Another great type of collectible that fits into just about anyone’s display space is what is called ‘ephemera’. Ephemera is defined as “items of collectible memorabilia, typically written or printed ones, that were originally expected to have only short-term usefulness.” Advertising pages or supplements fall into this category.
But they are wonderful pieces of artwork that you can’t find anywhere else! From promotions for newly released movies to characters being used to push merchandise or services, you can find almost every Disney character as a Pitchman if you look hard enough:
I’m on a bit of a vacation at the time of this post and have been visiting several antique and charity shops, looking for Disney treasures. I found these pages from magazines that are dated from the 1950s.
The image above is a nice advertisement from The Saturday Evening Post of January 31st, 1953. The artwork was designed exclusively for the promotion.
Many vendors are now taking old magazines that are in and of themselves valueless and making them lucrative by cutting the advertising pages out of them and selling them separately. Usually they will arrange such pages into categories. Unfortunately, they don’t usually have a section for just Disney, but intersperse such pages in amongst more general categories, like movies, food, or others.
Pard dog food is no longer available to ‘tempt your dog’. But the parent company, Swift Prepared Foods, is still alive and producing.
Each advertising page came from The Ladies Home Journal of 1955. It appears Trusty was from April, Tramp was from May, and Lady was from June. Each page has quotes from the character singing the praises of the product. You could also send in 3 proofs of purchase for a ‘free’ print of the main character artwork, suitable for framing.
Lady and the Tramp was released in June of 1955. The ad copy mentions that the movie is as yet unreleased at the time the magazine went to press. It’s possible that other characters appeared before the three shown here.
Hocking products is the job of any celebrity, and animated characters don’t escape the responsibility. Above we see Peter Pan, along with some other characters from his namesake movie, simply agog at the beauty and function of Admiral televisions.
Styling, Performance, and Value are the three ‘looks’ that will sell you on an Admiral TV. And if children dragged their long-suffering parents into a local Admiral showroom, they could get a ‘free’ Peter Pan TV Studio! Free. Unless it cost the parents the price of a brand new television they didn’t really know they wanted or needed!
A nice touch is the addition of scenes from the movie placed inside each screen of the televisions in the ad. The page encourages the reader to see the new Peter Pan movie, so we could date the advertisement to the year 1953, but I don’t know what magazine it was from.
Into every collection comes something you just can’t explain. A case in point is this very odd looking Disney pin. It doesn’t look like any bear character I’ve ever seen from either Disney or Pixar Studios.
It’s not Humphrey, even though he would be on the same intellectual level, but the body shape is wrong.
I think my wife traded for this pin while at one of the Parks because she thought it looked cute or funny or something! I don’t think even the Cast Member knew what it was.
I thought it might be the old bear from Camp Minnie-Mickey, but he’s the wrong colour. I thought maybe it was one of the characters from Brother Bear, because let’s face it, Koda is making a pretty goofy face there! But he’s too small.
The back of the pin is little help as it only gives the date as 2008 and the copyright is Disney/Pixar. Because both studio names are used, it points to the character being from Pixar.
But I didn’t give up! After much research on the Internet thingy, I finally found out that the pin I’m sharing in this post is a Toy Story Midway Mania prize bear.
Mission Accomplished! There doesn’t appear to be a bear matching the pin in the attraction so it’s possible that it was given away as an actual prize for one of the games along the Boardwalk, but I don’t really know. So for now, we’ll have to settle for knowing that he is a Pixar bear, is attached to Toy Story Midway Mania, and looks incredibly goofy!
If you know any more about this bear, please leave the information in the comments section below. Thank you in advance!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: You just never know where you’re going to find Disney! I was watching a vintage travel documentary from the 1950s called Kingdom of the Sea. The episode was entitled Ports of Call and spotlighted many seaside villages and attractions that can be found alongside the sea, around the world.
One of the Ports visited was in Singapore. There, just a little inland, you can find an unusual Zoo. All of the animals are statues! The place was called Tiger Balm Gardens when it opened, but is now know as Haw Par Villa. You can click the link to visit the official website to research the attraction as it exists today.
And it is here that we find Donald Duck riding a huge bunny rabbit.
Wait, riding what now?
Yup. You saw it here first, folks! Being as this is basically an art installation, I don’t think they needed to worry about copyright infringement.
Here is an excerpt from the website: “Haw Par Villa – formerly known as the Tiger Balm Garden – is an 8.5-hectare Asian cultural park, the last of its kind in the world. Built in 1937, Singapore’s largest outdoor art gallery is the brainchild of Aw Boon Haw, the millionaire philanthropist and marketing extraordinaire who gifted the world with Tiger Balm. The eclectic park is a treasure trove of Asian culture, history, philosophy and religion – quirky, yet enlightening at the same time.” Now that’s a lot going on!
The Zoo of Animal Statues is still there featuring animals of all shapes and sizes: goats, pandas, rabbits, gorillas, giant lobsters, even a crab-lady, and the list goes on.
