and everything else too

Jungle Folk vs. Mountain Kin

2012-02-11T10:17:00.000-06:00

Today's sampling of vintage Valentine cards deal with two different types of laughable lovebird: the jungle caucasian so prominent in cards like these from this era, as well as the bucktoothed, barefoot hillbilly so prominent in... well... in my neck of the woods right here in Missouri! All contain wonderful illustrations, some highlighted with die-cut edges / windows, as well as tiny props, one has an actual spring loaded steel trap that will certainly bite your finger off if you don't open the card carefully! (+BONUS monkey card!)

Hots Dogs & Rockets

2012-02-08T18:27:00.000-06:00

AEET's vintage V-Day card art massacre continues, bridging gaps and crossing fine lines between hot dogs and rockets, as only this blogger knows how. Friends, I leave this theme in your hands.

Decoder Fun!

Valentine's Month Massacre (PART THREE)

2012-02-06T07:42:00.000-06:00

We've seen the humans having some V-Day fun, now it's time for the animals! Rabbits, bears, big cats, little cats, and even a poor suicidal skunk... hell, even bugs need love too.

Valentine's Month Massacre (PART TWO)

2012-02-04T09:25:00.002-06:00

Round Two of our Valentine's Month Massacre, focus on cute couples snuggle buggin' from the frozen arctic tundras to the sweaty swingin' jungles, at the drive-in, on a moped, prehistorically or cannibalistically, or from one sarcophagus to another. Ja! Love knows no bounds!

And "loads" more love comin' up!

Valentine's Month Massacre (PART ONE)

2012-02-01T09:45:00.000-06:00

As promised, here we go with an entire month of vintage Valentine card art from the Karswell Kollection! And take a tip from our cute little Native American friend below, there's a "heap big lot" of these colorful classics to come; I'll probably break them down into sets of a dozen or so per post-- so hold onto your hearts for a red hot, corking good time in February 2012!

Crush

2012-01-30T08:44:00.000-06:00

Who's ready for Karswell's Valentine's Day Greeting Card Massacre? If an entire month of vintage Valentine card art sounds good to you then we'll see you in a few...

Punch 'n' Party Sweets

2012-01-25T18:35:00.001-06:00

I've posted a few other 7Up booklets from the 1960's here at AEET, and still maintain my opinion that whoever was in charge of art direction there during this era really knew their trade. And as we see in this handy "Punch 'n' Parties" guide (1962), more examples of wonderful page lay-out, bold, clean design, great colors, eye popping photography, plus super cute illustrations that truly make it a keeper. Same goes for the few bits of tremendous header key art from Mary Blake's "Party Sweets" booklet (Carnation, 1957) at the end of this post.

(I'll be posting highlights from this "Fun To Cook Book" in the coming weeks-- stay tuned!)

ZOMBIES

2012-01-23T21:54:00.003-06:00

They're coming to get you-- ZOMBIES! Edited and designed by Eisner winner Craig Yoe with an introduction by the host of the popular "The Horrors of It All" vintage comics blog, Steve "Karswell" Banes (that's me!), Zombies follows in the footsteps of the "Dick Briefer''s Frankenstein" and "Bob Powell''s Terror" as the third not-to-be-missed book in The Chilling Archives of Horror Comics!

From the banned 1950s horror comics that Dr. Fredric Wertham of the U.S. Senate and mothers didn't want innocent children to devour comes a terrifying and timely anthology of comics of the undead... Zombies. These gruesome mini-masterpieces are hauntingly delineated by some of the Golden Age''s greatest artists: Jack Cole, Bob Powell, Howard Nostrand, Wally Wood, Gene Colan, Lou Cameron, Reed Crandall, and others at their very best. The nightmarish scripts of the unstoppable living dead will make your spine freeze over in terror!

Publication Date:
May 22, 2012 --click HERE to pre-order from Amazon NOW!

Rebel

2012-01-21T16:30:00.001-06:00

In addition to having worked on lots of great titles for Marvel, DC, Gold Key etc., Fred Fredericks is probably more well known as having worked on Mandrake the Magician and The Phantom strips. But today I have a sampling of his mid to late 60's strips from the excellent REBEL series created for Scholastic, featuring madcap adventures about wild teens, with hysterical pokes at the ever-changing pop cultural highpoints of the time (rock 'n roll, Famous Monsters, drive-ins, mods, hot rods...) It's fun stuff, fantastically written and illustrated, and deserves to be more well known.

