“The Indiana Jones of Snacks”. “Film and TV’s nostalgia secret weapon.” The nation’s foremost snack food historian & host. Currently seen on: History Channel
I once even opened a sealed box of 1972 McDonald’s cookies (first year they were produced and sold) and this was what I saw! Yes, that’s the four-armed Grimace cookie.
Did this is 2010 so the cookies were 38 years old at the time.
I don’t know what Halloween 2020 is going to be like, but I know we’ve got some incredibly fun new candy coming. Including marshmallow creme “Witch’s Brew” Kit Kat’s!!! 🤯🤯😀😀😀
1] So the word is out that Ferrara is “sunsetting” Fruit Stripe gum. Thats a nice way of saying it’s been discontinued, and the brand deserves the dignified verbiage.
A lot of folks online are getting the brand’s history wrong so let me set that record straight right here…
1] Ignoring the ridiculously cool 1990s Cyclone Fruits aberration on top of this stack, what you see here is the entirely of what I like to call the glorious “third wave” of the Bubble Yum bubblegum brand, which was a mid-1980s “new wave” thing. 🤩
In my definition, the first…
1) Shakey’s Pizza, founded in 1954 by Ed Plummer and Sherwood “Shakey” Johnson, was America’s first franchise pizza joint.
And while it is still around today, it’s not as widely known as it used to be, at least not in the USA. Here, right around 50 locations remain, almost…
Holy cow,
@Lays
has brought back Crunch Tators (technically a rebrand of their kettle chips line).
Arriving in stores NOW!! Thanks to my pal Scott Knapper for the news !!
#crunchtators
#1990s
#90s
#90snostalgia
For over a decade I’ve been hunting for whatever packaging might have arrived with McDonald’s legendary McLobster, and I finally have one.
Thanks to
@consumertc
for confirming to me that this package actually existed, because until that, I wasn’t certain.
@McDonalds
#mclobster
I’ve been a bit out of commission this week, so let me just pull from my deep archives to blow your mind.
Every bit of research you’ll find on the internet will tell you Sun Chips were an invention of the 90s.
But the fact is, they first found life in the mid-70s as Prontos!
I have a painstaking process for removing the contents of Bubble Tape bubblegum containers without breaking the sticker/label perforations. For long term preservation of the containers. Why do I bother going through that process you ask?
New from Hershey for Halloween 2020, this is the marshmallow creme-flavor Kit Kat Witch’s Brew! A brand new
@KitKat_US
flavor and my fave part of an exciting Halloween 2020 lineup I was fortunate enough to get to preview. Thanks to the team at Hershey’s for sending these out!
I had completely forgotten that I pre-ordered this extraordinary piece of art from
@BottleneckNYC
by the ever-amazing Creation Crib
It makes me so happy as it combines my love of cheeky humor, fast food mascots and great art. Oh and Grimace 🤫❤️❤️
So excited to have this one.
@Snack_Memories
Inside story: This was actually Cap Candy repurposing their “Monster Mouth” candy tongues product, introduced in 1997 and created by my pal, Dave Jupp!
@NickPiers
Glad you’re getting attention for this. But I created this seven years ago and some fool clipped my credit from the edge at some point. Sigh. Internet blows sometimes. But, you’re welcome, I guess. Originally posted here:
Throwing back to this 1980s Halloween classic: Fleer’s Pumpkin-Face bubblegum.
Similar to Fleer’s Razzles, Pumpkin-Face essentially starts as a candy and becomes a gum.
From a vintage sell sheet, these were on sale for many years, even into the 1990s.
1] I spent my early years on social media sharing images of brand packaging that weren’t found anywhere else online.
It’s a thrill to showcase something that is entirely un-Google-able.
So here is a wrapper for the Canadian edition of McCowan’s “Gorgo” chew bar from the 1980s…
Hey
@IvankaTrump
, let’s put this into phraseology you’ll understand:
Every legally claimed tax write-off should be allowed, but every illegally claimed tax write-off needs to be investigated and prosecuted.
This should not be controversial.
