Here's this week's "How to Draw" lesson for you... I learned how to draw Popeye without needing this instruction myself!
Jon
Jon's Random Acts of Geekery is your five days a week destination for old-school geekery!
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Sunday Funnies: Draw Popeye!
Here's this week's "How to Draw" lesson for you... I learned how to draw Popeye without needing this instruction myself!
Jon
Found on eBay!
Here's one of the coolest Marx Toys ever... the Daredevil figure from their Marvel Super-Heroes statues line! These were reissued several times over the years, from the 1960s through to the early 1980s, and they're all found rather often on eBay!
This Flash Gordon raygun tin toy is pretty cool, too! Obviously, these go for much more than the plastic statues!
Here's another Flash Gordon raygun produced by Marx. Honestly, I have no idea which of these came first for certain, but I'd imagine the first one was the earliest model!
Here's another one of those Marx Marvel statues, this one of the Hulk. I used to have one of these when I was a kid, and I think it had my favorite sculpt of the entire series! One of these days, I really need to latch onto a new set of these things!
This Marx statue of old Shellhead shows you that, unfortunately, not all the color choices available are appropriate for the figure! I'd think that yellow or red would be the preferred choice for Iron Man... but green?
Not all the Marx raygun toys were based on Flash Gordon, or even Buck Rogers! This model above was the Marx Planet Patrol raygun, and it's pretty cool.... like something out of a 1950s sci-fi movie!
The gentleman you see above goes by the name of Mike Hazard, and he was Marx's secret agent/private detective action figure. Side from the trenchcoat, it was all either plastic or rubber, like most of the Marx poseable action figures. I'd imagine without any other figures to interact with, the figure couldn't have sold very well.
Naturally, most of the action figures that had only one figure in the entire line are ones that are most prized by collectors today, because there were so few of them ever sold!
OK, Major Matt Mason and the GI Joe space capsule aside, don't you think that Marx Toys had the best space toys on the market? This one is very cool, and I'd love to have it (ok, I know... if I had every toy that I've said I'd love to have, I'd need a 4000 sq. ft. house to store them all in).
Here's some other cool Marx space/futuristic toys:
The Space Cadet rocket...
Star Station Seven...
...and the space car... or, at least, the body!
Here's the Spider-Man Marx Marvel statue... but you probably knew that already!
Sgt. Stony, seen above (and below) is another of the Marx figures that didn't seem to do too well... although I'd imagine Marx hoped it would be played with GI Joe figures!
I'm guessing that he's pretty hard to come by with all the accessories that originally came with him...
...even if both the photos above came from different auctions offered the same day (although they were, to be honest, from the same seller).
There appear to have been some variations offered, too:
Next time around, the Found on eBay spotlight will start (at least) with Mattel!
Jon
Flashback: Marvel June '77 Ads #2
Originally posted June 6, 2005:
...and last, as it were! Most of us remember (I'd imagine) all the various Johnson-Smith Company ads for cool gimmicks like these, but they were far from the only company to advertise them in the comics!
This is a prime example of one of the other novelty companies, but unlike Johnson-Smith, I don't think they're still in business!
Jon
Notes:
I decided to make this the latest flashback post because just today, I got a comment on the original posting, from reader Eddie:
The fun factory is still in business...here is their website... www.houseoftheunusual.com
Thanks for the tip, Eddie!
Jon
...and last, as it were! Most of us remember (I'd imagine) all the various Johnson-Smith Company ads for cool gimmicks like these, but they were far from the only company to advertise them in the comics!
This is a prime example of one of the other novelty companies, but unlike Johnson-Smith, I don't think they're still in business!
Jon
Notes:
I decided to make this the latest flashback post because just today, I got a comment on the original posting, from reader Eddie:
The fun factory is still in business...here is their website... www.houseoftheunusual.com
Thanks for the tip, Eddie!
Jon
Friday, January 11, 2008
Heroes World Catalog #1, Pages 1-3!
Yes, it's time to debut a new recurring feature here on the Random Acts! Since I have all the pages of the Heroes World Catalog #1 scanned, I'll be sharing these scans with you.
This was the Spring, 1979 edition, and it was prepared by Ivan Snyder, publisher, and Joe Kubert, editor. The writers, artists, letterers, and so forth were of the Joe Kubert School, and for this installment, they were: Rick Veitch, Pete Matthews, Steve Bisette, Larry Loc, Mike Chen, Gerilyn Wilhelm, Dave Schwartz, Tod Smith, Bob A. Baliey, Vic Mazera, Bob B. Baily, Bob Hardin, John Bisson, Bob Sajewski, Laura De Peppi, Tim Truman, Rich Greenwood, and Reg Wells. No doubt at least a few of those names will sound familiar to you guys!
