In 1950 the genius independently filmed movie Destination Moon was released. It stood as the trail blazing sci-fi movie that genuinely tried to examine the dangers of man attempting to fly to the moon and return safely back to Earth. The movie was produced by the combined genius of producer George Pal and the prolific actor/director Irving Pichel. It was co-written by Robert A. Heinlein, based on his novel Rocket Ship Galileo.

To coincide with the movie a comic book was produced to tell the story, but also inject scientific facts about travel to the moon into the story. In addition Pal included the famous cartoon character Woody Woodpecker, as he was a friend of Woody creator Walter Lantz. Woody featured in a cartoon that was shown as a short alongside Destination Moon, as well as being cleverly inserted into the the movie itself. The itself comic book stands out as a classic and early movie tie-in.

The classic creepy toy, that's featured in many a horror movie. This little fellow always randomly starts banging his cymbals, just before something really bad is about to happen. The startling pre-warning to bigger shocks to come.

The classic version of the manic mechanical monkey was manufactured by the Japanese company Daishin C.K., during the 1950s to 1970s under the name "Musical Jolly Chimp". Over the years a number of other toy manufactures have copied the basic design of the monkey, marketed under variety of names. 

The classic monkey, is seen wearing red and white striped pants and a yellow vest with red buttons. The monkeys are often produced with red rings painted around their wide-open eyes, creating an appearance some find disturbing, which could perhaps explain their many appearances in horror, sci-fi and other movies over the years. The earliest known appearence is in 1955's Rebel Without A Cause, when James Dean is shown drunk, playing with one of the monkeys in the middle of the street.

One of the most famous appearances of the monkey is in the 1977 film Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, when one suddenly begins clapping its cymbals as a UFO appears. The toy is featured in "The Monkey", a Stephen King short story from his 1985 book Skeleton Crew, which uses the monkey as its cover image. The monkey has also appeared in computer games, animations, as well as TV shows as diverse as The Simpsons, Dr. Who and Wallace & Gromit.

Sponsored by the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute, produced by American Visuals Corporations, and all wrapped up in the NRA (National Rifle Association). This one-shoot give-way comic was advertised in the back of many "boys won" magazines and comic books in the early 1950s. Often given away with "How To Be An NRA Ranger" pamphlet, and NRA Ranger targets, for shooting practice. 

The comic contains all kinds of insidious NRA propaganda, about "pioneering" Americans, guides of what to and not to shoot, along with all kinds of "fun" with rifles. Which includes "Games and Targets" with your rifle. Sending the message, that while you must be safe with your new rifle, guns are fun, guns are great, guns, guns, and more guns!!!

And us non-American folk still wonder why there is such an ingrained fascination for guns in the United States! 

A comic book produced by the Catechetical Guild Education Society in 1956. It depicts the trials and tribulations of the Catholic Church in America during the 18th and 19th centuries, through a large 64 pages. Between the late 1940s and into the mid-70s, the Catechetical Guild produced an extensive number of comic book titles. The groups comics made their way into the hands of young people via their church network. They produced almost exclusively religious and political propaganda tomes. Among their publications are the cult comic classics, such as Firebrands Of Christ (1947) and Is This Tomorrow: America Under Communism (1947).

During the height of the 1950s Cold War period, the American government produced a hugs amount of information/propaganda literature. Probably the most well known is the "Duck and Cover" literature and PSA, which was aimed at children. The government also produced a series of pamphlets for adults, to inform them about what to do in the event of a nuclear attack from Soviet Russia.

One such pamphlets was the wonderfully illustrated "Facts About Fallout Protection" originally from 1958. It was part of a series of specialised information pamphlets designed for mass distribution. Others included "Rural Family Defence" from 1956, and "The Family Fallout Shelter" in 1959. During the late 50s and early 1960s, the building of public and private fallout shelters intensified across America, as they prepared for what many considered an inevitable war. 

