Celebrate The Man In Black

The Original Outlaw

This past weekend while everyone else was standing in line to see The Dark Knight, I pulled out my Best Of Johnny Cash Show DVD and relived some of the greatest music ever made. Despite the blockbuster biopic about The Man In Black (Walk The Line starring Joaquin Phoenix), and the subsequent renewed interest in his career, few in today’s generation have witnessed his groundbreaking TV variety show which aired from 1969 to 1971.

Always the rebel, Cash wasn’t afraid to mix genres and host acts as diverse (and potentially controversial in their day) as Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Louis Armstrong and Stevie Wonder in an era when homogeny reigned supreme on network TV. Not to say Cash wasn’t proud of his country roots–George Jones, Loretta Lynn, Waylon Jennings and the inimitable June Carter Cash all graced his show as well.

This incredible DVD collection features 23 live performances including Cash singing “Walk The Line,” and “Ring Of Fire,“ many of the guest stars mentioned above, and nostalgic, unpredictable variety segments. It’s recorded bona-fide proof that Johnny Cash was a pioneer in every sense of the word!

Need more Cash? Our tribute Johnny T-shirt features a majestic image of the larger-than-life figure on the front and his faux signature on the back. It’s a salute to country music, blues, and rock and roll. Johnny Cash made all three of them his own. And the world is a better place for it!

Retro Summer Fun

Kids Cooped-Up? Games Ahoy!

Let’s face it–some summer days are just too hot to run around outdoors. In fact, I’ve heard weather men in several states recommend people stay in air conditioning more than a few times this season.

So how do you keep kids entertained during the long summer months without resorting to hours of TV or video games?

Enter Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots! When I dug this old pal out of The Attic, I thought for sure my hip kids would roll their eyes–but they didn’t! They grabbed those buttons and went to town, knocking each others’ blocks off. Little did they know they were enjoying a vintage toy from the 60s!

It was such a success that I tried Gnip Gnop (I was in my 30s before I realized that was “Ping Pong” spelled backwards). Back in the 70s, my cousin and I played this one a lot. It was another big hit with the kids! The family room rang out with ball-flying, button-smashing action!

Jumping decades, we broke out the Betty’s Attic tabletop version of Space Invaders. In the 80s, my friends and I rode our bikes to the video arcade every day after school to wield joysticks and obliterate aliens. It was awesome, dude! Totally awesome!

Finally, the kids took a break with some ice-cold drinks I served in our brand-new Kool-Aid Drink Set. I couldn’t help it–when I saw the familiar face of Kool-Aid Man (who got his name back in 1975), I screamed “Oh Yeahhh!” just like the commercials I grew up with.

And that’s when my kids decided “playtime with Mom” was over.

Tune Into 70s TV!

DVDs Bring Back Shows We've Missed

Every night after work I do the same thing you do: spend 35 minutes flipping up and down through all of my TV channels looking for something to watch. I spend more time looking than actually watching!

Remember growing up in the 60s and 70s when you looked forward to your favorite shows every week? You knew exactly when they were on and you simply tuned in and watched. During the commercials, you waited.

One of my favorite shows back then was–and still is–The Love Boat!

What captivated us, week after week, to curl up in front of Captain Stubing, Lovable “Gopher”, Julie McCoy Your Cruise Director, Ladies Man Doc Bricker and Isaac “Hippest Bartender On The High Seas?” Was it the deeply-woven dramatic storylines? The sizzling romances between Charo and David Hasselhoff? The vistas of exotic locales we vicariously visited while riding The Pacific Princess?

All of the above!

Season One, Volume One of The Love Boat is out on DVD and let me tell you–it’s just as much a guilty pleasure now as it was back in 1977 when it first premiered! It’s a time capsule of polyester bell bottoms, bouncy feathered hair and giggly double entendres! The background music alone is worth the price! As a young girl, I dreamed of wearing a string bikini and smearing cocoa butter on my tan legs as Isaac brought me mai tais. If I was lucky, Scott Baio would be on board!

