SPECTACULAR S.S. ADAMS COLLECTION

Throughout my years as a collector and advocate of S.S. Adams novelty items I've encountered a number of fellow enthusiasts, and I've noticed that most of them focus on the magic side of the product line. This stands to reason considering the thriving magic community made up of professionals and hobbyists alike.

To the contrary, a society of pranksters is difficult to achieve; too many trust issues, and meetings would be constantly interrupted. Plus it's nearly impossible to be a pro jokester, unless you've got your own TV or radio show.
So when longtime Adams connoisseur Randy Garner shared photos of his vast collection with me I was delighted to find that it is decidedly prank-centric. It's also one of the largest and most exhaustive assemblages of Adams goods that I have ever seen. There are some pieces that I was previously unaware of that I wish I would have known about when I was putting together the Life of the Party book.

Behold a world class Adams spread... (for added pleasure all the photos get very large when you click them.)

The largest selection of self-serve paks I've ever witnessed

Regarding the origin of his obsession Randy says, "I'm one of the many folks who got started with Adams ala Johnson Smith Company, with an order around 1967 for a plastic hot dog and a rubber chocolate, which, including the 25 cent postage fee, cost a whopping 60 cents."

Prducts from the first half of the 20th century

As he got older he started buying in bulk which eventually blossomed into the Garner Novelty Company that he and his wife ran for ten years in the 1990s. (I actually recall ordering a shipment from Garner soon after I got hooked up to the internet.)

Garner Novelty got 98% of its business from an ad in Boys Life Magazine. Randy explains, "Ninety percent of what we sold came from Adams, and I used to buy some things bulk from Bud Adams, and package them myself in Self Service packaging (after Adams went mostly to stretch pack) using the old headers that I bought from Adams."

Stretch Paks circa 1960s (sharing the corner with Freddy FunKo)

Stretch Paks circa 1970s and 80s

Randy goes on, "I used to make an annual trip to the factory, staying in Ocean Grove, and became good friends with Chris, Bud and Hilda [Adams]. I accumulated a lot of my collection by rummaging around in the warehouse on my visits in the 90s, and on ebay since."

A very rare trick gum dispenser is the centerpiece of this showcase

This display features the scarce Paint Spill and Voice Recorder

Puzzles in self service paks

Some magic tricks and a few miscellaneous novelties

An assortment of mini-assortments

These 1960s blister cards are seldom found and feature beautiful graphics

But that's not all, Randy has also curated a tremendous collection of early soda advertising, 1960s store merchandise, Soakies, Pez dispensers, Kool-Aid displays, Funny Face, Fizzies, Merry toy sets, vintage candy packaging, Topps Gum Card displays, and more!..




Thanks Randy for treating us with your treasures!

THE JOHNSONS PRINTS AVAILABLE NOW

I'm delighted to announce that my Johnsons family portrait (inspired by The Jerk) is now being offered as a print by Gallery 1988 for $65.00. The prints are 11X14, signed and limited to 100 copies. If you're interested you can either email gallery1988@aol.com or call them at 323-937-7088.

It's the perfect gift for all the jerks in your life. It even made Quint's Holiday Gift Guide on Ain't It Cool News!

If you get one I suggest visiting your local thrift store and grabbing the cheapest frame you can find, just like the Johnsons would have, and voila...

SHAG'S PAD

I've always wondered if Josh Agle, the artist known as Shag, lives a lifestyle worthy of his retrolicious paintings. LA Weekly's Liz Ohanesian and Shannon Cottrell recently toured his home, and thanks to their work I can see that he's nearly living the dream. I say nearly because there is a disappointing lack of Shriners, skeletons and spies hanging around. Click on over to check out the full tour.

BRUSH YOUR TEETH...ROUND AND ROUND!

Since the dawn of Youtube I've waited for this clip to surface! Some awesome individual has finally uploaded a clip of The Toothbrush Family (1974) as originally seen on Captain Kangaroo and The Commander Tom Show. These little talking hygienic tools had a lasting impact on my mind and possibly my dental habits. Much of their power comes from their song; they sing it at the end of the video. You know it. A lot of people know it but don't know where it comes from...

