The residents of New York or Gary, Washington or San Francisco must face the crushing reality that an atom bomb destined for his [sic] neighborhood might even now be winging its way across the curve of the world.
Thank you for the pep talk, article from a 1951 issue of Popular Mechanics. I feel much better now. The photo of the man collapsing from fatal radiation burns also inspires me with a sense of security.
The diagram on page two is tremendous, isn’t it? You’re probably safe if you’re a couple of miles away from the blast, unless you’re downwind!
(Images via Modern Mechanix)
2 Warps to Neptune 
Duck and cover!
How would anyone know if Gary was hit be the bomb or not?
*by
Very sly, Ed. “Did a bomb go off, or was Gary just bombed again?”
Do you remember any comics with the fallout shelter “playset” advertisement? It supposedly came with a card table & rubberized sheets to build your “shelter”, a gas mask, and some military rations. I’ll have to search around the web for an image of it. I swear it was an actual ad and not dark humor…
There was a 1962 Marx house set that included a bomb shelter:
http://retrorenovation.com/2013/01/16/rare-1962-marx-metal-dollhouse-with-a-bomb-shelter/
That’s the only one I know of.
Nope, this ad was for full-on kid-sized stuff. I wanted it so bad for the gas mask. I think it supposedly included a BB gun too…
Stop, Drop, and Roll Dick Roll!
Frankie Goes To Hollywood did a similar infographic on the devastating effects of a nuclear war, on the back of their Two Tribes 12-inch single (which I own, btw). Not as appealing to the senses as this one is, IMO, but still similarly themed.
It would be cool to start a new “planking”-style trend by doing that slumped-over “A-Bomb victim” pose in random locations. Or better yet, by “bombing” public locations like malls and such by having large groups do that pose all at once. Hmm.
I live in a college town and today is “Green Beer Day”. I expect to see a lot of people in that pose today.
And they’ll be completely “bombed” too.
(insert rimshot here)
BAAAhahah!! =D Don’t forget to tip your servers folks.
I’m sensing a trend here this week – something along the lines of “Tapping into 12 year old Jay’s deepest fears.”
Ha. Not much love for my Cold War week. But damn it, I need to mix it up sometimes.
There is a bit of a perverse thrill in looking back at all of this Cold War era nightmare fuel.
The fitful nights’ sleep, on the other hand…
It’s a morbid nostalgia to be sure. But it was an important part of our childhoods. I find it fascinating.
Yeah put a paper bag over your head and wrap yourself in blankets – or just crawl into a open Fridge…he he 😀