Pop Culture Wastelands

Get Your Hoe Ready

2008-03-09T18:21:00.000-07:00

The Cuckoo Show

2008-02-02T14:13:00.000-08:00

Funny flash animation promoting a damn cereal.

Slangin' Coke

2008-01-19T11:28:00.000-08:00

This is my attempt to compile all videos related to the mid-80s phenomenon known as New Coke (a product of the bloody Cola Wars.)

We begin with Bill Cosby introducing the New Coke formula:

And once again, Bill wants to reassure you that he *really* likes Coke. Even more so now:

The Cos was later replaced with '80s AI Max Headroom, who eyes the rival Pepsi in an almost sexual deviant way:

One thing you gotta love about the '80s - singing robots:

At the 1:55 mark, you'll noticed that Pepsi also had their own r2D2-like droid:

Pepsi enters the ring with the answer record:

And in another Pepsi ad, a fake Doc Brown/Indiana Jones hybrid finds a shocking discovery on the set of Blade Runner:

This was just another one of those typical '80s commercials showcasing the greatness of the product by means of song, dance, and good times:

And in the midst of the Cola Wars, peace mediator Ernest P. Worrell offers an alternate solution:

Kenny Scharf

2008-01-14T18:42:00.000-08:00

Kenny Scharf is a name I wasn't really familiar with until I recently checked out his work at an exhibit featuring legends Jean-Michel Basquiat & Keith Haring at the Tony Shafrazi Gallery in Chelsea. This is the type of fine art that fits right in here at the Wastelands. We always welcome surreal images of the Flintstones and Jetsons.

It's The Muffler Man!

2008-01-07T19:13:00.001-08:00

Here's an interesting site. Roadside America, a site dedicated to various oddities seen around the country. But more specifically, their section focusing on Muffler Men. Wikipedia defines a Muffler Man as "a term used to describe large molded fiberglass sculptures that are placed as advertising icons, roadside attractions or for decorative purposes, predominantly in the United States. Standing approximately 20 feet tall, the figures were originally designed to hold full-sized car mufflers at automotive repair shops. Most Muffler Men were constructed by International Fiberglass of Venice, California."

Roadside America begins with a guide on how to spot these creatures.

Here we have the main types (with the Halfwit looking conspicuously like Alfred E. Newman.)

Then there are a few others, although their status as true Muffler Men are brought into question, such as the Frankenstein

and the even scarier Harvey the Giant Robot.

And if you want to see if there's any of the hideous obstructions in your area? They also supply a tracker. I know you've already got your camera ready!

As much as these things are crappy eyesores, they also have somewhat of a chucklesworthy charm. Maybe they are relics of an age of innocence. Survivors trying to struggle in a nationwide corporate chain takeover. The country cousins to those giant blow-up purple gorillas seen at highway car lots. Or you could say they are just bizarre sights you pass by as you travel through some Middle American hellhole. Either way, I'll be pulling out my camera next time I come across one.

Bigger Than Big

2007-12-31T15:17:00.000-08:00

How many penis jokes can you get from Gigantor, the 1960s Japanese cartoon series about a boy and his giant...robot?

First of all, just look at the title (and the name of the title character.) Can you make a penis joke out of that? Yes, I think you can.

The most obvious would be the name of the secret agent supporting character: Dick Strong! A name so blatant that even a porn performer would probably turn it down. In one episode, the narrator even mentions Mr. Strong "penetrating" through underground tunnels. Jeez.

One episode features a villain named Pisarro (piss-arro) and his robot gorilla named Tiny.

And the kid who controls Gigantor? His name his Jimmy Sparks. The J the I the M the M the Y.

Another main character's name is Inspector Blooper. If you want to make a penis joke out of that, that's up to you. I guess somehow "blooper" could be a slang term for ejaculation. The same could be said for the villain named Ungablob.

I guess this is really what you would call lost in translation.

Thanks to many of the words I used in this entry, I'm sure this blog will now be coming up in many interesting google searches. In that case, I'd like to welcome all my new readers out there searching the web for gay porn.

Animated Manhattan

2007-12-17T20:06:00.000-08:00

Here's an interesting blog section that's been going on for over a year at Ironic Sans: Animated Manhattan, a series looking at the depictions of New York City in animated films and cartoons.

Donkey Style

2007-12-15T19:43:00.000-08:00

Just in time for the holidays, this has become by new favorite song.

And while this isn't as amazing, it's bizarre nonetheless.

And yes, a google search for the former led to the latter.

The Marvel World of Icarus

2007-12-13T12:20:00.001-08:00

Every once in a while you come across a forgotten novelty that puts you in forgotten novelty heaven. Such is the case with The Marvel World of Icarus, available at one of the Lost-In-Tyme blogs. It's a 1972 album by the one-album wonder rock group Icarus. And each song is about, you guessed it, Marvel superheroes! Check it out.

TV Crossover Hell

2007-12-12T18:50:00.000-08:00

Coming from the same idea hat that inspired the first entry that birthed this rarely-updated blog....

The TV Show Crossover & Spinoff Master Page

The crossovers and shared realities of various show are examined and even broken down into 38 separate groups. And yes, the bizarre Fresh Prince/Blossom/In The House debacle is touched upon.

However, one thing they don't mention is the theory of Gilligan & Maynard G. Krebs being the same character.

Thank You, Come Again

2007-07-08T07:32:00.000-07:00

Wow! I haven't posted in 2 months! Anyway, here's the pictures I took at the 7-Eleven turned Kwik-E-Mart in Times Square.

Great Scott!

2007-05-14T18:16:00.000-07:00

OK, here's something you don't come across that often. Biscuit from okayplayer has uploaded some personal photos taken on the set of Back To The Future during its production. Pictures are from both the 1955 and 1985 sets.

Check 'em out here.

Hmmmm....

2007-04-22T18:11:00.000-07:00

So...it's been a while since my last entry. Over a month. I guess I've been lazy. And busy. And haven't really been able to think of anything to blog about. I certainly have to be careful about posting Youtube videos. They might not be there tomorrow what with all the big bad corporations like Viacom cracking down. I guess it really violates their rights anytime someone uploads a damn Me Phi Me video they played on MTV 15 years ago (sarcasm.) And then of course I have to ask myself the question every halfway blogger asks: Is anyone even reading this?

OK, so I need to start posting more often. But for today's entry, let's examine a photo I took myself. Here's a picture of the Polar Express ride at Coney Island's Astroland (which is about to soon be torn down by another big bad corporation.)

You'll notice something interesting about the painted mural on the ride. Why, right smack in the middle of polar bears, are the faces of Tupac & Biggie Smalls present? Well, my friends, that's just a question you don't ask. Nor do you ask why the speakers at a kiddie ride were blasting R. Kelly. You just sit back & enjoy it all.

Long live the weirdness of Coney Island.

He'll Be Back

2007-03-08T20:33:00.000-08:00

New York Comic Con

2007-02-25T15:40:00.000-08:00

The New York Comic Con was this weekend. Read about my visit here.

How 'Bout Another Head?

2007-02-10T11:44:00.000-08:00

Heheheheheheheheheheh (c) Beavis

Huhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuh (c) Butthead

Jump For Jesus

2007-02-07T19:46:00.000-08:00

There's always something a bit amusing about really bad children's entertainment. Personally, I could never figure out why The Wiggles didn't become a bigger hit with the weed smoking college crowd. And who doesn't laugh at that nondescript blue puppet who looks like Grover's plain, boring cousin on one of those Christian channels?

Well, speaking of bad kid's Christian entertainment, I stumbled across Kanga Kidz one day.

While it's nowhere on the amusing or quality level of Hip Hop Harry (who sounds just like Mikey D but is really Def Jef...or something like that) Kanga Kidz offers similar fun. And by fun I mean total annoyance. Here we have a kangaroo-endorsed selection of tracks featuring kids over crunk beats who rap and sing about praying and, well, that's really all they rap and sing about. And well...actually...now that I've started writing this and actually paying attention to it...this isn't even as funny as I originally thought it was. This is just...bad. Oh look, they even have a video on Youtube. Oh man, this is bad. And why isn't there a kangaroo in the video? Ripoff.

So I guess if you wanted to get fake kid hop for your kids, you should just go with Hip Hop Harry. Or better yet, don't even bother with it. And really, the only reason I even found this site is because my username brought it up in a Google ad on a message board. Seriously.

Lemonade Was A Popular Drink

2007-02-03T21:06:00.000-08:00

Well, here's a little picture a put together not too long ago. I've seen it making it's way around internet land, on various message boards and Myspace pages, so I figured I might as well post it here. Um yeah, I'm the one who created it. Guilty as charged.

I'm not even going to explain the reference or anything. It's something that you either get or you don't.

The Idiot Box

2007-01-21T14:55:00.000-08:00

Long forgotten, The Idiot Box was a very short lived sketch comedy show that came on MTV in the early 90s. Starring Alex Winter of Bill & Ted fame, the show was heavily on the dark and sadistic side, responsible for twisted characters like Eddie the Flying Gimp (seen above) and Lockjaw. Thanks to Youtube, it's made it's way to internet land. So enjoy it in all it's sick early 90s glory.

Episode 1
Episode 2, part 1
Episode 2, part 2
Episode 3
Episode 4, part 1
Episode 4, part 2
Episode 5, part 1
Episode 5, part 2
Episode 6, part 1
Episode 6, part 2

Papa Didn't Take No Mess

2006-12-25T09:40:00.000-08:00

RIP to the Godfather of Soul

1933-2006

Puff Puff Pinwheel

2006-12-19T19:09:00.000-08:00

Remember Pinwheel, the original Nickelodeon show? Of course you do. Remember those good ol pro-marijunana messages on Pinwheel? Of course you don't.

Oh man, has anything ever been more obvious? And some of the lyrics...

When I'm feeling rotten
At all the forgotten
By most of the people I know
I quickly recover
Because I discover
The one happy place where I can go

*laughs uncontrollably while eating Cheetos*

Greedo-Ade

2006-12-17T11:15:00.000-08:00

My nerd confession: I've never read a Star Wars novel. I've read some of the Dark Horse comics but I've never really had any interest in one of the many novels that tells the further adventures of Han Solo & company. Therefore much of my knowledge of the character's stories ends with the movies. Or whatever comics I've read. I do know that Chewbacca eventually dies by being crushed by a moon. Ummmmm OK.

But I've recently discovered Wookieepedia, something that will probably take up hours of my time. So of course I rushed to the page of one of my favorite characters: Greedo.

Needless to say, the fate of my favorite hopeless Rodian bounty hunter was quite shocking:

"After Greedo's death, Wuher and his new droid companion, C2-R4, claimed the bounty hunter's body and ground it up into a powerful liqueur. All that remained of Greedo afterwards was his head, which Wuher (having taken a dislike to Greedo while he was still alive) impaled on a spike."

...

It's bad enough that Lucas retconned Greedo to shoot first, but to learn that the first action figure you owned was ground up into a mixed drink and served to the scum of the universe? Man.....that hurts.

Dope On Plastic

2006-12-11T18:05:00.000-08:00

It's only fitting that the supervillain MF DOOM would eventually get his own action figure. Stones Throw and Kidrobot recently announced a Madvillain figure and the full picture is now here.

I don't really do toys anymore, but I like this.

Pink Dinosaurs On Parade

2006-11-27T19:14:00.000-08:00

Seriously, how cool is this picture?

Nothing has ever made me want to visit Utah more!

Bazooka Tooth Covered

2006-11-08T16:50:00.000-08:00

So I haven't updated in a while. I haven't really felt like it, nor could I really think of what to blog about.

But anyway, here's a cool article from Format Magazine about the making of the cover for Aesop Rock's Bazooka Tooth. Both Aesop and artist Tomer Hanuka are interviewed.

Also from Format is this C-Rayz Walz interview, which if anything, is worth reading just for this quote: "I brought my white-girl girlfriend before Flavor Flav did it."

Vintage Cereal: Breakfast Pals

2006-10-20T20:22:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first installment of Vintage Cereal, a few frequent occasional entry at the Wastelands where we post videos of old cereal commericals. Why? Because everyone loves cereal, cereal commericals, and cereal mascots. And because this is the first entry, we are going ancient school instead of old school, with a Rice Krispies theatrical short from 1939: Breakfast Pals.

