Last month I posted a bunch of comic book ads for muscle building systems and products directed at young male readers, and since turnabout is fair play here's something for the ladies - it's a 1976 ad for the Mark Eden Bust Developer...
As you might have guessed this product didn't quite live up to the claims, and after 11 counts of mail fraud it was finally taken off the market in 1981. If you'd like to see what you got if you sent in your $10.45 back in the 70's check out Julie's Tacky Treasures for some photos and more info.
Here's a magazine ad from 1973, this time it's an ad for Big Wally...
...and in keeping with my sexy Valentine's theme this month, the name "Big Wally" reminds me of Big Jim Slade from Kentucky Fried Movie (1977). And the capitol of Nebraska is Lincoln!
Hey, I found another "Big Jim" from the 70's, it's the Big Jim action figure by Mattel. Here's a Big Jim commercial with a "joke" added by the uploader...
Hmm, Big Jim & Big Josh reminds me of the work of Tom of Finland. Tom's work is certainly 'BIG' in a matter of speaking, but before you click the link I must warn you - if you don't know who Tom of Finland is you may not like where the interweb rabbit holes take you. I try to keep things pretty clean around here, and I've only linked to the "TOF" Wiki, but you'll very quickly find yourself in XXX territory if you search for more "Tom."
Let's take this post full circle, and finish with something more in the spirit of this blog. So as sort of a palate cleanser here's the commercial for Big Wally who will clean more than just walls, and that's more cleaning than any of those other 'Mr. Bigs' I wrote about will do for you...
Here's a rather suggestive magazine ad from 1976...
This hip and happening 70's guy doesn't want your judgement, but just so you know he's packing Winston Super King - it's got "extra length." wink, wink...
By chance I also found his hip and happening female advertisement counterpart online. She likes the taste of a Winston Long...
Here's a very 'sexy' magazine ad from 1973 for stinky cheese...
This Liederkranz cheese ad uses words like "sensuous" and "lusty" to describe its smell, but over on Dave's Cupboard his Liederkranz review and reader comments use words like "flatulent," "outhouse" and "rotten socks on a humid August day."
If you didn't already know by now, Liederkranz is the American version of Limburger cheese. Also interestedly, Liederkranz returned to the market in 2010 after a 25 year absence.
Well although the ad's copywriter tries hard, it's difficult to make any sort of cheese sexy. The makers of the erotic eighties film Nine 1/2 Weeks(1986) knew this, and excluded la fromage from the famous food scene...
... hmm, maybe it's just me, but this seems like a big mess that would need to be cleaned up after your done.
It's February, and that means Valentine's Day is coming up soon. In celebration of Valentine's Day I thought I'd get all sentimental and 'romantical' with the posts this month. Maybe even a little bit sexy, but not too sexy, so cool your jets there rocket boy.
That naked redhead has a little bit of a Red Hot Riding Hood thing going on.
This card is from the now defunct and essentially forgotten Laurel Cards Inc. of Cleveland. I don't know the date of the card, but I'd guess it's somewhere between 1955-1965. Here's the back of the card in case these numbers should mean anything to anyone out there.
If you found this post because you were searching for a rock band named Death Riders (there's at least two bands I found online using variations of the name), you're probably in for disappointment because this post is about the original Death Riders.
The Death Riders were a "motorcycle thrill show" who performed death-defying stunts at fairs around the country in the 1970's and early 1980's.
Here's the Death Riders poster I got when I saw them perform at a fair in my town. I think this is basically the only place you can see this poster on the entire Internets (at least in this quality).
If you looked closely you may have noticed that the poster was even signed by two Death Riders - George Sisson and Larry Mann.
When I was looking for more info on the Death Riders I was surprised to discover they were the subject of documentary appropriately titled Death Riders (1976)
As you can see in the frame-grab below both George and Larry conveniently got credited next to each other. Larry even narrates most of the film too.
Larry kinda reminds me of a 70's version of Max Hodges from TMZ. Well, maybe they basically only have their hairstyle in common. Although I doubt Max ever spends his Saturday nights alone, and within the first few minutes of Death Riders Larry says, "If the show goes smooth and looks good - you don't have to hunt for girls, they hunt for you." So I guess they both have "ladies man" thing in common too.
A highlight of sorts is gig at a nudist colony. Larry, known for his "people jumps," jumps over line of nudists. It's not a pretty sight.
Since I was in single digits when I saw the Death Riders perform there are only two stunts that I can remember. One was the tunnel of fire...
Yeah it's hot. I can remember feeling the heat from the flames, and we were sitting in an air conditioned glass enclosed grandstand. If I'm remembering correctly the Death Rider wiped out near the end of the tunnel. He wasn't severely hurt, but his leathers got kinda toasted.
The second was the human bomb. Since we were sitting by large glass windows they had us move back about 20 feet in case the shock wave from the blast shattered the glass. The stunt went down exactly as it does the documentary film.
