Hey,
I mean, what can I say, I haven't been writing. Duh. It's bad. Maybe right now I'll try and do part II on Ralston/Purina. In 24 hours I'm leaving with my rents and sis on a cruise to Mexico, tourist fat-ugly-American style. I'm really psyched, packing all my ridiculous tropical wear and putting together a sick sailing mix tape. I'm gonna post it up later so you can see first hand how bad my music taste can get when I don't have to please anybody (my coworker, my girlfriend, my "audience" as a dj)....but since it's a tape and I have a lot of shit to do tonight, I'm not gonna digitize it till I get back. Even though I've been trying to live the Yacht-rock lifestyle for a bunch of summers, this is the first time I'm actually going to wear the water is clear and the beaches are jammin. I plan to do kareoke every night, hopefully doing "Escape (the pina colada song)" at least once. Long live Rupert Holmes, fuck Jimmy Buffet.
See ya soon!
xo
Dan
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
Ralston/Purina Cereals
I have a special place in my flavor-heart for the various Ralston/Purina brand cereals from throughout the 80s. It also didn't hurt that almost all of their cereal line were tie-ins with intellectual properties that I was quite fond of as a kid. But they had an extra-mealy, corny flavor, that I really dug. And most importantly, the marshmallows softened up really fast, actually becoming 'mallowlike. The hardness of the marshmallows in more famous cereals can really detract from the experience, often giving the impression of sweetened styrofoam in yer mouth. R/P also has the gen-x nostalgia cred (oh wait, they don't have cred anymore) of producing Freakies. If you didn't know, Freakies (along with Quisp and Boo Berry) are the beginnings of cult interest in cereals. You can see the connection with Freakies being the tree dwelling hippies, Boo Berry being a stoned ghost who talks like Peter Lorre, and Quisp being a space alien with some whacked-out-drug-use-related-if-you-use-drugs-also-behavior.
Of course, I was born in 78, so I missed the Freakies as it ceased production in 76. A short lived remake never made it to my consciousness until seeing it on Topher's Cereal Guide. This is a great internet resource and helped me jog my memory or blow my mind on numerous occasions: http://www.lavasurfer.com/cereal-guide.html.
Here's a commercial for Freakies:
R/P is also the producers of Cookie Crisp, which I've never been that into taste-wise, though I do appreciates it's place in our culture. I also find it funny that CC mascot went from wizard (Cookie Jarvis) to Cookie Crook.
The first R/P cereal I remember really digging was Ghostbusters Cereal, which featured those smooshy marshmallows in ghost form. I think it's interesting that the song incorporates the suggestion for completing the "nutritional breakfast" instead of just giving the standard "part of this complete breakfast" line.
Donkey Kong cereal came a little earlier, and I enjoyed it, but more for my videogame obsession. If I remember right, it was a slightly less mouth-shredding version of Cap'n Crunch.
Donkey Kong Jr. had more of the feel of eating a cereal version of Fruit Runts, which was pretty cool.
Part II soon
Of course, I was born in 78, so I missed the Freakies as it ceased production in 76. A short lived remake never made it to my consciousness until seeing it on Topher's Cereal Guide. This is a great internet resource and helped me jog my memory or blow my mind on numerous occasions: http://www.lavasurfer.com/cereal-guide.html.
Here's a commercial for Freakies:
R/P is also the producers of Cookie Crisp, which I've never been that into taste-wise, though I do appreciates it's place in our culture. I also find it funny that CC mascot went from wizard (Cookie Jarvis) to Cookie Crook.
The first R/P cereal I remember really digging was Ghostbusters Cereal, which featured those smooshy marshmallows in ghost form. I think it's interesting that the song incorporates the suggestion for completing the "nutritional breakfast" instead of just giving the standard "part of this complete breakfast" line.
Donkey Kong cereal came a little earlier, and I enjoyed it, but more for my videogame obsession. If I remember right, it was a slightly less mouth-shredding version of Cap'n Crunch.
