The Cookie Crisp Mascots: From Wizards to Wolves (and Why We Still Miss the Old Ones)

If you grew up before the mid 2000's, there’s a good chance your morning cartoon lineup was powered by sugar and mascots. And few cereals hit that sweet spot better than Cookie Crisp.

Back when I first wrote about the Cookie Crisp mascots in 2019, I had no idea it would take off the way it did. The post blew up with readers reminiscing about that wizard, that crook, that howling dog who made cookies for breakfast seem totally acceptable. But.. whether it’s a favorite cereal mascot or a classic frozen pizza like Red Baron and Tombstone, certain flavors and memories stick with us for decades.

So here we are again, a few years later, with a fresh look at every Cookie Crisp mascot from the 1970s through today. No fluff, no filler. Just a nostalgic rewind through the mascots that made us yell “Cooooookie Crisp!” at the breakfast table.

Cookie Jarvis — The Wizard of the 1970s

Before the crooks, cops, and canines, Cookie Crisp started with a wizard. His name was Cookie Jarvis, and he looked like the cousin of Merlin who lived above a bakery.

Cookie Jarvis would wave his wand and turn regular cereal into tiny chocolate chip cookies. It was pure Saturday morning magic. The commercials were weird, fun, and very seventies. Full of fog, sparkles, and that deep announcer voice that sounded like it came from a record player in your kitchen.

If you had a bowl of Cookie Crisp in 1977, chances are you can still hear him say the line: “You can’t have cookies for breakfast… or can you?”

The Cookie Crook and Officer Crumb — The 1980s Duo

By the time the eighties hit, the wizard had disappeared, and Cookie Crisp went full Saturday morning sitcom. The new stars were the Cookie Crook, his Dog and cohort 'Chip' and Officer Crumb. A couple of cartoon criminals and the cop who always tried to stop them from stealing kid's Cookie Crisp cereal.

Every commercial was like a mini episode that was always very Keystone Cops-esque. The Cookie Crook had plans that always failed, as Officer Crumb showed up eventually thwarting their efforts.

For kids watching before school or in between He-Man and The Smurfs, these spots were part of the fun. They made cereal feel like part of the same world as the cartoons we loved.

It was clever marketing, and it worked. You didn’t just eat cereal. You joined the chase.

Chip the Dog — The 1990s Mascot Everyone Remembers

Then came one that hung in there for the next decade, Chip the Dog.

Chip showed up in the early nineties now as a solo act and instantly became the face of Cookie Crisp. He had the kind of voice that could sell excitement to anyone under twelve. The crook and the cop slowly disappeared, and Chip was left to run the show, literally howling “Cooooookie Crisp!” in every ad.

This was peak mascot energy.. loud, happy, and hyper. The commercials were bright, fast, and full of motion. Even if you didn’t eat the cereal, you knew that howl.

If you want a quick blast of memory, look up a 1991 Cookie Crisp commercial on YouTube. You’ll be right back on the living room carpet, watching DuckTales with a spoon in hand.

Chip the Wolf — The 2000s and Beyond

In the early 2000s, General Mills gave Cookie Crisp another facelift. Chip the Dog evolved into Chip the Wolf, a slicker, more animated version with bigger eyes and more attitude.

He wasn’t stealing cookies from the jar anymore but rather, chasing bowls of cereal like a Looney Tunes character on espresso.

It was fun, but it also felt different. Gone were the hand drawn, personality filled ads. The new ones looked computer animated and louder but somehow less warm. Kids loved him, but to adults, it felt like the end of an era.

Still, Chip the Wolf has been around for more than twenty years now. That’s longer than any of his predecessors, which says something about his staying power.

---

Then vs Now

Era	Mascot	Vibe	Tagline Style
1970s	Cookie Jarvis	Magical and whimsical	“You can’t have cookies for breakfast… or can you?”
1980s	Cookie Crook and Officer Crumb	Cartoon cops and robbers	“Stop, thief!”
1990s	Chip the Dog	Loud, friendly chaos	“Cooooookie Crisp!”
2000s to now	Chip the Wolf	Modern high energy mascot	“The howl of the modern mascot”

---

Why Mascots Like This Disappeared

There was a time when every kid could name five cereal mascots without thinking. Now, most of them are gone or barely used.

The simple reason? Advertising rules changed. Marketers couldn’t directly target kids the same way anymore. Parents pushed for healthier breakfasts, and the world got busier. Saturday morning cartoons went away, replaced by streaming shows with no commercials.

Mascots lost their playground.

But those old characters stuck in our heads because they represented more than cereal. They were part of our weekend routine, part of our identity as eighties and nineties kids.

The Retro Dad’s Take

I still think Cookie Crisp nailed something special. I mean, come on — what kid couldn’t get excited about eating a bowl of cookies for breakfast? It felt like we were getting away with something. Like we were calling the shots for once, eating what we wanted instead of what we were told. Heck, as a kid, I totally knew that when I grew up and was on my own, I was going to endless bowls of Cookie Crisp while watching MTV every night.

But the mascots made the whole experience richer. They gave it personality. Cookie Jarvis made it feel magical, the Crook and Crumb made it funny, and Chip the Dog turned breakfast into a full on cartoon moment. There was nothing like eating your favorite bowl of cereal and then having a commercial for said cereal entertain you as you enjoyed the sugary treat.

It wasn’t just cereal. It was this weird, wonderful mix of sugar, imagination, and rebellion. That’s what made mornings feel alive, and that’s the part I still miss today.

Cookie Crisp Collectors and Where It Stands in 2025

Believe it or not, old Cookie Crisp boxes and merchandise still pop up on eBay and collector sites. The vintage ones featuring Cookie Jarvis or the Crook and Crumb duo can go for surprising amounts.

General Mills occasionally nods to the past with retro packaging, but the mascots themselves stay in the vault.

If you’re into cereal nostalgia, there’s a whole world of collectors out there swapping boxes, trading cards, and even the occasional unopened pack from the eighties. It’s a strange and beautiful subculture.

Which Mascot Was Your Favorite?

Was it the wizard, the crook, the dog, or the wolf?

Drop your favorite in the comments below. I’d love to know which one you remember best, and if you still find yourself howling “Cooooookie Crisp!” when you see a box at the store.

Blogging like it's 2003 again

Readers of my blog have seen many different incarnations of this site over the years. Somewhere along the line, I started listening to all the “experts”, the ones who said I needed to have a razor honed niche, a Twitter to accompany my blog, then an Instagram, a Facebook page, and eventually even TikTok.

Somewhere in all that noise, I bought into it all and lost track of what blogging meant to me. It stopped bringing joy to my soul.

And personally, when I’m not in a good place mentally for whatever reason, I’m simply not a very creative person anymore. Over a couple of stressful, tumultuous years, my blog slowly fell by the wayside.. quietly drifting off the radar of the World Wide Web.

One night this past March, I found myself going through the old archives, scrolling backward through years of posts, trying to remember what used to make me tick back when life felt lighter. And then it hit me, the simplicity of blogging was what I’d lost. I made the decision right then and there to get back to basics with my blogging. I even wrote a blog post about it that very night entitled: Throwback to an Old Fashioned Weblog.

Back in the day, there was no chasing algorithms, no obsessing over clicks, no checking analytics every few hours. I blogged for me, for the feeling it gave me. The side benefit was that the things that excited me or mattered to me resonated with others. Through that honesty, I made genuine connections and even friendships that have lasted a decade or more.

That realization led to an experiment: what would happen if I went back to the old-school way of blogging? A real weblog, set in reverse chronological order of thoughts and ramblings, whatever was rolling around in my head at the time, out there for whoever might stumble across it. Nothing fancy. No algorithm chasing. No posting schedule designed to maximize reach. Just an honest-to-goodness weblog.

It’s been a rough couple of years, and I’ve lost most of the hobbies that used to bring me joy. Writing is one of the few that still does.

But trimming this blog down hasn’t been easy. Minimalizing and decluttering takes time. There are old posts that I feel funny about deleting, even though they don’t reflect who I am anymore. They’re my creations, and deleting them feels a little like erasing parts of myself.

Still, people change, even middle-aged Gen Xers. Some things that once lit me up just don’t anymore. Some things I don’t want to revisit. And that’s okay.

I’ve come to be known as The Retro Dad online, a moniker I’m pretty proud of. Most of my content still has a retro tie-in, but it’s also limiting to stay boxed into a niche. At this point in my life, I think the best thing I can do is return to the basics: blog when I want, about what I want, on my own terms.

Maybe I won’t get the traffic or likes that other bloggers chase, but I’ll connect with the right people. It’s cathartic, freeing, and it’s given me a new lease on blogging.

Buckle up and we’ll see where it goes.

Interestingly, many of my readers have noticed this latest incarnation.. the minimalized version of The Retro Dad. And no one’s complained. In fact, I’ve received more comments and messages lately than I have in a long time. That tells me I’m on the right track.

When Hulkamania Runs Out: Saying Goodbye to a Legend, and a Piece of Ourselves

Last night, right before bed, I heard the news—Hulk Hogan has passed away at 71, reportedly from a heart attack. There’s an old superstition that celebrity deaths come in threes, and this week sure feels like proof. First, Malcolm-Jamal Warner—just about my age, someone I watched grow up on screen. Then Ozzy Osbourne, who I wrote about in a previous post. And now, the Hulkster. These are more than headlines. These are names etched into the fabric of our lives.

When I was younger, a wise old gentleman told me, “Never put anyone on a pedestal—it just gives them farther to fall.” I didn’t fully get that until adulthood. Over time, people I once looked up to—athletes, actors, icons—showed sides of themselves that clashed with my values or just plain disappointed me. So I stopped idolizing. But childhood doesn’t care about wisdom or perspective. And like millions of other kids across the U.S., I idolized Hulk Hogan. The colors, the muscle, the mustache. The guy who got beaten down, hulked up, and came roaring back to deliver justice in spandex.

Hulk Hogan was probably the first wrestler to ever grace the cover of Sports Illustrated back in the '80s, and I held on to that issue for years. Whether he was in the ring or in a cameo somewhere on the internet, his presence was always felt. Sure, there were controversies. People had their opinions about who he was outside the ring—and I get that. But I can’t deny the entertainment, the energy, the feeling of being part of something bigger that he gave us. As a kid, there was something comforting about knowing Hulk Hogan was out there, fighting the bad guys, pointing that iconic finger of his.

There was always this hope in the back of every wrestling fan’s mind that he’d pop up again in the WWE—maybe just to smack a heel around and remind us that good guys still win. But that won’t happen now. And that weird feeling in my chest this morning? That’s not just grief for a person. It’s grief for an era. For the younger version of me who needed heroes in Technicolor. For a simpler time when the battle lines were clear, the crowd always cheered, and our heroes always got back up.

Throwback to an old fashioned weblog?

weblog

Definition: 

combination of the words "worldwide web' and 'log'. A regularly updated website or web page, typically written in an informal or conversational style, often focusing on a specific topic or personal experiences, cataloged in reverse chronological order. 

Ah yes, the good old fashioned weblog. I started out creating web pages for myself and friends around 1996. Very quickly however, I adopted the blog format and used it for almost everything I've created online since.

The first blogs I crafted were very cathartic. Blogging allowed me to get things off my mind, to be creative, and kept the old gray matter active and stimulated. 

However, blogging eventually fizzled out and fell by the wayside for me in recent years. It evolved into something that I felt required me to push the bar, trying to top every previous blog post to stay relevant. It simply was not enjoyable after awhile 

It stopped flowing, it ceased to feel natural, and was simply not filling my soul or spirit with happiness. 

However, something happened a couple of weeks ago that has made me rethink things. 

Out of the blue, two of my old blogger acquaintances reached out to me. Mickey yarber from 'Retro Ramblings' and another respected blogger buddy who ran the blog 'San Jose Senorita'.

Mickey wanted to check in to make sure everything was all right, since it had been so long since I had last posted anything at all on this site.

La Señorita reached out to catch up and touch base, because it had been so very long since we had interacted within that old blogging world of ours. 

These friends reaching out, got me reminiscing and remembering how great it used to feel to be able to get my thoughts out there. I wondered.. “Why not go back to a simpler, more minimalistic style of blogging?"

I've never ran out of things to say. I simply was not getting any joy out of what my blogging had evolved into. Therefore, I decided to give this old-fangled Weblog thing a whirl.

Blogging has really changed over the years. Social media has largely replaced in depth blogging. Back when this shift started happening, there were hundreds of platforms promoting a new craze called 'microblogging'. Those morphed into many of the modern day platforms like Instagram and Twitter, with many believing this is now blogging.

It used to be so easy to find like-minded people through blogs back in the day. Web users were able to gather digital information on their own terms, without the algorithms skewing their results. I made lots of great connections, and found many online communities and sub-cultures I was openly welcomed to.

I believe this is why Reddit resonates with so many people these days. It's a way to cut through all of the crap and truly get to what you want. 

I'm not sure if my blogging will resonate with anyone, but that's really not the pont. This is very much something I think I need, and I believe my mental health will be a little better because of it. 

There are rumors and rumblings I am hearing about a slow moving resurgence in personal blogging that has been happening over the last couple years. I hope this is truly the case and more people continue to embrace the old ways. 

We will see how it goes and I look forward offloading the thoughts and opinions bouncing around on my head right here.

Update 10-22-2025

So it's been about 6 months since I started retooling the blog and going back to basics. I think I'm settling into a nice groove now. I blog about it more with a couple little updates here..

Blogging like its 2003 again

Game Boy Camera

The Game Boy camera was launched and presented to the masses in early 1998. In short, the Game Boy Camera was a game cartridge with attached camera, compatible with handheld Game Boy systems of the time. The camera could swivel 180 degrees, in essence making it a selfie camera. The device stored grayscale digital images at 112 x 128 pixels, in four glorious shades of grey.

I bought my very own Game Boy Camera on eBay a couple months back, and have been having a blast with it ever since. I am absolutely smitten, and love the challenge of trying to take a decent picture using this antiquated tech.

A shot of my most retro CASIO watch..
snapped with my most retro digital camera

I never owned a Game Boy Camera back in the day, but borrowed one from a buddy who quickly got bored with it after owning it for only a couple of weeks. I in turn messed around with it for a few months or so, and absolutely loved it. Back in 1998 digital cameras cost around a thousand bucks, so a fifty dollar Game Boy Camera put digital photography within reach for those on a budget, albeit in very primitive form. This was a huge deal for kids, gamers and techies. Cell phones in the U.S. didn't even start adopting cameras until about 2002, so there really wasn't anything else like it at the time.

Game Boy Camera stores pictures at 112 x 128 pixels as grayscale digital images, in four glorious shades of grey. It was so hard to take good quality pictures, and after snapping many a dud, I found that bright lighting was not my friend when using the camera. A bright sunny day would wash out images that would normally be caught perfectly on film. I began experimenting and shooting pics with all kinds of lighting. I found mornings, late afternoons, and cloudier days to be my favorite times to take pictures.

Game Boy Printer

I carried my friends Game Boy Camera around with me everywhere back in the day. My biggest gripe was that the unit only held 30 pictures max. At the time, the only way to get them off of the camera was to buy the Game Boy printer, which didn't do the digital images any favors during the thermal transfer.

Nowadays there are many hacks you can perform to retrieve your images off of the Game Boy. I am currently working on a way to do this, but for now am simply using my phone to grab images I'm particularly fond or proud of.  

I also hear you can use the Game Boy Camera as a webcam, making for some way cool looking streams and webcasting. This prospect excites me to no end, and I plan on trying this out. I'll keep you posted if I can pull this off with suitable results. I'll also be sharing photos I take around the Orlando area and in my travels.

Cookie Crisp Cereal Mascots Through the Years: Nostalgia for 70s, 80s & 90s Fans

Theretrodad.com experienced a huge bump in site traffic during the month of July. Upon checking my site stats, I saw massive amounts of Google searches for 'Cookie-Crisp' that were directing viewers to an older Cookie Crisp article I wrote. Therefore, I decided to dust off that old article, and add some more in depth history about the cereal, as well as the mascots we've seen over the years.

Ah, Cookie Crisp Cereal. What a sneaky way to get kids to eat their breakfast! Not to mention an equally sneaky way to trigger me into late night snacking. I can't even begin to count the bowls of Cookie Crisp I ate while watching late night TV, or while working on blogs and web-sites late into the night.

Launched in 1977 by Ralston Purina, Cookie Crisp was an instant hit right out of the gate. It was originally available in chocolate chip, vanilla wafer and oatmeal flavors. My absolute favorite was the vanilla variety, with chocolate chip being a close runner up. Other flavors introduced through the years were Peanut Butter, Double Chocolate, Vanilla with Sprinkles, and Birthday Cake flavors.

Old box featuring 'Cookie Jarvis' the Wizard

If there was ever a retro packaging resurrection I'd like to see, Cookie Jarvis ranks right up there at the top of my list. I miss seeing the old commercials with Jarvis the Wizard turning kids drab and boring breakfast cereal into bite sized cookies.  There was even a vanilla flavored version that I loved equally as much as the chocolate chip Cookie-Crisp back in the day.

1982 Cookie-Crisp Topps Wacky Packages tie in

The box above is from 1982, with a Topps Wacky Packages in-box prize of two cards per box. This was when Topps shrunk down the size of the Wacky Packages cards, making them much smaller.

1982 Topps Beastball Wacky Packages card

As a direct result from the 'Planet of the Apes' movies, KING KONG, and countless black and white gorilla based horror movies, I was obsessed with gorillas as a child. Therefore, this was one of my favorite Wacky Packages cards of all time. It was a re-release from an earlier 70s set of Wacky Packages. I actually scored the 'BEASTBALL' card from one of the 1982 Cookie-Crisp boxes. I coveted that card and held onto it for decades. I believe my son now has it in his collection somewhere.

I vividly remember the following Cookie Crisp Commercial from my youth. It's from an era where cereal manufacturers used to actually try and compete for your business with clever marketing. They did this by catering directly to their main consumers, which were kids.

The Cookie Crook, Chip, and The Cookie Cop

The 'Cookie Crook' was introduced in 1980 while Cookie Jarvis was still the Cereal's mascot. Jarvis would always be the foil to Cookie Crook's dastardly deeds. Quite suddenly however, Cookie Jarvis disappeared in 1985 and only the Cookie Crook remained. However, Hot on his trail was 'Officer Crumb', a police officer looking to bust the Ne'er-do-well.

The storylines and skits that ensued, were in the style of old 'Keystone Cop' comedy. Sometime around 1990, the Cookie Crook gained a canine sidekick named 'Chip'.  The crook's plans to steal Cookie Crisp were usually foiled when Chip would get overly excited and uncontrollably start to howl "Coo-ooooooookie Crisp!" 

Later on when the Cookie Crook was phased out, Officer Crumb became the antagonist, because he felt kids shouldn't be eating cookies for breakfast. Chip then became the hero, usually foiling Officer Crumb and saving the day.

When Officer Crumb and The Cookie Crook were dropped altogether, Chip became the sole mascot.  Rather than a thief, the commercials usually featured him giving kids cereal while howling "Coo-ooooooookie Crisp!". 

After Officer Crumb's disappearance, authority figures such as teachers, park rangers, little league umpires etc. would act as the antagonists, telling kids they couldn't have cookies for breakfast. Chip would inevitably save the day and the kids would in turn get to enjoy their bowls of cookies.

In 2006, Chip the dog was dropped altogether and replaced with 'Chip the Wolf', who succinctly pilfered Chip the Dog's catch phrase "Co-ooooookie Crisp".

Chip the Wolf would try to steal kids Cookie Crisp cereal using gadgets and inventions he had created. His plans were usually brought down by the same kids he was trying to steal from. I personally can't remember seeing any new commercials featuring Chip the Wolf recently, but then again.. we now consume content in entirely new ways since the heyday of cereal television commercials. 

An interesting thing I've noticed on YouTube, is that most of the same exact commercials seen in America were broadcasted in the U.K. However, they were voiced over by an actor with an English accent.

I have seen recent videos on YouTube and tiktok about folks rejecting Chip the Wolf as their Cookie-Crisp mascot. Kind of like the way I felt many years ago about Cookie Jarvis being dropped, and then again when the Cookie Crook was given the boot.

Upon writing this article, I realized haven't bought a box of Cookie Crisp in about 5 years. Partly because of the way I eat these days, but mostly because it just doesn't excite me anymore. Breakfast cereals were a lot different when I was a boy. The cereal companies employed advertising agencies to produce a constant slew of adventurous cartoons in commercial form. They also commissioned toy companies to make the great in-box prizes and toys that so many of us remember from our youth. In television commercials and promos, cereal mascots took on a life all their own.

Cookie-Crisp.. Oatmeal?

I eat a lot more oatmeal these days,

so this caught my attention this week

Thankfully, companies are catching onto consumers fondness for the way things used to be, and many are hopping on the retro packaging bandwagon everyday. Hopefully General Mills will include Cookie Crisp into their ever changing limited edition lineup of throwback packaging. Maybe they just need a little feedback to encourage them to do so? Below is a link to bug err.. encourage General Mills to bring back Jarvis the Wizard, The Cookie Crook, and Chip the Dog.

Ask General Mills to bring some or all of the old mascots back!
Choose the subject as "other" and let them know why they should bring back some retro magic, by re-introducing your favorite old school mascot. 

Heck, while I'm at their site putting in my bi-annual vote for a Jarvis revival, I may even ask them to bring back Vanilla flavored Cookie Crisp as well.

That time Gomez Addams sold Mission Tortillas

There are so many advertising slogans from the 70s through the 90s that are permanently burned into my data banks. One such tagline was at the end of a Mission Tortilla commercial, when the voice over actor simply utters the words 'Mission Tortillas' before the screen faded to black. I know it's just the brand name of a mass produced tortilla, but the person who uttered that brand name is the reason it stuck with me.

That voice over actor was no other than John Astin aka.. Gomez Addams! It always impressed me how he spoke that phrase with perfect inflection on the Spanish accents. He rolled his 'R' and pronounced the double L's perfectly. I remember seeing these commercials around 1990, and the voice was undoubtedly Astin's. 

Apparently, Astin started out as a voice over actor, and was a renowned voice-artist throughout his career. He lent his voice to series like Justice League, The Wild Thornberrys, Pinky and the Brain and Bonkers just to name a few.

I did a little research and couldn't find if Astin was indeed fluent is Spanish, but learned he did star in a 1972 Spanish language film called 'Un Secuestro de locura'. While Google and YouTube generally turn out wonderful results in regards to 80s and 90s TV commercials, I have not been able to track down a Mission Tortilla commercial as of yet, that Astin has voiced. If you happen to run across some please let me know! And.. if I do locate one, I will most definitely post it here.

This week's Amazon Retro Finds. BIC writing pens

I often find lots of great retro items on Amazon, so I've decided to start a regular series where I blog about the items I received, along with links for the retro loving masses. This week's finds were classic BIC writing pens. You see, pens were a much bigger deal back in the day, and for many decades BIC had the market cornered in the states. 

BIC Orange Original fine pen and 4 Color Classic Ball Pen

I recently began a new job that requires me to reach for a pen all day long, and I've been none too happy with the ones available at work. I stopped at the store to buy a pack of pens for myself, and was shocked at the lack of quality pens available. There was a lot of flashy but cheaply made plastic pens and lots of gel pens that I absolutely hate using. Rather than running around town, I turned to Amazon and once again it paid off.

The BIC 'Orange Original fine'

I absolutely love these pens and they were my go-to pen all throughout school. They are pretty much the same exact pen as the Bic 'Cristal', only the body is orange rather than clear.

I remember always having these pens around from the 70s to the 90s in both blue and black ink. In school, certain assignments were required to be written in black or blue. After I graduated, I learned it was the same thing in real life as well. Over the years, I've had to sign all manner of legal documents in blue or black ink.

These pens are easy to grip like a traditional pencil, and have a fine 0.8mm point size for a fine line width, which I've always preferred. It's the same way with mechanical pencils for me. I much prefer a 0.7 pencil over a 0.5. I just feel like I have better control with a finer writing tip. I've stocked my hoard of 25 pens in the cars, desks and junk drawer. The only thing I'm unhappy about, is that I didn't see there was a box of 50 of them also available for only about $3.00 more.

The Classic BIC 4 Color Ballpoint Pen

Now who doesn't remember these awesome pens? You were a Big Shot if you had one of these bad boys! These things were/are incredible for color coding and organizing notes, journaling, doodling.. you name it. 

I remember many imitators and knock-offs of the Bic retractable 4-color pen over the years. Other pens boasted of having five, six, eight, or even ten different colors. An interesting concept for sure, but every one I ever used couldn't even hold a candle to the Bic 4-color. Even if you found one that was decent, you were more than likely unable to obtain refills for them. The Bic 4-color ink seemed to last forever, with the ink being refillable and readily available.

I'm beyond happy with this week's retro finds! For decades, I always carried a pen on me. Nowadays, with cell phones and digital tech, you don't always need to have one at the ready, but there are definitely times you'll wish you had one. Decades before Covid-19, I remember folks saying that pens at checkout counters and cash registers were some of the filthiest things you could touch. This always stuck with me, and for sure rings in my mind when I have to use a 'public pen' in this day and age.

MORE BIC Goodness on Amazon that I maaay spend my money on..

  .  

While I will use the heck out of these pens I bought, I am still searching for my all time favorite writing pen which was also made by Bic. Simply called the 'BIC Clic' these were incredible pens and an engineering marvel. I'm currently on the hunt for some, and will be posting an article soon about them, so stay tuned.

The Adventures of Pete and Pete theme song from Nickelodeon

I loved so much of the 90s programming on Nickelodeon, and the Adventures of Pete and Pete was no exception. The show's theme song 'Hey Sandy' by Polaris, is possibly one of the greatest TV show theme songs of the last 30 years. In fact, I'm hard pressed to think of another one that even comes close.

The recurring character Mr. Tastee and the shows theme song to me, have become synonymous with summer.  If you want to start feeling those same 90s summer vibes, just watch the 20-second video below..

Ahh, those memories of summer w/ Pete and Pete..

      

Yes, I am a child of the 70s, 80s, AND 90s

Shawn Robare, the author of one of my favorite retro themed websites.. Branded in the 80s touched upon a point in his most recent article, that I've been pondering on lately.  He talked about how even though he was a child of the 80s, there were a lot of things about the 1990s that felt very much like his experiences when he was younger.  This is exactly the way I feel for a few different reasons.  

I've used the tag line 'Child of the 70s, 80s and 90s' for myself on different social media platforms from time to time over the years.  I say this because I was born in 1970, so I experienced my childhood through both decades of the 70s and 80s.  My son was born in 1990, so I kind of never stopped enjoying a pop culture generated for kids.  I would buy him toys and action figures that we would play together with for hours on end.  I also watched cartoons and kids programming with him that in turn led us to go out and buy more toys geared towards those properties.  


To be honest, I could even push the envelope farther and say I was like a big kid for much of the 2000s! When the Star Wars prequels hit, my son became interested in that fandom, and it was like I was living my whole childhood over again (but this time with an expendable income).  When my daughters were born, I watched more cartoons and kids programming, and had a blast doing so with them.  Nickelodeon and Disney programming ruled our Television during that time for sure.


People I've known in the past, have thought it was kind of weird for me to know so much about the cartoons and shows that my kids watched.  Kids I work with are truly taken back that a guy their parents age, knows the pop culture from when they were young, backwards and forwards.  My bride asked me once, how can you stand watching all those kids shows?  I told her "Sure they are packaged for kids, but who do you think is writing them?  It's people around my age.  I can see through the fluff and simplicity to find the humor and entertainment value in it.  In some cases, the comedy really does speak to me".

Here's a short list of some shows I inadvertently got hooked on because of my kiddos:

• Batman the Animated Series
• Disney Afternoon Shows
• The Adventures of Pete and Pete
• Legends of the Hidden Temple
• Hey Arnold
• Doug
• Rugrats
• Eerie Indiana
• Are you Afraid of the Dark?
• Adventure Time
• Regular Show
• Drake & Josh
• Spongebob
• Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide
• Teen Titans (Not Teen Titans GO)
• The Amazing World of Gumball

In turn, I also got my kids hooked on a few shows that I am a fan of..

• Mystery Science Theater 3000 (My son is an absolute mega fan now)
• Disney's Zorro
• Jonny Quest
• Death Note (Anime)
• Svengoolie
• ANYTHING Star Wars related
• The Office
• Parks and Rec
• Curb your Enthusiasm

While I definitely have an affinity for the decades of the 80s, 90s, and 1st decade of the 2000s.. I feel like I'm pretty well versed in pop culture from the 60s to present day.  My friends always enjoyed having me on their bar trivia teams, to do cleanup when it came to arts and entertainment questions.  On occasion, they would praise me for my knowledge of random facts, and I'd just laugh and tell them I was born with a brain that was wired to collect and store useless information.  If there's something that entertains me or I geek out over, it gets locked away in the old memory banks.  If its something I have no use for, or detest.. I can easily wipe it from the hard drive, freeing up valuable space.

As a kid I lived a bit of a stressful childhood, but always felt at peace when I could play with my toys, enjoy my favorite television shows, or simply read a book.  A lot of people forget how to de-stress and reconnect with their inner child.  Stress isn't something that I can turn off like a switch, but the conduit for me to do so is definitely always there. I can usually easily get back to that childlike zen state, by doing things I love like collecting, writing, reading, biking, and several other hobbies I enjoy.

This blog has been a lifesaver during this pandemic, serving as a pressure release valve of sorts. I do however want to write more articles soon about my love of the recent past.  Keep an eye on this space if retro pop culture is your thing!

Home Alone Again.. with Macaulay Culkin

by Darrin Vindiola


Child actors whose careers blow up so incredibly fast, often grow up to become well adjusted adults who look back upon what made them famous in a grateful way.  However, we've seen way too many child stars as well as adult actors that end up resenting the roles that made them so incredibly famous later in life.

It truly warms my heart to see Macaulay Culkin embracing the role that made him so famous these days.  Here's a couple videos that prove just how well adjusted and good humored Macaulay is as an adult.  Not everyone can successfully parody themselves, but he pulls it off exquisitely as you'll see in these two videos below.

I've watched this commercial repeatedly since its release and have told practically everyone I know about it.  Anyone producing Super Bowl commercials can do themselves an immense favor by studying up on this masterpiece.

Below is a real treat for Retro Gamers like myself.  It's a nineteen minute video put out by the 'Angry Video Game Nerd'.  He and Macaulay actually play a wide library of vintage Home Alone video games, all the while cracking jokes and interjecting lots of humor into the mix. Check it out! You won't be sorry you did.

• Check out Bunny Ears a Comedy-Lifestyle site founded by Macauley Culkin
• Macaulay Culkin on Instagram
• Watch the Angry Video Game Nerd on Cinemassacre

90s Sci-Fi Television.. Geek Utopia!

by Darrin Vindiola


Recently during a holiday break from work, I recorded and watched a STAR TREK marathon in its entirety over the course of one weekend.  It got me reminiscing about the many years I've dedicated to stimulating my mind watching the genre.  At the same time, I found myself really missing a lot of the old Sci-Fi Shows of years past.

While there are definitely some great Sci-Fi shows currently on television, I really do miss 90's Sci-Fi.  And yes folks, we must face it.. the 90s are now retro.  No matter where your Sci-Fi interests fell in the 90s, there seemed to be something for everyone.  Below is a list of shows that regularly capitalized space on my old VHS tapes..


The STAR TREK Franchise
(Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager)


These three series took up a lot of my time back in the 90s.  However, I wasn't initially a very big fan of the Next Generation when it first came out in 1987.  I was loyal to STAR TREK the original series, and didn't understand why they wouldn't cast a younger dashing captain, that could kick butt and take names like Captain Kirk did.  After a couple of seasons, I began to understand the wonder that was Jean Luc Picard, and subsequently became a bonafide STNG junkie.

The series lasted 7 seasons, with 178 episodes being produced.  I was heart broken after learning that the show would not be back for an eighth season even though it had already been renewed for another year.  Paramount opted to take STNG to the big screen and produced four films over the next eight years.

Deep Space Nine and Voyager got me through what would have normally been a dark time after STNG went off the air.  DS9 ran from 1993 to 1999, and Voyager took me through to the 21st century as it ran from 1995 to 2001.  But Star Trek wasn't the only series I was enthralled with in the 90s.  My next favorite series to watch back in the day was The British Sci-Fi comedy Red Dwarf, which I have written about in detail here.

Babylon 5  (1994-1998)

As a hard core Trekkie/Trekker, I didn't warm up to this series right away.  The more I watched it however, the bigger fan I became.  Sadly, just as I was really getting into the series, it ended.  I plan on catching up very soon, as all episodes can be viewed on the WB website. 

The X-Files (1993-2002)

Man did I dig this show.  There were 202 episodes made, spanning over nine seasons.  Dealing with unexplained phenomenon, aliens, and government cover ups, I swear this show spawned all kinds of modern day conspiracy theorists!  Heck.. even the theme song was intriguing and kind of creepy.  Episodes can be seen on HULU


TekWar (1994-1996)
Wiliam Shatner created the TEK series of books and comics which later spawned this TV show.  The series takes place in 2045 and focuses on "Tek," a computer-based reality drug.  Ex-cop Jake Cardigan, is hired by William Shatner's character "Bascome", who is the head of a private security firm.  They begin working together to help track down the Tek Lords.  You can currently see every episode on IMDb

Stargate SG1 (1997-2007)

Based on the 2004 film Stargate, this show had excellent writing and quite a successful run. It also spawned two other series that I occasionally watched called; Stargate Atlantis (2004-2009) and Stargate Universe (2009-2011).  Visit the official Stargate website

Earth Final Conflict (1997-2002)

This show was created by Gene Roddenberry and was produced after his death, under the direction of his wife Majel Barret-Roddenberry. In this series, a race of aliens called the Taelons come to Earth for refuge.  In exchange for safe harbor, the Taelons offer up access to their technology, which actually starts making the world a much better place to live.  As the series progresses, it's slowly revealed that the Taelons have ulterior motives, although it's not world domination as one might expect.


Sliders (1995-2000)
Jerry O'Connell plays a physics student who creates a device that opens portals into parallel universes. While giving his physics professor a demonstration, they and two others in close proximity get sucked into a portal, and slide into an alternate reality.  And so begins the saga of this mismatched foursome jumping through portals in hopes of getting back to their reality.  This show was somewhat of a guilty pleasure for me. Many of the scenarios were pretty unrealistic, while others were quite intriguing.  With an infinite number of possibilities in regards to parallel realities, writers sometimes came up with some great ideas.  Other times.. not so much.

My favorite actor on the show was John Rhys-Davies (Arab excavator Sallah in the Indiana Jones movies). Davies played physics professor Arturo, and was killed off err.. written out of the show in season three.  I hung in there until about the fourth season when Fox cancelled the series, and Sci-Fi Channel picked it up for an additional two seasons. By season five, Jerry O'Connell had left the show, and only one actor from the original cast remained.  Episodes can be seen on HULU


Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995-1999)
An immensely popular show back in the day, with a worldwide fan base thanks to syndication.  As a big fan of the old Hercules movies I saw when I was a wee lad, I took a gamble on watching this show.  Kevin Sorbo played Hercules and Michael Hurst played his sidekick Iolaus.  The dynamic of the two actors was one of the many reasons the show was so popular.  Bruce Campbel had a reoccurring role as Autolycus, and the episodes he was in were among my favorites.  The show could get a bit corny at times, but it entertained me for most of its run.  Episodes can be seen on Amazon.com

Xena: Warrior Princess (1995-2001)

Lucy Lawless starred as Xena the Warrior Princess in this Hercules spin-off.  Not a show I watched regularly, but the times that I did, I got a kick out of it. If I remember correctly, there were occasional crossover episodes where Xena and Hercules crossed paths, and I always made sure never to miss those.

Episodes can be seen on Amazon.com

Sea Quest DSV (1993-1996)

Roy Schneider starred for two seasons as Captain Nathan Bridger, commander of the Sea Quest DSV (Deep Submergence Vehicle) Submarine.  The series was set in 2018 during a time when most of earths resources had been nearly depleted (except for the ones under the sea that is). Colonies have been established under water, and it was Sea Quest's job to protect them. 

The show had a nice mix of science and sci-fi due to the fact that Steven Spielberg was an executive producer for the first two seasons. Heck.. there was even a character named Darwin, who happened to be a dolphin that was outfitted with a futuristic translation device so he could communicate with the crew.  I remember kids loving that dolphin, and I think I even bought a Darwin action figure for my son at one point.  I found my interest waned towards the end of season two, and my sentiments must have been shared by many others, as the show was cancelled halfway through the third season.  Episodes can be seen on Netflix

Dark Skies (1996-1997)

This show was set in the 1960s, with the premise that aliens were living amongst humans.  These aliens were ugly looking little spiderlike creatures that would enter into a humans body via mouth, nose, and ears.  Once inside its host, the alien would attach itself to the humans brain and control it.

The show was cancelled after one season, and it's really a shame.  Plans were to run it for five seasons, with every season focusing on a different decade.  Season five was to be set in the year 2000 when an all out war takes place with the aliens.

I do remember a few other sci-fi series like Farscape, Roswell, and Space Above and Beyond, but I might have only seen one or two episodes of each one at best.  There was simply too much other great programming on Television that took up a lot of my time, and I simply had no desire to commit to any other shows.

I remember being so excited when the weekend would roll around.  It seemed as if entire weekends of action packed sci-fi goodness was at my disposal, and right from the comfort of my own home to boot!  As I anxiously waited for the next weekend to come around so I could once again see my favorite shows, there was plenty of other great programming throughout the weekdays to see me through.

Yes, those were good times for the Sci-Fi Geek indeed, and I truly miss them.  Can today's Sci-Fi hold a candle to the 90s Sci-Fi?  From what I've personally seen, I'm leaning towards no.. but then again, I only watch a couple of Sci-Fi shows that are currently on television.  Maybe I'm just not watching enough TV.  Hmm.. this might warrant some "investigative research"..

Nintendo Training Video From 1991

by Darrin Vindiola


I stumbled upon this old training video on 'the YouTube' that was made in 1991, teaching retail workers how to handle customers with defective Nintendo products.   I got a wee bit excited at the six minute mark, when I recognized Grant Goodeve from the 70s/80s sitcom 'Eight is Enough'.  Geez.. I'm getting old.

Heart warming thrift store finds..

I hate having to peruse thrift stores in a rushed fashion, but it can't be helped sometimes.  Here are some great finds I came across during a whirlwind retro treasure hunt one day. While I didn't buy every item pictured, I still found a couple bargains and spotted a few retro items that made me reminisce.

unused CRAIG handheld tape recorder $1.99

A technological device that has been far removed from society as of late.  There are many applications that this can be used in this day and age (I just need to find them).  My kid in college may be able to use this for recording lectures, and I might be able to utilize it if I interview anyone for a blog piece.

0.50¢ for a Frankie Yankovic polka album!

Rich and soulful Oktoberfest tunes!

 1974 Avon Barber pole cologne decanter $1.99

originally held 3 ounces of 'Wild Country' aftershave

70's Nut jar

70's Handmade coaster set.

I remember all kinds of folks being pretty crafty back in the day.  It's something that has made a comeback in recent years, and is pretty refreshing to see.  Heck.. my daughter is making her own jewelry, crocheting hats & head bands, and is getting ready to open her own Etsy store to sell her items in.

This item reminded me of the days when I had my own calligraphy and stationary sets as a kid.  This 'Gift-Maker' textile decorating paint set is just an example of how much more creative and artistic folks strived to be back in the day.  With this kit, you could create beautiful designs on aprons, purses, handkerchiefs, gloves, and all kinds of other clothing.

I collect beer steins, and my heart almost skipped a beat when I saw this mug.  Alas.. upon further inspection, it was made in Brazil rather than in Germany.

And finally, while it's not a retro item.. I found this Game-Boy Advance for 99 cents.  I wasn't sure if it worked or not, but seeing as there was a game cartridge still inside of it, I figured it was worth the gamble.

 

 

I got it home and put batteries in it to find it worked perfectly.  All I needed to do was buy a battery compartment door for it.  The door will cost me more than the unit and game cost, but in the end.. I'll only be into this thing for under $5.00.  Pretty good deal considering I've paid $50.00 for a used system with no game in the past for my daughter!

Not a bad outing, even though I was a bit rushed.  It's when I'm able to take my time in thrift stores and flea markets that I can really uncover some great finds.  Hopefully my next outing will produce even better results.