Tag Archive: 70’s
An Army of Jodie Fosters
Not to be confused with Jodie Foster’s Army, because, you know, I have to spell everything out since being diagnosed with a phobia of people not getting my very obvious jokes. What are the questions that annoyed Jodie Foster in the 70’s? “Do you have a boyfriend? Are you really a skateboard champion? Did you go crazy after Taxi Driver?” Bonus spread of Lief Garret/Jodie Foster skateboard romance after the jump, and you might as well check out the extensive 2009 Skate and Annoy interview of JFA’s Brian Brannon when you’re done.
Jurassic Skatepark Sequel
If you remember our first feature on this ancient 70’s skatepark in Pocatello, Idaho, you’ll be happy to see some new pictures and a short video of the park in use. Check it out.
A what?
Could there ever be any doubt that this is a skateboard? Thankfully, the manufacturer labeled it in big block letters, “Justen” case you weren’t sure. It really messes up an otherwise clean, and kind of cool top graphic. I guess people in the 70’s were dense….
Pif Gadget
Two more from Vintage Toy Advertiser. On the left, an ad from a 1977 issue of the French comic book Pif Gadget with a contest to win among other things, one of 300 rolling surfboards AKA “surfs a roulettes” AKA skateboards. On the right, a crazy skateboard shirt from a 1978 issue of Pif Gadget. It’s 1978 and there’s no skyhooks on that skateboard. How did they get that photograph of an unobstructed bottom view of a skateboarder seemingly getting air? Was he skating on a sheet of plexiglass? It’s clearly just a rolling shot, so where’s the harness and the wires?
Wile E Coyote Has the Willys
This from an advertisement for MPC snap together model kits featuring hot rods for Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote. The advert appeared in an 1972 edition of a comic book called The Unexpected. In 1972 MPC models put out a snap together model with Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote. Wile E’s kit came with a skateboard. In 2011 Round 2 Models put out a re-issue of the kit. Wile E. Coyote was a separate PVC vinyl character, but the skateboard still had to be assembled from the model kit. I have not been able to find any pictures of the original kit assembled, but there were only 3 colors used for it as well, black, green, and chrome.
Hanna Barbera: A Huckleberry of Magillas
I was trying to track down a better picture of some Hanna Barbera saftey cards from 1965 because one of them has the hapless Magilla Gorilla pulling a classic wilson. In the process I found Magilla skating in an uncredited image that looks like a still from a cartoon. Casting the net wider turned up a coloring book with Huckleberry Hound and Quickdraw McGraw doubling up on a longboard.
He’s Back!
It’s weird 1920’s swimsuit evil landlord villain surfing on a skateboard. He first made an appearance on the packaging for Trickray wheels. This time it’s a fiberglass Mark IV skateboard deck, large enough to make out the artist’s signature – Pfister. I’m not sure if this Mark IV is another Trickray product or if this illustration was just passed around. I seem to recall posting another instance of it but I can’t find it.
Aldens 1978 Christmas Catalog
Aldens was a mail order catalog based out of Chicago from 1899 (not a typo) to some time shortly after 1982. This is a page from their 1978 Christmas calendar with three skateboards. I can’t ever remember seeing an Alden’s catalog despite living in the Chicago suburbs during their last gasp. Two of the models are familiar plastic boards, the Free Former (forerunner of the bidirectional popsicle stick!) and the GT Coyote II. There’s got to be thousands of Free Formers in landfills across the country. The Spinner is made from oak or kapoer [sic] which might actually be kapur. Good luck finding anything about Spinner Skateboards on google.
Patchy
Based on the name I would have thought this 70’s skateboard patch was French, but the emphasis is LEO-motif and not Le Motif. Turns out it was made in Leeds, England. This guy looks like a hastily drawn villain in the background of a Speed Racer cartoon. Speed must join forces with the Skate Acrobatic Team to sneak onto the Mammoth Car and retrieve the GRX engine! It’s either that, or some sort of disco football player illustration grafted onto a skateboard. Grandpa, is that you? – Thanks to David ODK for the tip.
I’d rather be skate-board-ing
It looks’s 60’s art direction and the seller says 70’s, but you never can tell with a button. Halftones in the image makes it look like was offset printed instead of digitally, so it’s likely it’s of the pre-desktop printing era. Simpler times in some ways, but then again making this button would have been more costly in that era. The “Badge-a-Minit” stamp on the back has a LaSalle, IL location and now these they are located in Oglesby, IL. Badge-a-Minit has been around forever.











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