The insult that made a man out of "Mac"

What's the ad for?

Bodybuilding books by Charles Atlas
Year
1972

Spotted in...

The Scoop

So apparently the story featured in the ad is based on the life of Angelo Siciliano, a young Italian immigrant. After getting sand kicked in his face, probably over at Coney Island, he decided that enough was enough. No more being a 97 pound weakling. So Siciliano joined the YMCA and became obsessed with working out. He won competitions and in 1921 was named  "The World's Most Perfectly Developed Man". He then got a job as the strongman in the Coney Island Circus Side Show. The year after that he changed his name to...Charles Atlas. I bet you didn't see that coming.

Altas told "Half Alive" scrawny teenagers that they didn't have to toil away in the YMCA gym to become the next  Angelo Siciliano. All they had to do was buy his book and perform "15 minutes a day of pleasant practice- in the privacy of your own room". I'd have to guess but I think they were already doing that pleasant practice everyday in the privacy of their own room. Probably involved more pulling than lifting.

Easy Care Manicure Set - My Hands...Blah!

What's the ad for?
Kenner's Easy Care Manicure Set
Year
1971

Spotted in...

The Scoop

Hey look! I found another seventies Kenner ad! This one is funny. Lets just start with the first panel. A little girl crying saying "Mom--My Party dress is beautiful-But my hands...Blah!". Oh brother. Lucky for her, she gets to open a present early. Her mom must have noticed her Blah hands and got her the manicure set for her birthday. Do you get offended if your the little girl or thankful? Alas, look how lovely her little hands end up looking. Good enough to be a secretary!

Kenner Chip-Away Set

What's the ad for?
Chip-Away Set by Kenner
Year
1972

Spotted in...

The Scoop

This is great. Be an artist without the talent! Kenner brought the world of paint by number to the sculpting profession. Sculpting can be dangerous, with the sharp tools used to chip-away the hard rock. Now your child can make the same mess without the danger!

 

 Along with the three sets shown in the ad, a Flintstones set was also available which included Fred, Wilma with Pebbles and Dino. Sadly, no Barny or Wilma. Kenner released a lot of interesting toys in the seventies and that's not even including their Star Wars line. I will keep my eyes open for more Kenner ads and will post them here as I find them.

Did any of you receive a Chip-Away set for Christmas back in the seventies?

Tournament of Thrills featuring Daredevil Dan

What's the ad for?
SSP Tournament of Thrills playset by Kenner
Year
1976

Spotted in

The Scoop

Made by Kenner, these cars had a ripcord that you pulled to make the wheels spin up to a reported 20,000 rpm (don't ask my source). This set was one of many. As a kid I had a crash up derby set. As you can guess these cars ended up getting pretty beaten up so a car or set in good shape can fetch a decent price on eBay.

Spider-Man meets June Jitsui!

What's the ad for?
Twinkies
Year
1979

Spotted in

The Scoop

As requested by a reader, here is an ad for a Hostess product called Twinkies. I think we all know what a Twinkie is and I think we all remember these ads featured in both Marvel and DC comics. I know Curt Swan did a lot of the art in the DC ads but what about Marvel ones such as this one? Mike Esposito perhaps? And how about the villain June Jitsui? Besides having a cleaver name she actually appeared in Marvel continuity thanks to an issue of Fin Fang Four Return! The appearance is described below. Courtesy of  http://www.marvunapp.com.

"The robot Elektro, mistakenly identified as a villain and arrested, was ushered into the prison's S-Wing where he met various past Spider-Man villains, including June Jitsui. Later, inspired by Elektro's defiance, she and the other inmates of S-Wing smashed their way out only to be subdued by the prison guards using sedation foam."

Energized Spider-Man

What's the ad for?
Energized Spider-Man and Green Goblin toys
Year
1978

Spotted in

 

 

The Scoop

Since when did Spidey use a flashlight? Doesn't matter...I'd still like one.

Energized Green Goblin

Chopcycles

What's the ad for?
Chopcycles
Year
1972

Spotted in

 

Dig these! No glue required.