Brush your teeth
Round and round
Circles small
Gums and all

A small soft toothbrush the round and round way
Will clean your gums healthy and stop tooth decay
So clean very carefully three times a day
Go round and round

Apparently there was a later version of the cartoon as well. For years it has been a frustrating red herring in my search for the original. Well, looks like I win this time stupid Toothbrush Family remake.

When I woke up this morning I sure didn't expect to hear this song today. I love it when life goes round and round too.

TREASURE

Hi folks! I just wanted to stick something beautiful up since this place has been getting a bit stale lately. Apologies all around for the molasses-like rate I've fallen into. My too-busy-to-blog interlude will continue for another while but the time shall soon come when we can ponder life's curiosities together once again. My list of future posts never stops growing.

Oh, and the picture? Just an image of a postcard I swiped from somewhere forgotten. (If it was from you then I'm sorry.) It's one of those scenes that makes me wish I could be in another time and place so badly that it's almost unhealthy.

NEW ARTICLE ON MONKEY GOGGLES

I invite you to read my new etiquette guide for rock stars on MonkeyGoggles.com; it's called The Do's and Don'ts of Self-titled Record Albums. It's not the type of thing I'm accustomed to writing about here, which made it all the more fun to write.

PINK FLOCKED SKULL FOR GIRLS

It came! It finally came! I just got— wait, what am I saying— I mean my wife just got her brand new Flocked Skull for Girls in the mail. Boy does she ever love it!

Right off the bat she just had to carry it outside and take a bunch of stunningly gorgeous photographs of it. But I guess that's just what women do when they get something so incredibly wonderful. Who can understand their strange lady minds? Am I right men?


My neighbors probably saw my wife outside and gave my wife some funny looks since my wife took this photo.

From my masculine, analytical standpoint I must say the box design is quite eye appealing. Its simplicity is welcome, its use of Hobo font is impeccable, and it is pleasantly reminiscent of commercial toilet paper wrapping...


Who knows why she's so nuts about this thing. Maybe it has something to do with the velvety flocking, so inviting to the touch, or the cheery, eye-pampering hue, or the luxuriously hinged jaw. She tells me that from now on she'll have no more use for my suddenly brutish novelty skull.


So if, and only if you are a girl, then you can get one of these from Archie McPhee Novelties. They will check I.D.

MY PLACE

Not long ago my sister-in-law snapped a bunch of pictures of my house, and the next thing I knew she managed to get them posted on the always inspiring Apartment Therapy blog. Had I known this would happen, I wouldn't have left my shoes lying on the floor.

I'll spare you the details because my wife filled out a questionnaire for the post that you can find in the write-up. But I will say that truly, we do not put much energy or money into decorating our home. I'll bet we've spent under $2000 on furniture and decor for the entire thing and that's stuff we've accumulated over the course of a decade. (Okay, not counting my collections of goodies.) The coolest stuff in the place (the sectional and vinyl chairs) were gifts from friends. The house itself is marvelously mid-century so we find that the less we interfere with the aesthetics the better.

While you may not be, I was happy to see that my collection of toys, pranks, and other nonsense is barely visible in this set, because one or two shots could have killed dozens of future blog posts.

So if you're curious, here's the photo tour and here's the write-up.

PUTTING ON THE MONKEY GOGGLES

Hip Nip- A flask shaped like a dapper whino,
as featured in my Monkey Goggles article.

The geniuses behind Seattle's Archie McPhee Novelties just kicked off a rip-roaring new web site called Monkey Goggles. Their mission...

"...to present the world as we see it and ignore the things we find boring... we write about the parts of the world that society forgot or does not have the nerve to ponder."

Furthermore, I would like to mirthfully announce that I will be a regular contributor to Monkey Goggles! Please accept this invitation to check out my very first article, "Selections from the 1959 PICO novelty catalog."

THE JOKE'S ON THE CONCHORDS

I've made another breakthrough in my ongoing quest to document every occurrence of S.S. Adams brand pranks and magic tricks in popular entertainment. As you my recall I discovered the Snake in the Peanut Brittle Can on an episode of Bob Newhart earlier this year. This time I've noticed the classic Snake Nut Can in the Flight of the Conchords episode "What Goes On Tour" from Season 1.

