I found this funny little wooden box last week, made in Japan by Rex Cards in 1968, and designed to look like a Powell St. cable car in San Francisco, CA. Cute illustrations of smiling people, packed in like sardines, and clearly on their way to the Takahashi Gift Boutique in Ghiradelli Square to get themselves a box too! There's just some ratty old black felt badly glued to all sides inside, if anyone was curious...
Sunday, March 7, 2021
Friday, March 5, 2021
I Remember Mummy
I finally figured out a way to make the scans a little larger on the main page here so they're easier to read (cuz as everyone knows by now, clicking on images only makes things worse for whatever reason.) Anyway, I thought maybe it was also time for some precode horror, though silly as todays post is, I believe I might start a "Friday Frights" theme or something, so those of you who miss your dose of THOIA horror aren't thinking that I completely forgot about ya's! So now here we go with a creepy and a kooky, Addam's Family-esque type romp from 50's Atlas, --and judging from her televised popularity of the same year, I wouldn't be totally surprised if this is also poking a bit of fun at Vampira. From the June 1954 issue of Riot #2.
Wednesday, March 3, 2021
Genuine Horse Shit Cigarettes
Pretty sure all cigarettes are made with shitty stuff just as equally disgusting as equine road apples, but this is still a funny pack of novelty gag coffin sticks I saw at an antique mall a while back. I have no idea how old they are, and I didn't buy 'em either because even joke cigs make me wanna gag, --still, there's funny text on all sides, not to mention a hilarious typo or two. Now isn't that sweed?
Monday, March 1, 2021
Puss in Boots
Saturday, February 27, 2021
Tall Stories by Watt A. Lyre
Tuesday, February 23, 2021
Sorry You're Sick!
As mentioned in many of my greeting card posts in the past, the "get well" category of my collection leads all the other holidays and situational themed cards combined (in number), and by miles too. And as it was reported this week in the news, the US death toll from Covid-19 has unfortunately and officially surpassed the 500,000 mark. It seems unreal, and while I don't take this matter lightly, I do think that sometimes laughter can be a decent dose of medicine, so I guess that means maybe it's time to reach into the collection box and pull out something else to mark the occasion. This midcentury Forget-Me-Not from Laurel Cards seems a good fit, with its stubble-faced palooka character strong-armin' his weight all over the place and trying to be sympathetic to our sickly situation. Yep, as we all anxiously await our turns with this painfully slow vaccine roll-out, doing our best to avoid crowds, trying not to worry, taking it cautiously easy, and patiently waiting... well... ummmm, howz'about we speed things up a bit and kick this thing, already? What a year!
GET US WELL-- QUICK!!!
Sunday, February 21, 2021
The Hang Hiss Horror of it All
I was cleaning out the photo folder on my phone and found some images I've snapped and forgotten about over the last few years. These things were too pricey for my antiquer wallet, but still deemed worthy of a photograph. SEE! The morbidly macabre, mid century, Hang Man Game from Zany Toys, quote: "fun for all", and clearly beating out Parker Brothers with the "zany" strangulation concept by a few decades. SEE! The cute ceramic snake shaped ashtray with a funny slogan, jewel eyes, and a handy basket compartment to store your wooden matches (or pot.) I really regret not buying this now! ARGHH! And finally SEE! A 70's spook show poster with The Optimist Club (of St. Louis) inviting you to "A Night of Horror!" packed with monsters and a live, onstage human cremation-- and at the same Meramec Community College campus where I learned Japanese (badly), and filmmaking to boot!