Showing posts with label toys and games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label toys and games. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Giant Blocks!

North Pole unemployment rates are at an all-time high, according to financial experts, and it has been reported that over 50% of Santa's workers, including his chief toymakers called elves, are scrambling for new jobs after mass lay-offs earlier in the year. So far, there is no consensus on how this will impact the coming holiday season, most notably in the customary dispersal of wrapped playthings. Worried parents are already fearing a backlash from their children. "Santa's double-checked list of good and bad kids is the only thing that keeps my family in line," one mother who would like to remain anonymous divulged to Curly Wurly. The worried mother added, 'if my kids discover that Santa might not even make it to our house this year, I'll have sheer anarchy on my hands!' Experts are already suggesting that it would be good to have a back-up plan in case Santa has to cut back his usual route this year. William E. Whitlock, director of Woman's Day Workshop, offers a plan for a versatile toy that will please every fussy Nancy and Teddy.

Giant Blocks are a miracle toy that just might have put the elves out of business had the failing economy not seen to that first. The blocks can be easily constructed by any handy person from just a few inexpensive materials. Giant Blocks are a patented light-weight cardboard construction that can be safely lifted by small children with only a slight chance of serious injury, but hidden reinforcement inside the blocks ensures it can hold the weight of a person up to 180 pounds! Whitlock will not explain how this can be, but these photos of Nancy and Teddy Whitlock hoisting and climbing on these Giant Blocks cannot be some kind of cruel hoax!

The versatility of Giant Blocks will not be denied. Since each block is hand decorated they can be customized to suit your own child's taste. In a Curly Wurly exclusive, we have a picture of Whitlock's prototype. As you can see, there are block designs for girls (pretty flowers), boys (the masculine 'bricklayers' design), and designs to please the Francophile in every family! Imaginative children can build rudimentary structures, like bartender sets, Japanese tunnels, and hospitals. Immobile vehicles, such as the airplane and the veterinarian's shuttle bus, can also be constructed. Despite the last picture showing a collapsing drawbridge, Whitlock insists that Giant Blocks are completely safe and probably will not lead to permanent injury or death. It seems as if the sky is truly the limit when it comes to Giant Blocks.

Below are photos of Mr. Whitlock's prototype of the Giant Blocks. If you are interested in giving your children a set of these bigger-than-life blocks this Christmas, contact Woman's Day Magazine (please cite issue December 1952) for Mr. Whitlock's plans.





(Note: Contacting Woman's Day will not yield further information on Giant Blocks!)

(Another note: Curly Wurly is officially on that new-fangled time-waster, Twitter. Feel free to follow if you like!)

Thursday, January 10, 2008

A Dream Come True



Here's a delightful find over at Cary Grant.net! The May 1941 issue of Screen Life Magazine included a beautifully lifelike paper doll set of Mr. Cary Grant. The costumes are from Gunga Din (1939), Only Angels Have Wings (1939), The Philadelphia Story (1940), The Howards Of Virginia (1940), and Penny Serenade (1941). So, get out your cardstock, and start printing out your Star Doll!

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Go play a Star War!

Continuing our holiday theme, we must address the fact that what's under the tree is almost as important as what's decorating the tree. For the past three decades, Star Wars has been one of the most successful movie franchises. Not only has it remained a box office smash, but Star Wars tie-ins have remained popular for kids of all ages. No toy was more desired in 1983 than this game based on Return of the Jedi. Return of the Jedi: The Play-For Power Card Games, manufactured by Parker Brothers, was released the same year as the film. There is some extra information on this game at BoardGameGeek and StarWarsCards.net

I suppose I should point out that these are all trademarked characters.

First, the baddies (a few more obscure):


This set includes Jabba the Hutt; his great pal, Salacious Crumb; and something called a Yuzzum.


A menacing Gamorrean Guard, Barada, and a Weequay.


My favorite Star Wars character of all-time, Bib Fortuna (he wasn't all that bad, actually); a hideous Rancor; and Squid Head/Tessek (aka The Master, as I used to call my beloved action figure).

And from another game in the same set:


Yoda (I'll abstain from a joke about Yoda's annoying rearranging of sentences); Chewbacca peeking out of an AT-ST; Darth Vader


The Return of the Jedi logo on the backs of the cards and card number one: Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Lando Calrissian.



If you prefer your toys not to come from 'a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away' you can give these board games a try:


Here we have a completely terrestrial advertisement from Selchow & Righter Co., makers of well-known games like Scrabble, Parcheesi, and Chess. This ad also features some of their other games, including Troke, Go For Broke, MacDonald's Farm Game, and Gingerbread Man. Here's a list of some Selchow & Righter games.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Curly Wurly Interactive #2

If the summer heat has you pining for chillier days, join this Scandinavian maiden on a snowy adventure. This is a Danish paper doll greeting card illustrated by Bente Olsen for Carlsen Verlag. It was purchased sometime in the mid- to late 1960s.

So, for the interactive part: print, clip out this unnamed pige and her fabulous wardrobe, and accompany her to school, the frozen pond, and the stables. She's as fashionable as Jackie O!




Monday, March 05, 2007

Purina's Shaggy dog

This is an amazing offer that was found in the same Family Circle magazine as the 'porfolio of kitchen ideas' in the last post. This advertisement is a promotion for a toy dog with a built-in imported music box. This lovable companion is called Shaggy, supposedly because he can be combed 'shaggy'. Unlike a real dog, all the instructions for caring for Shaggy are on his ribbon: 'All you add is Love.' Aww. Unfortunately, the ad doesn't address why it looks like the dog is wearing lipstick. Shaggy is shown here with the Olsen twins' mother.




Save 8 cents on your next purchase of Purina Dog Chow!


Offer void where prohibited.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Space Race game (1969)

The very first treasure I remember getting from a flea market was this pack of cards, a game called Space Race. When I got it, I was charmed by the astronomical graphics but didn't really understand the historical implications. This was part of a series of educational card games made by Edu-Cards, a division of Binney & Smith (makers of Crayola Crayons). This particular set is from 1969, although this page alludes to earlier editions.


(Click to enlarge)


The box shows a scene of an American moon landing


The first card shows the back illustration of the set. Cards 1-5


The rest of the planets (including Pluto) and the beginning of the penalty cards




My favorite card: 'SPUTNIK' - Lose Two Turns