Watching my Season One DVD as a grownup mom in 2008, I realize I’d now substitute sunscreen, a sundress, and Diet Coke–but I’ll let you in on a little secret: Scott Baio WAS on board in Season One and I did spaz a little bit when I saw him on the DVD! Unfortunately, the kids saw me and now I’ll never live it down.

If you liked The Love Boat, we’ve got tons more 70s shows on DVD:
Love, American Style
The Sonny & Cher DVD (highlights of the variety show)
Mike Douglas Moments & Memories
Best Of Donny And Marie DVD





And for those of you who always believed you’d make a great contestant–The Price Is Right DVD Home Version is here! Come On Down!

Now, if you’ll excuse me, Scott is waiting on The Lido Deck.

Super Heroes Walk Among Us!

Childhood Favorites On The Big Screen & Beyond


As hot balmy breezes start to blow in, everybody’s gearing up for the biggest summer movie season in history! Iron Man, Speed Racer, Indiana Jones (check out our awesome Indy Fedora), The Incredible Hulk and The Dark Knight (action figures coming soon...check back!) all await us in a darkened theater...and in the corners of our imaginations!



The males in our household are crackling with anticipation, and you know what? The women are, too! My teenage daughter is a big Batman fan (although I suspect this has something to do with Christian Bale) and she’s priming herself for The Dark Knight with her Batman: The Complete History Book. Chock full of classic illustrations, photos and trivia, it explores the fascinating evolution of The Caped Crusader from comics to campy TV show to neo noir icon!



Our 16 year-old son, the budding video game designer, is already an ace at sketching characters, but he still refers to his Superman Book and Spider-Man pop-up book for inspiration. He’s told us “everything you need to know about figure drawing you can learn from Marvel comics.” When I was his age, all I knew how to draw was Hello Kitty!



And who gave him his first comic book? His dad, of course! As I type this blog, Mr. Betty’s Attic is wearing his favorite Marvel Comics Characters T-Shirt as he rummages in the kitchen for some of last night’s lasagna.



Imagine if you could go back in time and tell the 9 year-old version of you about the super hero movies of today: Spidey stopping a train with his bare hands and Bruce Wayne’s futuristic tank-inspired Batmobile (remember the wild 60s version?)


The 9 year-old “you” would freak out!


That’s because no matter how much we “grow up” and trade in capes and masks for dishwashers and dry cleaning, there’s a 9 year-old inside all of us. Tugging at our shirt, saying “let’s play! ”

Tomorrow Is April Fool’s Day!

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Fools!

Did you know April Fool’s Day has been around for centuries?

Turns out there are oodles of wacky stories about its origins. One of the best stories took place in Britain in the 13th century. At the time, royal law stated that any road the king touched became his property. When the town of Gotham got wind of this, they hatched a plan to hang onto their land.

When King John approached Gotham, the residents refused him entry. But he was, after all, the king, and he sent knights to storm the town. So all the Gotham townsfolk pretended to be completely looney tunes by “drowning fish” and “trying to trap birds in roofless cages” (cutting-edge comedy in the 13th century). The king fell for it and declared Gotham “too foolish to punish.” And the people of Gotham kept their hamlet all to themselves!

Much later, in the 20th century, theater owners realized that fools equaled comedy gold!

From vaudeville to movies and, later, television, we’ve fallen in love with bumbling buffoons. The Three Stooges, Laurel and Hardy, and Abbott and Costello all boast at least 1 to 3 fools. Barney Fife from The Andy Griffith Show is another fine fool. Bad Boy Benny Hill mixed foolery with saucy hi-jinks for an irresistible combination (you know you watched when your parents weren’t around).

Some of my favorite fools are the cartoon characters I grew up with.I still crack up when Daffy Duck hisses “You’re despicable!” I giggle when Bullwinkle says “Hey Rocky! Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat!”

