Aparofan's World

Lords Of Light, What A Great Cartoon!

2012-01-16T09:30:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid, my two favorite cartoons were Superfriends and Thundarr The Barbarian. While at the time I never could pick between the two, now I realize that Thundarr was clearly the better of the two. With designs by comic book giant Jack Kirby and character design and scripts by comics writer Steve Gerber, the series had the feel of a futuristic barbarian comic. While there wasn't a whole lot of merchandise produced at the time, I did manage to get my hands on the board game several years ago.

The merchandise omission was kind of rectified about ten years ago when Thundarr action figures suddenly appeared. Naturally I had to get them. They were very well done and I wish they would have made some of the great villains from the series.

Fortunately the series is now available on DVD and it is a must purchase for any kid of the late 70's who was in love with this show like I was.

It's proud uncle time!

2011-12-31T08:43:00.000-08:00

I don't have any kids (which is why this house is so quiet all the time) but I take incredible pride in my fantastic niece and nephew who live out in Arizona (I live in a state of misery, I mean Missouri sorry about that). They're both awesome and my niece is quite the artist. I've always wanted to be able to draw. I go to a lot of comic conventions and I marvel at the artists' ability to put their thoughts in a visual form. She's channeled her love of Manga into these really nice pieces. I'm trying to get her to draw me a Captain America or Superman, which if they're anything like these beauties, I'll be quite the happy camper. In fact I'm quite the happy camper when it comes to those two anyway.

Fantastic job Wednesday!!!!

The Alien Vault

2011-12-28T07:49:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite Christmas presents was this definitive chronicle of the making of the scariest movie of all time, Ridley Scott's Alien. It's chock full of behind the scenes info, pictures, storyboards, and all sorts of things that helped to make this movie the masterpiece that it is. The actual covers of the book are particularly striking. The alien still gives me the creeps even after all these years.

The book also comes with these neat reproductions of different things from the movie. I really like these repros of the storyboards, called Ridleygrams, Scott did of the famous chestburster sequence, which defined the movie for many people.

It also has repros of script sections and continuity Polaroids (how I miss them by the way) that are very cool.

And finally, there's this awesome sticker of the crew patch of the ill fated Nostromo. This baby definitely would have been on my notebook back in high school.

The book is really fascinating and is a must for any Alien fan. Here's the link from Amazon. You won't be disappointed.

Classic Military Postcards

2011-12-14T17:00:00.000-08:00

A year or so ago, my dad and I visited the National World War I Museum. It was a great experience and I really enjoyed seeing all the neat artifacts from the first World War. In the gift shop they had these cool postcards recreating the popular military themed posters of the time. Since I collect postcards, these were a must buy. I really like the art on these beauties.

They even had this cool WWII era Marine postcard.

Even though these are fairly new postcards, they're some of the favorite ones in my collection. It capped off a great museum visit. If you're ever in the Kansas City area, check out the museum. You won't be disappointed.

Arrowhead Stadium Tour

2011-11-14T15:38:00.001-08:00

The other day my dad and I took the Arrowhead Stadium tour. Arrowhead, home of the Kansas City Chiefs since 1972, has been recently remodeled and looks just as beautiful and brand new as it did when it opened. We got to go on the field, which was very cool although I was a little surprised at how beat up the grass looked.

We also got to go down to the Chiefs' locker room area and press conference room. NFL rules prohibited the tour from going into the locker room but it was cool going down the tunnel the players do every Sunday.

The tour finished up in the press box area and the Chiefs' Hall Of Honor, which was pretty incredible. It was neat seeing the Lombardi Trophy and all the old memoribilia.

I had a great time and couldn't believe I hadn't done it sooner, since I live about 15 minutes from the stadium. As a football fan and a fan of stadiums in general, I'm very impressed with the new Arrowhead. If you ever get a chance to take the tour or go to a game, I highly recommend it.

World Series Programs Of Yesteryear

2011-10-29T09:06:00.000-07:00

After watching the St. Louis Cardinals win a very exciting World Series last night, I was motivated to find all the WS programs I've acquired through the years. I was lucky enough to attend one of the classic WS games of the modern era, Game 6 of the 1985 Series between my beloved favorite team from childhood the Kansas City Royals and their neighbors from the east side of the state, the aforementioned Cardinals. The Royals came back from the brink of elimination by the aid of a bad call at first by the immortal Don Dekinger. Although that was a bad call, the Royals still had to finish out the Redbirds in that game and then in Game 7, which they won handily. My mom took me through free tickets she got through her work. They were pretty amazing seats, lower level behind the third base dugout about three rows from the top of the section. They cost a whopping $30. I shudder to think what those seats would cost now.

It was the most exciting sporting event I've ever been to. I missed out on the 1980 World Series, although my dad went with his stupid girlfriend and left his shattered ten year old son at home who loved the Royals more than anybody (yes, I'm still bitter after 32 years!). When I was collecting these programs and stub I realized with horror that I can't find the programs from those two series! I've torn this house apart looking for them and I'm ashamed to say that I think they're lost. That's unforgivable. I need to either find them or buy other copies soon. Since the Royals are probably never going to the World Series again, I need to have something to remember the times they were AL champions.Through the years I've picked up a few other WS programs. I went to a Los Angeles Dodgers game in 1985 and they had old WS programs for sale in their gift shop and I picked up a copy of the 1965 program between the Dodgers and the Twins. I think it's the coolest WS cover of all time. The Space Race and the National Pastime together on one cover. It was too good to be true!

My neighbor when I was little went to the World Series in Cincinnati in 1976 and picked me up a program. I think he had family up there. Anyway, I was excited since the Reds were my favorite NL team at the time. And they beat the hated Yankees that year so it was a good year all around in the world of baseball.

And for some reason, I have a copy of the program for the 1990 series between the Oakland A's and the Reds. I think I picked it up at a card show.

I don't think it's as rare to get these programs anymore. It used to be you could only get them at the games but I saw this year's program at Barnes & Noble yesterday. They're a neat collectible and I need to start collecting these and other programs from my youth, starting with the 80 and 85 programs. Now excuse me while I go cry and tear my house apart again looking for them.

October Is Neato Ghoulville Time

2011-10-10T16:21:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again. My good buddy Neato Coolville's great blog has turned into a Halloween celebration that has few peers. You'll see frights and scares alike there and on his sister site Weird Hollow. I'm not sure how he did it but he managed to capture some of the scariest monsters in history with his trusty camera.

There are more of these rare snapshots on the blog plus be sure and check out the world famous Monster Head Races, the real Fall Classic. Baseball has nothing on classic monsters racing every week to determine the most athletic creature from the dark depths. Click here for more info but hurry. Today's the last day to sign up for the fun! And stay tuned for more zany fun with the mysterious Vlad toward the end of the month. Weird Hollow and Neato Ghoulville, a must visit for any horror fan.