Workin' on the railroad...

2012-01-17T18:40:00.002-06:00

...was never so dangerous, as depicted in these mid 60's posters created by the Railroad Safety Council of America for enhancing awareness on the job and avoiding unfortunate accidents. These may be funny in a cartoon sense, but it also hurts to know that some poor soul somewhere learned the hard way, hence a need for a poster in the first place.

Top Value Family Gift Catalog (PART2)

2012-01-14T23:03:00.000-06:00

More highlights from the 1963 Top Value Stamps family gift catalog, showcasing how to turn an ordinary ordering guide into something tons more fun, and in some cases involving fake moustaches-- funny! Nice use of type and illustrations, great color choices, playful set photography loaded with interesting props and models having an obvious blast, and most of all excellent design sense. (Example: look how interesting even carpet becomes!)

Nothing phallic here!

Top Value Family Gift Catalog (PART1)

2012-01-09T22:19:00.000-06:00

Highlights from a 1963 Top Value Stamps family gift catalog, the main focus here being on the super neato use of stuffed puppet people posed with the merchandise on a variety of pages (if only these were available to purchase as well, I'd definitely buy the creepy knife wielding chef!) More goodies from this catalog in our next post too!

(to be continued...)

Cotton Quiz '54

2012-01-07T10:16:00.000-06:00

Just when you thought cotton couldn't get any more fun and exciting, along comes this neat little booklet from the National Cotton Council to prove otherwise. As the cover states, this handy guide contains many "interesting educational FACTS about cotton" --it also helps that they hired a top notch cartoonist (who???) to supply the great illustrations!

Heavenly Angel (Xmas Leftover Edition)

2012-01-04T17:07:00.002-06:00

Made in Japan in the 60's expressly for the General Electric Co., this adorable lighted xmas tree topper was found at an antique mall for $5.00 and I couldn't pass it up --I mean, just look at that cute face! The box is in rough shape but everything seems complete... I included pictures of her fully lit up too, just so you can see how amazing this lil angel really is!

Should old acquaintance be forgot...

2011-12-31T12:54:00.000-06:00

"Audrey II" A Flytrap Bank

2011-12-28T09:47:00.003-06:00

My kid had no luck this past summer raising a real potted venus flytrap (R.I.P.) Zander's obsession with carnivorous plants stemmed from watching the Little Shop of Horror films with me (yes, both versions), and one night after the recent heartbreaking flytrap funeral while trying to figure out what to do next, my online research unearthed this Audrey II toy bank that someone was selling on ebay. No water! No bugs! No green thumb required, just one AA battery and some change! I never knew this thing even existed, and apparently it's kind of a rare movie tie-in:

It's a battery operated chomper (made in Taiwan), just put the coin in its mouth and Audrey II gulps it down, making a startling electro buzzing sound in the process. I still haven't figured out how it really works, but it looks cool and is a good containment unit for the kid to put his coinage in. The clever box art below is loads of fun too with illustrations that seem more 70's than '86 to me... I scanned all sides of the packaging including the lid.

(lid)

Little Xmas of Horrors (2011)

Huckle-Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T00:01:00.004-06:00

A couple Huckleberry Hound xmas tales for you from Whitman (1962.) Hope everyone has a great and safe holiday, and hopefully you get everything you want! I may try to get up another post or two before the year is out, but if not, see you all in 2012!

Xmas Exposé

2011-12-21T00:01:00.012-06:00

Published monthly during the school year by students of Mizzou (and sponsored by Signa Delta Chi - National Journalism Fraternity) the December 1947 issue of Show Me Missouri was taglined as an "Exposé Issue" and contains a handful of excellent one panel illustrated xmas gags and colorful Santa cigarette ads *cough cough*! I particularly like the funnies by "Gabe", and keep your eyes open for an early gag from the great Mort Walker.

The International (Xmas) Series

2011-12-19T14:13:00.000-06:00

More holiday greeting cards from the Karswell Kollection... these "12 colorful characterizations of xmas spirit in other lands" came packaged in a nicely designed box, and all wonderfully illustrated by Michel Gabo for The International Series #1 set (made in Boston in the 40's or 50's?) Does anyone know if they ever made any other sets in this series?

