Burger King – Have it your way (Back in the day)

The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu – Collect 'em all!

One thing that every collector realizes early on is that there will always be something new (or old) on the horizon that will trigger the desire to covet  hoard collect. My present guilty pleasure is the Marvel-affiliated magazine Deadly Hands of Kung Fu. Published during the kung-fu craze of the 1970s, this eye-gougingly good mag ran for 33 issues, between 1974 to 1977. In addition to serialized black and white comic strips starring a rotating cast of characters like Shang-Chi, Iron Fist, White Tiger, Daughters of the Dragon and others, each issue of Deadly Hands of Kung Fu also offered great interviews, articles, pop culture reviews, and so much more. How it was that not a single issue of this series was represented in my collection is worthy of a Scooby Doo Mystery. But the oversight has been corrected. Thanks to Ebay, I now own five of the seven or so issues that have piqued my interest: Since the Iron Fist comic book runs of Marvel Premiere 15-25 is complete, and Iron Fist 1-15 is one issue away from being complete, I'm focusing on the Deadly Hands issues that feature this kick ass character. I've got some classics, true believers. Check 'em out.

 

 

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Mama said knock you ouuuuuut!

Set Adrift on Chocolate Memory Bliss

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Not that there's any reason to even recall this, but I forgot that Chicago's Beatrice Foods was once the home of some of America's sweetest candy treats. These include Milk Duds, Slo Poke and Black Cow suckers. As early as the 1920s, these cavity causers had been made in Chicago by the Holloway Company. In the early 1960s, Holloway was bought by Beatrice Foods. Around that same time, the Clark Company of Pittsburgh (maker of Clark and Zagnut bars) was bought up by Beatrice's expanding candy empire.

By the end of the following decade, it was a familiar sight to find text-heavy centerfolds in the pages of comic books that advertised Beatrice & Holloway's "Infamous Milk Duds Superduds Sweepstakes!" First place winners were awarded with an all expenses paid trip to New York City. While there in the rotten apple, the winner and their guests (limit 4) would be given a tour of the offices of either Marvel or DC Comics. Even better, an artist would draw the lucky winner's sweet-toothed likeness into the pages of their favorite comic.

Well, as happenstance would have it, while on my break at work yesterday I found myself noticing the Clark candy bars perched in the spiral rings of the snack machine. I'm still not sure as to why they caught my eye, I was never particularly a fan of Clark bars. In fact, as far as crunchy peanut butter bricks covered in milk chocolate went, the Butterfinger (another well-known candy originally made in Chicago) was always so much yummier.

But then today, with the Clark bars in the snack machine at work still hovering at the back of my brain, I happened across one of those old Superduds Sweepstakes ads. After focusing on a small image of the Clark bar's blue and red wrapper at the top of a cut-out entry blank, I had a realization: Save for Milk Duds and maybe Zagnut, I never see any of Clark's fellow candies anymore. Are any of 'em still even made? And as my thoughts reached for the remnants of sugar sweetened memories, I found myself gripped with a gnawing pang for the tastes of days gone by.

Love my good-n-plenty

Now YOU can learn the secrets of Ninjutsu

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That's right, kids!

NOW YOU CAN LEARN the secret powers of the deadliest killers in the Orient.

NOW YOU CAN LEARN the simple but lethal techniques of NINJUTSU, which has been the most closely guarded of all Oriental Martial Arts!

NOW YOU CAN LEARN skills which were passed down from father to son in NINJA families who lived in remote parts of ancient Japan.

NOW YOU CAN LEARN secret techniques which were once so closely guarded that the penalty for revealing them was a gruesome death!

AND NOW, regardless of your size, strength or build, you can protect yourself and your loved ones from ANY ATTACKER under ANY CONDITIONS -- even while sleeping! That's right, kids, even while sleeping!

Through NINJUTSU you will learn to utilize and draw on the enormous physio-mental powers which now lie dormant in your own body. THE SECRETS OF NINJUTSU will show you how to take advantage of the fundamental laws of natural movements, and the all important time-lag factor, which are instrumental to the art of disappearing!

SATISFACTION GUARANTEED!!!

We're sure that you will be completely satisfied by THE SECRETS OF NINJUTSU. This manual will give you the knowledge to defend yourself and your loved ones -- and a sense of self assurance you've never had before. If dissatisfied, return it within thirty days for a refund of purchase price with no question asked.

Sorry, no C.O.D.'S