One of the fun parts of what I do is consult with the art departments of television shows and films for period accurate brand packaging. I’ve done so for shows like Mad Men, Stranger Things, Stephen King’s “IT” and I’ve contributed to every season of ABC’s The Goldbergs....
I’ll admit that I’ve long found beauty in what so many dismiss as mundane. But the stuff is often legit beautiful.
Here’s a favorite piece: a vintage (1970s?) airline snack package from TWA. Could it be anymore beautiful, design/type-wise?
#twa
#airlinesnacks
#airlinepeanuts
While a provocative myth, these Count Chocula boxes were never actually pulled from store shelves.
Although they likely WERE pulled by consumers wanting to save a “controversial item” they’d heard about, making it one of the more common Chocula boxes out there. I own one, too!
Every single one of these thirteen 1980s Tidal Wave bubblegum packs in my collection is different.
Tidal Wave was a liquid-filled bubblegum from novelty gum innovator Amurol. It was produced alongside their highly nostalgic soda-inspired variety like Dr Pepper and 7-Up flavors.
New from
@Hersheys
for 2020 this is
@Reeses
Franken-Cup! Part of an exciting lineup I was fortunate enough to get to preview early last week! Thanks to the exceptionally fun team at Hershey’s for sending these out and inviting me to the preview Halloween Zoom party!
#frankencup
An array of early 1970s Fleer Quicksand bubblegum packs along with the hot cinnamon version dubbed “Hotstuff” complete with a distressed version of Quicksand’s happy kid mascot.
Quicksand launched in the late 1960s and would remain a go-to brand for Fleer well into the 1980s!
1) How about a nice box of Hamburger Helper “Pizzabake” from 1985?
I love old Hamburger Helper boxes and have many examples from the 70s and 80s. But I’d never seen this one before.
Growing up in a trailer park in the 1970s with a single mom working two jobs, easily-prepared…
Back in the 1970s, Nabisco’s Fig Newtons were repped by a man in a fig newton mascot costume called “Big Fig”. It’s true.
He was Nabisco’s own Grimace. 😎
#fignewtons
@nabisco
#1970s
#70snostalgia
1) Folks, this is how a brand successfully wields the power of their own nostalgia! 🤩
@TRENDenterpris3
, the folks behind some of the most beloved and collected scratch n’ sniff stickers of the 1980s have done the delightfully-unexpected: they’ve re-released 24 of their…
Wrigley’s Big Red launched in the mid-1970s, giving consumers the option of a sweet & spicy cinnamon chewing gum, in addition to their minty/fruity options.
Based on the “NEW” callout on this unused POS display, this is what it looked like when it was first arriving in stores.
Damnit. RIP. 💔😕
I’ve loved this man’s work most of my life. From the first time I saw him in his edgy but sweet HBO special, at an age when many of the jokes went over my head. He will so very much be missed.
Someone recently asked me about the ROM: The Spaceknight personal appearance costume and I’d mentioned I had a photo of it, sort of. From Oct ‘96 it’s Marvel’s EIC Bob Harras and Jim “Ski” Sokolowski. My old friends. Marvel Halloween.
#marvelcomics
#1990scomics
#romthespaceknight
1]Here’s a crazy bit of candy history: the PEZ Space Gun, from 1956.
You put the gun barrel in your mouth and pulled the trigger to dispense the candy. Sure you could shoot the candy into your hand, but what 1950s kids were doing that? Maybe they shot candy at their friends…
Taking a lead from my pal
@consumertc
, sharing my vacuform
@McDonalds
signage from 1976 promoting their “Red, White & Blue” shakes. 🇺🇸 The unusual offering in this case being the blueberry flavor! 😀
Love old McD signs, so this piece really hits a lot of high notes. 🤩
Last night I had my first taste of Urge, the Norway iteration of Coca-Cola’s Surge soft drink.
Damn, this was a near transcendent experience. I loved it.
Thanks to Surge Movement founder Evan Carr for the hook up. Now I’m gonna have to find ways to import more of this delicacy.
No doubt this has already been pitched but I hope that
@RealJohnGlover
gets recruited to reprise Lionel Luther as a major pro or antagonist for this Fall’s Crisis crossover. The version from Smallville already has awareness of multiverse.😀
@CW_Arrow
@CW_TheFlash
@TheCWSupergirl
Reposting one of my favorite pieces in my private label archives: an early 1980s Toys R Us private label bubblegum package.
