How is everyone holding up? We all know the situation, its affecting all of us... we aren't going into too much detail with that. I do want to take this time, though, to personally say that I appreciate anyone who happens to find and take time to read these articles, pandemic or not. I hope you find at least a little distraction from every day life through our words. I feel that couldn't be more necessary now than ever. So... if you're here, thank you and be safe. We'll get through this together!

Anyways, today, we're gonna take a look at some ads; some from comics, some from books, some from magazines, all from a time when things were simple! Enjoy!

JIM LEE PLAYMATES FIGURES

(IMAGE COMICS TMNT #1)

First up, we have Playmates Jim Lee TMNT figures! We got Battle Damage Savage Dragon and regular Savage Dragon, She-Dragon, Barbaric, Don, Mike, Raph and.... wait... no Leo?! Turns out Leo wasn't produced. I'm not sure why but it's not too uncommon to see a series missing one of the guys. They did have a figure in mind for him which we do have pictured.

You'd think that I, being a seasoned TMNT collector (not like with salt and pepper.. ew), would have owned at least one of these guys. I sure didn't! Not even one... and it pains me so to admit it but admittance is the first step to fixing the problem!

While the turtles were being used in the Image comic universe we got to see them appear in their own image series as well as with a few quick pages with Spawn and also shared a few books with Eric Larsen's Savage Dragon. Since Playmates had thrown TMNT through every possible toy conception imaginable, these guys fit right in the Playmates lineup.

CAPRI SUN PACIFIC COOLER

(SPIDER-MAN 12 PERCEPTIONS PART 5 OF 5)

A staple of all 90s kids and also a great addition to Lunchables, the Capri Sun! Back when it was new and cool.. who am I kidding, it's still fucking cool!! I can't actually remember the last time I had one... more reason for me to grab a few next time I'm able to.

What a fresh ad! Characters made out of awesome 90s looking shapes who are showcased skateboarding, surfing, biking and talking to chicks on the beach... everything I use to strive to do and fail miserably at. This was back when their packaging designs were a little more far out than they are now. It's almost like they tried to appeal to a broader audience. I hate that. What's wrong with keeping the interesting packaging? People like me are more inclined to buy things with interesting packaging because I'm basically a 5 year old. Trust me, there are a lot of us "basically 5 year olds" out there; do a throwback label of these babies, collectors will be on them faster than flies on shit.

CAP'N CRUNCH BARS

(ARCHIE ADV. SERIES SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #51)

There is this little family owned mini store down the road from where I use to live called The Westend Supperette where I would rent Nintendo games, buy Jones Soda and 25c candies and also buy the random issues of Archie Comics Sonic the Hedgehog they'd get in the magazine section.

Quick confession, at this point (in 1997) I wasn't a fan of most cereals, least of all Cap'n Crunch. I mainly enjoyed Fruity Pebbles and Lucky Charms with my Saturday morning cartoons. I know, it's cliche but Cap'n Crunch is notorious for ripping your mouth hole apart. This ad was almost enough to get me past my unhealthy fear of bloody ripped apart gums, though. What appealed most to me is that this wasn't just Cap'n Crunch cereal... this was Cap'n Crunch cereal pretending to be a Rice Krispy treat, which I did enjoy.

They still make something similar to these but they look way better. The new ones have a nice layer of icing on the bottom and a drizzle over the top. I would've been sold on those immediately as a kid.

GOOSEBUMPS FAN CLUB PACK

(GOOSEBUMPS #38 THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN OF PASADENA)

Let's be honest, everyone owned at least one Goosebumps book.. even if you didn't read the damn thing, you carried it around with you like you did anyway.

Goosebumps, to me, had the same appeal that horror vhs tapes did; I wasn't near as fascinated with what was inside, the cover (which we are all told not to judge) was all I needed. And you could get them in the school library. You were encouraged by teachers and librarians alike to read them, unlike R Rated VHS tapes. They even gave you free Pizza Hut pizza if you read enough of them!

I feel like the fan club thing was pretty big when us 30 and 40 somethings were kids... do they still do fan clubs? Look at all this loot! And for $10.95 after shipping and handling, that's a steal! Not to mention it all comes in a box shaped like a coffin. And a water bottle, which surely would've been filled with Pacific Cooler Capri Sun and not water. Nice try, Goosebumps!

MATTEL NICKELODEON TOYS

(PREMIERE ISSUE SUMMER 1993 NICKELODEON MAGAZINE)

What's most memorable to me about Nickelodeon Magazine? The commercial; "NICKELODEON MAGAZINE, PLEASE!?" And little Pete telling me how "UNBELIEVABLE" it all was. That commercial had to of aired at least 30 times a day but it never got old.

I can remember wishing I could've jumped on the Nickelodeon magazine hype, even if I hated reading. I wanted in on it so bad but could never "think of something" to get my folks on board. We already had a healthy subscription to Nintendo Power. I assumed they had loads of pictures and interesting things and not just words. Through a couple of recent purchases, I'm happy to report that my childhood theories were correct!

This ad is right on the front inside cover. What a treat! Most notably, the Gak collection pictured speaks the most to me. Gak was always in supply at my home back then. I do remember falling asleep with a blue one once and getting it stuck in my hair. Mattel did Nickelodeon toys justice.... maybe not for parents.

That's all for now! Until next time, I envite you all to find ads of your own. Feel free to share your favorite one's with us in the comments below!