If stone animals aren’t your thing, you can dabble in Food and Art Festivals, Tours, Musical Events and Parties, Races, and so much more. The website is worth a look and contains a video preview of the entire venue. Enjoy, travelers!
Our intrepid Mountie was a supporting character on The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends show that aired from 1959 to 1964 on the ABC and NBC Networks. He was the thorn in the side of the arch villain Snidley Whiplash, who of course, was always tying up one Nell Fenwick. Of course, his horse named Horse, usually saved the day!
Funko has immortalized Dudley Do-Right for all time in glorious plastic with head-wobbling action and cross-eyed perfection:
Is he hiding something and trying to look nonchalant or did Whiplash just hit him on the head?
Being Canadian, I just loved this character! Although I hope our real Royal Mounted Police are more adept than Do-Right. They could harder be less, I suppose.
This Funko figure was released in 2003 to an unsuspecting public. Little did they know that this was the hero they needed!
But certainly didn’t deserve. However, as the box says, if you should ever find yourself tied to a railway track or lashed to a log in a sawmill, if you call, he will come to the rescue. Just hope that he brings Horse!
When you think of great television animation studios, Disney or Warner Brothers probably come to mind first, with Hanna Barbara and others getting honorable mentions. But Jay WardProductions was no slouch, creating a cast of memorable characters that most people know.
Bottoms Up !
I didn’t do a video of the Wacky Wobbler in action as I’m sure you know how one of these things works. Suffice it to say that it has a nice level of wobble.
I also have the Pop! Animation Dudley Do-Right Canadian Exclusive figure. You can check it out by clicking the link. If you do, you’ll also learn more about the real Mounties. Seriously, they’re way cooler than Do-Right! Sorry, Dudley.
Since about mid-January I’ve been on a bit of a health journey. Due to indifference and lack of portion control, my weight had ballooned up to an alarming number! I determined to do something about it, and in just five months, I have lost over 50 pounds. Just 10 more to go to reach my target goal!
I’ve wanted to supplement my diet with more exercise. So I finally made the commitment and bought a bike. The ulterior motive for the purchase was so that I could finally mount my vintage Mickey Mouse Horn on a pair of handlebars:
Next to Mickey is a battery-powered light that shines constant or strobes, for added visibility at night.
The picture above shows the bike in the Showroom. It has just one speed with disc brakes. I loved it at first sight! The black colour scheme is awesome. She needs a name: Black Beauty? Shadow? Cobalt? What would you suggest?
Decked Out with Full Kit
I purchased the front light and it came with a rear light that can also shine constant or strobe. It is smaller and red. I mounted it on the seat post. I also installed a Raleigh Cell Phone bag which also has room for snacks or other things. Last but not least is the bike lock chain which I mounted just under the main beam. It has a quick release for usage.
So what do you think? Did I find Mickey a good home?
For a more detailed look at the Mickey Mouse Horn itself, please check out the post entitled Vintage Mickey Mouse Bicycle Horn. It even has an audio file so that you can hear Mickey’s mighty squeak!
We could all use a Personal Healthcare Companion! Someone to show compassion when we are hurt and who can kiss any wound better. And no one, or no robot, can do that better than Baymax from the Disney movie Big Hero 6.
And now he comes in a handy, albeit a big handy, coffee mug:
Imagine looking at that kindly face every morning! How could the day not start out on the right foot?
He has a Boo-boo !
Even a Personal Healthcare Companion can feel a little deflated at times. So even Baymax may need a Band-Aid!
I picked this up at a Disney Store some time ago. I was sold on it when I saw the Health Meter inside the cup. So on a scale of Happy Face to Pain face, what level are you feeling before your morning coffee?
Size Comparison
I’ve called this an oversized mug. It is much bigger than standard coffee mugs and can easily be used for soups or other liquids.
Why did I choose a Mr. Incredible mug to show the size of the Baymax mug? Because it reminded me of the post I did where I posed the question: Who had the best Action Figure? Mr. Incredible or Baymax, which ended in a Smackdown! Get ready to rumble and check it out.
A group that is having fun and enjoying themselves is often said to be having “more fun than abarrel of monkeys.” But what is the origin of that saying? Barrel of Monkeys is a game released by Lakeside Toys in 1965. It was created by Leonard Marks and Milton Dinhofer in 1961. Today it is produced by the Milton Bradley Company within the Hasbro corporation.
The barrel itself can come in either blue, yellow, red, purple, orange, gray or green and contains 12 monkeys whose colour usually corresponds with the barrel’s colour. The Hallmark store released a commemorative Keepsake Ornament of the classic game in 2019:
To play the actual game, this is what you do: “Dump monkeys onto table. Pick up one monkey by an arm. Hook other arm through a second monkey’s arm. Continue making a chain. Your turn is over when a monkey is dropped.” But the unwritten rule, perhaps the most important one, is that no monkey should be left behind!
