Battlefields Of The Imagination!
Adorning most of the comic books of my early years were copious ads enticing money from the pockets of youngsters already ensnared in the imaginative adventures of some hero or other. They fed on the notion that the impulses demanding action which fed the bristling imaginations of youth would extend yet further. These ads were often well crafted, sometime by the same talents which made the comic story itself, a published variation of the 80's action hero cartoons which blended commerce and entertainment in arguably less than purely fair ways for fanciful youngsters. The classic Roman soldiers ad above by Russ Heath is the most exquisite example. I for my part was made immune to these cries for more money because I simply did not have any more to give. As paltry a sum as a buck ninety-eight seems today it was nearly a full month of comics back then.
Above are many of the classic ads which decorated the comics, the Revolutionary soldiers ad again made by Russ Heath. For all the adventure and excitement they promised to naive youngsters, the truth of them was something else again.
The secret of these ads, the thing which made them viable was that the soldiers whether Roman, Medieval, modern, or Revolutionary were all two-dimensional -- they were flat and so being were easily crammed into small boxes and so delivered on the numbers promised. Was it a cheat? Far less than many of these ads found in comics I think, you got soldiers and and being toys they could be played with. That's fair enough I suppose, though sleight of hand is involved still.
These ads are fondly remembered by folks of my vintage, so much so that parodies such as the one above give a neat chuckle and a warm feeling in the nostalgic heart.
Rip Off
Those are some of the most iconic ads of my youth, loved them all although cant fully recall the Astroforce once which is strange as I would have loved them. Bit disappointing to see the were flat but I'm sure if I had managed to get them I would have loved them. That Nail Order Mysteries book is looking interesting reading so I might look for that once shops open in Scotland and or the UK.
ReplyDeleteThe ads were sometimes more fascinating than the comics truth told. The book is a dandy and covers a lot more than I've pointed to, such as a lot of the merchandise in connection with monsters. It showcases the ad, describes and pictures the product and then rates the level of possible pleasure or disappointment between those two. Wonderful book to pick up and flip through during a commercial or something like that.
DeleteAnd if you were getting DC comics in the Silver Age you'd get discount (or free?) tickets to the Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey, which might as well have been Mars for most of us. Seems like those things ran for years.
ReplyDeleteThis is a fun video and a cool channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhyf9Hh3FHQ&t=3s
On my one (I suspect only) trip to New York City I passed the Palisades Amusement Park on the way home, or at least an indicator of where it was and I was transported back in time. Like you say, it might as well have been another planet.
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