carvel (born Athanasios Karvelas), it just does. His commercials ran often in the markets you could buy his Ice Cream…
Long before social media and viral videos, people relied on old-fashioned print or TV advertising and word of mouth to help sell their products. Most of the time word of mouth was dependent on product use, a by-product of being a recurring user and not something the company needed to direct you to do. But…
When asked my opinion on the colorization process, when they take old movies and add color to them, I will often say that they should not tamper with the original. That being said, I not so secretly loved to see colorized versions of things filmed in Black & White. It all started when I was…
Welcome to the Retroist Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Podcast. On today’s show I talk all about the holiday classic, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. I have tried to release this episode during past Thanksgiving seasons, but it never came together. I hope you enjoy it. I start off talking about how special this holiday is when it…
This commercial is wonderful. Not only is it filled with the promise of technology that is now retro, but it combines the talents of Monty Python’s John Cleese and Star Wars legend and R2-D2 builder Tony Dyson. Set in a mid-eighties modern home, the film begin with a stereo or box or some sort of…
You save and save to send little Jimmy off to college. He was an honors student and captain of the varsity bowling team. Everything seemed perfect on paper. So why did little Jimmy fail during the first semester? Probably because you were doing all that figuring on paper and now Jimbo has no computer skills…
I feel like fish today. Whenever my Mother said those words while piling into the car, I would get excited because sometimes, but not all the time, it meant that we would be going to a fast-food restaurant. Where she would indulge in a fish sandwich of some kind while I ate french fries and…
In the seventies, Henry Kloss invented the Advent Video Beam Television. It was a CRT TV projector that allowed you to watch TV on a projected screen. This wasn’t the standard projector size we are all used to nowadays. They had to put an entire TV in this unit along with the projection system. So…
The gas station in my town growing up, at least the one everyone went to, was an Exxon station. It was a hub in the town and for a very long time inspired a brand loyalty in the Exxon brand that still somehow lingers after all these years. Of course, Exxon as a brand is…
In this commercial from the later part of the eighties, we see world-famous Chef Paul Prudhomme making some of the food that made him famous AND enjoying an ice-cold Pepsi. I never saw this commercial as a kid. It is one of those wonderful targeted pieces of advertising, the “regional” commercial. The target here? “The…
Released in 1982, “Demons to Diamonds” is an Atari title I acquired during the console’s original release. When I spotted it in a catalog I quickly put it on my Christmas list because I loved the idea of an Atari-style shooter that used the paddle controller instead of the joystick. It should have allowed me…
When eBay was launched, I was an early buyer and went hog-wild buying Atari 2600 games and hardware. It was total wish-fulfillment. I wanted every game that I didn’t get in eighties and it was amazing. People were selling games by the boxes full of random games. When they arrived, I would carefully pick through…
I am nutty about robots. As a kid, I always wanted one, and as an adult, I have kept a close eye on the robot world looking for a bot that will finally be the electronic best friend I have dreamed about. Over the years some robots have caused more of an infatuation than others.…
I have mentioned my infatuation with novelty phones a few times on the site, but for those who have not read some of my past rantings on the subject here is a quick summary. I wanted colorful quirky plastic novelty phones, but I came from a family that made its living through the phone company.…
When I was an impressionable young lad I remember I really loved scary stuff. As with many kids, Halloween was my favorite time of year! I don’t remember when my parents picked up Famous Ghost Stories with Scary Sounds, but I practically wore it out! I loved listening to this gem often before going to…
Did you ever wish that you had snake-skinned shoes, but were terrified that those shoes could somehow bite you? This seemed to be a problem that needed addressing in the past and luckily Simco was ready to step up and present an attractive shoe for all those snake-skin-loving, but snake-fearing shoe fans out there. In…
Welcome to the Retroist Halloween Special VI Podcast. Today’s show is all about Halloween memories! That’s right it is time for the 6th Annual Retroist Halloween Special. It was a fun show to put together and many of the folks associated with the site joined in to share their Halloween memories. You will hear Tom…
In late 1982, Cosmic Kids from Chef Boyardee hit store shelves. This pasta dish filled with oddly shaped noodles, meant to resemble aliens, robots, and UFOs, was a culinary masterpiece to me.
Welcome to the Retroist House on Haunted Hill Podcast. On this episode of the show, I talk about the Vincent Price/William Castle horror classic, “House on Haunted Hill“. I start off by discussing my parents’ love of this film and how they introduced me to many things I didn’t understand at the time but love…
As a kid, any day at school where we got to watch a movie or a video of any kind, was a good day. I had a Math teacher who was obsessed with the Space Program and the Shuttles in particular. He was the first one to show us this amazing episode of PBS’s NOVA,…
I grew up loving Madballs and didn’t think they could improve on the monster-faced ball genre of toys, but in 1992 they came out with Blurp Balls and things got very interesting. Not only did the Blurp Ball have a spooky monster face, but it also had a ball that you shoved into its gaping…
I was browsing the web last night, something I do often, when I stumbled upon this ad for Golden Dream Fashion Face Barbie. If you haven’t seen a Barbie Fashion face, the commercial should teach you everything you need to know. If you hate watching commercials, let me sum up what you are missing. Barbie…
Welcome to the Retroist Blob Podcast. In this episode of the show, I talk about the horror classic, “The Blob”. I start off by discussing the way that different generations can enjoy the same things and still feel nostalgia for those things, just in different ways, then I move on to the subject of our…
I do enjoy shopping online, but when I was a kid, stores like Sears and Kmart were my family’s one-stop-shop for everything. I especially love Sears, where while my Mother did her shopping I could hang out in the electronics sections and play with TV, stereos, and other electronic components for hours. I was especially…
I have seen English Leather in stores, but I have never used it, and for good reason. According to many ads I have seen over the years, this cologne won’t just make you smell might fine, but will also turn you into some half-lion creature from mythology. While the idea of transforming into an animal…
At the Five and Dime in my hometown, one of the things near the front of the store, right near the register was a display of Play-Doh cans. Because of this, I found that I almost always had a fresh can of the stuff in my house. This was a good thing because I went…
In 1972, Hawaiian Punch would donate money to the US Olympics effort for every can sold. At the same time, they ran the “Hawaiian Punch Munich Olympics Contest.” Where they would send the winner over to Germany to see those athletes go for gold. This would become a very controversial Olympics because of the horrible…
Growing up in the New York area, I was exposed to all sorts of local advertising that will occasionally pop back into my brain. Recently I saw an ad for a local Renaissance Faire and it immediately got me thinking of this commercial for the New York Renaissance Faire/Festival. They would start airing these towards…
Welcome to the Retroist Summer Rental Podcast. On today’s show, I start off by talking about how my family would change completely when we took longer vacations “down the shore” and why I think it is a good idea for all families to have similar vacations. Then I start talking about the subject of this…
I love plums. Growing up we had a beautiful plum tree that would flower every spring and as the too-small fruit ripened, I knew that it meant that much fatter and much tastier plums would start appearing at supermarkets. My fandom for the fruit even extended to the dried variety, the prune, and it made…
You are facing an ancient stump covered with faint writing. A path leads N. That’s how the game starts! Before you lies a high-rez landscape of…mucky green and baby poop brown. You move north! N! You are near a cave entrance shut by a rock slide. Paths lead W and S…and so on, and so on.…
Welcome to the Retroist Desperately Seeking Susan Podcast. On today’s show, I start off by talking about how mysterious and dangerous I found New York City as a kid and how my sister would risk life and limb to adventure there. Then I start talking about the subject of this episode, Desperately Seeking Susan. I…
Gamescience started releasing dice several months ago, but recently Lou Zocchi and his legendary dice company have started to release the classic colors and professionally inked numbers that have made this company so well-respected. I had considered writing about this a few months ago, but I was patiently waiting for the production line to really…
A lot of news outlets jump whenever McDonald’s tries to make their menu healthier. Because of this, you might think this is a new phenomenon. It is not, the fast-food giant has repeatedly attempted to make their options healthier. The health-obsessed 80’s were no exception. One of their nearly forgotten attempts (even by me) was…
If you were alive in 1983, you’ve probably heard of The Day After. the television movie released on Sunday, November 20, 1983, on the ABC television network. The film postulates a fictional war between NATO forces and the Warsaw Pact that rapidly escalates into a full-scale nuclear exchange between the United States and the Soviet…
New York Deli Potato Chips still exist. Sadly I do not live in the Wise distribution area, so I will only speculate that they are good as I remembered back in the 1980’s. Even if they are not, they still have a lot going for them, the top thing being that purple bag. Back when…
In the early seventies, Toyota tried its hand at creating a car that I still dream about. One that combines the ease of driving of a station wagon, with some of the convenience of an RV. Their first attempt was the RV-1 in 1971, but I think the real magic started in 1972 when the…
Delirious was released on HBO on August 30, 1983 and boy was it a big deal. People in my neighborhood, who didn’t have HBO, would go over to other people’s homes on the night it was released so that they could watch it. So a lot of living rooms were very crowded in the late…
Let’s take a minute to define absurd: ab·surd, adjective: (of an idea or suggestion) wildly unreasonable, illogical, or inappropriate.“the allegations are patently absurd”synonyms: preposterous, ridiculous, ludicrous, farcical, laughable, risible, idiotic, stupid, foolish, silly, inane, imbecilic, insane, harebrained, cockamamie; unreasonable, irrational, illogical, nonsensical, incongruous, pointless, senseless; informal, crazy, daft Used in a sentence? “The premise of…
I have noticed that certain McDonald’s locations are very popular among the senior citizen crowd. One near my house would almost exclusively be filled with people over 60 between the hours of 6 am – 10 am. They are often sitting there, chatting with one another, enjoying a refillable cup of coffee after noshing a…
This ad and the campaign around still gets talked about and shared on the internet often nowadays. It is pretty great, a simple family scene with everyone happy and some Burger King on the table. It is a perfect Seventies scene and I must have looked at it a 100 times before today, but while…
My Grandmother was a great person, who could be as quiet as the sphinx and then suddenly explode with opinions about the oddest subjects. Be it her opinion on TV detectives (they should be male and handsome) or her ice cream, whenever she spoke, we listened. The ice cream thing was particularly controversial because like…
During the waning hours of Thanksgiving eve 1971, a Boeing 727 leaves Portland bound for Seattle. This plane and its passengers will become the most infamous skyjacking in American history. A man called DB Copper by the news media jumped from the plane over dense forest carrying four parachutes, and 200,000 dollars. Why is the…
Welcome to the Retroist Berzerk Podcast. On today’s show, I start off by talking about how after breaking an Atari joystick while playing Berzerk, I grew closer to one friend and further apart from another. Then I jump into the star of this episode, the Stern arcade classic, Berzerk. I talk about the people and…
The Dungeons & Dragons Choose your Own Adventure Sticker Book was published in 1985. A product of the United Kingdom, it was written by Allen Sharp and illustrated by John Storey. What makes it special is that it is a spinoff of the amazing Dungeons & Dragons cartoon that ran from 1983 to 1985. Which…
A few years ago I found some old audio recordings I did back in 1981-1982. One was my 11 year old self singing this particular commercial. I forgot about the recording, but was just as pleased to have found the actual commercial after so many years. Now anyone who knows me knows that I’m a…
What a commercial! Catchy futuristic computer beep beeping. Super serious naration. Sci-Fi looking vehicles. Super eighties man and woman. Tron-style digital grid. This one has it all! I desperately wanted a metallic digital watch in the eighties and eventually saved up and bought one from Kmart. It was a generic. It broke about 3 days…
Here is a book I can’t suggest enough if you’re looking for detailed reports about Bigfoot sightings. The Bigfoot Casebook was released in 1982 and was a favorite of mine since then. I first came across this book at my local library. You know, between the trips to the Electronic Games magazine back issues, and…
As a way to promote Wrestlemania, and just because they were awesome, Hulk Hogan and Mr. T were brought on to host Saturday Night Live on March 20, 1985. This was a great time to be a wrestling fan and when they started running the promos like this one, I could hardly contain myself. It…
I am a lifelong player of RPG games, but I must admit for most of that time, I have hardly used miniatures for the actual gaming. While they help the players get an idea of setup and logistics, I always found that part of things also slowed the game down and took it out of…
I love butter. I always have and I always will, but it was difficult when I was young because growing up in my house, margarine was king. My Grandmother just preferred the stuff and since she was at our place all the time, we would always buy it to put on toast and English muffins.…
In 1982, Connecticut’s Metacomet Software released a program aimed at Cubing enthusiasts called “The Programmable Cube”. The program allowed you to explore the various ways to solve the cube and even allowed you to build your own cube. All of my experience with “The Programmable Cube” is from secondhand sources and old reviews. But I…
Having lived in an era before ABS I can tell you that it could be pretty terrifying not having it. My family had more than a few close calls where a better braking system might have spared us some dents and minor injuries. After such experiences and reading about ABS, my mother made it a…
I had visions of treadmills in my head when I was growing up, mostly from ones I spotted in TV and movies. They were the modern version of the treadmill. One that moved on its own power, like the conveyor belt at the supermarket check-out. Of course, I wanted to play with one and I…
Mini-series TV was a big deal in my family’s house when I was growing up. So when they announced Columbus in the mid-eighties I was very excited. I knew we would be watching it and this subject matter really interested me (unlike some other more “romantic” series). After all, this was the exciting age of…
Despite my deep affection for sugary cereal, I do not normally eat the chocolate-themed ones. This is probably because, during my formative years, when a chocolate cereal was in the house, it was devoured by my sister who loved the stuff. That does not mean that I do not have fond memories of chocolate cereals.…
I grew up in the shadow of Manhattan and back then the New York Times was a mysterious and seemingly “high-end” publication. Therefore it very rarely made an appearance in my childhood, but I do remember the first time I opened a copy of the Times because it was very disappointing. It was summer and…
Welcome to the Retroist Black Hole Podcast. On this episode I talk all about Disney’s late seventies science fiction classic, “The Black Hole”. I start off by talking about how films like “The Black Hole” played an important part in my discovery of the entertainment that shaped my “tastes”. Then I get into the film.…
My first computer language book should have been BASIC. That is really the only type of language I was capable of understanding, but for some reason, it was not the first book that came into my possession. Instead, it was a book on Fortran and it intimated the heck out of it. I got the…
J. English Smith narrates the first part of this fantastic Sasquatch documentary; I say the first part because the documentary is abruptly split into two halves. After a quick flight over a heavily wooded Northwest forest, the documentary cuts to our narrator for this first half of the documentary. Smith, who looks the part of…
Alright, I am back from Day 2 of the 2015 Northwest Pinball and Arcade Show and I am still in a bit of a daze. Mr. Do! broke today, which was a bummer, but it is amazing that so many games were kept running. It really is a testament to the talent of the amazing…
Well, I just spent many many hours at the opening day of the 2015 Northwest Pinball and Arcade Show and I had a great time. I met Matt again this year, who continues his amazing work as a Game Medic (he brings his games) and played much arcade and pinball. A lot of these games…
In 1985, Bugs Bunny attempted to help the Trix Rabbit finally get his beloved cereal. Sadly, not even the disguise skills of the world's most famous cartoon rabbit can get that silly rabbit his Trix.
In the eighties, I realized that at some point I would like to make an attempt at being a video game designer. Being a naive kid, with no real understanding of how to proceed, I did what I usually did in that situation. I would read magazines that mentioned video games and how they were…
My family had a “Christmas Train”. It was a train set that we kept with our Xmas decorations and we would run it around the tree every year. I am not sure where it came from, but it was a simple round circle at HO gauge. I fixated on it and insisted on being in…
Welcome to the Retroist Stripes Podcast. On this episode, I talk all about the eighties comedy classic, Stripes. I start off explaining why I would watch movies dozens of times when I was younger and why it might still be important to do so. Then I get into the film. I talk about the stars…
It happened very quickly. One day the corner store near my elementary school had a shelf filled with cupcakes and brownies, the next day it was gone and in its places was a rack filled with books with yellow covers. Since they were not comic books, I had very little interest in them, but they…
Photos is the closest I have come to seeing an Atari 1200XL Computer being used. What I know of the system mostly comes from its bad reputation as a “closed system” that was not adequately backwards compatible. Also as a gamer I was sad to read that they reduced the number of joystick ports from…
As a kid I would attempt to make my own Tiki-style drink creations out of anything even vaguely Hawaiian. So when Ocean Spray's Mauna La’i hit the market, it became my go-to fancy beverage.
The corner store near my house had three arcade games that they rotated every few months. One of the games that survived a few rotations, probably because I pumped so many quarters into it, was Bump ‘n’ Jump. For those of you who haven’t played it, Bump ‘n’ Jump is a driving game where you…
Buster Brown was the one company that could get me excited to go shopping for new shoes. Not only did they offer swell Care Bear themed shoes, but they also had ET Shoes. I must have begged for these shoes plus a bunch of other E.T.-related clothing and toys for months. Sadly I never did…
They made a lot of memorable Sprite commercials over the years. But this ad from 1985, which features aliens with light-up Spock ears has always stuck with me.