Now you see the man in the box...
...and now you don't.
Oh hey look, they're selling the poster at the end of the show...
Heck, here's another shot of the poster. This it's time hung in a store window.
Spoiler Alert: The final highlight of the documentary is Larry breaking the World Record for his "people jump."
To read a more detailed review of Death Riders please click here, or thanks to YouTube, you can watch the entire documentary below...
If you'd like to know more about the Death Riders "motorcycle thrill show," the closest thing to an official Death Riders site is thedeathriders.org, but the place to find the most pictures and information is at The Thrill Champions.
This is Punchy and the Black Crow (No.11) published by Charlton Comics in December 1985.
This is also Punchy'ssecond to the last issue because Charlton Comics went out of business in 1985. As you might have guessed by the cover, Punchy and the Black Crow is one of those "funny animal" comics full of quaint innocent humor for young comic readers. Actually, this comic is filled with reprints from 1953-1954 to be exact so its humor is authenticallyquaint and innocent.
I don't know what other titles Charlton Comics were publishing in 1985, but I'd guess when they sold ad space that ad was printed across their entire line of comics. This is only explanation I have for the bizarre selection of ads in this children's comic. It also looks like times were exceptionally tough for Charlton because the credibility
of some of the advertisers is rather "questionable."
Above is the first ad on the inside cover, and it's from the Dan Lurie Barbell, Co. I think it's interesting to note that when you mailed in your coupon to the Dan Lurie Barbell, Co. you're getting a "Instant-Action" POSITRAIN Course (and some other stuff too) - not barbells. I'm happy to report that it looks like Dan is still around and has a web site right here.
Next is an ad for Marcy brand exercise equipment. The "EM-1" shown above has a 200 lbs. weight stack which is about 4x the body weight of the intended reader for this comic.
The ad on top is more bodybuilding stuff, this time get big with Mike Marvel and his "SCIENTIFIC ISOMETRICS" program named Dynaflex. On the bottom our first non-exercise related ad with U.S. Government Surplus Directory. Hey kids, get your very own real army Jeep for less then $30!
Here's five ads on a single page: Pen-Sized Spyscope, Authentic Badges, Live Bait Belt, Handcuffs, and Double-Lucky Hand-Carved Jade Elephant - all this can be yours from DeerCreek Products of Pompano Beach FL. I think DeerCreek Products might have gone out of business in 2004 because that is the latest dates of the complaint reports listed on the Ripoff Report.
"Gain up to 5, 10, 15 Pounds" proclaims this full page ad from Gain Products. There is no mention of exercise in this entire ad so unfortunately none of the weight you gain will be muscle. I don't think 15 pounds of fat around your gut isn't going to impress any ladies at the beach no matter what that B&W photo may imply.
Oh good, on the very next page is the Speed Shaper which promises to, "Turn Belly Fat into a Rock-Hard Lean Stomach." This is convenient now that I need to loose 15 pounds caused by the previous ad. Send your money to Improvement Products Corp which just happens to have the same address as Gain Products. So I guess there's intentional product synergy going on here and not accidental.
Wow I wish I could make others secretly do my bidding. Although I'm much too lazy to even read all that text in the above ad. If only there was an easier way to learn the secrets of "Automatic Mind Command." Google doesn't turn anything up for "Research Industries, LTD" so mind control was probably only a passing fad.
Here's the first "toy" ad, or is a game? It's the Helen of Toy Co. (love that name) and their Task Force and Tank
Trap war games (or toy). Franky, I find the ad layout confusing, but it must have worked since these same ads ran for years. Want to know what you got if you sent in your money? Check out this page for a few photos of the Tank Trap game. Spoiler alert: it's not very impressive.
At the back are a bunch of small ads, and some PSA's. One ad is for the famous Charles Atlas and his "Dynamic Tension" program. I wonder if you publish a comic book if it's mandatory that you include a Charles Atlas ad. Charles must be doing something right because he's still in business.
Here's the inside back cover, and it's the Dan Lurie Barbell, Co. again. There's lots of exercise stuff, but still no actual barbells (although he does sell them - or did at least). That "Power Krusher" looks impressive, and looks like it could double as a swell TV antennae too.
Finally we've reached the back cover, and it's an ad for one of the all-time great comic book advertisers - Johnson Smith Company. There novelty items here that would certainly appeal to children, but then again there's a number of pocket knives which aren't very little kid friendly either.
So that's all the ads. No ads for 1980's kid stuff like He-Man action figures, Nerf products, Reese's pieces or Hostess snacks as one might expect. Just to see who was advertizing in comic books back then, I looked though some Marvel and DC comics from 1985. I found many brand name advertisers in those big name comics, but they certainly avoided the Charlton Comics Company.
Just for fun here's an ad for Bonkers candy that brought back memories (I think Mort Drucker might have done the illustration)...