Donkey Kong Jr. had more of the feel of eating a cereal version of Fruit Runts, which was pretty cool.
Part II soon
Monday, January 26, 2009
Let's Groove Tonight
It's such a great feeling when the pieces start falling into place and knowledge warms you, even if it can take away some of the mystery. Let me tell you about it. In the past couple of years I've become interested and mesmerized by the early computer graphics used in commercial visuals from the 70s into the 80s. I'm particularly fond of this era in the combinations of opticals, models and cg, and the warmth that tends to eminate from this technique. It's no secret that I am a child of this era, and a child who was warmed and nurtured by this neon arcade asthetic, and it still gets me today. It's not just nostalgia, because a couple of my recent favorites are music videos from the era that I don't recall seeing as a kid, but whose artistry zings me. These would be "Let's Groove" by Earth Wind and Fire and various Yellow Magic Orchestra vids. The pieces fall into place as I find out this evening that the cg effects for those promos as well of lots of other faves were created by Ron Hays.
And on fucking youtube I find a demo reel of his stuff.
It's amazing.
Crystalsculpture3 has uploaded a ton of amazing early cg vids on his youtube account, including part II of this Ron Hayes demo. I implore you to check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/users/crystalsculpture3
And on fucking youtube I find a demo reel of his stuff.
It's amazing.
Crystalsculpture3 has uploaded a ton of amazing early cg vids on his youtube account, including part II of this Ron Hayes demo. I implore you to check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/users/crystalsculpture3
"Stevie, You Rodent!"
I never had a computer growing up. I fantasized heavily about having one from the time that I saw the segment on Sesame Street with the school kids and the Commodore Pet (I think), along with lots of stuff like this:
So I'm about 5 or 6 in 83/84 and now there is a character on practically every single cartoon or television show that is using a computer. By this time I'm already starting to feel like an outsider, so i consider being the token computer nerd as a way of fitting in. It seemed like an empowering path, with the smart kids solving all the crimes in cartoons and such. By this time I'm much more obsessed by video games in arcades and on the Atari 2600, and the ability of computers to play games is not lost on me. I start to gain limited access to the Commodore 64 in my friend Tina's house by 85. It's in her father's den and he was a pipe smoker, so now every time I smell pipe tobacco I think of her often unsuccessful attempts to boot up "Pogo Joe." "Pogo Joe" is a pretty good expansion on the Q-bert "tile touching hop" kind of game play and is worth checking out via emulation. I'm both fascinated and intimidated by the difficulty of interacting with the machine. Around this time, we are subjected to some Apple II's at grade school, primarily for using LOGO. You may recall LOGO as the tedious design program where a user gives commands to a small triangle/turtle, which leaves a white line trail. Using computers in this way solidified the idea that I did not want to use computers unless it was for playing video games. But my contact with computers (outside of "Oregon Trail") stopped for a bunch of years, not by choice, just cuz I didn't know any home computer enthusiasts.
The games only attitude towards computers lasted a number of years, until seeing this commercial in 89:
This little commercial was the impetus for me heavily fantasizing about having a computer to work on my great creative endeavors and meet some girls. Of course I had no great creative endeavors to work on, but I was convinced that once I had a video camera and a computer, those impulses would flow endlessly. By the time I enter High School, I'm using MacPaint in the Library, doing lots of cartooning, and nonsense flyers. I had also played Maniac Mansion and been on Prodigy at my friend's Dad's apartment. Because of my exposure to these programs, along with the games reviewed in "Video Games and Computer Entertainment," my desire for a computer ramped up. VG&CE was the best videogame magazine of the late 80s-early 90s era, and it definitely does not get the props it deserves. And I can't find any back issues anywhere! AGG. Anyhow, I did get a video camera when I was 15. That was awesome. My family didn't get a Home Computer until 97 or 98. I never got to play any of those LucasArts games from the classic era. Maybe I'll get to "Loom" someday.
