You Are What You Were. Celebrate Retro Pop Culture At Retroland.
When you are in need of some quick advice, what better place to turn than to a trusted, all-knowing billiard accessory. For more than 50 years, people have been posing questions to the Magic 8 Ball, a toy that is never at a loss for words and ready to offer enigmatic solutions to all of life’s problems with a quick shake and a glance into the murky window of destiny. Let’s take a look back at this classic toy.
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There are a number of candies that just seem like they have always been here. And that's because their invention far exceeds any of our lifespans. And if you ever wanted to know what the oldest continually-produced candy in America is, look no further than those powdery quarter-shaped wafers, known the world over as Necco.
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She was the caretaker, the warden, the sweet woman who held all of the cards. She could bandage you up when you took a nasty spill on the playground, or, more importantly, grant you a reprieve for the day. She was the school nurse, entrusted with the health of the children and given the unenviable task of deciding who was really sick and who was faking. Let's take a loving look back at this essential caregiver from our childhood.
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If anyone ever discovered the location of the mythical fountain of youth, it was Dick Clark. Over many a decade, his seemingly inability to age led to the nation affectionately dubbing him "America's teenager". Host of American Bandstand for three decades, and the man who collectively led us into every New Year's celebration for forty years, Dick Clark was nothing short of an icon, beloved by millions.
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Some say it’s hard to keep a good man down. Nothing more true could be said about Army Men: green plastic soldiers fixed to a molded base, which stand defiant in the face of oppression, tyranny, and latent childhood aggression - as they have for over fifty years. Let's take a look back at these valiant toy servicemen from yesteryear.
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What a travesty it would be to have a circus without a clown – something no less odd than a western without a horse. Such was the dilemma on the popular children’s show, Puppet Playhouse, featuring host, Buffalo Bob Smith and a lovable puppet named Howdy Doody. Taking place within a circus big-top setting, the show had everything a kid could ever want – except for a clown. That’s where Clarabell comes in...
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It didn’t take a rocket science to predict that the legendary Marvel Comics superhero, Spiderman, would eventually show up on the Saturday morning airwaves. And from the moment it first aired in 1967, the cartoon was destined to be a classic. With legendary animator Ralph Bakshi supervising the production and a swinging theme song so catchy it adhered to the brain cells as securely as Spidey climbing a skyscraper, it was pretty clear from the get-go that Spiderman would find a loyal following.
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The folks at Rankin/Bass produced some of the most memorable Christmas specials of all time, featuring their innovative use of stop-motion animation in such hits as Santa Claus is Coming to Town and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. But they turned to a more traditional hand-drawn medium to weave their fanciful tale about a snowman who comes to life, thanks to a magic hat, in their 1969 classic, Frosty the Snowman.
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Earthlings have long held an affinity for the jolly bearded fellow in the red suit that hands out Christmas presents each year. Is it any wonder that other planets might just be a little jealous that we haven’t shared St. Nick with the rest of the galaxy? Well, that all changed in 1964, when the Martians took matters into their own hands in the campy sci-fi classic, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. It might not have given Citizen Kane a run for its money in terms of quality, but that hasn’t stopped numerous generations from gleefully embracing this one-of-a-kind B-movie that remains popular to this day.
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Trains have long held a nostalgic place in people’s hearts. Walt Disney was particularly enthralled by them and made sure to include them prominently in Disneyland, as well as having his own private railroad in the backyard of his Beverly Hills home. Of course, most folks don’t exactly enjoy the freedom to do things quite on the same grand scale as Walt, but Lionel Trains have allowed many a train lover to enjoy the experience of having their very own railroad, running in the privacy of their own home. And they have been doing so for over 100 years now, with no signs of running out of steam.
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