So, this April Fool’s Day pay homage to The Fool with your old friends: Scooby Doo, Johnny Carson, Fred Flintstone, Rodney Dangerfield, Charlie Brown, Bob Hope, Homer Simpson–and more.

And yes: I did just put Bob Hope in the same category as a crime solving dog. Doh!

Happy April Fool’s Day!

Grease Is The Word!

The Pink Ladies Are Back & Better Than Ever!

I feel I can admit to you guys that when Grease first came out 30 (really?) years ago, I became so obsessed with Olivia Newton-John, that I made my mom buy me a flannel nightgown just like the one Sandy wears in the sleepover scene so that I could practice singing “Hopelessly Devoted To You’ into my hairbrush night after night. I honestly don’t know how many times I made my mother take me to see Danny and Kenickie hold court with the coolest girls in the universe–The Pink Ladies!

Sure, the Frankie Valli song was great. The duets between Olivia and Vinnie Barbarino were magical. And the whole “boy meets Australian girl at the beach/disses her/wins her back at carnival where girl is painted into shiny Lycra pants” theme was mesmerizing.

But to a 9 year-old girl just entering the awkward Ugly Duckling phase of adolescence, The Pink Ladies were the girls I desperately wanted to be friends with. They were cool, tough, and funny. I knew, even at nine, that I was supposed to identify with sweet Sandy and aspire to ever-lasting love in a pleated poodle skirt.

But, honestly? It was Rizzo I empathized with the most. She tried so hard to keep her guard up when, deep down, she was a mess just like me! Besides, she was played by Stockard Channing and I thought “Stockard” was the coolest name ever besides Cher and Daphne from Scooby-Doo.

Frenchy’s hot pink helmet hair and Marty Maraschino (another great name) with her wallet-full of boyfriends were the perfect comic foils. Ask any girl between the ages of 30 and 60 to hum a few bars of “Look At Me I’m Sandra Dee,” and I’ll bet you get the whole song, complete with props!

We love those Ladies because they connect us to the fun of the 1950’s–and to our own childhoods. We don’t get to sing songs in our PJs with girlfriends much these days, but we can play with these new Mattel Barbie dolls based on our favorite Grease trio!

Sandy, Frenchy and Rizzo are more fun than ever in our set of 3 collectible Grease dolls. From Sandy’s pom poms to Rizzo’s pencil skirt, they bring back wonderful memories. My daughter had to pry them out of my hands and now she won’t give them back! She loves Grease, too! I guess it’s her turn. She just turned eight and I’m not positive, but I’m pretty sure I caught her singing into her hairbrush the other night...

We go together like ramma lamma lamma–ka dinga da dinga dong!

Happy Birthday, Larry Gelbart!

M*A*S*H Co-Creator And Master Funny Man

I love to imagine the pitch meeting to turn Robert Altman’s 1970 Korean War film, M*A*S*H, into a weekly sitcom:

PRODUCERS: “It’ll be hilarious! Just hilarious!”

STUDIO HEAD: “But isn’t it about...war?”

PRODUCERS: “Exactly! Pure comedy gold!”

Comedy gold it was, and it went on to become one of the best-loved TV shows of all time.

Of course, laughs were only half of it. The show tackled serious themes, too. But what we remember most is the lovable cast of characters we came to adore over the years.

We all had our favorites: smarty pants Hawkeye; co-conspiring sidekick(s) Trapper and later, Hunnicut; rodent-like Frank “Ferret Face” Burns; compassionate hothead Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan; Radar with his teddy bear; sweet and clueless Henry Blake; the tough guy with the soft spot, Colonel Potter; Klinger in his fine array of lingerie; pompous Winchester...and voice of reason and humanity, Father Mulcahy.

They seemed so real, that it’s almost inconceivable that they were created on paper by writers. In fact, the original film was based on a book by Dr. Richard Hornberger, himself a Korean War veteran. And the series was penned (primarily) by comedy legend Larry Gelbart.

