A convincing visual of America’s descent into political correctness, as noted by TV Guide Time Machine. After 1985, there were no more Christmas covers, only Holiday Viewing Guides.
I want Santa back.
(Images via TV Guide Time Machine and eBay)
Archive for the 'Christmas' Category
TV Guide Christmas/Holiday Covers, 1975 – 1985
Published December 12, 2013 Christmas , TV Guide Leave a CommentChristmas Morning, Circa 1981: Home Video of Kid Opening Atari 2600
Published December 12, 2013 Atari , Christmas , Christmas Morning , Home Consoles , Video Games 5 CommentsKid: “Asteroids! Atari Asteroids! Except… Dad, dad, we don’t have Atari.”
Mom: “What’s Atari?”
So classic.
(Technically, it’s not a 2600. It’s an Atari Video Computer System. Relax, nerds.)
(Via The GeoffMan/YouTube)
A Holiday Shopping Guide: `The Best Video Games of 1982′
Published December 11, 2013 Atari , Christmas , Intellivision , TV Guide , Video Games 7 Comments
It’s interesting how the author defines video games as “mindless entertainment” and “cheap thrills” on the one hand, but props them up as “sophisticated” and “cerebral” at the same time.
His description of Intellivision is right on, though: “While the competition strives to bring arcade action home, Mattel continues to woo the cerebral video buff—as symbolized by their TV shill, George Plimpton.” (See Plimpton “shilling” here.) Sub Hunt and Utopia are two of the best games I’ve ever played. If I get another game system, it’ll be an Intellivision.
The Vectrex system also gets a rave review. Sort of like Tomytronic 3D, but with vector graphics, I remember playing a display unit a few times at Sears. Here it is in the 1983 Sears Wishbook. Note the price slashed in half because of the video game crash.
I thought this part might have been urban legend: “Earlier this year, a young man in Indiana who was playing the coin-op `Berserk’ died of heart failure.” Turns out it’s true.
Atari’s E.T. is one of the best games of 1982? Somebody paid him to say that.
(Article via Intellivision Revolution)
Christmas Morning, 1978: Assembling the Millennium Falcon
Published December 10, 2013 '70s Decor/Design/Fashion , Christmas , Christmas Morning , Star Wars (Original Trilogy) , What Our Rooms Looked Like 12 Comments
One of the best living room decor shots I’ve seen. There’s more Star Wars on the far left, just in front of the coffee table. I think one of the boxes is the 12″ C-3PO figure. (It’s actually the MPC C-3PO model kit. Thanks, Retro Art Blog!)
The kid in the photo is Scott Tipton, comics writer and co-creator of Blastoff Comics. He says:
I can’t remember a Christmas growing up when there wasn’t exactly what I wanted either under the Christmas tree or arriving as a surprise on Christmas morning. And half the time, I hadn’t even asked for it — my parents just knew. This was the thing I would want. The Mego Batman Wayne Foundation? The Star Wars Millennium Falcon? ROM the Spaceknight? There they were.
And looking back now as a grown man with bills and responsibilities of my own, I can even more than ever appreciate what that meant. We were a working-class family, no question about it. My father drove a truck for a living, and my mother worked at the school cafeteria. Some of these gifts must have meant skipped lunches for my father and careful tightening of the purse-strings by my mother. And yet every year, Christmas was an absolute joy, and not just for the presents under the tree. My parents always treated Christmas as something special — to go back to the Dickens, we “were happy, grateful, pleased with one another, and contented with the time.”
That hits me in the feelers. Scott goes on to ask everyone who can to donate to Toys for Tots, “Because every kid should have a Batmobile under the tree if they want one.” Hard to argue with that.
I didn’t forget about the giant Bat Away box. Here’s the commercial. (Stick around for the hilarious Zips shoes commercial that comes next.)
Marvel Bullpen Christmas Card (1978)
Published December 9, 2013 Christmas , Comic Books , Make Mine Marvel Leave a Comment
From the seller, Marvelmania: “Marvel Christmas cards were in-house giveaways and usually only given to employees and business associates. I obtained this particular example about 20 years ago from a former Marvel employee in the 1970s.”
Lovely artwork by Marie Severin and John Romita.
Christmas Morning, 1980: Matchbox’s Spider-Man Race and Chase, LJN’s `Computer Command’ Corvette
Published December 9, 2013 Board Games/Tabletop Games , Christmas , Christmas Morning , Make Mine Marvel , Matchbox 1 Comment
The kid is really stoked about his Spider-Man Race and Chase set, part of Matchbox’s Speedtrack/Powertrack line. Here it is set up and ready to go. Photo is via the comprehensive Powertrack blog.
In the photos below, from the same blog, Spidey and the Hulk (the Green Guy had his own set) promote their products at the New York Toy Fair in the late ’70s. Pat Dennis, the designer and developer of Matchbox’s new racing system, lends a hand with the technical details.
In the next photo, we’re joined by another happy kid, and a happy (but tired) dad. I love that the first kid’s expression hasn’t changed. The Christmas morning photos come from Melissa Wilkins/Flickr.
There’s an Empire Strikes Back figure on the couch, a Microscope Lab Set, Mouse Trap, and LJN’s programmable (like the Big Trak) 255 Computer Command Corvette. I remembered it when I saw the box.
Licorice Pizza Ad, 1982
Published December 5, 2013 Ads , Christmas , E.T. , Records (LPs) and Cassettes 2 Comments
Men at Work’s Business as Usual and Michael Jackson’s Thriller are the first two cassettes I bought. Almost every album advertised here is now a classic:
Missing Persons’ debut, Spring Session M (“Walking in L.A.”, “Destination Unknown”); The Clash’s Combat Rock (“Rock the Casbah”)—I bought this one too; Marvin Gaye’s Midnight Love (“Sexual Healing”); Foreigner’s “best of” compilation Records; Culture Club’s debut, Kissing to Be Clever (“I’ll Tumble 4 Ya”, “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?”); Led Zeppelin’s final album, Coda.
I also see Neil Diamond’s Heartlight, which I got (with my dad’s money) my mom for Christmas that year. The title track—inspired by E.T.—is easily one of the worst songs ever recorded.
(Image via The Daily Mirror)
I’m glad Chris provided his exact coordinates. Otherwise Santa might have kissed the wrong brother.
(Via Don Stephens/Flickr)
PayLess Christmas Coloring Book (1984)
Published December 4, 2013 Christmas , Coloring/Activity Books , G.I. Joe , Masters of the Universe , Robots , Star Wars (Original Trilogy) 3 Comments
From good citizen-geek Captain Slinky, who has the whole book on display here. We know what he wanted most based on what’s colored. No love for G.I. Joe!
The book is described as “a new concept in Christmas gift buying. A coloring book that provides a chance for your son or daughter to spend hours of fun coloring their favorite toys, and a chance for the parent to get a ‘sneak preview’ of their child’s Christmas Gift Wish List…”
As if we were shy about letting the parental units know what we wanted. Still, the coloring book wish list—tripling as a coupon book—is pretty damn smart. Everybody wins.
2 Warps to Neptune 