Monday, April 24, 2006

1000 Robots Totally Kicks Your Ass

I got a book in the mail earlier this week from Brother Nick. It is BAD ASS. It’s called 1,000 Robots, and it’s a book that catalogues tin toys from the WWII era-forward. I’m into mostly the 50s – 70s stuff myself, and Ava loves all things Robot.

THANKS A BILLION BRUTHA NICK!

The thing about these toys is that the recently produced ones are designed to evoke some sense of nostalgia. Oddly enough, I feel that nostalgia for them even though I never had any when growing up. Odd that I would link myself, my childhood, and my free-wheeling dipstick days to variety of toy which came and went several years before my life was sparked.

Is this marketing at its best? Or is it that some crap (like, say, some really simple and not-very-fun-to-play-with painted-tin toys) actually taps into some shared-consciousness that transcends generations? Shared memory? Collective nostalgia for a “simpler time” which never, never-ever existed in the first place?

If so, it would help to explain why these things are both "collectible" and really only of interest to grown folk. Beyond the pretty colors and possible antiquated wind-up "movement" any these tin-cans might have, children seem pretty unaffected. Good thing, too. 'Cause even the replicas aren't cheap, and I don't know if you're aware, but kids BREAK shit. Constantly. Especially if its not theirs.

We kids are cool like that.

Regardless, the toys are mad-cool, and this book is mad-cooler.

Milk shakes make me poop nowadays. And that’s splendid.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

VIVA 2xL!!!

Roy said...

not as cool as my 5G iPod though.

Roy said...

And by the way, your blog somehow fell out of my favorites folder.

I can't believe I had to do a blog search for 'Agitated Ass Monkey' to find it again.

Now google thinks I'm into bestiality. Great.

Anonymous said...

That is a cool book. I did flatten a tin toy once to see if it resembled a crushed soda can. The toy put up a good fight and scratched me, damn tetanus.

brother nick

Fist of Trueness said...

BAD ASS BOOK.

Roy, I am most flattered that you bothered to re-find my agitated ass! A search for 'truecraig' would probably be easier, though.

Dungster, I am at a loss. I have no idea what 2xL means. I guess that makes me exceptionally uncool, and I'm okay with that... please for to explain?

Glitzy said...

ROBOTS!