The Post Man

 Post Cereals has been one of the giants in the breakfast game for quite awhile now.  From Grape Nuts to Fruity Pebbles, everybody has a favorite.  But cereal dynasties aren't born, they're made.  And this one was made by a guy named C.W. Post.  If you look into his life you'll find out that he wasn't always such a great guy but but that milk of negativity wasn't enough make his legacy soggy enough to deny him a statue...and I just happened to visit it recently.

 And there he sits, perched high upon his throne, welcoming visitors to the Garza County Courthouse in Post, TX.  Yes, he has a town named after him.  And, yes, he named it after himself after he founded it.  Of course, it was originally called "Post City" and it was meant to be a paradise based on his utopian vision which involved prohibiting alcohol and recreational fornication.  But currently, it's not that different from any other small Texas town.

 

 

Right behind the statue is a Texas Historical marker.  It reads:

     "Internationally known creator of Post Cereals, advertising genius, inventor and innovator, founder of Post City in 1906. Through the purchase of the Curry Comb Ranch and adjacent land approximating 225,000 acres he began his dream of building self-contained model community of towns and farms. Mr. Post financed, supervised and built town without profit to himself. Settlers were offered ownership of business or farm sites far below cost. Mr. Post planned community of debt-free private ownership in every field of endeavor, and sought to make his vision true to its purpose."

 

I'm sure this isn't the only monument to a cereal magnate but my travels have yet to take me to Battle Creek, MI to investigate further.  If you want to visit Post's town (and his statue) you can find it in the in the vicinity of the middle of nowhere in the southern end of the Texas panhandle.  Don't forget the milk!

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

 Previously:

Smokey Bear Top 5  - -  Burn Notice

 Legends never die, they just burn out.  And with that bit of bumper sticker wisdom, it's time for a road trip!  This time I found myself in Capitan, NM, the final resting place of the legendary Smokey the Bear.   He's spending his eternal reward at Smokey Bear Historical Park which, in addition to Smokey's remains,  also includes a a short nature trail, museum and gift shop.  

 Here we see his final resting place.  Just like Smokey, it's humble and unassuming.  There's a wood carving of young Smokey as they first found him stuck in a tree during a forest fire and a plaque with information about his life and his life's work: preventing forest fires.  A little further down the trail is a monument to fallen firefighters as well as benches and overlooks providing a tranquil experience.

 The Museum/Gift Shop is a much lighter way to pay homage to Smokey and his life.  It's full of every kind of memorabilia you can slap a bear's face on.  Games, dolls, books, toys and collectibles from throughout the years are on display to show how fully Smokey worked his way into popular culture (no ashtrays though).

Sadly, none of these items were for sale but they had a few souvenirs available for the Smokey-loving traveler.  It's easy to lose track of time as you soak in the Smokey-themed ambience.  The nostalgia is palpable and emotions can run high as life and death converge on small New Mexico town.  If you find yourself on the road in that area I would definitely recommend stopping by and paying your respects.

On a Roll

The Burger Wars of the 80s left behind a lot of casualties.  Everybody wanted to get ahead, and in those days it seemed like very few ideas were rejected.  In an effort to differentiate themselves from the McDonald's juggernaut, Burger King decided to lean into the sandwich genre...and they swung for the fences!  Let's take a look at what you could find on the menu back in those go-go days of yore.

Roast Beef Sandwich

 This one is a no-brainer.  If you're in the fast food game and want to get into sandwiching, the first stop along the trail has got to be roast beef.  By standing on the shoulders of Arby's, BK was able to offer something different and yet familiar.  Patrons were able to stay in their comfort zones but still feel like they were traveling outside the burger zone.

Ham & Cheese Sandwich

 And here we have what would have been my order.  There's nothing better, when you're not in the mood for something heavy like a burger, than having the old ham & cheese option.  Of course, the best ham & cheese is hot ham & cheese but I'm not sure they went that direction with this one.  It looks like your standard cold sandwich but sometimes that's just what's needed.

Chicken Sandwich and/or Fish Sandwich

 These are definite fast food staples but Burger King can't seem to lock them in.  Filet-O-Fish occupies a well worn place on the McDonald's menu but if BK currently has a fish sandwich I couldn't tell you what it's called.  And various chicken sandwiches seem to come in and out of fashion at a rate that I just can't seem to keep up with.  At least we have a record of these for posterity.

Chopped Beefsteak Sandwich

 This one makes me suspicious.  How exactly is a Chopped Beefsteak Sandwich different from a hamburger?  Other than the shape?  I assume the meat is "steak" instead of ground beef but I'm not exactly confident about that.  I mean do you really expect to get steak at a fast food place?  Maybe it's a semantics thing.  All I know is that when a fast food chain offers something with "steak" in the title it almost always involves onions.  With onion rings as the main topping, this one is no different.

