last "Internet domain names may have warned of the attacks" :: Current :: next "Landscape change"
September 20, 2001 :: "Shot Wheels"
Way back in the day when Davezilla was but a pup, he amused himself by collecting Wacky Packs, the precursor to Pokémon and Magic the Gathering. Wacky Packs were tacky stickers parodying popular products. There were two stickers and a large piece of gum per pack. I had hundreds of these.
This was back in the 1970s when ugly reigned. Not just for adults who seemed convinced that plaids, prints and paisleys could all live together harmoniously on a single individual, but also to children who read Cracked, Mad and tiny Edward Gorey books. Understanding our need for creepy things, Ralston Purina came up with Freakies Cereal, the most brilliant marketing campaign I ever fell for. Freakies had great toys, great t-shirts and the weirdest theme song ever. My friends and I were so enamored of Freakies that we actually discussed the commercials. Was Bossmoss really scared of Grumble? It was kiddie crack and were hooked on the shit.
Ah Quisp. Liked by both sexes, Quisp was a quirky, pink alien that sold saucer-shaped cereal to hordes of American kids. They still make Quisp, although it is difficult to find.
He said. She said. There’s 11 Comments
we scored some quisp at a gas station outside of santa fe last year!
By denise :: September 20, 2001 09:21 PM EST
Freakies RULED. I still remember the song, and I think I still have a couple Freakies magnets. We are the freakies, we are the freakies, and this is our freakies tree.. I could go on, but I'm polite. They still make Quisp, but they don't make Peanut Butter Quisp any longer. Quisp was great, but it was no Freakies. Kiddie crack indeed.
By leslie :: September 20, 2001 09:54 PM EST
I am fairly tempted to start scouring eBay for Freakies magnets.
By Amy Allen :: September 20, 2001 10:07 PM EST
Wacky Packs- yes! I had hundreds, too.
Yeah like D said, there is a mini mart right outside Santa Fe that stocked Quisp. The web site has a list of cities where they sell Quisp, including Motor City! Not DFW, alas. Check out the "Stop the Terror!" flash movie (not WTC/Pentagon related.) How freaky is that?
By Charles :: September 20, 2001 10:16 PM EST
And don't forget, you can buy it direct from the site as well!
By Todd :: September 20, 2001 10:39 PM EST
Rember the ThingMaker? And speaking of 70s food, how about the edible ThingMaker? Or was that pre Dave?
By Mel :: September 21, 2001 10:58 AM EST
The "Stop the Terror" cartoon is a hoot--of course, it was done by Spumco!
By ari :: September 21, 2001 11:06 AM EST
Was Thingmaker a machine that you put goop into and it poured into molds which hardened into creatures. If that’s what it was, I remember it well. My neighbor had one. I coveted it daily.
By Davezilla :: September 21, 2001 01:29 PM EST
This is Thingmaker.
By me :: September 21, 2001 02:57 PM EST
This reminds me of watching Saturday-morning cartoons when I was a kid, and seeing all the American commercials for stuff (mainly cereal) that you couldn't get in Canada. If I recall correctly, some commercials even had a little fine-print disclaimer at the end that said "Not available in Canada", as if to taunt those of us who could see the ad, but couldn't run out to buy the product. Nestle Crunch wasn't available in Canada for the longest time, and the commercials made it look so good!
It's bitter moments like this that cause Canadians to make snarky remarks about Americans, you know. ;)
By Natalie :: September 21, 2001 07:39 PM EST
Yeah well we deserve some snarkiness for calling Canada “America-lite”.
By Davezilla :: September 21, 2001 09:25 PM EST
