Saturday Supercade: Donkey Kong, "How Much Is That Gorilla in the Window"

The Super Mario Brothers Movie is majorly cleaning up at box offices worldwide. It's been the number one movie for three weeks in a row and has quickly become one of the biggest animated movies of all time. But this isn't the first time Mario has appeared in animated form. Far from it! His first animated appearance was 40 years ago!

Saturday Supercade was a Saturday morning cartoon show that appeared on CBS from the fall of 1983 to the spring of 1985. The program consisted of several animated shorts featuring various popular video game characters. Donkey Kong led off each hour, and like the video game, featured the gorilla Donkey Kong racing off with Mario's girlfriend Pauline, with Mario himself in hot pursuit.

In honor of the new movie, I present the OG animated Mario for historical purposes. Please note that these cartoons weren't actually good, but I feature it today anyway just to show how far Mario has come.

Enjoy!

Adventures of Superman First Two Radio Episodes

 

Welcome back!

Today has been the 85th anniversary of the release of Action Comics #1, the very first Superman comic! In honor of Big Blue's big anniversary, I present the first two episodes of The Adventures of Superman, the radio series that really made Superman a part of American pop culture.

The era of old time radio is getting farther and farther away from the present more and more, and I believe reminding people of this era of entertainment and mass media is important, as it affected American culture long before TV did. And the importance of the Superman radio show to the character's methos can't be understated. The show was huge! So much so that two significant parts of Superman's legend, Jimmy Olsen and kryptonite, originated not in the comics, but on radio.

Here I present the first two episodes of the series. Surprisingly, as much as I love both superheroes and old time radio, I've listened to very little of this series. I hope this article inspires me to listen to more. I hope it inspires you too.

Enjoy!

Will Vinton's Claymation Easter (1990)

Hello! I hope everyone is enjoying Spring so far, and if you celebrate Passover or Easter, have a happy and blessed one!

I'm keeping it quick with my presenation of the 1990 animated special Will Vinton's Claymation Easter. I've posted other Vinton specials before, but this was unknown to me until a week or so ago. Thanks to my Twitter friend Sammy Hain for the heads-up!

Enjoy!

Bugs Bunny, "Wackiki Wabbit" (1943)

Hello all! I'm posting a favorite Bugs Bunny cartoon of mine today for no other reason than I really love it. Possibly one of my favorite Bugs cartoons! I've been enjoying the Saturday Morning Cartoons block on network MeTV for a while now. Highly recommended for those who grew up enjoying these classic cartoons.

Enjoy!

 

Welcome Spring 2023!

Ladies and gentlemen--Spring.

Valentine's Day TV Commercials

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

And what better way to celebrate a day devoted to love than with--commerce!

Today I present a few Valentine's Day TV commercials. I post holiday-related commercials all the time, but I don't think I've ever posted them for Valentine's Day before. Here goes!

Celebrate your sweetie with a Carvel ice cream cake!

Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown is one of the most underrated Peanuts specials, and you should seek it out if you haven't seen it. Here is a quick promo for the special from 1979, preceded by another romatic program--an episode of the live action Spider-Man series. OK, maybe not.

McDonald's commercials are a longtime staple of this blog. Here is one for awesome-looking Valentines featuring your favorite McDonaldland characters!

This is a touching commercial from Kmart, featuring a teenage boy preparing a lovely Valentine's Day for his suprising sweetheart. Awwww!

Here is a low-tech and local commerical for Philadelphia Candies from 1987. Local, low-tech, from the '80s, and Philly-centric. It hits all my sweet spots!

Finally, here is another commerical from 1987, this time for the long-gone discount chain Woolworth's. I think everyone from Generation X and older has at least one fond memory of Woolworth's, if not more!

Once again, Happy Valentine's Day. Show your special someone how much you love them!

I may have another Valentine's Day post later this week. Stay tuned, and thanks!

The Popeye Valentine Special: Sweethearts at Sea

 

Ahoy maties! Valentine's Day is just days away, and I've discovered a nautical way to celebrate the day. With the 1979 animated TV special The Popeye Valentine Special: Sweethearts at Sea!

In this special, Popeye forgets to get Olive Oyl a gift for Valentine's Day, so she goes on a cruise to find a new man. When Popeye finds out, he goes to sea to win back his longtime love. However, the villianous Sea Hag and Bluto have their own Valentine's Day plans for our heroes.

The special aired on CBS on Valentine's Day 1979. I had no idea this existed until recently, and I'm happy to share it here.

Enjoy! And stay tuned for more Valentine's Day fun the next few days, and maybe even after the big day! I'm getting a late start, but I have more for you to love this year, and I'd like to get it all in.

One more thing--

GO EAGLES!

OK, now I'll show the special. 😊