Jemaine purchases a pricey peanut snack from the vending unit in his hotel room and the container unmistakably sports the ancient "Fancy Salted Mixed Nuts" graphic from the S.S. Adams gag...


The peculiar thing about this sighting is the fact that there's no snake inside!
They're passing it off as a regular product. I'd love to know if this was a nod to the art of pranking or just the prop master's way of avoiding the use of a brand name. Probably the latter, but it's still cool that they employed the timeless joke on this fantastic television show. It makes sense– the Adams snake nut can has been acting like a regular peanut can for decades.

JOHNSONS PRINT

Hey folks! Just wanted to let you know that Gallery 1988 will be producing a print of The Johnsons, a colored pencil piece I did for the '09 Crazy 4 Cult art show. It will be a signed and numbered Giclée print on triple-fancy archival paper. So you can keep it in your protective archive and remove it post-apocalypse for a few laughs. What is Giclée? I thought it was the French word for "giggly" but then I looked it up on Wikipedia and discovered otherwise.

I don't know the price or release date yet, but a number of you have asked about this one so I figured it's worth a post. I solemnly vow to mention any breaking print information right here.

ART ON TAP

My artistic life has always been inspired by movies, be it my childhood drawings of Tron, my Fantasy Weebles, or my recent work. One of my most thrilling film-influenced endeavors occurred in 2001 when I entered a SPIN magazine contest in which contestants were invited to redesign Spinal Tap's Smell the Glove album cover. Take a look at the original cover and you'll understand why...

(Now I'm feeling stupid for actually going to Amazon.com and pulling this cover image.)

I was still pretty new to design at the time, but I knew I had to give it a shot because the grand prize was a signed guitar and the top five finalists would be critiqued on a webcast by the band themselves.

I tried several approaches, the first one plays off of the scene in the film where David's girlfriend Jeanine suggests that the band start wearing costumes based on their respective astrological signs.

Please pardon the gratuitous Photoshop filters.

I decided it was too tame for Tap (considering their original concept for the cover which was banned by the label) so next I tried to get into the band's mindset and do something that followed the traditional Heavy Metal aesthetic while going for a cheap laugh...

I already regret posting this in public. I am so sorry.

But then another thought occurred to me- given that Spinal Tap is a parody of sorts, why not parody a well known album cover? And so I took this...

And came up with this...

I'd rather not offer an explanation. (Hi Grandma!)

I handpicked the cucumber from the grocery store for this specific purpose. I wrapped it, laid it on my scanner, and with a little bit of Photoshopery, voila!

After agonizing a bit, I chose the cucumber as my official submission. Several months later my life finally gained meaning; I was a finalist...



"Kirk Demarais... man or woman?" On that day my name became part of the extended canon of Spinal Tap jokes, and I continue to transcend space and time. And that last quote, the one about my future, I really want to put that on my business card.

I didn't win the guitar, which was totally fine with me. In addition to the honor you witnessed above I was to receive a This is Spinal Tap DVD, a poster autographed by the whole band, and a T-shirt. But in the usual ill-fated Spinal Tap tradition I ended up getting a VHS tape (after the SPIN intern had emailed me three different times asking which format I preferred), a poster signed by two of them and no shirt. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.


EPILOGUE:

Recently I noticed a link on Laughing Squid about an art show dedicated entirely to Spinal Tap. "Aw man, I would have liked to be a part of that." I thought to myself. Then I looked at the artwork and it's almost as if I was!...

An artist named Lil-Tuffy (who does some really cool work) had the same idea! I'm actually a firm believer in the concept of "parallel development," when the same concept occurs in two or more separate places (sometimes at the same time). So he receives the full benefit of my doubt. But aw, man, it made it even more of a bummer that I didn't participate.

CRAZY 4 CULT 3-D: FAMILY PORTRAITS

Once again I had the honor of contributing a collection of film family portraits (done in colored pencil) to the now annual Crazy 4 Cult art show at Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles. The show begins today and runs until the 8th of August. UPDATE: the entire show can be seen online here.

Here they are (You can click each one for a super-enlargement)...

The Johnsons
based on The Jerk
SOLD! woohoo! To Paul Scheer no less!