Private label candy packaging from the 1970s or 1980s is especially tough but I’ve only ever come across this single Toys R Us example.
1) November 8, 1991 was set to be the first big fight between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson, after an earlier opportunity didn’t work out.
But this huge fight was itself postponed, officially due to Tyson suffering a ribcage injury during training, but perhaps also…
1) I’m back on my Bubble Yum.
Hard to believe now, but when I first started publishing photos and scans of my Bubble Yum material, most of it hadn’t ever been seen online and was un-Google-able.
That’s changed a bit in the last decade, but regardless of all that, it still…
Back in 1993, the
@JelSertCompany
company introduced Mondo to America.
A squeezable drink, it was about as “1990s” as could be. From the name, logo design and marketing, this thing was a product of the 90s through and through. 😄
Who remembers these?
The witticisms in the comments belie a lack of understanding at just how much these menu options were NOT a part of the general U.S. menu in the early 70s. It was fascinating for me to deep dive further into
@TacoBell
‘s origins for
@History
channel these past couple years.
In honor of the Ghostbusting going on this weekend, a couple unusual vintage licensed candy pieces from the files. Late 1980s.
Wrappers for a chocolate marshmallow crunchy cup and a Slimer taffy bar.
#1980s
#80snostalgia
#ghostbusters
Was just talking to someone about Carnation Instant Breakfast and I realized I had box examples from the 70s, 80s and 90s in my files.
Now called Carnation Breakfast Essentials, I believe.
Every time I come across my batch of 1970’s-era generic fast food packaging, I smile. These are such great glimpses of vintage design, the kind found at fairs or drive-in movie concessions — items many of us interacted with but might not remember.
#vintagepackaging
#1970s
#70s
1) Got the 2023 Kroger store exclusive Kettle Corn flavored Peeps. As I’m in New York City and there are no Kroger affiliates within a half days’ drive of me, I had to get these on eBay.
But get them I did. Because of course I wanted the package for my archives and I wanted…
In 2007, well before fantasy photoshop product mockups were the norm, I painstakingly created a riff on Super Sugar Crisp (really the orange-flavored Super Orange Crisp) with my own creation: Super Banana Crisp, complete with Planet of the Apes mini movie poster in-box premium.
Working in the archives last night in support of a new project, I had the opportunity to bring these two together. An earlier 1970s Bottle Caps candy full-size flat pack and a later 70s treat size bag.
Always nice to get a little organization done, in the course of other work.
1] Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Just a reminder that 48 years ago in 1976,
@GeneralMills
tested out replacing Lucky the Leprechaun with Waldo the Wizard.
According to the lore, in the test markets where Waldo was released, he was welcomed enthusiastically and tested well.
In…
@Snack_Memories
Also, I currently own the rights to Mr Bones and did release a glow-in-the-dark action figure of him through Super7 earlier this month! 😀
Yeah, I was working on the X-men comics when this cartoon was first broadcast. Whoever thinks the X-men weren’t woke then is revising history to suit their own brokenness.
To all those worried about
#XMen97
being “too woke”, I have a very important message for you:
“YOU’RE THE BAD GUYS IN THE TRAILER! NOT THE COOL ONES. YOU’RE THE SHITTY IGNORANT RACISTS IN THE BACKGROUND!”
THIS IS YOU!
1) Not a food history post… this time it’s personal nostalgia achievement!
@Crayola
Markers first came to market way back in 1978 and I was there. I remember them arriving out of nowhere in grade school and seeming like the fanciest, funnest marker I’d ever seen.
With…
With 3 different sighted so far, it appears as if
@generalmills
aims to release a “Cereal Squad” box for each of the 6 brands that gets a toy. My Honey Nut Cheerios box find today only makes the case stronger. Really hope to put together a set of these. Oh, and get the toys, too.
1) Two facts about
@Hersheys
Whatchamacallit bar you probably don’t know.
Launched in 1978, the bar was caramel-less until the mid-1980s. (This wrapper introduced the addition).
