Notable comic book advertisements concept comic vine. There are no monkeys in the sea and xray vision will cost you more than. 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. How a feral squirrelmonkey attacked its new owner, why a submarine disintegrated on the front lawn, how xray specs caused nothing but confusion and other crazy comic book advertising stories. Comic book ads from the1950s and 1960s barrys pearls of. Remember those vintage comicbook ads for xray specs and sea monkeys. 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. Its a classic ad that also got a sequel where a new weakling, jack, is bullied at a school dance instead of a beach. In reality, it began much, much further back in other countries. A dollar bought four issues of adladen comic book stories. For instance, in japan, scrolls that were very much like comic books, in storytelling if not in format, have been around for.
Of course, xray spex caught my attention because i loved the. See more ideas about vintage advertisements, comic books and ads. A dollar bought four issues of ad laden comic book stories. Listen to under the influence from cbc radio episodes free, on demand. Yes i know they were pants now but at the time i imagined these things really worked. Belmont dc disney dragon lady nostalgia egypt empire comics empire stamp estell comics golden state comics h. Airport screeners could get xrated xray views the new. There are some wholl say that xray specs illos are the zenith of oldtimey kidtargeted comics advertising. Old comic book ads that were total scams kryptonite. Jul 01, 2019 the ad that stoked every young comic book readers imagination was the one for xray specs. 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 glowinthedark eyes. Darling pet munkees songs based on old comic book ads.
Classic comic ads neverending cache of disappointment wired. 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. Generations of comic book readers remember the tantalizing promises of vintage novelty advertisements that offered authentic lasergun plans, xray specs, and. All these could be yours for just a few bucks and some proofsofpurchase via the ad pages of your favorite comic. To say that ad was slightly misleading would be an. 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. Accolades comics is so much like a real comic book youll be looking for the sea monkey and x ray specs ads. Comic book advertisements are a common feature in american comic books mainly from the 1940s onwards. May 31, 2018 much of what we discuss when we talk about comics in this country is from an incredibly westernized viewpoint, often crediting the origin of sequential storytelling as having taken place in the 30s.
Imagine being able to see what crap people have stuffed in their pockets, or rooting out shoplifters with a quick glance around the store. These old comic book ads give new meaning to weird screen. A world where seamonkeys could be trained, xray specs saw through clothes, charles atlas taught bodybuilding secrets and oneday karate courses could be yours for just a dollar. Part or even most of the novelty value lies in provoking the object of the wearers attentions.
Comics and graphic novels have given us many famous and notable advertisements through the years. In terms of suggestiveness its hard to beat hrm the sega ads from uk comic viz. Mar 02, 2020 remember when you were a kid and you saw all those comic book ads for xray specs promising they would let you see under a womans clothes. Who can forget the charles atlas ads, the xray specks, sea monkeys, or the mysterious grab bag. The ad states that a squirrel monkey can make an adorable pet and companion, but a monkey. At least, thats what vintage comicbook ads would have you believe. Everyone wanted xray specs, but this was when i started to doubt the veracity of these ads. Sea monkeys, xray specs, and more attacking the young imagination with advertising copy.
Besides the 7footlong polaris nuclear sub, there were the x ray vision specs and the hypnocoin and the electric. Xray specs caused nothing but confusion and other crazy comic book advertising stories. 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. Nobody cared about seeing the yolk of an egg or the lead in a pencil like the ad trumpeted. Oct 03, 2011 darling pet munkees songs based on old comic book ads. Advertisements in comic books have promised unbelievable products for decades. Polaris nuclear sub how proud you will be as commander of your own polaris sub the most. Mailorder mysteries reveals the real products behind comic. 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. But if you look in older comic books youll see a treasure trove of sneaky ads, crazy claims.
Most of them were nothing but snake oil and empty promises, but roxanne carter, an aspiring writer with a closeted fatfetish, lets her curiosity get the best of her when she sees an ad that claims it can make her wildest fantasy a reality. Fantastic ads like these ruled the back of my beloved comic books with every issue. Much of what we discuss when we talk about comics in this country is from an incredibly westernized viewpoint, often crediting the origin of sequential storytelling as having taken place in the 30s. Comic book ad archive sea monkeys, charles atlas, etc. No advertisements to own a nuclear sub or army tank can be found nowadays.
Remember when you were a kid and you saw all those comic book ads for xray specs promising they would let you see under a womans clothes. The good news was you were never at a loss to buy xray specs. Accolades comics is so much like a real comic book youll be looking for the sea monkey and xray specs ads. Comic book ads xray specs and the beyond be a real man, learn karate.
