Description: Ramen, a beloved dish worldwide, has a unique and fascinating history in South Korea. While ramen may have originated in Japan, Korean ramen got its start in the '60s and been developing its own distinct identity and flavor profile ever since. The love for spicy food is deeply rooted in Korean cuisine, and in the mid '80s, the introduction of bold, spicy flavors set Korean ramen apart from others that were historically quite mild. This lead Korean ramen to become a cultural phenomenon worldwide, solidifying the association of Korean ramen with fiery flavors.
Description: Blind (often stylized as bLind) was an American skateboard company founded in 1988, the name devised as the opposite of Vision, the founder's former long time sponsor. The company's logo for many years was a stylized, somewhat cute grim reaper character, shown here wielding his scythe and a pistol. Blind produced decks, wheels, soft goods, and accessories for about 25 years before going under.
Description: Better Youth Organization Records (BYO) was a Los Angeles, California based independent punk rock record label created by Shawn and Mark Stern, two of the three brothers of the California punk rock band Youth Brigade. Before BYO became a record label, they started as a fanzine of the same name. The zine intended to tackle the issues of police brutality and the negative views towards punks and the punk scene. BYO Records carried that mantra forward and worked to promote punk and other alternative youth cultures in a positive light. Someone Got Their Head Kicked In, which came out in 1982, was the label's first release, and was a compilation from ten California punk bands with 18 tracks. The cover reflected the aggressive energy punk crowds.
Description: Stars Deli Restaurant sat on the ground floor of in the Hollywood Pacific Theatre building in Hollywood, California. Located right on the corner of Wilcox and Hollywood, this timeless greasy spoon diner with counter service was stuck in the '50s, and really didn't change much over the years. As such, the diner can be seen in many movies and television shows as it was not only centrally located to the studios, but was also a ready to use diner set straight out of the 1950s. Stars hung on for years and saw many changes to the neighborhood, but finally closed their doors in the '90s. The shuttered storefront and part of their original signage can still be seen today at 6445 Hollywood Boulevard.
Description: Henry Patrick McKenney was an American woodsman, lumberman, outdoor enthusiast, businessman, and fire warden in Jackman Station (now just Jackman), Maine. He started several logging and sporting camps in the area, including Lake Parlin House and Lodges. Opening its doors in 1909, Lake Parlin House was purpose built as resort accommodations. Within the first few years, cabins were added to the property, which were known as the 'lodges' for folks wanting a more rustic experience. An early brochure promoted it as "a modern hotel in the heart of Maine's wild woods offering fishing, hunting, and canoeing for American families, combining modern amenities with rustic charm." Sadly, a fire in the '50s burned the main house down.
Description: The Mason and Dixon Lines (Mason-Dixon) was an American trucking company founded by E. Ward King in 1932 in Kingsport, Tennessee. The firm specialized in hauling household goods and building materials, but acquisitions such as C. Murdock Lines and Robinson Transfer Motor Lines added tanker and flatbed service and expanded routes. With a fleet of red tractors and polished aluminum trailers, Mason-Dixon was known as 'The Silver Fleet', grew to be one of the largest privately owned carriers in the U.S. for a time. In 1984, the company experienced significant labor problems, including a strike over pay cuts and driver demands. Coupled with operating in a post-deregulation America, Mason-Dixon wasn't able to weather the storm.
Description: Roc-A-Fella Records was founded in 1994 by a group of a group of New York City artists, record executives, and entrepreneurs as a startup hip hop record label. The drive to start the new label began after one of Roc-A-Fella's founding artists had been rejected by major record labels, so the new independent label was used to launch the rapper's debut album. The label quickly proved to be successful and would put out over 50 releases ranging from rap, hip-hop, R&B, and soundtracks before the label's closure in 2013.
Description: Inner tubing is a recreational activity involving riding on an inner tube, which can be a rubber inner tube from a tire or a modern purpose designed inflatable tube, down a river. Many popular river tubing areas offer services where riders are shuttled to the start of the run and then met at the end, allowing tubers to enjoy a leisurely ride down stream on a hot summer day.
