All together now...
THE HOLIDAYS AREN'T OVER UNTIL I SAY THEY ARE!
Stuff we give... and (...deep down, if we're really and truly being honest with our greedy and materialistic selves) stuff we get!
And, in what is clearly the most tenuous connection I've yet made in this series of "Extended Holiday Posts", can ya get MORE STUFF from a single comic book ad page than this one from TWEETY AND SYLVESTER # 47 (Gold Key Comics, Cover Date: July, 1975)?
1001 Free Gifts? (...with the promise of "OVER 1001 Free Items", yet!)
Add to all that... 1000 DECALS! (...And for ONLY ONE DOLLAR?!)
Why, even if you didn't like sixties pop-culture and counter-culture symbols (...and why wouldn't you?), or decals in general, this is a hard one to pass up!
Chances are, if you didn't get "the stuff you wanted" this holiday season, you could find something to console yourself with on this lowly-but-noble comic book page!
...After all, you DO have over 2000 items to choose from!
Then again, you might very well STILL get "the stuff you wanted" this holiday season, because...
All together now...
THE HOLIDAYS AREN'T OVER UNTIL I SAY THEY ARE!
Gad! I never dreamed that a Blog could be this powerful!
We could take this thing into Spring, if we're not careful!
Before leaving, it would be poor form not to show the comic book that wishes to heal our wounds of unfulfilled holiday-gift-receiving - so, without further ado... TWEETY AND SYLVESTER # 47 (Gold Key Comics, Cover Date: July, 1975)
Bonus GCD Link: Well, there isn't one at the moment, because I am presently preparing the index for this issue. It should be here shortly. Keep looking!
13 comments:
I think that Uncle Scrooge, John Lustig and William Van Horn read that same issue of Tweety and Sylvester. See "The Billion Bean Stampede": https://inducks.org/story.php?c=AR+152
Those ads were so enticing. I always wanted to find out just what 1001 free gifts would look like, but alas I never had the $1.00 to send away for my "free" gifts. I imagined in my mind that a large box would arrive and inside would be an actual cornucopia, overflowing with boxes, wrapped with ribbons and bows and the joy of just unwrapping all those gifts was worth the dollar. Just how long would it take to open 1001 presents?
However, I was also smart enough to read between the lines and notice the wording "64-page book lists names and addresses" and realize that I was probably really paying a dollar for a book that just had names and addresses of companies which I would then have to spend more money for a stamp to send away for the chance of getting some free gift and that did not seem near as exciting so I never did go for it. Besides I was saving my dollars for a Polaris submarine. Now that was something even more exciting than 1001 wrapped presents.
Deb:
Yes, indeed they did! See Deb’s link HERE!
Scrooge even possesses a book “1001 THINGS YOU CAN GET FOR FREE”, and further describes it thusly: “Manufacturers send free samples of everything from grommets to grapes!”
I read that story back in the day, but never made that connection!
NICE catch, Deb!
Carl:
I think you were probably better off getting the Polaris submarine for, if nothing else, the fond memories that could never be matched by a free tire-pressure gauge, pen-knife, or glow-in-the-dark blindfold.
The “Best Things in Life” may indeed be “Free”, but they usually aren’t from manufacturer’s overstock.
I remember these ads, but I rarely paid attention to them. I did not find them very attractive or appealing, either visually or in terms of what was offered. I figured out quickly that the "free" items were in a catalog. Just wasn't that interested. I found these ads garish and un-inviting. Compared to the layout of the regular comic book pages, they didn't even look like they belonged in the same book. The in-house ads done for Gold Key and Whitman comics were much more visually successful, in my estimation both then and now, more tastefully laid out and visually attractive. The old Bullwinkle ads for Cheerios, or the Lucky Charms or Trix ads were also much more appealing. In the era in which the above Tweety & Sylvester occurred, there were the Hostess Fruit Pie ads, which DID seem much more fitting and appealing, not even regarding the products being advertised, but in terms of the visual layout and the use of familiar comic-book characters--though generally not the same characters or even the same family of characters as those featured in the given comic book. I recall only once or twice the same set of characters appeared in the Hostess ad who were also featured in the book. Mostly I think they tried to avoid this.