Offbeat Christmas '61

2011-12-16T10:25:00.001-06:00

Teenagers Ingenue was a fun girl's magazine published by Dell, and a good example is this December 1961 issue full of neato ideas for xmas parties, treats (Santa Burger!), gifts etc... also, highlighted by some funny seasonal cartoons from Susan Perl, plus superbly designed ads (I want a MUGMATE!!) this is a great issue for getting into the spirit of the holidays!

Blowing Santa

2011-12-13T09:08:00.002-06:00

A cute xmas card from the Coronation Collection (50's or 60's) with instructions on how to transform it into a fun little handheld windmill and then, like the Northwinds, blow Santa straight to you! And hopefully someone was kind enough to include some greenbacks in the card, that way after all the holiday huffin' and puffin' you can get down to blowin' some serious money on the good stuff-- like candy, comics, and toys!

North Pole Colorado

2011-12-11T09:26:00.001-06:00

Earlier this month I posted some ads of things to do around Denver, CO in 1962 (click HERE), and one of the ads was for Santa's Workshop in North Pole, Colorado. Looking through my brochure collection just this weekend I suddenly realized I actually have a 1968 brochure from this place, though I've never been there. So here it is in it's entirety, I scanned the huge fold-out map into two large halves so you can see the detail, but also included a smaller rez version of the whole thing pieced together. And find out more about Santa's Workshop (yep, after 50 years it's still around) by clicking HERE!

Mad Monster Party by Rick Goldschmidt

2011-12-09T12:40:00.001-06:00

Looking for the perfect gift this year for that special animation lovin' someone? The new book from author and official RANKIN/BASS historian Rick Goldschmidt is out NOW, and covers everything you ever wanted to know about the spooky, kooky, 1967 Animagic classic-- MAD MONSTER PARTY!! This is a fantastic, highly recommended book, featuring 272 pages and over 300 images (many never before published) of photos and rare concept sketches and storyboard artwork, plus, the original shooting script in its entirety, sheet music for the wonderful songs, the complete Mad Monster Party Dell comic book, behind the scenes interviews and insight from the cast and crew (Jack Davis, Don Duga, Maury Laws, etc.) and much, MUCH MORE! Click HERE for all the details and to order your copy today!

And don't miss Rick Goldschmidt’s Blog – The Enchanted World of Rankin/Bass, with daily updates of everything Rankin/Bass related in the known Universe!

5 Day Cheer Card

2011-12-07T00:01:00.002-06:00

Fun illustrations and an interesting "get well" concept from Hallmark (60's?), where a series of 5 cards are sent on consecutive days, and each with its own funny riddle / solution to ponder (fyi: answers arrived on the back of the card the following day.) I'll post some holiday themed cards from my collection later this month, for now I'm posting this because the colors seemed a bit xmassy and festive in mood... a mood of which I'm still trying to muster up myself this year. Meh, maybe someone needs to send me a 5 Day Cheer Card...

Good Humor by Andrews

2011-12-04T21:34:00.000-06:00

Some funny gags from Charlton Publication's early 60's adult magazine, Good Humor (selections from issues #3 and #4, 1961-'62.) I don't know much about our spotlight artist here, signing simply as "Andrews", but I do love the unique look of the jagged linework-- and of course those curvy girls!

Denver 1962

2011-12-02T10:54:00.000-06:00

So what's to do in Denver? If you were alive in the early 60's there was plenty! Take in some gorgeous gams at one of many girlesque shows around town, join in on the exciting new dance craze "The Twist!" at the Peppermint Cave, visit Santa's Workshop at the foot of Pike's Peak, marvel at the latest George Pal classic at the million dollar Cooper Cinerama, barf your guts out on a thrill ride at Lakeside Amusement Park, steaks + polynesian fun, etc... yes, do more in Denver (with the help of time machine technology!)

Silly Sidney

2011-11-30T11:23:00.001-06:00

Sidney the Elephant was created in the late 50's as an animated Terrytoon for CBS / 20th Century Fox (find out more HERE and watch on youtube too); but for now enjoy this wonderfully illustrated, and very funny Sidney tale from Wonder Books (1965.)