Brazilian Nuggets

2006-10-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

Brazilian Nuggets is a nice audio blog where you can download some good obscure Brazilian music. But also, check out some of these cool ass album covers.

Random Video Game-Related Finds

2006-10-17T10:23:00.000-07:00

Meet Rodney Alan Greenblat, the character designer behind PaRappa the Rapper.

You can find out all kinds of things when you just aimlessly search Wikipedia.

And this is probably the nerdiest thing I'll ever post on here, but it's interesting nonetheless.

The funniest part is near the end where he instructs the viewers to go try to find the song in other games. Sorry buddy, but my Gamecube is currently in another part of the country.

Great Comic Covers: Promethea #12

2006-10-15T16:43:00.000-07:00

Many of the covers in Alan Moore's excellent America's Best Comics line pay tribute/homage to classic covers and art styles, and this one is no different, drawing it's influence from the psychedelic pop art posters of Bonnie Maclean. If I wanted to, I could post up just about every ABC cover as an A+ top notch example.

Penny Flame, Painter?

2006-10-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

A while back, I made an entry about former porn queen Heather Hunter being a talented painter. I've recently discovered the paintings of another porn star: Penny Flame.

Discovering things like this is...interesting. And I'm not trying to make this a case of "oh wow, you mean they have other talents?" I genuinely like the artwork. It's easy to think that someone who does porn doesn't have the ability to contribute anything else to society, but they're basically just regular people (their Myspace pages make this more evident than ever) who...just happen to make a living by having sex on camera.

On another interesting note, while her Wikipedia page says she created her name to be "a combination of The Beatles song 'Penny Lane' and her own smoking habit," Penny Flame was the name of an advertising mascot used by the Northern Illinois Gas company in the '60s. It's either a coincidence or our porn girl is a bigger obscure reference nerd than any of us.

The Angry Nintendo Nerd

2006-10-10T14:42:00.000-07:00

Things are really getting nerdy in here. I made a previous entry about Screech, now here's one about a dude who makes videos about old Nintendo games he hates.

James the Angry Nintendo Nerd, the angriest gamer that you ever heard (yes, he even has his own theme song in the later "episodes"), is a new Youtube celebrity. Reviewing old Nintendo games and pointing out their flaws, difficulty, or stupidity is his game. But what makes it so entertaining is how genuinely angry he seems to get, his non-linear strings of explicitives ("this is bullfuck!"), and his Wesley Willis-esque descriptions of grotesqueness ("I'd rather drink diarrhea vomited out of a buffalo's anus!")

Of course, the videos about the games you used to play are the funniest. The best is probably the one featuring the original Ninja Turtles game.

The rest of the videos can be seen here.

I'm The Greatest MC In The World

2006-10-09T18:20:00.000-07:00

One of these days, I'd like to see someone with the right credentials do a serious psychological study on rappers and delusions of grandeur.

In a recent XXL interview, Raekwon claims he made Outkast hot in New York, among other achievements:

"And I ain’t got nothing against nobody in the South. This ain’t me going at the South, ’cause I was the first nigga to give OutKast and them niggas a muthafuckin’ shot in New York. If you really wanna go back and check your history, at who helped muthafuckas’ careers, I was the one that gave Nas his fuckin’ shot. Me and my family. We were the dudes that gave all these niggas a shot…Kanye West, all these niggas, and now muthafuckas act like they don’t got to pay homage? We gon’ make y’all pay homage with this record."

I like Raekwon and Outkast, but this isn't really about them. It's all too common for rappers to always act like they deserve unworthy praise.

Raekwon made cereal hot in the streets

In just about every interview, Kool Keith reminds you that he's the first rapper to wear a wig & cape and isn't getting proper credit for it. Maybe he has a legitimate gripe, but he complains about it everytime. Who wants to read that?

It's one thing to be confident and proud of yourself, but sometimes these guys sound just like grumpy old men. A lot of rappers suffer from the Christopher Columbus disease, where they want credit for "discovering" something that was already out there. For example, Erick Sermon always complains about people using his beats or his sound, when all he really did was loop a Roger Troutman record. Grand Puba claims he put Tommy Hilfiger on the map. Maybe he helped. Who really cares?

And the delusion that is probably the most amusing is the hundreds of rappers who diss other hundreds of rappers for "biting their style", when their style isn't really that different from those other hundred rappers. I mean, when K-Solo claims he heard all those fake K-Solos on the radio, one can only guess that his mind was playing tricks on him like the Geto Boys.

Delusional rappers. It would actually make a good college thesis (especially if your professor has a ponytail and desperately tries to be down with youth culture.) I'll leave it up to someone else, because I have no interest in graduate school.

Did Screech Leak His Own Porno?

2006-10-03T12:37:00.000-07:00

Umm..that title doesn't sound right.

So the news is reporting that a home sex video starring Dustin "Screech" Diamond will be available soon. My only guess is that Screech leaked the video himself for the publicity. After all, his other recent appearances in the media were about him selling t-shirts online to keep his house from forclosing. And if there's anything that makes more money than t-shirts, it's celebrity sex videos, right?

But my question is this: why can't Screech get Hollywood work? Saved By The Bell is a cult phenomenon among the twentysomething crowd. Certainly we'd go see a movie with him in it, right? I mean, who wouldn't want to see Screech cast as a vampire or serial rapist? We love to see child actors grow up & pervert their images!

So if I ever become a Hollywood producer, I'm making a Pulp Fiction ripoff starring Screech & Urkel as a pair of foul-mouthed killers and make sure it sets the record for most curse words ever in a single movie.

Greetings from Brooklyn

2006-09-18T14:18:00.000-07:00

I apologize to the (hypothetical?) readers for the lack of updates, but the Wastelands has recently relocated to NYC and will be back on track shortly. Until then, here's some pictures I took of sights around the city that definitely have the Pop Culture Wastelands seal of approval.

Don't you just love generic candy characters? Here's some guys who never made it past the M&M auditions.

Our good friend Pac-Man has been spotted on a dart booth in Coney Island.

And on a sadder note, Winnie the Pooh was found dead last week, face down in the train tracks. RIP.

Pac-Man Land

2006-08-21T19:55:00.000-07:00

In the past week, I made two entries featuring a look at Pac-Mania and some of the more interesting Pac-Man merchandise and phenomena from over the years. This entry showcases the biggest of them all. Not only the biggest, but also one of the most obscure. What I'm talking about is Pac-Man Land.

Yes. Pac-Man Land. The theme park. You most likely had no idea there ever was such a thing.

In 1982, the Six Flags parks were bought by Bally Manufacturing. Bally-Midway owned Pac-Man, one of the hottest franchises at the time, so it was a no-brainer that they would remove the petting zoo section of Six Flags and turn it into a Pac-Man themed kids area.

Here I present exclusive pictures documenting proof of the existence of Pac-Man Land.

Six Flags Over Texas. Pac-Man Land. 1983:

Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man walked the grounds greeting the kids. Or scaring them. More than anything, they resemble the Sid & Marty Krofft characters. Ms Pac-Man is especially creepy.

Pac-Man Land had the typical kids attractions such as ball pits, jungle gyms, etc. Only they had pac-symbols all over them as evidenced:

The Pac-Family weren't the only characters present. Also standing around to be pestered by kids were the Shirt Tales, who were saturday morning stars at the time.

The Pac-Man Magic Show:

So that's about it. Pac-Man Land had characters walking around and a kid's playground. There was also a magic show. I'm sure it seemed big to kids but, in reality, was just a small area of the park.

One reason why Pac-Man Land has such an obscure history is it's short lifespan. It was shut down at the end of 1984. Six Flags then made a deal with Warner Bros to retool it's kids park into Looney Tunes Land, which it remains today.

Sam's Not Done With The Snakes Yet

2006-08-20T12:05:00.000-07:00

So Samuel L. Jackson's next snake-in-the-title movie is Black Snake Moan, scheduled for release this winter. However the snake in this instance refers to genetalia (the title stems from the song by Blind Lemon Jefferson from the 1920s.)

All I can say so far is that these are some great posters.

Wow - Another Snakes On A Plane Blog Entry

2006-08-19T13:43:00.000-07:00

So now that Snakes On A Plane is here, there's one question people are asking: Does it live up to the hype? I say yes. Even moreso, SoaP is quite possibly the most important movie in internet culture.

It was late 2005 when the Internet Elite heard news of this upcoming film. Details were minor, but what we did know was:

- The title is Snakes On A Plane
- It stars Samuel L. Jackson
- NO, it is not a comedy

No script, no screenshots, no posters, no previews. Nothing but a ridiculous title that couldn't possibly be true. A title that tells you everything you need to know - there will be snakes on the plane. A perfect vehicle for the denizens of The Internets. We who live for over the top goofiness. We who take an inside joke and stretch it out into a lifestyle. We who live in this age of post-modern irony.

The result is a mindless but fun-filled action flick that neither takes itself too serious or insults the audience. There's a fun cast of wacky stereotypical characters, leaving you wondering who will get it and who will live (with a few twists too.) And what makes SoaP truly belong to the fans is the fact that it was re-edited with additional material to appeal to the internet hype. (A scene is which Jackson is handed a spork when he asks for a weapon had me wondering if it was a reference to the Death By Spork internet jokes.) The movie has cyber appeal in every aspect, even featuring a song about Myspace on it's soundtrack. And of course there's *The Line*. The Line that audiences all over the world cheer for. The Line that's so ridiculous that it's funny no matter how many times you hear it. The Line that was spawned from internet hype.

In the end, SoaP will be remembered as the little B-movie that made it. A movie that blew up with a bizarre new way of marketing, something we're more likely to keep seeing as the internet grows as one of the most dominant tools in society. And it all had to do with one simple title that told us one simple thing: there are motherfucking snakes on the motherfucking plane.

Pac-Mania (Part 2)

2006-08-11T12:34:00.000-07:00

In continuing with yesterday's entry, we are celebrating Pac-Mania by taking a look at some of the strange moments of Pac-Man's past & present.

Let's start off with some interesting plush dolls.

These are obviously a couple of early versions, hence the red eyes:

Here's a few that were most likely released during the heights of Pac-Mania, back when the cartoon came on:

And here's the most recent doll, released in 2005 for the 25th anniversary.

This doll wasn't an official Pac-Man product, but a knock-off known as "The Chomper" or something similar to that.

Apparently, Pac-Man was popular with all the ladies back in 1982 if this order form is any indication:

And is it just me, or does "Video Paraphernalia" sound like one of those adult video stores with quarter booths in the back?

Of course with the shirt, you could also wear this vintage trucker hat that might've been popular with the cool kids 3 years ago, but you wouldn't be caught dead in it today:

And if you are truly brave/fearless/insane, this might be more your style:

Pac-Man in art: Here's a guy, Jim Davies, who has taken his obsession to new levels.

And then you have Gary Baseman's ghost interpretation from the excellent I Am 8-Bit exhibition.

Pac-Man has even made his way to the streets. And these aren't really good examples of graffitti, but hey, they're examples.

From the way Pac-Man's going after that mushroom, it looks like he's spent too much time with Mario.

Pac-Man and the Ghost Diggers

I actually own this book, and if I'm ever feeling extra nice/bored, I might scan in all the pages & make a Flash presentation.

Speaking of bored, boredom is probably responsible for Pac-Manhattan, a real life creation of the game centered around New York City. Ahh, those wacky NYU students. What will they think of next?

Back to the toys & stuff. Wind-up toys were pretty popular in the '80s, so of course Pac-Man joined in on the fun.

Here's a strange one. A Pac-Man pitcher:

It almost looks like it could double as a Pac-Bong.

Equally strange is this Pac-Man woosher. And my childhood memory must be failing me, because I'm not really sure what the hell a woosher is.

Another strange item is this picture disc. I'm not really sure where it's from or what it's for, but it looks cool.

That about wraps up our current installment. Do you have Pac-Man Fever yet? You should. Because after all, Pac-Mania is a phenomenon the whole world should embrace.

Except for Canada apparently.

A Giant Pac-Mania Entry!!!!