So, here's the cover, inside front cover, and the title page:
I'm not sure who the guy in the shorts and tank top with a cape on the cover is... but he appears throughout the catalog!
It's nice to see that on the inside front cover's advertisement for the Neal Adams portfolio, actual Neal Adams artwork was used!
When I do future entries in this series, I'm hoping that along with pages from the catalog (which I'll probably do two at a time, or perhaps four at a time), I'll also be able to provide photos of the actual items, just as I did with the comics ads posts!
Jon
This was the Spring, 1979 edition, and it was prepared by Ivan Snyder, publisher, and Joe Kubert, editor. The writers, artists, letterers, and so forth were of the Joe Kubert School, and for this installment, they were: Rick Veitch, Pete Matthews, Steve Bisette, Larry Loc, Mike Chen, Gerilyn Wilhelm, Dave Schwartz, Tod Smith, Bob A. Baliey, Vic Mazera, Bob B. Baily, Bob Hardin, John Bisson, Bob Sajewski, Laura De Peppi, Tim Truman, Rich Greenwood, and Reg Wells. No doubt at least a few of those names will sound familiar to you guys!
So, here's the cover, inside front cover, and the title page:
I'm not sure who the guy in the shorts and tank top with a cape on the cover is... but he appears throughout the catalog!
It's nice to see that on the inside front cover's advertisement for the Neal Adams portfolio, actual Neal Adams artwork was used!
When I do future entries in this series, I'm hoping that along with pages from the catalog (which I'll probably do two at a time, or perhaps four at a time), I'll also be able to provide photos of the actual items, just as I did with the comics ads posts!
Jon
Flashback: Ad from DC May, 1974 books!
Originally Posted on June 3, 2005
I used to do a website called "Comic Book Covers and Ads of the 1970s," one version of which is still around in cyberspace somewhere... in which I celebrated the comics of my youth. I had big plans for the website, but kind of abandoned it after a while (I think my freelance transcribing for TwoMorrows ended up taking the time I needed for keeping that site up, as well as the auctions I was doing on Yahoo, and later, eBay).
But I still have a fondness for those funky ads you'd see in those books... so from time to time, I'll be posting some of them... like this house ad that appeared in DC Comics May 1974 cover-dated books! Enjoy -- I'll have some more of these during the weekend for ya!
Jon
Notes:
This was the first-ever comics ad gallery post of this blog, obviously... at this time, I was still using the "Blog This" option on Flickr whenever I wanted to add a picture to a blog entry. Later, of course, I'd figure out to just copy and paste in the HTML so I could do multiple pictures and place them where I wish!
Jon
I used to do a website called "Comic Book Covers and Ads of the 1970s," one version of which is still around in cyberspace somewhere... in which I celebrated the comics of my youth. I had big plans for the website, but kind of abandoned it after a while (I think my freelance transcribing for TwoMorrows ended up taking the time I needed for keeping that site up, as well as the auctions I was doing on Yahoo, and later, eBay).
But I still have a fondness for those funky ads you'd see in those books... so from time to time, I'll be posting some of them... like this house ad that appeared in DC Comics May 1974 cover-dated books! Enjoy -- I'll have some more of these during the weekend for ya!
Jon
Notes:
This was the first-ever comics ad gallery post of this blog, obviously... at this time, I was still using the "Blog This" option on Flickr whenever I wanted to add a picture to a blog entry. Later, of course, I'd figure out to just copy and paste in the HTML so I could do multiple pictures and place them where I wish!
Jon
Give-A-Show Friday: Double Feature!
This week: It's romance with Annie Oakley, and homicide with Hansel and Gretel!
Next week... it's Pinocchio and Cinderella in condensed form, as I wrap up the 1960 Give-A-Show features!
Jon
Next week... it's Pinocchio and Cinderella in condensed form, as I wrap up the 1960 Give-A-Show features!
Jon
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Found on eBay!
Do I really need to keep doing the disclaimer? Well, just to be safe. All photos in the "Found on eBay" (as well as "Monster Mondays") posts were culled from eBay listings, some much older than others (I think I'm on stuff that was originally listed in October or November). Some may being offered right now, but my posting these pictures should not be construed by any means as being some kind of endorsement for any particular seller on eBay... nope, it's just an excuse for me to show some pictures of cool stuff that I can't afford and blather on a bit about them!
Thanks to mislabeling this file, this Jason and the Argonauts lobby card is way out of order! But it's all cool... I've been collecting other lobby cards, stills and posters from this movie (my favorite of Ray Harryhausen's fantasy flicks), and sometime after I've more recently watched the movie, I'll post all the pix I have and talk about it!