Gelbart began his career writing for Danny Thomas’ 1940’s radio show, and went on to write material for the likes of Jack Paar, Bob Hope, Sid Caesar (collaborating with Neil Simon, Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner and Woody Allen).

He co-wrote a little blockbuster musical called A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum in 1962, and dabbled in a few movie screenplays you might’ve heard of: Oh, God! and Tootsie.

Yet, the moments he created with M*A*S*H will always hold a special place in our hearts. It was a magical group of people who felt more and more like family throughout the show’s 11-year run. As many of you know, the emotional 1983 finale remains one of the most-watched TV episodes of all time.

Revisit the 4077th and all your favorite memories with our M*A*S*H Red Cross T-Shirt (in standard issue military green, natch), the Framed Memorabilia Collectible, and Green Helicopter T-Shirt.

And raise a glass to Larry Gelbart–the man talented enough to make the front line feel like home.

Led Zeppelin—The Song (Thankfully) Remains The Same!

February 15, 1969: The feverishly-anticipated, self-titled debut album by Led Zeppelin entered the album charts, going to #10.

Before The Internet, buying concert tickets was not as easy as clicking a mouse.

When your favorite band announced a show, if you really really wanted good seats, you dug out the folding chairs and camped outside the box office hours or even days before they began selling tickets.

In 1975, Led Zeppelin sold out not one—but THREE—consecutive Madison Square Garden concerts in four hours!

That’s basically the equivalent of someone today selling out three concerts in 4 seconds. Okay, not exactly, but you get the idea.

More than 30 years later, fans worldwide are crossing their fingers that the mighty Zep may roar once again.

On December 10th, 2007, the surviving members of the band, (Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, and John Paul Jones) along with late drummer John Bonham’s son, Jason, on drums (an established drummer in his own right) played a historic concert at London’s O2 Arena as part of a tribute to their beloved friend, Atlantic Records founder, Ahmet Ertegun, who passed away on December 14, 2006.

Reviews were unanimously ecstatic!
Fans and critics proclaimed it “the concert of the century!”
Some people paid $14,000 a ticket!

I didn't get to go and may never fully recover...

As we wait with bated breath to see if the O2 appearance spirals into a “2008 reunion tour,” pledge your allegiance to one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time in our brand-spanking-new Led Zeppelin T-Shirt!

Whether you’re an old school fan of Page, Plant, Jones and the original God Of Thunder, John Bonham—or discovering them for the first time— you’re sure to become swept up in their cosmic elixir of blues, hard rock, folk, and interstellar magic.

Besides—(to borrow the line from Almost Famous) the guitar playing is ”incendiary!”

See you in “Kashmir!”

VIP Valentines

Aunt Betty Plays Cupid!



The worst Valentine’s gift your Aunt Betty ever received was the pine-scented car freshener (purchased 10 minutes prior at the local quick mart), given to her by a fella who threw in a bag of chips to sweeten the deal.

Here’s a tip, guys: sour cream and onion are not the way to a girl’s heart.

What do women want? It’s not diamonds or pearls–it’s that unexpected find we never would’ve guessed. Something that says you really really know who we are—and yet, you love us anyway!

Some women never outgrow their love of stuffed animals. After all, they remind us of tea parties with bears in pink-painted bedrooms. They comfort us and take us back to a simpler time (before carpools).

My favorite fuzzies are the M&M’s® Valentine Duo featuring a lovestruck candy making goo-goo eyes at a Boyds Bear buddy; and the Chantilly Lane Love U Cheerleader Bears who move their mouths and sing the party favorite, “Shout!” A personal cheering squad is quite the ego boost!

While we’re talking childhood, remember the “Love Is” cuties? So innocent. So adorable. So...in their birthday suits! Rekindle the romance with their Comic Strip Book collection, filled with love notes for you and your sweetie (birthday suit optional).

And, finally, for the incurable romantic, Mattel has created the Barbie Titanic Doll in the image of red-haired Rose. Dressed in a breathtaking recreation of the character's crimson gown, she's a vision and must-have for fans of the film! You’re never too old to play with Barbie!