So I'm about 5 or 6 in 83/84 and now there is a character on practically every single cartoon or television show that is using a computer. By this time I'm already starting to feel like an outsider, so i consider being the token computer nerd as a way of fitting in. It seemed like an empowering path, with the smart kids solving all the crimes in cartoons and such. By this time I'm much more obsessed by video games in arcades and on the Atari 2600, and the ability of computers to play games is not lost on me. I start to gain limited access to the Commodore 64 in my friend Tina's house by 85. It's in her father's den and he was a pipe smoker, so now every time I smell pipe tobacco I think of her often unsuccessful attempts to boot up "Pogo Joe." "Pogo Joe" is a pretty good expansion on the Q-bert "tile touching hop" kind of game play and is worth checking out via emulation. I'm both fascinated and intimidated by the difficulty of interacting with the machine. Around this time, we are subjected to some Apple II's at grade school, primarily for using LOGO. You may recall LOGO as the tedious design program where a user gives commands to a small triangle/turtle, which leaves a white line trail. Using computers in this way solidified the idea that I did not want to use computers unless it was for playing video games. But my contact with computers (outside of "Oregon Trail") stopped for a bunch of years, not by choice, just cuz I didn't know any home computer enthusiasts.
The games only attitude towards computers lasted a number of years, until seeing this commercial in 89:
This little commercial was the impetus for me heavily fantasizing about having a computer to work on my great creative endeavors and meet some girls. Of course I had no great creative endeavors to work on, but I was convinced that once I had a video camera and a computer, those impulses would flow endlessly. By the time I enter High School, I'm using MacPaint in the Library, doing lots of cartooning, and nonsense flyers. I had also played Maniac Mansion and been on Prodigy at my friend's Dad's apartment. Because of my exposure to these programs, along with the games reviewed in "Video Games and Computer Entertainment," my desire for a computer ramped up. VG&CE was the best videogame magazine of the late 80s-early 90s era, and it definitely does not get the props it deserves. And I can't find any back issues anywhere! AGG. Anyhow, I did get a video camera when I was 15. That was awesome. My family didn't get a Home Computer until 97 or 98. I never got to play any of those LucasArts games from the classic era. Maybe I'll get to "Loom" someday.
Friday, January 23, 2009
WLVI PSA's Part II
More Ritts Puppets
Snuffy, the talking fire engine
Someone please post the full version of Chow Daddy!!!! I don't have a copy! AGG!
More Ritts. Anyone have the "Don't forget to count your change!" one?
Snuffy, the talking fire engine
Someone please post the full version of Chow Daddy!!!! I don't have a copy! AGG!
More Ritts. Anyone have the "Don't forget to count your change!" one?
PSA's from WLVI in the 80s pt. 1
I watch these with regularity on tape, or on youtube, but I figure I'll post them all here in one place so y'alls can immerse yourself. This may bring you back or help you understand why I am the way I is.
Robolar:
Farmer Brown (this version aired in Chicago, boston got the version with the goose that isn't on youtube)
The Ritts Puppets
Robolar:
Farmer Brown (this version aired in Chicago, boston got the version with the goose that isn't on youtube)
The Ritts Puppets
wow
Okay, this is something I thought I'd never see; five minutes of behind the scenes footage from the Star Wars anti-smoking psa from 1981...well, I guess I should put that up as well, in case for some weird reason it isn't burned into your brain.
And here's the silent behind the scenes footage. The poster is the grandkid of the producer of the PSA's, who appears in the orange vest.
I never saw this as a kid, but it's a favorite of mine now, in this youtubey world we live.
And here's the silent behind the scenes footage. The poster is the grandkid of the producer of the PSA's, who appears in the orange vest.
I never saw this as a kid, but it's a favorite of mine now, in this youtubey world we live.
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