When I was a little girl, we'd visit my Granny once every two weeks and, each time, she would present Jems and me with a new comic book. Pretty soon we had an amazing collection of comics ranging from the Marvel super heroes to Scrooge McDuck.
But aside from being an easy read and a great laugh, the thing that each of these comics had in common was the advertisements page. Those 'old school' types out there might remember those comic book ads for whoopee cushions, or itching powder, or magic kits that looked so amazing. Of course, they were all for American kids, and the application form asked for exotic information like "zip code" that I used to think was just so cool.
As I got older, and started earning my own money, I became interested in finding out some more about those comic book advertisements that had intrigued me for years.
So I went out to the Toys R Us and bought a packet of sea monkies, expecting to "grow" the family of pink wriggly things with crowns on their heads just like I'd seen in the comic book ads. Ummm, no. If you look at this photo, you will see an example of what I managed to grow. And like all living things that rely on me for survival, it died rather rapidly. But at least I got to see what all the fuss was about.
Likewise my trip to the baseball on Tuesday night. I had my first packet of Cracker Jacks. Long after seeing the ads in the comic books showing cute kids with their fat hands jammed inside Cracker Jack boxes, I longed to know just what was inside - and what famous trinket I'd find at the bottom. Would it be a ring? Would it be a tattoo? Well, Cracker Jacks are basically caramel-coated popcorn, with peanuts "allegedly" lying at the bottom of the pack. I found none.
I never did get around to ordering my magician kit or whoopee cushion, and perhaps the world is a better place because of that. But I'm actually glad that I can remember how excited I was to see these exotic ads and want so desperately to know what they were all about. I remember being envious of American kids who could easily send in a coupon and get some x-ray glasses in return.
But now that I know that sea monkies are really a freeze-dried shrimp wriggler with a short life span, and Cracker Jacks are just fancy popcorn, I can stop being jealous of American kids. Until the next time I see a fancy ad in a comic book. At least I have a "zip code" now!
2 comments:
But in the ads they advertised the Sea Monkey Mummy, Sea Monkey Daddy and Sea Monkey Brother and Sister - if they didn't have crowns you'd think they'd atleast have different sized sea monkeys representing the "family".
Man, I'm over 20 and disappointed with that - could you imagine the disappointment on an 8 year olds face when they grow gunky shrimp? For shame Marvel!!!!
PS - Was that Granny who gave us those comics? I didn't remember that. Ha! I remember who sold them.....DAD!!!!
Your father merely re-located them to a more deserving family with reading difficulties .... and the money exchange merely reflected a nominal, non-repayable grant towards the cost of advertising.
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