Description: Urusei Yatsura is a Japanese manga series that ran as serialized weekly from 1978 to 1987. The story follows high schooler Ataru Moroboshi, who wins a game of tag against an alien princess named Lum, and his declaration of "I'm gonna marry her!" is misinterpreted by Lum as a proposal, making her his fiercely loyal, electrically-charged wife. The series then details the comedic, often chaotic, adventures that result from Lum's possessiveness. The series makes heavy use of Japanese mythology, culture, and puns, and was eventually adapted into two anime television series that aired in the Japanese market.
Description: Astro Speedway Skatepark was built in the basement of a furniture store at 568 Chicago Drive in Jenison, Michigan in the late '70s. Named after the Greek mythology figure of Astraeus, God of Stars and Dusk, the windowless basement skate park made skating possible regardless of the weather, and was the only park of its kind at the time. The park featured a 9' high concrete half pipe that was 18' wide, as well as an 18' x 18' keyhole pool, and an open freestyle area. The very 70s style artwork they used for their logo was pretty over the top, but hey, it was the 70s!
Description: Li'l Coffin is a wild '32 sedan built by Dave Stuckey, with the first version of the car being finished in 1956. Dave continued to work and rework his hot rod over the next several years, before eventually selling it to his good friend Larry Farber. Larry was showing the car when some folks from Monogram saw it and decided that they wanted the car to make a model kit, and a deal to sell Li'l Coffin was made. Monogram sent the car for a new paint, but didn't want anything else to be changed, so the final look of the kit's box art was locked in. The original 1/24 scale Li'l Coffin plastic model kit hit hobby shop shelves in 1964 and was a runaway hit. The outrageous kustom sedan included every detail, as well as a cool skeleton figure.
Description: Snake River Falls was a shoot-the-chutes water ride attraction located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, with a theme loosely based on a lumber mill operation. When it opened on May 8, 1993, the ride was the fastest, tallest, and steepest water ride in the world. 20-passenger boats that looked like large logs climbed to the top of the 82-foot hill, where the boats made a U-turn into a 50-degree splashdown at 40 mph. A bridge at the bottom over the path of the ride provided spectators the opportunity to get wet. The ride took its final plunge on September 2, 2024 to make way for future expansion, and was demolished in the offseason.
Description: New wave is a music genre that encompasses pop-oriented styles that emerged in the mid- to late 1970s as a lighter and more melodic in a post-punk era. The term became a catch-all that ultimately encompassed many contemporary popular music styles, including synth-pop, alternative dance, and post-punk. While not necessarily a veritable genre, old wave is often used to describe that which came before new wave. While musicians and fans alike argued about who fit into what box, some artists just did their thing and defied all the labels.
Description: Important Record Distributors (IRD) started out in New York in 1979, mainly dealing with pressing and distribution of various indie labels. In 1983, IRD launched their own in-house label, Relativity, and before too long, they decided to launch a sub label for metal bands, dubbing it Combat. Their metal label took off and found success, especially with cassettes of metal bands previously only available on vinyl. A year into Combat, the label had a growing number of non-metal acts, so a new sub-label was created for them. Called Combat Core, the new label featured punk, hardcore, and crossover artists that didn't align with traditional heavy metal. The Combat Core label only lasted a few years, but left a legacy of nearly 50 releases.
Description: Sierra Entertainment was founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems in Simi Valley, California, by husband-and-wife duo, Ken and Roberta Williams. Sierra became known for defining the graphic adventure game genre, including the first such title, Mystery House, and many that followed including King's Quest, Space Quest, Police Quest, Gabriel Knight, and Quest for Glory. The company was renamed Sierra On-Line in 1982, and moved to Oakhurst, California. Sierra was acquired by CUC International in 1996, and remained with CUC as it was sold and renamed several times over the next few years. In 2002, Sierra On-Line officially announced the name change to Sierra Entertainment and would continue to publish until about 2009.
