'Shaggin' Wagons': A Rolling History of Van Murals
In the 1970s, counterculture types customized their vans with captain's chairs, waterbeds, and elaborate fantasy airbrushing that was clearly inspired by whatever it was they were inhaling.
In the 1970s, counterculture types customized their vans with captain's chairs, waterbeds, and elaborate fantasy airbrushing that was clearly inspired by whatever it was they were inhaling.
When Toy Biz released foam Hulk Hands in 2003, kids went into a violent frenzy. "He punched walls," one mother said of her son's behavior. "He punched furniture. He punched me. And when his 4-year-old friend, Lydia Cole, arrived, he punched her.”
In the 1950s, families didn't flock to McDonald's or Friendly's. They headed for Howard Johnson's, which lured them in with a bright orange roof, 28 flavors of ice cream, and French chefs preparing classic American food.
In 1993, Iron Maiden teamed with macabre magician Simon Drake to put on a horror heavy metal concert that left some members of the audience feeling faint.
When George Foreman was approached to become a pitchman for a low-fat grill in 1994, he had a quick answer: No.
In 1988, talk show host Geraldo Rivera got caught in the middle of a heated and racially-motivated argument on the set of his show. One flying chair later, his nose was in pieces.
Madonna wasn't yet a household name when she opened the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards by humping the stage, leading some people—including her own management team—to believe her career was over.
In 1989, Cher was back with a new album and a new look—one that prompted viewers, and even the U.S. Navy, to worry she was displaying too much of her cheeky side.
Kids thought they were buying an adorable little pet when they ordered a monkey from their favorite comic book. What they got was a wild animal that pooped everywhere and attacked their mothers' bridge clubs.
'Mousercise' encouraged kids to get off the couch and get moving, even though Mickey Mouse sometimes had trouble keeping up.
Pop Rocks—General Foods' famously carbonated candy—flew off shelves in the 1970s, but rumors of exploding children brought the food fad to an untimely end.
In the year 2000, kids could do chores and frustrate their parents at the same time. An addictive video game called 'The Sims' made it possible.
The colorful, fun, and sometimes lurid decals were all the rage in the 1960s and 1970s. They also gave kids a chance to play with a hot iron.
The 1984 made-for-television movie 'Threads' depicted a post-nuclear wasteland that forced some viewers to look away from the screen.
In the early 1990s, McDonald's made a direct appeal to Chicago Bulls fans by naming a modified Quarter Pounder after star player Michael Jordan. It wasn't sold in Boston.
Radio personality Dr. Demento spent four decades curating weird novelty songs for an enraptured audience—including a young "Weird" Al Yankovic.
In 2001, Sony was accused of enlisting a fake movie critic to rave about films like Rob Schneider's 'The Animal.' But was Manning really a figment of someone's imagination?
Fonzie accepting a dare from a beach bum launched the fifth season of 'Happy Days' in 1977. Years later, it launched a phrase that swept the country.
After 'Star Wars,' toy company Kenner thought they had another sci-fi hit with 'Alien.' No one seemed to consider the problem of selling toys for a film that could have gotten an X rating.
Tom Cruise's charisma helped salvage an iconic-but-dying pair of sunglasses. Two of them, actually. (Cue maniacal laughter.)
The kitschy variety show 'Circus of the Stars' ran between 1977 and 1994 and featured celebrities like Emmanuel Lewis and Mario Lopez doing high-wire acts and taming tigers. Only one actor was bit.
The biggest hit that pop band a-ha ever had was actually a reworked idea. 'Take on Me' had failed three times before.
In 1985, consumers couldn't get enough of a two-calorie carbonated soda that tasted like chocolate—so grocery stores had to ration it.
In the 1980s, 83-year-old Clara Peller became a star after uttering her famous "Where's the beef?" line for Wendy's. But her decision to peddle spaghetti sauce ground that relationship to a halt.