Besides the 7footlong polaris nuclear sub, there were the x. Comic book adds were one of the few pleasures we never knew we were having in the 70s and 80s. 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. I got a pair of xray specs from a local joke shop a few years ago.
Xray glasses were definitely not what they claimed to be, disappointing many by proving to be nothing more than a couple of pieces of cardboard. No, you cant see through womens clothes with a pair of cheap cardboard glasses, you perv. Trust me, these were no longer in mint condition, either. In todays comic books you dont see the advertisements you used to no ads with outrageous promises to be taller or more muscular. Ads for xray glasses encouraged junior peeping toms. Posts about xray glasses written by comicbookadsblog. Old comic book ads xray specs sea monkeys kit charles atlas workout if something seems to good to be true. S7e07 archive comic book ads from under the influence.
Nov 17, 2018 on the back page of my superman comic book were all kinds of cool stuff for sale. That responsibility is sacred in our society, which is why only the. These ads have a unique place in comic book history, as they went on to inspire an actual comic book character. Charles atlas wanted comic readers to get shredded. I remember 95% of all these ads and always wondered why doctors didnt use the xray specs to see if you had a broken bone. The strange history of comic book advertisements syfy wire. Collecting the bizarre stuff sold in the back of comic books. I supposed the optical illusion disclaimer shouldve been a tipoff, but hey, who paid attention to fine print when the. Comic book ads x ray specs and the beyond be a real man, learn karate.
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. X ray specs, sea monkeys monster size monsters, darling pet monkey, and more. Pop art vintage, vintage comic books, vintage comics, vintage ads, vintage posters, creepy vintage, retro ads, retro advertising, old advertisements. On the back page of my superman comic book were all kinds of cool stuff for sale. Dec 17, 2015 pay no attention to the onion flavored chewing gum. Comic book advertisements are a common feature in american comic books mainly from the. The ad that stoked every young comic book readers imagination was the one for xray specs. Is there any type of xray glasses we could use to see people. Classic comic ads neverending cache of disappointment from xray specs to polaris nuclear submarines, the amazing products advertised in classic comics never failed to capture kids imaginations. Its a normal thought, i just wondered if they took an xray machine and attached glasses to it, and made it run more. 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.
I supposed the optical illusion disclaimer shouldve been a tipoff, but hey, who paid attention to fine print when the prospect. With every turn of the page youll be treated to characters illustrated in painstaking comic book detail, then brought to. Accolades comics featuring steve keene thrillseeker 1987. 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. Sea monkeys and xray specs 5 mail order scams from. Aside from the creep factor look through womens clothes. Just as well, i probably would have blown a bunch of money on this crap. Comic book ads are the nadir of capitalism, where the ability to blatantly deceive through advertising is exacerbated by the fact the audience is young children. My cousin got me hooked on the comic book monkey with his old marvel comics collection. Monkeys, sea monkeys, xray specsstrange, unnatural powers. Sep 25, 2019 remember those vintage comicbook ads for xray specs and sea monkeys. I always wanted to have a pair of glasses to use for the tv and you could wear them and see everyone naked. Old comic book ads that were total scams it was a simpler time. X ray specs were long advertised with the slogan see the bones in your hand, see through clothes.
This ad introduced the 98 pound weakling, named mac, who birthed the cliche of having sand kicked into his face by a bully. 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. These classic ads in the back of comic books tricked kids from the 50s through the 80s. Here weve got another installment from our friends at fun factory see a 1980 ad from them here. Jul, 2014 old comic book ads x ray specs sea monkeys kit charles atlas workout duration. 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.
Comic book ads from the 60s book advertising, vintage comic. Advertisements and packaging usually state that xray specs operate by illusion, often in smaller print below the xray claims. The ads were so exotic to me, particularly the xray specs because we couldnt order anything as we were in australia. Xray specs 5 mail order scams from magazine and comic ads. 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. A world where seamonkeys could be trained, x ray specs saw through clothes, charles atlas taught bodybuilding secrets and oneday karate courses could be yours for just a dollar. Charles atlas one of the most famous comic book ads in existence. 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. This week, we explore the fascinating world of comic book advertising.
May 27, 2019 can you remember these ads on the back of comics. Vintage comic book ads that were too good to be true. Yepthe games up now this looked possible so i painted a coin like this and wasted hours trying hypnotize the neighbors dog selling the militaryindustrial complex. I am looking at a copy of an ad that ran in the back of comic books in the 1950s and early 1960s.
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