Behold one of the few copies of Mail-Order Mysteries that exists in the United States! [UPDATE: IT'S AVAILABLE NOW!] The rest are somewhere on a slow boat from China, but while the noble captain braves the seven seas I invite you to rest your eyes on this exclusive sneak peek at a dozen of the one hundred and fifty-six pages within. Click 'em to see much larger images...
The book covers a variety of toy solders, also known as Comic Book Flats
My pal Eddie Guevara of HouseOfTheUnusual.com online novelty shop supplied the "book safe" as well as some of the rarest items in the volume. 
This spread appears in my favorite section of the book,"House of Horrors."
Raymond Castile, monster kid and curator of the Gallery of Monster Toys, photographed his amazing collection of Topstone brand masks for the cause.
Sea-Monkeys are essential, in this book and in life.
This is my interpretation of a bargain "Surprise Package" which were offered by most novelty distributors and usually consisted of discontinued items.Oh, and one other thing...
!!!The book should be available everywhere by UPDATE: October 11th so if you pre-order from Amazon now, you can experience a highly appropriate four-to-six week wait, just like a kid ordering from his first comic book ad. But hopefully this mail-order mystery will not disappoint.
I can't wait to get this book and destroy all my childhood dreams of mail order magic.
ReplyDeleteIt looks awesome, congrats!
This book is going to be so freaking cool, Kirk! I'm really looking forward to the House of Horrors section and The Glow-in-the-Dark cover was an especially nice surprise. :)
ReplyDeleteAARRRRGGGGHHHHHH!
ReplyDeleteI MUST have this book...
I ordered a couple of weeks ago, suppose to be out soon- now I have to wait 4-6 weeks? That's why I never ordered these Mail Order products in the first place!
I'll have to do a South Park "Cartman" and freeze myself until then. We have a big freezer in the basement...
So awesome
ReplyDeleteCan't wait!
ReplyDeleteLooks good, Kirk!
ReplyDeleteI have pre-ordered my copy! For the first time I will own a book whose contents I got to see in person spread out on a table! Now...for the waiting.
ReplyDeleteThat looks fantastic! Looking forward to ordering one soon...
ReplyDeleteKirk, will you be doing a book signing anywhere?
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea for a book! I'm really looking forward to seeing this. I have a question though. You say the book is 256 pages, and Amazon lists it as 156 pages. If their info is wrong, you might want to let them know.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much everyone!
ReplyDeleteplcary- I will be setting up some signings both local and abroad. I'll certainly let you know if I do one in the area.
Tony- Whoops, that's my mistake. I guess it just felt like I made more than 157 pages. I just corrected the post.
Thankfully the book was edited by a pro!
You probably don't need me to tell you you've got several more books-worth of material between your blog and website. A Compendium of Fake Star Wars, anyone?
ReplyDeleteMy copy has been on order from Amazon since the start of summer... the waiting is killing me! I need to know if those X-Ray Specs actually work or not!?!
ReplyDeleteDone and done, sir. This looks fantastic, I'm totally going to read it under the covers with a flashlight until my wife makes me leave the room.
ReplyDeleteLooks great Kirk. Looking forward to having sit comfortably next to my copy of life of the party
ReplyDeleteWow, the cover glows! Crazy man, crazy!
ReplyDeleteBrother Bill- Thanks, I'd LOVE to see and or work on a book of star wars bootlegs, or bootleg toys in general. and I do indeed have other books in mind that I'd love to work on.
ReplyDeleteRonn- Thanks for your early patronage! Sad to think that despite your months of waiting and my months of working on it, it will probably take you about an hour and a half to blast through the whole thing.
Jim- Man we should have made promotional flashlights for under the cover reading!
Christopher- they do indeed make a good team.
Todd- That was the editor's idea and it was epic!
I wonder how many gallons of that vampire blood I went through as a kid?
ReplyDeleteHas it been 4-6 weeks yet?
ReplyDeleteDamn.
GLOW IN THE DARK!?!?!
ReplyDeleteFantastic -- I am middle age ( yes, I can't believe I am actually writing that...comic book readers don't actually get old... we are always teenagers...) and I remember all these ads I pored over with great delight and a sense of mystery, when I grew up in far flung British colonial countries as a child...I don't think I ever saw the real products though...Kirk, Amazon says if I order now, it is likely to be a THREE MONTH wait...is that true??? I really need to buy your wonderful book! Any faster bookstores to order from?
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Mario.
Hi Mario- Glad the book got your attention! Amazon had the wrong release date (sept 10) from the get-go. As soon as that day came and went they automatically put up the 1 to 3 months message. They've actually yet to ship a single one because they've never had any (yet).
ReplyDeleteThey WILL be getting them within the next couple weeks and the real release date is October 11. So your life-long wait can soon come to an end! Thanks for asking.
Kirk, these pages really bring back memories, and I will certainly be buying your book, and telling friends too. Have you sent the guys at Grantbridge street blog page a copy? That is a hugely successful cult comics page that would surely hype it one way or another to a huge audience. They focus a lot on pre code comics and DC horror comics of the late 60's,to, early to mid 70's that of course, were at the centre of these awful/terrible/disappointing/rip off/annoying/lying/totally wonderful/magical/intriguing/dream-like products!
ReplyDeleteI used to hide my stash of tatty, yellowing, torn horror comics at the bottom of our vast garden : I grew up in a huge colonial house in the British colonial days, and my father ( a product of the 1920's/30's ) hated these horror comics like the plague, along with my battered old early 70's Black Sabbath records -- I dreamed and dreamed about these useless, lying mail order products...and now I can see them all in all their pathetic, wonderful, most excellent reality...
Great work, really.
Mario.
Mario, thanks for the tip I'll check it out.
ReplyDeleteThose old horror comics are the best. The spooky novelties are definitely my favorite.
Kirk,I just got your fantastic book a few days ago; waiting there in my mail box, and I rushed to get the wrapping off ! -- and it is such a great book. ( Surely far far better than the lying, shamelessly deceptive products themselves ! He heh heh...)
ReplyDeleteGreat great work -- I'd recommend anyone to just go and buy it -- you will NOT be disappointed... heh he hheh heh...
The funny thing is my five year old daughter is as intrigued by the magic of it all as I was at her age, back in the 60's and 70's...
Thanks for your work...it is a very very funny book.
Message to all you comic book freaks -- go buy it !
Mario.