Chew the Fat: Pop Culture, Automotive Style

 

Redartz:  Recently our friend and frequent commenter Charlie Horse 47 passed along to me a suggestion for a topic. It was a good one, and hence we have our subject for discussion this week. Thanks CH!

Charlie was pondering the influence that cars, and related automotive miscellany, had on our Bronze age culture. It got me to thinking. Cars surely have been present in films, books, and magazines since Henry Ford was active. But when you look back at the 60's, 70's and 80's, you find many examples of rather specific 'Auto' philia. OK, that doesn't really sound right, but you know what I mean! The automobile was, and is, much more than merely a form of convenient transportation.

 In previous discussions, we've looked at "Odd Rods" stickers from the early 70's, and "Hot Wheels" cars from , well, everywhen. That's just a toe in the water of this lake. Here's a few examples of popular culture's love affair with the automobile. I'm betting you can come up with quite a few more. So buckle your seat belts and lower your visors, here we go...

 

 The animated "Hot Wheels" cartoon

 This show was a favorite of mine when it debuted in the 1969-1970 season. Fairly standard animation, but it sure held my attention (doubtlessly the intent of the producers, as I also frequently pestered my parents for a new "Hot Wheels" car or two).

Hanna Barbera's "Wacky Races"

 This was another 'never miss' show on those great pre-teen Saturday mornings. I always rooted for the "Arkansas Chugabug", although it would have been fun to see Dick Dastardly actually win a race, just for a change.

 Hanna Barbera's "Speed Buggy"

 Sort of  "Scooby Doo" with a car replacing the iconic dog. Rather formulaic, but weren't most Saturday morning offerings?  And it boasted the brilliant vocal talents of Mel Blanc!

 Mattel's "Hot Wheels" toys

Between the cars and the tracks, these were my toy of choice from the ages of 8-10. Countless hours were spent racing them with friends and with my brother. One of the very few toys I managed to hold on to, after all these years: the "Red Baron"...

Ronny and the Daytonas, "Little GTO"

This blast of vintage 60's racing pop is representative of the whole slew of racing songs that filled the music charts of the day. The Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, the Rip Chords; so many practitioners of the genre. A close sibling to Surf Rock, and just as cool.

HO- scale Racing

Another toy that found a lot of use at our house. No fun like accelarating down the straightaway and flying off the track at the curve. And the best racing was in the dark, if your cars had working headlights...

"Odd Rods" stickers

Yet another element of our collective youth. Combining cars and monsters; what could be better? My school notebook was covered with these.

AHRA Racing cards, 1971

Not a far jump from collecting baseball cards, these cards depicted some of the hottest, fastest, and most popular racers of the early 70's. This card had the "Mongoose" and "Snake" as featured in the Mattel "Hot Wheels" collection mentioned earlier...

DC's "Hot Wheels" comic

You knew we'd get to a few comics eventually, didn't you? Based on the cartoon we covered above, and with art by the likes of Alex Toth and Neal Adams, it was a great (albeit short-lived) series.

Charlton's "Drag 'n' Wheels"

Never actually had a copy of this title, but it serves as an example of the generic 'racing' comics found on the spinners of our Bronze age. It seemed most publishers (notably excepting Marvel) took a shot at this style of comic; there were many.

All right, I've filled the tank for you. Take the wheel and let's cruise into a high-octane discussion of automotive fun...

Chew the Fat: Models ( Aurora, Revell and Monogram; not Millie)

 

Redartz:  Back in our collective youth, we had many ways to occupy our free time. Reading, watching television, listening to music, engaging in outside activities, and so on. One activity that engaged both the mind and the hands was model building. 

As with comics, it was a friend who introduced me to the pleasures of modelling (and no, I don't mean posing for artists and photographers, although I did do some of that as an art teacher; but that's another story). This friend had a box full of leftover parts from numerous car models he had built, and invited me over to 'codge together' a couple of imaginative vehicles. We put together two pretty hodgepodge, clunky 'objects', not much to look at but it sparked my interest. 

 

Soon I was picking up model kits from the local store; seeking out cool looking kits such as Monogram (Mattel's model division) was producing at the time. My first 'solo attempt' was Monogram's "Cherry Bomb"; a sharp red speedster with an odd little trailer. I loved the 'lift open' top. 

 

 

Shortly thereafter I tackled another Monogram kit with cool gimmickry: the "Ice-T". Even had ice blocks in the back. And speaking of the "Ice-T", it represents another aspect of models that intrigued me. Soon after that model was released, Mattel's "Hot Wheels" car line released a redline version of the Ice-T. Obviously I had to pick that up. That was but one of many vehicles that became available as both a model kit and a Hot Wheel. I added the "Paddy Wagon" and the "S'Cool Bus", displaying the model and the Hot Wheel side-by-side on my shelf. 