Veal Parmigiana Sandwich

 And here we have probably their most ambitious foray into the sandwich game.  Veal may not be P.C. by today's standards, but what interests me is a burger chain's attempt at Italian food.  Like McSpaghetti before it, Burger King's Veal Parmigiana Sandwich tried to bring a little of the old country to the drive thru lane.  

I can't be sure, but what I believe to be the downfall of all of these sandwiches is that most people go to burger places for burgers.  It's the sad reality that discontinues all our favorite weirdo menu items from Burger King, McDonalds and all the other soldiers in Burger Wars past and present.

Mixed Messages

Some things are a no-brainer.  We take a lot for granted these days so what seems obvious in hindsight can sometimes be the result of years if research and experimentation.  On the other hand, there is such a thing as the "happy accident."  These can happen to anybody when they least expect it and that type of scenario was the basis of a famous ad campaign for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

It was the "go-go 80s" (and late 70s) and people wanted what they wanted...and they wanted it now!  This applied to snacks as much as it applied to junk bonds.  Reese's adopted this spirit of accidental ingenuity with a series of ads showcasing everyday folks inadvertently creating the great taste of chocolate and peanut butter. 

 Here we have two typical 80s young folks on their way somewhere, probably the arcade, when suddenly the unthinkable happens: a corner collision thrusts the guy's generic chocolate bar into the gal's crock of peanut butter (I'm only now picking up on the subtext).  Instead of noticing how weird it is that she was eating peanut butter out of the jar with her hands, the guy pulls his walkman to the side so they could both experience the brand new treat their clumsiness created.  Also they're married now (I just made that last part up).

Next up is another meet cute between a young couple, this time at the movies.  As was common at the time, the young lady is eating peanut butter with a spoon directly from the jar.  I have to assume she brought it from home because I don't recall movie theater concessions selling whole jars in the 80s but perhaps my experience is limited.  Regardless, a jump scare brings our couple together just as it brings their chocolate and peanut butter together.  They celebrate their new love by picking up some Reese's for a less messy movie snack alternative.

And now, some culture.  A night at the opera leads to a new taste sensation.  I assume that the actual opera is about the two ingredients because the singer starts the show by praising his beloved peanut butter.  Whether or not the pratfall is a part of the story or the fault of bad stage management is unclear.  But the results are undeniable: a tasty treat.  

The legacy of these commercials remains to this day as it's not uncommon to hear the old "You got chocolate in my peanut butter" joke whenever somebody gets something into something else.  I still hold out hope that they're due for a comeback.  Maybe if we all started eating peanut butter directly out of the jar in public then it would seem more natural to bring it back.

Cutting Edge

Tucked away in the corner of the Joplin History & Mineral Museum in Joplin, MO, you'll find the "National Cookie Cutter Historical Museum."  It's in between a large exhibit of creepy porcelain dolls and a room filled with creepy circus memorabilia.  It's not too big and more of an exhibit than it's own museum but it's definitely the type of thing to catch my eye.

Here, early 20th century antique snowman cookie cutters share shelf space with contemporary Spider-Man cookie cutters and they all live in harmony.  Product mascots are no stranger to the cookie cutter genre and several of my favorites were represented here.  So I thought I might list a few today on the blog...yeah, that should kill some time...

Before he was de-aged in Crisis of Infinite Earths (or whatever), Mr. Peanut was the suave gentleman who classed up the snack aisle just by being there.  The museum has him in a few poses, including a tip of the hat to whoever is about to eat him.  I imagine these might work best with peanut butter cookies?

Here we have an older M&M design from the days before each flavor had their own distinct personality.  Things were simpler back then.  All the little guys wanted to do was have a swim in the chocolate pool, stand under the candy coating shower and hop into your mouth.  This cookie cutter, of course, would best be used for those type of chocolate chip cookies that have M&Ms instead of chocolate chips.

Next is a smorgasbord of McDonaldland goodness.  There are a couple of Ronald faces, a few Fry Guys and I think the Hamburglar snuck in there.  Of course, some Halloween cookie cutters are also included in that Happy Meal Jack-O-Lantern bucket.  Any mention of cookies and McDonalds takes me back to the old, discontinued McDonaldland cookies from years back.  So I'd used these to make, maybe sugar cookies?  I think that's what they were.

Mr. & Mrs. Pillsbury Doughboy have also joined the party.  I believe their names are actually Poppin' Fresh and Poppie Fresh and they even have an extended family.  But it looks like only these two lovebirds made the (cookie) cut.  Since these guys are all about baking, I could see using them to make some kind of ambitious jam-stuffed cookie. Or some kind of fancy jam covered cookie that you'd see in a magazine but never in real life.  For some reason I think jam is fancy...

