Kids of my generation knew about cheap entertainment.
Movies and Putt-Putt Golf were still a dollar or less.
But more readily available were the comic books from
the neighborhood drug stores.
I've recently been enjoying some vintage comics from my
own childhood collection. A large number were actually passed
on to me by my brother, Buddy. And some of these were traded
to me by my friend Lanny. Call me a hoarder; call me obsessive;
but I honestly still receive joy from flipping through these
familiar "old friends." I have ZERO regrets about saving them.
Here's a small sampling.
This Little Lulu is from 1954, and I believe it's the oldest comic
in my collection. The cover price was a kid-friendly 10 cents. And
can you believe that a year's subscription, INCLUDING postage,
would have only been one dollar?! Amazing!
This Mighty Mouse is from 1960, when the
TV cartoon show was popular on Saturday mornings.
The theme song began with "Here he comes to save the day!"
In 1959, Woody Woodpecker was as popular
as any Disney character. Cartoonist Walter Lantz
had a noteworthy stable of stars of his own,
including Chilly Willy, Wally Walrus, and Andy Panda.
This was a bargain at 25 cents.
Of course, Disney comics were widespread.
Note, there was no Disney World in 1958.
But Disneyland was home to all the Disney
characters that are still known two generations later.
These Donald Duck, Uncle Scrooge, and Mickey Mouse
comics contained stories about all the Disney family of "toons."
The stories sometimes incorporated classic stories and legends,
such as Greek myths, or Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. Yes,
even comics can contribute to "cultural literacy." No matter what
our teachers said!
Disney was not just about cartoons, either. They had
numerous successful live-actions shows and movies
during the fifties and sixties. This Hardy Boys is another
really old one, from 1956. And the story is quite complex
and engaging.
Aside from the great stories and art, I have a historical
interest in the advertising of those times. The only thing
I ever ordered by mail was a one dollar book on judo. It
never came! But I always wanted this set of World War II
soldiers. I'm sure it would have been disappointing. They
would certainly have been microscopic at less than a penny each!
One thing hasn't changed in all these years. Advertisers
knew about kids and their "sweet tooth."
My stomach just growled...
Companies were already learning to be good
corporate citizens to win the good graces of Mom and Dad.
Don't get hurt, play safe, and chew gum till your teeth fall out.
Sounds right!
I'm not sure when Wheaties started using their
celebrity sports stars in advertising, but this one
from 1954 is when the Los Angeles Dodgers were
still the Brooklyn Dodgers. If Roy Campanella ate
Wheaties, so should every boy and girl in America.
And their parents, too!
I hope you've enjoyed this little sampling from my
comic archive. I'm going to be sharing some more
from time to time. After all, this is called Ken Loyd's
Eclectic Blog. That means "anything goes."
I'll still keep you up to speed on our grandkids and
our gypsy trips. But a little variety spices things up.
By the way, these comics are not for sale.
And I'm SO sorry your mother threw yours away!
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