R.I.P. R.E.M.

2011-09-23T13:51:00.000-07:00

I was very saddened to learn that one of my all time favorite bands decided to call it quits earlier this week. I became a big fan of R.E.M. back in the mid 90's after the Monster record came out. Before then I wasn't a huge fan. When I was in junior high and high school, the time they first started to get popular, I was into heavy metal and didn't appreciate their "college" sound. But once I started listening to those early albums again, I started to really get into them. My wife and I got to see them twice. The first time was in St. Louis on their Up Tour in 1999 with Wilco opening up. It was a good show but it was heavy on songs from the most recent album which was hit and miss in my opinion. Four years later they came to Kansas City on their tour promoting their greatest hits record and played the wonderful Starlight Theatre, in my opinion the best outdoor venue in KC. We got really good seats not too far back from the stage.

Since this was a sort of greatest hits tour, they played songs from their entire career. Here's what they played that night just over eight years ago.Star 69,These Days,World Leader Pretend,Drive,Animal,Fall On Me,Gardening At Night,Maps And Legends,Bad Day,The One I Love,The Great Beyond,Daysleeper,Electrolite,Losing My Religion,I've Been High,She Just Wants To Be,Imitation Of Life,Man On The Moon,Encore,Everybody Hurts,Nightswimming,Country Feedback,Walk Unafraid,andIt's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine). I was extremely happy to hear Nightswimming, which was and still is my favorite song of theirs. I didn't expect them to play it but it was the highlight of the night. Here's a video of them playing it on the Jools Holland Show in England around the same time. Thanks to ladyleide.I was also happy to hear Maps And Legends, a song I just started to get into at the time of the show. Here it is from a show in Germany earlier that summer. Thanks to RyanGosling.Even though I'm sad there won't be any more records from them, the greatness of R.E.M. will live on through bootlegs and the internet. Of course there'll probably be a reunion tour in 5-10 years. In the meantime I think I'll break out my worn out Automatic For The People CD right now.

Metal Memories Part 1

2011-09-18T15:58:00.000-07:00

When I was in high school and college in the late 80's-early 90's, my friends and I went to a lot of concerts. At the time most of the big acts came through Kansas City at least once a year and if they were loud and heavy, you'd usually find me and my metal buddies there. I was a little more into hair metal at the time and Motley Crue were at the top of my list. Their Dr. Feelgood album had come out in 1989 and they launched a huge world tour in November. I worked right by a ticket outlet at the time and the girl there had a crush on me so she pulled the first line number (remember those?) for me and I managed to score front row seats. I was super excited. I had never been that close before. My college buddy and I couldn't wait for the big day. The show sold out really fast and I was really paranoid about not losing the tickets. The big day finally came, November 21, 1989. The two of us and his cousin headed down to Kemper Arena to catch the most anticipated show of the year. Warrant opened up the proceedings and rocked the house but we came for one thing and one thing only, the mighty Crue. Of course, being a kid who had a job that paid pretty good for a 19 year old, I had to get a shirt. I wore this puppy out in college after the show.

The show was great and we were blown away (literally, we could feel the heat from the pyro). It was one of the best concert experiences of my life. Little did I know that several years later, a bootleg of the footage shown on the arena scoreboard would surface. I could now relive this great show. Here are a few songs from the show courtesy of Youtube member Rattmaster86. Needless to say I was hooked on metal shows after this barnburner. Concerts are fun now but when you're 19 and headbanging without feeling awful for the next week, it was truly special. Stay tuned for more concert memories as I remember them!

The Wonderful World Of Aurora Models

2011-09-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

As a kid I was known as by far the most hyper and impatient kid on my street. Some people say I haven't changed a bit. Needless to say, I never had the patience to build models but if I had, I definitely would have been totally into these great superhero models Aurora put out in the mid 60's. The design of them captured the characters really well and the ads in all the comics were very compelling. This Lone Ranger ad is particularly well done.

This ad was my favorite. It showed all the ones you could get at the time. I would have loved to have tackled that Zorro or Captain America kit. Maybe someday I'll see one of these beauties at a con and attempt to put them together. I think I can be patient enough to get them done. I am over 40 now. Don't laugh Todd. I'm serious!

Monsanto's Adventure Thru Inner Space

2011-09-11T16:50:00.000-07:00

I've always loved classic Disneyland and one of my favorite attractions of yesteryear was Adventure Thru Inner Space. Located where Star Tours is now, ATIS "shrunk" its riders in their Atomobiles in order to discover the secrets of inner space. It opened in 1967 with the revamping of Tomorrowland and closed in 1985. I was fortunate to ride it the last year it was open. It was my first visit to the park and as a 15 year old kid, I didn't appreciate it as much as I should have. I wish I would have had more chances to experience this great attraction. The wonderful classic Disneyland site Yesterland has more info about the attraction. Also check out the very cool ride through project video. It's incredible. I wish I had more stuff from ATIS but the cool postcard above will have to do for now. It's one of my favorite DL postcards. I liked it so much I made it my blog background. Adventure Thru Inner Space, a Disney treasure that is definitely missed.

The Art Of Captain America The First Avenger

2011-08-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

I really, really loved Captain America The First Avenger. It was everything I wanted a period superhero movie to be. One of the first things I did after I saw the movie was pick up the Art Of Captain America hardback coffee table book. It's full of beautiful concept art that helped bring Cap's WWII adventures to life. Here's a taste of what's in this great book.

One of the neater things in the book were the different logos for the SSR, the Strategic Scientific Reserve, the scientific branch of the Army that created Cap. I recently picked up a replica shirt of the one Chris Evans wore in the movie. I don't think anybody will confuse me for Cap though.

Finally my favorite thing in the book by far is this awesome War Bonds poster featuring the Star Spangled Avenger. Everything about this poster is just awesome. I was thrilled to get a good scan of it.

I highly recommend this book for any lover of Cap or behind the scenes concept art. It's a fascinating read with great images besides the ones I showed. It's one of my favorite books.

U2 In St. Louis

2011-07-18T16:59:00.000-07:00

I saw the incredible U2 360 Tour show for the last time in St. Louis last night. As always, the boys from Ireland put on an incredible show. Even though it was super hot, they rocked the house for two hours at Busch Stadium. It kind of bums me out that I won't see the giant Irish spaceship in person again.

Hopefully next tour, they'll make it even bigger and better, although I don't think they can make it much bigger. I can't wait to find out!

CAF Air Show

2011-07-17T05:08:00.000-07:00

I had a real good time yesterday at the Commemorative Air Force's annual air show in Olathe, KS. Aside from the usual cool assortment of WWII and Korean War era planes, such as the C-47 transport plane seen above, they had the only flight worthy B-29 Superfortress still in existence. Fifi is an incredible plane and it was a thrill watching her fly overhead.