What's the ad for?
Snap Tite models.
Year
1972

Spotted in

 

Nobody likes a bag of bones...

What's the ad for?
The Do-It-Yourself Gain-A-Pound-A-Day Kit
Year
1972

Spotted in

 

 

The Scoop

The Do-It-Yourself Gain-A-Pound-A-Day Kit. Wow. That's a lot of hyphens. No where in the ad does it say you'll gain muscle...just pounds. You can gain a pound a day by eating doughnuts too.

Heroes In Action! Command 'Em! Collect 'Em!

What's the ad for?
Marvel Character Halloween costumes
Year
1975

Spotted in

 

The Scoop

I can't imagine war toys released in the mid-seventies would be that popular. You know with the Vietnam war and all. Nonetheless Mattel offered us Heroes in Action. Below is a catalog page featuring photos of all the heroes. Image courtesy of www.plaidstallions.com

Hulk it for Halloween!

What's the ad for?
Marvel Character Halloween costumes
Year
1975

Spotted in

A little late I know but I just came across it last night. Flame Retardant for Safety!

“I have just one request before you disintegrate me!” I said. “Can I finish my lunch?”

What's the ad for?
Banana-Talkies and Banana-Compass
Year
1979

Spotted in

I'm not sure how a Banana-Compass would send for help but hey, maybe it's different then a regular compass. I stole the below images of the Banana-Talkies from ebay. Anyone every get one of these?

Battlestar Galactica Gold-colored Cylon Centurian Leader

What's the ad for?
Gold-colored Cylon Centurian Leader from Battlestar Galactica
Year
1979

Spotted in

I was down in Seattle this weekend and I stopped by the EMP museum. They currently have a Battlestar Galactica exhibit that features life-size replica Viper and Cylon Raider ships, along with various props and costumes. It's a small exhibit but was a nice bonus for any BSG fan. For me the main draw to the EMP was the Nirvana exhibit. If you ever get the chance, make sure to check out the museum. This was my third time there and it is always worth a couple hours of time to check it out. The permanent exhibits are worth it alone. I mean can you ever see this piece of Rock and Roll history enough?

The Magic Power of Witchcraft

What's the ad for?
The Magic Power of Witchcraft by Gavin and Yvonne Frost
Year
1976

Spotted in

Oh Charlton...the crazy ads you had. Here's one for "The Magic Power of Witchcraft" by Gavin and Yvonne Frost. Click on their names to visit their current blog. The two are well known Wican's and founded the The Church and School of Wicca in 1968.

Happy Hallowe'en

What's the ad for?
Space Age Solid State Walkie Talkie
Year
1975

Spotted in

How can you celebrate Hallowe'en without Vincent Price? I was saving this one for today! I wonder which apples worked best?

Space Age Solid State Electronic

What's the ad for?
Space Age Solid State Walkie Talkie
Year
1978

Spotted in

Patty Prayer- Republican Candidate

What's the ad for?
Talking "Patty Prayer" Doll
Year
1978

Spotted in

 

 The scoop

 Patty Prayer was a doll that recites a famous bedtime prayer and can also sings "Brother John!". The perfect toy in indoctrinate your child with. What makes me wonder is who are they trying to sell this doll to? The ad was the back cover to Marvel Team-up #65. Not a cheap advertisement. I wouldn't imagine that the average reader of this comic book would be interested in a praying doll. I've read that the doll sounded demonic once the battery started running low. 

House Ad- The Seventies - The DC Line

From 1974 comes a left over from the special series I did on house ads. "The Line of DC Superstars." Just in time for the impending DC line-wide reboot that starts this week I believe.

Score in Sports

What's the ad for?

Huskies Sport Shoes
Year
1973

Spotted in

 Now this is what I call a dark ad...

The Corgi Adventures of Corgi Boy

What's the ad for?

Corgi Die-cast cars
Year
1972

Spotted in

The scoop

Funny ad. I've never seen toy cars marketed as such. You know, a fantasy setting and all. Weird.