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: Earliest TV Memories...

Redartz:  Okay, friends; ready to do some exercise? No, no, mental exercise. Think back, waaaaaay back to your childhood. Today let's talk about our earliest memories of television. TV, even in our youth, had huge influence on kids (and everyone else). Some of our parents may have allowed us pretty unlimited television viewing, others among us probably had some strict limits. My brother, sister and I had tv access early, but it was definitely limited. Even so, some of my very first memories are of tv viewing. Back in the mid 60's, when I was little, several Hanna Barbera cartoons were broadcast in prime time, weeknights. I can recall watching the Flintstones before being put to bed. 

Also Magilla Gorilla. And I have vague memories of watching Red Skelton, whom my parents LOVED (and never missed). Anyway, these shows would have been on when I was only about four years old. I have a few other memories from that early age, but not many. So the television influence is telling,even then.



 


So, how far back can you remember? What is the earliest age you can recall watching a show, and do you remember what show it was? Don't worry about 'showing your age', go ahead and open up!