Welcome to the Retroist Small Wonder Podcast. On today’s show, I talk all about the eighties cult sitcom, Small Wonder. I start off talking about how I often enjoyed this show during its initial run. Then I talk about the people in front of and behind the camera, the plot, the show’s distribution, and much…
I have vague memories of a Peanut Butter hard candy called “Duets” from my youth, but when I went to search for it online, the results were unexpected. I found a commercial for an “Adults Only” candy called “Duets” that was basically raisins or peanuts coated in yogurt. This was not the candy I was…
Since McDonald’s has a pretty robust menu, it might not surprise you to hear that starting the late seventies McDonald’s began selling a Chopped Beefsteak Sandwich in select locations. The McDonalds Chopped Beefsteak Sandwich consisted of a long hamburger on an oblong bun, covered in onions and sauce. Sadly, it never went past the phase…
Milk Mate was a liquid chocolate flavored syrup that billed itself as a better alternative to Nestles Quik. My family was already divided on our chocolate milk when this was introduced into our cabinet. I was all about Quik, while my sisters preferred Bosco. This new syrup in a squeeze bottle (revolutionary!) was greeted with…
Fruit Strip Gum has a reputation for losing its flavor quickly. When I bought a pack as a kid (and most of the time now), I usually just shotgun piece after piece trying to keep that painted on fruit flavor train going strong. You would think that with all the advancements in gum technology over…
Welcome to the Retroist Gauntlet Podcast. On today’s show, I talk about the 1985 arcade classic, Gauntlet. I start off talking about how this game helped me save face when I had some misgivings about seeing the Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 in the theater. Then I talk about the development of the game and its…
Board games were a regular part of my life growing up. We had a little more than a handful of games that everyone I knew also seemed to have. Games like Monopoly, Life, Sorry, Trouble, Pay Day, and Careers were in everyone’s game closet. Of those games, it seems like Careers is the one that…
They were both tied to posts in the bedroom of Indiana’s newest nemesis, the villainous fifteen-year-old girl Tiffany. A teen as mean as her complexion was bad. Marion and Indy had spent the better part of the year trying to find that Jar and Marion wanted to see what all the fuss was about. “Close…
Remember the good ol’ days? When you spent your summer days hanging down by the river? You had a Mountain Dew in one hand and a rope in the other. No one could swing across that River like you back then. You felt like those days would never end. Now you are a bit older…
Nowadays it does not seem all that important, after all, most people are getting away from even using pens, but in my school in the eighties, ink that could be erased seemed like magic. It was especially useful when you had a stickler for a teacher when it came to penmanship. Most of my teachers…
Welcome to the Retroist Just One of the Guys Podcast. On today’s show, I start off talking about my time working at the video store (again). And about how videotape pausing was not restricted to “Fast Times”. Then I talk about the subject of this episode, the 1985 comedy classic, “Just One of the Guys.”…
When I was a kid, I had a friend who was really into sports. Not playing them, just watching them, collecting stats and playing games about them. I imagine wherever he is now, a lot of Fantasy Leagues are being played. Before the fantasy sports though, he had, besides video and electronics sports games, things…
Lawn care on my block when I was growing up was serious business. I am not sure why, because people only had what amounted to a postage stamp of land to care for, but many took it very seriously. In the early eighties, a new tool emerged in the lawn care arsenal that caught on…
Despite having seen hours of commercials for nail repair and press on nail kits, I still have no idea how they really work. When I was a kid though, I had a teacher who wore the press-on kind, I knew this because once while she was reviewing some work with me, I saw her nails…
Despite really enjoying the burgers at Burger King, they could never seem to match the flavor and consistency of the french fries they served at McDonald’s. It was a constant complaint of everyone in my family when I was growing up. And was probably the #1 reason we kept heading to the Golden Arches even…
I will not argue that Cracker Jack is a great snack. Individual-sized boxes were sometimes bought as a treat in my house when I was growing up and I still indulge in a box from time to time nowadays. What I have never been sold on is the Cracker Jack as a family snack. The…
Before Apple Slice, PepsiCo distributed another apple-flavored soda. It was called Aspen and it was available from 1978-1982. I do not have any memory of trying Aspen, but I have heard that it tasted a lot like Apple Slice, so I probably would have really enjoyed it. In this ad, they seem to be playing…
Zenith made some very cool televisions back in the day. My Grandmother swore by them and wouldn’t buy another model. My earliest exposure to a remote control TV might have been on a Zenith. At least the first time I was yelled at for changing the channel too often was on a Zenith. One of…
Welcome to the Retroist Voyagers Podcast. In this episode of the show, I talk about cult time travel TV classic, Voyagers! I start off talking about my love of history in books and why this TV show was perfect for me (and my grandmother). I then talk about the people behind the camera, the tragic…
Rice Krispie Treats were a delicious and fairly common weekend dessert at my family home when I was growing up. Sadly they never lasted long. We would cut them into nine squares and we would fight over those nine like they were the last bits of food on the planet. While those went quick, there…
As I have mentioned on the site before, I am a big fan of Mr. Do! I even did a podcast about this game which I love so much. When I mention a game or suggest people play it, I like to think that maybe I am reaching people and convincing them to at least…
Welcome to the Retroist Breakfast Club Podcast. On this episode of the show, I talk about the 1985 John Hughes classic, “The Breakfast Club”. I start off talking about how surprisingly pleasant my detention experiences could be in High School, then I move on to talk about the show. I talk about the people in…
Call me overly cautious, but the idea of strapping an engine on my bike and reaching car-like speed never really appealed to me. I had friends though who were real speed demons and saved their money and begged their parents until they finally got an engine like this Bumble Bike one they always sold in…
At some point in the 1980s, my friend who owned an Apple computer picked up an interesting “game”. It was called RobotWar and when I heard him tell me the title over the phone I don’t think I waited for an invitation to come on over and try it out. After all, with Robot AND…
Before it was an amazing bouncing ball by Maui Toys, Skyball was a net and ball set that I could never seem to get the hang of in the late eighties. Here is how I came to try it out. A friend of mine was really into frisbee and we would head to the park…
Welcome to the Retroist Bionic Woman Podcast. On today’s show, I talk all about the seventies sci-fi action TV series, The Bionic Woman. I start off talking about how the Bionic Woman added extra facets to my childhood play with friends. Then I move onto the show and talk about the cast, the plot, the…
Ever wonder how they test the durability of those jeans you wear? Well according to this JC Penney’s commercial from the mid-seventies, it is all done by a humanoid robot named Super Dennis. One would think it might just be easier to use humans, but humans can’t dish out the punishment that tests the exacting…
When handheld video games were popular, I remember gathering around any kid who brought one to the schoolyard and jealously cheering them on as they ate ghosts, scored touchdowns or konged donkeys. When a kid brought his brand new Mattel Electronics Computer Chess with him, we all gathered around but most of us had no…
For a while Burger King had a dessert taste sensation I could not get enough of, the Burger King Spooner. It was a simple treat. You got some soft serve ice cream in a cup and they put Oreo cookie crumbles or strawberry chunks in sauce on the top of it. It was, I guess,…
In the early 1980s, a “novelty” song started getting a lot of play on the radio around where I lived. It was by the US/Australian artist Joe Dolce and it was called “Shaddap You Face”. The song, which is sung in heavily Italian accented pidgin English, revolves around a young rebellious boy and his Mamma’s…
I have talked about my infatuation with Gatorade and their fancy glass bottles a couple of times here on the site. Today I would like to tell you about the time I finally was able to convince my family to purchase the stuff in powdered form. My family consumed a lot of beverages that began…
My record collection when I was younger was riddled with K-Tel Records. My Mom was a big fan of “Greatest Hits” albums and back in the day, no one did it better than K-Tel. While I have many great memories of whiling away weekends playing video games and listening to vinyl from K-Tel, what I…
The first Thursday of every month means free entry for many museums in the city of Seattle. Since the first Thursday fell on January 1st this year, I thought that most of the museums wouldn’t be open. Happily, that was not the case and I decided to kick off the new year with a visit…
I was like most kids, you put me in front of a game and I will play it. So it doesn’t really surprise me that when I look back on my early computer gaming, I had some very positive associations with some strange titles. My friend, who had an Apple II got a copy of…
In the Eighties, Post tried to revive its once popular cereal brand Crispy Critters. Unfortunately, it didn't take, but it did give us the adorable spokes-character, Crispy. I say it is time to bring it and Crispy back!
In my family, if you wanted to eat, you had to be quick. Food went fast, especially things like frozen waffles. If we were lucky, we had one box, and that box was supposed to somehow last all month. It usually only last one or two days at the most. The problem was that once…
In 1983 one of my favorite candy bars, Twix added a new variety, the Peanut Butter Twix. I am not sure how long it took for me to get my hands on one, but when I did, I liked it a lot. So for the next few decades, I would occasionally pepper my regular Twix…
I was browsing through a 1980s computer magazine when I found this photo that accompanied an article about a wave of spiritual-themed software that was coming to computers in 1982. It reminded me of one of my earliest experiences with bible software. It was 1984 and it seemed everyone was getting a home computer. Being…
My family spent what often felt like decades doing food shopping. We would inch down every aisle, looking for deals while scratching stuff off a list that was supposed to last all month. After a while you needed to start filling the time, so I would grab a bunch of magazines and read them while…
I watched a lot of Saturday Morning Cartoons and the Public Service Announcements they ran during them really worked on me. I always listened to Timer and never Drowned my Food, so it should not be a surprise that I know exactly what to do when I am in a rush in the morning. I…
This commercial is nothing all that special, except that it captures a small slice of life that many of us can relate to, waiting in the car while someone else shops in a store. In this ad from K-Mart, it is a husband waiting for his wife, but I am sure it is applicable to…
Above is a Christmas ad for Empire Strikes Back toys and figures I found in an old magazine and used as my Christmas Card this year. It is pretty quiet here on the site, as it should be since today is the magical holiday of Christmas. I hope everyone is enjoying their day, hopefully spending…
When the time came to replace my old BMX bike with a ten-speed, I tried to stay brand loyal and asked for the Baja. I had not heard the term “mountain bike” at this point, but this bike seemed to combine elements of the ten-speed with the off-pavement capabilities of my older bike. As you…
When I was younger, a trip to the Hardware store was always an important part of the holiday season. It usually happened right before my parents decided they were going to put up the tree and knowing we were going always caused waves of excitement to run through the house. Our hardware store was independent…
Welcome to the Retroist National Lampoons Christmas Vacation Podcast. On this episode of the show, we talk about the holiday classic, “Christmas Vacation.” I start off talking about my memorable experience decorating the house with holiday lights when I was a kid and how that did not go as planned. Then I talk about the…
I have always associated M&M’s with the holiday season. Even before they started selling bags of just green and red M&M’s my family would stock up on them and put out a bowl for our holiday parties. Living these little candies as much as I did, I wanted to eat them all, but to stand…
I am not a big coffee drinker, but I come from a family where coffee was prepared multiple times per day. So I find the smell of coffee being prepared to be very satisfying. When I was young that smell managed to reach even the furthest reaches of the house because my family used a…
My family had a pretty decent sized record collection, sadly we didn’t take great care of them. I personally was probably responsible for the death of dozens of our albums through my poor treatment of them. Across the street from me was a family that could not be more different from mine. They took their…
Welcome to the Retroist Karate Kid Podcast. On this episode of the show, I talk about the eighties martial arts dramedy classic, The Karate Kid. I begin by talking about a friend of mine who was really into the Karate Kid and how I never found out why (and how I regret that). Then I…
I was what we used to call a garbage picker when I was a kid. I would go out on junk days or trash days and cruise the neighborhood looking for treasure. One of the stipulations my mother made about my hobby is that it all needed to be cleaned up before I brought it…
It might not surprise anyone who reads this blog to learn that I went through a Yo-Yo phase. I had a green Duncan Butterfly that I inherited from my sister that I carried around with me for about 2 years when I was in grade school. Whenever I was bored I would pull out ol’…
“From the beginning of his time on earth, man has always been fascinated by monsters. Real or imagined…” Once again I’m here to gladly give you the run-down on another fascinating episode of In Search Of… this time all about the Abominable Snowman, also known as the Yeti. This one again does not disappoint for…
Maybe I would have liked the Wispride cheese spread, but it was long gone when I discovered the discarded crock and started using it for my storage needs. It served as a home for my dice, pens and pencils, assorted change, rubber bands, and much more. It was so well-made that I thought this thing…
Every December my family would gather in the kitchen to make Christmas cookies. We always made these same butter cookies that would turn hard as a rock if not eaten in 48 hours. Which meant eating them quickly or soaking them in milk anytime after their two day lifespan. My job was to decorate the…
When I was a kid, my Grandmother one time casually mentioned that she remembered when kids used to Trick or Treat on Thanksgiving. When I pressed her for details about it, she was vague, and it made me wonder if she was pulling my leg. It has been decades since she brought that up and…
As you can see in this promo image for the Pontiac P-Car from 1982, they still weren’t even sure what the name of the car would be. The promo speculates the evocative “Sunfire”, but that name wouldn’t be used by Pontiac until 1995 as a replacement for the Sunbird. The name was going to be…
A lot of the smells of my childhood bring a smile to my face, but are difficult to replicate. I just can’t manage to capture that morning winter breakfast smell that would permeate the house when my Grandmother was staying with us (I am probably using the wrong brand of cigarettes). While I can’t duplicate…
Seeing commercials for the Pollenex Splash Dance Shower Radio might have been the first time I had seen a radio in a shower. Naturally, I wanted one, so that I could rock out and splash around. My mother refused to get us one and objected to the whole idea. We only had one bathroom in…
After the long slow decline, I am happy to see that new Roy Rogers restaurants are starting to open. In the 1980s, they were pretty popular in New Jersey and my family went a couple of times a year, but never for the hamburgers or other sandwich items. No, we went to Roy’s for their…
This show, which ran from 1981-1985 was hosted by Dick Cavett and was a follow-up to the series “Time Was”. Each episode took a look back at a time in history or an event and used footage, photos, and quality narration to get us to “Remember When.” In 1982 the show was nominated but didn’t…
In the 1980s my sister dated a guy who fancied himself a car expert. He spent many weekend either working on or driving one of his three sports cars and I imagine he spent most weekdays talking about those sports cars. I remember he decided he was going to add a sunroof to one of…
Welcome to the Retroist Carnival of Souls Podcast. On this episode of the show, I start off by talking about how my entire family discovered the film Carnival of Souls together. While not exactly a family film, Carnival of Souls enchanted my family. Since seeing it that first time, I have never been able to…
As a kid I dabbled in sports. I wrestled, ran track, played little league baseball and a local recreation basketball. At most of these things I was horrible, but it didn’t stop me from trying. I had a decent coach in basketball who took me aside one day and gave it to me straight. He…
The High School I went to did not have an open lunch program. That meant that you could not leave school grounds to eat and that the school cafeteria had a lock on lunches if you didn’t brown bag one. I was one of those that brought their lunch from home normally, but from time…
The Lots-a-Lots-a-Leggggggs Caterpillars has a revival in the late 1990s, but I would like to focus on the ones that were produced in 1984/1985. I did not own one, but I did see the commercial they ran. Sadly, my exposure to them would be limited to their catchy jingle until the 1990s, when I started…
Sticklets were a gum made by Wrigley in the 1980s. Taste-wise it wasn’t anything special, but it had an interesting gimmick and a decent ad campaign to make it stand out. Its gimmick was that the gum was a slimmed down version of your standard stick, but to make up for the smaller size, you…
Welcome to the Retroist The Last Man on Earth Podcast. On this week’s show I talk all about the 1964 cult film classic, “The Last Man on Earth”. I start off talking about how the movie put me on edge after the first time I watched it. Then I talk about book it is based…
Oh how I miss Slice Apple Soda. When I was going through my Slice drinking phase in the 1980s, I was briefly smitten with their Apple flavor and it set me down a life long path of drinking apple flavored soft drinks including Snapple’s Apple soda (when it was available) and nowadays Mexico’s Sidral Mundet.…
My choice in bubble gum was already Bubble Yum when they ran this instant win contest featuring Masters of the Universe toys as prizes. So I jumped into the Bubble Yum Masters of the Universe Instant Winner Game wholeheartedly in the hopes of winning myself some cool toys. Like Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka, I…
Welcome to the Retroist Fat Albert Halloween Special Podcast. On this episode of the podcast, I start off by talking about a much-missed Halloween pal from years ago. Then I talk about one of the specials we watched together, The Fat Albert Halloween Special. I talk about the man behind the special, Bill Cosby, the…
Did you have a store when you were a kid that always seemed very far away? For me growing up in New Jersey so close to New York I would see commercials for the supermarket chain Waldbaum’s almost daily. Yet in all of our travels through the Garden State, I never saw one in person…
Glad Baggies were introduced in the 1960s, so I did not get to see how they completely revolutionized how people stored items, but I did get a lesson from my Grandmother about their convenience every time she used one. I could tell she knew what she was talking about when she went on about how…
I make it no secret. I am a big fan of Monster Cereal and I believe that if it was available all year long, anytime would be a good time to eat it. But with the limited supply available to me, I really try to enjoy my window for eating the stuff. So as October…
I always thought that Barbie & the Rockers was just a ripoff of Jem and the Holograms, but from what I have read online the relationship between these two properties is much more interesting. It seems that Hasbro, who made Jem took a box to a show in Hong Kong where it was somehow found…
Welcome to the Retroist Night of the Creeps Podcast. In this episode, I talk all about the eighties cult classic, “Night of the Creeps”. I start out by talking about the magic of working at a video store and how it could expose you to new films. Then I move onto the movie and talk…
Welcome to the Retroist Tales from the Darkside Podcast. In this episode of the show, I start off talking about how my earliest exposure to Tale from the Darkside was through the too-thin walls of my family’s house. Then I talk about the people behind the scenes on Tales from the Darkside, the show’s reception,…
When I first started watching, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, I thought the creator of the show and the guy who plays Mac, Rob McElhenney, looked really familiar. I looked him up online then and saw he had a few credits, but none of them seemed familiar. It took until just last week for me…
The G.I. Joe Commando Attack board game by Hasbro came out in 1985 and it was on all my circle of friends’ Christmas lists. My friend who lived around the corner got a copy and it became an obsession up through the summer of 1986 for all of us. It wasn’t the most complicated game,…
Welcome to the Retroist Square Pegs Podcast. In this episode, I talk all about the short-lived 1980s sitcom, Square Pegs. I start off talking about how my sister turned me onto a lot of great television and how with this particular show I did not need any extra encouragement. After all, this show had DEVO…
Attack of the Mutants was a board game published by Yaquinto Publications. They also published the stellar The Ironclads in 1979 as well as the Dallas board game. Attack of the Mutants was a slightly different game with a very 1950s B-Move vibe. In it, you take the role of either the mutants or the…
Sooooo…you think you’ve seen ALL the Castle Wolfenstein games, eh? Do you remember the one that STARTED IT ALL? Castle Wolfenstein was released by Muse Software in 1981 initially for the Apple II. You take on the role of a prisoner whose mission is to simply escape the notorious Castle Wolfenstein. You are given a…
When we went to Burger King as a family, we always went to the same one. It was a great location, clean, unchanging, and of course beautifully decorated in shades of brown. Then one day in 1984 they started tearing up a section of the restaurant to install a salad bar. I had zero interest…
Welcome to the Retroist Club Paradise Podcast. In this episode of the show, I talk all about the 1986 Robin William’s comedy, “Club Paradise”. I start off talking about how I can’t believe more people don’t like this film, and then I move onto the cast, the plot, the music, and much more. As you…
When the Intellivision was released it held the promise of a future component that would turn the Intellivision into a fully functional home computer. This much-delayed accessory had reliability problems. A lot of Intellivision fans were consistently disappointed for many years, but the hope of a release always seemed to be just around the corner.…
Pillow People and Pillow Pets were a line of stuffed rectangular toy pillows with faces designed on them that started around 1986. I would not say they were a huge hit, but for a year or two, they were a very visible toy line in commercials. It was an interesting idea for a line of…
I grew up in a house with two older sisters and a mother who were not immune to the fitness crazes of the 1980s. Normally I would just watch from afar and giggle at them as they did their aerobic workouts or whatever it is they decided to try that month. Sometimes though, their madness…
My family went to Cooky’s Steak Pub after repeated viewings of these commercials and I don’t remember a thing about the main course. What I do remember is that they had a dessert bar and that I was chomping at the bit throughout my entire meal, my eyes never leaving sweet treats that were coming…
I have never been to a Petland Discounts store in my life, but due to their seemingly robust advertising budget, I am very familiar with the chain and especially their mustachioed president and founder, Neil Padron. Founded in 1965 in Glen Oaks, New York, Petland Discounts is still growing strong with 100 stores scattered around…
Carvel is a chain of ice cream stores that was very popular with my family. We not only stopped in for the occasional ice cream treat on the go but would also go there for their crunchy-heavy ice cream cakes. For a while, my Grandmother, who lived near a Carvel, would pick them up as…
My family was bargain-conscious. Our cart during a food shopping excursion was stacked with generic brands, which according to my Mother, were just as good as the brand labels. She had a few caveats, of course, chief among them was her choice in peanut butter. We always bought Jif. When I would question her about…
In season 7 of Facts of Life back in 1985, in an episode titled “Men for All Seasons”, the gang is dealing with push back from Langley College when they decide to sell a male pinup poster featuring the swim team that the college is opposed to. It’s a pretty good Natalie-heavy episode, but the…
I had just seen “Strange Brew” on VHS when Pizza Hut started running these commercials featuring heroes of the Great White North, Bob & Doug Mackenzie. My friends and I were smitten with the film and were hungry for more Bob and Doug, so the timing was perfect for Bob and Doug Mackenzie for Pizza…
This rare but amazingly great documentary covers all the big ones (pun intended)! Bigfoot! The Yeti! The Loch Ness Monsters! All coming at cha in grainy 70’s drive-in goodness! The year was 1975 and America was enjoying Monster Mania like it never had before! Bigfoot was a household name and if you hadn’t at least…
One of my friends, when I was a kid, had a father who traveled for work a lot (especially to exotic California) and whenever he came home he would bring a gift with him. Since he was gone all the time, he was bringing home piles of gifts for my friend. This seemed pretty awesome…
Did you know that in the made for TV movie The Love Boat II they mention that the Captain, Gopher, Isaac, and Doc all served together in Vietnam? This pretty much blew my mind and since hearing this, all I can picture is them as some sort of A-Team, that survive not as soldiers of…
When I was in elementary school, I loved science class. Not just because I enjoyed the subject, but because we had a very engaging teacher who was constantly challenging us and making science fun. I would learn an important lesson about how dedicated some teachers are in his class when a 100 piece kit of…
The Bergen Mall opened up in 1957 and it was a favorite of my family long after much larger malls had eclipsed it. Now know as The Outlets at Bergen Town Center, the place is hardly recognizable to people who grew up going there. At some point in the 1990s, I was reading in the…
I had only a passing interest in roleplaying in the old west until a friend of mine took it upon himself to try to get a Boot Hill campaign going after he bought a set at a garage sale. The session was sadly short-lived, the town we went into was a death trap and all…
Pillsbury Pudding Pockets we a sublime treat that took boxed homemade cupcakes to the next level by putting pudding in the center to improve them. I think about them way too often.
Although I had my heart set on an Apple IIc, my father thought that IBM was set for some success with their line of PCs. So, our first computer was an IBM PCjr (still running – thanks IBM!) and one of my first games was King’s Quest. The good folks at Sierra crafted a brilliant…
Before I started seeing these memorable ads starring John Hillerman, who played Higgins on Magnum P.I., I had never even heard of Macadamia Nuts. But since the first commercial, I have always associated them with Mauna Loa. What made the commercial even more memorable is that Hillerman does the commercial in the English accent that…
While I would never want to take screen time away from McDonaldland’s Captain Crook, the Filet-O-Fish Mermaid makes a pretty good mascot for the McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish sandwich. The McDonaldland Universe was pretty male-heavy. So a mermaid could have been a great addition to that fantasy food world. Not sure why they wasted her in a…
Welcome to the Retroist Cannonball Run Podcast. On today’s show, I am going to talk about the cult comedy classic, “The Cannonball Run”. I start off talking about how much I enjoy driving and the first drive I took to the far end of New Jersey. Then I get to the film. I talk about…
I tend to obsess over a particular food once I discover it. Say a new type of soup hits the stores and I taste it and like it, I will have that soup for weeks afterward. This is a family trait that affected me a great deal in the late 1980s. At that time in…
Sometimes you make big mistakes in your life and the results will haunt you. Other times you will make a small mistake and for some reason, the people in your life will make it haunt you. I can still remember waking up that Sunday morning and going to the bagel shop in town to pick…
Last night I received a link from a friend to memorabilia related to a restaurant called “Burger Queen.” The restaurant chain, which launched in 1963, stayed as “Burger Queen” up until 1981 when they changed their name to Druther’s. They decided to make the change because they wanted people to not just associate them with…
In 1971 the world was introduced to Wallace the Waffle-Whiffer. Wallace embodied Waffle Obsession. While he might be largely forgotten today, he is fondly remembered by those who were growing up during his heyday.
Welcome to the Retroist BurgerTime Podcast. On today’s show, I talk about the 1982 arcade classic, BurgerTime. I begin the show by talking about how I worked out a system to get free credits on the video games in my town. Then I talk about the company that created BurgerTime, Data East and their DECO…
When you think of the stylish Sasson Jeans from the 1970s and 1980s, you probably think of disco or the famously hard-to-find Elton John commercial where he basically parodies “Sad Songs (Say so Much)”. But did you know that Sasson Jeans was also the official jeans of the New York Rangers hockey team? That in…
I miss when Department Stores actually had a lot of departments, not just different categories of clothing. It made exploring them a lot more enjoyable. Up until 1983, J. C. Penney still had an automotive department, so in addition to a nice part of slacks and a toy for your kid, you could pick also…
On a trip to Disney World in the 1980s, my Grandmother came along and she came prepared. Not just for herself, but for the entire family. When it started raining she reached into her bag and pulled out the plastic ponchos and when I got chilly at night, she pulled out this really well folded…
It’s time to discuss another one of my all-time favorite Bigfoot movies as the summer of Sasquatch continues! Sasquatch, the Legend of Bigfoot is the complete and only true story of Bigfoot ever filmed at least that is what the moves poster says. In the film, Bigfoot researcher Chuck Evans and team journey to the…
This past week marked the anniversary of the passing of Frank Goodish, better known to the wrestling community as Bruiser Brody. Born in Detroit in 1946, Goodish was a standout athlete at Warren High, where he lettered in basketball and football. Goodish was a beast, loud and abrasive at times, with a reputation for being…
Growing up in New Jersey, we had a selection of shore towns to visit during the summer. Where you went was largely based on where your parents had been taken as a kid. My parents were both Asbury Park people. As Asbury Park’s glory days faded though we moved to other boardwalks, chiefly Pt. Pleasant…
I grew up in a generic brand facial tissue household. So I had no idea that there were alternatives to the sandpaper-like single-ply nonsense I had always used until one day in the 1990s when I went to the store to buy tissues. While there I made the executive decision to pick up a brand…
I am a proud supporter and follower of the Pacific Science Center in Seattle. I enjoy their daily posts on Facebook, especially their Throwback Thursday ones. Yesterday’s post was a real winner, here is what they said… Here’s a great #throwbackthursday straight from the depths of the tunnels under our campus. We found a DNA…
Welcome to the Retroist Silent Running Podcast. On this week’s show I talk about the 1972 Sci-Fi classic, Silent Running. I start off by talking about how I miss the act of discovery and randomness with how I used to consume entertainment. Then I move on to the film and talk about the people who…
In 1993, TSR released a board game based on Dungeons & Dragons called, DragonStrike. The game was well put together and was to serve as an introduction to roleplaying and more importantly the Dungeons & Dragons ruleset. By the time it made its way into stores, I was already a veteran of many an RPG…
Grins & Smiles & Giggles & Laughs Cereal by Ralston was another one of those products that I sadly never got to try, but was raved about my older sisters (who loved to say the name over and over again). Years later I would finally see a commercial for the cereal featuring the gruff cereal…
Like many people who were alive in the 1980s, I went through a “Slice” drinking phase. Since Slice replaced, Teem, which I enjoyed, the move was a natural. But my drinking of it didn’t heat up until they started selling Mandarin Orange Slice. Then when Coca-Cola started selling Cherry Coke, Slice fired back with a…
Welcome to the Retroist Atari 7800 Podcast. On today’s show, I start off by talking about how my Atari buddy and I kept waiting for the Atari 7800 and how a love for Atari turned him against Nintendo and into the arms of Sega. Then I talk about the Atari 7800 console. I talk about…
The Awful Green Things from Outer Space is a great game two-player board game created by Tom Wham. Whalen created lots of great games and gaming material. While am a fan of a lot of his work. One thing will always trump his other accomplishments in my book. He was the illustrator for the Beholder…
Way back in the summer of 1979, some 35 years ago, a wrestling faction was formed by the most unlikely trio of guys, maybe ever. They were young and liked to party way too much, they were crass and rude, and their leader had crazy ideas about promotion and storylines. In the early 1980s, when…
Ever since Warpo announced its upcoming Legends of Cthulhu Retro Action Figure Toy Line, it is all we can talk about here at Retroist HQ. We love the styling of the figures, the back story of Warpo, and of course the pitch-perfect retro commercial. In order to learn more about the people behind the now…
Welcome to the Retroist Fast Times at Ridgemont High Podcast. Aloha! On today’s show, I talk all about the classic 1980’s comedy, Fast Times at Ridgemont High. I start off with a story about working in a video store and how Fast Times was a video that was very popular and had to be replaced…
This weekend I had the great pleasure of attending the 2014 Northwest Pinball and Arcade Show in Tacoma, WA. This 3-day event is a glorious all-you-can-play extravaganza that, as I think you will see, is worth checking out. This is not my first time at the show. I went to one last year for one…
Ramblin’ Root Beer was a delicious, but now defunct root beer made by The Coca-Cola Company, starting in the 1970s. I do not drink root beer often, but when I did as a kid, I preferred the taste of Ramblin’ to all others. I remember many a frosted mug of the stuff was hefted at…
The X20R was an average bike. Not remembered all that fondly by many people, but it is important to me because the X20R was the bike that I rode throughout my entire youth. It was a bit heavier than my friends’ Redlines and Mongooses, but what it lacked in lightweight material it made up for…
I never had a summer camp experience when I was a kid. Frankly, I never had much interest in the traditional summer camp activities. But when I started seeing these ads for Atari Computer Camp in the 1980s, I was smitten. Quickly I began begging my Mom to let me go. I pushed hard enough…
The town I grew up in was lousy with warehouses and large companies. When I started to get into computing and made friends with like-minded folks, I found out that a lot of great, but slightly old or damaged tech could be acquired through “dumpster diving”. Once you started, it was addicting as all get…
Welcome to the Retroist Heavy Metal Podcast. On this week’s show I start off by talking about how a cool Uncle can sometimes do uncool things by showing young kids confusing films. Then I move into talking about the 1980s animated classic, Heavy Metal. I talk about the cast, the crew, the plot, my favorite…
I have been playing Dungeons & Dragons again lately and the books have migrated from a closet to a prominent shelf in the living room where they belong. This has increased the amount of time I spend looking at the books, which is substantial. Looking at the Dungeons and Dragons Cover Art of my treasured…
Jerry O’Neil Lawler is one my favorite figures in wrestling history. He is both beloved and hated by fans and wrestlers alike, sometimes in the same conversation. The unquestioned “King of Memphis Wrestling”, Lawler’s career spans through 5 decades at this point, as a wrestler, promoter, and announcer. A member of the WWE Hall of…
Portable Coleco Arcade Games were the thing of dreams when I was growing up. Their portable version of Pac-Man was a favorite of mine back then. The problem was, I never owned one. Luckily for me, my cousin did and boy did I lock onto it whenever I was at his house. Sadly, the thing…
My first encounter with Popeye’s was in the 1980s on a trip to Florida. I cannot say I was smitten with the food at that point, but I really liked the branding of the place. I loved the Popeye character and couldn’t believe there was an entire chain dedicated to him. I could hardly contain…
I have a generic can of air near my computer that I use from time to time to keep the dust away from important computer parts. When I use it, I don’t think much of it, but in the 1980s, when I first encountered “Dust-Off“, I thought this stuff was magic in a can. A…
While I loved my Atari 2600 and it was perhaps one of the greatest toys I received as a kid. I still had great affection for dedicated systems like Coleco’s Telstar ‘Combat!’. Sure they had lower replay-ability, but they just felt more like an arcade experience with the dedicated controllers, even if they were a…
Welcome to the Retroist Godzilla the Animated Series Podcast. On today’s show, I talk about how the 1978 Godzilla Animated Series. I begin by talking about how my angelic singing voice got me into some social awkwardness during some school-time public speaking. Then I talk about the people who made the show, the talented voice…
