Deal alert: Hermes Press is having a sale through June 12th with an extra 20% discount on their Super Sale books (the code, DAMAGE2020, covers Super Sale titles, as well as discounted damaged copies). Hermes has been producing wonderful reprint projects from vintage comics by Gold Key (among others), and you can find chronological collections of cool properties like The Phantom and Dark Shadows- including the classic paperback novels! Spy Vibers who missed the 1st edition of Dark Shadows Gold Key Collection vol. 1 (those aftermarket prices have skyrocketed!) will be happy to see pre-orders are now being taken for a second edition! Hermes has also published many pop culture books, including James Bond: The History of the Illustrated 007, the first edition of Filmed in Supermarianation, Babes in Arms by Trina Robbins, and books about Alex Raymond, Jim Davis, Johnny Hart, and the Johnny Hazard strip. There's even an upcoming book about the art of classic Nurse paperbacks. Head over to Hermes Press and check out their full range. Enjoy!
Selected Spy Vibe Posts: Spy Vibe Radio: Raumpatrouille, Remembering Richard Sala, Crime & Spy Jazz books, Soviet Space Graphics, Numan is FAB, Bruce Lee Blu, John Barry Event, RSD Vinyl Spies, James Bond's DB5, UFO CD Set, Spy Vibe radio: Phantom Agents, Steranko is Revolutionary!, Interview: The Saint I Ain't, Diabolik Interview, New 007 Song, Diabolik Figures, Diabolik Sounds, Diabolik Set Design, Diabolik Park Ride, Danger Diabolik Blu, Count Arthur Strong, Honey West Title Cards, Bowie Day, New Year Cosmonauts, Neil Innes R.I.P., Claudine Auger R.I.P., OHMSS at 50, Italian Job 50th OST, Charles Schulz Modern, Paul Desmond, Python 50th, Randall Hopkirk 50th, Thunderbirds Day, Lazenby Returns to MI6, Dr. John R.I.P., Spy Vibe Radio: Lupin III, Lupin Ska, Spy Vibe Prime, Zigomar Translation, The Village: Part 1, Monkey Punch R.I.P., Bubble Girl 63, ITC Soundtracks, Spy Vibe Radio: Public Eye, UFO Prime, Spaceship to Mars, Modesty Blaise Companion, Spy Vibe Radio: Fantomas, George Day, Fantomas Blu, Dark Shadows Doc, Bedazzled Blu-ray, Mary Quant Exhibit, Laika Calypso, Lost in Space Japan, Spy Dust Calypso, Atomic Cafe, John Barry Mono, Interview: John Barry Book, Land of the Giants Score, Skyfall Concert, Dearest Emma, Spy Vibe Radio: Upperseven, Ogilvy at Elstree, Mabuse Propaganda, Bond Beatles Day, Spy Vibe Radio: Liquidator, Diabolik LP, Fab Dresses, Eurospy Music Collection, Beetle Bailey in West Berlin, Why Mort Walker?, Spy Vibe radio: The Beatles Help!, Avengers Critical Guide, The Spotnicks, Benny Spies, James Pond 0017', Satire Stones, Annette Andre Book, Cat Day, Spy Vibe Radio: Get Smart, Caine: My Generation, Interview: Ian Ogilvy, Horror of Party Beach, Sylvie Vartan Renown, Ringo At 78, Dark Shadows Strips, Spy Vibe Radio: Flint, Archie Batman 66, Paul at 76, Beatles Pac-Man, Spy Vibe Radio: Jerry Cotton, The Invaders, 007 Horowitz Book Tour, McGoohan/Prisoner Event at Elstree, The Prisoner Interviews Vol 1, British Underground Press, Interview: Fab4 Mania, Bond Cocktail Book, Bond at Bletchley, Spy Smasher, Spy Vibe Radio: Peter Gunn, Agent Zero M, New Prisoner Comic, Dr. No Villains Edition, Spy Vibe Radio: Danger Diabolik, Dr. No 