Allee Willis Blog » Allee Willis

22Jul 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Tickles Tapeworm Bad Translation Pencil Case/Wallet

22Jul 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Tickles Tapeworm Bad Translation Pencil Case/Wallet

tickles-tapeworm

“Good day. Tapeworm of the Tickles. The stomach living within is for fun. Likes much the good food, Great friends are we to the extremity. Love me Tapeworm.” I LOVE bad translations and this 8″x3″ of plastic wonderfulness is among the best!

Tickles served as my billfold for the past four years until the plastic rebelled and one day little tapeworm-like rips appeared all over it. I reluctantly retired it to Kitsch Museum heaven but miss pulling it out to get my money and smiling as I dig intoTickles.

“Good day. Tapeworm of the Tickles. The stomach living within is for fun. Likes much the good food, Great friends are we to the extremity. Love me Tapeworm.” I LOVE bad translations and this 8″x3″ of plastic wonderfulness is among the best!

Made by Parasite Pals, Tickles served as my billfold for the past four years until the plastic rebelled and one day little tapeworm-like rips appeared all over it. I reluctantly retired it to Kitsch Museum heaven but miss pulling it out to get my money and smiling as I say hello to Tickles.

21Jul 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – ‘Sock It To Me’ Beer Bottle Ashtray

21Jul 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – ‘Sock It To Me’ Beer Bottle Ashtray

sock-it-to-me-bottle-ashtray_9434

These squished beer and soda bottles were all the rage in the late 60’s when the phrase ‘Sock It To Me’ crossed the color line to become the reigning colloquialism of the era. I have tons of ‘Sock It To Me’ memorabilia as well as squashed and stretched bottle art but none so perfect as this smokeables receptacle made by Houze Art, USA.

19Jul 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Vintage Coppertone Suntan Oil Spray

19Jul 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Vintage Coppertone Suntan Oil Spray

coppertone_7459

I used to spray this stuff on me like it was water, lay out in the sun until my skin was crisper than fried chicken and walk around all summer looking like a red patent leather purse. it was the desired toasted-by-the-sun-look for a Midwest girl in the Prehistoric 60’s when we thought sun was good and supertan and sunburnt were the most popular summer colors. Coppertone was the ONLY name in sun care products and spraying was the speed junkie route to stylish toasty flesh. No messy creme between your fingers, no sandy caps to screw back on so the next time you squirt some out it’s not like rubbing sandpaper on your burnt skin.

Coppertone hit the market in 1944. The original logo was an American Indian chief in feather headresss with matching “Don’t be a paleface” slogan. That was deemed politically incorrect in 1953 and the little trademark pin-up girl with snapping dog logo was born to replace it. When that illustration was lost in a fire the more familiar one you see on the can here was drawn in 1959 by Joyce Ballantyne Brand who won a contest to get the gig using her daughter Cheryl as the model.

Jodie Foster made her acting debut at 3 in a tv commercial as the Coppertone girl.

I used to spray this stuff on me like it was water, lay out in the sun until my skin was crisper than fried chicken and walk around all summer looking like a red patent leather purse. It was the desired toasted-by-the-sun-look for a Midwest girl in the Prehistoric 60’s when we thought sun was good and supertan and sunburnt were the most popular summer colors. Coppertone was the ONLY name in sun care products and spraying was the speed junkie route to stylish toasty flesh. No messy creme between your fingers, no sandy caps to screw back on so the next time you squirt some out it’s not like rubbing sandpaper on your burnt skin.

Coppertone hit the market in 1944. The original logo was an American Indian chief in feather headdresss with matching “Don’t be a paleface” slogan. That was deemed politically incorrect in 1953 and the little trademark pin-up girl with snapping dog logo was born to replace it. When that illustration was lost in a fire the more familiar one you see on the can here was drawn in 1959 by Joyce Ballantyne Brand who won a contest to get the gig using her daughter Cheryl as the model.

Jodie Foster made her acting debut at 3 in a tv commercial as the Coppertone girl.
coppertone_7457

This commercial is for a later Coppertone product, QT Quick Tanning Lotion, but is too much of a Kitschified gem not to be unearthed here:

17Jul 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Corn Salt & Pepper Shakers

17Jul 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Corn Salt & Pepper Shakers

corn-S&Ps_9451

Items in the shape of corn on the cob have a special place on the mantle of Americana Pop Culture. Whether plastic, ceramic, bowl, plate, S&P or cob holder, the texture of husks and kernels has fascinated mold makers since the beginning of time, elevating corn to the status of oranges and tomatoes as the foodstuffs most imitated in kitchen accessories design.