My house, when I was growing up, had a mailbox right at the front door. For most of my neighbors, their mailbox was an actual hole in their door. So mail fell right into their house. As a kid who liked to hang out on the stairs or on the front lawn, the coming of…
My father worked at the phone company when I was a kid and would occasionally bring home fun things for us to play with (or maybe we just grabbed stuff out of his bag?) The multi-colored wires, which my sisters used for crafts were great, but these stenciling kits are what really got me excited.…
This particular Brut commercial is laser-etched into my brain because it ran constantly. I remember asking my Mother if this was normal behavior for women in love with a “Brut man” and her answer was deep and unceasing laughter, which I took to mean no. My sister would point out constantly how much cooler this…
Welcome to the Retroist Frogger Podcast. On today’s show I talk about the arcade classic, Frogger. This is a game I have always adored, so I am happy to finally be covering it in a podcast. I start off by talking about the not so world-class arcade video game team my friends and I tried…
Up until the recent release of Pepsi Throwback I had always been more of a Coca-Cola drinker. Not that I didn’t like Pepsi, but my Mother was extremely brand loyal when it came to soft drinks. So when it came to picking a place to get a hamburger and a soda, she would turn up…
Growing up on the east coast, I had no idea that people went to Palm Springs for Spring Break until I spotted this video artifact on YouTube. It consists of footage of people on what looks like the main drag in Palm Springs (I have only been there once) and focuses a lot on women…
Welcome to the Retroist Wizards and Warriors Podcast. On today’s show, I talk about the short-lived fantasy TV show from 1983, Wizards and Warriors. I start off by talking about how pleasantly surprised I was to have this show, even though it replaced another show I really enjoyed. Then I talk about the people in…
Robbinsdale is a small town in Eastern Minnesota. Founded in 1893, it is a perfect example of small town America. Its population has never reached 15,000, and crime is pretty much non-existent there. For many years, the town had 2 claims to fame, it was home to the oldest continuously active marching band in the…
I had a small record player when I was a kid. It was a dull-looking plastic grey suitcase that I inherited from my sister and I toted it everywhere. I just loved staring at the record when it spun around. The problem with this is that inevitably I found myself touching the record or doing…
When I was a young teen, my friend and I decided to head into Manhattan for the day and took a ride on the subway. About 30 seconds after we left the station a guy sitting across from us stood up and started screaming. It was complete nonsense and was terrifying. What was even scarier…
Welcome to the Retroist Jewel of the Nile Podcast. On this week’s show, I talk about the 1980’s romantic action-adventure comedy sequel, Jewel of the Nile. I start out talking about how HBO could, through repeated showings, get me to like anything. Then talk about the writer, director, cast, plot, and much much more. Vic…
Over a period of 2 decades, The Our Gang Comedies assembled a legion of America’s most talented children, and laid hundreds of short films to print. A few of these child stars had successful careers afterwards, but most fell into obscurity. And then, some of the series’ biggest stars suffered a series of tragedies so…
It’s no secret I love the wrestling business. People laugh and think that somehow makes me an idiot because of it, but I don’t care. But I am a realist, and as much as some of the guys in the business entertain me, that doesn’t change the fact that a lot of them are incredibly…
We had a bunch of outlet-type stores in my hometown. This made for some really interesting dumpster diving for me and my friends. Sometimes what you found was useful right away, like a working portable TV with a cracked case. Other times you would be challenged by your finds, like when we found an unopened…
In the mid-1980s, Wrinkles the talking dog puppets hit the toy scene. They were in the same vein as cabbage patch kids in that no two were supposed to be alike and you “adopted” them, but Wrinkles, unlike the Cabbage Patch DOLL was a Puppet. For many of us, who were into puppets as kids,…
We did not have a chain convenience store in my town, but we had an independent one that I thought was a magical place. It had nearly floor-to-ceiling shelves and refrigerators filled with snacks and treats to delight and amaze. It was here that I had my first TMNT Pudding Pie, my first Snapple, and…
Welcome to the Retroist Romancing the Stone Podcast. On this week’s show, I talk about the 1980’s romantic action-adventure comedy, Romancing the Stone. I start out talking about my naive tactics for seeing rated R films. Sometimes in life, you really try too hard for silly things. After recounting that I move onto the film…
I can only imagine what must have been going on at companies like Milton Bradley during the video game craze. How can we compete with these blasted video games! Well for many companies, the strategy was often as simple as jump on the bandwagon. Milton Bradley did something clever in 1983 by making a board…
I come from a fairly sensible family when it came to buying clothes. My Mother planned ahead. Knowing I would outgrow pants and shirts and would often size up so that I had room to grow into things. As a consequence of her smart thrift, I almost always needed to wear a belt when I…
This Sunday, WrestleMania XXX takes place at the Superdome in New Orleans. It’s amazing if you think about it, 30 years of WrestleMania. And on this monumental anniversary, the special celebrity host this year is The Immortal Hulk Hogan. Whether you wore red and gold in the 80s or thought he was the most overrated…
A few years ago I met a guy who enjoyed making music with old electronic toys. He would go goodwill and haul away just about anything that beeped or blooped and would take it home and try to make it do even more unusual things. His collection, which he kept in boxes and shelves was…
The wrestling faction, or stable, from the Horseman to X-Factor (remember them?) has long been a part of the business. In this post, we will examine the best and worst of these groups and what their impact has been on wrestling history. Now, before we start, let me ask 1 question….what is a faction or…
I was out this past weekend at a street market. It was a really nice day and I managed to snag a bench to watch the crowds go by and enjoy the sun. I was sitting there for maybe 2 minutes when I spotted a toy that I did not expect to see, especially not…
In just under 2 weeks, 5 former WWE Superstars and 1 celebrity will be forever enshrined in the WWE Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, none of them is Randy “Macho Man” Savage, but I think I’ve made my case about that before. But who is the class of 2014? And since the inductions take place on…
Welcome to the Retroist Blues Brothers Podcast. In this week’s show, I talk about the timeless musical comedy classic, The Blues Brothers. I start by talking about my first exposure to The Blues Brothers and how it lead me down a path of denial and misinformation that I sort of miss nowadays. Then I talk…
I eat a good amount of popcorn. Mostly I like to use air poppers when possible. I had one as a kid and I just like the sound and the smell of using one. Despite that, I am no stranger to microwave popcorn. I had no idea though that they sold Microwave Popcorn that you…
Welcome to the Retroist Cosmos Podcast. On today’s show I talk about the 1980 education science classic, Cosmos. First, I discuss my first exposure to this wonderful series. Then, I talk about the show itself, covering the creator and host of the show Carl Sagan, the show’s reception, its release on home video, and much…
At some point in the 1980s my family became obsessed with places that has Salad Bars. Being younger than everyone else in my household, I was not yet completely on board the “vegetables are awesome” train. Which was okay since the salad bar usually cost a little extra and my family enjoyed the savings they…
I have never been much of a fan of the sun, but the rest of my family loved it! This was of course before skin cancer concerns became all the rage. This was back in the day when a natural tan was something you spent your summers cultivating. My sisters would spend hours laying out…
We had an Acme market at the heart of my town when I was growing up. For many years it was our go-to place for groceries. I loved going to the supermarket and browsing the aisles with my family, but one aisle filled me with dread. An aisle that was filled with products in a…
Here is another restaurant I have only heard about from their commercials, Boston Sea Party. The chain of seafood restaurants no longer exists, but they got their start and delicious pun of name around 1976, during the U.S. Bicentennial. It looks like an all you can eat Red Lobster-type place, which would have been very…
Growing up, I had a friend with who I loved to play Battleship. We played it at least once a week together for a year. Naturally, when we heard about Electronic Battleship, we both put it on our birthday and Christmas lists. He was the lucky one who received it for this birthday and I…
In the 1990s, I was often on the go and I DID need a beverage holder for my fast-paced lifestyle. Sure I had tried taping a can of soda to the front of my bike, but once I opened it after a rough ride, the liquid would spray everywhere. I also tried filling plastic bags…
The basement of my childhood home was not huge, but it did have a few nooks and crannies that made it both an interesting and frightening place to be. In addition to several old wooden wardrobe cabinets and the area under the stairs, we had this strange half-built room that occupied about a quarter of…
Welcome to the Retroist Hawaii Five-O Podcast. On this week’s show, we talk about the long-running police procedural drama, Hawaii Five-O. I start off talking about my early exposure to the show and why I have returned to it as I have gotten older. Then, I talk about the people in front of and behind…
The Crayola Caddy mighty not seem like that big of deal, but for me they seemed like the height of fanciness. As a kid I enjoyed art time with crayons and I kept my crayons as in as good a condition as I could muster. During most Christmases I would circle everything Crayola-related in the…
Ahh the Perm. My sisters and mother all went through a strange perm phase and I am not sure why. I never considered myself a good judge of hair, but their hair looked a lot better before they put all these unnatural-looking curls and waves into it. Yet everyone they met at the time told…
I loved my Atari. It was one of my favorite childhood gifts and one I would return to throughout my life. That could have gone horribly wrong if not for the timely intervention of my Mother back in the 1980s. As a kid, I was the curious type and once I discovered that electronics had…
When I was on the small side, I remember going to a family friend’s house for some birthday party. I was younger than everyone else, so I was really bored. That was, until the presents were opened and one of the toys was a light target shooting game called, QuickFire. It looked amazing and its…
We had an Acme market in our downtown when I was growing up. On the aisle right next to the tiny floral section, among some canned goods, they would hang the object of a childhood obsession, the Krazy Straw. My sisters had both had them at an early age, but by the time I rolled…
My childhood bedroom was rife with clowns. I am not sure what my family was thinking, but nearly every inch of my small darkly paneled walls had some sort of clown on it. When I was ill with even the slightest fever it would look like they were all staring down at me, waiting for…
So almost a year ago I wrote my first “retro-wrestling” piece here. That first little look back, entitled From Man to King – The Rise of the Macho King Randy Savage was uploaded on February 26th, 2013. It was well-received enough that I wrote several more, and though I have been negligent over the last few months,…
Welcome to the Retroist RoboCop Podcast. On this week’s show, we talk about the 1987 sci-fi classic, RoboCop. I start off by talking about clearance toy stores and the value of older sibling guilt. Then I talk about the novelization, the video games, the people in front of and behind the camera, the music, plot,…
I love a good fast-food hamburger and I will go out of my way to try one from a chain or independent I have never tried before. So wherever I have lived, I tend to be a connoisseur of the local fast-food eateries. My passion for all things retro crosses over with this when I…
Frankie Avalon was kind of a big deal in our house when I was growing up. I watched a lot of his movies with my mother and when his now-classic, “Back to the Beach” came out, we saw it in the theater twice! Since we were such fans, it should not be a surprise to…
When my family decided to go out to eat, which we did not do that often, we had a bunch of restaurants and diners to choose from. But at some point in the 1980s, and I was not sure why at the time, we started to head to the Ground Round for early dinners and…
As someone whose favorite pastime is retro television, the internet has made my hobby a lot easier. Often I just use it to catch up on shows that I loved as a kid, but on other occasions, I am introduced to a show I have never seen before. Yesterday at lunch, I was looking for…
One particularly nondescript Sunday, my family was out for a stroll and stumbled across a yard sale. While fumbling through a box of toys I found something I had always wanted since I saw it at a friend’s house, a Fun-L-Tun-L. For those not familiar, the Fun-L-Tun-L is a series of hoops held together with…
If I needed another compelling reason to go to Hardee’s in the 1980s, the Marvel Comics 3-D Theatre Kids Meals would be it. You get your Theatre with the purchase of a kid’s meal and it came with, in addition to a delicious meal, a box that doubled as a 3-D Theatre. As you will…
One of my cousins has this space-age-looking Buck Rogers Electronic Target Game. During one Christmas holiday party, I think I spent the whole party in a darkened room shooting at light with light and missed dinner and dessert. I don’t miss cake and ice cream for just any game, but this was special. The memory…
I was walking down the aisle in the Supermarket yesterday when I spotted the Snack Puddings on a really good sale and decided to pick some up for old time’s sake. Back in elementary school, one of these puddings was like a brick of gold when it came time for lunch trading at school. Very…
I still have my Mattel Electronic Football. When I was a kid, a friend of mine had the Coleco version and compared to my version it had a ton of features. That was cool for someone who was really a big football fan. My fandom was and still is, casual. So I found it way…
Welcome to the Retroist Facts of Life Podcast. On this week’s show we talk about the longest running sitcom of the 1980s, The Facts of Life. I start off by talking about how I met a future roommate and friend while watching The Facts of Life. Then I talk about the people in front of…
I have never owned a sleeping bag. I thought that I would need one when I started going to my friend’s house for sleepovers, but my anxiety about sleeping in someone else’s home limited my sleepover experience. The sleeping I had my eye on was this dark navy one with a bright orange interior. It…
A few weeks ago, I was going through some fast food premiums when I discovered a toy that did not look like it belonged with the rest. For the life of me, I could not remember the name of the toy line it was from and I put it on the shelf near my desk…
A couple of years ago, my Mother asked me to clean out an area of her basement we referred to as “the closet”. It was this partially walled-off area in our unfinished where we shoved large items that we no longer used, but for some reason did not want to throw away. I found all…
Oh, Suckerman! What a tremendous garage sale find you were. They wanted 75 cents and I offered a quarter and they took it! I took you home and immediately tried sticking you to stuff. You stayed attached for a few seconds and then would fall to the floor, then my friend had a novel suggestion.…
In the 1980s, my family took a memorable trip to Niagra Falls. We stayed on the Canadian side and in three days managed to pack a week’s worth of attraction into our itinerary. One of the places we went to was Marineland. I remember very little of the visit, save for the deer. They were…
I would not count myself in the legion of raisin based cereal eaters, but as a young person I was constantly exposed to the stuff and I quickly developed an opinion about which was my favorite. Many a weekend was spent with my Grandmother who was well-known for her ability to make French Toast on…
I might not have been able to get out to Disneyland as a kid, but I tried my best to keep up on what was going on there. In 1985, the park was celebrating its big 30th anniversary and they were giving away all sorts of wonderful prizes, including the grand prize of a Pontiac…
The McDonald's Roast Beef Sandwich nearly went nationwide in the late Sixties. While it was ultimately a failure, it did teach the growing food giant important lessens on research and logistics.
I would have loved anything CHiPs related as a kid, but if I had gotten either of these dream CHiPs Cycles (with Sirens!), this is what would have happened in my house. I wake up on my birthday and spot my motorcycle, I hope onboard and start that siren up. Everyone thinks it is adorable…
A few years ago my mother and her good friend were having an argument about an ad campaign that they both remembered vaguely. The thing was, they couldn’t remember the product or the exact words in the commercials. So they called me and asked, “do you remember ads where a women is feeling overwhelmed and…
Welcome to the Retroist X-Files Podcast. On this week’s show, we talk about the iconic, sci-fi, horror TV show, The X-Files. I start off by talking about what sort of a UFO nut I was as a kid and how I really just want to believe. Then I talk about the people in front of…
A couple of years ago, when I went to visit my mother, she had a giant box waiting for me to go through. I thought it would be a mix of retro stuff that I accumulated over the years. It was retro, but it was not so mixed. Instead, it was all plastic cups from…
My family loved the work of Bing Crosby in both film and music. The “Road to” films are still some of my favorites and it really doesn’t feel like Christmas in my home unless Bing is crooning from some speaker. One reference that I never understood when I was a kid, was when my family…
Welcome to the Retroist Planet of the Apes Podcast. On this week’s show, we talk about the greatest film about a world run by apes, 1968’s “Planet of the Apes”. I talk about how easily distracted I am by anything Planet of the Apes related when they are on the television. Then I talk about…
I enjoy a nice cold glass of milk with certain foods. Anything with chocolate is perfect and I love it with pastries. I do not fault people who enjoy it with other foods, even if I do not understand it. This ad from the late 1970s, from the California-Oregon-Washington Dairymen, makes an attempt to convince…
I have a loose box of cereal and fast food premiums that I keep in my closet. Unsurprisingly the box is almost immovable since it was packed so tightly. When I tried last week, the bottom started to tear open from the weight. I thought this would be a good opportunity to go through the…
Keebler Pizzarias were the first nationally available snack chip made from pizza dough. They were also the closest we came to a true pizza snack. It has been decades since they disappeared and the world is a drabber place because of it.