I don't necessarily think of delicious baked goods when I think of the Michelin Man but I guess I should start.  The shape of this cutter doesn't include the tire layers of his body so I have to wonder what a Michelin Man cookie would a actually look like.  If you were served one, would you have any clue who it was supposed to be?  A friendly blob waving hello?  As for what kind of cookies I would make with this, maybe something light an airy, you know, like a tire.  Can you use these on puff pastries?

There were plenty more cookie cutters to be found at the museum, of course.  I saw a rare Blondie and Dagwood set and a U.S. map with cutters representing all the states, even the little weird ones in New England that nobody can remember.  If you're ever in the area and want to pay homage to the beautifully mundane, you could do worse. 

Winner Winner

An earlier entry briefly mentioned the Chicken Dinner Candy Truck which promoted the oddly named Chicken Dinner Candy bars. Here is a vintage picture of it from "Special Interest Autos" magazine.

While trying to wrap my brain around this concept I stumbled onto a better picture of the truck from Charles Phoenix's website. 

Apparently the Chicken Dinner Candy Bar contained 0% chicken and was promoted more as a filling meal than as a snack. Since they don't seem to be around anymore we can assume their marketing failed on all fronts.

Further investigation revealed that the company created not one, but a fleet of Chicken Dinner Candy Trucks to spread the word. This picture from the "Kitschy Kitschy Coo" website confirms no less than nine of the trucks existed at one point.

While this proud poultry parade may have disappeared from the highways forever, my own personal travels brought about the discovery of a similar chicken themed vehicle. This picture was taken near Paducah, KY:

This modified El Caballero may or may not have promoted a chicken related product or service. I have no details about it and it will most likely remain shrouded in mystery forever. And that's probably okay.

Emerald Frylight

Previously:

The Colonel of Two Worlds  - -   Next Fry Day

You thought your lunch was safe...and it essentially is.  But adventure calls!  Once again a hero rises from the deep fried ashes of Valhalla to insure the herbage and spiciness of your meal will be finger lickin' adequate.  So grab a spork and let's dive into the latest extra crispy adventure of Colonel Sanders as he teams up with Green Lantern in "Across the Universe."

Our story begins as Ferris Aircraft monitors the  crash landing of...something.  As those vultures from the press crowd in to get their pound of chicken flesh, a familiar figure emerges with the payload from the downed spacecraft:

Apparently the Colonel has been testing the process of shooting his new Zinger Sandwich into space...for...some reason.  I assume he's trying to break into the intergalactic fast food market.  But since Ferris can't get the job done he turns to one of his super powered pals for help.

"Every member of the Green Lantern Corp is working on this."  Every single member has ceased protecting their respective sectors in order to help move sandwiches around in space.  Seems legit.  On the brightest (day) side, that comes with the opportunity to have some sweet GL cameos:

The (entire membership of) Green Lanterns determine that for some reason the space buckets are showing up to their destinations empty.  Not so much as an herb or a spice (or that one napkin they give you in the drive thru) make the intergalactic trip.  An investigation is in order and that can only mean one thing:  time to get deputizin'.

So the Colonel gets his own ring but there's a bit of a missed opportunity in that he doesn't give himself his own custom GL uniform.  I guess KFC thought his trademark white suit just couldn't be messed with.  But that's the only opportunity they missed since their intergalactic investigation led to a few DC Comics cameos:

After a quick stop at the Source Wall, the cop buddy road trip heads to Rann to say high to Adam Strange.  And then a quick stop at Thanagar:

to check in with Hawk Girl.  At this point it just seems like Green Lantern is showing off all the cool people he knows to the Colonel.  Sanders didn't have enough time to be impressed since they picked up enough clues to lead them right to the prime suspect.

So we then get your standard fight scene as Larfleeze gives his usual spiel about how he's greedy and he wants and wants and wants and that he's totally into these new space sandwiches.  But the Colonel has heard enough and, as the true businessman, comes up with the most profitable solution.

Yep, the logical solution to this problem is to give Larfleeze his very own KFC franchise to run.  Makes perfect sense, right?  Well it doesn't if you don't think about it too much.  All that's left is to give a little praise for a job well done:

Great job guys!  Just like the last couple of issues with the Flash, it looks like they aren't making print copies of this adventure.  Digital only, so grab your copy from Comixology.

Munch Madness 2020

Previously:

Munch Madness 2019  - -  Munch Madness 2018

It'ss that time of year again!  Let the madness commence!  This time it's not just the sweet treats of Little Debbie competing.  We've got some new competitors.  But let's get the main event out of the way:

Congrats to Nutty Buddies, your 2020 Little Debbie Champion!  But they're not alone when it comes to this year's victory.  A&W Restaurants are also joining the fray. 

Full disclosure: I've only eaten there a handful of times.  I usually stop in to satisfy a chili dog craving but I think I've sampled enough of their menu to work my way through the brackets.  Let's see how it turned out:

No surprise here.  Their signature root beer makes a great root beer float and that's our winner.  I'll need to stop by soon to get myself a celebratory dessert.

And finally, the Popicon Blog is ranking the best product mascots of all time.  This one was right up my alley so I had to give it a try.  But there were some tough choices to be made.  I'm still not 100% sure about every win/loss but it is what it is:

Congrats to the one and only Cap'n Crunch for pulling out a victory against some fierce competition.  So what do you think?  Agree?  Disagree?  Feel like arguing any of my picks?  Well, let me have it! 

Mountain Done

Several years back there was a pretty famous lawsuit involving a claim by a soda enthusiast that a mouse was found in his can of Mountain Dew.  The idea of a drowned rodent floating in what was once a refreshing beverage was enough to get headlines on its own but what really got people's attention was Pespi's (the creator of Mountain Dew) "defense."

Their expert testified that the amount of time a can of the Dew spends between going from the factory to the shelf was more than enough to completely dissolve the mouse's flesh.  So essentially they said that the guy couldn't have found a mouse because in the three weeks the little guy would have spent in the can, the bubbly brew would disintegrate it.

This full disclosure of innard tickling really struck a chord with me.  So like any normal person I bought a frozen rat from the pet store and soaked it in a jar of Mountain Dew for several weeks.  Then I made a video about it.  Enjoy! (WARNING: it gets gross)

Smokey Bear Top 5

Beaver's Bend State Park in southeastern Oklahoma is in the middle of a heavily forested area that has been a big part of the lumber industry for years.  That industry, and its history, is celebrated at the park's museum.  Several displays include large murals painted by artist Harry Rossoll.  If you don't recognize the name, you'll definitely recognize his most famous creation:

Since good ol' Smokey fits right in with the Forest Heritage themes of the museum, they have a display of Smokey memorabilia.  So, as I sometimes do, I decided to rank them in a Top Five List.  Let's get started with...

5.  The True Story of Smokey Bear Comic

I've covered this comic before on the blog but I think it's worth mentioning again.  Several product mascots have appeared in comic format before (although not nearly enough) but this one chronicles real life events that led to the Smokey Phenomena.  It's a great piece of an American legacy.

4.  Smokey & His Friends One Act Play Kit

I've never been a huge theater guy but I'd love to see a production of this.  I'm guessing it would be kids in cardboard cutout masks portraying various woodland creatures with an overall message of "Don't light stuff on fire" and that's really all it would need to be. 

3.  Little Golden Book

Slight breach of etiquette here with the inclusion of "the" in Smokey's name but the Little Golden Book franchise is legendary and being included is quite the feather in his famous hat.  I've never seen the Pillsbury Doughboy or the Green Giant in one of these things (even though I'd love to) so Smokey is breathing rarefied air.

2.  Sheet Music

Smokey is not the only ad icon to have his own theme song but he may be the only one with a song that has four verses.  Gather round the piano with the rest of the choir and belt out the Ballad of Smokey...what could be better?

1.  Special Edition Doll

Look at this thing!  I wish there was something in the shot for perspective to show how big it is.  It's pretty good size, maybe slightly smaller than a Chucky doll (for lack of a better comparison).  I don't have any real info on it other than it's a "Special Edition," but it's clearly the star of the display.

Smokey's had a long and distinguished career and his influence has spread to a variety of mediums.  These few examples are hopefully just the beginning of of an even longer influence for years to come.

The Rise & Fall of the Avocardo

The Avacardo had a brief brush with fame a few years ago when it was featured in a commercial for Subway Sandwiches.  It only appeared for a second or two but it made a big impact on viewers...or maybe just me....

You can see its quick (and as far as I know only) appearance here:

I was never sure if this was just a prop for the commercial or an actual working vehicle.  But if Subway was smart they would have gotten this thing on the road ASAP...and maybe team up with the Guac Mobile!

A year or two later this one-of-a-kind beauty was put up for sale.  News broke on the Autoevolution website with pics from the Craigslist listing:

Looks like the glory days are well behind the Avocardo.  It's got some slight bruising and is well past its ripe stage.  But I think all it needs is a little TLC (and lemon juice) and I bet that it would be a great project for a guacamole enthusiast.

Here is the actual listing (UPDATE: I guess it sold.  The add has been taken down).  Feel free to make an offer.  Thanks, once again to Uncle Frank for the heads up!