The CAF also has a neat museum that houses cool aviation artifacts from WWII through the Vietnam War, including flight suits and this cool pilot's handbook from the B-24 Liberator.

Perhaps the neatest thing there was this giant cake shaped like the B-29. It was mighty tempting to dig in.

The CAF puts on a great show every year and if you're interested in aviation history, it's definitely worth checking out.

Happy Birthday Rocketeer

2011-06-21T16:06:00.000-07:00

Today marks the 20th anniversary of one of my all time favorite movies, Joe Johnston's The Rocketeer. In my opinion it's the most faithful superhero adaptation of all time. It's remarkably like the comics. I remember seeing it in 70mm at the Glenwood Theatre in Overland Park, KS when it first came out.

I then later saw it at the Plaza Theatre in Kansas City, which dated back to the 1920's. It was fantastic seeing this gorgeous period piece there. I felt like I had gone back in time. Despite the promotional push of Disney, it didn't do very well in theaters but there were some cool promotional stuff like these toys and other various stuff.

Pizza Hut also had a cool promotion with cool drink containers and personal pan pizza boxes.

My favorite piece of Rocketeer memoribilia is this cool sweatshirt that Disney sent to video retailers when the movie came out on VHS later that fall. I wore it all the time in college. Unfortunately, it doesn't fit anymore. That would be a good excuse to go on a diet, so I could wear this beauty again.

I can't believe it's been 20 years. Hopefully Joe Johnston's next superhero period piece, Captain America The First Avenger, will be as good as The Rocketeer. If that's the case, I'll be one happy camper.

The Magnificent Super 8

2011-06-12T06:19:00.000-07:00

I went and saw Super 8 Friday night and I must tell you I was simply blown away. I felt like I was transported back to 1982. I even saw it in the same theater I saw a lot of movies at in 1982. Anyway, director JJ Abrams took the best of the movies he grew up with and meshed them into an exciting and touching tale of kids and monsters. There were so many influences I lost track. There was a little bit of Close Encounters, ET, Jaws, Goonies, Stand By Me, and many, many 1950's B science fiction movies. The acting was superb and the look and feel of the film was note perfect. I highly, highly recommend this film, especially if you grew up in the late 70's/early 80's like I did. A truly outstanding film!

U2 In Denver

2011-05-30T05:25:00.000-07:00

My wife and I were lucky to catch the first show of the last leg of U2's two year long 360 Tour in Denver last weekend. We had seen them in October, 2009 and that show was great but I think this show was a little better. We sat way up high and it provided a great view of their awesome stage, which is affectionately known as either the Claw or the Spaceship.

If you're a U2 fan and haven't seen this tour yet, I highly recommend it. I'm seeing them one more time in St. Louis a couple of weeks before the tour ends in late July. It's an incredible show.

Joe Namath The King Of Football

2011-05-04T15:58:00.000-07:00

One of the cool things about working at a library is coming across great old kids books like this beauty from 1974. Joe Namath was one of my favorite players when I was a kid and it wouldn't have surprised if I had read this. I read so many books back then that I can't remember for sure. Written by James T. Olsen (no, not Superman's pal) and illustrated by Montie Salmela, it has a lot of great football action art showcasing Joe Willie's prowess on the gridiron.

This cool book also shows Broadway Joe doing what he did best, being cool, especially with the ladies. Obviously I wasn't as aware of this aspect of him when I was a kid.

I had a blast reading this 70's gem. They don't make kids books like this anymore.

It's A Good Day For Recommending...

2011-04-24T12:57:00.000-07:00

My buddy Neato Coolville's always awesome and neato cool blog. This past week he's been recommending very cool stuff that everybody should know about. I won't spoil all the goodies but he recommends one of my favorite comic artists, the always awesome Fred Hembeck. He's got tons of great sketch cards for sale and he also does commissions. One of my favorite pieces of art is this wonderful drawing of my favorite mascot, the one and only Mr. Met, he did for me last year.

For more of my friend Todd's always entertaining pop culture shenanigans check out his Facebook and Twitter pages. You won't be disappointed.

National Park Postcards

2011-04-11T15:53:00.000-07:00

When my wife and I went to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado last summer we picked up a very cool postcard book featuring the poster artwork the Works Progress Administration commissioned in the 1930's to promote the parks. They're all beautiful but here are a few of my favorites.

I think my favorite one has to be this beauty from Sequoia National Park.

I highly recommend this set if you're at any of the National Parks. They're a great souvenir.

Goodies From The Rocketeer

2011-03-31T07:57:00.000-07:00

The Rocketeer is one of my all time favorite movies. I loved it from the first time I saw it back in 1991. Unfortunately, I didn't buy much of the merchandise that came out at the time. 20 years later I finally rectified that by picking up the souvenir magazine and these cool Pizza Hut collectibles.

I love the art on the pizza box and I would have drank all my drinks out of that cup back in college. I was thrilled to get this stuff and they whetted my appetite to get more collectibles from this great film.

Royals Stadium Through The Years

2011-03-20T14:18:00.000-07:00

As another baseball season approaches, I'm again looking forward to visiting one of my favorite places, Kaufmann Stadium, home of my childhood baseball team the Kansas City Royals. Although they're always terrible on the field, the stadium is a thing of beauty. The renovations it underwent a few years ago will keep it viable for years to come regardless of how bad the Royals are. Here are a few postcards showing how the stadium looked through the years since it opened in 1973.

Captain America The First Avenger

2011-02-11T06:44:00.001-08:00

I was really excited when I finally saw the teaser trailer for this summer's Captain America movie set in WWII directed by Rocketeer director Joe Johnston. Needless to say the trailer didn't disappoint.

The Making of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back - Book Trailer 2010

2011-01-29T08:59:00.000-08:00

Here's the book trailer for the fantastic Making Of The Empire Strikes Back book I bought a couple of months ago. It's every bit the equal to the Making of Star Wars book by the same author that came out a few years ago. Can't wait for the Making Of Return Of The Jedi book.

Pirates Of The Caribbean Storybook 1970's

2011-01-13T07:01:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine at work gave me this fantastic Pirates Of The Caribbean storybook from the 1970's. It contains tons of great info about the iconic ride, which unfortunately isn't quite the same anymore. I love the 1960's era promotional pictures of the attraction, espcially the ones with people riding the ride.

I think my favorite part of the book is the Mad style attraction map. It was too big to scan at once so I had to do it twice. It's still a thing of beauty though.

I'm thrilled to get this great book for my Disneyland collection. Maybe the new Pirates movie coming out this summer will have a little more of the feel of the ride but I doubt it. Oh well, I'll always have this book to remember the original attraction.