I imagine their heat-retaining qualities are similar, but since you will be warmed by the dozens of compliments while wearing this amazing Spider-Man mask, that is the one that will keep you warmer. I had a friend growing up who had this very mask and boy did it go over well. All of us wanted…
My cousins took a trip to a far off land called “California” in the 1980s. It was a place I only glimpsed in TV and movies. When they returned they regaled me with tales of this magical land. They talked of their trips to Disneyland, of trying surfing, the crooked and steep hills of Old…
At some point in the 1980s, my family got cable and not too longer afterwards we got the Disney Channel. Back then their programming was not as robustly originally as it is today. So they would show old cartoons and other Disney movies and programming from the past. It was heaven. One of the obsessions…
I got on the Smurf bandwagon pretty early on and then I rode that wagon well past the socially acceptable age. I am not sure what it was about these little blue guys, but their gravitational pull was strong enough to make me put down my beloved Star Wars and GI Joe toys. Naturally that…
I spent many summer weekends with my cousins in the far northern wilds of New Jersey. Then during autumn and winter, they would have often come and visit us. I remember one year in the 1980s going to visit them before Thanksgiving and my one cousin raving about the new Journey game that he got…
Welcome to the Retroist Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas Podcast. On this week’s show, we talk about the Muppet holiday classic, “Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas“. I start off by talking about an Emmet Otter based school project. Then I talk about the book, the people in front of and behind the camera, the music, plot, various…
Welcome to the Retroist How the Grinch Stole Christmas Podcast. On this week’s show we talk about the 1960’s animated holiday classic, “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” We cover a lot of fun info in this episode. I talk about the book and the very talented author who created it. Then I discuss…
My cousins who lived nearby had an amazingly ornate cardboard fort that their parents bought for them at Sears. It was set up in their finished basement and once I played in it, I would not shut up about how awesome it was. A few months later my sisters and Mother surprised me with a…
Welcome to the Retroist The Secret of My Success Podcast. On today’s show, I talk all about the 1980s cult classic, The Secret of My Success. I begin by talking about my time in corporate America and how I would not ever be able to deal with the office intrigues of this film. After sharing…
My sister had a 45 of this song that she never listened to, which intrigued me (plus it had a purple label and a pumpkin on it). When I asked her about it, she told me to stop going through her records and gave it to me. I ran out with the promise of never…
Growing up with older siblings could lead to a lot of envy, especially when they would brag on products I never got to try. Both of my sisters knew I loved breakfast cereals and they would regale me with tales of cereals I never got to try. On the looked especially swell was Sir Grapefellow…
I remember visiting my sister when she was in High School. She showed me the gym, weight and exercise machine room. I guess the stuff was cutting edge when the school first opened, but to me at the time, it looked terrifying. Most exercise still terrifies me. Years later, when I attended the same school,…
The other day in the Retroist forums, Drahken brought up Nerf Pool, which is something I had not thought of in years. My cousin owned a set and we would play it in the basement on a table next to his giant wood-burning stove that heated the room we were in. It was an interesting…
Growing up in New Jersey, one of the TV stations I counted on throughout my youth was WPIX. They broadcast a great number of shows and movies that I recall fondly here on the site. One of the best things they broadcast in reruns was the original Star Trek. I would break all sorts of…
Perhaps memories of Post Fruit & Fibre are not exactly noteworthy, but that is probably because you did not live with a family who went through a fiber obsession phase. I do not remember the exact year it started. I would say the late 80s or maybe the early 90s. It started when some magazine…
Welcome to the Retroist Electric Dreams Podcast. On today’s show, I talk all about the 1980s cult classic, Electric Dreams. This is one of my favorite movies and probably the finest example of a man/woman/computer love triangle ever filmed. This is my 150th episode of the show. I never thought I would make this many…
It is getting harder and harder to remember a time when a TV station had a proper “sign-off”. I was a constant “stay-up-late” sneak as a kid and would watch with pride as whatever station I watched played the national anthem or a variation of it and then went dark, then to a test pattern.…
Welcome to the Retroist Snorks Podcast. On today’s show we talk all about the 80s cartoon, The Snorks. Despite what people might say, this is not JUST a pale imitation of The Smurfs. During the show I talk about the creators, the talented people who gave voice to the Snorks, merchandise, home video and much…
If you ever spend time with young people and computers, you might notice that they disappear into the digital world pretty quickly. This is not a new phenomenon. As you can see in this photo from the mid-1980s, these kids are deeply immersed in what I am sure is spreadsheet work and not video games.
They were selling the Play-Doh Microscope Set for about 10 bucks at the local 5 and 10 when I was a kid. Since at that tender age, I had decided I wanted to be involved with science as an adult, I would beg my family for it whenever we went anywhere near the downtown shops.…
Welcome to the Retroist Halloween Special V Podcast. Today’s show is all about Halloween memories! That’s right it is time for the 5th Annual Retroist Halloween Special. It was a fun show to put together and many of the folks associated with the site joined in to share their Halloween memories. You will hear Charleton…
Welcome to the Retroist John Carpenters The Thing Podcast. On today’s show we talk all about the horror sci-fi classic, John Carpenter’s The Thing. We talk about the cast, the plot, the people behind the camera and much much more. Vic Sage is back with a new Why Should I Know This Person. This week…
When I was younger and we shopped at Sear of Kmart, it was often a multi-hour affair. So my Mom would let me wander the store while she and my sisters shopped for whatever it is we needed at the time. My first stop would be the toy department to make a mental checklist of…
When I was a kid, my eldest sister got a job at a dentist’s office. It seemed like a pretty cool job for her and it made going to the dentist a lot less stressful. As a strange side-effect of her working there, my Mother sort of got slightly fixated on me becoming a dentist…
I am happy to say that I am a lot better organized then I was when I took this photos. I guess this was around 1996 or 1997 based on some of the toys on my desk. The computer pictured was with me until about 2004. It was a good friend. Sorry about the low…
I love sugar, especially in my drinks. I always have. So whenever an artificial sweetener hits the market, I have rushed to try it in the hopes that I could take in fewer calories and be able to drink as much soda as I want. So far nothing has been as good as the real…
I remember the first time I heard the word “diamelle”. It was in a TV commercial much like this one for the horseshoe ring. The word struck me as funny, but I had no idea what a diamelle was, so I went to my trusty dictionary to look it up. My dictionary was from the…
Welcome to the Retroist Twilight Zone Podcast. On today’s show, we talk all about the Sci-Fi TV classic, The Twilight Zone. I talk about the show’s creator, its writers, the people in front of the camera, its reception, remakes, the nature of The Twilight Zone, and much much more. I am joined this week by…
In 1979, The Halloween That Almost Wasn’t premiered on television. I did not catch it at the time, but like many people, I caught it on the Disney Channel where it would be broadcast l every October from 1983 to 1996. This is where I recorded my copy, which I have since digitized since it…
I think we need a lot more toys where you stick your fingers into the mouths of monsters. I only have vague memories of playing this brilliant game, but seeing this commercial makes me want to seek out a copy of it to add my new smaller collection of board games. The game was designed…
If you plan on being anywhere near Portland, Oregon this upcoming weekend (October 5-6) and you enjoy retro video games, I suggest you drop everything you are doing and head over to the Portland Retro Gaming Expo 2013. Need more info: It will be the event’s second year in the 60,000 square foot ‘Hall C’…
As a kid, I had Mr. Wizard’s Experiments in Electronics and it was one of my favorite things to play with. The set came to me second-hand, from some neighbor who gave it to my Mom to give to me (they knew I had an interest in science). I remember opening it and feeling the…
If you are a regular on the site, you probably know already that it is hard to shut me up on the subject of Monster Cereals (especially this time of year). Well all my crowing and Boo Berry costume wearing has finally paid off. This week I make an appearance on the General Mills Blog,…
The town I grew up in had a reputation for its plentiful animal slaughterhouses before I was born. By the time I came along, there were very few left, but the ones that did exist allowed you to pick up meat at reduced prices. They could also seriously traumatize you if you went through the…
Welcome to the Retroist Back to School Podcast. On today’s show, I talk all about the Rodney Dangerfield comedy classic, Back to School. On this show, I talk about the people behind and in front of the camera, the plot of the film, the soundtrack, where you can find the film today, and my brief…
Nothing about what am about to write is exactly “retro”, but I wanted to share a show I enjoyed. I am a big fan of television and I am always looking for a show that gets me excited for the medium. “Derek” was not the show I would have thought would do that, but it…
We had the game Perfection in my house growing up. I it picked up for a dollar at a local garage sale. Throughout my childhood, I had a love/hate relationship with the game. I knew every piece and knew exactly where it was supposed to go, but 49 out of 50 games would end for…
My family did their food shopping once a month and it was an event. We would spend hours in either Pathmark or ShopRite, strolling up and down the aisle, looking for sales, and wading through a pile of coupons. I liked the Pathmark because it often had cheap videotapes and a few video games, but…
We are pretty big fans of the Monster Cereals here at the Retroist and have been waiting and hoping that they would one day resurrect Frute Brute and Fruity Yummy Mummy. When they announced the re-release a couple of days ago, I was ecstatic. But then the waiting started. I kept returning hourly to the…
We used to have a sticker on the back of our cable remote control that listed all the channels. After about 2 month, it would get gross and gnarly looking and would slowly begin to peel off. After 5 months it was illegible. If you did not have the channels memorized by then what were…
Welcome to the Retroist Fast Food Memories Podcast. This week I am joined by a large crew of folks who are here to share their memories about fast food. I hope you enjoy the show and that it triggers some positive memories about your favorite fast-food restaurant or experience. I have a lot of people…
If You Had Wings was an attraction at Walt Disney World that was open from June 5, 1972, to June 1, 1987. It was a two-person dark ride in Tomorrowland that was sponsored by Eastern Air Lines. The ride was all about travel and featured destinations serviced by Eastern Air Lines. It also, in the…
The Sears catalog was a staple of American shopping for a very long time and for most of that time, it was virtually unchanged. Sure, they added color photos and you could eventually use the phone to make orders, but in the 1980s, something new was on the horizon that promised to change everything, the…
I remember my sisters went through a flavored lip gloss phase at some point. I remember because I went into their room and got in big trouble, not for trying on their lip gloss (which I did), but for eating that lip gloss. I devoured all of it! Surprisingly it did not taste as good…
For the longest time, I have been waiting and watching the store shelves. Waiting for the “lost” Monster Cereals, Frute Brute, and Yummy Mummy to return. I have to admit, a few times my hopes were dimmed, but I would just watch a few commercials and a measure of hope would return. Then I would…
Welcome to the Retroist Snorks Podcast. Welcome to the Retroist Road Trip Memories Special. On this week’s episode, Robot Voice and I hit the open road. Along the way we listen to many talented contributors who share their stories of their favorite road trip memories. Will we make it to our destination? Will Robot Voice…
The gum business in my elementary school was booming and Bubble Yum was the gum that brought in the most money. How do I know? Because I was an illicit gum seller. I peddled Bazooka gum at a dime apiece and would clean up, sometimes pulling in as much as 2 bucks a day. That…
Curt Hennig was born in Robbinsdale, Minnesota on March 28th, 1958. The son of wrestling legend Larry “The Axe” Hennig, there was little doubt what career path he would take. He trained under his father, Buddy Rose, and Verne Gagne, and made his in-ring debut in Verne Gagne’s American Wrestling Association in early 1980. Hennig…
Welcome to the Retroist Head of the Class Podcast. On this week’s show I talk about the 80s sitcom classic, Head of the Class. I start off talking about my time in school and how my mother was terrified at the prospect of my being put into “academic enrichment.” Then I get on with the…
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman themed frozen french fries from your grocery store!
I grew up in a town with a lot of pizza parlors. Pizza was such a common occurrence that we very rarely bought the frozen variety and we did it was usually some cheap rectangle pizza. I would see these Stouffer’s French Bread Pizza commercials all the time and when we passed those red boxes…
I have always loved novelty music. When I would get my hand on an LP as a kid, I would put it on the giant console stereo we owned and would lay on the floor with my dog and listen and usually be rolling on the floor for hours cracking up. One of the albums…
I had a friend who went to visit family in Houston back in the 1980s and he came home with many tales of the Amazing Six Flags “AstroWorld”. We had our own Six Flags in New Jersey. It is called “Great Adventure”, but according to my friend, it did not hold a candle to the…
Clowns, some call them funny, friendly, kind of creepy, and just damn scary. I’m not sure what Vince McMahon was thinking when he created the character of Doink the Clown, but I wish he had reconsidered. Nonetheless, let’s examine the history of one of the worst ideas ever and the 7 men that wore that…
Weird Paul Petroskey continues to put up wonderful original content from his youth on his Vlog. This week he posted a video of something he mentioned a couple of days ago, a homemade Star Wars Catalog he put together in 1983. I love stuff like this, so since he brought it up, I could not…
I am not from Missouri, but I would like to think if I was, I would have been a fan of Pete Parisi. He created this wonderful show called World Wide Magazine that ran from 1986 to 2001 on Public Access in Missouri. There he made history with a program that can best be summed…
Nothing like heading over to the old Pizza hut for a 10″ single topping thin & crispy pizza for $1.59. Feeling like you need to treat yourself to something more substantial? How about a Thick & Chewy pizza for just $1.89? Don’t need to get back to the office anytime soon? They have ice-cold draft…
Not only is Ally Sheedy a talented actress but she also wrote two books. The 2nd book was a book of poetry in 1991, but her first book was an interesting tale about a mouse who witnesses history firsthand. It was called “She Was Nice To Mice: The Other Side of Elizabeth I’s Character Never…
Welcome to the Retroist Galaga Podcast. On today’s show I talk about the video game classic, Galaga. I begin by talking about my experiences with Galaga. After that, I talk about the game itself. I discuss the people behind the game, how the game is played, its reception and much more. I am joined in…
I had a Digger the Dog that I inherited from my sister. I dragged that thing everywhere I went, through the yard, down the street, and all around the house. Digger though was not the only dog in our house. We had 3 other dogs and they all despised Digger. If you know Dogs, you…
I would not have either, except in the 1980s my family went on a trip to Canada and I was blown away not just by the Chip selection and the novelty of the brands. One that really stuck with me was Hostess. Why? Because to me, Hostess was a snack cake company (and a great…
In the late 1980s I picked up my first “The Might Be Giants Album” after hearing them on a local radio station. I found their music to be both fun and novel and I listened to them a lot. Eventually though, that was not enough, and I needed to see them in person! This should…
We live in amazing times. I can walk into any convenience store and get a single serving fountain drink that is 64 oz. But it hasn’t always been like that, I can remember a time when 64 oz was a big deal. There was a time when soda pop felt like a rate commodity. When…
Welcome to the Retroist Dobie Gillis Podcast. On this week’s show I talk all about the legendary sitcom, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. I talk about the characters, the cast, being alone with one TV show to enjoy, and much much more. I am joined this week by Vic Sage with a new “Why…
Do you like technology? Are you in Seattle or are you planning a trip to Seattle? Do yourself a favor and add The Living Computer Museum to your itinerary. The Museum which is located on 2245 1st Ave S just opened to the public in October of 2012 and it already has a lot to…
In 1983 Vlogger Weird Paul wrote dozens of programs for his C64 and saved them to a disc. That disc was lost for decades, with one of those decades spent under some couch cushions. It's a miracle it survived, and he had created a video to share them.
According to one commercial from Atari, if you have a tough boss to beat in a video game, all you got to do is call a very large person to take them on. It is scientifically proven that only monosyllabic giants have the hand-eye coordination necessary to play the most challenging games. This is why…
Welcome to the Retroist On the Right Track Podcast. On this week’s show, I talk all about the Gary Coleman comedy classic, On the Right Track. This film was very popular on cable TV in the 1980s. I think I watched it every time it was on. This week I am joined this week by…
I do not remember McDonald’s Onion Nuggets, but members of my family were big onion ring fans. So much so that they would only go to fast food places that had Onion Rings when I was a kid. They would speak of a time when McDonald’s sold these magical bite-size onion treats at dinner time…
Armourcote commercials are a perfect example of a type of ads you just don’t see as much as you used to, and when they do, they are never this detailed. Although perhaps infomercials are just extreme versions of this type of ad? Armourcote ads and their ilk promised you more and more for what you…
In 1983, for the second series of 3¾” G.I. Joe action figures, a silver-headed villain started showing up in TV ads. His name was Destro and I had to have him! Metal-domed and bare-chested, Destro was like no other action figure I had seen before and I found myself popping into the local Five and…
A tragic tale indeed, but the Von Erich family story is one that everyone should know. Maybe a brighter future is ahead for the 3rd generation, they sure deserve it.
Welcome to the Retroist Ms Pac-Man Podcast. On this week’s show I talk all about the legendary video game, Ms. Pac-Man. This is one of my favorite arcade games and I thrilled to finally get to cover it. I begin the episode talking about my child Ms. Pac-Man shirt and how it almost got me…
A few months ago my friend Chris brought up this commercial. It had taken me a quarter-century to get “Yonkers” guy out of my head, but he is back and in full force. Now I am saying it non-stop and for no reason, just like when I was a kid. Yonkers!
I was surfing the web this morning when I found an image of this long-forgotten watch, The Seiko Data 2000. I never owned one, but when I was in school I had a friend who was really into gadgets, especially watched, and he showed up with this beast and showed off its amazing ability to…
UPDATE: You can now order shirts here. Good news for the fans of the site who have been asking me for a Retroist t-shirt or were interested when I made the post last week. The shirts are in! I was not sure what to do for a shirt, I wanted it to say Retroist on…
This ad is from 1978 and it caught my eye because of Elvis, but it is so much more interesting when you look at the details. Almost 100 bucks for an Elvis film is a lot of cash, but pretty normal for the time. What I find most interesting is the term “movie cartridges”. I…
Welcome to the Retroist Retroist Leave it to Beaver Podcast. On this week’s show I talk all about the classic TV sitcom, Leave it to Beaver. The show begins with me talking about comfort television and how important Leave it to Beaver is to me. Then I moved onto the show itself. I cover the…
Ricky & Robert’s popularity caused the formation of the Midnight Rockers, without whom, Shawn Michaels wouldn’t be the great star he is. So, take a load off and enjoy the trip back into the 80’s below, and Rock ‘N’ Roll!
