Sea monkeys could be ordered by mail directly from the sea monkey headquarters. It was rare that the little fellas lived to see the end of their first month, and consumers were getting. Back in the day, comic books were our refuge, our secret pleasure. Skull key chain real switchblade comb spy pen radio the money maker bike decals crazy signs. The series follows the comic misadventures the professor, three sea monkeys he has accidentally enlarged to humansize.
Sep 20, 2011 this book presents on facing pages the original ad from the comic book and what would have come in the mail for your dollars purchasing power. When the sea monkeys arrived, i was sadly disappointed. After waiting 24 hours for the water to become purified, you put the eggs in and they do hatch, but the seamonkeys are almost microscopic at. Nov 03, 2008 comic book resources has a fantastic firsthand account of ordering a live miniature monkey from a comic book advertisment. But if you look in older comic books youll see a treasure trove of sneaky ads. In the lavish mailorder mysteries, demarais supplies a chronicle of the more popular and infamous products. These showed humanoid animals that bear no resemblance to the crustaceans. Created by charles chiodo, edward chiodo, stephen chiodo. The reason i bring it up is that i am certain that they showed the famous comic book panel we all know where the dadking is holding a trident. In 1960, seamonkeys began to appear in comic book ads, although without their soontobefamous name. One look at the ads suggested evidence of evolved creatures, almost human, who lounged around their aquatic surroundings without a care. One of the ubiquitous and most intriguing ads that could be found in the pages of a comic book were those for sea monkeys, an underwater family of weird little mammalian fish that you could keep all to your own. A polaris submarinemore than seven feet longwhich i dreamt of traveling in along the forthclyde canal, avoiding the ghostly weeds, the garbage, discarded shopping trolleys, and the imaginary gangsters. Mar 24, 2020 monkeys were not the only animals to be shipped through the post to eager comic book readers seahorses, easter chicks tastefully dyed for the occasion and the everpopular household pet the racoon also featured in ads, before someone finally stepped in and decided that this was probably not a very good idea.
Jungle forest wildlife monkeys lions abc alphabet letters underwater. Anyone in the vicinity of a comic book as a kid, was aware of those lovable sea monkeys. For seamonkeys, the ads portrayed a cheerful family of humanoid creatures bearing crowns of some sort and hanging out by their underwater castle. So heres a semipost to get things started not actually a comic book ad, but a fascinating article about the comic book ad mainstay, seamonkeys, and what has happened to the creators widow in recent years. These arent your average, every day sea monkeys, these bitches are super. Back in the glory days of the comic book ad pages, it was generally a given that the product being advertised was not going to live up to the extravagant hype. I think i got them at toys r us in tulsa, oklahoma, when i was a kid. It all sounded like some far away, magical fantasy, but. Aided by an intensive ad campaign appearing in every comic book in the 1960s and 70s, sea monkeys sparked the imagination and intrigued the junior mad scientists of america. The strange era when kids could buy live monkeys through the post via comic book ads. What was the dad seamonkey holding in those old comic. The picture in the ad showed fascinating creatures with humanlike features frolicking in the sea.
False advertising of science can still be fascinating. First, they were just miniature shrimp with an incredibly short lifespan. This ad actually turned out to be more educational for me than i was expecting. The battle over the seamonkey fortune the new york times. There are a few upsetting truths about sea monkeys. The shocking true tale of the mad genius who invented sea. An updated ad campaign began to appear in comic books in 1964.
As you can see, the catalog version is quite realistic compared to the comic book one. Sep 07, 2017 sea monkeys perhaps one of the more unusual and intriguing products ever sold in comic books, sea monkeys, actually a very specific species of brine shrimp, have been around as a commodity since. For the child seized by the creative spirit, when construction toys like legos were simply not enough, sea monkeys satisfied a tykes urge to meddle in the realm of biology. Harol sea monkeys, old comic books, book advertising. Im attempting to get back into the swing of things and start posting on my regular schedule again. This comic book is not graded we include extra pictures and describe as. Advertisements in comic books have promised unbelievable products for decades. What was the dad seamonkey holding in those old comic book. These classic ads in the back of comic books tricked kids from the 50s through the 80s. They dedicated either a whole episode or most of one to the creator of sea monkeys and how he patented a bunch of other things that he sold through comic books but nothing as famous as his sea monkeys. Retro comic books and their amazing ads with images sea. The strange history of comic book advertisements syfy wire.
The comic book ad promised a menagerie of fighting men and objects of war. In todays comic books you dont see the advertisements you used to no ads with outrageous promises to be taller or more muscular. From many of the comic book lists on this site you can tell is big supporter of comic books. Despite their incredibly short lifespan, sea monkeys remain one of the most infamous comic book pop culture. From sea monkeys to xray specs, comic book ads take me. Perhaps the pictures above will bring you back in time. Keep the aquarium in shaded area away from direct sunlight. If todays generation y and zers accuse us baby boomers of being cynical and distrustful, well, i for one blame it all on comic books. When i was a kid, i remember seeing an ad for sea monkeys in the back of a comic book.
Sea monkeys the famous sea monkeys comic book ad design. Inspired designs on tshirts, posters, stickers, home decor, and more by independent artists and designers from around the world. Xray spex did not allow you to see through girls clothing. Despite their incredibly short lifespan, sea monkeys remain one of the most infamous comic book pop culture references. I vowed to send away for sea monkeys as soon as i was a grown up and had that kind of power.
