The Icewind Dale Trilogy -The Crystal shard

What's the ad for?
Forgotten Realms-The Crystal Shard by R.A. Salvatore
Year
1988

Spotted on the back cover of...

The Scoop

 The Crystal Shard was the first part of the The Icewind Dale Trilogy written by R.A. Salvatore. Another Forgotten Realms advert that seemed to dominate the back covers of many a comic in the late eighties. See another here.

Forgotten Realms - Black Wizards

What's the ad for?
Forgotten Realms-Black Wizards by Douglas Niles
Year
1988

Spotted on the back of...

The Scoop

The Moonshae trilogy was the first series of books set in the Forgotten Realms. The trilogy was written by Douglas Niles. Black Wizards was the second book in the trilogy. I have never read these books, or much fantasy for that matter but I do remember these ads taking up the back page of many a comic in the late eighties.

Endless Quest

What's the ad for?

Endless Quest books
Year
1983

Spotted in

The Scoop

This was TSR's version of the Choose you own adventure (CYOA) books, based on Dungeons and Dragons. The Endless Quest books were longer and more involved then the CYOA series but nonetheless the same principal. As you read the story you turn to different pages based on what you choose the character to do. Several endings are always possible, some leading to your death. I used to love these books as a kid. The Vertigo comic series Unwritten featured a CYOA type story in issue 17. It would be cool if more comics featured this.

The Robots Clanky

What's the ad for?

The Robots Clanky for President comic book
Year
1975

Spotted in
Turok, Son of Stone, #100. Gold Key Comics
The scoop

Who is Robot Clanky and why should I have voted for him? This ad is similar to the recent Marvel Try-out book ad where a supplier is trying to unload unsold books. The Robot Clank for President book being sold during the 1972 election which gave America Nixon for the second straight term. I like "Rattles", Clanky's trusty robo-dog.

Maybe Clanky will come out of retirement and run in the next election (here in Canada an election could be coming this spring!). Maybe Clanky could unite the left...

Chinese Kung-Fu

What's the ad for?

Kung-Fu

Year

1974

Spotted in

The scoop

 As any black belt can tell you Kung-Fu is easy and fast to learn. Just ask Ted! The text in this ad is pretty funny. " So simple that if you can read you can easily master the theory of this "flick-of-the-wrist" technique." I like how it simply states that you will learn the theory, not how to do it. By the way the comic I found this in has a great story about the "Hockey Mask of Death!". Very cool...