Over the years I have had a bunch of requests for some sort of Retroist t-shirt. I have been looking into it for just about as long and I think I am finally going to pull the trigger and get some ordered up. I will not be ordering many, but I would like to get…
The department store known as Two Guys got its start in Harrison, New Jersey. The discount chain, which was originally called Two Guys from Harrison founded by Sidney and Herbert Hubschman in 1946. How they started in a great story of spotting an opportunity and seizing it. The Hubschmans operated a snack bar at the…
As you might have noticed from the website, I am a bit of a throwback. I enjoy devices that might have often been replaced by newer technology. One of those things is radio. I know I can listen to whatever I want, whenever I want through the magic of the Internet, but I still enjoy…
I know Vicks Chloroaseptic is not high on the old nostalgia chart, but I spotted this commercial online the other day and I remembered the first time I was exposed to the stuff and I thought I would share this slightly ironic tale. It was the early 1990s and some friends and I decided to…
Once a month my Mom needed to go to some office on an errand and would take me along (this is when I was very young.) The whole time I would be begging to go to McDonald’s or Burger King, since I knew they were both in the area. Without fail though, she would insist…
When Murray Head’s “One Night in Bangkok” was on the radio and climbing the charts, my family was in Florida on vacation. I remember it blaring away constantly on all the Top 40 stations my sisters would have on in the car and when we went to the beach it would play on this cheap…
The thing I liked about music video television was the act of discovery. Yes, sometimes it is lame, but sometimes it could be magical. I was sitting in front of the TV one day in the 1980s when Taco’s Puttin on the Ritz came on. The experience was mesmerizing. I had heard the song before…
In 1985, when GI Joe-mania still had a young America in its clutches, Ralston Purina released GI Joe Action Stars Cereal. It was pretty tasty, but I found its jagged shape did more damage to the roof of my mouth than Cap’n Crunch. You would think that would stop me from pressuring my Mom to…
My mother was a big fan of early Rock N Roll. So whenever an old-time Rock music festival or a concert of some superstar of yesteryear was in the area, she would try and get tickets. I did not appreciate it at the time, but as an adult, I am happy to have seen a…
Welcome to the Retroist Christine Podcast. On today’s show, I talk about the John Carpenter film, Christine. I talk about the cast, the music, the plot, and where you can find the film today. I originally recorded this episode two Halloweens ago, but it did not work out, but I think it works very well…
Before he hit it big as a TV and movie star, Tom Selleck was a successful commercial actor and model appearing in both TV and print. Here are a few of the Tom Selleck Commercials that introduced the world to the mustachioed one. You can see him both with his signature mustache and without it,…
Welcome to the Retroist Silver Spoons Podcast. On this week’s show, I talk all about the 1980’s sitcom Silver Spoons. This a sitcom that is near and dear to me, so very happy to cover it. I hope by sharing it, I will get a few people to give it a try. In this episode,…
He was born in 1965 as Michael Shawn Hickenbottom. In 1984, after training with Jose Lothario, he became Shawn Michaels. In the 28 years since, he has been known as The Heartbreak Kid, The Showstopper, and The Main Event. Since 1992, he has earned the title, Mr. WrestleMania. Michaels debuted in late 1984 at the…
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial for the Atari 2600 is a very contentious title. It was the game of dreams that frustrated owners and helped ruin a company. I was one of those lucky kids who received a copy and although I found it frustrating I never really hated it like everyone else. I have had to…
Welcome to the Retroist 1941 Podcast. On this week’s show I talk about the messy epic Steven Spielberg comedy, 1941. This film is sometimes maligned, but it has a lot of bright spots. Hoping that by talking about it here, I can get more people to revisit it. During the show, I talk about the…
I had two older sisters who were well versed in the late 70s and 80s rock bands. Now they were a couple of years older than me so there was a generation gap. So while they were sneaking cigarettes and listening to Zeppelin, BoC, and the Clash in their rooms well into the night, I…
With less than 2 weeks until WrestleMania 29, it’s time to get a little bit nostalgic about our favorite WrestleMania moments. There have been 279 matches spread over the last 28 WrestleManias, and let’s be honest; there have been some real duds. We explored the dregs last week, and so, to get you guys a…
I remember watching some PBS special about World’s Fairs when I was a kid and I was particularly intrigued by the San Francisco World’s Fair of 1939. It seemed like such an interesting time to have such an event, with World War looming. When I moved to San Francisco I attempted to find pieces of…
In the 1980s, they released a delicious and wonderfully goofy-looking sandwich cookie, Giggles. Like with all cream-filled cookies, I was obsessed with eating the filling, much to my mother's chagrin.
There have been some truly spectacular matches over the last 28 WrestleManias. And we will get to them, I promise you, but I’m going to bring you down before I build you up. This list isn’t complete, or absolute, by any means. Some of you will disagree, and that’s understandable, but hey, I’m driving this…
The Streak”, 20 consecutive wins at WrestleMania by The Undertaker. “The Phenom” has taken on and defeated a staggering list of some of the greatest WWF legends of all time during it. And on April 7th, 2013, at WrestleMania XXIX, CM Punk will take on The Undertaker, attempting to end over 20 years of wrestling…
What happens when a local radio talent and the producer of Blondie’s “Rapture” get together? One of the most embarrassingly amazing novelty rap songs ever recorded. “General Hospi-Tale”. The song, a rap parody about the ABC soap “General Hospital”, was released by the studio group “The Afternoon Delights” in 1981. The song enjoyed moderate success…
Welcome to the Retroist Arcade Memories Podcast. On this week’s show I am joined by Rob O’Hara, Doug McCoy, Weird Paul Petroskey, Vic Sage, Zerb and Shelly, Vinvectrex, Paxton Holley and metagirl who all share their memories of the arcades of their youth. It was a fun show to put together and I would like…
Rising up from the small town of Eden Prairie, MN, a former Marine becomes a national superstar. His popularity in the wrestling business will rival that of Hulk Hogan for a time, and his likeness will even join GI Joe. Sounds ridiculous? No, it sounds like the story of Robert “Sgt. Slaughter” Remus. Remus began…
Welcome to the Retroist Midnight Madness Podcast. On this week’s show, I talk all about the cult Disney Film from 1980, Midnight Madness. If you like a young Michael J. Fox and scavenger hunts, this could be the film for you. I am joined again this week by Vic Sage who has a brand new…
In my first look into retro-wrestling, I decided to review one of my favorite performers of the era, Randy “Macho Man” Savage. Born Randy Mario Poffo, he was the son of wrestling royalty, the legendary Angelo Poffo. His brother, Lenny, also was a known wrestling talent at the time. Randy had been in pro wrestling…
I loved the circus as a kid. Every time Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey came around I would BEG my mother to take me. Sometimes begging paid off (let that be a lesson kids) and in I believe 1985, I glimpsed one of the last great Circus scams, the Living Unicorn (goat). It is…
Welcome to the Retroist Batman the TV Series Podcast. On this week’s show, we talk all about the TV cult classic of the 1960s, Batman. This wonderfully silly is perhaps one the more iconic TV shows that have been broadcast. I hope that I am able to do it justice. This week I am joined…
Waaaay back in 1981, early Usenet user, “Dave” posted a little trivia contest in the Newsgroup Net.Games that is not only a really cool chunk of TV geek history but a fun trivia contest. I love that the quiz is just recycled from another source. It demonstrates how little things have changed online in 30…
I love Chunky! What I didn’t know is that the older Chunkys were extra fancy. Raisins, Brazil Nuts, AND Cashews? Wow, and the Pecan only Chunky sounds like a great thing. But how did we get to the very pedestrian seeming candy bar that we know today? Evolution of course! Sometime in the early 1960s…
Are you curious about the origins of the ubiquitous Windows Operating System? Sure you know about Windows 3.1, but what about earlier iterations of the OS? Nathan’s Toasty Technology has posted a December 1983 issue of Byte magazine with a review of Windows 1.0. The review has been transcribed into text and has some great…
When I was a kid, I had zero interest in football. My family was not what I would call “hardcore” about the sport, but we were right outside of Giant’s stadium in NJ, so football was a popular pastime around us. My Mom tried all sorts of tricks to get me to enjoy the games…
Welcome to the Retroist Yars Revenge Podcast. On this week’s show, I talk all about legendary Atari 2600 title, Yar’s Revenge. I begin by talking about how a prank by my sister allowed me to bond with my Grandmother over video games. Then I talk about the game itself I am joined this week by…
DEVO rocked the ABC sketch show Fridays multiple times, today we look at their 1981 appearance where they performed not one, not two, but five songs! This episode aired on October 9, 1981, and the hosts were Tony Geary & Genie Francis (but of course DEVO were the real stars). This was DEVO’s third appearance…
Spending a lot of time in hospitals as a kid, I became a connoisseur of the sweet treats that were available in the vending machine in front of the cafeteria. That machine helped to shape my taste in candies and I continue to seek those same ones out to this day. Chief among them was…
Welcome to the Retroist Dungeons and Dragons the Animated Series Podcast. On this week’s show, we talk all about the Saturday morning cartoon classic, Dungeons, and Dragons. I begin by talking about why I was attracted to Dungeons and Dragons and why I think people should enjoy it renewed popularity. Then I talk about the…
I really enjoy the Michael Keaton film, Gung Ho. I am a real sucker for stories about people who put aside their differences and learn to work together in a montage. So I was very excited for the Gung Ho TV series when it premiered in 1986. what was not to love? Original Gung Ho…
Welcome to the Retroist Cloak and Dagger Podcast. On this week’s show we talk all about the cult 1980s classic, Cloak and Dagger. The show starts with me talking about how this movie inspired some real like “spy games” at our new local mall. Then I talk about the movie itself. I discuss the people…
Okay, I am not sure how nutritious a chocolate drink like Yoo-hoo actually is, but maybe it is when compared to other soft drinks? I LOVE Yoo-hoo and tried to use the logic in their ads and commercials to sell it to my Mom when we went to the supermarket. It never worked, but lucky…
Jungle Habitat was a Warner Brothers-owned animal theme park located in West Milford, New Jersey. It opened in the summer of 1972 and closed in the fall of 1976. The park had over 1500 animals and had walk-through and drive-through sections. Sadly I never had the opportunity to visit this New Jersey gem, but my…
What a crazy year 2012 has been. The site, because of a dedicated and I assume attractive user base, continues to grow at a sometimes alarming rate. In the past years I have been forced to upgrade the site usually once towards the end of the year, but this year was a little different. The…
Welcome to the Retroist Christmas Commercials II Podcast. Christmas is almost here. You know what that means? Time to buy stuff! That’s why this week’s show is all about the Christmas commercials that we love. I tried this format last year and people liked it. So be warned, this show has a bit of a…
Welcome to the Retroist Its a Wonderful Life Podcast. It is the holiday season, which is a great time to watch Its a Wonderful Life. If you own a TV, odds are you will have ample opportunity to do so. On the show, I share some of my childhood experiences playing at Christmas time. Then…
Welcome to the Retroist Wonder Years Podcast. On this week’s episode, we talk all about the legendary TV Show, The Wonder Years. I am joined this week by Vic Sage with a new “Why Should I Know this Person?”, Doug McCoy with a new “Also Ran” and metagirl with a new “Top 5 List”. Listener…
About once a year I buy a pack of Fruit Stripe Gum. It is by far the coolest looking and more enjoyable than any standard stick gum. Still, the big problem with the gum is that if you started chewing it when you started reading this post, the flavor would have run out by now.…
Whenever I see a Chia Pet commercial it reminds me that the holiday season is approaching and that the Chia would make for a wonderful gift. I guess I am thinking this because secretly I have always wanted a Chia Pet and have never bought or received one (something I think I will remedy this…
Welcome to the Retroist Last Starfighter Podcast. On this week’s show, we talk all about the 1980s Sci-Fi classic, The Last Starfighter. I am joined this week by Vic Sage with a new “Why Should I Know this Person?”, Doug McCoy with a new “Also Ran” and Rob “Flack” O’Hara with a great new “Talking…
I missed this when it was being auctioned off at Hake’s, but thought I should post about it because it is just sooo cool. The Shelby Cycle Company manufactured bicycles in Shelby, Ohio from 1925 to 1953. In 1949 they made both a girl’s and boy’s Donald Duck bike. They were limited edition (produced just…
1980s Australia was so amazing (although I am sure it is still awesome, I only get Outback Steakhouse exposure). Check out this commercial for Dick Smith’s Electronics. What was Dick Smith’s? Dick Smith’s Electronics started in 1968 in a small rented space below a car park in the Sydney suburb of Artarmon, New South Wales,…
If you have not been online, watched the news, or talked to me, you might not have heard that Hostess, makers of Twinkies and other delicious treats are closing their doors. Some people are lamenting the loss of the iconic brand, others are glad to see them go, while others are making jokes about hoarding…
Tinkertoys were created in 1914 by Charles H. Pajeau and Robert Pettit in Evanston, Illinois. Pajeau, designed the toy after seeing children play with pencils and empty spools of thread. It did not take long for the toys to catch on and after 2 years they had sold millions of their sets. I received a…
The year was 1983 and a new soft drink was about to be thrust upon an unsuspecting world. To kick off this glorious new beverage, Coca-Cola threw a Diet Coke World Premiere and all the stars of 1983 were there. I am not sure that exactly how this all went down, but if I remember…
Welcome to the Retroist Too Close for Comfort Podcast. On today’s show, I talk all about the classic 1980s TV show, Too Close for Comfort. I talk about the cast, the plot, my shrine to the stars and much more. I am joined this week by Vic Sage with a new “Why Should I Know…
Back in the Eighties, I was lucky enough to get access to a high-end printer. So I did the only logical thing I could think of, I made Dungeons & Dragons characters sheets.