Jun 03, 2014 top 10 outrageous comic book advertisements from many of the comic book lists on this site you can tell is big supporter of comic books. Awesome ad for everyones favorite mailaway brine shrimp, sea monkeys. Retro sea monkeys comic book ad graphic tshirt price. A super nostalgic look at advertising as it used to be in the books and periodicals we used to read. Theyre one of first comicbook mailorder items i bought. Comic book resources has a fantastic firsthand account of ordering a live miniature monkey from a comic book advertisment. The new name was based on their saltwater habitat, together with the supposed resemblance of the animals tails to those of monkeys. Old comic book ads xray specs sea monkeys kit charles atlas workout duration. Vintage comic book ads that were too good to be true. Sales took an upswing when comic book illustrator joe orlando drew comic book advertisements showing the humanized seamonkeys enjoying life in their underwater fantasy world.
Jungle forest wildlife monkeys lions abc alphabet letters underwater sea ocean life fish stick. Wallcolor 7 x 10 metal sign sea monkeys comic book ad vintage look. Well, i was one of those goofy kids that fell for it. Cheesy ads promoting all sorts of questionable items have appeared throughout the history of comic books. Far more than just a mere listing, each item includes the original ad, a picture of the actual item, and exploratory text broken into three or four parts. All orders are custom made and most ship worldwide within 24 hours. I am sure most of us remember seeing sea monkey ads in comics books. Seamonkeys were intensely marketed in comic books throughout the 1960s and early 1970s using. Top 10 outrageous comic book advertisements from many of the comic book lists on this site you can tell is big supporter of comic books. And if these depictions compelled you to adopt a family of your own, then you were also going to learn a little about marketing. No advertisements to own a nuclear sub or army tank can be found nowadays. How many of us who grew up in the 1960s and early 70s were. Sea monkeys were intensely marketed in comic books throughout the 1960s and early 1970s using illustrations by the comic book illustrator joe orlando. With the headline instant live sea animals i initially assumed it was some generic knockoff of seamonkeys but then i noticed that it actually used the term seamonkeys in the description.
Seamonkeys were intensely marketed in comic books throughout the 1960s and early 1970s using illustrations by the comicbook illustrator joe orlando. It shows a royal family of sea creatures, each with two feet that end in flippers, an eellike tail, two arms. They never built castles like we were promised in the ads on the back of comic books, but it turns out that sea monkeys a. Jul 23, 2011 polaris nuclear submarine if you were a regular reader of comic books in the 60s and 70s, you probably couldnt help but notice the recurring ad that offered you your very own kidsized polaris nuclear submarine all for the low price of about seven bucks. Original, authentic, trendy, indy graphic design created in our family run studio in austin tx.
Sea monkeys perhaps one of the more unusual and intriguing products ever sold in comic books, sea monkeys, actually a very specific species of brine shrimp, have been around as. Mans account of ordering a live monkey from comic book ad. He secured the services of cartoonist joe orlando, who designed and illustrated a series of comic book ads. See more ideas about comic books, vintage ads and vintage comics. Seamonkeys are a novelty aquarium pet, a type of brine shrimp that undergoes cryptobiosis.
A 1978 comic book ad for seamonkeys, with art by the comic book artist joe orlando, who would serve as vice president of dc comics and associate publisher of mad magazine. Top 10 outrageous comic book advertisements youtube. The shocking true tale of the mad genius who invented seamonkeys. Nov 05, 2009 as a little kid, i thought it was amazing that once, someone had actually responded to one of these ads in a comic book, and something real had happened in the world in response to that. So that left me wondering if these are genuine seamonkeys, then why is the term. If you have ever experienced the joy of sea monkeys you know that. Sea monkeys another ad that everyone on earth knows about because it was just that popular. Aquarius, bill, and dave and their next door neighbors daughter sheila has befriended the sea monkeys.
On the left you see your normal sea monkeys ad from 1972. Let it sit for 24 hours away from excess sun or cold. Apr 17, 2016 a 1978 comic book ad for sea monkeys, with art by the comic book artist joe orlando, who would serve as vice president of dc comics and associate publisher of mad magazine. You put them in a jar of water, watched them hatch and grow, but they looked nothing like the illustration in the ad.
George has the story of one fan who bought one, which resulted in an er visit and 28 stitches. May 09, 20 anyone in the vicinity of a comic book as a kid, was aware of those lovable sea monkeys. Back to menu simple gadgets and novelties were the most common type of offering in comic book mail order ads. As a little kid, i thought it was amazing that once, someone had actually responded to one of these ads in a comic book, and something real had happened in the world in response to that. Live sea monkeys pet baby raccoons imported birds for hunting. All one had to do was send in a few bucks, and theyd send you these incredible creatures in the mail. We went to the comic book place, like the drug store or the trails end bookstore in odessa and spent our hardearned allowance on. Take a look at this sea monkeys ad taken from an old comic book where sea monkeys have historically been sold directly to unsuspecting children, bypassing their parents who obviously might be a little more skeptical of what this ad seems to promise.
May 12, 2015 he secured the services of cartoonist joe orlando, who designed and illustrated a series of comic book ads. The name instant life was replaced with the more marketfriendly seamonkeys, a moniker inspired by the brine shrimps long tails and ability to live in water. If you were a regular reader of comic books in the 60s and 70s, you probably couldnt help but notice the recurring ad that offered you your very own kidsized polaris nuclear submarine all for the low price of about seven bucks. Sea monkeys that could live in a goldfish bowl and be trained to perform tricks. It wasnt that no one was buying them, it was that no one wanted to sell them, so harold got the idea to place an ad for instant life inside comic books to market directly to kids. The first time i ever saw comics for sale was in 1979, when the.
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