2006-08-10T14:04:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that we here at the Wastelands have a strong affinity for Pac-Man. Just look at the banner at the top of the page. Why do I like Pac-Man so much? Hmmm. I like the image. I like the character design. But most of all, Pac-Man is the face of the early '80s for me. It was a huge craze at the time and everyone was lining up at the arcades (remember when people stood in lines instead of huddling around the arcade game, slamming their quarters on the machines?) to play Pac-Man & Ms. Pac-Man.

Sure, in retrospect, it wasn't as big of an '80s franchise as Transformers. And Pac-Man never became a Mickey Mouse-level icon like Mario. But Pac-Mania was fairly big for a while. The image of a yellow circle chomping down on ghosts & pellets is still immediately recognized worldwide. And it's impressive how something so huge spawned from a strange maze game.

So, this is where we break out in a Pac-Man Fever and take a look at current & past elements of the Pac-Movement.

First stop: Orlando, Florida

Yes, there's a Pac-Man themed restaurant. Looks kind of expensive. Looks like they don't have enough retro games. But it might be worth checking out.

For the true enthusiasts, someone has even built a Pac-Man car:

It doesn't look too safe or sturdy, and it appears to be stranded in some Tatooine-looking place (I'm guessing deserts are the only place weird custom-built cars are allowed.) And I don't see a rear-view mirror for these to hang in:

Here's the part where I get all Superdickery and make suggestive remarks about the slogans featured on these interesting sticker sets.

Pac-Man Does It With Monsters?

I'm sure you can also come up with your own innuendo for this pic:

Pacboy Bunny?

It appears that Pac-Mania still lives in the heart of some musicians. Just check out these Pac-Guitars.

And while we're on the subject of music, I'd be very grateful if someone sent me some audio and/or explained to me what the hell this is.

Yeah, file that one under "WTF?"

Like anything that was marginally popular in the '80s, Pac-Man had a cereal.

I saw someone selling an empty flat box of these on ebay for $40. Chomp Chomp.

But of course no mention of food would be complete without mentioning the greatest popsicles of all time!

You truly never experienced Pac-Mania if you never ate one of these things. You could find them at the grocery store, 7-11, or the ice cream truck. And they were good. Better than Pink Panthers. Better than Ninja Turtles. Better than Frozen Toes. I say we write the Popsicle company and try to get them back on the market. Who's with me?

So do you have Pac-Man Fever yet? Because we'll be back tomorrow with part 2!

"Arrr! Fishsticks for meself & a root beer float for me parrot."

2006-07-22T12:57:00.000-07:00

O RLY? I might have to start making a few trips there in hopes of seeing some scurvy characters.

Happy Cat

2006-07-12T12:40:00.000-07:00

If the Pop Culture Wastelands had an official cat food, it would be Happy Cat.

I don't know why I always liked this long-forgotten cat food. Actually I do. It's the faces. Little kitty smiley faces. Maybe Purina's intended target audience was children. I sure know it worked for me because I had to get it for my cat at the time (who didn't even like it, if I can recall.)

What's even more interesting about this particular ad is the description from the perspective of a cat: "That's when I got to meet my little friends. They told me the taste of Happy Cat would make me happy." Now you know why your pet cats are so quirky. They hear voices in their heads.

Happy Cat: A true Wastelands delicatessen. And why am I writing about my favorite cat food ad campaign from 1984? Don't even ask.

Great Comic Covers: Iron Man 48 & 90

2006-07-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

While browsing the Comics Database, I decided to go with two covers instead of one.

You might think the bright colors are headache-inducing. You might feel like there's no reason for 2 characters with gaudy red & gold costumes to ever be in the same room together. You might think it's too '70s. But I love it!

Classic Kirby! What else is there to say?

Boogie Boys - You Ain't Fresh

2006-07-09T14:33:00.000-07:00

This video will either scare you to death or make you laugh. Or both at the same time. And keep your eye or for that alien chicken thing...or something.

...

2006-07-08T14:52:00.000-07:00

...

....

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

The Official Snakes on a Plane Theme Song

2006-07-08T12:42:00.000-07:00

It's here!!!!

Totally Krossed Off The List

2006-06-30T10:31:00.000-07:00

Ladies & gentlemen, I present to you Sony Music's official Kris Kross homepage!

Here's proof that Sony's web department never deletes anything from their network places folders: an outdated artist page that looks like one of the earliest websites created. Ugly graphics and confused page layout aside, the fact that the page is promoting Kris Kross' then-new Young, Rich, & Dangerous would place the site's creation around 1995.

Almost working as a time capsule for the yesteryear of cyberspace, there are some truly bizarre images here. Such as the merchandise page featuring nothing but this graphic:

*scratches head*

Or how about this airline ticket?

And the strangest of all......

Truly scary.

I know there have to be more pages like this floating out there somewhere. Maybe I can luck up and find the page for Jimmy Ray (who wants to know? who wants to know?)

Shout out to Verbal Cryogenics from Okayplayer for finding this.

Great Comic Covers: The Spectre #21

2006-06-27T16:20:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you come across standout covers to a title that nobody read. Well, I couldn't tell you much about the Hal Jordan-as-The Spectre series either, but this P. Craig Russell cover is official.

That wacky Batman & his "partners"

2006-06-24T15:25:00.000-07:00

I saw this over at The Absorbascon, chuckled, and had to post it.

hehe...

deviantART

2006-06-21T15:14:00.000-07:00

I don't really like making blogs about myself, but....

I have now joined deviantART.

Getting Back On Track

2006-06-07T21:20:00.000-07:00

Pop Culture Wastelands recently took a trip to New York (and is currently looking to relocate to that grand city) so I'm a bit behind with the blog updates and need to get back on track with your reading pleasure.

So here's a quick reminder that Marvel's Fantastic Four/Iron Man - Big In Japan trade paperback came out today.

Be sure to check that out for the fun-filled final work from the late Seth Fisher.

Average Homeboy: The Saga Continues

2006-05-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

So who is the Average Homeboy? More clues have been uncovered since my previous entry. Apparently, he is Denny Blazin Hazen. Which...still leaves many questions unanswered. It could be speculated that these videos are a recently-created prank disguised as something old. The most likely scenario is that this is old amateur footage that was recently discovered and placed on the web as a mockery turned internet phenomenon.