60th, Oy-Oy-Seven, Spy Vibe Radio (UFO), Cold War Comic Strips, Thunderball Event, Mission to India, Mort Walker Celebration, Peter Wyngarde Celebration, Batman 66 Exhibit, Prisoner Fifty Event, Ian Fleming Publications 2017-2018, Interview: Ed Hulse Pulp, Avengers Audio Drama, Interview: Callan At 50, Interview: Playboys, Spies, Private Eyes, TWA Returns, Spy Vibe Radio 8, Interview: Ryan Heshka, Mid-Century Modern Schulz, Agent Werewolf, Johnny Sokko 50th, Interview: Trina Robbins, Eddie Izzard, The Prisoner Capt Scarlet 50th, Hugh Hefner R.I.P., Jack Good R.I.P., Interview: Shaken Not Stirred, Callan 50th, Spy Vibe Radio 7, The Prisoner 50th Event, Spy-Fi Event, Kaho Aso 007, Two Million, Bo Diddley, Carnaby Pop, Le Carre Events, Billy Bragg Skiffle, Elvis 68, Jack Kirby The Prisoner, Casino Royale Concert, Review: The Prisoner Vol 2, Interview: The Prisoner Essential Guide, Maud Russell Mottisfont, Spy Vibe Radio 4, Batman Gallants, Adam West R.I.P., Village Triangle, Roger Moore R.I.P., Spy Vibe Radio 3, Sgt Pepper 50th, Satanik Kriminal OST, 60s Overdrive, Make Love in London, Spy Vibe Radio 2, Spy Vibe Radio 1, James Bond Strips, Propaganda Mabuse, Interview: Police Surgeon, XTC Avengers, 1966 Pep Spies, Batman Book Interview, Exclusive Fleming Interview, Avengers Comic Strips, Robert Vaughn RIP, UNCLE Fashions, Thunderbirds Are Pop!, Interview: Spy Film Guide, Lost Avengers Found, The Callan File, Mission Impossible 50th, Green Hornet 50th, Star Trek 50th, Portmeirion Photography 1, Filming the Prisoner, Gaiman McGinnins Project, Ian Fleming Grave, Revolver at 50, Karen Romanko Interview, Mod Tales 2, Umbrella Man: Patrick Macnee, New Beatles Film, The Curious Camera, Esterel Fashion 1966, Exclusive Ian Ogilvy Interview, 007 Tribute Covers, The Phantom Avon novels return, Ian Fleming Festival, Argoman Design, Sylvia Anderson R.I.P., Ken Adam R.I.P., George Martin R.I.P., The New Avengers Comics, The Phantom at 80, 007 Manga, Avengerworld Book, Diana Rigg Auto Show, The Prisoner Audio Drama Review.
I've never given much thought to Barbie dolls, other than to notice their odd message of consumerism and unnatural proportions- oh, and lots of kids seem to love them! But it's always been clear to me that the dolls (and especially, the accessories!) have sold well since Barbie first debuted in 1959. I once helped to run a toy shop for a year and witnessed first-hand the ongoing popularity of the brand. Fast-forward to Spy Vibe and I begin to take more notice of the fashion history and perhaps ways the dolls reflected their times. I suppose most people are familiar with the typical Barbie identities that envision her hanging out at beach houses and going on dates. And there have been many apt criticisms about how the doll's disproportionate design and limited roles have perhaps entertained -and hurt- girls in equal measure. I didn't expect much from Mattel as I looked a little deeper, but was surprised to learn the company launched a Miss Astronaut Barbie and Mr. Astronaut Ken in 1965. Four years before the Apollo landing, Barbie was in space! Incidentally, the first woman in space was Russian Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova in 1963! But there was a Barbie for the Space Race.
