I'M A MEMBER!

The value of my life just skyrocketed because I am now a certified member of the Spümcø Secret Membership Lodge!! Thanks to this recent post, a thoughtful Fun Blog reader who's employed with the beloved dream factory of animation was kind enough to grant me access into their warm, gooey embrace.

First I'd like to divulge some of my new entitlements...


Wait! I shouldn't have done that. Since I've already got a beating coming, I may as well show you more of my documentation.


I love that my name was written with the same red pen that Jimmy the Idiot signed his name with on the card. At least I hope he used a pen.


Now I can throw out the wallet photos of my wife and kid, and replace them with these nifty pics of the Spümcø gang.


And I got two of these wonderful pinback buttons; one for each nipple I assume.

If you really want in, maybe you could track down a Spümcø publication and mail away the coupon that you find in the back (plus a finski), or you could even see if this one will work...


I was also sent a "too-hot-for-fun-spot" xerox of an infamous Jon K. penned parody of The Flintstones (though I'm told he denies it.) If you really have to see it, google image search "Cave Nudes" without a filter.

Well, I am truly thankful for this honor, and it proves once again that Secret Fun Readers are the wonderfullest. Now I'm off to proudly leave the toilet seat up!

SUB STANDARD

Was your childhood denied the Polaris Nuclear Sub that you rightfully deserved? Well, your luck has changed, there's a sweet looking repro up for sale on ebay, and at the moment it's still quite affordable.
(Just don't play with it in the water.)

NEW MYSTIC SMOKE PACKAGE

I'm super pleased with this new package that I just designed for S.S. Adams. Mystic Smoke has been one of Adams' top selling products for many decades, but this is the first time in recent history that it's received its own customized package. They wanted a look that was even more appealing to kids than the standard template we've landed on...


...so I did away with the some of the straight lines and employed the very organically-shaped smoke. The excellent kid came from genuine unused production art from the Adams vault that was illustrated in the 1960s. I took a hint of design inspiration from the Saul Bass movie poster for Hitchcock's Vertigo.
In a perfect world, wacky misaligned lettering would be everywhere.

WHAM-O BOOK IS SUPERB!

Last week I received my copy of the new WHAM-O Super Book by Tim Walsh, and having read it, I feel the need to plug it again. It's all that I was hoping for, in fact, it far exceeded my already high expectations. I was under the false impression that I knew WHAM-O; turns out almost every page offered a new surprise.


It's a treat to finally learn the story and meet the geniuses behind the company. I also greatly appreciated seeing the freaky non-toy products that they experimented with, like soap dishes, garden fountains, and yes, fallout shelter covers. And somehow these strange forays still feel Whamo-esque.


I was unaware of WHAM-O's strong mail order presence which, given my own mail-away novelty fetish, increases my fondness for the company. The book design is terrific; it puts to use treated vintage WHAM-O graphics in a very effective way. There's loads of BIG photos and archival promotional material so it's great for artistic reference and inspiration.



Tim is offering signed copies for $19.95 on his web site.
Non-signed editions can be found on Amazon.

Thanks Tim for giving WHAM-O the treatment that it deserves!

ALL IN THE FAMILY

(do yourself a favor and click to enlarge.)

First, I'll give you a moment to silently marvel.

There.

You've just experienced a one-of-a-kind work of art which was made up of carefully arranged oil paint on a single canvas. This visual feast was generously imparted to me by dearest Anthony, presumably because I recently revealed that it was the inspiration behind my series of cult film-inspired family portraits.
Painted by the mysterious "Kevin Henry," the piece left the clutches of its original linage by way of an estate sale, then it passed through a yard sale where my wife noticed it and Anthony acquired it.

Here's how this painting works: first, the horn rimmed glasses and large knotted tie invite you in, perhaps even coaxing a chuckle before your eyes meet the uncomfortable gaze of the red headed fellow– a man who's only suitable descriptor is "dapper." Once your eyes meet, his half-smirk turns cold and his face begins to radiate disappointment and a sense of uneasiness. Suddenly you notice that he's waxy, flat, and lacking the definition demonstrated in the other subjects, and his presence takes on a ghostly quality.

My theory? Dapper man is the artist. He was unable to offer as much attention to himself just as his father (theoretically on the right) neglected him all of his life. His dad is obviously a stern man; scrutiny pours from his sneer, and confidence from his pin stripe mustache (or maybe that's just a shadow). Who could live up to his standards with his rigid chin and conquered hair?

Ok, maybe you disagree. Maybe the inconsistency is simply because the image was cobbled together from two or three different photo references. Boooring.
Well if you've got it all so figured out then I've got a whole list of questions for you.... How, specifically, are they all related? Who is Kevin Henry? Why are the outer two wearing black while the middle two seem color coordinated? What is that lapel pin? Is the older lady's eye actually disfigured?

Thanks Anthony, for the many mysteries.

FALL

Ah, how I love it when the leaves outside match the leaves on my wall.

BILL TRACY PROJECT NOW ONLINE

If you didn't get enough spooky on Halloween then check out The Haunted House , a brand new web site dedicated to Bill Tracy, the mastermind behind my favorite dark ride, Phantasmagoria. The site focuses on Trimper's Haunted House of Ocean City, Maryland, but it also features lots of photos of Tracy-influenced rides as well as some amazing Tracy catalogs.