Archive for July, 2013

Arcade Zen (1982)

Mercer Island Video Arcade, February 10, 1982. (Natalie Fobes/Seattle Times)

Caption:

Youths flock to the Mercer Island Video Arcade after school. Some parents are unhappy about the arcade’s location and the time and money their children spend there.

Here’s what happened the very next month, from the March 25, 1982 edition of The Spokesman-Review.

Mercer Island 3-25-82

Step one: Blame new entertainment technologies for the failure of parents to raise their children responsibly.

Step two: Tax those new technologies, thereby exempting the failure of city officials to manage tax revenue responsibly.

It turned out that affluent Mercer Island had bigger problems.

(Photo via Seattle Washington Archive)

Atari Game Club Brochure, 1980

Atari Brochure 1980

Atari Brochure 1980-2

Wait a minute. Membership is $100, unless you buy a cart ($21.95 to $39.95), in which case your membership is free. So why would anyone pay the $100? Is it supposed to be some kind of reverse psychology? “Wow, look at all the cool free stuff I get if I can convince my dad to give me a check for Breakout!”

BASIC Programming is one of the selections in the purple tier.

I remember that Space Invaders shirt.

UPDATE (1/19/14): Keith Golon wrote to tell me that it’s not $100 for a membership, but $1.00 Now that makes sense. If you look closely, you can see the decimal. Thanks a million, Keith.

(Images via rbgamehunter)

Inside the Record Store, 1981 – 1987

RS Sam Goody 1987

Sam Goody, Visalia Fair Mall, California, 1987

You can see promo posters for Michael Jackson’s Bad on the top right. Yes, those are cassettes lining the walls. They were put into long plastic containers to deter theft, and the containers stacked in wall units. There was a key at the register that allowed sales staff to pop the tape out.

RS Polliwog 1981

Polliwog Records and Tapes, 1981. (Photo: Charles Curtis/Duluth Herald)

That’s not how you spell Reggae.

RS Tower 1980s

Tower Records, Tacoma, Washington, circa 1986

RS Tower 1984

Tower Records, New York, 1984. (Photo: Edward Hausner/NYT)

The New York Tower is state of the art for the time period. Compare it to the Washington store. There are some TVs mounted next to the Purple Rain poster.

RS Hegewischs 1985

Hegewisch Records, Chicago, 1985. (Photo: Kim Tonry)

It looks like the metalheads are in line for concert tickets. First Megadeath tour? Slayer?

I have another good record store shot here.

(Images via Historic Happenings, News Tribune Attic, Murdockinations, The New York Times, Metal Psalter)

Toy Aisle Zen (1981): The Dukes of Hazzard

Toy Aisle 1981

November 13, 1981. (Photo: Joe Maher/Ledger-Enquirer)

Oh, Daisy. What we have here are HG’s Dukes of Hazzard Adventure Set, Coleco’s Dukes Power Cycle, Illco’s General Lee Dashboard “with lighted fuzz detector” (Illco also made a Dukes pinball game), Ertl’s General Lee die-cast car (I had the small one), and, on top of the cycle, Mego’s 8″ Bo Duke action figure.

Here’s a closer look at the adventure set.

Dukes Adventure Set

And here it is in the wild. “Breaker One, Breaker One, I might be crazy, but I ain’t dumb!”

Dukes 80s

Let’s throw in Bo and Luke as well.

Bo Duke Action Figure

See more toy aisles here. Plaid Stallions has a monster collection here.

(Images via eBay, The Dukes of Hazzard Museum, and Metallichicks)

Multiple Toymakers: 2005 and Beyond Space Playset (1976)

2005 and Beyond 1976

2005 and Beyond 1976-2

I have been to 2005 and beyond, and I’m sorry to say that we still don’t have a Command Base on the Moon.

We’ve got an International Space Station, though. And Mars rovers. That’s not so bad.

