Ray Patin Model Sheets

Dug through the archives and pulled out this little group of mimeographed model sheets from Ray Patin commercials. Fun stuff

Mr Toast's House

Stop by if you are in the neighborhood.

Ice Cream Signs

The ice cream parlor of the 1960's must have been a wondrous place. I remember all the great signs that were displayed every month at the Baskin Robbins 31 flavors but the signs from the 60's are my favorites. Tastee Freez, Humdinger and Eat-It-All promote ice cream as larger then life.

Carnation Breakfast Bars

I would guess that these were one of the first attempts at the nutrition bar. This box is from about 1976-7 and has some really groovy graphics on the side panels and check out the bacon as part of the complete breakfast on the front. The three flavors of the boxes I have are Peanut Butter & Granola, Peanut Butter Crunch and Chocolate Crunch.

Play-doh photos

Lets take a trip into the past of Play-doh. Rainbow Crafts came up with the idea in 1956 of Modeling Compound for kids. By 1958 it was in the hands of kids and 100 Million cans had been produced by 1964. Today it is stilling going strong from its humble beginnings in Cincinatti, Ohio.

Fishin' Photo

This photo is stamped on the back Aug 26, 1955. My guess is that it was from the LA County Fair where kids could catch their own goldfish. I really like the calm intensity and focus in the kids faces as they try to manuever their nets.

Trade Show Booths

I love the modern design influence that occurred in 1960's trade show booths. Modular design and information cubes which come right out of the 1964 World's Fair. In one of these photos it even looks like they are using Architectural Pottery as part of the decor. A space age wonderland constructed to sell sparkplugs and bank checks.

Mr Toast Pitch

Well yesterday I did my Mr Toast pitch. It was hard to tell if it went well. They asked me some tough questions about who the characters were. The way I create my artwork is such that things are not always real defined in a literal sense. Mr Toast is about adventure, determination, wonder, exploration, fun and many other intangible things. And my show concept has always been very loose, not following formulaic pattern. They also asked why he was a piece of toast to which I had no answer but in retrospect I do have an answer and the reason is because he is based on the classic animated pitch characters of the 1950's. While that is where he came from, I think he has evolved beyond that, until now I think of him as more akin to classic 1950's and 60's cartoon characters. He is meant to be adaptable to any situation so one day he will be running the circus and the next exploring outerspace with no elaborate set up as to why he is doing things. I am more interested in capturing the classic spirit of the circus then showing Mr Toast buying the circus and then having to make ends meet to keep it in business. But at the end of the pitch one of the guys said that Mr Toast was very original and not like anything out there, which I took as a great compliment. Now it remains to be seen whether or not they are looking for something that isn't quite like everything else.

Busted

NY Comic Con

It is just one month till the NY Comic Con. It is Feb 24-26 at the Javits Center in New York. I will be there and hopefully a few Mr Toast fans will swing by and say hi. I think my booth number is #472 which is near the back of the hall in the center.

NY COMIC CON

Happy Radish Day

Cereal Box concept art

These great little sketches were rough ideas for Post cereal boxes. Such great 1960's styling and done in such a quick sure way. They almost feel like little pop art paintings.

Slide Roundup

Yesterday I went through a bunch of slides and scanned a few of the nicest ones. Above is the Seal pool at Marineland (I think). Below is the Medicine Show at Knott's Berry Farm in the 1950's and the Prehistoric skeletons at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County in the early 60's. The Ape bust is from the San Diego Zoo. Also a parade, a circus elephant ride and a lady painting in her dog smock.

Baskin Robbins 31 Flavors store

Wow. An A-frame, stand alone Baskin Robbins store that was probably located somewhere in southern California in the late 60's or early 70's. I love the fluorescent lights along the top edge and the use of the multiple signs. Now I just need to find a nice professional night shot of it.

Great Zoo Graphics

These 3 great animal graphics come from a group of ceramic tiles that they sold at the Milwaukee County Zoological Park. Great design and surprising color choices. I like these so much that they are hanging in my bathroom.

Happy Holsum

A distant cousin of Mr Toast.

A little more on the Wood-imals

This 2 sided broadsheet has some articles from 1963 and earlier on Forrest Morrow and his Wood-imals. It was printed up by Forrest Morrow, probably as a promotional piece for his artwork.

