No advertisements to own a nuclear sub or army tank can be found nowadays. No longer could you sell seeds in your spare time and get a new record palyer. The company is still around and thriving today online. Nobody cared about seeing the yolk of an egg or the lead in a pencil like the ad trumpeted. Accolades comics featuring steve keene thrillseeker 1987. Comic book ads xray specs and the beyond be a real man, learn karate. Apr 19, 2020 these ads have a unique place in comic book history, as they went on to inspire an actual comic book character. Classic comic ads neverending cache of disappointment. Classic comic ads neverending cache of disappointment wired.
I was never really a fan of the stories except superman and richie rich, but for some reason i loved the advertisements. Sep 29, 2011 generations of comic book readers remember the tantalizing promises of vintage novelty advertisements that offered authentic lasergun plans, x ray specs, and even 7foottall monsters with glow. Generations of comic book readers remember the tantalizing promises of vintage novelty advertisements that offered authentic lasergun plans, xray specs, and even 7foottall monsters with glow. Jul 28, 2017 old comic book ads x ray specs sea monkeys kit charles atlas workout if something seems to good to be true. Here weve got another installment from our friends at fun factory see a 1980 ad from them here. Old comic book ads xray specs sea monkeys kit charles atlas workout if something seems to good to be true. Products offered included novelty items, toys, and selfimprovement courses such as drawing and body building.
Having to be so cynical see more ideas about vintage comic books, vintage comics and comic books. Weve been selling comics since 1961 our first sale. Charles atlas one of the most famous comic book ads in existence. Who can forget the charles atlas ads, the xray specks, sea monkeys, or. The ads were so exotic to me, particularly the xray specs because we couldnt order anything as we were in australia. One thing has stayed consistent in western world comic books, however, and thats the often bizarre advertisements. I got a pair of x ray specs from a local joke shop a few. In this ad they have fewer items, but devote more space to each one.
He has included over 150 novelties in mailorder mysteries such as 100 toy soldiers in a footlocker, count dantes worlds. Then you step up to dennis the menaceesque shenanigans like smoke bombs and joy. The ad that stoked every young comic book readers imagination was the one for xray specs. Some versions of the advertisement featured an illustration of a young man using the x ray specs to examine the bones in his hand while a voluptuous woman stood in the background, as though awaiting her turn to be x rayed. Vintage comic book ads that were too good to be true. These ads offered kids the opportunity to see through everything from fingers, an eggshell, and possibly even clothing all for the cost of a dollar. Generations of comic book readers remember the tantalizing promises of vintage novelty advertisements that offered authentic lasergun plans, x ray specs, and even 7foottall monsters with glowinthedark eyes. Jul 01, 2019 the ad that stoked every young comic book readers imagination was the one for xray specs. Comic book ads from the1950s and 1960s barrys pearls of. The strange history of comic book advertisements syfy wire. Mailorder mysteries reveals the real products behind.
The brand advertised heavily in comic books and on tv and led many unsuspecting unathletic kids to believe that all they needed to not be chosen. Here are 10 comic book ads that destroyed your faith in mankind before you hit puberty 10. Accolades comics is so much like a real comic book youll be looking for the sea monkey and xray specs ads. This is why as kids, every so often wed come across an ad in a comic book, for something we knew was too good to be true. Its well known, and there is a whole industry that thrives on it. How a feral squirrelmonkey attacked its new owner, why a submarine disintegrated on the front lawn, how xray specs caused nothing but confusion and. Its not until the comic shifts from the 30s to the 40s, gaining international success, that we. In terms of suggestiveness its hard to beat hrm the sega ads from uk comic viz. But if you look in older comic books youll see a treasure trove of sneaky ads. Charles atlas was certainly an inspiration to puny peter parker types, though i lean more towards the xray specs which allowed you to checkout the goods prior to unwrapping. All these could be yours for just a few bucks and some proofsofpurchase via the ad pages of. Polaris nuclear sub how proud you will be as commander of.
Comic book ads x ray specs and the beyond be a real man, learn karate. While print comic books have never really taken off as an advertising vehicle you may remember the ads for sea monkeys and xray specs many in the industry feel digital could change that. Here are some of my favorite comic book ads that ive come across in my collection. In the mailorder mysteries, kirk demarais supplies a chronicle of the more popular and infamous products. Some versions of the advertisement featured an illustration of a young man using the xray specs to examine the bones in his hand while a voluptuous woman stood in the background, as though awaiting her turn to be xrayed. Comic book ads from the1950s and 1960s i do miss old comics. What year did marvel stop using cheap paper for their books.
Comics and graphic novels have given us many famous and notable advertisements through the years. How a feral squirrelmonkey attacked its new owner, why a submarine disintegrated on the front lawn, how x ray specs caused nothing but confusion and other crazy comic book advertising stories. X ray specs were long advertised with the slogan see the bones in your hand, see through clothes. May 31, 2018 one thing has stayed consistent in western world comic books, however, and thats the often bizarre advertisements. Xray specs were long advertised with the slogan see the bones in your hand, see through clothes. Sometimes after that, on impulse i bought something at the grocery store, by the early 90s newsprint was gone. The ad states that a squirrel monkey can make an adorable pet and companion, but a monkey.
