Disasters
Doomsday for Pests
Spray that DDT everywhere!
Aren't you a little sad for all those cartoon bugs?
Posted By: Paul - Sat Jul 12, 2014 -
Comments (7)
Category: Disasters, Insects and Spiders, Nature, 1940s
Flameproof Playsuits
Were children more prone to catch fire for no reason in the past during innocent recreational activities than they are today?
Original ad here. (Page 23.)
Posted By: Paul - Fri Jun 27, 2014 -
Comments (12)
Category: Death, Destruction, Disasters, Fashion, Comics, Children, 1940s
Charley Says
In this dangerous world, God help all kids who don't have a child-sized cat friend with feline Tourette's Syndrome.
So popular, they have been collected on DVD.
Not to be confused with this other "Charlie says!"
Posted By: Paul - Wed Feb 27, 2013 -
Comments (10)
Category: Anthropomorphism, Death, Disasters, PSA’s, Advertising, Candy, Cats, Europe
Doc Owens, Con Man
As early as December 1900, the notorious Doc Owens was making headlines, having established his racket of fleecing sea-going sheep.
READ LEFT-HAND COLUMN, THEN RIGHT-HAND COLUMN, THEN SAME FOR THE TWO FOLLOWING.
Three years later, The New York Times did a special feature on Owens and his fellows (with his photo miscaptioned).
Click here for very readable PDF download.
But Owens was to meet poetic justice in 1912, as our final piece reveals.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Feb 15, 2013 -
Comments (2)
Category: Crime, Death, Disasters, Frauds, Cons and Scams, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, 1900s, 1910s, Gambling, Casinos, Lotteries and Other Games of Chance
Follies of the Madmen #197
As gross-outs go, the notion of a giant head raining its dandruff on helpless humans (or is that a normal-sized head raining on shrunken doll people?), is pretty far up the scale. Not sure, however, that it makes me want to buy the product.
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Jan 24, 2013 -
Comments (4)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Disasters, 1940s, Hair and Hairstyling
The Butterfly Effect
I hope every WU-vie's morning goes better than this.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Dec 19, 2012 -
Comments (6)
Category: Death, Destruction, Disasters, Humor, Science, Cartoons
Baldwin Hills Dam Disaster
Today we are used to seeing disasters unfold live on TV. But in 1963, it was all new.
More info here.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Sep 23, 2012 -
Comments (5)
Category: Disasters, 1960s, TV News
Atomic Planes
[Clicke either half to enlarge.]
Sometimes even generals come to their senses. The notion of airborne nuclear reactors proved too worrisome even for the military, despite the brilliant failsafe plan of catastrophic ditching into water.
Original article here.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Mar 22, 2012 -
Comments (10)
Category: Accidents, Disasters, Flight, Military, Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters, 1950s
Winky Dink and You
The voice of Betty Boop launched a thousand TV screen scribbles and parental curses....
Have fun playing with your "winky dink" at home!
Full story here.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jan 31, 2012 -
Comments (6)
Category: Art, Avant Garde, Disasters, Television, 1950s
Invasion of Astro-Monster
Learn more here.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Jan 29, 2012 -
Comments (5)
Category: Aliens, Death, Destruction, Disasters, Movies, 1960s, Asia, Fictional Monsters
| Who We Are |
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |