MONSTERS DO HAVE THEIR PLACE!

This wonderful forty-eight seconds of film never ceases to give me a blast of spooky joy. I love how the monsters are rendered and presented 1960s style, I love the knock-off Famous Monsters typeface, and I love the music. (Anyone who can identify it for me shall become the champion of the universe.) I've admired this piece for years on a VHS collection of drive-in theater intermission ads but I just happened upon it on archive.org (Click the link to go directly to loads of glorious drive-in intermission reels.)

But I'm perplexed that even with a genius ad campaign like this one, we all ended up with monsters in our living rooms.

CANDYMAN: A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE INVENTOR OF JELLY BELLY

Jelly Beans are my favorite confection. See, that term will never beat out "candy" because it sounds too much like "infection." Anyway, my love began with classic BRACH'S Jelly Beans (or Jelly Bird Eggs if it's Easter time) and they remain a staple of mine even though the BRACH'S people can't stop monkeying around with the flavors. I'll never forgive them for changing the white beans from Vanilla to Pineapple.

As Jelly Bellys were snowballing in popularity in the early 80s I started hearing playground rumors about the Jelly Beans that tasted like other foods, and how you could follow recipes to create new flavors. It was a big deal when my grandpa returned from a business trip with a sampler box in hand. My whole family took part in a gleeful candy cook-off. It felt like a true advancement. They really were gourmet; the first gourmet anything I'd ever eaten.

However, eating Jelly Bellys required a certain amount of effort. They had to be sorted and identified (lest I mistakenly eat a vile peanut or coffee flavored bean) and often mixed. Throwing a random batch into your mouth had the potential to taste like a casserole made from everything on the top shelf of the fridge. They didn't lend themselves to casual Jelly Bean eating, and there are times when one must eat Jelly Beans by the fistful. Thankfully, this conundrum was solved with the advent of the single flavor receptacles. I was finally able to buy half Bubble Gum half Tutti-Fruitti flavor cocktails a half pound at a time.

Sheesh, this was only supposed to be a brief introduction to a trailer for a new documentary film called Candy Man about the rise and fall of Jelly Belly inventor David Klein. You may be asking "What fall?" According to the film's web site "David's eccentric personality and peculiar sense of business led him to give up the business just as it was about to explode. He has struggled with bitter regrets ever since. Jelly Belly has grown into a billion dollar enterprise, and the company has deliberately erased him from its history."

Here's the trailer...



I'm quite interested in seeing the story of the guy responsible for so many of my life's yummiest moments. For more info check out Candymanfilm.com

THE LINUSES

I just got back from my epic road trip to the LOST underground art show. I literally spent more time in the van than in the city of LA, but it was a blast and I'll detail the journey right here as soon as I stop seeing road markers and truck stops whenever I close my eyes. In the meantime I thought I'd share the piece I did for the show.

As you can see it's another of my film family portraits, and this time the subjects are young Ben Linus and his dad Roger from the Season 3 episode The Man Behind the Curtain. Rather than the usual frame I thought that presenting it in a packet of portraits was more appropriate since I'm imagining that the photo was taken shortly before their fateful trip to the island. An envelope is also more mysterious by nature and the leftover photos indicate that there weren't as many takers as Roger had anticipated.

I'm happy to report that the event was a huge success and my piece found a new owner. (Thanks new owner!) You can see all of the artwork if you click here. Also, Entertainment Weekly has a very informative write up of the very elaborate LOST art campaign which has been going on since summer.

PHANTASMAGORIA RELIC DISCOVERED

Thanks to Mike at Tulsa TV Memories I recently acquired this official vintage souvenir goblet from my favorite defunct dark ride, the Phantasmagoria which once stood in my favorite defunct amusement park, Bell's of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The piece of glassware sports a single-color version of the bumper sticker design.

I can only wonder about it's origin. Was it received in exchange for a mountain of Ski-ball tickets? Or was it a reward for some other sort of midway achievement like ball-throwing or balloon-popping?


It's a terrific find because I like to think about mechanical skeletons and dangerous mine shafts while enjoying a large chalice of milk.

I have added it to my online Phantasmagoria archive along with this commemorative bumper sticker which was produced by Kalvin Roberts shortly after the spook house was razed.

LOST UNDERGROUND ART PROJECT

Hey folks, I contributed a piece to the LOST underground art show that debuts December 15th at Gallery 1988 in LA! I should clarify, the show's not about underground art that has been lost somehow, it's in celebration of the awesome TV show from J.J. Abrams and his crew. It's officially authorized by Bad Robot and ABC TV and everything.

The show will feature the original LOST-inspired work of over 25 artists as well as the sixteen prints that have been slowly revealed for the past five months on Paul Scheer's Damon, Carlton and A Polar Bear site. There will be "many surprises" too!

I will share my contribution here as soon as the standard veil of secrecy can be lifted. If my van stays intact I will be attending the opening of the show on Tuesday evening. So if you come please shout my name repeatedly until I find you. If I don't show then check the Golden Apple comic book shop next door to the gallery.

Look here for more info about the show.

SPECTACULAR S.S. ADAMS COLLECTION

Throughout my years as a collector and advocate of S.S. Adams novelty items I've encountered a number of fellow enthusiasts, and I've noticed that most of them focus on the magic side of the product line. This stands to reason considering the thriving magic community made up of professionals and hobbyists alike.

To the contrary, a society of pranksters is difficult to achieve; too many trust issues, and meetings would be constantly interrupted. Plus it's nearly impossible to be a pro jokester, unless you've got your own TV or radio show.
So when longtime Adams connoisseur Randy Garner shared photos of his vast collection with me I was delighted to find that it is decidedly prank-centric. It's also one of the largest and most exhaustive assemblages of Adams goods that I have ever seen. There are some pieces that I was previously unaware of that I wish I would have known about when I was putting together the Life of the Party book.

Behold a world class Adams spread... (for added pleasure all the photos get very large when you click them.)

The largest selection of self-serve paks I've ever witnessed

Regarding the origin of his obsession Randy says, "I'm one of the many folks who got started with Adams ala Johnson Smith Company, with an order around 1967 for a plastic hot dog and a rubber chocolate, which, including the 25 cent postage fee, cost a whopping 60 cents."

Prducts from the first half of the 20th century

As he got older he started buying in bulk which eventually blossomed into the Garner Novelty Company that he and his wife ran for ten years in the 1990s. (I actually recall ordering a shipment from Garner soon after I got hooked up to the internet.)

Garner Novelty got 98% of its business from an ad in Boys Life Magazine. Randy explains, "Ninety percent of what we sold came from Adams, and I used to buy some things bulk from Bud Adams, and package them myself in Self Service packaging (after Adams went mostly to stretch pack) using the old headers that I bought from Adams."

Stretch Paks circa 1960s (sharing the corner with Freddy FunKo)

Stretch Paks circa 1970s and 80s

Randy goes on, "I used to make an annual trip to the factory, staying in Ocean Grove, and became good friends with Chris, Bud and Hilda [Adams]. I accumulated a lot of my collection by rummaging around in the warehouse on my visits in the 90s, and on ebay since."

A very rare trick gum dispenser is the centerpiece of this showcase

This display features the scarce Paint Spill and Voice Recorder

Puzzles in self service paks

Some magic tricks and a few miscellaneous novelties

An assortment of mini-assortments

These 1960s blister cards are seldom found and feature beautiful graphics

But that's not all, Randy has also curated a tremendous collection of early soda advertising, 1960s store merchandise, Soakies, Pez dispensers, Kool-Aid displays, Funny Face, Fizzies, Merry toy sets, vintage candy packaging, Topps Gum Card displays, and more!..




Thanks Randy for treating us with your treasures!