Dino Drac’s 25 Days of Christmas!
Welcome to Dino Drac’s 25 Days of Christmas! From now through December 25th, I’ll be posting a little something, every single day. Remember to check back, because I won’t be plugging this often!
12/6: Slimer Does Christmas! (1980s)
During Dino Drac’s Halloween coverage, I showed off one of my greatest acquisitions – this gorgeous Hi-C / Slimer store display from the late ‘80s.
It actually predates Ecto Cooler, and the pairing made more sense than it seems, since both Hi-C and Ghostbusters were at that point still under the same corporate umbrella.
Anyway, the reason I’m showing it to you again is because that display was shipped to stores with various hats for Slimer to wear on different holidays. Last month I had him dressed for Thanksgiving, and now, he’s ready for Christmas!
Yes, that big cardboard Santa hat is an official part of this display, albeit a removable piece that slips on and off. Slimer will rock the red for the rest of the December, and then it’ll be onto the next hat.
I gotta say… I’m so glad I bought this thing. It was way outside my usual comfort zone, price-wise, but with all of these zany hats, it’s “the gift that keeps on givin’, the whole year.”
12/5: 26-Year-Old Holiday Sauce?
For the holiday season in 1998, McDonald’s included Apple Cinnamon Dipping Sauce with every pack of McNuggets. I happen to own what’s likely the last remaining tub of that short-lived sauce, which is remembered fondly by all who tried it.
While I didn’t partake back in 1998, I’ve used a similar dipping sauce for a modern taste test, and the results were stellar. Sugary sauces complement McNuggets well, which probably explains how chicken-and-waffles came to be so popular.
The whole campaign was a bit odd, because while the sauce was absolutely presented as a “holiday thing,” it was also tied to McDonald’s promotion for A Bug’s Life. I don’t necessarily want to think about ants and grasshoppers while eating McNuggets, but for the sake of an exclusive Christmas sauce, I’ll put up with it.
12/4: A Very Brady Christmas! (1988)
A Very Brady Christmas premiered on CBS in December of 1988, and brother, I was there. Lots of people were. It was a pretty big deal!
While The Brady Bunch was long out of production even before I was born, I still grew up with it, thanks to the endless syndicated reruns. Everyone my age did, but it was never something we talked about. The show had no schoolyard clout. We didn’t go around quoting it, and nobody my age went to class desperate to bring up Greg or Marcia.
Still, it was always there, so when word came out about A Very Brady Christmas, I was very curious to see how the show’s dynamic would work with the kids all grown up, and Mike and Carol firmly in their Grandparent Era.
As it turned out… still pretty good! It’s admittedly been a long while since my last viewing, but I thought A Very Brady Christmas did a nice job of working in that wholesome cheese without overdoing it. It was a pleasant coda for the original cast, or at least, it would’ve been had they not pushed their luck with The Bradys, a weekly series that was way too serious for that particular family.
I remember watching the movie on my rinky-dink bedroom TV, housed in one of those cheap particle board wall units, which I’d lined with tree garland and whatever other decorations I could pilfer from the family stock. (Mom’s red cardinals with the wires poking out of their feet were never safe from me.)
12/3: Merry Treat! (1989)
Meet Merry Treat, from the vintage My Little Pony collection. Hasbro officially christened her a “Christmas Pony,” which was a bit of a formality given her red-and-green mane and that giant Santa Claus tattoo on her ass.
While horsing around on the My Little Pony Wiki, I discovered that it was Merry Treat who remembered to leave milk and cookies out for Santa, thereby saving the other ponies from a terrible breach in holiday etiquette.
I admit that I don’t know much about the My Little Pony universe. I don’t know any of the other characters’ names, let alone their abilities or aspirations. Still, I’m convinced that even if I learned everything, Merry Treat would still be my favorite. She rules.
12/2: Christmas Evil! (1980)
I know it’s come up on the podcast once or twice, but I don’t think I’ve otherwise mentioned Christmas Evil on the site.
