] type='image/vnd.microsoft.icon'/>

Friday, October 01, 2010

Mego Ad - 1974

sg
This humble newspaper ad for Mervyn's department store is courtesy F.O.A.M.er Brian Heiler, wizard of all things Mego.

I'm intrigued by two things in this ad: first, what are these "groups" Mervyn's is talking about? Are those the individual prices for each of those items? If so, why are the Mego POTA dolls a buck more than the WGSH ones? It's a madhouse, I tell you, a madhouse!

Secondly, where the heck is that piece of Aquaman art from? Its by no artist whose style I recognize, and its not a piece of stock art. And check out that giant "A" on his belt! Makes every sit-up a painful, painful ordeal.

As it says up top, this ad ran on August 12, 1974, a mere four days (not six, Russell) before my third birthday. Had I known, I would have asked my parents to head to Mervyn's and pick up every Mego they could get their hands on. They would have been my retirement plan today.

5 comments:

Wings1295 said...

Interesting... Do you think maybe they changed a different character INTO Aquaman? Seems unlikely, but I too have never see Aquaman like this.

Plaidstallions said...

It's most likely just the work of who ever designed the weekly ad for the department store.

The Cornelius is a swipe from the mego Repro art book and the other two items look hand drawn.

It's pretty common to see this back then, I kind of miss it in today's over style guided world.

wich2 said...

I was gonna make the guess Wings did - someone took another union-suit hero and Aqua-ed him...

Great weekend,
-Craig

rob! said...

Its such a weird ad, I love it. Thx again Brian.

KAM said...

I'm not positive, but I'm wondering if that Aquaman was a redrawn Willie Garvin from Modesty Blaise.