Bucky Beaver may be the best remembered and loved beaver advertising character. He sang a little song for Ipana toothpaste which I am sure got a lot of kids to brush. Also he has that classic 1950's TV animation design with a giant smile and crossed eyes.
To hear him sing his song click here - Bucky Beaver for Ipana. And check out Tikiranch for more Current Beavers in Advertising.
Way back in the 1990's, I used to set up at toy shows with my buddy Steve. Back before ebay this was one of the main ways of selling stuff and we did shows in Dallas, Atlantic City, Chicago, San Jose and San Diego. It was great fun, we ate a lot of crappy food and found some incredible stuff. So step into the time machine and head back......
This week I am starting a special series of postings in conjunction with Randy at Tikiranch. We will be looking at the Beaver in advertising. We thought of this the other week at the flea market and both of us found enough characters to do a full weeks worth of postings.
Today I am looking at two beavers that appeared on cereal boxes. I don't know the first guys name but he appeared on Kellogg's Sugar Smacks in Canada. He has a great little plaid hat and looks lovingly at his bowl of cereal. As with many cereal mascots, he did not survive long.
Deep in the heart of Apple Valley, CA is an incredible roadside attraction that was never finished and now lies in ruins. Rancho Dinosaur would have been a giant swampy dinosaur filled miniature golf course. The park was built by Lonnie Coffman in the 60's and 70's but eventually abandoned by him after years of labor.
Now the dinosuars are slowly bleaching and falling apart in the hot desert sun. Desert owls nest in the hollow head of the apatosaurus. But still they are a monument to one man's prehistoric dream.
One of the many things I collect are tiny wooden toys from the 60's. It is amazing what they can make with the simple wood shapes.
The winner of the title the painting contest is Dennis Weedman with the title "Nobody's Perfect". It was a tough decesion but I liked the simplicity and Clem is far from perfect.
The other titles in serious contention were "Hey, where did my pants go!", "¿Quién sabe?", "it ain't easy bein' squeezy" and "Toof". Thanks to everyone who entered.
I just added a few pieces of art to my Etsy Store including this brand new hand painted Lemonhead suitcase. Etsy is a great site for buying hand crafted stuff.
Also Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra, CA is carrying some Mr Toast items. They have some dolls and books so if you are in the area check them out.
Lastly it looks like the Mr Toast animations might be part of a show at a very cool art space in Orange County, CA. Also in the works are plans for an art show next May. More info to come....
The new Animation Blast is out. Amid has pulled out all the stops and this issue really brings animation history to life. At 106 pages it is almost a book with full color throughout.
HI-Fructose #3 premiered at Comic Con but I never made it over to their booth. Full color, 90 pages with articles about Mark Ryden, Jim Woodring, Chris Ware, etc and a free Viewmaster reel of the photowork of Brian McCarty. Unbelievable production values and photography makes this the premiere alternative art magazine.
I really enjoy the work of Geoffrey Ellis. He shoots antique malls, RVs and other junk culture but gives them a life of their own. His Sad Kids color zine is a great way to get introduced to his work. But get one quick, it is limited to 75 signed copies.
Lastly is Aaron Renier's Spiral-Bound. It came out last year but it is one of my new favorite comic graphic novels. Great b/w art with a story that introduces us to a wonderful and personal world.
I picked these up at Glendale. No idea what cartoons they are from but I love them.