Released in 1980, it’s often billed as a slasher film, but I think it’s more of a psychological thriller. Christmas Evil is the story of a disturbed man who comes to believe that he’s the real Santa Claus – albeit one with a murderous streak, who isn’t afraid to strike the naughty down with a freakin’ pickaxe.
Brandon Maggart plays Harry, the would-be Santa, and is really impressive in the role. Harry is such a loser that you can’t help but feel some sympathy for him, even after he finally cracks.
I was introduced to Christmas Evil back in high school. It was one of those movies that made the rounds among the freaks, who couldn’t get over the film’s memorable bookends. (It starts with a flashback revealing that Harry’s Christmas-related trauma stems from seeing “Santa Claus” – his dad in a suit – sexin’ up his mother. And it ends with… well, I don’t want to spoil that part, but it’ll leave you with a few questions!)
Absolutely worth seeing, and it’s easy enough to find if you dig around.
12/1: Children’s Palace Circular! (1989)
Children’s Palace was a chain of castle-themed toy stores that only barely survived the ‘80s. Much like my old hamster, it died in 1992. (Pour one out for Children’s Palace, and another for Cyrano Magnus Maximillion.)
This old Christmas circular might seem like everyday nostalgia bait, but I have a specific reason for mentioning it. On the upper left, you’ll notice the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Footcruiser, a flying car that was meant for the bad guys. (It was a bit of a faux pas for Children’s Palace to put Mikey behind the driver’s seat, but in their defense, that old Shredder figure was a bitch to pose.)
I actually received the Footcruiser for Christmas, a year after this circular was, uh, circulated. At my family’s big Christmas Eve party in 1990, it wasn’t long before me and my cousin found ourselves downstairs, gleefully plucking our gifts out from the giant piles, while the adults devoured crab legs upstairs.
She was younger than me and we rarely got along, but with Christmas came camaraderie. We were the only kids at the party, and this whole inspecting-our-gifts-before-midnight thing had become an annual tradition for us.
Looking back, we could’ve gotten away with opening them early. When the clock struck midnight, it was always total chaos down there. Nobody would’ve noticed. Still, we abided by the unspoken rules, and would only let ourselves shake the wrapped boxes, desperate for hints.
What would turn out to be the Footcruiser – which, ironically, was a gift from that same cousin’s parents – was wrapped in paper that was kinda/sorta semi-translucent. Held to the light, I was at least able to make out a Ninja Turtles logo.
I spent hours agonizing over what might be inside, and when the clock finally struck midnight, I have to admit that I was a little disappointed to see the Footcruiser.
See, I’d convinced myself that the gift was actually Killer Bee, one of the TMNT “Mega Mutants,” which I’d been openly begging for. Besides, the Footcruiser was pretty old news by 1990. Anything tied to the Ninja Turtles was a win, but in the immediate aftermath, the car didn’t seem like such a great payoff to six straight hours of Gift Inspecting.
Oh, how wrong I was. When I opened the box an hour or so later, sacrificing sleep for toys, I immediately fell in love. The Footcruiser RULED. I’d still probably rank it as my favorite vehicle from the entire vintage TMNT collection. It was like the Mad Max version of the flying DeLorean, but somehow from the 1960s.
I spent much of the subsequent winter break making that thing fly around my bedroom, complete with whistling sounds provided by yours truly. As I recall, Scumbug was its most frequent driver. Or pilot, I guess? Either way, thanks for the memory jolt, Children’s Palace.
1984 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!
Well, it’s finally time for The Purple Stuff Podcast’s annual review of an old Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! And we’ve picked a truly stellar example. Let’s head back to 1984!
Yes, it’s the 58th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which aired live on November 22nd, 1984. This year marks that parade’s 40th anniversary, so it was only fitting that we’d spend an hour going completely berserk about it.
This is the oldest parade we’ve covered on the show, and it was a reminder of how much looser the event used to be. They run a tight ship nowadays, but back then, things could get a little wonky – but usually in a good way!
Join me and Jay from Sludge Central as we marvel at everything and everyone from Scooby-Doo to the Care Bears to evil space alien lizard people. Even John Ratzenberger makes the cut!
