Chew the Fat: Tech and the Bronze Age...

Redartz: As we all sit around conversing, we are making use of various tech devices- smartphone, tablet, or laptop. Some of us may even have come to take such items for granted (not me yet, I still find myself amazed at the capabilities of my phone these days). But one thing we all have in common is the memory of a time before such innovations were available. We had surely seen the concept of high technology- in the form of Reed Richards' room-filling devices and Tony Stark's famous suit. But we largely hadn't experienced much technology beyond the television and radio.


 

 'Back in the Bronze Age', we gradually gained access to certain technologies. I recall when pocket calculators were introduced, and thinking they were pretty amazing (and remember that they were not allowed in school, the thinking was we wouldn't learn math calculation if we relied on a device). 









 


We had some early electronic games- remember Pong? First encountered this at our local bowling alley. My pals and I thought it was incredible, actually playing something on a tv screen! Little did we know what lie ahead within just a few years...

And somewhat later in our Bronze Age, the first home computers were introduced. I can remember looking at the Tandy computer ads from Radio Shack in the comics, and thinking I'd likely never be able to get something like that. Turns out I was wrong, but it took awhile. I never actually touched a computer until the late 90's when my wife's workplace provided  one on which she could work at home. It was pretty intimidating at first, but addictive. And I taught myself to type on the tutorial during a period of unemployment , which turned out to be a very wise endeavor. A couple years later I was back at school, learning electronics along with a bunch of other middle age career changers; and I was one of only a few who could type. Made those research papers much easier. And of course it makes blogging much quicker, too...

So.......what are your thoughts on technology? What were your earliest encounters with it? Video games? Were you one of those who got into computers early on? How did tech affect you, and your interests (cataloging my comic collection is infinitely easier now than it was in the 70's, all on index cards).  Discuss anything tech, from tech-inspired comics and movies to your first cellular phone. Now pardon me while I go charge my tablet...

Chew the Fat: The Golden Age of Nostalgia?

Redartz:  Hello all! I was thinking about the ever-beloved Bronze Age Babies the other day, and recalled how Karen and Doug would sometimes refer to our present time as a "Golden Age of Reprints". And I'd say they were quite correct to do so. But upon further consideration, I wondered if that could be taken a step further: are we living in the Golden Age of Nostalgia? Some thoughts to consider ...



 

As Karen and Doug discussed, the generous availability of reprints in many formats allows enjoyment of comics from all eras, all genres, all companies (or most, anyway). From Omnibus volumes to digital comics, tpb's to archived free Golden Age stories, just about anything and everything comics can be found. 

But the same can be said for animation, and for television shows: with YouTube, DVDs and streaming, much of entertainment history is there for the picking. I find YouTube to be a wonderful source of almost-forgotten clips from the Bronze Age, the 60's, and everywhen. And, my wife and I recently ditched the satellite tv for an Amazon Firestick and an actual antenna for local broadcasts. I was pleasantly surprised by all the goodies to be seen on these free channels: "MeTV" for instance. It's been Retro Saturday Nights at our house, watching the Incredible Hulk, Wonder Woman, Twilight
Zone, Batman and Star Trek! Another freebie channel shows "Emergency", and yet another fills my wife's afternoons with westerns. 



 

But wait, there's more. Video games? Now we have classic arcade games being released on retro styled systems, and some are available as apps for your phone or tablet (still waiting for an authentic version of "Galaga"). 



 




 



Toys? There are many 'retro' versions coming out of vintage playthings. And of course there's Ebay for the real stuff. 




 










Music? My wife has Sirius Satellite radio, and can select exclusive stations for any decade from the 1940's onward. CD's are cheap just about any flea market you hit. Vinyl is back, and growing (who would have thought; if the next phase is VHS tapes I wouldn't be surprised). 



You get the idea; no matter what your nostalgic area of interest, there is unprecedented access to incredible amounts of material both physical and digital. And so, perhaps this is the Golden Age of Nostalgia after all. What say you?

Short Cuts: A Trip to the Mall!

Redartz:  One aspect of Bronze age life for many of us was a trip to the mall. In the 70's and 80's, indoor shopping malls were huge business and drew massive crowds. Some to shop, some to people watch, some to 'hang out'.  And they had a lot to offer: a wide variety of stores (usually including book stores, music stores and other sites appealing to eager young folk). They had a food court, which often involved standing around with your food waiting for a table to free up. They had video arcades and movie theaters, possibly the biggest attractions of all. Nearly every weekend would find our group of friends making a trip to such a mall, usually to shoot a bunch of quarters in the arcade. Some days we'd spend most of a day wandering the place. I actually worked at a few malls (and the experiences therein could fill another post entirely).




 What mall memories do you have?  Were you a total mall rat, or would you not be caught dead there? Let's all pile in the car , head for the Galleria, and share...

Two Questions: Video Game Priorities and Comic Code Authorities!

Martinex1:  There have been a couple of things on my mind, so here are two questions to ponder...

QUESTION 1:  Do you have a favorite video game from back in the day, a memorable gaming story, or a particular arcade that you enjoyed frequenting?

QUESTION 2:  Was the Comic Code Authority a good thing, a bad thing, or somewhere in between?  Explain.

Feel free to answer one or both questions; we are curious what you have to say.   Cheers!