Retro

The rumbling and crumbling of the 55th seal of the Roboplastic Apocalypse is the sound of over 30,000 convention goers in Ottawa stampeding the Ernst & Young convention center for Ottawa ComicCon 2013! And among those in attendance was our robotastic correspondent Colin of Fairplaythings.com, looking for a chance to meet his favorite stars of sci-fi movies and television shows (many of

This 1983 video starring Ricky Schroeder instructs parents how to plant a garden with their kids. It is an odd video, especially when it gets strangely specific, like when Ricky tells you that you should plant radishes. That’s just what … Continue reading →

For a striking mid century piece with 21st century comfort in mind, feast your eyes on this Ro Lounge Chair from Fritz Hansen. This sublime easy chair has all the aesthetics of a vintage 60s classic in top of the line contemporary luxury materials. The generously sized 1.5 seater chair is designed in contour with the human body, whilst styled to look at home in any retro setting for a spot of quiet reading. The shell and cushions come in complimentary shades in a vast variety of retro inspired fabrics and colours. If you want one, you better start saving your pennies as it'll set you back a whopping £2,097. You can order the chair from the Lollipop Shoppe online.

Anyone familiar with MAD during the seventies will well remember Dave Berg's regular feature "The Lighter Side" It wasn't a particular favorite as a kid, but as an adult I appreciate it much more. The gags are a tad on the lame side, but what made these strips special was the timeliness. Unlike the Don Martin and Spy v. Spy segments which stood independent of any time period, the Dave Berg strips had more in common with Doonesbury which definitely was "of the day", featuring current issues and characters who wore the latest fashions. And this is where Retrospace comes in. You can tell Berg put a lot of effort and attention into the fashions in each strip. Indeed, it was every bit as important as the gag itself. I would be remiss to not have a post highlighting Berg's great illustrations of fashions past within his "Lighter Side" strips - perhaps, second only to the Archie comics in their depth and detail in bringing to life the styles of the seventies in comic form. Just take note of this one panel. Berg pays attention to the style of boots, the pockets on the purse, the type and fit of the coats..... he didn't have to be so detailed, but he must've known that was part of the appeal to his strips. January 1974 This strip is particularly telling. My understanding is that Berg was a conflicted dude - on one side a very liberal open minded guy with a great sense of humor - on the other, a veteran with an honorary doctorate in theology who wore his Christianity on his sleeve. Not that the traits are mutually exclusive, but it did cause issues in the MAD office. One day we'll look at Berg's strips with a more sociological eye. So, stay tuned. Ahhhh, short shorts. I remember them well. I also recall the sports jerseys that were so popular - no identifiable team with just a random meaningless number. Eye-wear wasn't the best back in the seventies. The "Velma look" was almost inevitable for girls. He's sporting the Herb Tarlic blazer and she's got a turtleneck and cowboy boots. Is this heaven? this one as late as 1984 1969

This photo posted by Arndt on Flickr captures exactly how I pictured my adult computing life would sort of look like. Me in a darkened room, scruffy and happy surrounded by machines. I have not gotten it down 100%, but … Continue reading →

This fan art by Marco D Carrillo captured Colwyn in an action. The thing is I am not sure if Colwyn is reaching out to catch or has just thrown the glaive. I am going to guess he is catching … Continue reading →

Most of the sports shoes we feature here tend to be for men, but I think it is safe to say that the Nike x Liberty collection is one that will appeal more to women (although men's styles are available too). The collaboration is part of the Nike ID range, which allows you to customise your shoe to your exact requirements. Depending on the trainer style, you can specify the colour of the upper, tongue, laces, sidewall and of course, the swoosh. There are six women's trainer styles, which can be combined with two classic Liberty prints, each in a variety of colours. Choose from Capel, a loosely drawn floral print from 1978, although inspired by a 1930s design or Pepper, a 1974 print with tiny delicate flowers outlined in black. The ID shoes cost between £110 and £145 per pair and take several weeks to make.  Visit the Nike website to start making your pair today.  If you don't want to wait, Liberty has three readymade styles available (although they are selling fast).

A Barbie clad in denim in a pink ice cream parlor? What kid in the 1980s would not have loved that? What I really like about this ad and why I think I remember it is the imagery of the … Continue reading →

I was stuck at the gate on a recent flight and started browsing YouTube on my phone. This ad was one of the first things I watched and while doing so I was struck with how much cooler flying was … Continue reading →

Introduce some retro mediterranean jet set glamour to your home on a shoe string by picking up one or two of these glamourous Travel Prints by Alan Walsh while they're on sale at Fab. Walsh has been inspired by the slick style of mid century advertising to create his works, and with their 50s graphics and rich, bright colours, these fabulous prints are sure to get you dreaming of rubbing elbows with the rich & famouds in sunny St Tropez or Monaco. With 21 different designs to choose from, you really are spoilt for choice. The prints are just £19 each and are on sale for the next 3 days at Fab online.