But wait...there's more! (TV voice)

Three more videos have resurfaced:

Here Blazin gets socially concious with it, isn't wearing shorts, and even rhymes on beat.

Something is different about this one. Some of the shots look more recent.

Another classic.

So we have more footage, but still in need of clues. I'm willing to bet there will be a Wikipedia page about this dude within the next month.

Great Comic Covers: Animal Man #24

2006-05-18T21:39:00.000-07:00

Here's one of Brian Bolland's many classic Animal Man covers and a specific favorite of mine. Grant Morrison's run on the title featured some of the best explorations of existentialism in comics, and any comic fan worth his long boxes understands the significance of this particular image.

AFWD - Annoying Fads While Driving

2006-05-15T17:04:00.000-07:00

Remember the short-lived "Baby On Board" phenomenon in the mid-80s? Wasn't that a stupid craze?

The Baby On Board signs were originally developed by Safety 1st Corporation in 1984 meant to be placed on the back windows of cars as a warning to fellow drivers.

This soon led to a short trend where parody signs were being produced naming just about anything you can think of. Cheerleader On Board. Rocket Scientist On Board. (Insert your school mascot here) On Board. Prostitute On Board.

Yes, that was the highlight of entertainment back in 1986.

Fast forward to the early '00s and you know what the equivalent fad is? Those damn magnetic ribbons.

And much like the ______ On Board signs, we are seeing less of the ribbons as the days pass. Maybe people are tired of looking at them. Maybe people are just tired of the war. But in a sick & twisted way, I always thought it would be funny if the money spend on these ribbons went to a secret terrorist organization. The bittersweet irony would be amazing.

Wake Me Up At E3

2006-05-13T19:53:00.000-07:00

Since I previously posted a video telling the tragic story of the ET Atari game, I thought it would only be appropriate to post this funny little gem:

Wake Me Up At E3

Downtown Science

2006-05-11T21:59:00.000-07:00

Downtown Science was an early '90s hip hop duo who released an often overlooked self-titled debut in 1991. Consisting of Sam Sever (who did work with 3rd Bass) and Bosco Money, their lone album is one that still holds up today. Despite looking like a George Michael clone, Sever's production was a mix of samples and live instrumentation that had a futuristic sound and, for the most part, manage to not sound dated. Bosco's positive, clean-cut rhymes, however, do sound dated. Nevertheless, it's a solid album with top notch production. Today, it's kinda hard to believe Def Jam used to put out stuff like this.

http://rapidshare.de/files/20241087/Downtown_Science.rar.html

Great Comic Covers: Daredevil #187

2006-05-08T18:58:00.000-07:00

This classic Daredevil cover by Frank Miller says so much with so little.

Heather Hunter, Painter?

2006-05-07T15:22:00.000-07:00

So porn star Heather Hunter is apparently a talented artist.

Whodathunkit?

Wasteland Denizens

2006-05-05T21:55:00.000-07:00

Q: Who is that character in your banner and why is he there?

That character is none other than the star of Rubik The Amazing Cube, a saturday morning cartoon produced by Ruby-Spears and broadcast on ABC in 1983-84.

He's not there because he's exactly a notable figure in pop culture. Nor is he really a favorite of mine. I can't even recall watching an entire episode. No, what I love about Rubik is that he's one of the biggest, most blatant examples of 1980s mass commercialism. Someone actually decided to make an anthropomorphic cartoon character based on then-hot sensation, the Rubik's Cube. I can just picture it being pitched to a boardroom of network executives. The only thing more blatant would be a Rubik's Cube cereal, and I don't think that ever happened...right?

What makes Rubik even more appropriate as our banner mascot is the fact that most people aren't even aware of his existence, since I doubt more than 12 episodes of the show were produced. And even though I know it would be truly terrible to watch, this is something we really need on DVD. Rhino or someone could release it as a tax write-off.

And this, my friends, is why Rubik the Amazing Cube is a true Wasteland Denizen.

Other Wasteland Denizens include:

Joe Camel: Cartoon mascot martyr

Blue Beetle: Brains blown out but not forgotten

Yummy Mummy: Failed cereal icon

All those obscure funk groups featured on compilations such as The Funky 16 Corners

Nintendo's Kid Icarus and Sega's Kid Chameleon: Games that never received much demanded sequels

The Story of the E.T. Atari Game

2006-05-04T16:42:00.000-07:00

I've never heard of this band Wintergreen, but they've created a very entertaining video about what is considered the worst video game of all time. And the song isn't bad either.

Great Comic Covers: Batman: Gotham Knights #12

2006-05-01T16:09:00.000-07:00

So here's an idea for a series of quick & simple blog entries: post comic book covers that look great.
Starting off is a nice one from Darwyn Cooke.

Super Magnetic Neo

2006-04-30T10:22:00.000-07:00

After pulling out my Dreamcast and playing it again, I had forgotten what a weird ass little game Super Magnetic Neo was. Developed by Genki and released by Crave Entertainment in 2000, this colorful platform game featured some of the most unique art and character design seen since (the villain is a cute little girl with mouse ears.....or something.) Unfortunately, it's also one of the most difficult and frustrating games ever made and I can see why I never got too far on it.

Still, I wouldn't mind seeing a battle between Super Magnetic Neo and Neo The One.

My money's on the little blue guy. He never had two horrible sequels.

The Rap Bandit

2006-04-29T16:44:00.000-07:00

Hip hop fans of the '90s should remember the Rap Bandit as a humor columnist featured in The Source and later Vibe.

The Rap Bandit's shtick was to respond to reader questions with sarcastic/assholish responses in a comedic fashion. For example:

Q: My girl swears that Busta Rhymes is singing the high-pitched vocal in the background of A Tribe Called Quest's "Lyrics To Go." Is she right or just plain crazy? - S. Philadelphia, PA
A: Your girl's right, Busta does have a high-pitched vocal in "Lyrics To Go." The bad news is thatit's a pitch that only can be heard by dogs.

OK, So maybe it was funnier back then.

But who was the Rap Bandit anyway? His identity was never revealed. Thinking about it led to a quick Google search and came up with this result:

http://comedysoapbox.com/comedianstemplate.cfm?comedianID=835

So the Rap Bandit was a still-mysterious comedian named Danny Ozark. Thanks, Google.

Still, I've never been able to find any info on the identities of A or B from those A+B columns.

Old Junk: a Nintendo Folder

2006-04-29T11:34:00.000-07:00

Fresh from an old box in the attic.......

...it's a Nintendo folder from 1988!!!

Only the coolest of the cool kids took these to school.

And inside it I found a fold-up map for......Fester's Quest????? Talk about a serious L.

Meet Mr. Product

2006-04-25T14:49:00.000-07:00

This book is perfect for anyone interested in advertising or character design.

Everyone knows the Michelin Man, Tony the Tiger, and Elsie the Borden Cow. But most people aren't as familiar with Acey Bird, Bucky Beaver, Stripey Stripe & Gaylord Giraffe, or Mr. Civil Defense. They are all here in their bizarre glory. There's even a picture of Bud Man, Budweiser's failed superhero mascot who influenced The Simpsons' Duffman.

What's interesting is how very few of these characters were created after 1975. And even many of the few remaining started to disappear in the '90s. Maybe our modern society is too sophisticated (or would like to believe so) for smiling aliens hocking products. A few characters have been making recent tongue-in-cheek comebacks though, such as the Burger King getting a real world makeover (although personally, I miss Ugoff.)

Inspector Gadget on DVD

2006-04-25T08:26:00.000-07:00

'80s Kids rejoice! Inspector Gadget has finally made it to DVD, with volume 1, which collects the first 22 episodes, dropping today. Aaaaaaaand I'll be getting it when I have more money to blow.

The History of The Eternals

2006-04-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

Ready for your head to explode? Click the cover image and read all that.

BOSTON BRAND

2006-04-20T21:07:00.000-07:00

When was the last time you were Branded?

Maybe you are Branded by online critiques of Rob Liefeld artwork. You might be Branded by Myspace idiots leaving "SEXY" written out in asterixes on a wannabe model's page, but most likely just disgusted. Perhaps you were Branded by Chef's demise on South Park.

Personally, no matter how many times I see this, it always leaves me Wild Brand.

Average Homeboy

2006-04-19T19:02:00.000-07:00

"What's the problem with a rapper who's white?"

YOU MUST WATCH THIS VIDEO!

Who is he? Who knows? Who cares? Let's just be thankful that this poor loser's brilliant late '80s white middle class angst has resurfaced in the cyberspace of today.

In the game of comedic nonsense, this guy hits a homerun.

Mac Tonight

2006-04-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

In continuing with the subject of McDonalds advertisements, the most recent episode of The Simpsons made a reference to Mac Tonight.

And if you don't know who/what the hell Mac Tonight is...

http://www.retrojunk.com/details_commercial/839/

Mega Man Collage

2006-03-26T15:56:00.000-08:00

Here's a Mega Man collage I made. I don't feel like putting it on my site, so it's going here.

Remembering McDonaldland

2006-03-25T15:03:00.000-08:00

Back before McDonalds advertisments featured Jill Scott clones reading bad poetry (doo doo doo doo doo I'm not loving it) or an extreme sports-playing Ronald McDonald, there existed a place known as McDonaldland, home to Ronald and friends. McDonaldland was a magical LSD-inspired storybook land filled with criminals (Hamburglar), cannibal politicians (Mayor McCheese), and transvestites (Birdie.)

Here is a collection of videos showcasing McDonalds commercials throughout the years, beginning with the first apperance of McDonaldland. Not only do we learn what a "happy place" McDonalds is, we also learn that our friend Grimace was once a four-armed villain.

That's not all, Our second link gives us the history of how Grimace began as a lawsuit-friendly Kroft ripoff. There's also interesting histories of several other characters, as well as documentation of how our savior Ronald is viewed throughout the world.

And Ronald McDonald is now a woman in Japan???

But back to McDonaldland, with a third link featuring variations of past characters, including the Fry Guys (why the hell did they look more like pom-poms than fries?) and the McNuggets.

And in typical fashion of '80s blatant commercialism (or was it '90s blatant commercialism by then?) there was even a McDonaldland Nintendo game:

Is that Urkel?

McDonaldland is now all but gone, only remaining a rememberance in the Wastelands. Now Ronald spends most of his time in the real world, trying to stay relevant by, oh I don't know, playing grunge rock 10 years after it's played out or something.
So here's to hoping some hippie executive at an ad agency decides to bring back our hideous friends at McDonaldland to unleash upon the children of the world today.

New Goodies at Prep Time Posse

2006-03-17T14:22:00.000-08:00

Not only have I blessed cyberspace with scans of a comic book article from the new issue of Playboy, lonesome_d (by way of buckshot) has supplied us with some Celtic, British, weirdo psychedelic music with comic book connotations in honor of St. Patricks Day.

Want it? Head on over to

Click the Batman, doggie.

Documenting Internet Culture with Wikipedia

2006-03-13T18:40:00.000-08:00

For the few who don't know, Wikipedia.org is an online encyclopedia that anyone can edit. With its fast growth, many have also questioned its accuracy. Being that anyone can edit and write entries, there have been accusations of unprofessionalism and even racism.

But there something I use Wiki to research that I know they will most likely always get right: Internet Culture.

All Your Base Are Belong To Us. The Star Wars Kid. You're The Man Now Dog. n00b. Chuck Norris Facts. Geocities. Peanut Butter Jelly Time. Evil Bert. Hell, they even have a page for the Icy Hot Stuntaz. Remember those guys?

I have to admit that I'm somewhat obsessed with internet culture's influence on general popular culture. Since its become the dominant method of communication and lifestyle for many, of course its going to influence the world. We have entered a sci-fi future and everyday is a step closer to Neuromancer.

That's all for now, LOLZERS. Time to go watch some flash animation videos that parody Mario.

Impending Doom

2006-03-13T12:31:00.000-08:00

Nothin But a Smurf Thang

2006-03-11T22:25:00.000-08:00

YouTube oh YouTube. Oh how I tried to resist ye YouTube. What I originally wrote off as an endless hellhole of worthless home videos (high school fights, underage girls dancing for their webcams) is actually a goldmine for random, obscure, find almost anything videos.