Let me mention also that this was the era of the frequent price hikes. Those diamond shapes on the cover that displayed the 25 cent price, and soon would give way to 30 cent, 35 cent, 40 cent, 50 cent prices were anathema to me. Once comic books went above 15 cents, inflation just went crazy. A 25 cent comic book had ALWAYS meant either a giant-sized issue or a poster included. Once the regular comic books were 25 cents, the giant sizes seemed to disappear. For kids with limited cash, it meant a dollar could only purchase four regular-sized comics--and extra change was needed for the tax. Later, only 3 comics could fit inside a dollar, and later still, only 2. Eventually, the regular-sized comics were priced at a dollar or more. This seemed tragic to me at the time, and still seems tragic. I was originally opposed to the 15 cent price. In my perfect world, comic books should forever be priced at 12 cents for regulars and 25 cents for giants.
Thanks! I'm a gonna print out that order form now and get me some o' dat stuff!
Marc sez:
“Thanks! I'm a gonna print out that order form now and get me some o' dat stuff!”
Um… Should I tell him it’s not 1975 anymore? ...Hee-Hee! No, let him find out the hard way!
Scarecrow:
Not at all surprising, I agree with all of this!
The comic book ads that were created from the 1940s thru the mid-1960s (certain types excepted, of course) had an overall quality to them – like THESE -- that was never matched by their future counterparts. And, Hostess aside, they became more “cheap ‘n’ cheesy” than ever during the 1970s.
Then again, that’s why I highlight them so often… So that we can laugh (or shudder, take your pick) from this distant perspective.
I actually missed the years of spiraling cover price inflation, as I “got out” toward the very end of the 15-cent cover prices (1972-1973), and “got back in” during the 50-cent cover prices (1980-1981).
But, as I’ve built my collection of comics from that era, and am presently paying more attention to them these days – due to both “The Great Retirement Organization and Storage Project”, and because I am buying fewer new comics than ever – I will say it must have been disheartening to see that happen before your eyes.
It may not be 1975 right now, but surely it's just the matter of hiring the Collective of Retconning Crocodile to deliver the coupon back in time, and then bring back the goods. Although, then again, they do dwell in chronological swamps and time sewers. I'm sure their claws are quite damp. The paper might not survive the trip… yeah, on second thought, bad idea. Just ask Gyro if you can borrow his time machine, Marc. He'll come cheaper anyway.
On a slightly more serious note, "FREE GIVE-A-WAYS"? "FREE GIVE-A-WAYS"? Who on Earth spells it like that?!
Achille:
You write: “ It may not be 1975 right now, but surely it's just the matter of hiring the Collective of Retconning Crocodile to deliver the coupon back in time, and then bring back the goods. ”
And, if there’s one thing I know, those Crocs can “deliver the goods!”
“On a slightly more serious note, "FREE GIVE-A-WAYS"? "FREE GIVE-A-WAYS"? Who on Earth spells it like that?!”
…Um, depends on “which Earth” you’re talking about – says this classic-era DC Comics fan.
To Achille and Everyone:
Sorry for the inexcusable lateness in getting to this reply - and getting the next post out. It's on its way, but WAAAY overdue.
...I guess that's why the "Holidays Aren't Over" yet!
Thats korrekt, Joe Torcivia! We do comes from a diffrent Urth to youre's, and we we're respnsible for the strenge spellin and for the strenge sin-tax in the add. Feeer uz! Were vry dngerussss!
Grammar-Killers (…or should that be “Grandma-Kilrz”?)
“Were vry dngerussss!”
Yes, especially to school teachers! …Thanks for odd-looking ad, though! It’s provided us with much entertainment!
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