Happy Chef Birthday Coupon 1978

2010-12-19T05:45:00.000-08:00

My dad gave me this cool coupon yesterday for a birthday party I honestly don't remember. I do remember going to this cool restaurant in the Blue Ridge Mall many times during those years though. The card was postmarked 1978, which would have been my 8th birthday so I'm not sure why my dad put my age as 7. Oh well, I'm sure it was a cool party. I wish I could remember it.

More Kid Art

2010-12-07T16:01:00.000-08:00

My dad recently found some more Superman themed kid art from when I was nine years old in 1979. I think I was partial to the Golden Age Man Of Steel judging by the emblem I drew on him.

Hopefully he'll find some more of these jems in the future.

Little Michael In His Prime

2010-11-27T15:30:00.000-08:00

I've always dug the Jackson Five, much more than Michael Jackson's solo work. He seemed much more innocent as a little kid and the music grooved a lot more, probably due to the Motown house musicians that played on the songs. This clip from 1972 is a prime example of how good they were. Thanks to Youtube member Miatwymmf for the video.

Be Astronaut Tough!

2010-11-11T06:29:00.000-08:00

I love the cheesy old ads that used to be in the back of comics in the 60's and 70's. This one from 1967 is a prime example. I don't think any of the Mercury and Gemini astronauts were this ripped but it'd be fun to see one of these huge musclemen squeeze himself into one of those space capsules.

Easy Living At Blue Ridge Mall 1964

2010-11-07T04:46:00.000-08:00

I was excited to find this old ad from the 5/20/64 Kansas City Star promoting the upcoming summer season. I loved this mall growing up. I used to spend a lot of time there either watching movies or hanging out at the music store or wasting my hard earned money at the arcade. The mall's original sign was replaced in the early 1980's and the mall itself was torn down a few years ago. Now there's a Wal-Mart there. Yuk! At least I have my memories and cool old ads.

1980's Disneyland Jungle Cruise Script Pages 16-19

2010-10-31T04:00:00.001-07:00

1980's Disneyland Jungle Cruise Script Pages 11-15

2010-10-30T04:35:00.000-07:00

1980's Disneyland Jungle Cruise Script Pages 6-10

2010-10-28T05:44:00.000-07:00

1980's Disneyland Jungle Cruise Script

2010-10-27T04:18:00.001-07:00

By request, here is the entire Disneyland Jungle Cruise script from 1988. I originally thought it was from the 70's but the last page has 4/88 on it. Enjoy all 19 pages of hilarity. I'm going to post a little at a time so the posts won't be as long.

It's Neato Ghoulville Time Again

2010-10-02T07:16:00.001-07:00

It's the beginning of October. You know what that means, don't you? My buddy Neato Coolville is celebrating this special time with a ton of great Halloween related stuff. It's a must visit every year. Actually his site's a must visit all year. Enjoy the various shenanigans Todd's cooking up with his pals Vlad, Scary Larry, and Timothy Grimm. You won't be disappointed.

Hammer Films' Horror Of Dracula

2010-10-02T07:09:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again. The time to watch all the horror and monster movie classics. I watched one of my favorite films of this genre last night when Turner Classic Movies showed Britain's Hammer Films' Horror Of Dracula, starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Released in 1958, it's a suspenseful retelling of the Dracula story. Lee is great as the Count and I've loved Peter Cushing in everything I've seen him in since I first discovered him as Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars. The British Film Institute restored this classic in 2007 and released this trailer.

Thanks for YouTube member ajsztehlomovies for the original post.

Retro Crunch Berries Box

2010-09-18T05:41:00.000-07:00

I really like these new retro style Cap'n Crunch cereal boxes. It's a cool idea that brings back a lot of memories for people who grew up eating this great cereal. Crunch Berries is my favorite Cap'n Crunch cereal so I was especially thrilled to see this old style box. I also think the old style card premiums on the back of the box is cool too.

I'm hoping more great cereals from my childhood, like Fruit Loops and Franken Berry, go to these boxes in the future. They're just awesome.

The One And Only Sam Cooke!

2010-09-06T09:27:00.000-07:00

I really dig this clip of the immortal Sam Cooke from the December 7, 1963 episode of the Jerry Lewis Show. Thanks to Youtube member Wheelbrain for the footage.

Mego Starsky

2010-08-27T09:20:00.000-07:00

I've been collecting 1970's Mego action figures for quite a while now and out of all of them I've bought I only have one still on his card and that's the one and only Starsky from the great '70's cop show Starsky And Hutch. The card's a little beat up but that's OK. I doubt I can afford any of the superheroes on their cards anymore. Seeing him again makes me want to break out the Season One DVD for some '70's style action.

More Bond Book Art

2010-08-13T15:45:00.001-07:00

I just picked up a couple of more James Bond books at the library today with beautiful art by Richie Fahey. I'm really excited to read Goldfinger again.

James Bond Book Art

2010-08-12T05:54:00.000-07:00

I recently started re-reading the James Bond novels. I read all of them when I was a teenager but I haven't touched them since. I like how some of the books are radically different than the movies. I really like the cover art by Richie Fahey on these reissues I picked up at the library the other day. They really bring out the subject matter very well. I'm looking forward to seeing his interpretations of the other novels.

More Bond cover art to come.

New U2 Songs

2010-08-11T04:34:00.000-07:00

My favorite band recently resumed their 360 Tour in Europe. It's great to see that Bono's back seems to be doing well. The cool thing about the first couple of shows is that three new songs have been played. My favorite of the three is a ballad called North Star. It sounds a little unrehearsed in this video courtesy of the fantastic U2 site U2gigs.com. Their Youtube page features videos from the first two shows of this leg. Here's North Star from the first show in Turin, Italy. Unfortunately, they didn't play this song the second show. I really hope it comes back at some point.

The second new song is called Glastonbury and it's a straight ahead rocker with some fine guitar work by The Edge. This is from last night's show in Frankfurt, Germany.

And finally there's a new rocking instrumental that opens the show called Return Of The Stingray Guitar. I really dig the new intro. Hopefully they'll still be playing it next year when I see them in Denver and hopefully Minneapolis.

Thanks again to U2gigs.com for the fantastic videos.

1964 World's Fair Guide Book

2010-07-26T04:53:00.000-07:00

I just picked up one of my holy grails of 1964 World's Fair collecting. I have been looking for a Guide Book for quite some time. Although they're fairly easy to get I just hadn't gotten around to it. It's chock full of great info about the Fair and is full of cool ads promoting the wonders inside Flushing Meadows.

I especially like this ad for GE's Progressland, one of Walt Disney's great contributions to the Fair.

If you're a fan of the Fair, you can't be without this Guide Book. They're fairly cheap and plentiful on Amazon so there's no excuse to relive this great fair through its official gudie book.

Springsteen In Hyde Park

2010-07-18T09:03:00.000-07:00

I just picked up this great DVD of Bruce Springsteen's show in London's Hyde Park during last year's Working On A Dream tour. It's The Boss at his best, featuring classics like Badlands, Jungleland, Rosalita, She's The One, and many more. They opened with a great version of The Clash's immortal London Calling. Courtesy of Youtube member leojunior70 are the E Streeters tearing through the punk classic.

This is one of the best Springsteen DVD's and a must buy for any fan of New Jersey's finest.

Happy 25th Anniversary Live Aid

2010-07-13T15:40:00.000-07:00

Today marks the 25th anniversary of quite possibly the seminal music moment of my teenage years. Live Aid brought together a huge group of artists to bring support for the starving people of Africa. I remember being glued to MTV that day to watch all the festivities from London and Philadelphia. The artist roster was a who's who of 80's superstars.

I enjoyed most of it but the highlights for me then and now were the epic performances of U2 and Queen. In fact, I think U2's greatest moment was their awesome 12+ minute version of Bad. They were just awesome that day. Here's that magical moment courtesy of Youtube user dermoreilly.

Many people consider Queen's set the highlight of the whole day and who am I to argue? Here are the first two songs courtesy of Oberon 1966.

The crowd reaction during Radio Ga Ga is just mind blowing. They were just fantastic and this cemented my love of this great band. I can't believe it's been 25 years. I'll have to break out the DVD tonight and relive this great concert moment.

The Last Hero

2010-07-10T10:37:00.001-07:00

I just finished this great new book about baseball immortal Henry Aaron. He's always been one of my all time favorites and it was interesting to find out more about his upbringing and all the stuff that he went through when he broke Babe Ruth's home run record in 1974. I was fortunate to actually see Aaron play during his last season with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1976. I was six years old and remember my dad telling me he was the home run king and one of the greatest players of all time. I couldn't find the program from Royals Stadium that day but I still have my Hank Aaron baseball card from that last season.

If you have any interest in the Golden Age of baseball and one of the true greats of the game, check out this book. You won't be disappointed.

Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle Ads

2010-07-04T07:42:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of YouTube member chup123 comes these great 1970's Evel Knievel toy ads. I just recently found my stunt cycle and reunited him with my beat up Evel for the first time in 30 years.

Since Evel Knievel was as American as apple pie and baseball, I think I'll get the ol' stunt bike out and jump Evel off my back porch to celebrate the holiday. Happy Independence Day everybody!

Muse With The Edge

2010-06-27T05:30:00.000-07:00

Since U2 couldn't make it to the annual Glastonbury Festival in England due to Bono's back problems, headliners Muse brought The Edge onstage for a very faithful rendition of the all time U2 classic Where The Streets Have No Name. It's pretty great.

Rocky Mountain National Park

2010-06-15T15:39:00.000-07:00

My wife and I just got back from Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. It was pretty awesome. I hadn't been there in a long time and I had forgotten just how beautiful it is up there. We took a ton of pictures and these were some of the better ones.

There were a lot of cool things to buy there but the coolest were this pack of 24 postcards featuring the WPA poster art for the National Parks produced in the 1930's. Here's the one featuring Rocky Mountain National Park.

If you're into nature and our national parks, Rocky Mountain National Park is a must visit. It's truly awe inspiring.

The Mark Of Zorro

2010-06-06T07:17:00.000-07:00

I've been really getting into the 1950's Disney Zorro series lately. It came out on DVD this past Christmas but I didn't even realize it. It went out of print soon after like most Disney releases. My buddy Neato Coolville let me borrow his first season set and I've been plowing through it. It represents Disney live action TV at its best. It's full of action, humor, and great production values, especially for the time. Here's a rare look at the opening and closing credits with the original commercials and bumpers, courtesy of Youtube member videoholic50sto70's.

For more info on this show check out Bill Cotter's excellent Zorro site.

Hall Of Justice Playset

2010-06-02T16:22:00.000-07:00

I decided to take some pictures of one of my favorite toys. The Hall Of Justice playset was put out by Kenner in 1984 as part of its Super Powers line. I was a little too old to get it when it came out but when I started collecting toys again in college, I picked this one up at a toy show. I love the detail they put in the interior.

Also if you look close you can see the outlines of the heroes on the back.

I wish I had room to display this with the rest of my super hero toys. Too many toys, too little room!!

Pearl Jam In KC

2010-05-17T05:41:00.001-07:00

It's been a couple of weeks since the great Pearl Jam played Kansas City. I went to the show and had a great time. They were fantastic as usual and one of the highlights of the show was the ballad Off He Goes. It was just fantastic. Courtesy of Youtube member MrBubbrub is a video of the tune shot from pretty close to the stage. A great Pearl Jam moment.

Stark Expo 2010

2010-05-10T12:00:00.001-07:00

I saw Iron Man 2 this weekend and liked it quite a bit. Although all the comic book action with Iron Man and War Machine fighting Whiplash was cool, my favorite part of the movie was the Stark Expo scenes. Patterned after the 1964 New York World's Fair, the Expo was a neat backdrop for a lot of the action. This cool site explains a lot about the fake expo and includes a lot of great images of past expos, including these great posters celebrating expos gone by.

I especially like this one, which is very reminiscent of the 1964 World's Fair, of which I am a big fan.

If you enjoy comic book movies and liked the first Iron Man, you'll enjoy the sequel. If you're like me, and like comic book movies and world's fairs, you'll really enjoy it.

Inside The Astrodome

2010-04-25T06:22:00.000-07:00

I picked up this very cool program celebrating the opening of the Houston Astrodome in 1965. It features a ton of info about the Eighth Wonder Of The World, which was a pretty big thing at the time. I love stadiums and space age related things so I really dug this book. Here are some other shots showcasing this wonder of the space age.

I would have loved to see a game in that fabulous Las Vegas suite.

Sometimes I wish I was about 20 years older. It would have awesome to see an Astros game there the first year.

Missouri Vacation Guides 1960's

2010-04-18T07:52:00.000-07:00

I recently picked up three very cool Missouri state vacation guides from the mid 1960's at an antique show. I love the graphics on these. They're all pretty much the same but I couldn't resist picking them up for a dime apiece. Most of the attractions in these books are still going strong today.

They just don't make guidebooks like this anymore.

The Greatest

2010-04-07T16:11:00.001-07:00

I was thrilled to pick up a figure I've been wanting for 30 years at a toy show a week or so ago. The Mego Muhammad Ali is a great figure of a major icon of my youth. He's in pretty good shape and I'm very happy to finally get him. Now I need to find his ring. That might be a pretty tough challenge but I'm up for it.

1968 Disneyland Guidebook

2010-03-29T06:16:00.000-07:00

I went to the annual Kansas City Toy and Antique show this weekend and picked up one of the Disneyland pieces I've been looking for for a very long time. The 1968 guidebook was the first one to feature the new Tomorrowland and New Orleans Square. I also love all the neat art that accompanied the profiles on each land, especially this cool Tomorrowland art.