I’m obsessed with Merritt Foods frozen treats of the 70s and 80s.
Here’s my Merritt U.F.O. wrapper from 1976 along with a contemporary version from current manufacturer North Star.
Plus an image of the actual treat courtesy of a 1970s Merritt poster brochure I own!
Who remembers
@Dannon
Sprinkl’ins?
Launched in the early-1990s, Sprinkl’ins had a number of flavors and iterations and lasted a handful of years.
An ambitious attempt to appeal to the kid market, Dannon had the right idea here, I think.
Any fond memories of these?
In case my last post sparked curiosity, I assembled the very first comprehensive McDonald’s cookie box timeline back in 2009, from pieces in my archives. This is it.
It’s got a couple inaccuracies and is missing the 1974 transitional box, but it’s still pretty great.
New from Hershey for Halloween 2020 is Cookies n Creme Fangs! Part of an exciting lineup I was fortunate enough to get to preview early last week! Thanks to the exceptionally fun team at Hershey’s for sending out!
#HalloweenCandy
#HalloweenHersheys
#hersheyscookiesncreme
Yesterday I popped up into Canada for a wee spot of shopping. This was a moment during my Walmart stop. Found the contrast of sweets to dental care humorous.
1) Little known fact about the early years of
@BigLeagueChew
: After the unexpected and huge success of the first shredded bubblegum brand in the marketplace, Wrigley-Amurol would launch a handful of other pouched shredded bubblegums in an effort to see what else might stick.
From my delightful and weird files, it’s 1960s
@JELLO
boxes!
Mr Wiggle I love because it’s such a damned great piece of kids food packaging with a gloriously-designed mascot. The Celery Jell-O I love because it’s just so damnably weird!! But you gotta love weird! 🥰
1)Hit one of Canada’s classic
@ToyszRusCanada
locations today and I gotta say, it was magical.
I was delighted to find Super7 stuff filling two facings along with fantastic stuff all around.
I’m glad
@ToysRUs
USA is making a comeback, but it’s a (financial) crime that they…
1] Another wild treasure from my comic book career. It’s the original color separations for the collectors edition of X-Men
#1
.
For those that don’t know, these “three color seps” were sent for final approval before printing on all covers. Printed on material similar to an…
1) From 1989 comes Willy Wonka’s Guppies! (A whole box full, as it turns out.)
These pressed dextrose treats arrived in reusable plastic aquarium containers, each including edible “aquarium gravel” for added novelty.
This exact same container (molded in different colors) was…
I don’t talk about here much, but in its 20+ year internet existence, I know my vintage Christmas catalog archive site has reached millions. 😀
Someday I’ll devote some time to overhauling and updating it.
This excites me to no end. I don’t care if all the continuity doesn’t really line up. I just fucking adore it. Knowing
@JohnWesleyShipp
is showing up as Golden Age Flash in this show makes my day.
@stargirl_cw
1989 might have been the beginnings of the licensed-property-band-sids-for-kids trend.
I don’t recall them having any “fun” band-aids in the 1970s!
#bandaid
#80snostalgia
#1980s
Hope you don’t mind, when I don’t have time to properly get on and share lots of goodies, I’ll drop the greatest Halloween candy trade ad of all time!!!
I mean, we can share Halloween content in April, right? Here in New York City, it’s felt quite a lot like October lately. 🎃
McDonalds’ first attempt at a kids meal wasn’t the Happy Meal or even the Fun-To-Go… it was the CAPTAIN CROOK SEA BAG. The meal featured a Filet-O-Fish, fries and McDonaldland cookies at regular menu prices. (1975)
The ARCH DELUXE was one of the biggest flops in the history of McDonald's. After spending over $300M on research/marketing, the burger lasted just couple years on their menu. The main thing folks attribute the failure to? A $2.49 pricetag when most burgers were going for about $2
Nine different Nestle Alpine White wrappers.
People occasionally ask me how deep my archives go. Do I endeavor to document every variation of a brand?
The answer is yes. Always yes. As much as I can manage. 😄😏
#thisisntahobby
#vintagepackaging
#candyhistory