If fact, Mattel has marketed a career range for Barbie throughout the decades to promote inventor Ruth Handler's vision that "through the doll, a little girl could be anything." In practice, the message was pretty limited, unfortunately. Yes, there was a Barbie astronaut, but the accent was heavily on cosmetics and fashion more than scientific exploration- the later anniversary edition included on the box "yes, I am a rocket scientist". But sure, the fashion aspect can be really cool from a design perspective. Other careers for Barbie at the time were predictable options such as stewardess, nurse, fashion model, ballerina, business-woman, and... babysitter. OK, stereotypes of the age, but how bad could it be, you ask? Just consider the 1965 Slumber Party set, for example, which included a miniature weight scale and little books titled "Don't Eat" and "How to Lose Weight." What child doesn't love shaming and image obsession? Yikes. These items were eventually pulled from the set by 1967. Barbie's horizons did expand a bit in the 1970s with surgeon (but with a skimpy cut to accentuate her legs) and Olympic athlete. I found the new documentary series The Toys That Made Us (Netflix) really interesting, and the Barbie episode was a good intro into the history. I seem to remember one of the interviewees talking about how some of the choices re: body proportions was due to needing a foundation shape that could accept the thick, folded fabrics of the costumes properly (the fabrics would have otherwise been too bulky to fit smoothly). Seems hard to believe in that era of new developments in synthetic materials. When I asked historian, writer, cartoonist Trina Robbins about her impressions of Barbie, she talked about how she felt back then about the doll's unrealistic dimensions and about working later on the official Barbie comic book. "I hated Barbie in the 60s! I thought she was a terrible body image for little girls. When my daughter was a little girl I had to change my perception just a little because she really, really wanted a Barbie, and it would have been cruel not to get her one when all the other little girls had Barbies. Then in the 90s, I was one of the writers on Marvel's Barbie comics and we really did a good job. We didn't have her shopping all the time- we did some realty good stories, dealing with anorexia, a girl who's ashamed of her mother because her mom is deaf, stuff like that. And I even did some mild mysteries, which I really enjoyed writing. We were practically an all-woman group (I called the artists "the Barbie Four") a woman editor and women writers and artists, and there was nothing else out there for girls." This all reminds me of a great 1998 poem and recording by my friend Nerissa Nields (I enjoyed re-mixing it once to music), which you can read about at her blog here. Perhaps Barbie has sparked these kinds of discussions because her image has so ubiquitous in an industry that otherwise did not market many role-model alternatives. Naomi Wolf has said “The harm of these images is not that they exist, but that they proliferate at the expense of most other images and stories of female heroines. If the icon of the anorexic fashion model were one flat image out of a full spectrum in which young girls could find a thousand wild and tantalizing visions of possible futures, that icon would not have the power to hurt them.” Looking at the current Mattel site, it would appear the company is working to expand the message of the brand to support the inventor's hope that the doll could inspire girls to be anything ("more role models" is the current slogan). And there are dolls now with different face shapes and nationalities (my students tell me they still mostly see only white dolls in TV ads), but the final hurdle of change re: role modeling will have to come down to evaluating the doll's range re: glamour and body type. The company will have to invest in tooling new figures. I love that there has been an astronaut Barbie, but I also hope to see awesome Barbies of all types doing a wider range of amazing things. More role models- really go for it! Kids deserve it. I began this saying that I've never given much thought to Barbie dolls. That's because, as a boy, there were endless action figures, cars, and playlets marketed to me. I didn't have to think about Barbie. Maybe you didn't have to, either? But I'm glad to know a bit more about her complicated past and place in culture. Some kids love her; some kids question her. And yes, that astronaut outfit was so awesome! Explore Barbie at Mythanthrope and Mattel. Entertainment Tonight looks at the most controversial Barbies. Below: Astronaut Barbie designed in 1965. Related post: Interview: Trina Robbins- Trina and I talk about Honey West, Miss Fury, Emma Peel & more! Spy Vibers, please check out my new book about one of America's most successful cartoonists. Enjoy!