The Carol Burnett Show had a very brief revival in 1991 that only lasted for 2 months. How they could pull the plug that quickly on a legend like Burnett baffled me at the time and still does today. I guess sketch comedy is hard or needed to be a little less tame? Still, the…
This stained glass Hostess Snack Cakes Mascots Table Lamps was posted by Flickr user tOkK in the aftermath of an eBay sale that did not go their way. The loss of this lamp seemed to have haunted them and it has me as well. Since seeing this lamp on Flickr, I have been looking for…
About a decade ago I had the opportunity to meet a MEGO collector named Jim. He had been collecting Mego toys since the early 1970s and had all his original toys AND had since then added a HUGE number of toys to his collection, some used, others pristine still in their original boxes. The only…
Welcome to the Retroist Teen Wolf Podcast. On today’s show, I talk all about the 1980s film classic, Teen Wolf. I talk about the stars, the plot, the sequels and the lack of character likability. I am joined this week by Vic Sage with a new “Why Should I Know this Person?” and Doug McCoy…
I logged a lot of time on the Atari 2600 version of Pac-Man. Yes, it was lackluster. Yes, it felt rushed, but it was Pac-Man! Pac-Man that I did not have to put quarters into! While I am a staunch defender of that version of Pac-Man for the joy it gave me. I have completely…
Welcome to the Retroist Halloween Special IV Podcast. This is a couple of days early, just in case you wanted to get a jump on the Halloween season or if you wanted to have something to listen to on Halloween morning. Today’s show is all about Halloween memories! That’s right it is time for the…
In this wonderfully bizarre horror-themed game for the Sega Genesis, you play the part of Chuck D. Head. You are a headless mummy who goes around attacking things with your stomach-face, you can also pick up a powerup in the form of a skull which sits atop your headless shoulders, and launches at enemies when…
Hanna-Barbera did a great job trying to copy the success of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!. Unfortunately, most of the shows they made were pale shadows of Scooby and pals. This does not mean they are not worth tracking down, because while you might see them as derivative, you also might find them a nice change…
The TV show Hollywood Palace is not talked about much nowadays, but in its heyday from January 4, 1964, to February 7, 1970, this hour-long ABC-based variety show was a big deal. Not only was the show a clearinghouse for celebrities from all eras and levels of current success (including the Rolling Stones and the…
Anyone who has memories of Carvel Ice Cream will most certainly have the gravely voiced company founder Tom Carvel indelibly branded onto their brain. I know I do, but there is also a Carvel jingle from the mid-eighties that comes to mind whenever I spot a Fudgie the Whale. It might not have Tom’s voice,…
Welcome to the Retroist Crocodile Dundee Podcast. On today’s show I talk all about 1980s film classic, “Crocodile” Dundee. I talk about the stars, the plot, the sequels how hard it is to do an Australian accent and more. I am joined this week by Vic Sage with a new “Why Should I Know this…
The McDonald’s Menu Song was an instant-win promotion created as part of an advertising campaign for McDonald’s. It ran from 1988 to early 1989. This is how the promotion worked. Listen to the album, and if it played all the way through, without the singers making an error, you win! The song, which was composed…
Their was a long-term argument in my family when I was growing up. It went on for years and it was about the merits of what was the best hot mushy food to eat for breakfast in the winter. We had all been raised to eat oatmeal, but one fateful day while visiting a family…
We are talking suburban high tech here! Compumate came with a membrane keyboard and was equipped with a phone jack for use with a standard tape connector. Was it great? No, but I still wanted one so that I could use the sweet sweet DRAW program. It allowed for very simple animation (9 cycling frames),…
Before I was into Star Wars, GI Joe, or even Lego, I was a big fan of the Weebles. I am not sure which wonderful sister of mine donated their Weebles and Weeble Playground playset to me, but as soon as I held one of those egg-shaped toys, I was hooked. All I could talk…
In the 1990s, I went through a crazy wallet-emptying couple of years where I was buying up as much vintage Star Wars stuff as I could get my paws on. I bought figures by the boxful and vehicles and playsets in every advertised state. I even picked up a few lightsabers in varying conditions. What…
In the early 1980s, ABC, trying to capture some of the magic of Saturday Night Live, unleashed a Friday night show aptly named, Fridays. The show aired on Friday nights from April 11, 1980 to April 23, 1982, and brought together some wonderful talent. “Who?” you ask. People like Larry David, Rich Hall, Michael Richards,…
As a kid, I was not a huge Batman fan. Sure I liked the TV show, but when it came to comic books I was firmly in the Marvel camp. More specifically, I was a Captain America fan. Because of this I am still puzzled as to how I grew up with a Janex Batman…
As a kid, I would spend a lot of time in the summer up my Uncle’s house in upstate New Jersey. He lived in a very wooded area with trees and abandoned farms and railroad tracks for me and my cousins to explore. It was a pretty awesome time, even in the stifling New Jersey…
Are you a Lo-Fi person? Is vinyl your thing, but you are thinking of taking things down a notch? Why not go plastic? Fisher price plastic! Genius Fred 27 has posted detailed instructions, including software, that will set you on the road to printing out your very own records that will run on a circa…
Welcome to the Retroist Wonderful World of Disney Podcast. On today’s show I talk all about The Wonderful World of Disney and the shows that preceded and proceeded it. Disney is a big subject on the web, with lots of experts. I try to give an overview of the Disney Network TV experience. If you…
The quick answer is yes and no. The characters from Magnum PI appeared in at least two comic offerings (3 if you could the Mad Magazine parody), but never had a regularly printed monthly comic. Still, regular or not, it is great to have access to bonus Magnum in any format. In 1982, Magnum and…
Do you like to drink coffee or tea and have some cash burning a hole in your pocket? How about you pick up this super sweet vintage Atari/Olympic mug from 1984? Don’t let the 1980 copyright on the mug fool you, as you can see from the comments on this post, this mug uses the…
Welcome to the Retroist First Blood Podcast. On today’s show, I talk about Rambo: First Blood and touch on other Rambo stuff. I start off talking about my experience with the wave of Vietnam vet exploitation that starts in the 1970s and peaked in the 1980s. Then I get into the film itself, talking about…
Welcome to the Retroist Qbert Podcast. On today’s show, I talk about the classic 1980s arcade games, Q*bert. This is a game I am a big fan of, even while I am terrible at it. I am joined this week by metagirl with a new and controversial top 5 list and by Vic Sage with…
Welcome to the Retroist Golden Girls Podcast. On today’s show, I talk about the well-respected sitcom, The Golden Girls. I talk about the show’s creation, its characters, its stars and much much more. I am joined this week by metagirl with a new top 5 list and by Vic Sage with a brand new segment,…
In 1982, Pac-Mania was in fell effect and according to this blurb from Joystik magazine, we could expect many Pac-Man related consumer products in the comic year. Including the very awesome looking Pac-Man phone. Sadly I say “looking” because the phone was not of the highest quality. My friend managed to break his in less…
Mama Mia! What a catch phrase! I took an impromptu poll amongst my online friends about this famous utterance and although most of them knew the phrase, they could not identify its origin. Most of them believed it was some sort pasta sauce commercial. Which is very understandable. Filmed as a series of “outtakes” this…
Welcome to the Retroist Meatballs Podcast. On today I talk about the 1979 Bill Murray comedy classic, Meatballs. I start off talking about the downside of stranger danger, but then I put that behind me and focus on the plot, the stars of the film, the people behind the scenes, the sequels and a much…
A game console can have advanced graphics, a large collection of games and a decent price tag, but as we see from our current console market, and the success of the Nintendo Wii, sometimes its the controller that can make the system. The Wii is flying off shelves and it outselling both the Xbox 360…
Below is a just a scene from my upcoming short autobiographical film, The Retroist Goes to the Beach. Enjoy. EXT. SUNNY BEACH – DAY It is warm summer day at the Jersey Shore. The Retroist and his girlfriend Tanya Roberts are frolicking. The Retroist is wearing a one piece and Tanya is dressed like Kiri…
Oh, Dinky Donuts Cereal how I miss you. You took two of my most favorite things in the world and put them together, donuts and breakfast cereal. Dinky Donuts was to my knowledge the only glazed donut cereal that has ever been made and there has been a huge hole in the cereal-verse since they…
Welcome to the Retroist Summertime Special Podcast. In this very special episode of The Retroist, I learn, with help from some friends, that maybe Summer isn’t so bad after all. Who helps me on this journey to an epiphany? Vic Sage, The Six Million Dollar Jedi, metagirl, Peachy, Doug McCoy, Flack, Robot Voice, Commodore 64,…
What if I told you that a DEVO Hawaiian Punch commercial existed? Well in a way it does. Maybe not all of DEVO, but certainly its creative soul, Mark Mothersbaugh. This computer-animated commercial for Hawaiian Punch came out in 1987. This is the uncommon full 90-second version. The animation was done by visual graphics legend,…
Welcome to the Retroist Black Cauldron Podcast. On this week’s show, I talk about the underrated Disney animated classic, The Black Cauldron. The show starts with me sharing a story about a movie birthday party experience I had as a kid. ThenI talk about the movie’s creation, the talented people behind it, the controversy surrounding…
The Planetary Music Council’s first choice of Rick James proved to be very unreliable so Earth, Wind, and Fire were enlisted and tasked with spreading the “funk” across the galaxy. To seal the deal The Planetary Music Council built them a giant Panasonic Platinum Boombox to transport them between the stars. They were so impressed…
I cannot say that I was a big fan of Frogger 2: Threedeep – Beyond the Pond when it came out. I am not sure why, maybe I was just all Frogger’d out by the time it was released. Well, whatever the reason, it has taken me a while to appreciate the game mechanics and…
Boy do I love Quik. As a kid, we always had Quik in our house and now that I am an adult nothing has changed. Except of course the name and the container. Sure I miss the old metal container, but I got over it. And while Nesquick doesn’t roll off the tongue it still…
Animalympics is well-remembered by a generation who caught it in constant rotation on a burgeoning cable TV system in the United States. On this episode of the Retroist I discuss this often overlooked animated classic.
Oh, Pop-Tart! Truly you are the food of the gods; brought to earth by a well-meaning toaster wielding elder titan. The Pop-Tart got its start in 1965 and was billed a heat ‘n’ eat product by Kellogg. The original flavors of Pop-Tarts were apple-currant, blueberry, strawberry, and brown sugar-cinnamon. Even then they came six to…
The June Newsletter is now available and is chock full of all the useful news and information you have come to depend on from the Retroist Monthly Newsletter. Click on the newsletter to see a large version of it for you to read or download or if you have a PDF enabled device, you can…
Welcome to the Retroist DuckTales Podcast. On today’s show, I talk all about the Disney Afternoon anchoring powerhouse, DuckTales. I talk about the creation, the input of comic creators, the reception, the movies, video games, and much more. As you might guess, I am a big fan of this mighty cartoon and all its derivative…
“You got to shoot to survive, you got to run to stay alive…” If those lyrics are familiar to you then you have probably already seen this commercial for the Atari 2600 classic Megamania. If you haven’t, you are in for a treat. Its a great commercial featuring the San Francisco based theater rock band,…
Great news Carol Burnett Show fans, an amazing collection has just been announced. The DVD collectors set that fans of classic TV have been waiting for is finally coming out as Time-Life will now start taking pre-orders for THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION. The 22-DVD set contains 50 episodes from the award-winning and…
Welcome to the Retroist Whiz Kids Podcast. On today’s show we talk all about the 1980s one season wonder that was Whiz Kids. We talk about the stars, the characters, the plot, the music and a little about the wonderful retro tech. It is not a show available on DVD currently, so write your local…
My family was thrifty when I was a kid and I often had haircuts at home. Yes, I was the king of the bowl cuts, if you read this site, that is most likely the picture you already have in your head. My sister did most of the cutting and she would just cut around…
The Magical Musical Thing, on the surface, is a great toy. It is fun, electronic, musical (which in my book is nearly educational), but there is a sinister side to this wonder stick. If you have no musical talent, it is downright frustrating, and just about all you can do to make yourself feel better…
The May Newsletter is now available and is chock full of all the useful news and information you have come to depend on from the Retroist Monthly Newsletter. Click on the newsletter to see a large version of it for you to read or download or if you have a PDF enabled device, you can…
It has been a while since I had a Chocodile — Almost a year now. I am usually able to track them down somewhere, but lately, I have had some issues finding them locally, so I have been thinking of ordering a box online. All that thinking and tracking the elusive Chocodiles, made me consider…
It was a holiday yesterday, so I spent most of my day like most Americans, watching television. While watching a baseball game, I was happy to catch a moment of retro goodness when 80s rock sensation Greg Kihn, sang God Bless America during the 7th Inning Stretch of a San Francisco Giants Game. This of…
I am sure you are all familiar with the classic Juicy Fruit commercials That goes a little something like this… A classic ad that captures perfectly the lifestyle of chewers of the sweetest gum on earth, Juicy Fruit. Did you know that there is actually a longer version of the same commercial? Ready for more…
The start of this commercial seems like a scene out of a serial killer film. He times his descent into the groceries perfectly and then makes his offer to take her out after clumsily spilling them. How creepy of him, right? But then her reaction is crazy and desperate seeming, which takes this whole thing…
The U-FLY-IT set certainly seems to stir a lot of memories in kids lucky to own one. I was lucky enough to own a another toy in the Schaper capital letter, U-DO-IT series, the U-DRIVE-IT. While not quite as exciting as the sorta airborne U-FLY-IT, I thought my hand me down U-DRIVE-IT was the cat’s…
I would take any excuse I could find to stay home from school when I was a kid. Minor sickness, emotional distress, you name it — If it planted me on the couch, rather than in the classroom, I took it and ran with it. I loved being home when I was not supposed to.…
If you had the honor of growing up in the New Jersey area in the 1970s-1990s, hearing the name Action Park probably makes you think of summer. Because from 1978-1996, whenever Summer rolled around, commercials for the park would start to appear on local TV stations and they wouldn’t stop running them until right before…
In the eighties, I would find the remains of all these springs and plastic balls in a shoe-box in our basement. I had no idea what they were from, but I really enjoyed re-purposing the pieces for playing with my Star Wars and GI Joe figures. Later I would discover that these pieces were part…
Lidsville was Sid and Marty Krofft’s third television show following H.R. Pufnstuf (1969) and The Bugaloos (1970). Like their first two shows, the series combined two types of characters. Actors in makeup filmed alongside performers in full mascot costumes. It was a very memorable show because of this. Sadly only seventeen episodes were aired on…
Screaming Yellow Zonkers were very popular with both of my sisters when I was growing up. I would say they were popular with me then, but when you have two older sisters who like a certain food. Odds are, you are NEVER going to get any. The occasional tastes I managed to finagle though, made…
Ubu Productions is an independent production company founded in 1982 by producer Gary David Goldberg. Ubu’s had made some pretty famous shows, including Family Ties and Spin City. If the name sounds familiar, it might be that you love those shows or it is more likely because, at the end of many Ubu-produced shows, you…
Welcome to the Retroist Eight is Enough Podcast. Today’s show is all about the classic 1970 drama/comedy Eight is Enough. In this episode, I talk about the cast, the theming, the music, the ratings, and much more. Music on the show was provided by Peachy. Subscribe and Support If you have a moment please stop…
If you happened into Sea World in the 1970s/1980s and wandered past the Walrus pool on your way to the skyride and happened to take a left instead of a right, you would find yourself in the magical Hawaiian Punch Village. There Punchy reigned and not only served up delicious Hawaiian Punch, but he had…
I had a lot of clown-related stuff around when I was a kid. 90% of it still gives me nightmares to this day (you know I am talking to you weird wooden carved hobo clown wall hanging with the crying flower!) The one clown-related thing that gave me 100% joy and happiness was the clown-centric…
This era does not have a lock on TV shows where people feel the need to burst into song. If you happened to watch TV in the late 1980s, you may have caught this bit of 1960s musical magic… Rags to Riches was a hybrid musical comedy-drama series that ran on NBC for two seasons…
Welcome to the Retroist Rubiks Cube Revisited Podcast. I know what your thinking, didn’t you cover this subject already? Yes, I did, in episode 1 and since then I have been wanting to recover the subject. It was going to be my 100th episode before the Atari 2600 podcast happened, so I waited a few…
I am a big fan of David Hughes’ book, Tales from Development Hell – The Greatest Movies Never Made. It is a really fun book filled with lots of re-readable material (perfect summer book). Since I am such a big fan I was super excited to have Mr. Hughes answer a few questions about his…
My family had a few shows we watched together when I was a kid. All of them fill me with warm nostalgia when I watch them again. So naturally, I have been trying to collect them all on DVD. One show that has evaded a release for way too long is the classic family drama,…
In 1975 Planet of the Apes the TV series premiered on US TV and while it would not last very long, it has an army of lasting fans and it helped keep the Apes franchise fresh in people’s minds. On the other side of the Pacific, Apes Mania found a longer run in Saru No…
By the power of Greyskull! Welcome to the Retroist He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Podcast. On today’s show we talk all about He-Man and his pals and enemies. It is such a big subject, so I try and give an overview of the initial wave of He-Mania and how it came to be.…
Pulsar: The Ultimate Man of Adventure was an action figure patented by Mattel in 1976 and sold in stores starting in 1977. He was a tall 14″ action figure with short white hair. The real magic and mystery of Pulsar were revealed when you tore open his sweatsuit top it revealed that his entire torso…
I remember reading about Han Solo Adventures in the past, but I was pretty sure it was going to go nowhere as a project. Boy was I wrong. The game has seemingly roared to life (at least with release information) on the website. Plus this wonderful Gameplay video that demonstrates how far along the game…
The April Newsletter is now available and is chock full of all the useful news and information you have come to depend on from the Retroist Monthly Newsletter. Click on the newsletter to see a large version of it for you to read or download or if you have a PDF-enabled device, you can click…
Cookie Puss is an ice cream cake character created by Carvel in the 1970s. From day one it was the gem in their crown of freshly made ice-cream cake products that are sold only in its stores (despite what you might hear from fans of Hug-Me Bear and Fudgie the Whale). According to Carvel Lore…
I have posted some great Photos of the Day here on the site, but today’s find by The Damn Mushroom is mind-blowingly wonderful. Instead of a setup photo of kids and adults playing Atari and hanging around the living room, Mushy manages to find a photo of late 70s/early 80s man at the height of…
Spin Fighters were metal top toys from the 1990s. When you bought a standard set you got two (so they could fight each other) and they came in two colors, black, and gold. On the top of the tops (yes!) were printed characters from TV shows or cartoons. Some hits were the Power Rangers and…
I was at a flea market a few months ago and spotted a Karate Larvell Jones in really rough shape. The lady still wanted 5 bucks for him and would not budge. Madness I say! The Police Academy action figure line, which was based on the animated series and not the movie, sadly never really…
I remember watching the Yummy Awards and being very excited that they finally were making an award show that I could get behind. Sadly the Yummys did not catch on as they should have and all we are left with are vague memories and poor VHS copies. The show was really just a clever promo…
When I picked up my copy of David Hughes’ Tales from Development Hell, I was expecting a light weekend read that would be filled with a couple of fun facts. The type of thing that would give me forum discussion fodder or stuff I could throw at people at the dinner parties I am never invited…