In following with the tradition of most movie sequels I decided to go bigger this time— with the biggest family yet. So I turned the face count up to eleven (to take a cue from another favorite cult film.) I like how it depicts an important story/character point, but it's also a sight gag plain and simple. I have to give credit to my friend Jeremy for suggesting this one. I don't know how I was overlooking the possibility. It holds a place of honor on my DVD shelf and is easily one of my all-time favorite films.

The Mitchells
based on The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
SOLD!

Though this is more of a neo-cult movie, I couldn't resist because to me Billy Mitchell is one of the most captivating characters to have ever graced the silver screen; which is even more amazing considering the fact that he's a real person. (But couldn't you see Ben Stiller playing him perfectly?)

Billy was the subject of an artwork by Aiyana Udensen that appeared in one of the I Am 8-Bit shows, which gave me pause, but then I realized I was the one destined to usher the lovely Mrs. Mitchell into the pop art world. I broke from my Olan Mills motif here and tried to venture into Glamour Shots territory. (And thanks goes to Jamey for urging me on this one.)

However, this piece will not be appearing in the show proper because the frame glass broke in the mail and left some marks. (I'm going to touch it up and it will remain available for purchase on the G1988 site. I have touched it up and it has been sold.) I searched extensively for just the right cheapo, gaudy-glamorous frame, so it stands to reason that the glass would betray me.

The Emersons
based on The Lost Boys

I count The Lost Boys among the top five most influential films of my youth. (Incidentally, the others are Pump Up the Volume, The Karate Kid, Footloose, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.) I wanted to see what it might look like if mom would have talked to the boys into a photo shoot in an effort to redefine their post-divorce family unit. I could see Sam (Corey Haim) getting into it (he may have had some say in the cheesy curtain backdrop) while Michael (Jason Patrick) would have had to struggle to tolerate such an outing. Keifer Sutherland's character David might have provided more visual interest, but the notion that he and his dad would ever get together for a photograph was too far fetched.

The Plainviews
based on There Will Be Blood
SOLD!

Yes, another newbie in the film world but the cult of Paul Thomas Anderson is a mighty one. When this notion crossed my mind I liked the idea of spreading this wacky portrait concept into another era, and I grew eager to draw Daniel Day-Lewis's face. The more I studied it the more I wondered if he's ever been kicked by a mule. This only contributes to the fact that when he's on the screen I can't remove my eyes.
I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen the picture, but I love that this moment captures a particular deception, and I positioned the subjects accordingly.

So why these? As was the case with last year's selections, it gave me another chance to create four more love letters to four of my most beloved cinematic productions. I also chose them because family plays a strong role in each of these films.

Interestingly, I happened to discover this week that all the other artists abided by a list of cult films that was designated by Jensen, the curator. Since I was a latecomer both years I managed to miss out on this detail. On one hand it was nice not to be constrained (there might not have been enough families within the list that would work with this particular concept), but I'm cringing as I imagine the other artists saying "Wait a minute, I would have liked to do [film x]! Who does this guy think he is, some creative renegade playing by his own rules?" Well.. maybe it wouldn't be so bad if they thought that.

I spent the month of June (plus a week before and after) immersed in these silly things. It was an interesting and debilitating artistic exercise. Just like last year, I think the outcome is a mixed bag of successes and failures. I often found myself comparing the work to drawing Ziggy comics.. Both are single panel gags in a sense, and the effect I'm hoping for is similar- a momentary grin or perhaps a slight audible expression of pleasure at best. But Tom Wilson, the Ziggy artist, can be thankful that his don't require one third of his summer just to draw four.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. If you're interested in purchasing any of them call call 415.409.1376 (their S.F. location) or 323.937.7088 (their L.A. location) or you could email at Gallery 1988 [at] aol.com

For convenience sake here are my submissions from last year too...

based on The Shining
This piece is being offered by the gallery this year as a signed, limited edition print (50 total). It's 65 bucks. If you're interested, call 415.409.1376 (their S.F. location) or 323.937.7088 (their L.A. location) or email them at Gallery 1988 [at] aol.com.

based on Fargo

based on Poltergeist

(this is the only one from last year that is still available)

based on National Lampoon's Vacation

Check out this post if you care to hear more about the process behind them.

100 MEMBERS

Yes sir, the Secret Fun Blog now has 100 official members! Or is it followers? I don't know but I thank you all for your support! I thought I'd return the love by listing your respective sites below. (This also serves as proof that I've visited every one of them!)

I realize that the vast majority of you readers aren't represented here, but please know that I'm profusely thankful to you as well.

So what benefit is there to being a member/follower? Best I can tell it just makes it easier to integrate a blog into Google Reader. Plus you get to publicly show your allegiance I suppose. Oh, and you also receive my personal admiration. If all of this is in alignment with your desired lifestyle and you'd like to join, then look for the little member's box in the margin on the right side of the page and join away.

So here you go world, have a look at this handsome bunch. I'm so proud...
.
adelessspookyart
jean-francois demers
Strange Jason
Cb
Hollygoyle
John Rozum
Bob
MJwho
JAFO
christine samson
katchaya
CraftDiner
RahneFan
Sue
Anthony
Tanya
prof. grewbeard
skeeeeeetz
Chris
TOMCODY75
Ron R.
Scooby Snakx
Frank
molesteban
Mr. Mantia
Tim Walsh
Dr. Jitters
John Freeman
...
Yogeh
Todd Franklin
tomcornfoot
MODERN NEEDS
horseflesh
Aaron the Truck Driver
Ugly Scott
Aaron
Angelo Vilar
Steven A.
Jessica (Hey Lola)
'77Elizabeth
William Butler Yeaves
Marilyn Roxie
Brandon
The Elevated Observationist
Lubbert Das
Jay Amabile
Vivir en Tucson
typeitasoneword
Waffle Whiffer [Brandon]
Erick
Brian
Das Brick
Phillyradiogeek
merwing
vintage_heat
Monster-Maniac
Nicole
Hawanja
Maria
magikalseasons
little miss ashleigh
~Trix.
Galan y Giles
FunTooSurf
NeatStuff
The Camel's Farmer
Jeremy
GluePenny&FishHead
Jessica Cangiano
Nilay
Nick Savides
Supreme Nothing
AllHallowSteve
chunky B
Pam Hobbs
Stac
Sarah
Stephanie
Dano
Matt Hunter Ross
Darla {Retro Ways}
Dan
Howie Pyro
Atom Kid
Mr. Joatmon
Anthony
Digital Butter
stupid_angel
christi jensen
Lushie Peach
p.nut
OhhBintang!
Patches
jen rarey
Steven Graziano
abbs
Jami Solomon
Michael Sean

If I screwed up and linked to the wrong site, just let me know in the comments. The same goes if you'd prefer that I link to a different site, or if you'd like to be removed from the list for some paranoid reason. Thanks for joining!

SPECIAL UPDATE:
Welcome #101!... Madhypnotist and more...
Melody
Steph
Ron Roxx
Liam
Jbooth
Steve
Becky
(I promise I didn't mean to punish all you RSS readers!)

THE SIGNING OF THE SHINING

Yes, those chimp-like hands are mine, fearfully signing fifty prints of my Torrance family portrait for the Crazy 4 Cult show- fearful of screwing one up. These will be available on July 16th when the third installment of the show opens. You can order yours by calling the gallery at 323.937.7088 or emailing gallery1988 [at] aol.com

I wanted to give the signing event extra significance so I used an old novelty skeleton pencil that I got as a stocking stuffer in 1987. I'm not sure how it relates to the project, but it's more special than a boring ol' #2.

Most of the art I buy comes from flea markets, which explains why I was so blown away by the quality of these prints. The paper is actually thicker than the stuff I used for the original colored pencil piece! They did such a fantastic job.

The original piece currently resides among the private collection of actor Michael Rappaport who has described his typical film roles as "the dumb white guy." How I would love to see the rest of his art. I like envisioning him plucking my piece from his wall and sending it back to the gallery for scanning as he did earlier this summer. I immediately follow this thought with memories of seeing him on the big screen in flicks like Cop Land and Metro. This sort of shorts out my brain.

GOTTLIEB HAUNTED DESKTOP

As a kid, I constantly longed to be wherever video games were, be it the lobby of the grocery store, the local arcade, or ideally, gamer havens like Showbiz Pizza. Even after my supply of quarters was diminished I didn't want to leave the comfort of those warm, buzzing monolith-like machines. I often found myself among them with nothing to do but study their demo screens and cabinet art (and finger the little garage-like coin return slots for stray quarters.)

