| The Weird-Ohs Car-icky-tures first hit the shelves back in 1963, when Hawk Models released a range of models based on the work of artist Bill Campbell. A gang of crazy whacked out characters based around dragster and hot-rod culture, which was popular at the time. The Weird-Ohs were massive, spawning toys, an album, trading cards, Halloween masks, and other related merchandise. The Weird-Ohs were inspired, based on, or you could say a direct rip-off of the Weirdos a spookily similar gang of hot-rod and Kustom Kulture characters by Ed Roth. Roth's most famous character was Rat Fink, a depraved slobbering rat with bulging eyes and a manic grin. Oddly Revell Model's released Rat Fink models also in 1963. |
| Anyway, back to the Weird-Ohs... Oh hang-on... Just another aside, as Marx Toys (they of the Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots) also made a range of hot-rod inspired characters called Nutty Mads, also in 1963. What was it with toy and model makers in 1963, and their obsession with hot-rod and Kustom Kulture? Anyway again, back to the Weird-Ohs... During the 60s, the image of the Weird-Ohs was used to sell anything and everything. Licensed on many products for both kids and what we'd now called kid-ults alike. So much so that in the mid-60s the popular magazine Famous Monsters Of Filmland published their Do-It-Yourself Monster Make-Up Handbook, which featured a step-by-step how to on creating Weird-Ohs based Halloween make-up. In the article (slide show below) the make-up artist subjects his own son (David) to a Weird-Oh transformation. |
