All of the guys in my gang (me and two 3rd-graders) had a pair of these and we'd wear them when we hung out by the candy store reading comics while the other kids did skateboard tricks and played stickball.
One of the greatest children's entertainers of 1988. Mr. Al is still for hire - to give educational talks, perform in concert with his electric guitar, and to give skateboard lessons.
Metal Mike is one of the people in my neighborhood who collects spare change as a hobby. One day, he'd just been given this dollar by someone stupid enough to part with it, so I traded him a finsky for it.
Golden Krust Bakery is the fastest growing Carribbean food franchise in the world.
I used to think that the Golden Krust location on 14th Street in Manhattan had painted its own version of a mascot on their window, but then I did a little research and found that a full-blown character suit exists to get people hyped at franchise events and marketing expos.
I went to the Golden Krust website, trying to find a picture of the guy, but the only image of him that I could find popped up on screen randomly (at about 50 pixels high), when a certain page needed some load-time.
It's a good website, and insanely thorough, mostly designed around selling you on the idea of opening a Golden Krust franchise in your neighborhood.
Check out the jingle in their TV ad below.
And here's the only jpeg I could find of their mascot costume.
Everybody on Frankie's Apartment likes Jamaican Beef Patties. Jamaican Beef Patty Day in my middle school was one of the most anticipated jump-offs of the week - and you were allowed to have THREE of them, if you wanted - which is suicide. I can't really eat them any more, because they make me feel like giving up all hope, but that same feeling doesn't stop Mr. Parfenix from downing at least two in a sit-down.
The gang in Frankie's Apartment sometimes make music together under the band name, Styrofome.
This is the video to a song they made to help explain the concept of a "shlog".
If you send us a drawing, collage, or an original animation that we like, we'll post it on the shlog. Even if we don't like it that much we'll probably post it.
You can send presents and paper goods to:
Have A Heart Productions
c/o Frankie
4 E.2nd Street
Studio B
New York City, NY
10003
USA