Retro

Via Dangerous Minds: Hear a rare 1970 acoustic jam between Frank Zappa and then-whiz kid musician Shuggie Otis.Otis has a new, coupled with an old classic, out now.-----Three of the Brady kids reunited at a Cincinnati amusement park last weekend to celebrate the 40th anniversary of a "Brady Bunch" episode filmed there.Barry Williams (Greg), Christopher Knight (Peter) and Susan Olsen (Cindy) met with fans, shared memories from the show and introduced clips from the sitcom.-----Via "Kid" Robson: Vintage Dalek transfers!\-----Beatles biographer Hunter Davies has donated John Lennon's handwritten lyrics to "Strawberry Fields Forever," "She Said, She Said," and "In My Life" to the British Museum.The manuscripts and other Beatles rarities were donated to the Library by Hunter Davies, The Beatles’ biographer, under the new Cultural Gifts Scheme.The scheme allows individuals or companies to donate “pre-eminent” items to the nation during their lifetime in return for a reduction in their UK tax liability.Davies, who had loaned The Beatles items to the Library in the past, said: “I want my Beatles collection to be kept together, in one place, and on public display, and the British Library is the perfect home for it."

A movie tie-in book. Love collecting these. Pointless, but always fun to find one. So how would you feel to have gotten a part in the movie, your image on the cover of the book, but then no information given as to who you are? People in the movie who aren't on the cover got credit, but the lone fellow on the right is left out. I'm a guessin' he's thikin' somethin' along the lines of, "I think I'd better talk to my agent." Click on images to see them larger.

Great news for Bruce Lee fans! Look what Shout! Factory is cooking up: Legendary cultural icon Bruce Lee continues to be an unstoppable force, unbeatable warrior and an unforgettable star. He is the very face of martial arts mastery, the … Continue reading →

I know the company selling this do a number of reproduction design classics in their range, but this 1960s Robin Day Leo Chair and Ottoman is an officially licensed reissue. It's a British made reissue of a 1965 Robin Day design, featured in early James Bond movies, most notably in You Only Live Twice, which is where the still below is from. It's a design very much of its era, although its straight modernist lines would still work well as a lounger in a modern home, as well as a retro setting. There are a variety of leather finishes to choose from or you can opt for something bespoke.As you would expect from an officially licensed piece, it isn't cheap, selling from £2,644. But it's certainly a cool thing to own.Find out more at the Iconic Interiors website

I really enjoyed the first two Critter movies when they came out, don’t think I’ve seen parts 3 &4 but the first two were really fun and unique. I thought the bounty hunters were so awesome!

Another piece of value design on eBay, with this 1970s Herda space age ceiling light not necessarily having the high end brand name, but certainly packing the look. The lamp is based around a chrome bar with two aluminium tubes, where the reflector bulbs go. All of that is surrounded by a brown plastic shade, very much the colour of the era (if you discount orange).The shade apparently has some scratches from use over the years, but 'you don’t see them because of the gloss of the shade'. The price right now is just 66 pence.Find out more at the eBay website

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