These S&P’s are devoid of any manufacturer’s mark but look to be late 70’s/ early 80’s. They have rubber stoppers, both slightly melted from being too close to corn boiling in the pot. I covet these more for their form than their function.

Items in the shape of corn on the cob have a special place on the mantle of Americana Pop Culture. Whether plastic, ceramic, bowl, plate, S&P or cob holder, the texture of husks and kernels has fascinated mold makers since the beginning of time, elevating corn to the status of oranges and tomatoes as the foodstuffs most imitated in Kitsch kitchen accessories design.

These 4″ plastic S&P’s are devoid of any manufacturer’s mark but look to be late 70’s/ early 80’s. They have rubber stoppers, both slightly melted from being too close to corn boiling on the stove. I covet these more for their form than their function as they always leave a nasty little trail of salt and pepper from what’s slipped through the meltage.

16Jul 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Toothpick Charlie

16Jul 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Toothpick Charlie

Toothpick-Charlie_9413

Throughout the 1960’s and 70’s, toothpick holders were one of the state souvenir items of choice. Though Toothpick Charlie is devoid of any markings other than his name, identical trinkets were churned out and stamped with state names as frequently as shoe shaped coin purses and carved wooden jewelry boxes.

Charlie is made out of a tree limb and holds about 30 toothpicks when his mouth is full. He’s sat at my kitchen table with me for as long as I can remember.
toothpick-charlie_9409

15Jul 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Hip Nip and Hot Nip Plastic Flasks

15Jul 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Hip Nip and Hot Nip Plastic Flasks

hip-nip-hot-nip,-bottles_9384-2

No one can accuse Garvin, the designer of this drunk matching 50’s couple, for thinking small: “Hip Nip can be used for Scotch, Mouthwash, Gin, Shave Lotion, Rye, Urine-analysis, Bicarb, Bourbon, Malted, Aspirins, Deodorant, Suntan oil and Hairdressing”. His mate, Hot Nip, only promises “to keep you warm”.

Hot Nip and Hip Nip are screen-printed and textured on soft plastic pint flasks. They have rubber heads and a screw-on cap wedged into their fat wrestler necks.

Although these are most valuable as a set, I’m not sure they were manufactured at the same time. “©Garvin… Milbit Mfg Co, Inc” is in 9 point flush left and flush right type at the bottom of Hot Nip while “©Garvin-Milbit” is in 3 point type centered at the bottom of Hip Nip. Though the discrepancy – most matched sets have consistent copyright info and placement – could also be because Garvin was out of room after he listed the voluminous amounts of substances that could inhabit Hip Nip or perhaps had imbibed some of them before he started.

hip-nip-hot-nip,-bottles_9402-2 hip-nip-hot-nip,-bottles_9403-3 “Milbit” is also carved into Hot Nip’s neck while Hip Nip’s remains bare:

Hot Nip is rarer than Hip Nip though they are both very popular citizens in my kitchen kommunity of Kitch.

14Jul 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Disco Dancer Keyring

14Jul 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Disco Dancer Keyring

disco-dancer-keyring_2740

3″ round tortoise shell plastic keyring from 1979 with grooves like a vinyl record and raised gold Disco dancers whose silhouettes look more like they’re on their way to an Anne Murray concert than to Studio 54. The back has a glass mirror, long broken, that says “Hot To Trot”, as if that were a slogan of the late 70’s and not property of the Bobby Soxers three decades earlier. Manufactured by Bromac, which sounds more like a company that makes antacid than Disco products. All in all, everything misses the mark just enough to make this a Kitsch lover’s dream.

13Jul 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Grand Funk 7/11 Slurpee Cup

13Jul 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Grand Funk 7/11 Slurpee Cup

Grand-Funk-Slurpee-Cup_7572

Being one of the earliest Hard Rock bands, panned by critics and shunned by radio until they released “We’re An American Band” in 1973, Grand Funk Railroad seems like a strange match for early corporate sponsorship let alone being wrapped around a Slurpee. Which makes this one of my Kitschiest Slurpee Cups as pop acts like Smokey Robinson and The Fifth Dimension, who also snuggled up to 7/11, made more sense as a commercial match. For a moment at least, Grand Funk was singing “We’re An American Brand”.