Oh, and the "S'Cool Bus" was amazing. The model kit had acetate windows printed with cartoon kids doing all manner of goofy things; upon finding the Hot Wheels version I was disappointed to discover that it had no such feature. Ah well.  

Over the next few years I assembled numerous more models. My parents often gifted me with kits; a battleship and plane from Revell (another big model maker), more cars, and then a new twist arose. About the time I started into comics, Aurora released the "Comic Scenes" series. Aurora had long been a big producer of great kits depicting movie monsters, superheros, tv shows, and so on. Well, upon finding that Spider-Man kit, it was imperative that it be added to my model shelf. 

Sadly, this is where it turns dark. Not long after that my interest in comics totally eclipsed the models, and so they all met a deadly fate. A couple friends and I lined them all up in the backyard one day and shot them all to pieces with bb guns. It was fun at the time, yes. But years later, with those vintage models bringing sky high prices- I wasn't laughing anymore. 

But, the tale has a happier ending. A few years ago, at a flea market, I came across one of those Aurora Spider-Man kits. It was unassembled, and even still contained the instruction sheet/comic illustrated by Jazzy John Romita! The price was 30 dollars, which I gladly paid. Took it home, and over the next week assembled and painted it. I think my adult version turned out better than my youthful one.

 

 

So here's a few more kits you may remember, from several of the manufacturers discussed above. Any of these sit upon your shelves? Share your thoughts and memories of model building. Oh, and pass the Testor's cement, please...

 

 

 

 

Riding the Retro Metro: Saturday October 3, 1970!

Redartz:  Greetings; welcome once again to that ever friendly ferry to the past- the Retro Metro. Today we go all the way back to the beginnings of the Bronze age, to the year 1970 (and yes, I know we're off by a day, but such distinctions matter little in time travel, eh?). Most of us were pretty young then, or even only potential humans. Nonetheless, there was much to be enjoyed back then. Being kids, those of us around then were perhaps less caught up in the social turmoils of the time. I was certainly aware of the Big Issues of the day, but my personal world was more centered on entertainment (and dinosaurs, but that's another story).

So, as we begin our excursion, we note the mammoth hit song on top on the US Billboard Pop Chart: Diana Ross, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"

Number one for three weeks now, it is Diana's first chart topper since leaving the Supremes. And it proves the Motown hit machine just keeps on rolling.

Rounding out the top five:

2,  Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Lookin' Out My Back Door"
3.  Dawn, "Candida"
4.  Neil Diamond, "Cracklin' Rosie"
5.  Bobby Sherman, "Julie, Do Ya Love Me"

Neil Diamond, "Cracklin' Rosie"

All these songs are common accompaniment to the daily school bus rides. In particular, I like CCR's hit , with the line "...dinosaur patrolling, listening to Buck Owens...". What a mental picture. And that Neil Diamond song is very catchy.

Others of note:  Jackson Five, "I'll Be There", I know that song primarily due to watching their cartoon show.  The Carpenters, "We've Only Just Begun", a big hit for this breakout brother and sister act. The Spinners, "It's a Shame", some great soul sounds. Eric Burdon and War, "Spill the Wine", some very odd sounds. Ernie (Jim Henson), "Rubber Duckie"- my parents bought my brother, sister and me the Sesame Street LP. This song is on it, and here it is; actually on the radio too!

Tops in the UK:  Freda Payne, "Band of Gold"


But hey, this is Saturday, and you just know where all of us kids will be found this morning; parked in front of the television with a bowl of Cap'n Crunch. Here's some Saturday morning highlights:

ABC:  Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp; Here Come the Double Deckers, Hot Wheels, The Hardy Boys, American Bandstand

I've watched all these shows. Lancelot Link- how can you not like chimps as spies? And the Hardy Boys show features familiar characters from the book series ; my library of those Hardy Boys mysteries is growing. Then there's Hot Wheels: the toy cars are the best; they're all over my room. So naturally watching the show would follow. I made it a point to pick up two of the featured cars from the cartoon- the Demon and the Jackrabbit Special...

Hot Wheels Opening

CBS:  Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour, Sabrina and the Groovie Goolies, Josie and the Pussycats, Archie's Funhouse, The Harlem Globetrotters, Scooby Doo, Where Are You?

There's no better way to start a Saturday morning than with Bugs Bunny and friends! Classic Warner Bros. toons; and an hour of them. Then there's the Groovie Goolies; fun, music, monsters and merriment. It becomes tough to pick  a channel; you want to watch everything. Josie and  the Pussycats are great, too; I actually prefer them to Scooby Doo. Plus two more winners in Archie and the Harlem Globetrotters; CBS has a potent lineup.

