Son of a bitch. Condorman! And of course the bastards at Disney made the DVD available exclusively to members of the Disney Movie Club.
Archive Page 128
Condorman (1981) Trailer
Published October 24, 2012 '80s Movies/TV , Disney , Disney Movies , Movie Trailers 2 Comments
April 28, 1982. (The Denver Post)
December, 1982. (Glen Martin/The Denver Post)
(Source: Lexibell Vintage Photos)
Atari Computer Camp Ads, 1983
Published October 23, 2012 Atari , Computer Camp , D&D , Personal Computers 3 Comments
Classic 1983 ads via Laura Moncur’s Flickr. Laura also found an article in Atari’s Antic magazine called “Computer Camp: Report from the Old West” that describes the camps in detail.
Campers paid $890 for a two-week session and $425 for each additional week, up to a total of 8 weeks. But if you stayed the whole 8 weeks you got a tuition break and paid the one time, low, low price of $2999. Don’t forget to bring your transportable cellular phone system, kids! You’ll need to call mom if you lose your Snoopy doll.
The daily schedule looked like this:
9:00-10:25 – Computer Instruction
10:30-11:10 – Drama
11:15-12:00 – Tennis
12:00-1:55 – Lunch (Rest Hour)
2:00-2:55 – Computer Workshop
3:00-3:35 – Free Swim
4:00-5:25 – Softball7:00-8:30 – Free Time
I imagine 5:30-7:00 was dinner. “During free time… at least two of the three computer rooms are open for students either to play games or practice programming.”
My favorite part is a quote from the camp’s co-director, Marlene Applebaum:
We also had a whole group playing Dungeons and Dragons… Not on the computer, but the original game. One of the counselors really knows that game and played Dungeon-master. I think that goes along with the kind of child who comes here.
I think you’re right, Marlene.
D&D Cover Art: The Ghost Tower of Inverness (1980)
Published October 22, 2012 D&D , D&D Art , D&D Modules , Jeff Dee , Jim Roslof Leave a Comment
The front cover art is by Jim Roslof, who passed away last year. From his obituary at Wizards of the Coast,
As an illustrator in the late 1970s and early ’80s, Roslof had a major influence on the developing visual style of the Dungeons & Dragons game. His cover illustration for adventure B2, The Keep on the Borderlands, is one of the most iconic and widely-recognized D&D images from that period.
As art director, Roslof’s guiding hand was less apparent to players, but his influence was even more profound and far-reaching. It was Roslof who hired and shaped TSR’s famous “pit” of color illustrators: Jeff Easley, Larry Elmore, Jim Holloway, Keith Parkinson, Tim Truman, and Clyde Caldwell. Under Roslof’s direction, their paintings defined Dungeons & Dragons for a generation of players and DMs.
The back cover is by Jeff Dee, who did the front cover of the first Isle of Dread module, among other classics.
Grognardia reviews The Ghost Tower of Inverness (killer title, yes?) here. The module is currently available for download at dndclassics.com.
Kenner’s Star Wars Laser Pistol (1977)
Published October 22, 2012 Kenner Toys , Star Wars (Original Trilogy) 3 Comments
My kingdom for a sound file. How many thousands of times did I squeeze this trigger?
Kid Wearing Star Wars Sweater, Circa 1978
Published October 19, 2012 '70s Decor/Design/Fashion , Star Wars (Original Trilogy) 2 Comments
I think we had that exact same painting in our living room.
Gen X rules.
(Image via Snaposaurus Vintage & Collectible Photography)
I had this dude. He was always a favorite because he was so fantastically heavy, well-jointed, and easy to plant—you could shoot missiles and Shogun Warrior fists at him and he was like, “That’s all you got? I’m still standing.” I had this sky sled, too.
Like the Micronauts, the Metal Men had no back story. They just appeared from outer space, ready to party in whatever world you made for them. Check out the ’78 Metal Men catalog at Plaid Stallions. There’s also a nice entry at BugEyedMonster.
All Denim, All the Time: Sean Astin Edition
Published October 18, 2012 '80s Decor/Design/Fashion , Goonies Never Say Die 2 Comments
I don’t want to hear it. If a Goonie wants to wear head to toe denim, then by One-Eyed Willie’s rich stuff that Goonie shall wear head to toe denim. Mock him for it at your peril.
God save the Goonies!
Radio Shack `Transportable Cellular Phone System’ Commercial (1989)
Published October 18, 2012 Commercials 1 CommentFriend J. strikes again. It’s just $799? Hell, I’ll take three, one for each of my DeLoreans.
The lifeguard is my favorite. First of all, how can he afford this absurdly impractical monstrosity? Second, how long is it going to last in the vicinity of all that sand and salt water? My second favorite is the Boy Scout. Dude, you cut your thumb. Do we really have to halt all the epic camping action so you can call your mommy?
J. reminds me that the price tag does not include minutes/monthly charges.
(Video source: Dell Fields)
Kids Playing Atari in Living Room, Circa 1981
Published October 17, 2012 Atari , ON-TV , Star Wars (Original Trilogy) , What Our Rooms Looked Like 5 Comments
Fascinating. The year is my best guess. Defender came out for the 2600 in 1981, and the 2600 here looks like the four-switch “woody” model, first produced in 1980. We had ON TV for a short time, a subscription service that would unscramble participating UHF channels. In September of 1982, ON TV aired Star Wars for the first time ever on national TV on a pay-per-views basis, despite very few households being wired for the service.
2 Warps to Neptune 