Archive for advertising

Halloween Countdown: Monster Vitamins (Starring Vincent Price)

Posted in absurd, advertising, animation, halloween, monsters, music, video with tags , , , , , , , on October 14, 2016 by shewalkssoftly

Vincent Price’s voice can make absolutely anything sound ominous with a twist of undeniable sophistication, as evidenced by this 1974 commercial for children’s vitamins.

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Some might say he “sold out” with product endorsements like these. But I think he knew how (comically) amazing various products would be with his iconic presence behind them. I like to believe he enjoyed the irony.

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If you’re feeling particularly masochistic today, you can listen to one side of the “Monster Vitamins Record.” But…you’ve been warned.

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Obvious Plant

Posted in advertising, humor, satire, signs with tags , , , , on September 9, 2016 by shewalkssoftly

Jeff Wysaski has been leaving hilarious signs and products in public places in a project known as Obvious Plant.

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At first, he was worried that people would notice what he was doing, but quickly discovered that most witnesses were far too wrapped up in their own worlds to notice (even store employees didn’t notice blatant faux product placement!).

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We can get so used to the mundanity of existence that most of us would fail to distinguish the plants from the overwhelming amount of visual stimuli we encounter each day. One benefit of being housebound with chronic illness for years is that even the quickest trip to a drug store seems miraculous…like I’m seeing everything for the first time! I find myself drinking in all sorts of glossed-over details of simple products on the shelves, marveling. But I bet I could miss the plants too.

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I think my whole wekk would be made if I ever saw one of these. I think he should have local volunteers placing them everywhere around the country. Please start a movement, Jeff!

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Obvious Plant

Desktop Goodies 6/3

Posted in absurd, advertising, art, cats, comics, dolls, humor, kitsch, makeup, monsters, skulls and skeletons, vintage with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 3, 2016 by shewalkssoftly

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IDEA!
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Everyone should know this.
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Ah, refreshing summer treats.
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Gorgeous!
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This looks like an awesome model kit.
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I love this painting. Such a sense of longing.
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I left the trademark that says “for personal purposes only,” because I imagine all of us have ultra-cute kitten purposes.
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On the other hand, I see no earthly purpose for this:
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So…extra crotch room for Chuck Norris style kicks was a selling point?
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A turtle skeleton, just because.
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Incredible makeup job.
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Desktop Goodies 2/2

Posted in absurd, advertising, Books, comics, craft, food, humor, music, photography, sci-fi, thrift horror, toys, vintage with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 2, 2016 by shewalkssoftly

You realize what happened here: this bird was killed, only to be zoomorphized into a bastardized version of itself in a stupid hat. Talk about adding insult to injury.
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Debatable:
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Terrifying:
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I’m completely entranced by this piece, yet can’t find an artist credit anywhere. Ideas? If no one knows…it’s obviously an alien cell phone.
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Parenthetical note:
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Excellent…I like strong coffee; strong enough to make my head blast clear off my body.
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I almost cropped out the caption because it’s so clear that this thing originated from a very unholy place that it just seems redundant.
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Isn’t this all our monsters ever really want? (No really, think about it.)
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I searched, in gleeful hope, for a vintage TV commercial featuring Drippy the Runny Nose Kid. But alas, no record of one exists. Sorry I couldn’t deliver this thing in action (or maybe I should be saying “you’re welcome”).
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1) Reading books about death becomes considerably more difficult.
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I find this photo incredibly haunting. It actually stirs up a visceral unease.
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Yes, some might consider the following a deal breaker. She seems open minded. The horse (or…man-horse?), not so much.
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Your fist becomes a real face.
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The truth of how brains really work, unveiled. SCIENCE!
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Desktop Goodies 12/14

Posted in absurd, advertising, art, creatures, humor, japan, monsters, nature, photography, skulls and skeletons, space, vintage with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 14, 2015 by shewalkssoftly

Hypnokitty says…you will read the entirety of this post…
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I’m not sure if this was a recurring character or a one time thing, but it’s very unusual art for a motor oil ad.
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The bow really makes this.
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I love this kid.
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I previously considered my own cats to be pretty well prepared, but I was quite mistaken.
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The most projectile vomit I’ve ever seen in an antique colorized photo.
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It’s funny…because it’s true.
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I’m surprised this never happened to me when I was deep in my heavy metal phase.
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Nature is incredible.
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Image Odyssey: Vintage Flea Circus

Posted in advertising, creatures, sideshow, vintage with tags , , , on September 3, 2015 by shewalkssoftly

My darling little kittens (who have not even left the top floor of my house yet), got fleas from a visiting family member’s outdoor cat, and it’s been impossible to get rid of them despite the most exhaustive efforts.

