Sport Spiel

Here's the TV GUIDE listing and ad for the second airing of THE YULE LOG. We were watching that night, you bet. Sure, we knew how weird it was, but we also loved it. It accompanied the family ritual of opening one package on Christmas Eve. Today we put up the tree here, and I told my kids about the little village of skaters, etc, that we used to put under the tree every year. We set up the town and the metal figures while Andy Williams and Sinatra sang. Miles lay on the floor on his stomach, just like I used to, and stared at the old village, beatific. He insisted I lay down beside him and tell him the stories I dreamed up back when I was a little boy like him, all about the citizens of our tiny town. Lily directed the hanging of ornaments. Shelley and I had a glass of nog. I hope we have many decades of nights like this. There is nothing better in the world.

Posted 11:01 PM by sport

One day back in the 60s I opened up a comic book and saw that ad. >

Look at that!!! DR EVIL! His BRAIN was exposed! He defeated his enemies using a "thought-sensor" shaped like a fuckin' EYEBALL!

Soon, on a visit to Sears, I saw the actual figure behind the toy counter. Words cannot convey the covetous frenzy this inspired. See, previously I had to invent villains for my Captain Action doll to do battle with, using GI Joe dolls. It worked OK, but it was kind of pedestrian. THIS was the very thing. DR EVIL! (Wonder if Mike Myers had one as a kid)

Captain Action was a great toy, shown here in the essential source, the Sears "Wish Book". He was an action figure that could transform into any number of comicbook faves from Marvel, DC, and other characters like the Lone Ranger and Tarzan. Not only did the staid GI Joe make for an unsatisfying rival, but there was this aesthetic disconnect; I had this thing about mixing action figures... GI Joe was a world unto itself, as were the various Marx figures.

Though they all worked well scale-wise, it just seemed wrong to get the various worlds of Marx cowboys, Hasbro soldiers and Ideal superheroes all mashed up suchlike.

Now, the ZEROIDS were another matter. These battery operated robots were scaled smaller than the other11 or 12 inch figures. These were the perfect scale for combining with MAJOR MATT MASON, a rubber bendable astronaut made by Mattel. Somehow I had no problem mixing Matt and the Zeroids. And eventually, the greatest thrill of all, Colorforms' Men From Space would join the fray, but that's another whole entry.

Incidentally, look at the BATMAN play set there below the Capt Action ad. Another great set, and nowadays a VERY costly item- if you can find one- on Ebay. Had it. Oh yeah.

So you can imagine the cluster of competing hopes: will I get ZEROIDS? The new GI Joe "Soldiers of the World" figures? And ...heart be still... DR EVIL himself? Fevered prayers.

Gaze in wonder below, TTBs!!!

Here we are, me and Pete, me beaming over my new ZEROID robot and Pete a bit distressed that he got Rudy the Robot instead of his own Zeroid. Age-appropriateness and all. A glance around the room confirms that this was a GREAT take for Christmas morn: Behind us is the STRANGE CHANGE machine, into which you'd plunk these little square plastic wafers and watch as they bloomed into the coolest little aliens, bugs, dinosaurs, etc. Killer toy.

Peeking out right behind my ass is the head of a Marx Toys RAT PATROL figure, part of a cool set based on some tv show I never watched. I think I see a Troll House in front of Strange Change, which was probably Pete's. I have one of those now. You need one. Ya never know.

Of course, to my right (well, my left, but right as you observe the scene) is an open box of small accessories. Oh yeah...

At the very bottom of the box is a little object, which on closer inspection looks like it might just be... naw... is it possible?

That little object looks like it might just be a THOUGHT-SENSOR!!!!

That can mean only ONE THING!

Let's roll back time (Christ, if only...) for a few minutes and relive the sacred moment... YEAH!!

BEHOLD: DR. EVIL! Mint in package! But not for long!

Mom, knowing all too well for months already how desperately I needed this toy made sure the camera was on me at the magic moment.

My fucking TONGUE is hanging out.

Dig the GI JOE Soldier of the World behind me! And some kind of train set or something!

But it was Dr Evil. That was the one. I STILL have him.

And for now, I still have Mom. And I wish I still had Pete. Oh for one more moment with all of them.

Posted 10:00 PM by sport

Yule Blog... 12 days of Sport Spiel, or bust.

Here's yer basic. Unalloyed bliss on the festive morn, at 606 17th St, Brooklyn. This is the place of my soul.

The tinsel on the tree is that great old lead stuff they banned a few years later. Seems some dumb kids used to chew on it!

Ahem. Lead poisoning... it might explain a lot. When they banned the lead icicles I had to resort to gnawing on the "Lead Pipe" from the game CLUE. It was actually made of lead! Not for long. Soon that was gone, too. F'ing safety nazis! Bummer.

Then I found that roll of solder in Dad's tool box. Mmmm!

Haven't chewed lead in years.

Well, a few years ago I began collecting packages of the old lead icicles on Ebay and antique stores. Sure, I dipped a little. Still great.