Handy Dialing Guide

2011-11-27T11:58:00.000-06:00

More proof that art directors, illustrators, and designers could make ANY subject interesting back in the good 'ol days, this Handy Dialing Guide for Illinois area codes is a keeper, not only for the useful phone information, but more importantly for the darling characters used to highlight it. I especially like the seated English chap with the mustache on page 3: "I say old man, how're things over in Kankakee?"

Yeast Baking & You

2011-11-24T00:01:00.002-06:00

Hey, it's Turkey Day 2011, and we're buzzin' around the kitchen with last minute preparations for today's feast: turkey's about to pop, green beans simmerin', taters mashed, gravy graved-- but wait! Somebody forgot the breads and yeasty dessert treats! Arghh! Good thing we have this great General Mills / Fleischmann's Yeast / Gold Medal Flour booklet (1963) on how to be a yummy yeast baker, 41 pages exploding with delicious recipes (and dynamite illustrative and color design too!) Let the groovy redhead be your guide to: Peanut Butter Batter Bread, crescents, rolls, bunlets, Swirl-A-Breads, Little Loafers, logs, pinwheels, pockets, Monkey Bread and even (eeek!) Grandmother's Buns! Enjoy your day friends, and eat responsibly!

Amazing Arizona

2011-11-22T11:16:00.000-06:00

Published in the late 50's by The Arizona Development Board, this gorgeously designed 50+ page booklet (with its fantastically fun cover illustration), not only makes for a truly one of a kind travel brochure, but also a grand way of selling an entire state to those looking for a new place to live: "...from the world's most spectacular natural wonders, and vivd, ever changing moods at all compass points, you'll discover an adventure of endless surprises in the vacation state of the nation!" Enjoy these highlights!

Jake in Space

2011-11-19T14:50:00.000-06:00

As promised, more highlights from the top notch collection of Jake Schuffert one-panel gags "No Sweat" ...More or Less (1968.) Our last post poked random fun at the military in general, today's post focuses on the 60's Manned Space Program, NASA, missiles, aliens, astronuts, etc. Brilliantly funny, and simply beautiful cartoon art like no other.

"No Sweat" ...More or Less by Jake Schuffert

2011-11-15T21:33:00.003-06:00

In 1968, Army Times Publishing released "No Sweat" ...More or Less, a great collection of Jake Schuffert cartoons, gathering his best gags from Army Times, Air Force Times, Navy Times, and American Weekend, plus a real nice intro from Milton Caniff (included below.) Jake is one of my all time favorite illustrators ever, with a wonderfully cartoony design style that would be hilarious even without the text. (FYI: I'll have more examples from this book in our next post too, where we'll see Jake take some gut bustin' shots at the great space race!)

Sinning in Hollywood '43 (Part 2)

2011-11-12T19:24:00.001-06:00

And now the second half of Sinning in Hollywood, a fabulous wartime era booklet designed for the fun-seekin' servicemen of '43. It's no coincidence on my part in posting this edition in its entirety during the celebration of Veteran's Day 2011, in fact, the next few posts are also dedicated to those who honor, serve, and protect us daily. And also-- to those who still love to Jitterbug!

Sinning in Hollywood '43 (Part 1)

2011-11-09T10:34:00.001-06:00

Gambling in "Sin City" Vegas in our last post was fun, but now it's time to head to the westcoast and partake in some serious sin. It's the 1940's, and what's a military boy to do in a city as big and diverse as Los Angeles? Well, look no further, this handy, pocket-size booklet has the sinside dope on what to do, where to do it, and most importantly-- where the girls are! Loaded with spicy enticing illustrations and info, more than anything, this is actually a wonderful snapshot of men's entertainment in 1940's wartime era LA.

(to be continued...)

Golden Nugget Gaming Guide ('49)

2011-11-04T21:25:00.000-05:00

Gambling bug bit ya? Care to try your luck? This fun little booklet from 1949 (published just three years after the famous casino first opened its doors in Vegas in '46) might just be your winning ticket to getting baby that new pair of shoes! Covering 21, Roulette, Craps (for red-blooded HE-men and SHE-women!), Poker, slots, etc., shoot the works, the skies the limit!

See what the Golden Nugget is up to these days by clicking HERE!