It's amazing to me how many toy companies produced "target games" that are completely missing the point of the characters licensed for the games. I've already shown you some Batman toys that were guns... check out this Lone Ranger target game! Now, if you're not up on your Lone Ranger lore, you may not know why he always uses silver bullets. Well, it's to continually remind him of how precious life is. This is why the Ranger always shot to disarm, or perhaps just wound, and not to kill. Yet, one of those targets is definitely intended to represent a kill!
Ideal really produced a lot of puppets in the 1960s! I've got pictures of Superman and Batman puppets, and above is Tonto (click the pic for a bigger view). I don't recall if I have a Lone Ranger puppet picture, though!
All Ideal's puppets had the molded-rubber head with a cloth-like body which had a screen-printed body on it.
See the lobby card above? It's for the Marx Bros. movie "Love Happy," which I've never seen (there's all kinds of stories about the production of it, by the way). You may recognize the blonde babe in the picture with Groucho... yes, that's Marilyn Monroe, and I believe she made her motion picture debut in this movie! If I recall correctly, the story goes that they were considering several different actresses for the part MM played, and Groucho took a look at them and picked out Marilyn, saying they'd be crazy not to cast her!
Transogram produced an amazing variety of games in the 1960s and early 1970s (as well as before)... but the ones that get my interest are the ones based on comics and TV shows... the Mandrake one above is just wonderful. You don't see too much Mandrake merchandising out there, do you? Well, aside from some Defenders of the Earth stuff, anyway.
Most people who are aware of the Marx Toys action figures think of the Best of the West (with Johnny West), or perhaps their Knights line... did you know they did an Astronaut, seen above? Since finding this picture, that has definitely become the Marx action figure I'd most like to own!
Marx toys was also known for their robot and space toys! Here's some examples:
This would be Big Loo...
A very, very cool Buck Rogers rocketship...
And this? Well... I think this is the set I used to have as a kid...
...or at the very least, some of the accessories used in this were reused for the set I had! Come to think of it, I think the set I had was called the Cape Kennedy set, and came in its own carrying case that, when opened, would have the shorter sides becoming the fence around the space base!
And to wrap up this installment... here's a Marx Toys Dalek toy, from the Doctor Who series!
Next time around... it'll be Marx Toys of special interest to comics geeks like myself!
Jon
Thanks to mislabeling this file, this Jason and the Argonauts lobby card is way out of order! But it's all cool... I've been collecting other lobby cards, stills and posters from this movie (my favorite of Ray Harryhausen's fantasy flicks), and sometime after I've more recently watched the movie, I'll post all the pix I have and talk about it!
It's amazing to me how many toy companies produced "target games" that are completely missing the point of the characters licensed for the games. I've already shown you some Batman toys that were guns... check out this Lone Ranger target game! Now, if you're not up on your Lone Ranger lore, you may not know why he always uses silver bullets. Well, it's to continually remind him of how precious life is. This is why the Ranger always shot to disarm, or perhaps just wound, and not to kill. Yet, one of those targets is definitely intended to represent a kill!
Ideal really produced a lot of puppets in the 1960s! I've got pictures of Superman and Batman puppets, and above is Tonto (click the pic for a bigger view). I don't recall if I have a Lone Ranger puppet picture, though!
All Ideal's puppets had the molded-rubber head with a cloth-like body which had a screen-printed body on it.
See the lobby card above? It's for the Marx Bros. movie "Love Happy," which I've never seen (there's all kinds of stories about the production of it, by the way). You may recognize the blonde babe in the picture with Groucho... yes, that's Marilyn Monroe, and I believe she made her motion picture debut in this movie! If I recall correctly, the story goes that they were considering several different actresses for the part MM played, and Groucho took a look at them and picked out Marilyn, saying they'd be crazy not to cast her!
Transogram produced an amazing variety of games in the 1960s and early 1970s (as well as before)... but the ones that get my interest are the ones based on comics and TV shows... the Mandrake one above is just wonderful. You don't see too much Mandrake merchandising out there, do you? Well, aside from some Defenders of the Earth stuff, anyway.
Most people who are aware of the Marx Toys action figures think of the Best of the West (with Johnny West), or perhaps their Knights line... did you know they did an Astronaut, seen above? Since finding this picture, that has definitely become the Marx action figure I'd most like to own!
Marx toys was also known for their robot and space toys! Here's some examples:
This would be Big Loo...
A very, very cool Buck Rogers rocketship...
And this? Well... I think this is the set I used to have as a kid...
...or at the very least, some of the accessories used in this were reused for the set I had! Come to think of it, I think the set I had was called the Cape Kennedy set, and came in its own carrying case that, when opened, would have the shorter sides becoming the fence around the space base!
And to wrap up this installment... here's a Marx Toys Dalek toy, from the Doctor Who series!
Next time around... it'll be Marx Toys of special interest to comics geeks like myself!
Jon
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