Mojave!

No it's not a scene from Space:1999, it's an ad for Mojvae! Carpet. I never seem to discuss one of the most pinnacle things about the 70's, Shag carpeting. It's one of those things so associated with the era, I get happy when i see it. Coincedently, I fly into a murderous rage when i see berber.

In 1989, my parents moved into what had to be the greatest house ever, built in the early seventies, this house looked like the Brady's moved out a week ago. Avacado green kitchen and covered from top to bottom in every colour of shag in this ad. I wouldn't have changed a thing, my parents however, had me spend two weeks removing the stuff, wish I'd kept some of it but I kept finding gummy bears....

Colouring Book Theatre: The Six Million Dollar Man

My Pal Sharry sent me this one based on the classic 70's TV series.

The book is by Rand McNally. the people best known for Road Atlases and the like. You'd think they'd have come up with a kid's division name but this is back when the company expanded into children's products.

The art in the book makes me wonder if they didn't pull a Cartographer off his job of drawing Deleware and asked him to work on this for a few days.

While technically sound, the art (which is mostly copied from stills) has a lifeless and static feel to it. Giving the book a kind of malaise....

It opens with Steve's famous crash, I don't know if this is an accurate depiction of how Steve's ship looked, it's been a long time since I've seen the pilot movie.

Despite plummetting to his death, Steve Austin is cool as a cucumber. Actually he looks kind of pleased.

The famous operating scene, what a delight this page would be to colour....

Rudy checks in on Steve, who is enjoying a drink from his chamber pot. Jeez, you'd think they'd draw Steve fighting robots or something....

Yawn, I can lift a lot.....

"How much can I save on my long distance?" A thrilling look into the day to day life of Oscar Goldman, frankly, I'd settle for a colouring book featuring Oscar Madison right now....

Finally some action, Steve is captured by Gavin McCloud!

BURP!

I'm sure nothing else happens.

Some Links of Interest:

Previous Colouring Book Theatre Entries Plus The 1976 Bionic Man Catalog.

Back in Day Goodness

Some more vintage photos from Wes Booth, this one is rather timely, it's Wes opening up a Sam Cobra from the Marx Johnny west line. You'll also notice a Superfriends Colouring Book that we reviewed here at the bottom right.

Not only did Wes get a Best of the West Horse but I see the familiar sneakers of Steve Austin and the Big Jim Jungle Adventure net/launcher on the floor. What a Haul!

Here, Wes gets a Stretch Armstrong for his birthday in 1976.

Ah Corn Syrup righteousness....

Got a Vintage Shot to Share? Please drop us a line!

1975 Marx Johnny West Catalog

Like G.I. Joe, Johnny West was one of the few hold over action figure lines from the 1960's. This durable (hell, indestructable) cowboy figure line was looking a little strange on a shelf now populated by superheroes, aliens and talking apes but he managed to kick around for at least one more year.

The line was bulging with characters this year and the figures now had "Quick Draw Action" which was pretty neat. Someone still needs to explain how they got a jeep back in the old west?

Marx 1975 Johnny West Catalog

Links of Interest:

A Room Divided

I've never been more repulsed and oddly attracted to something at the same time, I must have had a relative with these in their apartment because they give me deja vu. It's like having a shower door right in your living room!

Sunday Best

You should never be able to blend in with flavours of Cotton Candy.

Another piece I wrote for Topless Robot is up today, it's called the Top Ten Greatest Playsets of all Time. Three guesses as to what it's about.

While I try to be objective, it's one of those articles that'll never make everyone happy, maybe that's the point.

Anyway, is it weird that I spent the money they paid me to write this on a playset? Shouldn't I be buying more adult things like slacks and pencils?

Wall Crawling Goodies

With the recent addition of Star Trek and Planet of the Apes and Batman galleries to the Azrak Hamway section of the site, it was important to get this guy involved. Next to Batman, Spider-Man was AHI's most popular characters and he recieved an incredible amount of merchandise.

Which is weird considering that Peter Parker is just a working class schlub who hasn't got the money, let alone has the skills to pilot the many hotrods, copters and rockets AHI encumbered him with. That doesn't make me want this stuff any less....

Here is the Spider-Copter which is a repackaged Bat Copter with the cool Spider-Man logo on it.

A remote controlled Spider-Car, you can already see the pattern.

Ah yes Spider-Man is, of course, a weekend biker...

Seeing as I have read issues where Spidey has made a parachute out of his webs, I present the most logical parachute figure AHI ever made.



This is just a sample for much more check out the new AHI Spider-Man Toy Gallery.

AHI Toy Gallery

More Reasons to Like Toddlers

They'll let you dress them like this and won't put up a fight.

Sad News Department: I was bummed to hear of the death of George Carlin this past weekend. As a kid I found an old lp of "Take Offs and Put Ons" and played it to death. So much so, that when it aired on CBC one afternoon, I could talk along with it.

Carlin was my "gateway" comic that made a huge fan of stand up. Soon after this discovery, I was trading lps of Cosby,Kline, more Carlin and even a few Pryor tapes.

I sometimes got in trouble by my folks because of him and I didn't always like what he had to say but that was the beauty of comedy. Rest In Peace George and thanks for the laughs.

TV Comix: Man From Atlantis

As I try to scramble to get more colouring books to review, I thought I'd go through the various comic books I have based on TV shows from the seventies. It's a little side obsession of mine that I didn't even realize that I had.

I've decided to open with one of the shorter lived but memorable series from that era, the Man from Atlantis. Not the US Marvel version of the comic (although I will get to that later) but the comics done in the UK under the "Look In" banner.

For those not in the know, "Look In" was a weekly british comic that featured two page strips of popular TV shows and celebrities. During it's run it would explore homegrown series such as "Benny Hill", "The Tomorrow People" and "Space:1999". US properties would include "Logan's Run", "Battlestar Galactica" and "Buck Rogers"

One thing I love about the UK is that even though the series would die in the US, the UK audiences seemed to embrace it more. This wonderfully drawn strip features the Victor Buono lead villian Mr. Schubert which seemed to the Lex Luthor to Mark Harris.

Look In had a talented stable of artists and this Man from Atlantis strip looks superior to the Marvel book produced at the same time. I've got a lot more to share from this book.

For more on Man From Atlantis check out the
Toy gallery on the main site.

For more on Look In, check out these two fantastic and exhaustive sites The Look In Picture Strip Archive and John's Look Out both give you a glimpse of some very cool British 70's pop culture.

Captain America at the Eastgate Mall

Wes Booth sent in these awesome additions to the Superhero Mall Appearance Gallery. This was at the Eastgate Mall, Indianapolis around 1979. Wes makes a great observation that he didn't normally roll around in a jacket and turtleneck and slacks, his mother made him dress up to meet America's greatest hero.

Here's the shot that makes me crazy jealous, Wes holding Cap's shield. It doesn't get cooler than this! Expect more shots from Wes all this month, he's a real treasure trove.

Got a Mall Appearance Shot you want to share? Whether it's from the seventies to the mid eighties. We want to see it! Drop me an email!

If you want more people in costumes check out the Marvel Superheroes : Live and In Person brochure on our site. It's chock full of early eighties characters such as Rom: Space Knight, G.I. Joe, heck even Crystar is in here!

Diecast Heroes

Corgi was a legend in the diecast car industry, certainly because of the quality and it's licensed goods. Corgi was best known to children of the Seventies as the maker of "that batmobile" we all owned. By 1978, Corgi was grabbing every TV movie license it could and producing some of the finest diescast toy cars in the meantime. Here is a sampling of that goodness in 1978. .

It's Go Time!

An unusual phenomena in the boys wear section of 70’s catalogs is the “fight picture” where they have two boys posed as if they’re about to throw down. The example above is a good one, I used to feel such things were happenstance, just two models who didn’t get along but now, I’m beginning to think it’s deliberate.

Check out Davey and Goliath here, is the sight of your son standing up to actor Jimmy Baio supposed to inspire ugly jacket purchases? Dammit, I need to know!

The Choice is Yours!

Here you have it gents, 1979 presented you with either the one piece jumpsuit made from lightweight "Poplin" (wasn't that a girls toy line from the eighties?) or the classic double knit polyester leisure suit and fellas, you can get it in lime green or sky blue! I don't think I could make that important decision, I'd just curl up into a ball on the floor of my shag carpeted, walk in closet and rock back and forth....

More of me dept : With the upcoming "Dark Knight" movie now one month away (I'm all pins and needles being more of a DC guy), I wrote a piece for humour site Topless Robot entitled The Top Ten Batman Figures That Make Even Batman & Robin Seem Reasonable that is up today. It's an examination of some of the more strange pieces of apparal Batman has worn in the name of merchandising......

Holy Licensing Royalties Batman!

With the recent addition of Star Trek and Planet of the Apes galleries to the Azrak Hamway section of the site, you had to know this would be coming. If there is one character that AHI did the most with, it would be the caped crusader, thanks to my pal Bill Frost I've got some pretty amazing examples.

The Batmobile was one of the most marketable items in Batman's rouster, thanks mainly to the George Barris design from the 1966 television series.

Batman in a parachute, actually the most logical parachute figure AHI made.

Spin Batman until he puckes!

This is just a sample for much more check out the new AHI Batman Toy Gallery.

AHI Toy Gallery

Super Sale

This ad for Towers (A Canadian chain of department stores) from December 15, 1980 has some pretty swell deals going for it. Highlights include Mego 12" Superheroes for $4.95 each, Remco Utility Belts for $3.22 and the Hoth Ice Planet set for $10.50. This didn't help me much as a kid, we lived far away from a Towers location, however it was the first place I played Space Invaders.

But wait! There's more including some smoking specials on Mego Micronauts which sadly were being discontinued that year. A Hydrocopter for $6? My grandmother paid full price!

Hulk meets Ron

Ron sent in this amazing Hulk appearance picture yesterday and I'm absolutely floored. This is the same Hulk that appears in the Marvel Superheroes: Live and In Person! brouchure and as Ron pointed out (because I probably wouldn't have noticed it) there are two MIB Mego 12" Hulks behind him. As for time and period, it's the early eighties and Ron is not sure if it's Queens or Long Island. Thanks Ron, this is really cool!

Mall Appearance Gallery

Got a picture to share? Please, please drop me a line!

Evel Knievel : The Comic Book

A bravura addition to the site today, it's the Ideal Toys Evel Knievel giveaway comic in it's entirety. Even if it didn't have the Marvel Comic Logo on it, the art style would give it away. Like many promotional comics, it manages to crowbar in every Evel Knievel toy while telling some sort of story.

"The Perilous Traps of Mr Danger" is rated a hard R for language and strong sexual content, actually it's as tame and family friendly as you'd expect it to be.

Other related links