One of the most inviting, most intriguing images I ever encountered among those electronic wonders was the backglass for Gottieb's 1982 masterwork of pinball, Haunted House. Its stunning rendition of the classic Victorian haunted abode was illustrated by Terry Doerzaph (who also did cabinet graphics for Q*bert). The typeface is gorgeous, the color choices are unexpected, and the entire piece has a flawless quality. And how amazing is that cluster of floating skulls in the window? The answer is very.

I was recently overjoyed to find a beautiful, high-res scan of the art on this site. Of course my first move was to use it as desktop wallpaper. I started with the entire thing (as seen above) and later I cropped it for a closer view (see below). I invite you to click on either of the images (for larger versions) and grab it as well. It's such a welcoming sight every time I sit down for some good ol' computing.

More images of the machine are here and here. See also this screenprint by Sam Chivers inspired by the piece.

CRAZY 4 CULT 3-D

Awesome illustration by Dave Perillo

One big reason it's been so quiet around here this month is that I've been hard workin' on a new set of cult film family portraits for this year's Crazy 4 Cult show! I'll reveal the set right here in conjunction with the show's opening on July 16th. I'm also happy to report that prints of one of my pieces from last year, The Torrances, are currently in production thanks to Gallery 1988. Naturally I'll post more on that as soon as they're ready. In the meantime I must...keep...drawing...

UPDATE: My contributions can be seen here.

THE SIGNTIST

This is impossibly cool– Secret Fun Blog reader Kevin Anetsberger has lovingly translated some vintage signage that has previously appeared on this blog into its pure, beautiful, vectorized form.

The pizza-approving gentlemen seen above came from a photo from my trip to Pizza Parlour in Fort Smith, Arkansas....


Kevin also adapted their amazing logo...



Wow, it's such a joy to see those letters dance on the screen.

Additionaly, he immortalized the type from this doomed sign for a local strip mall...



Ahhhhhh, just the sight of those pristine characters takes me to design-geek nirvana. His timing couldn't be better because the original sign was sadly replaced with a heinous revision just this month. But thanks to Kevin it shall be preserved for generations of web surfers.

Mr. Anetsberger also serves the world by offering vintage record albums on his blog and retouching album artwork for Kiddie Records Weekly.

Thanks Kevin for restoring these obscure masterworks of typhography to their full glory!

COLLECT ALL 21!

I'd like to point out Collect All 21!- Memoirs of a Star Wars Geek by John Booth for two reasons. One is to simply show off the cover that I re-designed for it. When I saw his original cover I was instantly enamored by his decision to cleverly utilize the classic Kenner proof of purchase as a design element. It's a brilliant move because it serves as a litmus test of its potential readers. Put simply, if you recognize it then the book is for you.

These little discs were printed on the blister cards of each Star Wars action figure, and they proved more valuable than money to Star Wars-collecting kids because a pile of them could be exchanged for exclusive mail away offers. (One of which granted early access to the infamous fan favorite, Boba Fett.) If you're not among the book's target audience it's just a blue and white circle containing some wonky font choices. But even in that case, the image hints at an appropriate planet-like orb.

More important than all that is the fact that this book is highly entertaining and well written. And here's the truly amazing thing about it— it's full of all of your own memories. Really! I spend half the time reading, and the other half experiencing long-forgotten Star Wars flashbacks. It has sent pulses into my brain that are reawakening moments and stories that have been dormant for decades. And when you enjoy visiting the past as often as I do, that's no small feat. As an added bonus, in many cases these thoughts are triggering non-Lucasfilm related retrospection too. A few pages can send me into a warm bath of childhood wonder.

So if you've ever used scissors on your Star Wars toy packaging then you may just want to order yourself a copy.

SECRET FUN INTERVIEW

Me (at age 4) and my uncle Cliff after a successful trip to the Disney World magic shop.

To celebrate the induction of my Life of the Party book into the Archie McPhee catalog, I did an interview for their Slightly Less Disappointing Blog. In it, I trace my obsession with toy and prank collecting back to its origins and I plot my infiltration of the S.S. Adams company.

If you care to hear me ramble on about some of the most pointless aspects of life on yet another site then definitely check it out!