Animation Congregation / $1 Challenge: Saturday Morning Comic Books!

Martinex1:  Hey BitBA  fans, today we have a special mix of two of our favorite topics - Saturday morning cartoons and comic books!   It is like chocolate and peanut butter, two great concepts that go great together.  So we have also combined our blog features The Quarter Bin $1 Challenge and the Animation Congregation for this post.

You may think it is rare for your favorite Saturday cartoons to leap to the comic spinner rack, but I disagree.  It seems that back in the bronze age, it was quite common for the stars of animated series to jump to the comic medium.  Dell, Charlton, and Gold Key particularly took advantage of the synergy. From super-heroes to funny animals to adventurers, we've got them all.

Take a look at the myriad books we have assembled and pick your four favorites.  Hopefully this selection brings back some warm memories of carefree weekends, television consoles, a big bowl of cereal, and warm pajamas. 

Share your thoughts on these and other favorite series and comics.  We'd like to know which books you would buy if these showed up on the spinner rack. Cheers!

 

 

 

 

 

TV Guided: And Now...Saturday Morning Public Service Announcements!

Martinex1: As we have discussed before, Saturday morning television was a weekly event for many Bronze Agers.   Network cartoons and kid shows along with a big bowl of cereal probably brings back nostalgic memories for many in our age group.

One aspect of cartoon television watching that evolved in the mid 1970s was the advent of the Public Service Announcement.   Following pressure that kids' programming was not educational, healthy, or socially aware, the television landscape started to change.  There was less violence allowed in cartoons and additional shorts were added between shows to share a "message."  Some of these PSAs were indeed informative while also often being highly entertaining.   The major networks, CBS, NBC, and ABC took specific approaches to the problem of educating while maintaining a grip on the audience.  

Shorts like the various Schoolhouse Rock offerings were hits and would have us at full attention and even singing along.  CBS opted for the more serious In the News which were sporadically interesting depending on the current event or topic.  ABC offered some cartoons that highlighted healthy eating, diet, and exercise.

I have to say that these PSAs were probably successful.  Anecdotally I know I was more successful in my grammar studies having learned about the conjunctions "and, but, and or" on the "Conjunction Junction." I definitely learned about Apollo Missions from In The News.   The downfall is I still "hanker for a hunka cheese" which may not help me as I age.

Below are some examples to trigger some memories.  Perhaps you have a favorite or can relate a tale.  Are our kids missing out because they were not exposed to "Mother Necessity" or "I'm Just a Bill"?

These short programs were so widely popular in the States that there was actually a long running stage show based on Schoolhouse Rock where the various stories were reenacted and sung live. 

For your enjoyment, we have a few PSA for you, including a classic history song about innovation from Schoolhouse Rock, an August 1976 episode of In The News, and my favorite Time with Timer from ABC.   Take a gander at these samples and then share your comments on the Saturday AM PSAs!  Cheers!