SPOOKY OLD IRON-ONS FROM ICEE

Recently cryptozoologist Robert Robinson emailed me pics of these 1970s Halloween iron-ons because 1.he is a nice guy and 2. he knows we have similar interests. But what he didn't know is that he was offering me a precious long-lost detail of my own Halloween history.

Back when I was three and still letting my parents pick out my Halloween costumes, my dad assembled this getup out of a souvenir hat from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, a foil-covered cardboard saber, and a discarded pillowcase bearing...the skull iron-on!


Thinking it was a cereal premium I've gone on several fruitless searches for the relic, but it all made sense after Robert informed me, "The glow in dark iron-ons were avaiable from Icee. My uncle owned a franchise in Arkansas and gave my brother and I a bunch of these."

This makes perfect sense because the local 1-Stop Mart was the destination of countless afternoon strolls with my family, and we bought so many ICEEs there that to me it was known simply as the ICEE store. I also had that place to thank for stacks of plastic super-hero cups that were taller than me. When they changed over to Slush Puppie [sic] drinks I desperately wanted to see that droopy-faced pooch get mauled by the ICEE bear.

Anyway, I'm just glad my dad picked the skull and crossbones because the skeletal hands holding the hourglass might've been a bit grim for a 3-year-old.