The Terrors of St. Trinian's

2011-11-02T19:48:00.000-05:00

These days most people associate naughty uniformed schoolgirls with Japanese anime, but let's go back to the early 1940's where Cambridge born illustrator, Ronald Searle took a simple, hilarious concept and "...crystalized a demented joke to such a degree that it actually became accepted into English mythology," quote Kaye Webb (aka, Mrs. Ronald Searle.) Published by Penguin Books in 1959, "The St. Trinian's Story" contains the whole ghastly dossier, and below are just a handful of the best, most outrageously violent, Charles Addams-esque moments as the girls go wild! To find out more about Searle and St. Trinian's (including the many great film adaptations) click HERE!

"Weeny Witch"

2011-10-31T00:01:00.002-05:00

I'm positive HERPAK Skinless Franks meant well when they concocted this "Halloween Party" book in 1950, where instead of using traditional apples in a tub of water you could instead make use of their well-hung product (with parental guidence, I'm sure) and, um... go "Bobbing for Franks" (see pic below.) And once you got tired of stuffing your own mouth with weiners, it was then time to be blindfolded and clumbsily insert your frankfurter into the witch's mouth for the non-stop hilarity of "Feeding the Weeny Witch!" (see other pic.) She's so creepy looking that yes, the blindfold definitely helps. And golly, the fun certainly doesn't end there-- grab a napkin and pull it down over your weiner-- now you're a "Weeny Ghost!" The booklet also comes with a "Zinga-Rina the Old Witch" paper mask to cut-out and wear while you and your friends are playing with your weiners. Happy Halloweeny everyone!

(Regular Witch)

Vintage Halloween Cards II

2011-10-30T16:00:00.004-05:00

Today I present to you Vintage Halloween Cards II from the Karswell Collection... these grand examples (from the 40's through the 60's) were aquired only just today, in fact, thanks to some fabulous local sellers at The Great American Paper Show who were gracious enough to part with them, so that I may of course be better to spook you.

Oh, and if you missed Part 1 earlier this month, just click HERE!

The Cool Ghoul Monster Coloring Book

2011-10-29T07:38:00.000-05:00

From the tiniest book of monster jokes in our last post, now onto the giant, oversized Cool Ghoul Monster Coloring Book in this one, Wanamaker, Inc. published this scanner-eclipsin' monstrosity in 1964, with fun illustrations, and even funnier verse, by H. B. Harn. This thing is so big I had to drag out the crappy camera and snap the pix on my deck outside, (some of them could be better-- sorry!) And FYI: whoever owned this beastly book before me is responsible for coloring 'ol Fishface, as well as the dot-to-dot on the last page. I'm just glad this person didn't cut-out any of the masks!

Monster Laffs

2011-10-28T09:47:00.000-05:00

If you're planning on trick 'r treating this year, don't forget you need a cornball joke or two to secure some sugar coated tooth-rot in your bulbous plastic pumpkin head. And there's no better place to turn to for some creepy chuckles than this itsy-bitsy, teenie-weenie, Monster Laffs Mini-Book by C.H.P. from 1965. Tiny prize tomes like this were found inside a sticky box of Cracker Jacks, there's many different collections, (hit up ebay to see more.) And if you're curious how big these books really are, scroll to the very bottom of this post.

Doings in Haunty Hollow...

2011-10-24T00:01:00.001-05:00

By now you've probably figured out that I love old kid's magazines, especially ones from the 1950's and 1960's... so here are some highlights from a nifty Halloween issue of Child Life Vol. XXIX, No. 8 from October 1950. Spooky stories, games, poetry, hands on projects, etc., all bursting with fun illustrations and endless imagination.

Karswell's Haunted Cemetery

2011-10-21T20:24:00.001-05:00

Some of you know me as "Karswell" of The Horrors of it All blog (a site dedicated to pre-code horror comics of the 1950's.) But if you're my neighbor, then you probably know me as the creepy dude on the block who puts his halloween shit up too early, and then hardly bothers to take it down months after the fact. And to those I say "Tough titty... cuz everyday is Halloween at my house, damnit..."

"Hurry back..."

Melvin Monster

2011-10-16T19:19:00.001-05:00

Three choice tales from the April '67 issue of Melvin Monster #7. As much as I love Melvin, I adore his witch girlfriend "Little Horror." Check out the first tale and see if you don't agree...