A random search led me to one of the funniest things I've seen. Recorded in 2002, we have a group of white guys performing in blueface, in what appears to be a school gym. They open up by dancing to the Smurfs theme, soon breaking into a smurfed-out reindition of Dr. Dre's "Still D.R.E." I dunno what they were thinking when they came up with this bullsmurf. I'm just glad it found its way online.

Ladies & Gentlemen, The Smurfs Rap

CEB - Countin' Endless Bank

2006-03-10T11:13:00.000-08:00

Cool C is a name that has been mentioned a lot online lately due to his scheduled execution yesterday (and was later granted a stay of execution) for the 1996 Philadelphia bank robbery leading to the death of a police officer.

Cool C and Steady B, former solo artists from the Hilltop Hustlers crew, along with the Ultimate Eaze, formed CEB in 1993, releasing Countin' Endless Bank. The music mostly combines G-funk whistles with the East Coast boom-bap, roughneck, 40 & a blunt, biggidy-bite-Das-Efx style of the day. Nothing spectacular, but a noteworthy album a lot of people have been asking about.

http://rapidshare.de/files/15176727/Countin__Endless_Bank.rar.html

I guess the title could be taken as a bit ironic, since they obviously didn't count much bank from the album's poor success, and Cool C & Steady B eventually landing in a situation that would result in life sentences.

Nightmares in the Form of a Robotic Mouse

2006-03-08T19:37:00.000-08:00

Almost everyone in their 20s has memories of trips to Chuck E. Cheese and/or Showbiz Pizza. What most people remember best are the horrific animatronic musical acts.

Chuck E. Cheese and Showbiz's Billy Bob

So put away the small children as we visit a site dedicated to such oddities.

Showbiz Pizza's Rock-afire Explosion

The Chuck E. Cheese Pizza Time Players

Go ahead. Grimace at the creepy pictures. Listen to the soundclips. Re-live your childhood terror. Not only are these pages amusing, it also further proves that you can find a fan site for almost anything.

Everyone has a different story about these creatures. I was once kicked out of Chuck E Cheese for punching The King, the annoying Elvis-impersonating lion.

Sadly, the restaurants have now reduced the characters to only one on the stage, Chuck E. Cheese himself, leaving today's kids without much to fear other than losing their iPods.
My last visit to CEC (sometime in the late '90s) had revealed how bland the place has become. Not only were all the characters gone, so were both the plastic ball pit and the flashing shadow room that always smelled like piss.

And is it just me or has ol' Chucky become less perverted looking over the years?

Then:

Times Square Peep Show Chuck

Now:

Giuliani Quality of Life Chuck

Crisis of Infinite Laughs

2006-03-07T19:54:00.000-08:00

The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, NBC sitcoms, and comic book mentalities.

What actually started as chatroom babble, leading to a post I started on Okayplayer lead to one of the more interesting concepts in TV history.

Hillary Banks, a regular character on FP, made an appearance on Blossom once. She was in character as Hillary. She had a crush on Blossom's older alcoholic ambulance-driving brother or something. This means Blossom & Fresh Prince took place in the same universe.

But in another episode of Blossom, Will Smith appeared as himself, Will Smith the actor/rapper. Not the character. Blossom even made a reference to the Fresh Prince theme song.

So this means Will Smith the actor/rapper existed in the same universe as Will Smith the character and the rest of the cast of Fresh Prince. But since Blossom mentioned the Fresh Prince TV theme, does this mean Character Will could turn to NBC & watch the show about his life?

Or was there a serious rift in the space-time continuum?

Earth-1 Aunt Viv vs Earth-2 Aunt Viv

A Hypertime battle just waiting to happen.

When Aunt Viv traded bodies, who was the only one to notice? Jazz. Perhaps Jazz worked for the Monitor. Since Uncle Phil always threw Jazz out of the house, does this make him the Anti-Monitor? Jazz = Pariah?

And guess what other show took place in the same universe? Yep, you guessed it. In The House, starring LL Cool J and Debbie Allen (who left when it bounced to UPN.)

Ashley became friends with future mental case/video hoe Maia Campbell (ummm wasn't her name Tiffany?)

Carlton also appeared in this episode. An obvious clone of Carlton posing as a doctor later became a regular on In The House.

And who else made an appearance in this universe? LL Cool J, who met Marion at a party.

George and Louise Jefferson appeared in character on FP a few times.

Let's forget that Sherman Hemsley had previously played several different characters on the show. This possibly puts Blossom, JJ, & Archie Bunker all in the same universe. Unless we are dealing with alternate versions.

Also: Gary Coleman appeared as Arnold from Diff'rent Strokes in the final episode of FP.

This would mean that there were two Janet Jackson characters in the same universe, having played roles on both Diff'rent Strokes and Good Times.

And I'm sure at one time or another, a character in one of the shows has made reference to superstar Janet Jackson of Earth-Prime.

But back to the Fresh Prince. Aunt Viv had a baby named Nicky. At the beginning of the following season, Nicky was now a young child. Never mind the fact that they always pull this crap on the soap operas. Nicky was the Cable of the NBC Monday Universe.

Cyclops & Jean Gray sent their baby into the future and he returned as adult cyborg Cable.

Baby Nicky was sent into the future and he returned as Child Nicky. But since he was still a kid, he was somewhat like the Bart Allen of the NBC Monday universe.

Before closing, we must bring the Lisa chronicles to attention. Nia Long had previously played another one-time love interest of Will's before becoming a regular in one of the later seasons of FP, eventually becoming Will's fiancee, Lisa.

Lisa: Did she really exist?

The Lisa season ended with Will and Lisa not getting married, but promising to be there for each other. But once the next season came, Lisa was never mentioned ever again.

Will never mentioned his fiancee again. Again, WILL NEVER MENTIONED HIS FIANCEE AGAIN!

Perhaps she never existed.

But how could this be? At the end of the Lisa season, instead of Will and Lisa marrying, Will's mother and Lisa's father married. Making them step-siblings, other to never see each other again.

And who played Lisa's father? None other than John Amos, who was James on Good Times and.....Marion's coach on In The House, all shows apparently in the same universe!!!!!!

So you make the call. Hypertime? Alternative worlds? Clones?

Maybe there is just one big NBC sitcom universe. I like this idea the best, because I'd love to see Marcel the monkey run wild in Cheers.