It's one of the coolest things in my Disneyland collection. If you enjoy the early days of Uncle Walt's Magic Kingdom then the guidebooks are a neat thing to collect. They're not too expensive and they take you back to the golden years of the park.

It's Fun To Barbecue

2010-03-22T06:32:00.000-07:00

I picked up this great barbecue cookbook from 1962 for 50 cents at a flea market I went to this past weekend. It's full of great 1960's style illustrations and cool pictures of yummy barbecue meat. The recipes are still quite valid of course and I'll be sure to use this baby this summer as we start the grilling season. It'll be the best 50 cents I ever spent!

Pines Motel Postcard

2010-03-14T08:18:00.001-07:00

I was thrilled when my buddy Neato Coolville found this postcard of the Pines Motel in Branson, MO at a postcard show a couple of weeks ago. I have a lot of fond memories of this motel from when I would go to Silver Dollar City when I was a little kid. I loved the different colors on all the doors to the different rooms. Bright colors always excited me at this age so I really dug this place. When I look at the postcard now, it seems much more rustic to me than it did back then. Nevertheless, it's one of my favorite postcards that brings back a lot of great childhood memories. Thanks again NC!

Lawrence Of Arabia Ticket 1963

2010-02-28T09:19:00.000-08:00

My buddy Neato Coolville gave me this fantastic unused ticket from a screening of one of my all time favorite films from 1963. I assume the Crest Theatre was somewhere in England but I'm not sure. This was when Lawrence was being shown on a roadshow basis with reserved seating. It would have been fantastic to see it this way but I guess I can live vicariously through the ticket. Thanks again Neato!!

Japanese Star Wars Commercial 1978

2010-02-10T15:47:00.000-08:00

From Youtube user ksoik comes this fantastic Japanese commercial from 1978 featuring our beloved Star Wars characters peddling sushi I believe. I love these knock offs that were fairly prevalent around the world at the time.

Johnny Olson A Voice In Time

2010-02-02T16:24:00.000-08:00

I recently finished this great book about the legendary game show announcer Johnny Olson. Written by one of his proteges Randy West, it's a loving look at Johnny's 50 plus year career in the entertainment industry. While he's best known for his announcing work on The Price Is Right and Match Game, he was a star of early radio and television as well. I was surprised to find out all the stuff he did. It's a fantastic read and a must for any game show fan. Here's a link to pick up the book on Amazon. It's money well spent.

Disneyland Jungle Cruise Employee Manual

2010-01-30T04:04:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite Disneyland collectibles is a 1970's era photocopy of the employee instructions for the Jungle Cruise attraction. It has everything you need to know to run this classic ride as smoothy as possible. They leave no stone unturned, including giving a blueprint of the actual boats used at the time.

Since there were a lot of oppurtunites to screw up driving the boat along the river route, they included a map of the route showing all the spots were there are animations and turns. It would have been a big help for new skippers.

The bulk of the manual concerns the script and guidelines for the skipper's spiel. It's one of the most important parts of the ride and you can tell the powers that be took it very seriously. This is just the first page of several dealing with the script.

It would be neat to see more employee manuals from other Disneyland attractions. I have a copy of the Pirates Of The Caribbean manual from 1976 but it's not as visually interesting as this one. I'll try and post some of it at a later time. These are definitely some of the more unique Disneyland collectibles.

The Best Of The Price Is Right

2010-01-16T05:47:00.000-08:00

I've been on quite a game show kick lately. Since I don't have Game Show Network anymore (no big loss) I've been growing through my game show DVD's. I just finished with The Price Is Right collection and it's just fantastic. It features a bunch of shows from the first three seasons of the show 1972-75. It's kind of fun trying to guess the early 70's prices. It makes the games a little harder. There was also some awesome product placement, like this 1974 episode where Barker's Beauty Janice Pennington is showing off another beautiful thing, a 1970's Kentucky Fried Chicken bucket.

Another great thing about the 70's Price Is Right was the one and only Johnny Olson, who served as the show's announcer for 13 years. Nobody could announce game shows like Johnny. Sometimes he appeared in the final showcases, like this 1975 appearance as the immortal American hero Captain Klutz.

Those are just some of the cool things on the DVD. If you're into classic game shows, this DVD is a no brainer.

Tron Legacy

2010-01-03T05:46:00.000-08:00

I'm actually kind of excited for the remake of one of my favorite teenage movies. Tron was ahead of its time visually back in 1982 and the new one looks to be just as innovative. I really like the teaser trailer and it should be quite the exciting Christmas movie season next year. It's going to be a long wait.

Sinatra In Concert

2010-01-01T05:38:00.001-08:00

I've been a fan of Frank Sinatra for quite a long time. He set the style for a generation with his cool sophistication and he was quite the singer to boot. I always wanted to see him live but by the time I started liking him, he was toward the end of his life and wasn't touring much if at all. This show from 1974 would have been cool to see. I beleive this was part of his big comeback to performing after many years in Hollywood. Municipal Auditorium is a big glorious 1930's arena that would have been the perfect setting for Frank. Another reason for me to build a time machine! The ad is from the 10/11/74 Kansas City Star.

Christmas Tree Ornaments

2009-12-24T09:43:00.000-08:00

I always buy a bunch of comic and movie related ornaments every year. This year provided several beautiful ornaments that are better than some of the previous year's offerings. I really love these two Indiana Jones ornaments that came out this year. The one with the idol plays the Raiders march and is just fantastic.

I also decided to take a couple of shots of some of my other favorites. I hope everyone has a fantastic Christmas and New Year's.

Arthur Treacher's Fish And Chips Ads

2009-12-17T16:07:00.000-08:00

Arthur Treacher's Fish And Chips was one of my favorite fast food places as a real little kid. There was one not too far from the library where my mom worked in the late 70's. I don't think it lasted very long into the 80's though. I wish they'd come back. I like fish and chips and would probably eat there a lot. The above coupon is from the 6/16/76 Kansas City Star and this ad is from the 11/5/71 edition of the Star.

Star Wars In Concert

2009-12-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

I had a great time at the Star Wars In Concert show the other night in Kansas City. Featuring the Royal Symphony Orchestra and narrated by Anthony Daniels, it was a cool multi-media show showcasing the genius that is John Williams' scores from the six movies. While it would have been much better without the prequel stuff, I was still impressed by the skill the orchestra had in playing these modern day classics. The tour's almost over but if it's headed for your town, go see it. It was a very cool experience.

A Visit From The Godfather

2009-12-06T05:49:00.000-08:00

There's no better man to brighten up this holiday season than the hardest working man in show business. Thanks to bedazzled.tv for this awesome piece of funk from the early 70's.

Ain't No Mountain High Enough

2009-12-06T05:46:00.000-08:00

I've been on quite a Motown kick lately so I decided to post my all time favorite song from Hitsville USA, the classic Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell version of Ashford and Simpson's Ain't No Mountain High Enough. I believe this was filmed at Montreal's Expo 67 but I'm not positive. Motown and international expositions, what a combo!

Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting

2009-11-30T06:01:00.000-08:00

This video of the classic 70's funk hit by Carl Douglas kills me. There's nothing quite like super white European audiences trying to get down to some funky kung fu.

Taco Bell TV Ad 1979

2009-11-24T05:21:00.000-08:00

Boy I wish Taco Bells still looked like this. I remember those employee uniforms and cups like it was yesterday. Try getting that cheesy theme song out of your head.

The Colonel On What's My Line

2009-11-24T05:18:00.001-08:00

I just found this awesome segment of the classic game show What's My Line featuring the legendary Colonel Sanders. It's fantastic from start to finish. He truly was one of a kind. I disagree with Bennett Cerf. I think mint juleps and the Colonel's chicken would be fantastic together.

National World War I Museum

2009-11-21T04:11:00.000-08:00

My dad and I went to the recently renovated National World War I Museum in Kansas City yesterday. Located on the grounds of the Liberty Memorial, the museum provides a comprehensive look at the first World War. It full of fantastic artifacts like these great uniforms worn by different brances who fought the war.

They also have a lot of neat interactive displays that explain the causes and events of the war in exacting detail. I could have spent all day there. If you have any interest in the subject then I suggest a visit to this great museum.

The Book Of Basketball

2009-11-15T04:51:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading the new book by ESPN.com's Sports Guy, Bill Simmons, which chronicles his love for the NBA. It's a whopping 700 pages but it's a real page turner which reminded me how much I loved the NBA back in the 80's. This book is a loving tribute to the history of the league and its greatest players and games. Simmons and I are about the same age and grew up in the best time to be a fan of the NBA, the Bird-Magic era. He grew up in Boston and had season tickets to Celtics games so his love for them is definitely apparent. It's a great read if you're a fan of the sport. Here's his EPSN.com page, which is full of great articles about sports and pop culture in general. He's always an entertaining read.

Weezer Autographed CD

2009-11-09T05:54:00.001-08:00

I'm pretty excited about the new Weezer CD which came out last week. I haven't heard any of it yet but it's gotten pretty good reviews and I've liked everything they've done so I'm sure I'll like it. I saw them when they came through KC in 2001 and one of the coolest things about the show was they had autogrpahed CD's for sale at the merch booths. Their green album is just fantastic so that was the logical choice for me to get. It's one of my favorite pieces in my autograph collection. Hopefully they'll come back their next tour, with or without signed CD's.

Continental Airlines Postcard

2009-10-31T04:38:00.000-07:00

I picked up this cool postcard at the Airline History Museum a few months ago. It's from a Continental Airlines poster from the 1960's. I used to love looking at the different posters airlines used to promote their flights when I was a kid and during the 1950's and 60's they were even cooler. I wish they would go back to unique designs like this. It's a great snapshot of a bygone era in airline history.

Starlog Magazine

2009-10-27T16:25:00.000-07:00

I was bummed out a few months ago by the news that Starlog magazine was severly curtailing its output. Like a lot of sci-fi nerds my age, I was a big fan of the magazine back in its late 70's-early 80's heyday. Issue #1, from August, 1976, is a good example of the kind of mag it was. Way before the internet magazines like Starlog were the only source of info on everything that was happening in the sci-fi world. Now they're a wonderful look back at the shows and movies that were making a splash at the time. This particular issue had articles about The Bionic Woman, Star Trek (back when there was only one), Space 1999, and many more great shows. There's an innocence in these issues that won't be duplicated ever again which bums me out. Oh well, at least I can always read the back issues.

U2 In Norman, OK

2009-10-22T06:04:00.000-07:00

I had a great time at the U2 show in Oklahoma last weekend. I've been a U2 fan for almost 25 years now and I never get tired of seeing them live. This was the 12th time I've seen them and they still bring it. I'm really glad they're back in stadiums because they're really good at bringing a stadium sized crowd together like it was a club. Their new stage is pretty impressive as well. Their show design is just fantastic as these photos prove.

Rumor has it that they'll announce their 2010 US dates next week. I'm really hoping there's a Missouri date in there, either KC or St. Louis. I'm fairly confident they'll go to one or the other. I highly recommend seeing them if you're into them and their music. You'll have a good time.

Saturday Morning TV Listings

2009-10-17T04:28:00.000-07:00

I had a good time going through these listings for Saturday Morning TV fare from 1976 and 1980. There were a lot of great shows on then, especially in 76.

The decision at 9 whether to watch Super Friends, Land Of The Lost, or the Shazam-Isis Hour would have killed me. I probably would go with Shazam-Isis but it would have been tough. Other great shows that show up here are Grape Ape, Far Out Space Nuts, Return To The Planet Of The Apes, and Speed Buggy. It was a good year for a cartoon loving kid.

Four years later there were still some good choices for my ten year old self to watch.

Super Friends was a staple for me at 7am. I also watched Plastic Man, Bugs Bunny/Road Runner, Scooby Doo (I tried to ignore Scrappy), and the great Laff-a-Lympics. It's a shame that there aren't any great cartoons for today's kids to watch. These ads are from the 7/4/76 and 7/5/80 Kansas City Star.

A Week To Go

2009-10-12T08:26:00.000-07:00

I'm getting very excited about seeing my favorite band U2 next week in Norman, OK. I'm looking forward to several aspects of the show but one of the things I'm looking forward to the most is seeing the red screen intro to Where The Streets Have No Name again. They didn't do it last tour and the song suffered because of it in my opinion. Here's the intro from the show a couple of days ago in Tampa, FL.

It should be a fantastic show.

TWA Ad 1982

2009-10-10T05:08:00.000-07:00

Here's another great TWA ad from the early 80's featuring two of the legends of the NBA who were also great pop culture icons for different reasons. There was never this much room on any flight I've ever taken.

Sesame Street Presents Mad Men

2009-10-05T07:15:00.000-07:00

I was tickled by this parody the good folks at Sesame Street did of one of my favorite TV shows. Guy Smiley makes a fantastic Don Draper and if Jon Hamm ever gets tired of portraying the seedy ad executive, he has a worthy replacement waiting in the wings. It's probably a good thing the powers that be at The Children's Televison Workshop didn't delve into the seamier side of Mr. Draper. Now that would be an interesting segment of Sesame Street!

NFL Today Intro 1978

2009-09-27T05:27:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd get pumped up for today's football by going back in time to 1978 with Brent, Irv, Jayne, and the rest of the gang for CBS' The NFL Today. You've gotta love that set!