How to Make a Movie Monster

2011-10-13T21:39:00.003-05:00

Highlights from another great mid-70's Scholastic kid's book, this one called Movie Monsters, and written / illustrated by Alan Ormsby. Alan was a cool ghoul amateur filmmaker himself, shooting his very own 8mm movie shorts and features (starring himself and his friends) before he even became a teenager. The first half of the book contains a neat "ghoulary" of black and white photos of Karloff, Lugosi, Lee, The Chaney's etc... but the scans here in today's post come from the super superb "How to Make a Monster" tips section in the last half of the book. I especially love the drawings of the kid making the Frankenstein monster head-- oh, and extra points for the fact that the ever-underrated Blacula even gets mentioned.

How to Run a Successful (Hallowe'en) Party

2011-10-10T14:51:00.002-05:00

Over half a century ago, Elizabeth King was the "Fun Editor" of Parents Magazine, and in 1952, she wrote and designed this charming little "donut party fun" booklet. Her definition of a good party (taken from the intro): "Never a dull moment... and to avoid these dull moments, be sure something is happening every minute." She goes on to say some other stuff too, but the sum-up of her ideas is as follows: "Parties establish a pleasant home life, make for better citizens, and turns children into charming hosts and and hostesses. Most of the effective things in our lives are sugar coated-- and that, I suppose, goes for donuts too!" I have to agree... although anything combined with donuts sounds good to me!

Spooky Tricks

2011-10-07T22:41:00.000-05:00

In our last post we saw terrific examples of "Spooky Magic" for your Halloween party, now today we have more highlights from "Spooky Tricks", an I Can Read Book (1968) by Rose Wyler and Gerald Ames, with cute pictures by Talivaldis Stubis. These are simple, effective tricks that you can perform with little or no props (aka: easy to find items probably already in your home) --so break out the ghosts and severed mummy fingers-- it's time to get seriously spooky!

Spooky Magic

2011-10-04T22:18:00.001-05:00

If you're planning on having a happenin' Halloween shin-dig spooktacular this month and need some tips on how to scare the pants off your victims... er, I mean the guests, let Larry Kettelkamp's awesome collection "Spooky Magic" (Scholastic Book Services, 1955) be your guide! Loaded with nearly a dozen great and easy to pull-off tricks, (my fave 4 are presented here for you in today's post), and accompanied by some super fun illustrations by William Meyerriecks-- you are sure to make this year's fright festivities legendary!

Vintage Halloween Cards

2011-10-01T14:46:00.002-05:00

First post of October 2011, and by now you should all know where this is headed. And I'll admit up front, some of these scans here from my vintage greeting card collection are not actually Halloween cards, but they certainly all contain some type of spooky (or spooked) element that justifies inclusion. If I have time I hope to give you a few more... we have alot of ground to cover over the next 4 weeks: comics, costumes, art, and more!

"What Marks on the Neck?"

2011-09-26T22:26:00.000-05:00

Here are the last of the posts from the Nov. '73 issue of National Lampoon Vol. 1, No. 20 (plus, one more right HERE.) Anyway, hope you enjoyed this look into the hilariously entertaining, all "HORROR" issue... it's definitely worth seeking out and picking up for you back issue hounds!

Phantom of the Rock Opera

2011-09-23T10:53:00.003-05:00

Over-the-top monster musical hilarity from the Nov. '71 "HORROR" issue of National Lampoon Magazine Vol. 1, No. 20. I love the comic stuff that NL produced like this that collaged original photography and other cut / paste picture elements into one... and I dedicate it to all my classic shock rock 'n roller friends out there.

Dr. Jekyll's Surgical Supply Catalogue

2011-09-18T16:49:00.000-05:00

Glorious old time oddball hilarity from the excellent November 1971 issue of National Lampoon Magazine Vol. 1, #20 ...plus a handy / funny one-page S/F chart from Gahan Wilson, (aka the King of the Oddballs), who also illustrated this issue's great "HORROR" cover art.

The Disrespectful Summons by Edward Gorey

2011-09-15T19:36:00.001-05:00

Edward Gorey needs no introduction, and his inclusion here during AEET's "Skipping September Fest" requires no further explaination either. From the Nov. 1971 "HORROR" issue of National Lampoon Magazine Vol. 1 No. 20 (we'll be looking at more from this issue in our next few posts too!) And wow, we finally broke 100 "followers" as well, --thanks to everyone!

Silly Scarecrow Game

2011-09-10T09:53:00.002-05:00

I love old greeting cards that fold-out into board games, and this fun Halloween example from American Greetings Corp's "Forget Me Not" line ('73) has a wonderfully illustrated board that extends over 3 pages, they even included a metal spinner and 6 cute little punch-out characters (unfortunately, I've lost two of them.) So let's head off into the dark woods and see where the path takes us, avoiding goblins, black cats, alligators, strange "fresh" pumpkins (!!!), and a wicked old witch. And for heaven's sake-- don't crush the skeleton's bones!

Jack and Jill (Oct. '70)

2011-09-06T10:03:00.001-05:00

Our last post featured Halloween highlights from the Oct. 1960 issue of Jack and Jill, now we jump forward 10 years to the Oct. 1970 issue for a few more. This is a fun issue full of frighteningly festive ideas and awesome art (I especially love the article "My Father is a Sculptor" from which I included the photos and a brief edited text excerpt.)

Getting Ready for Halloween

2011-09-04T11:31:00.000-05:00

I got my knuckles smacked the other day for "Skipping September" this year, (I guess people with birthdays in Sept have a reason to poo this idea), but I still feel justified in my decision, as simply walking into any variety of store over the last few weeks shows that I'm not the only one getting ready for Halloween already! So, here are some fun ways to get ready yourself from the Oct. '60 issue of Jack and Jill (fyi: the last 2 images are from the Oct. '70 issue, which we'll be looking at more in our next post too!)

October Country

2011-09-01T00:21:00.001-05:00

I cracked a joke on facebook the other day about "skipping September" altogether and heading "straight into October Country instead." Alot of people "liked" this idea, which got me thinking about applying this concept to my blog (not THOIA of course, everyday is Halloween over there.) But simply put, why wait until October for a month of spooky posts, when I can get a jump on it and get the countdown started here now? And what better way to kick it off than with eerie art selections by Joe Mugnaini, taken right from the pages of Ray Bradbury's brilliant collection of short horror tales "The October Country."

"The Dwarf"

"Skeleton"

"The Scythe"

"The Wind"

"The Man Upstairs"

"The Cistern"

"Homecoming"

How to Talk Pure Ozark in One Easy Lesson

2011-08-28T10:51:00.003-05:00

Funny stuff from fellow hillbilly MO native Dale Freeman in 1961, with original illustrations by Bob Palmer (Ozark Postcard Publishers, Kimberling MO.) Dale was the former Managing Editor of Springfield Newspaper in Springfield, MO. and many of the words and phrases in this glossary of Ozarkese originally appeared in featured stories written over half a century ago. Injoy!

Palmer-Hughes Accordian Course

2011-08-23T12:14:00.000-05:00

Book Three in the Palmer-Hughes Accordian Course (1959) series of instructional booklets (Alfred Music Co. Inc, NY) aims to "maintain interest while promoting thorough understanding and good musicianship", as well as being "principally concerned with the exploration of new rhythms, introducing counterbasses, and developing technical skills." That's all great, but for those of us who don't read music, or play the accordian, let's instead marvel at the superbly illustrated keyart used to highlight the catchy little play-along standards covered here.

(I particulary like this monocled man with the artist's signature under his arm... anyone know anything about "Barth.")

Girls! Girls! Girls!

2011-08-21T11:58:00.001-05:00

Strip club ads from the back of an old dirty men's magazine (plus some funny one-panel adult cartoon gags), and aside from the very first Folies image below, all of these scans came from the March 1956 issue of Cabaret Magazine. Lots of fun 'good girl' art and design here, but I don't know about you, of everything listed below I'm actually most interested in seeing Anne Toinette and her "Daring... Dynamic... Death at the Guillotine!" (must be the Karswell inside me.)

Circus Souvenir Program Ads '61

2011-08-17T15:09:00.003-05:00

A sampling of colorful ads from a Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus souvenir program from their 91st season of entertainment in 1961. This program is so huge in overall size that the full-page singles, and double page spreads wouldn't even begin to fit on my scanner... I apologize for the somewhat less than stellar photos taken with my crummy camera instead. (And please, no jokes about the cute pink elephant on the cover giving the kid a BJ.)