Click here to listen to this month’s show!
….which you can also find on Apple, Spotify, and wherever else you listen to podcasts.
It’s honestly one of the most jam-packed Macy’s Parades I’ve seen. Even with this jumbo-sized episode, we barely scratched the surface! If you want to see the whole thing, it’s on YouTube in all of its grainy 480p glory. (Well, maybe more like 360p, but it’ll get the job done.)
PS: For those who subscribe to our Patreon, we’re going to be dropping a special bonus episode where we gush about a bunch of the TV commercials that aired during this broadcast. Look for it tomorrow!
Thanks so much to everyone who listens to the show, and especially to those who share it around! This is our seventh annual Macy’s Parade review, and it’s one of our favorite podcast traditions. Here’s to many more! Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone!
Dino Drac’s November Funpack is here!
Dino Drac’s November Funpack is here, and actually, if you’re a subscriber, you might already have it! All subscriber boxes have been shipped, because this month’s box is time-sensitive and I wanted to make sure they all got there before the parade!
As is tradition, the November Funpack is all about the holidays. If you’re not a subscriber and you still want this box, I have a *very* limited number of spares that I can offer on an individual basis. They’re $25, and that includes shipping to anywhere in the United States. Jump to the bottom to order, or keep reading to learn about everything in this month’s box! Read More…
The Mausoleum of Madness!
Welcome to Dino Drac’s Mausoleum of Madness! Here you’ll find daily drops of creepy collectibles from my personal collection, all never previously seen on the site. Everything from eerie ephemera to terrifying toys. There are some major gems waiting to be featured here! Feature now complete for the season!
#44: Hi-C / Slimer Store Display! (1988)
I’ve saved the best for last. This is a Hi-C / Real Ghostbusters store display, and while your mind might jump to Ecto Cooler, this standee actually predates that drink! (Hi-C and The Real Ghostbusters, which were both under the Coke/Columbia umbrella, had been doing team-ups as early as 1987.)
Featuring Slimer, it stands 3.5 feet tall, and it’s in the running for the most gorgeous thing I own. And no, it wasn’t cheap. I pretty much never invest this much into any single item, but I had to have this thing. Look at it!
It’s sturdier than many similar standees, and it had to be, because this was intended to stay on display for a full calendar year. See, the displays were shipped with a volley of “holiday hats” for Slimer to wear, covering everything from Thanksgiving to the Super Bowl to Independence Day. Mine came with all of the hats, so if you follow me on my socials, this won’t be the last time you see Giant Cardboard Slimer.
The details are phenomenal, and considering its age, the standee is in fantastic condition. As a well-documented klutz, I’m now living in permanent fear of the straw on Slimer’s juice box.
#43: Pizza Hut Monsters Box! (1992)
Back in 1992, Pizza Hut embraced the dark side with a pretty gigantic Universal Monsters promotion, offering everything from souped-up collector’s cups to neat hologram cards. The classic monsters enjoyed a retail renaissance throughout the ‘90s, and this was one of the fun side effects.
The best part of the promo, though, were the swank boxes Pizza Hut designed for their personal pan pizzas. Available with every kid’s meal, the boxes featured the whole creepy crew, right down to that extra-dramatic off-model Dracula. (That particular Drac was used on everything back then, to skirt any licensing issues with the Lugosi estate.)
#42: Toys “R” Us Circular! (1989)
Arriving with the Sunday paper in October of ‘89, this TRU circular betrays its age with a Batman costume, a Real Ghostbusters makeup kit, and that long-obsolete Starburst logo. It’s a treasure!
This was near the end of Toys “R” Us’s run as a true Halloween supercenter. When I was a kid, they’d have costumes from the floor to the ceiling, with every accessory and decoration you could want. They steered clear of the truly ghastly masks, but by and large, it was a one-stop shop.
Back then, dedicated Halloween stores were still rare to see, and driving to a “real” costume shop probably wasn’t high on your parents’ wishlist. It really came down to Toys “R” Us, Kmart, or your local pharmacy. So why not pick the one that also had fifteen aisles of action figures and video games? Read More…