Thankfully, Quick Mart Guy was decades ago. My current better half is much smarter, so I’m pretty sure there won’t be any cheese doodles this year.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Deals Of The Week!

Fabulous Finds For My Faithful Friends!

What do a secret spy, storybook sweeties, sexy starlet, swingin’ singer, and super-small soldier have in common? They’re all waiting for you in our Deals Of The Week!

I’ve collected 5 of my favorite winter pick-me-ups and given them special sale prices just in time for some well-needed “post-holiday retail therapy!”

The Lost Files Of Nancy Drew brings back fond memories of hiding under the covers past bedtime with a book and a flashlight, enchanted by Nancy’s moxy as she foiled the bad guys while looking like a prom queen. This interactive book is packed with neat pull-out/fold-up pieces celebrating the world’s spunkiest teenage detective!

Be careful! The Raggedy Ann and Andy Nesting Dolls look innocent on the outside, but once you start playing with them, it’s impossible to stop! I keep mine on my desk at work and I kid you not, every day somebody tries to sneak off with them!What happened to starlets like Marilyn who actually looked like women? All of these itty-bitty stick figure celebutants are a tad freakish. Bring back true Hollywood glamour with the cozy Marilyn Classic Pose Throw, and celebrate the beauty of real women!Did someone order a hunka hunka burnin’ love? Of all the phases of his colorful career, The King’s reign in Vegas held some of his most exciting moments. Keep a little piece of his magic close to you with the limited edition Elvis Las Vegas Figurine.

Encourage your inner child to play! Our movie collectible Munchkin Soldier Doll is an adorable recreation of the 1939 Wizard Of Oz character who so-warmly welcomed Dorothy and Toto to Munchkinland (after that mishap where her house fell on the lady with the red shoes).

All of these familiar faces are the perfect antidote to grey winter days stuck inside the house. After all, what’s more fun than Elvis stuck inside a too-tight crazy jumpsuit?

Polyester Among The Palm Trees

January 14, 1973: Elvis Presley's Aloha From Hawaii Concert Was Broadcast Live Via-Satellite

As a rock-and-roll fanatic, I have an ever-growing list of musical moments I wish I could have experienced first-hand:

• The Monterey Pop Festival of 1967 (featuring The Mamas And The Papas, among others)
• The Beatles’ first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964

And, without a doubt,

• The 1973 satellite broadcast of Elvis’ Aloha From Hawaii concert film.

You have to remember that back in 1973 (which seems so recent to your Aunt Betty), the concept of satellites beaming images around the planet was unheard of! But The King never let a challenge stand in his way—and on January 14th, 1973, his electrifying performance taped at the Convention Center in Honolulu, Hawaii was bounced around the globe to Australia, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, the Phillipines, South Vietnam and other countries. A tape of the show was later seen on American television on April 4th.

What really mattered—beyond the novelty of the broadcast, and the custom-designed American Eagle jumpsuit fitted with gemstones, and a matching belt and cape—was the magnificent performance Elvis gave. Gripping the mike confidently, he barreled through hits like “Burnin' Love,” “My Way,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Hound Dog”—and the obligatory (for his Hawaiian audience) “Blue Hawaii,” and “Hawaiian Wedding Song.” He even covered “Something” by The Beatles, further proving his incredible range.

It’s thrilling to watch it now on DVD, but the thought of seeing the world’s first-ever satellite broadcast—and it being ELVIS at the height of his game—is spine-tingling. He commanded the stage with a presence the music world has never known since. He held that audience right in his hand. And when he sang, it was like Tupelo honey.

Give in to your Elvis fascination with our Kingtastic gifts and collectibles! Feeling “All Shook Up?” So is Elvis, inside our kitschy Aloha From Hawaii Musical Glitter Globe that plays “Teddy Bear.”

