Dino Drac’s Countdown to Xmas!
Welcome to Dino Drac’s Countdown to Christmas! This feature will be updated daily (or close to daily) through December 25th, with some kind of holiday-related thingamajig. You never know what might turn up!
This one’s really for the old schoolers who prefer blogs to algorithmic timelines full of ads for dicey hair products. I won’t be plugging it often off-site. If this is up your alley, remember to check back often! (And visit After Dark and the Xmas Jukebox, too!)
12/1: 7UP’s Countdown to Xmas! (1988)
Well, this certainly felt like a fitting thing to cover on December 1st! Longtime readers know how much I adore those old Countdown to Christmas posters – freebies from 7UP that were given away at grocery stores back in the late ‘80s.
After getting it home and tacking it up, you’d count the days to Christmas by gluing cotton balls over Santa’s beard. By December 25th, he’d look like an infestation of tiny albino Tribbles. It was a glorious sight, AND it gave us something to do every single day through the heart of the holiday season.
Shown here is the 1988 version of the poster, which was an obvious upgrade to the wild-eyed Santa of 1987. While the first poster did have slight branding, this one implied that Santa was both addicted to 7UP and ACTUAL FRIENDS with Cool Spot.
12/1: Barbie Glamour Home! (1984)
This holiday-themed magazine ad for the Barbie Glamour Home was a bit of an overpromise, as research indicates that it did NOT come with a snowy tree, let alone cardboard strands of holly. There wasn’t even an accessory pack for that stuff, which was a rare case of Mattel leaving money on the table.
Even still, the playset was a major wish list item in 1984. Any kid who liked Barbie was guaranteed to want a two-story Barbie-scale house that looked like a cotton candy Grand Floridian.
(THREE floors, actually, if you count the rooftop patio. Or as I like to call it, “sky lanai.”)
I never owned anything from Barbie’s universe as a kid, because it was the ‘80s, and the gender boundaries were thick, and I’d already given the kids at school enough ammunition with my clothes, hair, voice and clumsy gait. But I still admired her work from afar.
Really sucked that there was nothing like Barbie’s Glamour Home on the boys’ side of the toy store. All of our playsets were tied to murder and mayhem, and while that was fun, I would’ve loved to have a few that were specifically intended for ~chillin’~. Was giving He-Man and Darth Vader a couch or a jacuzzi too much to ask? Look how happy Barbie was!
11/30: Talking Grinch Doll! (2000)
I couldn’t remember how I got this Talking Grinch doll from the Jim Carrey movie, which certainly wasn’t a recent pickup. Didn’t seem like something I would’ve bought from eBay, much less at some kind of toy convention.
Finally, it hit me. It was that big Toys “R” Us holiday clearance sale, maybe in 2002, or possibly 2003. I was in my early twenties, and at that age, I still went all-in on Christmas bric-a-brac.
My long-dead local TRU used to convert part of the store into Christmas Central, mostly to sell whatever was new, but also to unload old, unloved stock at wildly reduced prices.
That live-action Grinch movie was merchandised to death, but despite its success in theaters, I never got the impression that kids of the early 2000s were seriously pining for Grinch junk. This may explain why Toys “R” Us still had so much of it years later… and also why they couldn’t get rid of it even after slashing prices by as much as 90%.
This talking doll wasn’t the only Grinch thing I bought from that firesale, but it does seem to be the sole survivor. I found him in an old storage tub that was otherwise filled with Starlog magazines. He’d probably been trapped in there for a good 15 years, so I assume he’s become an absolute expert on Star Wars, Star Trek and Planet of the Apes.
11/30: Coke & Holiday Sandwiches! (1978)
This Coca-Cola magazine ad from 1978 is less about soda and more about the time-honored tradition of turning holiday leftovers into insane sandwiches that are tall, messy and full of warring flavors. As I’m posting this a few days after Thanksgiving, some of you probably did exactly this, with or without the glass-bottled Coke.
I’ve always loved the concept. It’s like a yuletide spin on the Dagwood sandwich, and feels more like an art project than food prep. While my own personal quirks mean that neither ham nor yam would ever hit my version of this, I can at least attest to the glory of a turkey-cranberry-stuffing sandwich. That shit just works.
The one upgrade I must insist upon? Better bread. I’ve seen many variations of this recipe over the years, and most call for plain old white bread, which has zero chance of housing these monstrosities without incident. You need a loaf of Italian bread for something like this! Read More…
1985 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!
The wait is over! With moments to spare before the stuffing hits the table, the Purple Stuff Podcast is ready to serve up this year’s review of an old Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!
It’s our favorite annual tradition, and this year, we picked a hot one for ya. Join us for a long look back at the 1985 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, featuring He-Man, Rainbow Brite, the Cabbage Patch Kids, and whole lotta Bert Convy.
While we covered this parade’s surrounding years on prior shows, this one was definitely distinct, and deserved its day in the sun. Rue McClanahan dressed like Cinderella? A deflated Kermit balloon? Pat Sajak nearly set on fire by a gaggle of torch jugglers? In 1985, there was something for everyone!
Click here to listen to this month’s show!
…which you can also find on Spotify, or Apple, or wherever else you listen to podcasts.
Oh, and if you want to actually watch the 1985 Macy’s Parade, there are a few copies on YouTube. Here’s one that’s complete with commercials. In fact, below are links to let you jump directly to the segments discussed on the show!
1) The Cabbage Patch Kids!
2) Rainbow Brite Sings!
3) Masters of the Universe Float!
4) Toys “R” Us WWF Commercial!
5) Care Bears and Miss America!
6) Rue McClanahan as Cinderella!
7) Pat Sajak Dodges Fire!
8) Weird McDonald’s Commercial!
We hope you enjoy the new ep, whether you get to hear it before Thanksgiving or not! Read More…
Dino Drac’s November Funpack is here!
Okay TURKEYS (complimentary), I’m ready to show ya Dino Drac’s November Funpack!
The November box is one of the most popular Funpacks every year, in part thanks to a longstanding tradition that I’m happy to report is continuing in 2025!
But, there’s a catch. This one is mostly for existing subscribers only. Subscriptions are maxed out, and I have VERY few spares left to offer on an individual basis. They’re $25 each, shipped. If you’re not a subscriber but still want this box, send me an email (dinosaurdracula @ gmail) and if I have any left, I’ll let you know! (UPDATE: Sold out!)
Now, let’s dive in and see what you’re getting! Read More…
Purple Stuff: Eight Dastardly Devils!
With moments to spare, The Purple Stuff Podcast’s big Halloween show is here! Guys, you better brace yourselves, because we’re taking you straight to HADES.
For our full-length October show, we’re tacking EIGHT DASTARDLY DEVILS from all walks of pop culture! Movies, cartoons, weird decorations, video games and more!
If you think you can guess our picks, think again, because somehow, a show with this topic includes references to Care Bears and My Little Pony. It’s a jumbo-sized 90-minute celebration of evil, and brothers, it’s hotter than Hell.
Click here to listen to this month’s show!
…which you can also find on Spotify, Apple, and wherever else you listen to podcasts!
As a reminder, The Purple Stuff Podcast is also on Patreon, where you can grab an exclusive bonus show every month. The library is growing all the time, and when you join, you get instant access to our back catalog of dozens and dozens of bonus episodes… including our most recent, where we reviewed the 1988 Unsolved Mysteries Halloween special! Read More…