12Jul 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – “Karatist Preacher” Deals God’s Power In One Mighty Blow

12Jul 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – “Karatist Preacher” Deals God’s Power In One Mighty Blow

karatist-preacher-mike-crain-lp

Man of greased-Beatles-bowl-haircut and beauty-parlor-cape-karate suit chops styrofoam looking concrete blocks in efforts to deliver the mighty message of God. But 14 slices of prime LP cheese in the name of the Lord later, Crane is the real deal, a Preacher and master of Kung-Fu and Karate for 45+ years with a 10th degree black belt equivalency.

Called ‘the hard-headed preacher’ for his talent of breaking things like 1,950 pounds of ice using only his body, Crain is also famous for his “Human Sandwich of Death” feat in which he broke a 1,675 pound concrete slab with a 20-pound sledge hammer while laying between two beds of nails with the concrete on top. But the Karatist Preacher is perhaps best known for his samurai skills, sending Michael Jordan to the hospital for three stitches after his sword slipped while slicing a watermelon laying on Jordan’s stomach. No lie.

In the ultimate master business plan Crain uses Kung-Fu and Karate to attract an audience to the church sponsoring him and then follows his martial arts demonstrations by preaching the Gospel that started with this amazing LP.

Man of greased-Beatles-bowl-haircut and beauty-parlor-cape-karate suit chops concrete blocks in efforts to deliver the mighty message of God. But 14 slices of prime LP cheese in the name of the Lord later, Crane is the real deal, a Preacher and master of Kung-Fu and Karate for 45+ years with a 10th degree black belt equivalency.

Called ‘the hard-headed preacher’ for his talent of breaking things like 1,950 pounds of ice using only his body, Crain is also famous for his “Human Sandwich of Death” feat in which he broke a 1,675 pound concrete slab with a 20-pound sledge hammer while laying between two beds of nails with the concrete on top of him. But the Karatist Preacher is perhaps best known for his samurai skills, sending Michael Jordan to the hospital for three stitches after his sword slipped while slicing a watermelon laying on Jordan’s stomach. No lie.

In the ultimate master business plan, Crain uses Kung-Fu and Karate to attract an audience to the church sponsoring him and then follows his martial arts demonstrations by preaching the Gospel that started with this amazing LP.

09Jul 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Talking Julia Doll

09Jul 2009

Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Talking Julia Doll

julia-in-box2

In 1968, not only did Julia become the first African American career woman on television but Diahann Carroll became the first African American lead ever in a TV series. Although it was dismissed by some for not being political enough and reflecting a more radical Civil Rights stance, Julia ran for 86 episodes and finally broke the color barrier on television.

I loved Julia most for all the memorabilia it spawned. I have the pull string talking doll shown here, the 3’x4′ promo poster that accompanied it’s release in 1970, three Viewmaster reels, Colorforms and four lunchboxes.

There’s another version of the doll called Julia Twist that comes dressed in a less elegant dressed in a nurses uniform and with a turnable waist. I used to own her but I twisted her too far and now am left with only upper Julia and lower Julia. Additional outfits, all Barbie fashions, had names like Brrr-Furrr, Candlelight Capers, Leather Weather, Pink Fantasy and Leather Weather and could be added to both Julia dolls, turning the reserved medical assistant into a bumpin’ party gal.

In 1968, not only did Julia become the first African American career woman on television but Diahann Carroll became the first African American lead ever in a TV series. Although it was dismissed by some for not being political enough and reflecting a more radical Civil Rights stance, Julia ran for 86 episodes and is credited with breaking the color barrier on television.

I loved Julia most for all the memorabilia it spawned. In addition to the pull string talking doll I have the 3’x4′ promo poster that accompanied it’s release in 1970, three Viewmaster reels, Colorforms and four lunchboxes.

There’s another version of this doll called Julia Twist that turns at the waist and comes with a very elegant wardrobe. I used to own her but I twisted her too far and now am left with only upper Julia and lower Julia. The outfits, all Barbie fashions, had names like Brrr-Furrr, Candlelight Capers, Leather Weather and Pink Fantasy and could be added to both Julia dolls, instantly turning the reserved medical assistant into a bumpin’ party gal.

Brrr-Furrr red: Candlelight Capers: