These vintage Peanuts toys come straight from the pages of the 1968 Montgomery Ward Christmas catalog. You could get two of the characters for $5.30 or the entire set for $12.90 and as you can see you had your pick of Charlie Brown, Schroeder (sporting a Beethoven sweater), Lucy, Snoopy and Linus clutching his trademark blanket. On the same page there was also a selection of Huckleberry Hound and Pogo toys:

Found via Wishbook.

On this day in 1968 the French erotic science fiction film Barbarella was released in the United States. The film failed on pretty much every level as the critics hated it and it made no money at the box office, however thanks to the wonders of home video Barbarella became a cult hit in 1977 when it was re-released.

What makes the film unique to me is that it’s the first film that tries to put together sex with science fiction, and while it fails on a number of levels (like the flat attempt at humor in the film) the campy awkward quality of it makes it somehow endearing and even charming. I think it’s for that reason that there has been talk of remaking it in recent years, and in a post-modern cinematic era we seem to appreciate camp just a little bit more as an art form.

Although I think the core magic of the film owes a great deal to the innovative French comic book by the same name. Created by Jean-Claude Forest Barbarella first got started in 1962 which all ready makes it very ahead of its time as it pre-dated the sexual revolution.

Of course just six years later when the film came out the world had changed, or at least on the surface it seemed to have changed. It’s important to keep in mind that while a small group of hippies was rediscovering “free love” in the 60s that America was still quite a conservative country which was best represented by the notorious Nixon phrase “the silent majority” which captured the other side of the era. However by the disco days of 1977 that initial splash from the 60s had rippled out into every corner of suburbia.

In my own humble opinion in the right hands a remake of Barbarella could be an amazing film. Imagine if you would an an animated anime film from Japan based upon a French comic book? Or think of the fun that a director like Luc Besson (who did The Fifth Element) might have with a classic story like Barbarella. Of course this is best case thinking, the sad reality is that in the wrong hands Hollywood could easily ruin what might make a remake so cool by playing it too safe. If that’s the case I’ll gladly cherish the 1968 campy original:

This amazing clip of Kubrick from April 6, 1968 is now over 40 years old — yet there’s something so timeless about that film for me, which is amazing given how important special effects were to the production. It’s also incredible to realize that Kubrick started working on 2001 in 1965, proof that good things take time. The above clip is from a longer special seen here:

On Christmas Eve of 1968 for the first time humankind watched the earth rise thanks Apollo 8 reaching the orbit of the Moon:

Happy Birthday Earthrise

“As Apollo 8 nosed its way back from the far side of the Moon for the fourth time, it was Frank Borman who first spotted the view by chance from a window, his reaction captured by the on board tape recorder. “Oh, my God! Look at that picture over there!” he exclaimed. “Isn’t that something…” After a quick joke about the fact that it was not in their flight plan to photograph it, the crew abandoned protocol and scrambled to get a snap of the occasion with their stills camera. The Hasselblad only had a black and white film magazine in, resulting in the image above – the first photograph of Earthrise taken by a human as he watched it happen.”

About a week ago I was very saddened to hear about the passing away of Lou Dorfsman. While Lou didn’t design the famous CBS eye (that was William Golden) from the 60s until the 80s he put the tiffany in the tiffany network. The CBS of today is but a shadow of what it was during that era, but back then it was one of three corporations that dominated American media and Lou gave them their signature look.

In my last year of art school my father purchased a copy of the book Dorfsman & CBS for me which showcased the entire career of Lou Dorfsman and it inspires me to this day. The first thing that you’ll notice is that most of what Lou does is in fact print design, and while he did do his share of animated titles and set designs it’s the medium at which he excelled. What I love about his work is that it’s not just about pretty pictures, but about using words and typography in clever ways to communicate his message. The other thing to keep in mind that as a creative director Lou was a manager, so what you’re seeing here is the word of many other talented people including typographers, photographers, illustrators and even printers.

The first time I viewed this ad was in a course on the history of graphic design, and I was blown away! It’s a newspaper ad from 1962 showcasing the CBS News coverage of the John Glenn space flight. What makes it brilliant is that Dorfsman has taken the graphic convention of the american flag and by turning it 90 degrees and adding a rocket made it represent the hopes and aspirations of the space program. Simply put this is conceptual graphic design at its best.

Cover of a newspaper advertorial designed by Lou Dorfsman from 1962 which introduced the new fall schedule which included comedy greats Jackie Gleason and Lucille Ball. I grew up watching Gleason and Ball in reruns, but when you see them together on this cover you get a feeling for the power of CBS as a ratings dynamo. Also notice the wonderful use of negative space in the layout which makes the photo even stronger.

This is a newspaper ad designed by Lou Dorfsman from 1968 for a series on black history. Dorfsman has taken the american flag and uses it as a graphic device to show division in the nation and the struggle for civil rights which was being played live on television.

Here’s a two page spread from a newspaper advertorial designed by Lou Dorfsman from 1963 which introduced the new fall schedule. The illustrations are by the legendary caricaturist Al Hirschfeld.

This is a 1951 newspaper ad for the Red Skelton radio show designed by Lou Dorfsman. The concept behind the ad was that an advertiser could just buy a single spot on the show instead of sponsoring the entire program. This ad was designed when Lou was just getting started. What I like about is that many graphic designers might have thought “it’s just a trade ad selling advertising, who cares?” However Lou has taken this wonky topic and made it into something both smart and graphic striking. Over 50 years later the design of this ad still shines.

This is a page from an early 50s brochure designed by Lou Dorfsman to promote buying advertising on radio which was then be encrouched upon by the new medium of television. In my many years as a designer I’ve seen embossed printing as a gimmick to dress up bad design (example: a poorly done wedding invitation) but here Dorfsman is taking the technique and making it speak.

Lastly this is the famous CBS cafeteria mural designed Lou Dorfsman. Lou based the idea on a printer’s typecase of lead type. Here’s a wonderful video that tells the story of the mural:

Sadly the mural fell into disrepair over the years but there’s now a fund to restore the wall to its former glory.

I recall seeing Flying Nun re-runs during my childhood, and what’s strange looking back at it is that at the time not only did it see like a normal TV show show — but while being blitzed with the more interesting eye candy of the era like H.R. Pufnstuf the Sally Field sitcom seemed pretty mundane. However now that I’m looking back at it the entire concept for the show is pretty bizarre, and I do wonder if the show could ever air today given how seriously everybody takes religion. The show went on the air in 1967, and the above lunchbox was produced in 1968. Here’s the backside of the lunchbox which is just as strange:

Found via wackystuff (also check out his blog).