March 18, 2010

A Boy's Toy Joy: The Fisher-Price Little People Play Family Action Garage



This was yet another toy that fascinated me as a young'un. And yes, it was also made by Fisher-Price. Why such consistant brand-loyalty when it comes to my childhood toy memories? Well, I certainly wasn't a label whore! Not back then. It must have something to do with [1] My parents bought me a lot of Fisher-Price toys, and/or [2] All of those toys were super colorful and real fun to play with! So it's easy to see why they made such an impression, and why I remember them so fondly.

For sure, the Little People Play Family Action Garage was definitely one of the best! I loved rolling the cars up and down the ramp, a lot. It was especially satisfying to "drive" one of them into the elevator, crank it up to the top level and then let it roll back down the ramp super fast, all 'Dukes of Hazzard' style! Disregard the fact that I was too young to know what 'The Dukes of Hazzard' show was, and forget that it wouldn't even exist until 1979. All that mattered to 5-year-old Anthony was playing, and having lots o' fun with that toy!


~Photo by Laura McConnell of Dog Bone Art~

March 2, 2010

The Worst Album Covers Ever!: 'Love that Showbiz!' by The Castle Family



Artist ~ The Castle Family
Title ~ Love that Showbiz!

In the wake of the Osmonds, family variety acts sprung
up all over the United States. This happy-looking bunch
hailed from Minneapolis, Minnesota. And by the looks
of it, I'd say that "showbiz" wasn't the only thing this
brass-y Castle clan shared a love for... Did ya get a load
of those matching, kinky perms?!




I don't know about you, but I did a double take when I first saw this cover. I couldn't quite distinguish between male and female family members, mainly due to their dizzying cluster of matching poodle perms and shiny red satin. But when in doubt, look for boobs (or breasts, rather, because these folks are all "boobs" in my opinion)! Then, of course, it's completely obvious. The Castle men are wearing the matching red satin pants and jackets, while the Castle ladies are in cream-colored tops and red satin pants only, sans jackets. However, I'm not entirely convinced about all three of those Castle "men"...



~Image and info taken from the book, 'The Worst Album Covers Ever!' by Nick Di Fonzo. Published by Barnes & Noble, Inc.~
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