Then again, perhaps all this talk of singing has you secretly yearning to don some polyester and belt out some of his tunes yourself? The Elvis Karaoke Set lets you croon to your heart’s content!

And when all that singin’ works up an appetite, enjoy a light snack with your Elvis Pez® Dispenser Set!

Because you’ll need to stay trim to squeeze into your jumpsuit...and Pez is much better for the waistline than peanut butter and banana sandwiches.

Celebrate The Super ‘70s!

Go Ahead—You Know You Love It!

As my kids text their friends about what they hope they’re getting for Christmas, Mr. Betty’s Attic is putting the finishing touches on the Cart-Style Popcorn Maker we bought for the family room this year. Since he likes to do those “construction things” by himself, I thought I’d take a little “me time” at the computer to regroup before The Big Day, and as usual, I'm browsing through our Betty’s Attic ‘70s stuff!

There’s something about The ‘70s that makes me grin. Maybe it’s the memories of feathered hair, polyester pants, disco balls, and Afterschool Specials, but I feel sorry for kids who don’t know what it was like to live through that fabulous decade! Sure, it had its embarrassing moments, but it had a lot of fun times, too!

Here are a few of my personal favorites: What girl didn’t want to don that Wonder Woman cape and tiara? Forget jewelry and fancy perfume—all we women need to feel gorgeous and invincible is this bright red Wonder Woman T-Shirt! I like to think of it as what Wonder Woman wears on laundry day!

When I was in the 6th grade, I had a friend named Cindy who was obsessed...obsessed...with John Schneider from The Dukes Of Hazzard while I was more of a Tom Wopat gal. We hung out every week watching the TV show, dreaming of riding in the General Lee. With this Light & Sound General Lee Die Cast, I can dream of being Mrs. Luke Duke when no one’s around!

And last but not least, my older brother’s (still) favorite band, The Hottest Band In The World: KISS! I used to tease him and say they were “gross,” but I secretly loved them! Now that I’m older, I love them even more and delight in embarrassing my kids by bringing my KISS Beach Towel on trips to the lake and the sandy shore. If it’s too loud, you’re too old! Rock on, mom!

Maybe 2008 will be the coolest year ever? Who knows? Until we find out, I'm sticking with The ‘70s...where every day is groooovy!

Happy Happy Holidays to all of you!

Get Your Yuletide Groove On!

December 1965—The Grateful Dead Play Their First Show

I hope you’re remembering to stop and sip the eggnog as we descend deeper into Holiday Mania! I’ll tell you—one thing that adds to my shopping stress is the music we’re forced to endure in some of the department stores! Nothing against chestnuts or dashing through the snow, but let’s just say that some renditions of holiday classics are in the bargain bin for a reason! My secret weapon? Why, The Grateful Dead, of course!

When I’m in the car alone (because we all know the torture of listening to our kids ridicule our golden oldies) and I’m up to here with fa-la-las, I put in my CD of American Beauty and pretty soon, the honking traffic dissipates into the stratosphere. The Dead fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, country, jazz, psychedelia—even gospel—for a brew no other band could dream of duplicating (although many have tried). Songs like “Sugar Magnolia,” and “Box Of Rain” are perfect introductions to their genius and, as stated above, a dreamy antidote to holiday frustration! Celebrate the anniversary of their first concert at the legendary San Francisco Fillmore on this day in 1965. It truly was, as they say, the beginning of an era!

Think Jerry’s guitar solos were “puzzling?” Try your luck at this cool 500-piece puzzle ingeniously combining individual classic photos of the rock icon to form one large mosaic sure to wind up on your wall. Fancy yourself as the ultimate Deadhead? Then our Grateful Dead Trivia Game is for you! Players collect "concert tickets" by answering interactive and trivia questions spanning the band’s history from Pigpen to Ratdog.

Get Ready For Rudolph!

The 1964 Rankin/Bass Classic Is Just As Much Fun Today!

Hands up—who still believes in The Island of Misfit Toys?

Whether you’re a child of the ‘60s, the ‘70s or the proud parent of your own child, Rudolph The Red-Nosed ReindeerTM should be viewed at least once every holiday season. Why? Because it brings back memories of sledding all day long, bundled-up in puffy snow suits, barely able to navigate through thick mittens. And later, coming home to hot chocolate as your Christmas tree lights twinkled on and off in the background, fresh pine in the air as Mom took cookies out of the oven.

What sets this telling of the classic ugly duckling tale apart from the countless other versions is the magic of Rankin/Bass and their ability to create unforgettable characters from the painstaking process of stop-motion animation. Recently revisited by Tim Burton in his Nightmare Before Christmas feature, in 1964 stop-motion was still pretty revolutionary.

Basically, it involves arranging 3-D objects (usually puppets) into poses and then shooting them frame by frame—only moving them a tiny distance each time. Frames are edited together to create the illusion that the puppets are actually walking, dancing, flying, etc.

It’s truly an art form to be appreciated by film fans. But for kids, it was pure magic to watch Sam The Snowman glide across glistening ponds, Santa’s sleigh take flight and King Moonracer welcome Rudolph and his friends to The Island of Misfit Toys (King Moonracer is still my personal favorite character next to The Bumble).

So have a “Holly Jolly Christmas” and start counting down the days to “The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year’ with our brand-new Rudolph items, the Singing Rudolph Ornament Set (playing songs from the TV special) and our exclusive Jim Shore figurines of Sam The Snowman, Santa With Rudolph, and The Bumble.

But don’t stop there! We also have a T-shirt, musical mugs and more!

So what if it’s September? Be a kid again and start getting hopped-up for the holidays now! Just remember to take your mittens off before you surf the web!

KISS® Inducted Into Hollywood Walk Of Fame August 11, 1999

For KISS, Every Day Is A Walk Of Fame!

"Man, if there’s one thing KISS will never do, it’s a...disco song!"—Lex, Detroit Rock City .

That line is hilarious for the same reason "...if you think Mick Jagger will still be out there trying to be a rock star at age fifty, you’re sadly sadly mistaken" from Almost Famous is hilarious.

Both of those movies take place before we knew it was possible for KISS to go disco or Jagger to belt out "Brown Sugar" well past 50. Ahh...the sweet ignorance of youth.

One year after Detroit Rock City took place (1978), Gene, Paul, Peter and Ace released “I Was Made For Loving You” to the dismay and horror of many a KISS Army soldier. The smash hit ushered in the Dynasty-era KISS, and not long after, founding members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley jumped ship.

But many rock fans who came of age in the ‘70s forgave them for that disco misstep because KISS were an unstoppable force, a keystone in every record collection, and cohorts for many-a-crazy teenage memory.

To this day, I get goosebumps when I listen to Ace Frehley’s solo during “Shock Me” from KISS Alive II. This morning I heard “Hard Luck Woman” on the radio as I drove to work—seven hours later, I’m still humming it in my head. And I will always, no matter what, list KISS Meets The Phantom Of The Park as one of my favorite films, right in-between Serpico and Ordinary People, because as cheesy as that 1978 made-for-TV movie was, it took the fantastic magic of KISS and condensed it...kind of like Jell-O.

And I, for one, am glad KISS received their very own Hollywood Walk of Fame Star on August 11th, 1999. It summed-up what the rest of us had known for decades—that throughout the various incarnations, musical experimentation (Music From The Elder, anyone?) make-up removal and reunion tours—they were always fun. Larger than life, in your face, “these go to eleven,” flying fireworks-fun. And these days, fun is pretty hard to find.

Who’s your favorite member of KISS? What’s your favorite album? Check out our Kiss-a-licious Kollection of memorabilia including the set of 4 Pint Glasses with album cover artwork, the Love Gun Long-Sleeved T-Shirt, the Gene Simmons T-Shirt and lots more!

And break out those KISS CDs, crank up the stereo and remember what good times are all about!