Tron `Yori’ Shirt (Pilgrim for Girls, 1982)

Tron Yori 1982

Tron Yori 1982-2

Just a Tron Yori shirt I thought was pretty awesome.

(Via Circa Classic Vintage)

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Storybooks: The Forest of Enchantment and The Treasure of Time (1983)

AD&D Forest of Enchantment

AD&D Treasure of Time

In 1983 Marvel published a series of D&D storybooks and coloring books under license from TSR. (One year later, the roles would be reversed for the Marvel Super Heroes RPG, published by TSR under license from Marvel.) I believe these are the only two storybooks. You can read The Forest of Enchantment here. The Treasure of Time is here. Both PDFs are originally from Kuronons’ D&D Goodies Collection.

They’re kid’s books, so it’s pretty juvenile stuff, and there’s no effort to introduce the concept of role-playing (unlike the 1979 AD&D Coloring Album). All but two of the characters from LJN’s first run of AD&D action figures make appearances, so the books are basically long toy commercials.

Nevertheless, they’re notable for a few reasons: Bob Stine is Goosebumps author R.L. Stine, and Jane Stine, who founded Parachute Publishing, is his wife.

As for the art, Earl Norem did the interior work for The Forest of Enchantment, and Marie Severin did the cover and designed the book. She also illustrated The Treasure of Time. Severin was a colorist at EC until the notorious publisher was run out of town by the Comics Code. She worked for Marvel—as colorist, inker, and penciler—from 1959 until the early ’90s. She is one of the most well-respected artists in the comics field.

Famously, Severin was directed to soften the facial expression of the Hulk on one of the most innovative covers in Marvel’s history: The Hulk King Size Special #1 (1968). See both versions here. The artist who made the Green Guy too savage for public consumption? Jim Steranko.

Kid Visiting Marvel Comics Headquarters, 1983

Stan Lee 1983

Gulp.

(Photo via JHU Comic Books)

The Art of Earl Norem: The Rampaging Hulk #9 (1978) and Marvel Preview #22 (1980)

Norem Rampaging Hulk #9

Norem Rampaging Hulk #9-2

Norem Marvel Preview #22

Norem Marvel Preview #22-2

A decorated World War II veteran, Earl Norem got his start in men’s action-adventure magazines and worked steadily in that genre throughout the ’50s and ’60s. He broke into comics in the mid-’70s, doing a large number of memorable covers for Marvel’s Curtis Magazines, including Savage Sword of Conan and The Rampaging Hulk.

Norem was a major contributor to the Marvel Books imprint from 1982 to 1986 (The Amazing Spider-Man, The Transformers, G.I. Joe), elevated the Masters of the Universe image in a slew of books and magazines, and painted the covers for a Choose Your Own Adventure-style book series called Wizards, Warriors & You (1984 – 1986). I think he also did some package art for G.I. Joe. I’m trying to track down the details.

I’ll be posting Norem’s art on an ongoing basis. He deserves the attention.

The Renegades (1983) Was a Real Show on TV and I Can Prove It

Renegades Ad 2-26-1983

Renegades Ad 1983

Starring Patrick Swayze as Bandit!

Randy Brooks as Eagle!

Paul Mones as J.T.!

Tracy Scoggins as… uh… Tracy!

Robert Thaler as Dancer!

Brian Tochi as Dragon!

Fausto Bara as Gaucho!

And the dad from That ’70s Show (Kurtwood Smith) as Captain Scanlon!

The Renegades originally aired as a TV movie in August of  ’82. It was spun off as a series in March of 1983 and lasted for six episodes only. It’s a Mod Squad (1968 – 1973) reboot, but without the social conscience or hip vibe that made the first show so awesome. The premise was tweaked again, with better results, for 21 Jump Street (1987 – 1991).

Here’s the Renegades intro. Pay special attention to Scoggins’ dramatic head turn,  ‘Dancer’ running his hand through his feathered hair, and the uncomfortably long time the renegades stand staring at the cops. The music rules.


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