The Harlem Globetrotters

Groovie Goolies intro

NBC:  Heckle and Jeckle, The Bugaloos, The Pink Panther, H.R. Pufnstuf, Hot Dog

Ah, then you have NBC. As I don't care for the live-action shows (give me animation every time), the only thing I ever watch here is, occasionally, the Pink Panther. 

Speaking of watching, here's what awaits on the evening tv schedule:



ABC:  Let's Make a Deal, The Newlywed Game, The Lawrence Welk Show, The Most Deadly Game



My parents, grandmother, aunts and uncles all gather around the set for Lawrence Welk each week. It seems to define Saturday nights. But to be honest, it doesn't really excite me much. 









CBS:  Mission: Impossible, My Three Sons, Arnie, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Mannix

Now Mission: Impossible, that's cool viewing. On those occasions when I'm allowed to watch it,  I make sure to catch it from the start- don't want to miss the great opening sequence. And what a cast; Peter Graves, Martin Landau, Barbara Bain and Greg Morris make quite a team. 
Much attention is being given to the new show featuring Mary Tyler Moore; no longer teamed with Dick van Dyke. I'd bet this show will be around awhile. Oh, and my Dad still loves to watch Mannix...

NBC:  The Andy Williams Show, Adam-12, NBC Saturday Night at the Movies

 


Another family favorite is the Andy Williams variety show. That's one program I enjoy along with  Mom and Dad, especially the Cookie Bear. Then , Adam-12 carries on the tradition of grounded cop shows, in the tradition of (and by the creator of) Dragnet. 












BBC1:  Here's Lucy, Show of the North, High Adventure Prince Valiant, The Harry Secombe Show, Ben Travers Farces: Turkey Time, Match of the Day

BBC2:  Disco 2, Rugby Special, We Were Caesars, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In


And now, we take our weekly trip to the spinner racks for some comic goodness. My spinner rack of choice is at a nearby drug store, and they actually have two racks full!  Here's some of what we find today...

From the viewpoint of later years, there is loads to pick from. O'neil and Adams's Green Lantern/Green Arrow jumps off the rack. That Hulk has a great cover, and Kang! The Avengers face off against the women, and what a lineup!Then there's Marvel's new title, Conan the Barbarian- sporting great artwork and a whole new direction in comic adventure. And a late issue of Sugar and Spike, to boot! Of course ten-year old redartz was, at this point, buying Archies, and probably the Hardy Boys and Hot Wheels comics too. Amazing what a variety awaits on the comics stand in 1970. 

Alas, the 1970's are history now, and so is this trip aboard the Retro Metro. Thanks for riding along!

Short Cuts: "In My Room..."

Redartz:  Hello friends; today I'm using that line from a classic Beach Boys tune to set the stage for our discussion. Indeed, today's topic will require a bit of memory work and imagination: testing our abilities of recall. Recall what, you ask?  Your childhood room; your space, your private place. Whether you shared a room with a sibling or had a room all to yourself, try to remember as much as you can about it. What did you have on the walls? How did you fill your drawers and shelves? Where did you keep that all-important stash of comic books? Were you a 'neatnik', or , shall we say, disorganized? Take a few minutes, close your eyes, and return to that special place in your house that was all your own. 

I'll start off, cheating a bit as I have a photograph or two (which some of you may have seen before, sorry to be repetitive)...

 

First up is my bedroom from my pre-teen years; shared with my brother. My bed was on the left, with the remnants of a Wacky Package stuck to the footboard. Though it doesn't show here, I was rather obsessively neat and my brother and I kept our sides separate (he was 'disorganized'). Hot Wheels and GI Joes were under the bed, microscope and slides on the desk (I was, and still am, a science nerd). Not seen here is our bookshelf, home to those great Marvels, DCs and Disneys from the time. Oh, note the reel-to-reel tape recorder on the desk: I loved to use that to make my own 'radio talk shows'.  




 

Finally we have my room after age 10. Our family moved to a new house, and my brother and I now had our own rooms (our sister already had her own space). Note the 70's vintage green paneling on the walls, with a red shag carpet! By this time I'd moved to Archie comics, which were safely ensconced in a drawer. On the shelves here you can see several Monogram plastic model kits, including the Cherry Bomb which apparently I had just been working on. Also on the shelves are a selection of "How and Why Wonder Books", a fascinating series of books about science and nature sold at our local drug store alongside the comics. It was in this room (not in the photo, unfortunately) I also had my first humble stereo, and could play lp's and use the accompanying headphone set. Oh, it was perfect. Oh, you may have noticed the bare walls. It was only a couple years later that those walls would be adorned with the FOOM poster, and the Spider-Man poster that came with the Marvel Value Stampbook...





Okay, so much for my room. Let's 'go over to your house' and check out what you had...