See more ideas about comic books, vintage advertisements and classic comics. There was another popular comic book scheme of the dayamerican seeds. Its a classic ad that also got a sequel where a new weakling, jack, is bullied at a school dance instead of a beach. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. The strange history of comic book advertisements syfy wire. Charles atlas one of the most famous comic book ads in existence. Old comic book ads xray specs sea monkeys kit charles atlas workout duration. Todays is from the 60s, then weve got this one from the 70s and this one from the 80s wow, just look at how happy that kid is with his sack full of cash.
Theres little information on why this practice ceased, although one presumes it might have something to do with the increased focus on child labor laws in the 70s. Comic book advertisements the classic comics forum. Vintage comic book ads that were too good to be true. Selling grit, which practically sold itself according to the ads, would. Popular british comic books of the 70s and 80s brit life. May 31, 2018 from the 40s to the 70s, ads for grit would appear regularly in comics, not necessarily offering subscriptions but recruiting newsboys to sell their paper for them. By the time love and war was published at the end of 1986, frank miller was already something of a household name in the comic book industry, having completed his initial celebrated run on daredevils monthly book years prior and having just a few months previous issued the legendary and massively influential the dark knight returns fourissue. Monster fun was a shortlived comic from the mid70s that focused primarily on ghosts and ghoulies. Did you ever sell grit or order 200 plastic army men. From the 40s to the 70s, ads for grit would appear regularly in comics, not necessarily offering subscriptions but recruiting newsboys to sell their paper for them. I wanted what i thought they were selling very, very badly though.
Comic book ads from the1950s and 1960s barrys pearls of. Jul 24, 2014 a lot of ads in old comic books just wanted your money. Monster fun was a shortlived comic from the mid 70s that focused primarily on ghosts and ghoulies. The lifesize frankenstein even as a little kid i somehow knew that this one would be too good to be true. Popular british comic books of the 70s and 80s it was a sad occasion for all of 3 days when i was 11 years old and i had to go to hospital to have my appendix removed. Comic books published between 1970 to 1985 belong to the bronze age of comics. George has the story of one fan who bought one, which resulted in an er visit and 28 stitches. Posts about 1970s comic book ads written by the vintage toy advertiser.
Approximately 30,000 children collected dimes from more than 700,000 american small town homes during the 1950s when the publication still carried the subtitle, americas greatest family newspaper. Almost every comic book in the 1970s had ads recruiting boys to sell grit newspapers in their hometowns to earn a little money. Generations of comic book readers remember the tantalizing promises of vintage novelty advertisements that offered authentic lasergun plans, xray specs, and even. Anybody remember that newspaper that used to advertise in comic books in the 60s and 70s, trying to get kids to be paperboys for them. Grit is a magazine, formerly a weekly newspaper, popular in the rural u. Heck, this book even includes a feature on grit, the family newspaper that lured generations of comic fans into selling its tabloid door to door with the promise of cash and prizes. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can.
Jan 16, 2017 posts about 1970s comic book ads written by the vintage toy advertiser. How many of us who grew up in the 1960s and early 70s were lured by those enticing ads promising. Comic book adverts of the 1960s 70s its been so long since ive opened up a new comic book, i dont even know if they still run ads anymore. Mailorder mysteries book by kirk demarais official. Obviously being a superhero was not all it was crackedup to be. You could either keep a 10 cent gratuity per seed pack sold or earn points toward a fabulous prize like a chemistry set. Dec 14, 2016 heck, this book even includes a feature on grit, the family newspaper that lured generations of comic fans into selling its tabloid door to door with the promise of cash and prizes. Comic books from the 70s, 80s and 90s do you remember. Approximately 30,000 children collected dimes from more than 700,000 american small town homes during the 1950s when the publication still carried the subtitle. Jul 07, 2015 grit and atlas and other comic book ads. Young boys reading superhero comics saw a lot of body building ads and ads to get taller, thinner, and richer.