Star Wars Big Little Books

2009-09-23T07:05:00.000-07:00

I recently found these cool Star Wars Big Little Book style mini books Chronicle Books put out in 1997 when the Special Editions came out. They did a fine job telling the stories of the original trilogy in that nostalgic Big Little Book style. I love the stylish covers of the three books.

It would have been cool if there were Star Wars Big Little Books when the movies first came out. These are very cool substitutes however. They're worth picking up if you're into Star Wars and Big Little Books.

Cinerama Programs

2009-09-18T06:44:00.001-07:00

My buddy Neato Coolville got me these fantastic original programs from the first two Cinerama films when he was in California last week. It's great to have these beautiful snapshots of the preeminent film process of the 1950's.

I wish there would be a new widescreen process that would get the public excited like Cinerama did back then. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Missouri State Capital

2009-09-12T04:21:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I went to the Missouri State Capital in Jefferson City. I hadn't been there in almost twenty years and it was a fun experience. It's pretty awe inspiring standing in the middle of the rotunda.

A new thing at the Capital is the Missouri Hall Of Fame honoring famous Missourians and people who made an impact on the state. Some of the busts include legends like Stan Musial and Bob Barker.

I had a good time and it definitely won't be another 20 years or so before I go again.

Captain Action Ad 1966

2009-09-05T04:48:00.000-07:00

When I was at the G.I. Joe convention a few weeks ago, I saw a lot of really nice original Captain Action figures and costumes in great condition. Captain Action was one of the coolest action figure lines of the 1960's. The concept was cool and the costumes were fairly accurate. I would love to be able to collect these beauties but they're pretty expensive with good reason. Here's the initial ad from its debut year of 1966.

Just imagine...Marvelland

2009-09-01T14:42:00.000-07:00

With the big news that Disney purchased Marvel Comics, I've been wondering how the sale will affect both companies. Nothing major will probably happen in the short term but we could see both companies' characters creeping into each other's universes. I've been imagining how Disneyland could be improved.

Just imagine the Prince Namor The Sub-Mariner

Submarine Voyage

Or the Rawhide Kid

Golden Horseshoe Revue

The ideas are endless. In all seriousness, it should be interesting to see what happens. The infusion of Mouse money should be good for the House Of Ideas. We'll just have to wait and see.

Schneider Checks Out The New 747

2009-08-27T04:50:00.000-07:00

Check out Pat Harrington, the genius behind Schneider from One Day At A Time, taking a tour of the gigantic new 747 jets in this very cool ad from 1970.

It must have been really exciting to fly on these babies back then. I've said it before and I'll say it again. There's not much cooler than the 1960's-early 70's jet age. It was the most exciting time in aviation history in my opinion. We won't see anything like it again.

1970's Black-Lite Stickers

2009-08-24T09:05:00.000-07:00

My buddy Neato Coolville got me these very cool 1970's personalized black lite stickers. I was never a huge sticker fan growing up. I had a few Star Wars stickers from the card packs and one or two others, but I think they're cool now. These trippy stickers are quintessential 1970's and I'm glad to have them in my collection although I'm not sure I deserve the stupid award.

I should try and pick up an old, beat up generic lunch box and slap these babies on. Whose lunch wouldn't be brighter with a groovy flower with your name on it staring back at you?

Pan Am Ad 1958

2009-08-20T05:16:00.000-07:00

I really love this 1958 ad for Pan American Airways touting their new jets. I'm really fascinated by Pan Am and the jet age in general. It was an exciting time for commercial aviation. It definitely wasn't a hassle to fly back then as this film ably demonstrates.

G.I. Joe Con 2009

2009-08-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful time yesterday at the annual G.I. Joe Convention, which was held in Kansas City this year. There were hundreds of Joes of all shapes and sizes for sale and there were special guests that shared their experiences of the world of G.I. Joe. I was happy to meet Sam Petrucci, who designed and drew the art on the display boxes of the 1960's. I bought a beautiful print from him and had him sign it.

There were also a lot of cool dioramas featuring Joes of all kinds. I can never get enough of these cool scenes so I took some pictures of some of the better ones.

Hopefully the show will come back to KC again in the near future. It doesn't seem as if there are very many toy shows here anymore.

TWA Commercial 1977

2009-08-15T04:42:00.000-07:00

I really dig this TWA ad from 1977 touting the new L-1011 jets. I really miss TWA.

George Brett 7Up Commercial 1980

2009-08-15T04:37:00.000-07:00

This was one of my favorite ads when I was ten years old. Like many kids in Kansas City, I loved George Brett, although Frank White was always my favorite Royal. Anyway, enjoy this classic, which includes a funny LA area news teaser at the end by a newscaster who went on to better things.

Fun At The Zoo

2009-08-07T14:54:00.000-07:00

My wife and I went to the Kansas City Zoo last week and had a great time. The zoo is currently undergoing a renovation and it's a better experience than it used to be. I managed to get some decent shots of a lot of animals. Here are some of the better ones.

My wife also showed her affinity for the animal world.

The zoo is definitely worth a visit if you're in the KC area. It's always fun to check out the animal kingdom.

Mad Men Yourself!

2009-08-06T15:37:00.000-07:00

I've been having a lot of fun with the great
Mad Men Yourself site where you can create your own Mad Men characters. As my pal Neato Coolville said, it's like computer Colorforms. I've made a couple, one featuring a man and one with a women. It's great fun playing in this 60's universe.

It's so fun even my wife had a lot of fun doing one.

Mad Men starts its third season August 16th on AMC.

Cool Crest Family Fun Center

2009-08-02T05:49:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite places to go in Kansas City is Cool Crest, KC's oldest mini golf course. I've been going here since I was a little kid and it hasn't changed much, if at all. There are four different courses you can play. The two older ones are at the front and they have a lot of cool hazards that probably date to when the place opened in the 1960's. They still are in pretty good shape and are very cool reminders of why mini golf is a great game.

If you live in the KC area and like mini golf, this is definitely a must visit. I have a great time every time I go there.

Old Playground Equipment

2009-07-28T06:19:00.000-07:00

While I was in north central Missouri this past weekend, we went through several little towns that still had old metal equipment in their parks or playgrounds. I've always been interested in these old classics, espcially since they're being replaced left and right by new, boring plastic models. It seems that people think that kids get hurt more on the metal equipment. I don't remember anybody ever getting hurt when I was growing up. Anyway, I was quite happy to see these beauties.

The best part of seeing these greats was seeing some that I actually played on when I was a kid. I couldn't believe these classics were still there. I actually got up in this slide. I felt like I was eight again.

Hopefully these beauties will stick around another 30 years. They're a great reminder of my and many other people's childhoods.