Sinclair Dinoland: NY World's Fair ('64-65)

2011-08-14T10:08:00.004-05:00

Teaching my kid about dinosaurs recently reminded me of this 1960's Sinclair booklet I have which shows us, through the use of really great painted art and design, the connection that prehistoric monsters played with modern day crude oil refinery. Dinoland itself appeared to have been a highly detailed, outdoor, walk-thru exhibit constructed by Sinclair (aka "A Great Name in Oil") to help educate and promote their company at the New York World's Fair in 1964-65, with reenactments of full-scale dinosaurs in their natural habits. (FYI: google search "Sinclair Dinoland" to see many great photos taken at the fair itself.)

(sticker)

The Art of Dracula by Harry Borgman

2011-08-08T23:28:00.001-05:00

After the last two posts you'd think we'd be moving on to another subject, but no, today the vampire theme switches from seductive to sinister and goes for the throat with the grand-daddy bloodsucker of them all-- Count Dracula! In 1974, Galahad Books published a terrific collection of suspenseful horror tales containing classics by the likes of Poe, Irving, Wilde, Dickens, Bangs, Middleton, Nesbit and Stoker... so great and suspenseful is this book in fact that they called it "Great Tales of Horror and Suspense." Perfect. Also perfect: the two artists they chose to illustrate this 260+ page treasury of terror! Some of you may already be familiar with Norman Nodel, (we'll look at some of his art closer to Halloween), but today's focus is on the art of Dracula by Harry Borgman. It's richly detailed, moody stuff, loaded with atmosphere, sometimes frightening, sometimes just simply gorgeous, and with superb touches of graphic design styled lay-outs that really bring the masterful inking to screaming bloody life!

Prettiest Vampire in Town

2011-08-05T09:17:00.000-05:00

As promised, more from my 1950's magazine collection featuring rare photo articles of Maila "Vampira" Nurmi at her loveliest, and apparently-- at her most deadly!! ie: see the first sad story from Whisper Magazine that weaves a ridiculous bit of nonsense out of James Dean's tragic death with Vampira and black magic. (This is the article that Maila says got her blacklisted in Hollywood.) Plus, a few other fun articles from Brief, Picture Week, People Today, etc. "Unpleasant dreams, darlings..."

What a "VAMPIRE" Really Looks Like...

2011-08-01T10:57:00.004-05:00

...and in our case, this vampire is actually a Vampira, aka Maila Nurmi. Today's post showcases her years just prior to scream queening as a gorgeous, natural blonde swimsuit model for a variety of magazines like Glamorous Models, Uncensored, Paris Models, and the original digest version of People Today. There are a few image repeats below, but I wanted to keep the articles fully intact. Enjoy Maila's pre-Vamp days, I'll have more of her in our next post too!

Swift Bacon and Other Meaty Treats

2011-07-27T14:12:00.002-05:00

Everyone is bonkers for bacon lately, and I wholeheart(clogg)edly agree that it's definitely something to get bonkery about. Today's main post feature is a beautiful early 1960's booklet entitled "Recipes For Swift's Premium Bacon" and contains incredible ways to make bacon somehow even more tantalizing (mmmm, try the Bacon-Avocado Whip, or the Bacon Crax appetizers!) Yes, as some of you are starting to realize, AEET is just as much about good food as it is about good design, typography, and illustraion... so while we're at it, let's marvel at some other fine food product booklet design from Swift & Company, as well as additional temptasting delights you can create with Swift's sausage, ham, etc...

SAUSAGE!

HAM!

CHICKEN!

TV Digest (July 11 - 17th, 1964) STL

2011-07-24T23:23:00.001-05:00

I meant to post these St. Louis Globe-Democrat TV Digest scans a couple of weeks ago as a sort of "Over 40 years ago this week on TV" kind of thing. This guide in particular came out a few years before I was born, but it's still a blast to look through anyway for the fun art and ad design, great TZ Shatner photo, Chiller Theatre teaser, and overall general television (and St. Louis MO local) history lesson. I included the entire Friday televised line-up-- man, so much good stuff was on that night! Two submarine movies and The Bride & the Beast?!