These ornaments usually come with a red ribbon tied to the top of the piece, which you can see the loop for at the top of the uppermost monkey in the pictures above. I always remove the ribbon as I choose to display most of these ornaments in others ways than hanging them.
You’ll notice that this homage to the original barrel of monkeys has red monkeys in a yellow barrel, instead of following the actual tendency to have the monkeys and barrels match, as mentioned earlier.
A little detail that many might miss is that the top of the barrel, or on the lid, you see the front of a monkey. But on the bottom of the barrel, you see his back and tail.
So if it’s Game Night in your household, why not break out the monkeys and try your best to have more fun than they do!
“This book is dedicated to all of the arch villains of Gotham City, without whom Batman would be out of work.”
Holy Batman Batbook, Batman!
The cliques would be just too easy with a post based on Batman, the Caped Crusader, and his boyish sidekick, Robin. So I’ll try to contain myself. Somewhat.
Holy 60s kitsch, Batman! Joel Eisner is on the loose and spreading outrageous camp throughout Gotham City and the rest of the world! What will we do? There’s only one man capable of helping us figure out this conundrum: Batman! Well, I tried.
If you’ve ever wanted an exhaustive volume of information on both the Batman television series and the Batman Movie, this book is for you. Check out the contents:
Now that’s a complete list! Most of the pictures in the book are in black and white with an 8-page center spread of full-colour images.
Each season is broken down into episodes containing the Guest Cast, Plot Synopsis, BatTalk (interviews with cast or crew involved with the episode), BatFact(s), a list of Special BatEquipment, and a final Trivia Quiz. Mr. Eisner doesn’t call it ‘BatTrivia’. Now that’s a missed BatOpportunity!
The Villainsin Full Colour
I can’t imagine how much time it would have taken the writer to compile every single EEE-YOW and THWACK, amoung other adjectives of biffery, that was heard throughout the series! And the list of ‘Holy’ whatevers is five pages long!
Enlarge for some ideas for the sound effects of your next fight. Holy Planning Ahead, Batman! And to sum up the book in its own words: “Holy Hijinks! Everything’s in here!”
Back Cover
When I say this book is exhaustive, I mean it! Standout features are the BatTalk and BatFact sections, giving keen insights into the production and just plain fun behind every episode. And the majority of photographs included in the book were pretty much unseen as of 1986.
Although the book does touch on the most iconic Batmobile of all time, the 1966 version, I think this car could have its own book. I just couldn’t resist ending with a shot of my die cast version!
This wonderful collectible was released as an Exclusive from Mattel at the 2011 D23 Expo. It pays homage to the Toy Story 2 movie premise that Woody was actually a hero from the 1950s children’s television show called Woody’s Roundup. This show utilized marionettes to animate the characters and it was broadcast in glorious black and white!
Toy Story 2 was one of the few movies that one could argue for it being better than the original. From Buzz Lightyear’s video game opening to Woody finding his television pals, especially Bullseye and Jessie, this installment of the Toy Story franchise has everything you could want in an animated movie!
As ‘Out-of-the-Box’ as he’s going to get !
I couldn’t attend the D23 Expo in person but I did have some friends that were there. I texted them and begged that they purchase one of these for me! They did, and after reimbursing them for the purchase price and paying for shipping to Canada, it was mine.
The box doubles as a Theatre of the Arts, if you will, which you can use to put on your very own marionette puppet shows. Simply manipulate the controller at the top of the box, and slide the lever on the back of the box, and Woody will sway and wave his arms like a real dancing cowboy!
Backing up a bit, the box that the theatre box comes in is also pretty cool. It eludes to the fact that the theatre box within is made to resemble an old television from the 1950s, a Budtone, complete with channel selector. But don’t try to change the channel, it only has one!
Why Budtone? It’s not a real brand of vintage television. I imagine it was created to intimate the friendship between Woody and Bullseye, or more likely, between buddies Woody and Buzz Lightyear.
Zombie Apocalypse Woody
Woody may move to your dictates, but he does it with a look on his face that could creep you out if you focus in on it too much! There are three backgrounds provided: Bullseye outside the Hotel; a diorama of the Grand Canyon; and the dynamite scene featuring Jessie and the old Prospector. Two are found on a double-sided removable card with the third image printed on the back of the box.
Another feature of this collectible that I love is that Woody is black and white in colour, as is his stage. This obviously depicts the original broadcast signal, as Woody’s Roundup would not have been filmed in colour. Only Walt Disney had the forethought to do that for his early programming with later showings and residuals in mind.
Are you ready to see Woody in action? Please enjoy the following video:
Let’s Start the Show !
I hope you enjoyed the show! If you did, please consider giving the video a like, as every ‘thumbs up’ helps our YouTube Channel to grow.
To see more of the other two marionettes shown in the video, please see the post entitled Woody’s Roundup Real Working Marionettes. I’d be mighty obliged if ya did, Pardner!
Disleelandia 