Fantasy Motel

Across the street from Disneyland. Back when shuttle vans were cool.

Woodamals at Santa's Village

The Woodamals also lived at the Santa's Village in Dundee IL. They are not quite as exotic standing next to a gigantic candy cane but the kids still love them.

More on Jungle Island's Wood-imals

Enough Already

Show Postcard

I just got my show postcards and they came out great. If you want me to mail you one, send me an email (grickily@yahoo.com). Also went to the framer today and ordered some frames for the show. Still much to be done....

Libbyland TV Dinners

I loved them as a kid although I only think I had them a few times. When I started collecting, they were at the top of my want list. Through the years I have gotten a couple of the boxes and a number of the cels. The commercials had the good Libby the Kid battling Mean Gene, classic stuff.

Futuro House

I just got a new slide scanner so I pulled out a few I had never scanned. Up top is one of a Futuro house from 1972. Below are a couple of 1950's Disneyland pics.

Chocolate Maypo box

YUM YUM!

Captain Chapel cards

Mister Softee issued this set of 10 full color cards in 1962. I have no idea how they were given out but for some reason quantities of the cards seem to show up. Still a real nice pretty card set.

Mr Toast circa 1989

This photo is of a diorama I made in 1989 for a show. It was about a mailboxes journey across the country and in the middle of it Mr Toast made an appearance (for some reason he was living in a haunted house). Also of note is that cool little rug in the center that my mom knit for me. The plot of the whole thing is pretty vague to me now but at least I still have this photo to remember it by.

Flea Circus - Tivoli

I ran across this postcard book last week and had to have it. Way back in my performance art days I did my own Flea Circus so I have always had a soft place in my heart for them. A little internet research seems to show that this one ran at the Tivoli Gardens from 1952-1965. All good things must come to an end.

Selection of Carriages/Felix riding Tricycle

Mr. Chingling Foo Juggler

Oscar Pulling a Hearse/Miss Babette Tightropewalker

Topps Box Graphics

Last year I bought a giant collection of uncut proof boxes from Topps. Mostly 1970's material but just a ton of great graphics. Here is a sampling of it.

Costume is done

Costume was finished today. When appearing there will be cloth covering for the arms and black pants but the body is done. My dog Maizie is not too keen about it though.

Odds & Ends

I was digging through a box of stuff today and found a few items that seemed to deserve a little blog time. First off is Snakin' Cake. We ate a lot of these when we were kids and this was the flavor we always bought. There was a chocolate chip one too but it was not as good. I can still taste those little almond bits.

Archway Cookies were a local product of Pennsylvania. I can just imagine hundreds of these bags lined up at a grocery store in the 1970's.

Mr Big paper products brought to you by Georgia Pacific the makers of Brawny. It is sad to think that the Brawny guy beat out Mr Big as a product pitchman.

D-Zerta - is it a desert or a science experiment gone horribly wrong.

Last and maybe the best is the Parkay margarine box with the "Win a Dinner with Patrick Duffy" contest. It is from 1986 and I will leave it at that.

Mr Toast Costume - day 1

Mr Toast is slated to make an appearance Feb. 10th at my Otis Parson's show opening so I have to make a costume. This is the third one I have made. The first was in college and I don't have any pics of that one. The second was for my appearance on Big. That costume was made with a wood frame and fabric stretched over it. It was quite heavy so eventually it got tossed. So this is Mr Toast version 3.0. He is double ply cardboard on the front and back with 4" foam making the flexible edge. Next up is to cut a place to see out and then add 1" foam to the front. Then cloth will be glued to the front, back and sides. More photos of today's progress later....

Merry Poppers

Another Tic Tac imitators were Merry Poppers. In a somewhat questionable move they chose Andy Capp as the mascot for the product. Maybe they thought the alcoholic Andy Capp would appeal to both children and adults. Who knows the rationale, all we know is that now they are no more.

A Visit to the Please Touch Museum

(click to see large)

Mr Toast Fan Club member James Razzi was kind enough to send us some of his photos of his trip to the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia, PA. Mr Toast tagged along and learned about stop lights, cereal history and spent some time in the lettuce patch. Thanks for sharing.

World of Mr Toast

I just got finished putting together this new logo!

Disneyland Acres of Fun fan

(click to see large)

Amongst the nicest of all Disneyland printed items is this Acres of Fun fan. To my knowledge this artwork only appeared on this fan and it was probably only sold around 1956. So it is a sweet addition to any Disneyland collection.

Six Flags over Texas postcard

This postcard has it all - kids, a baby elephant named Sis, clowns, primary colors, guys dressed in matching outfits, a balloon. The image is from the Modern Section of Six Flags at the entrance to the Animal Kingdom exhibit where kids got to feed and pet baby animals.

The Wood-imals of Jungle Island

As a kid in the early 1970's, I got to experience the Wood-imals when we visited Jungle Island across the street from Knott's Berry Farm. They were classic folk art creations for an audience of children and I remember them fondly.

Mr Toast is heading to NYC

I will be at the first ever NY Comic Con this February 24-26th. I should be in booth #472 which is down near the end of the hall. I will have dolls, comics, shirts, etc and be doing drawings and giving stuff away (maybe). Also if there is anyone out there that needs some space at the con please send me an email ......

NEW YORK COMIC CON

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

In the 1950's promotion happened in grocery stores. Kids and parents were made aware of shows and movies by big instore pushes and this Welch's Mickey Mouse Club one was cool. A giant cardboard clubhouse on top of a giant stack of grape juice bottles. Also posters, cards, streamers, etc. It was a golden age of printed advertising materials.

More Pud

This is the header to a Dubble Bubble gum display box featuring the ever popular Pud whistling away his life.

Clark for Quick Energy

I don't think I have ever had a Clark bar but these little 1950's store decals make me want to.

Candy Bits

Today a couple candy items are up for consideration. The Tic Tac piece was the top to the plastic candy display that Tic Tacs were displayed in. I didn't remember the character but he is cute. Below is a Jelly Jeans package. I am assuming they were just jelly beans but with a nice play on words and a package made to look like denim with a Levis tag you get another in the long list of short lived and unsuccessful candy marking strategies.

Hoops & Yoyo

There is little to say about Hoops and Yoyo. They are perfect, their site is perfect and it is amazing that they are not the biggest thing ever. They are funny, musical, cute and sarcastic. Hallmark has done a great job of supporting this creative little corner of the internet. Yea!

Hoops & Yoyo

Vintage Disneyland Blog

For those of you out there that enjoy old images of Disneyland there is a new blog for you to enjoy. Stuff from the Park is a collection of images from when Disneyland was the most magical place on earth.

Mr Toast Dolls are here

At long last I have Mr Toast dolls. In the past I have had some hand made dolls to sell but they sold quite quickly. Now I have a bunch of dolls and in 2 sizes - 7" and 11". The small dolls are only $4 (+$1 ship) and the large are $10 (+$2 ship). If you want more than one contact me and we can make a deal and if you are a store I have wholesale prices. So if you have room in your house for a new pal, let it be Mr Toast.

For more ordering info - MR TOAST DOLLS

Wishing

Behind the Magic

My friend Kevin and his family just got to visit the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI to see the exhibition Behind the Magic – 50 Years of Disneyland and he said it was great. For those of us that can't make it, they published an exhibition catalog to go with the show. It is 112 pages with a ton of great illustrations and written by Karal Ann Marling. Mine just came in the mail today and I am quite enjoying it.

For more info on the show and to purchase the catalog go to the Henry Ford Museum

Mickey Mouse costume

I realize that it is a little early to get started with Halloween stuff with Christmas just days ago but this photo was laying on the floor just asking to be shared. Is there anything more horrible then 1970's Mickey Mouse, it is kind of like an accident and you just can't help but look.

Big Wad Chewing Gum

Each pack came with 2 novelty cards and a big slab of gum. You have to love the tag line "the Biggest Tastiest Chewiest Bubble Gum Ever." But as with all great things, it did not survive the test of time.

Mr Toast New Year Card

(click to see large)

Feel free to print out and give to your friends.

Happy New Year

Here is to hoping that this is going to be a great year for everybody. Image by Mary Blair from a holiday card.