Classic comic ads neverending cache of disappointment comic book ads that always. Jun 21, 2011 there was another popular comic book scheme of the dayamerican seeds. Look at some inside pages by clicking customer images under the cover. Treasures from vintage comic book ads is a very real new book, written by kirk demarais, that reveals the amazing truths and agonizing exaggerations about the actual products marketed to comicreading kids in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Grit and atlas and other comicbook ads the classic. I didnt join this particular record club, but i eventually had many of these albums. Cheesy ads promoting all sorts of questionable items have appeared throughout the history of comic books. Todays is from the 60s, then weve got this one from the 70s and this one from the 80s. This early 70s ad always intrigued me, as i was just getting into music thanks to my brand newwait for ittransistor radio. Get the best deals on superman bronze age comics 1970 1983.
Most ads in comic books today are for video games, cartoons, other comic book. Sep 10, 2014 comic book adverts of the 1960s70s its been so long since ive opened up a new comic book, i dont even know if they still run ads anymore. Its well known, and there is a whole industry that thrives on it. How many of us who grew up in the 1960s and early 70s were. Comic book ads xray specs and the beyond be a real man, learn karate. My enthusiasm for imitating peter parker always ended in disaster and bruised limbs. Doug wildey is known to a generation of fans as the man who designed johnny quest for television, but his comic book accomplishments are as a western artist par excellence.
See more ideas about vintage advertisements, ads and vintage ads. This is why as kids, every so often wed come across an ad in a. The 70s was an decade when even the most exploitative sounding comics should end up being transcendent, when writers were free to create some of the most bizarre and amazing superhero comics. And when i thought about it further it seemed a rather silly career optionthere was no pay, no pension. During the first threequarters of the 20th century, grit was sold across the country by children and teenagers, many recruited by ads in comic books from the 1940s to the 1970s. Mailorder mysteries reveals the real products behind comic. A comical ad in richie rich comic books aimed to recruit more young salesmen, suggesting that richies. Comic book adverts of the 1960s70s its been so long since ive opened up a new comic book, i dont even know if they still run ads anymore. Back to menu comic book mail order ads offered toy selections for all ages. These ads were in almost every comic book i remember. In the lavish mailorder mysteries, demarais supplies a chronicle of the more popular and infamous products. If they dont, its a shame, because a lot of the enjoyment came from these strange little adverts directed at kids. This ad introduced the 98 pound weakling, named mac, who birthed the cliche of having sand kicked into his face by a bully. 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.
And when i thought about it further it seemed a rather silly career optionthere was no pay. Mailorder mysteries and hey skinny are both instant nostalgia. If todays generation y and zers accuse us baby boomers of being cynical and distrustful, well, i for one blame it all on comic books. From the 40s to the 70s, ads for grit would appear regularly in comics, not necessarily offering subscriptions but recruiting newsboys to sell. We now have examples of grit ads from three different decades. Great advertisements from the golden age of comic books, a large size paperback that reprints in colour comic book ads from the forties and fifties. Sep 20, 2016 impressively informed and informative, profusely illustrated, exceptionally well written, thoroughly reader friendly in tone, content and commentary, comic book fever. Kirk demarais is a freelance creator and author of life of the party, a visual history of the s. These classic ads in the back of comic books tricked kids from the 50s through the 80s. The period was marked with complex stories that had more realistic character conflicts, as well as some moral ambiguity. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options.
I actually sold christmas cards throughout the 70s and 80s, as a kid, answered the ads out of comic books to get my start. I was never going to be spidermanno matter how i tried to swing from washing lines or scale neighborhood walls or tumble out of trees. Comic book fever a love letter to 70s and 80s comics. They advertised in pretty much every comic book and would send a kid the seed packets on the honor system. After two careers, first as a comic artist, then as a designer and storyboard artist, wildey returned to the industry in the early 80s with rio, a beautiful, naturalistic. Impressively informed and informative, profusely illustrated, exceptionally well written, thoroughly reader friendly in tone, content and commentary, comic book fever. Grit and atlas and other comicbook ads the classic comics.
Jan 24, 20 young boys reading superhero comics saw a lot of body building ads and ads to get taller, thinner, and richer. He wrote and directed flip, an awardwinning short film inspired by mailorder novelties, and he codirected foot, an animated film distributed by bobblehead maker funko. More than 150 extraordinary, peculiar, and downright fraudulent collectibles are. Other genres like horror became widespread during this period, beginning the transition to the current tone and trends in comic books.