This particular toy was offered by Honor House, a big name in the comic ad mail order business.
Although this 1956 ad mentions this is a new scientific toy, the "science rocket" has stood the test of time and is still being made today. I can vividly remember one of these rockets I had which had a red plastic dome and white lower body to it. The white plastic was opaque and made the fins a little more bendy. I'm guessing in the early models that were made from translucent red plastic the fins were not so bendy and probably broke on hard landings..
For those not familiar with this toy, you fill the rocket to a line with water. You then attach a small hand pump to the base of the rocket, latch it in place and pump it full of air. Now I'm pretty sure the actual instructions gave some kind of advisory as to how much air you should pump in to it but we always pumped it until there was so much air inside that we couldn't work the pump anymore (ie: maximum thrust mode). Aim up at the sky (very important!) and release the latch holding the rocket in place.
Actual mail order rocket still in original box (year unknown)
What happens next is pure science, but I don't know the actual words behind it. Suffice it to say that water + air pressure + forced point of release = launching rocket. Like any flying toy, these would sometimes end up on the roof, yours or your neighbors! There is also a good chance of getting sprayed by the "rocket fuel" as it launches which makes this a good summer toy.
Today's Funnies come courtesy of Space Adventures from Charlton Comics and we're checking out some funky sci-fi headgear! I don't recall if both images are from the same comic but I do know the first one is from 1952.
I thought this was pretty cool because it reminds me of the original Tron helmets.
This next one...I'm starting to wonder if this is the reason behind why every plastic bag says on it "this is not a toy." Seriously? I'm no comic artist but wouldn't it have been easier to draw the usual 50s style bubble space helmet than something that looks like it came from the local cleaners? You're either going to black out from wearing a plastic bag on your head or not have a sufficient enough vac-seal to keep the bad air out.
DISCLAIMER: Do NOT use plastic bags as space helmets.
Inspired by Monsterfink's recent post on Sid and Marty Krofft's Bigfoot and Wildboy, today I bring you another 70s Saturday morning show: Doctor Shrinker! I say inspired by but I was having trouble coming up with something to post about today and I can always find something to talk about from childhood. One of the great things about episodic TV is that everything you needed to know was given to you in the show's intro...
Ok, almost everything. Why were three kids flying in such bad weather? Why did Shrinker shrink them? He had to test his new device on someone. That's why he's desperate to get them back, so he has living proof and can sell his weapon to the highest bidder.
Two of the kids are brother and sister, Gordie and BJ respectively. You read that right, the girl's name is BJ. Gordie is the less svelte of the two guys. It was the 70s, of course the two "good looking" kids wouldn't be related and the heavier guy would be the brother/comic relief.
As far back as I can remember I've always enjoyed horror/scifi that involves something being larger than normal (Them!, Tarantula, Attack of the 50ft Woman) or smaller than normal (The Incredible Shrinking Man) and it may have all started with Doctor Shrinker. I don't think I started watching Creature Double Feature for another year or two, so it's possible!
I don't remember a whole lot about the show itself other than Shrinker trying to catch the kids, the kids trying to find a way to get back to normal to escape the island and encountering now-giant sized things.
Sadly I think only one episode of the show has made it to DVD in a Krofft compilation.