Selected Spy Vibe Posts: Eurospy Music Collection, Beetle Bailey in West Berlin, Why Mort Walker?, Spy Vibe radio: The Beatles Help!, Avengers Critical Guide, The Spotnicks, Benny Spies, James Pond 0017', Satire Stones, Annette Andre Book, Cat Day, Spy Vibe Radio: Get Smart, Caine: My Generation, Interview: Ian Ogilvy, ITC Elstree Event, Horror of Party Beach, Sylvie Vartan Renown, Ringo At 78, Dark Shadows Strips, Spy Vibe Radio: Flint, Archie Batman 66, Paul at 76, Beatles Pac-Man, Spy Vibe Radio: Jerry Cotton, The Invaders, 007 Horowitz Book Tour, McGoohan/Prisoner Event at Elstree, The Prisoner Interviews Vol 1, British Underground Press, Interview: Fab4 Mania, Bond Cocktail Book, Bond at Bletchley, Spy Smasher, Spy Vibe Radio: Peter Gunn, Agent Zero M, New Prisoner Comic, Dr. No Villains Edition, Spy Vibe Radio: Danger Diabolik, Dr. No 60th, Oy-Oy-Seven, Spy Vibe Radio (UFO), Cold War Comic Strips, Thunderball Event, Mission to India, Mort Walker Celebration, Peter Wyngarde Celebration, Batman 66 Exhibit, Prisoner Fifty Event, Ian Fleming Publications 2017-2018, Interview: Ed Hulse Pulp, Avengers Audio Drama, Interview: Callan At 50, Interview: Playboys, Spies, Private Eyes, TWA Returns, Spy Vibe Radio 8, Interview: Ryan Heshka, Mid-Century Modern Schulz, Agent Werewolf, Mata Hair Exhibit, Johnny Sokko 50th, Interview: Trina Robbins, Eddie Izzard, The Prisoner Capt Scarlet 50th, Hugh Hefner R.I.P., Jack Good R.I.P., Interview: Shaken Not Stirred, Callan 50th, Spy Vibe Radio 7, The Prisoner 50th Event, Spy-Fi Event, Kaho Aso 007, Two Million, Bo Diddley, Carnaby Pop, Le Carre Events, Billy Bragg Skiffle, Elvis 68, Jack Kirby The Prisoner, Casino Royale Concert, Review: The Prisoner Vol 2, Interview: The Prisoner Essential Guide, Maud Russell Mottisfont, Spy Vibe Radio 4, Batman Gallants, Adam West R.I.P., Village Triangle, Roger Moore R.I.P., Spy Vibe Radio 3, Sgt Pepper 50th, Satanik Kriminal OST, 60s Overdrive, Make Love in London, Spy Vibe Radio 2, Spy Vibe Radio 1, James Bond Strips, Propaganda Mabuse, Interview: Police Surgeon, XTC Avengers, 1966 Pep Spies, Batman Book Interview, Exclusive Fleming Interview, Avengers Comic Strips, Robert Vaughn RIP, UNCLE Fashions, Thunderbirds Are Pop!, Interview: Spy Film Guide, Lost Avengers Found, The Callan File, Mission Impossible 50th, Green Hornet 50th, Star Trek 50th, Portmeirion Photography 1, Filming the Prisoner, Gaiman McGinnins Project, Ian Fleming Grave, Revolver at 50, Karen Romanko Interview, Mod Tales 2, Umbrella Man: Patrick Macnee, New Beatles Film, The Curious Camera, Esterel Fashion 1966, Exclusive Ian Ogilvy Interview, 007 Tribute Covers, The Phantom Avon novels return, Ian Fleming Festival, Argoman Design, Sylvia Anderson R.I.P., Ken Adam R.I.P., George Martin R.I.P., The New Avengers Comics, The Phantom at 80, 007 Manga, Avengerworld Book, Diana Rigg Auto Show, The Prisoner Audio Drama Review.