According to this one-shot, give-away comic book, learning the accordion will make you the most popular kid in class. You'll get around, and attract the attention of all the cool kids. There's no fun, like playing the accordion. Interested in learning this wonderful instrument? Want to join a 6 piece accordion band? Well at the back of the comic book there's a "No cost" ... "No strings" ... "No obligation"... Voucher. Entitling you to a free trail accordion lesson. How could you not resist? Sign me up now! In Tune With Fun, is a wonderful piece of 50s marketing through a one-shot comic book. Evocative of that "more innocent age", that the media and marketing 'mad men' of the time wanted to project.

At the height of the atomic age, encouraging kid to play with radioactive materials seemed all the rage. There was the Gilbert Atomic Energy Lab, where literally kids were handed radioactive materials to play with. Then there were board games like Uranium Rush, which encouraged kids to get out to "them thar hills" and go prospecting for uranium themselves. Through some comic books, kids could even order their ever own Geiger counter, to use to find radioactive materials with.

This involves plugging in an electric "Geiger counter" into the holes in the gaming board, that produces a buzzing sound if uranium is discovered. The claim is then sold to the federal government for $50,000. Players alternate turns until all claims have been staked and the person with the most money is declared the winner. An exciting electronic board game for all the family, from the crazy days of the Atomic Age.

The Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas Sign, is an iconic piece of pop culture. It was designed by American graphic designer Betty Willis, in 1959. It was created at the request of local Nevada businessman Ted Rogich, who sold it to Clark County, Nevada. The classic sign was never copyrighted, as Willis gifted it to the city she loved and lived in most of her life. She designed the sign while working for the Western Neon company, and also designed the Moulin Rouge Hotel and Casino sign in the city. But the Welcome To Las Vegas sign was the signature piece she will always be remembered for. She continued designing signs until she retired at the age of 77. She died at the age of 91 at her home in Overton on 19th April.

The sign is located in the median at 5100 Las Vegas Boulevard South, considered some to be the official southern end of the Las Vegas Strip. The sign, like most of the Strip, sits in the town of Paradise and is located roughly 4 miles (6.4 km) south of the actual city limits of Las Vegas. The lesser known backside (south-side) of the sign reads, "Drive Carefully" is large red lettering, with "Come Back Soon" under it in blue cursive text, mirroring the style on the more well known front-side of the sign. On December 6, 2013, the State Historic Preservation Office for the State of Nevada announced that the sign had been added to the State Register of Historic Places.

Whatever most of those instruments are doesn't matter to most, but when you tell people it came with actual radioactive materials, they are often dumbfounded. Yeah sure they were in ore form, and so were not highly dangerous. Little Tommy wasn't going to be making a nuclear bomb from them, but still this was a toy science lab for kids that did have a element of danger. Something no parent these days would even contemplate, in a world where we pretty much wrap our kids in cotton wool.  The Atomic Energy Lab originally sold for $49.50 (around $500 in today's money). The set included radioactive samples (alpha, beta and gamma), as well as uranium ore samples. 

Soju (소주) is not only the most popular alcoholic drink in Korea, but the best selling in the whole world. Never heard of it, or at least never drank it? Well that'll be because Koreans have the highest consumption of spirits per capita in the world. And soju, and in particular the Jinro brand is the most popular drink of choice. Jinro soju regularly sells 3 times as much as popular whiskey brand Johnny Walker, and over twice as much as Smirnoff vodka, globally! On highest selling brands of spirits globally, two soju brands have held 1st and 3rd place for may years. And most of it is consumed in South Korea.

Traditionally made from rice, wheat or barley, soju is essentially water and ethanol. That's it! In fact these days, with the high consumption, manufacturers have tankers pure ethanol shipped in, which they water down and filter. ABV varies from around 16.7% to 45%, with 20% being the most popular.

Soju was first distilled around the 13th century, during the Mongol invasions of Korea. The Mongols brought the technique of distillation with them, and the Koreans quickly adopted the technique, and have been getting hammered ever since. These days everywhere in Korea posters advertising soju featuring young sexy ladies, enticing Koreans to drink the liquor (not that they need enticing). Back in 1959, they used frogs, sailors and of course sexy ladies!