Archive for the ‘iconic’ category

Vintage Furry Advertising…

May 31, 2021

In the past as now, there were furry icons who represented a brand, and memorably served as spokesmen. Back before Esso gas became Exxon, there was the tiger used to admonish motorists to “put a tiger in their tank,” the tiger representing power and performance. A promotion was even done where stuffed tiger tails that could be affixed to gas caps were available to customers as visible proof that they indeed were driving with such a tiger. This was back in the days when fuel attendants would routinely clean your windshield and check your oil without being asked! Don’t hold your breath waiting for such amenities today. The tiger himself was an impressive dude rendered with attitude and fine attention to detail; rather awesome, actually.

The sadly nameless Esso/Exxon tiger was predated by the Kellogg’s product icon of Tony the Tiger, and there were distinct similarities in depictions of the duo. Despite this, the two tigers co-existed amicably until 1992 when trademark infringe wars erupted as Exxon tried to open Tiger Marts. It’s Tony the Tiger who seems to have best survived the Tiger Wars, and may still readily be seen today…

Of Henchmen and Sidekicks…

May 24, 2019

I’ve often pondered whether I’d make a suitable henchman, since I have a dark side and would accordingly make a lousy sidekick for a hero.  I have some unanswered questions, however, that would first need to be addressed. – – Does the job pay well?- – How about the benefits and the retirement plan? Are there stock options?  I think that I’d like to work for Frank Gorshin’s The Riddler to feed off his manic energy, but I’d simply have to have a better set of duds than what his goons usually wear.  Classic gangster henchmen have a good sense of fashion…

Like heroes, the best henchmen work alone, but in confrontations can never actually defeat the hero, or they threaten to usurp the villain’s status.  This doesn’t mean that they can’t actually beat the snot out of the hero as did Oddjob to James Bond, at least until he figures out a way to defeat them.  A henchman who defeats a hero has upgraded to the status of villain, which brings a whole new set of problems, including the recruitment of new henchmen, and all the labor relations issues that come with that.  Heavy is the head that wears the crown…

Then there are those characters like the Seven Dwarves to Snow White who are neither sidekicks nor henchmen.  They fall into the category of not otherwise specified (NOS) figures.

I guess that I’ll just continue to work alone, which seems most fitting to brood over the fate of a city, anyways…


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