I'm not sure what the pie graph of my time spent on the internet would look like. I'm sure the majority of the graph would be reading news, especially recently as we sprint toward apparent Armageddon. But another sizable chunk would have to be –born at least partially from escapism, but in concert with sheer curiosity and forgetfulness – playing detective work about items from my youth. What really existed, what was that show or this toy really like? The forgotten worlds the internet burps out never cease to impress.
One such burp is the Mego Museum. Like plenty of people my age, I've a fond recollection of these dolls (apologies to the male power fantasy comics crew, but they're dolls), though I never had the honor of owning one. I would go down the street and play with Batman, Robin, and (if I recall correctly) Spider-Man, all owned by Jodi Reid, the daughter of the school librarian. Jodi, by the power of ownership of these dolls (possibly her older brother owned them, but that was of little import to anyone at the time), was the coolest kid – never mind girl – on the block.
There was something about those toys sadly lacking in the over-rendered toys of today. Somehow in their simplicity they left play more open to interpretation. A sort of three dimensional cartoon. Maybe I'm just being overly nostalgic, romanticizing the past. Mainly I'm still just a little jealous of Jodi Reid, wherever she is. Guess I could look that up on the internet, but I've got to get back to reading about which bank fell through today.
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5 comments:
My brother and I were fortunate enough to have Batman, Robin, and, yes, Spider-Man.
I remember when a women's magazine suggested that a good craft project for moms and kids was to make a skyline out of cardboard boxes, then cut holes in it at intervals in which you could stick the heroes' hands--and thus they could climb the buildings! It was great fun.
I love the packaging--not unsurprisingly, I don't remember that at all.
What?! I want to make a gigantic version of that cardboard city, for me. I'm moving to a new apartment, and that should be in the living room. Someone get on top of this for me. Make it happen.
Whatever women's magazine that was, I hope you picked up a subscription.
If you need help making a paper/cardboard city so that you can play with your dolls, I'm totally in! Err... again...
Every time I think of that base (a paper city James and I made for our pencil toppers, for those of you not fortunate enough to be in our second grade class), I can't believe we got away with it. I remember it taking up half of one side of the room, though it's possible I'm recalling that completely incorrectly.
At the very least we should have been shut down for code violations. Load bearing walls should not be secured by scotch tape.
"...especially recently as we sprint toward apparent Armageddon..."
Who says everything you read on the internet isn't true?
Damn right about that at least. Also that escapism bit - I'm a fan of that technique.
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