With all the existing distribution and other problems, i dont think this would work. Just as well, i probably would have blown a bunch of money on this crap. Referencing the early issues of action comics, widely considered to be the first superhero comic, there are barely any ads at all. Classic comic ads neverending cache of disappointment from x ray specs to polaris nuclear submarines, the amazing products advertised in classic comics never failed to capture kids imaginations. In just nine short ads, the products offered go from mundane, to mischievous, to madness. But still, wed put money in an envelope and four to. Yes i know they were pants now but at the time i imagined these things really worked. Are you telling me that those glasses i bought from the comic. You can read here an account of a man who ordered a monkey from a comic book. A polaris submarinemore than seven feet longwhich i dreamt of traveling in along the forthclyde canal, avoiding the ghostly weeds, the garbage, discarded shopping trolleys, and the imaginary gangsterspale, bloated and tethered to weighty blocks of concrete. This 3d nude scanner app is a prank, but its still too hot for tv remember those xray spex ads from comic books. Posts about xray glasses written by comicbookadsblog. Notable comic book advertisements concept comic vine.
In todays comic books you dont see the advertisements you used to no ads with outrageous promises to be taller or more muscular. Cheesy ads promoting questionable items have appeared throughout the history of comic books. That, or comic book titles would have to be bundled up into one book, much like japanese manga. Pay no attention to the onion flavored chewing gum. Lets all be honest for a minute and stop pretending that any one of us actually wanted to use xray specs for any purpose other than seeing people naked. From many of the comic book lists on this site you can tell is big supporter of comic books. As these advertisements were directed at young people, many made sensational claims, and sold the products for a few dollars to be sent to a post office box. Monkeys, sea monkeys, xray specsstrange, unnatural powers. Airport screeners could get xrated xray views the new.
Their comic book ads were typically full page in size and usually in the inside front or back covers. I remember 95% of all these ads and always wondered why doctors didnt use the x ray specs to see if you had a broken bone. The strange world of comic book ads say no to crack. When i was a kid, my brother collected comic books.
These old comic book ads give new meaning to weird screen rant. From a dogeared pile of yellowing comic books found in an old box at the back of the haunted closet, a collection of comic book ads that both tantalized and intrigued me, then and now. Lets all be honest for a minute and stop pretending that any one of us actually wanted to use x ray specs for any purpose other than seeing people naked. Im talking about xray specs and all those other wonderful treasures one can find in the comic book advertisements. Cheesy ads promoting all sorts of questionable items have appeared throughout the history of comic books. I had the greedy green hand bank and can remember going through all those ads coveting all the rubber bats, flying ghosts and other cheap dissappointing junk that was hyped up. Digital comics show potential as ad platform clickz. In the comics of fifties onwards, among the myriad of adverts for sea monkeys, xray specs and other such dubious products the likes of charles atlas and joe weider exhorted the youth of the day to exchange with their cash in exchange for muscles, girls and getting their own back on the bully boy.
In the lavish mailorder mysteries, demarais supplies a chronicle of the more popular and infamous products. All these could be yours for just a few bucks and some proofsofpurchase via the ad pages of your favorite comic. Fantastic ads like these ruled the back of my beloved comic books with every issue. These old comic book ads give new meaning to weird. Classic comic ads neverending cache of disappointment from xray specs to polaris nuclear submarines, the amazing products advertised in classic comics never. Far more than just a mere listing, each item includes the original ad, a picture of the actual item, and exploratory text broken into three or four parts. Comic book advertisements are a common feature in american comic books mainly from the 1940s onwards. See more ideas about vintage comics, vintage comic books and vintage ads. Mailorder mysteries reveals the real products behind comic. Monkeys, sea monkeys, x ray specs strange, unnatural powers.
Nov 15, 2011 generations of comic book readers remember the tantalizing promises of vintage novelty advertisements that offered authentic lasergun plans, x ray specs, and even 7foottall monsters with glowinthedark eyes. These classic ads in the back of comic books tricked kids from the 50s through the 80s. I want to screen print some tote bags with old mail order ads from my childhood. Who can forget the charles atlas ads, the x ray specks, sea monkeys, or the mysterious grab bag. This ad introduced the 98 pound weakling, named mac, who birthed the cliche of having sand kicked into his face by a bully. With every turn of the page youll be treated to characters illustrated in painstaking comic book detail, then brought to life via accolades renowned animation. Aug 17, 2010 while print comic books have never really taken off as an advertising vehicle you may remember the ads for sea monkeys and x ray specs many in the industry feel digital could change that. Magic cards and boomerangs are harmless enough unless the boomerang finds itself in the wrong hands. I am looking at a copy of an ad that ran in the back of comic books in the 1950s and early 1960s. I got a pair of xray specs from a local joke shop a few years ago. Half these xray specs ads seem to be emphasizing the possibility of seeing through a ladies dress. Polaris nuclear sub how proud you will be as commander of your own polaris sub the most. Im using the book mail order mysteries for inspiration, but wonder what ads do you all remember most fondly. Old comic book ads xray specs sea monkeys kit charles.
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