Released on the PC in March of 1997 and on the Gameboy two years later, Star Wars: Yoda Stories is one of the most maligned of the Star Wars game titles. That is probably because, unlike many other gaming titles, Yoda Stories has no central plot or definitive goal. Instead, it is a collection of…
Released by Tonka in 1987, the Super Naturals should have been a classic toy line. They were amazing to look at with great detail and wonderful theming. They also were holographic which was the height of technology in the mid-1980s. Oh, and their weapons glowed in the dark. To me, that was a toy trifecta.…
For the life of me, I could not remember the name of the Choco’lite. All I could remember was that my sisters really like this candy bar that had air bubbles in them. Since the Aero bar and the like have become popular I have been looking high and low for the name Choco’lite. This…
Get ready to jump! Down on Jump Street. Welcome to the Retroist 21 Jump Street Podcast. On today’s show, I talk about the classic 1980s/1980s TV hit, 21 Jump Street. I talk about the cast, the people behind the show, the theme song, the upcoming motion picture, and much much more. Music on the show…
I adored the Nabsico candy Pom Poms when I was a kid (I am a sucker for chocolate and caramel) and I remember bringing these into the movies with me and telling everyone who would listen to me how superior they were to Milk Duds. While I only remember Pom Poms from their days at…
Welcome to the Retroist Mr. Do Podcast. On today’s show, I talk about the arcade and home video game hit, Mr. Do! Mr. Do is a game that is in every way superior Dig Dug, despite what all those arcade snobs are saying. I talk about some of the companies that made Mr. Do! (and…
I was very happy to finally be able to sit down and talk to the guys at the Nerd Lunch Podcast a few days ago. The results of that talk are now up on their site (and here) as the newest episode of their show, which is titled, Memories of Retro Technology. Here is the…
Welcome to the Retroist Manimal Podcast. On today’s show, I talk about the cult TV show, Manimal. I talk about some of the folks involved, the people behind the show, and other fun Manimal related stuff. This cult classic gets made fun of a lot, but it was a fun show. I hope I can…
A lot of toys went over big among my friends, but one I remember making a particularly large “splash”, was the GI-Joe Hovercraft. The Hovercraft belonged to a friend of mine and when he brought it over post-x-mas, all everyone could think was “I cannot wait for summer so that we can get that thing…
Welcome to the Retroist Revenge of the Nerds Podcast. On this week’s show, I talk all about the classic film, Revenge of the Nerds. A lot of people talk about rebooting this film, but I am not sure anything approaching its effect could happen today. I start off the show discussing how you find your…
Stuff Yer Face was a two person tabletop game created in 1982 by Milton Bradley. The game consists of a blue circular playing field with two clown puppets. In the playing field are 25 marbles; ten yellow, ten green and five red. To win the game you must be the first clown to eat all…
I remember sitting on the work carpet of a dark paneled bedroom as a kid. My bent and broken hand-me-down portable record player plugged into the outlet near the door (the only open outlet in the room) humming. I would pop my Pac-Man Picture disc album on, roll onto my back and drift away to…
Broken Badges was a Stephen J. Cannell (co-creator) police drama that aired on CBS from November 24, 1990, to December 22, 1990, and then ran again in June 1991. The show was about three “reject” police offers, J.J ‘Bullet’ Tingreedes, who was addicted to danger, Stanley ‘Whipusall’ Jones, who was a violent man with a…
I went back to my hometown recently and spent over a month there. Most nights I would walk into town to get some food and while doing so I would pass a Dunkin Donuts. The smell of donuts made me even hungrier, but it also reminded me of when I was younger and another Donut…
I have been fixating on this commercial lately. The food looks quite different, especially those fries. I am guessing this probably back when they were still cutting their fries in store. They don’t beat around the bush in this ad. Right away they were pitching McDonald’s as a place for unruly children. They will: Get…
Pac-Man! The game that gobbled up a nation’s quarters while its hero gobbled up those annoying Ghost Monsters spawned sequels, spin-offs, toys, games, and more. Taking note of Pac-Man’s avid fan base, famed cartoon studio Hanna-Barbera hit upon the idea of adapting the game for Saturday morning animation – becoming the first video game to…
I seem to recall eating these at some point in my life even though my family was usually a strict Pringles household. They tasted pretty good and I especially enjoyed the ones with ridges. I have no idea why the ridged canned chip never caught on, the plain ones are fine, but ridged is the…
Welcome to the Retroist Commodore VIC-20 Podcast. On this week’s show, I talk all about the Commodore VIC-20. I talk about the company that made it, the people involved, the technology inside, and much much more. Music on the show was provided by Peachy. This was the first computer that I owned, so it is…
I am a big fan of the band 8 Bit Weapon, I have even used their music in The Retroist Podcast, so I am very pleased to announce that just over a week ago, the dynamic digital duo released their new album, “Bits with Byte”. Crammed full of music, the new album has a whopping…
I received a real treat this weekend from Team Retroist member Sean Hartter. A vision of The Retroist as an anthology book. Sean has been doing some quality book pieces lately including a cover for Doug’s upcoming book, Arcadian. I wonder what the stories in this book are like? Stories of growing up in the…
I was obsessed with “The Feud” as a kid and I plant myself on the couch whenever I can catch it in reruns on GSN. Sadly the timing of those showings are not always good for my schedule, so I decided to pick up a treat for myself with All-Star Family Feud on DVD. This…
Herself the Elf was a short-lived 1980s toyline created by American Greetings/Mattel and targeted at young girls. If you are not familiar with the line, it was similar to Strawberry Shortcake or Rainbow Brite. It was a fairly well-thought-out release. In addition to a series of high-quality dolls, they also released animated cartoons, books, and…
Centurions was a syndicated 30 minute Jack Kirby and Gil Kane-influenced science fiction animated television series produced by Ruby-Spears. The show would go on for a 60 episode regular series run. But it all started in 1985 as part of a five-part miniseries. That up until recently has been buried in our memories and in…
The Triple Decker bar was a genius idea. It gave you dark chocolate, white chocolate, and milk chocolate in each square and in the proper delicious proportion. Not enough people remember them. I had completely forgotten about them myself, until my sister mentioned them in passing and I went to the web to look them…
Welcome to the Retroist Murder She Wrote Podcast. Alright, we are back. After an all too lengthy break, we finally have a new episode of The Retroist Podcast. This is one all of you have been clamoring for, Murder, She Wrote. You haven’t? Okay, perhaps not a true clamor. But this show is wonderful. I…
The elementary school I attended was pretty quaint. We had big trees in the front and a playground that would draw blood, and lots of it. It was so wonderfully dangerous, that at least one time each semester it sent a kid to the hospital. When you could avoid the bullies, that school was a…
A lot of great TV has not yet made the jump to full release on DVD. One of those absent shows was the series “Eight is Enough“. It was released in digital format, through online retailers, but for those who have not gone digital, they have had few options. Until now, because according to this…
If it was on and my father happened to be in the mood to watch TV, our entire family would be watching Baa Baa Black Sheep (also known as Black Sheep Squadron in syndication). The Stephen J. Cannell series, originally aired on NBC from 1976 until 1978, for a total of 37 episodes. The plot…
I have owned Blueprint since I was a kid and I remember being very frustrated playing it for one reason, the game is part maze game (it has multiple parts) and at the very start, they very quickly tell you what houses in the maze you need to visit. Sometimes, I would be on the…
I have gotten a few emails and IMs from people asking why I have not put out a new podcast this holiday season. I planned on a few episodes this month, I even recorded the audio for one early in the month. Sadly an event transpired that has consumed my time and has dulled my…
I was thinking about what would be the perfect Pop Tart to eat during the holiday season. My mind instantly went back to a pop tart that they discontinued a few years ago, Chocolate Peppermint Pop Tarts. I thought I would do a post on them, but when I did a search to find some…
If you were not aware, I do a podcast here on the site called The Retroist Podcast (I know very original). When I started the site I had no intention of doing a show, but now that the ball is rolling I have been pulled into a world of audio recording. For a person without…
Welcome to the Retroist Atari 2600 Podcast. Today’s episode is a milestone in Retroist Podcast history, The 100th episode. Hard to believe, but here it is. To celebrate number 100, we are covering a subject near and dear to my heart, the Atari 2600 (VCS). We talk about how it was made, some of the…
This one toy store in my family’s favorite mall would setup elaborate toys on a table in the entrance. They were often the toys with the most movement, that made a certain amount of noise. They acted like a siren’s song to children and I was hardly immune. As we approached the store, I would…
In 1985, Kellogg's released on of the finest orange-flavored cereals ever made, OJ's. Sadly the world was not ready for this amazing creation and a year later it was on its way out. Never to be seen again.
I loved the Bad News Bears as a kid, I watched every film over and over again, so when The Bad News Bears came to TV, needless to say, I was all over the show. In the short-lived series, Jack Warden portrayed former minor-leaguer Morris Buttermaker, the coach of the Bears. Catherine Hicks played principal…
I did some shopping this weekend at a few late-season garage sales and for a couple of bucks picked up this rare-ish game from the Adult game maker, Mystique, Bachelor Party. I am much more familiar with the more offensively controversial Custer’s Revenge, but had heard of Bachelor Party and was happy to add it…
I never have gotten my hands on Gloppy, which was Kenner’s answer to Play-Doh, but I have always loved the packaging when I have seen it at flea markets. In this upload by toyranch, you can see what the package and Gloppy look like when it is in good shape. Unfortunately, when I spot the…
On a rainy weekend in 1980, I was digging through a closet in my family’s house when I found a copy of the game, Mastermind. A quick call to my friend and the rainy weekend was filled with mind teasing color-pegged guessing, ice tea, and frozen pizza. The game was a ball and simple, one…
We have all been disappointed before, but one crazy bit of disappointment that hit me in the late 1980s had to do with Nasta’s Reactor line of toys. These were vehicles that you plugged a glowing and I assumed radioactive power source, into, which would send it charging off over the horizon. I was not…
Welcome to the Retroist Galaxy High Podcast. On today’s show, I talk all about the short-lived cult Saturday Morning cartoon classic, Galaxy High. This classic show was one of my favorites when I was younger. I am pleased to finally get to talk about it. On the show I talk about how it was made,…
There was a time in the recent past when TV channels, including cable TV channels like HBO, were not a 24-hour event. People just didn’t watch TV late enough to justify running programming. So the channels would sign off for the night and then sign on in the morning. What they did in those in-between…
Welcome to the Retroist The Fog Podcast. On today’s show, I talk all about the legendary horror film, John Carpenter’s, The Fog. I talk about how it was made, the people behind it, the cast, the remake and much much more. Halloween season is coming to end, so it is a good time to sit…
In 1987, I thought, “Oh Joe, what happened to you?” You sprung from my home state of New Jersey, full of promise and talent and then, I just don’t know what happened. Someone gave you a set of weights or something, you left SNL, the movies were a mixed bag. My friends all mocked me,…
Some treats would show up in my Halloween bag and would be a real head-scratcher and could ignite an appreciation for something you had never enjoyed before. I know that Nik-L-Nips have been around for a long time. We had a candy store up the block from me that sold them free-form from a jar.…
Welcome to the Retroist Halloween Special III Podcast. This is a couple of days early, just in case you wanted to get a jump on the Halloween season or if you wanted to have something to listen to on Halloween morning. Today show is all about Halloween memories! That’s right it is time for the…
When I was a kid there was nothing I liked more than a fat activity book to help pass the time. Whenever my family was in a store, I would ask for one. So constant was my supply that even years later I find some that I did not complete. That was this case with…
Welcome to the Retroist Twilight Zone 1985 Podcast. On today’s show I talk all about the too short lived TV revival, The Twilight Zone. Which is sometimes called The New Twilight Zone or just The Twilight Zone. I talk about how it was made, the people behind it, the narration and its release on home…
As you probably know from coming to the site, I am a pretty big fan of the Monster Cereals. Last year I even went as Boo Berry for Halloween. So just a friendly reminder, if you have not done so already head out to your local store and pick up the Monster Cereals that have…
Welcome to the Retroist Poltergeist Podcast. They’re here! On today’s show I talk all about the legendary horror film, Poltergeist. I discuss how it was made, the people behind it, the Curse of the movie, the controversy around its direction, its sequels, and much much more. Halloween is coming, so it is a good time…
I think about what sort of candy to give out at Halloween is a little too much, especially when you consider that most of the time, I get very few Trick or Treaters. I don’t mind that of course, because I usually get to eat all the leftovers. The sweet sweet leftovers. Here are some…
There’s no arguing the growing popularity of Halloween. According to a survey by the National Retail Federation (NRF), 7 out of 10 Americans expect to celebrate Halloween this year, the highest number recorded in the survey’s nine-year history. And despite the challenges to the global economy, Americans plan to spend $72.31 on decorations, costumes and candy, up…
Back in 1982, ABC News channel 7 Los Angeles did a five-part series about the arcade video game industry. It is a pretty decent report on the growing industry. With great shots of arcades, discussions of TRON and the Chicago Bally Midway factory. It is fascinating to hear the mainstream media try to tackle a…
My one sister and I both shared a love for the same TV shows when we were younger. We would watch reruns of the Brady Bunch when we got home from school and at night we both loved shows like The Love Boat and Fantasy Island. When I spotted the board game based on Fantasy…
I love pizza. I think everyone would say that though, like the way we say, we love air. I loved pizza enough, that I had a special drawer in my bedroom where I collected various pizza coupons so you would cut them out from pizza boxes. How did a young kid accumulate so many coupons?…
Tom Terrific was an early animated series, created by Gene Deitch under the Terrytoons studio. It would run as part of a series of 5 minutes cartoons on the Captain Kangaroo children’s television show starting in 1952. From 1959-1962 it was a regular part of the show. Then starting in 1962, it would be broadcast…
I have always been a big fan of Magnum PI and I find the older I get, the more I find myself coming back to the series again and again. I think at some point in my youth, I determined that when I grew up, I would like to be Magnum. Sadly, the ship has…
Welcome to the Retroist Zork Podcast. On today’s show we talk all about the groundbreaking text adventure game, Zork. We talk about how it was made, the people behind it, how to play and much much more. For those with Java on their computer, who have never played Zork or who just want a refresher,…
Welcome to the Retroist Jetsons Podcast. On today’s show, I talk all about the hit Sci-Fi cartoon series, The Jetsons. I talk about the pre-production, the cast, production of the show, its reception in the US, and much much more. This is a very special episode because I get to talk with Judy Jetson herself,…
I have never played The Game is Nirtz by Ideal, I have never even seen the game in person. Instead, I have only seen pictures and read about it online. I do like easy-to-start games though and The Game is Nirtz seems pretty straightforward. In the game, two opposing players move numbered pieces around a…
I know what you are thinking, “why a 2011 network fall schedule preview show on a nostalgia site?” Well, I personally happen to find the whole concept of the loosely written season preview show to be a staple of TV nostalgia and I want to see them continue (be they on the tube or online).…
Welcome to the Retroist Man from Atlantis Podcast. On today’s show we talk all about the 1970 Sci-Fi series, The Man from Atlantis. We talk about the pre-production, the cast, production of the show, its reception in the US and overseas and much much more. This is a very special episode because in this episode…
Welcome to the Retroist Short Circuit Podcast. On today’s show, I talk all about the 1980s Sci-Fi comedy hit movie, Short Circuit. I discuss the pre-production, the writers/directors, the cast and cameos, production, and much much more. While this movie does have some elements that are dated, it is still one of the best movies…
My family ate Jif peanut butter when I was a kid and to this day I still buy Jif. I have a jar of creamy in my kitchen cabinet right now, just waiting to be converted into peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Brand loyalty though wasn’t easy for my mother to instill in me because…
Back in the day, I would buy Hostess products anytime I had money to get them at our local corner market. I would try all their products and was especially excited when they introduced a new product called Fruit and Creme Strawberry Twinkies. They were so good, having this cream and almost jelly-like strawberry together…
My life changed when I first saw Electronic Games Magazine sitting on the stand at the local King Soopers supermarket. My mother indulged me in a single issue, and eventually in a subscription. Perhaps she thought it would be cheaper for me to read about video games than to pester her to purchase them. This…
Pepsi fever is running wild here on The Retroist and to celebrate we will be giving away 8 t-shirts featuring the classic “Uh-Huh” campaign that starred Ray Charles. You don’t remember this classic 90s ad? They were launched in the early 1990’s and ran for 3 years for a total of 11 commercials. To many…
Over the last year, Pepsi has had a total renaissance in my home. This is mainly due to Pepsi giving me what I have wanted for many years, a soda that did not use High Fructose Corn Syrup. At home, I drink almost nothing else in the soda department (which is a huge change). Now,…
Get your Smurf on with this 2-disc set of 10 Smurftacular Episodes! In a hidden village dwells a clan of magical creatures, living in mushroom houses and taking showers with dewdrops. They’re those international celebrities known far and wide as the Smurfs — and they’re back on DVD. This itty-bitty powder-blue crew, including Brainy, Lazy,…
Hooray! Another Tom and Jerry release from Warner Bros, this time with another 14 cartoons that make for a great weekend of cartoon watching. This wonderful selection of shorts that includes one of my childhood favorites, Haunted Mouse. Not a fan? Well, there are 13 more! The animated shorts in this collection include: * Monster…
Reanimator: The Musical shouldn’t work. I mean, how exactly does one take a classic horror film and turn it into a comedic stage show with catchy tunes? It should defy the laws of physics somehow – sort of like the subject matter itself. And yet, the creative forces behind this production have fashioned an astounding…
I recently got to sit down and interview Stuart Gordon, Graham Skipper, Jesse Merlin, and Rachel Avery to discuss Re-Animator: The Musical. I am a huge fan of the original film and Lovecraft, so this was a real treat.
Welcome to the Retroist John Candy Podcast. On today’s show, we talk about the remarkable and talented, John Candy. For anyone who grew up in the eighties and liked movies, I can almost guarantee you have a favorite John Candy movie or scene. So on the show, I talk about his TV and movie work,…
I have been a lifelong fan of White Castles. So the concept of the slider burger has always appealed to me. In the late 1980s, Burger King got on the mini-burger wagon releasing a set of mini-burgers called the Burger King Buddy which was sold in threes as the Burger King Bundle. My friends and…
In the early 1980s, my family decided to take a road trip to Florida one spring and it would become an annual tradition for 4 years. Some of my happiest memories are from the back seat of either the family Oldsmobile as we rolled down I95 with the windows open. One of the highlights of…
I love the Throwback Sodas. At this point, they are pretty much all I drink when I get them, and I want them to stick around for a long time. So I am very happy to see that Pepsi is putting marketing money behind these beverages. This week, they launched a brand new online tie-in…
Can you imagine how excited the advertising folks were when they got the memo about peach flavored Hi-C? They probably sketched a couple of “Peachy” slogans up that afternoon and then played golf for the rest of the month. Good times. I personally was never a fan of the stuff. My flavors are grape and…