Should old acquaintance be forgot...

"Audrey II" A Flytrap Bank

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!

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

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

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

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

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!