So we have to call in professionals today. While they work, feast your eyes on some vintage flea circus images (if ONLY these little buggers could be even mildly entertaining in this house…instead of the pestilent spawn of Hell they’ve proven to be).

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Desktop Goodies 7/10

Posted in absurd, advertising, art, Books, cats, horror, humor, japan, kitsch, monsters, oddities, photography, satire, undead, vintage with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 10, 2015 by shewalkssoftly

Apologies for skipping a couple days this week, but between huge health setbacks and mold remediation in the SWS house, things are a bit hectic.

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What happened on this beach to necessitate a sign like this (well, I guess that’s self-explanatory).
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What question did someone ask him to warrant this answer? Ideas?
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I’m assuming this is a gag product (the source where I found it said it’s unironic, which was perhaps more entertaining than the ad itself).
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Facing the shadow…
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I had to look up where this fellow came from. Now I must see Ultraman Tarou. Has anyone seen it?
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Well, that’s supportive.
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Careful, parents, it could happen to you.
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Answer: don’t.
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Now THIS cat is a work of art.
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“Hey, you’ll never believe where I’m calling from.”
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Desktop Goodies 4/27

Posted in absurd, advertising, art, Books, clothing, creatures, horror, humor, monsters, retro, sci-fi, street art, vintage with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 27, 2015 by shewalkssoftly

WHY don’t more buses look like this? It’s such a missed opportunity NOT to paint giant teeth on all of them.
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I’m sure this valid excuse resulted in instant exoneration:
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Yeah, but the Wild Germ has anger issues…
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One must look at the tagline and consider whether it is really the kind of attention ones wants.
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What has she seen?
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…Perhaps Karloff’s carload of arsenic?
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If I ever get to space, I’m traveling via giant, helmet-clad intergalactic puppy.
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A very touching piece of street art.
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AS fellow fans of The IT Crowd know, two is the best number of eyes.
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Yep.
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The sweet, pink title image is excellent with a cat that looks exceedingly unamused.
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Desktop Goodies: 2/4

Posted in 80's, absurd, advertising, anatomy, anthropomorphic, art, Books, humor, medicine, oddities, robots, sea, skulls and skeletons, taxidermy, vintage with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 4, 2015 by shewalkssoftly

You’re being welcomed into this post by anthropomorphic hotdog with breasts.
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As far as I can tell, this is a real vintage ad. Probably one of the most jaw-dropping examples I’ve seen.
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Imagine this is what you’re really standing on.
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I prefer my tables without testicles.
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Don’t miss the other title by this author on the bottom.
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For “elegant women of refinement and taste.”
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Just your average note-wielding mouse on a lobster.
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I’m not sure what’s going on here. Is this a medical assistance device? Unless it’s equipped with some sort of pulley mechanism to lift bodies in need, I see very little purpose for lying on something LESS comfortable, a few inches above something designed for lying on.
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And now, in today’s installment of unappealing instructional material…Meet the man who can tell you how to lick pimples.
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Haunted…
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In conclusion, cats are the cure for everything.
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Desktop Goodies 1/22

Posted in absurd, advertising, antiques, art, comics, creatures, photography, satire, sci-fi, skulls and skeletons, vintage, you can't handle the cute with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 22, 2015 by shewalkssoftly

Yep, these are real birds…
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…not Tribbles with eyes.
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I wanted so much to believe this is an actual album, but sadly I don’t see it on Amazon or YouTube.
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Now THIS is music! I can almost hear their sweet, fruity harmonizing.
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1926 skull clock created by the German Oswald clockmaking workshop. They eyes rotate to tell the time.
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For maximum safety, place your child in a crib that appears to be a cross between a glass coffin and what magicians use to saw people in half.
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A unique abduction? Eye don’t know.
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MONSTER SOUP OF THE THAMES!
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Never neglect your bowels.
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I wish this were part of a large “Things to Do With a Giant Head” photo collection. There are two fine suggestions here:
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The Shadow is a force, indeed.
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The challenges we rarely think of…
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