Description: STS-1 (Space Transportation System-1) was the first orbital spaceflight of America's Space Shuttle program. The first orbiter, Columbia OV-102, launched on April 12, 1981, and returned on April 14, 1981, 54.5 hours later, having orbited the Earth 37 times. Columbia carried a crew of two—commander John W. Young and pilot Robert L. Crippen. It was the first American crewed space flight since the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) in 1975. STS-1 was also the maiden test flight of a new American spacecraft to carry a crew, though it was preceded by atmospheric testing (ALT) of the orbiter and ground testing of the Space Shuttle system.
Description: Scottish alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain formed in East Kilbride in 1983. With eight albums and 25 singles, twelve top 40 entries and two top 10 hits in the UK over the course of their career, they are recognized as key figures in the development of the shoegaze and noise pop subgenres. Automatic is the band's third studio album, released on October 9, 1989. Although released to generally mixed reviews at the time, critical and fan reception has improved with time. This design is based on the iconic green star from the Automatic cover.
Description: Zynaps is a side-scrolling shoot 'em up video game published by Hewson Consultants for home computers in 1987. Initially released for the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, and Commodore 64, Zynaps was met with positive critical reception, resulting in being ported to additional platforms the following year. The game is a 2D side scrolling shooter that tasks players with getting through 14 levels with a spaceship, shooting down waves of hostile attack formations, collecting weapons, and not getting caught. At the end of each level, an end boss awaits that needs to be defeated to progress to the next section. After every section, the difficulty of the next is increased.
Description: Shippers Dispatch was a trucking company based in South Bend, Indiana. With a primary focus on the Midwest, Shippers Dispatch had routes as far west as Quincy, Illinois, as far east as Buffalo, New York, and as far south as St. Louis. Their heavily focused routes made them a force to be reckoned with in the region. The company was acquired by Preston 151 in 1975, significantly doubling its service area to include Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio. Preston 151 itself was founded in 1932 and grew through acquisitions in the 1950s and 60s, but ultimately faced financial difficulties, was sold by Yellow Corp. in 1998, and shut down operations in 1999.
Description: Arizona is known for its hot climate, especially during the summer, when temperatures can reach 120°F or higher. The state has long, extremely hot summers and is one of the sunniest regions in the world. Laying out in the sun in the Copper State is no joke, as the sun is intense and will deliver the sunburn of all sunburns in no time at all, but that doesn't stop people from soaking up the warm rays. This sun bum design is based on the generic '80s style souvenir tees that tourists snap up on vacations or during road trips as they pass through the area... don't forget your sunscreen!
Description: On February 21, 1997, a mysterious man named Mel Waters called into a radio show, claiming to have discovered a bottomless pit with with paranormal properties. Waters claimed that he owned rural property just outside of Ellensburg in Kittitas County, Washington, that contained a mysterious hole. According to Waters, the hole had an unknown depth. He measured its depth with fishing line and a weight, although he still had not hit bottom by the time 80,000 feet of line had been used. He also claimed that his neighbor's dead dog had been seen alive after it was thrown into the hole and radios brought near the edge would play broadcasts from decades ago. According to Waters, the hole's properties prompted the government to seize his land...
Description: Continental Catnip Corporación is a fictional multinational based in Guadalajara in Chihuahua, Mexico. A producer of powerful catnip, it was featured in the 1966 golden age theatrical cartoon, 'A Taste of Catnip,' which sees non-cat characters take on cat-like mannerisms after getting a whiff of the potent herb. At the Guadalajara Medical Centre, psychiatrist Dr. Manuel Jose Olvera Sebastian Rudolfo Ortiz Pancho Jimenez Perez III (Mexico's finest), discovers that his duck patient has lethal amounts of catnip in his blood, and he must discover the source. Turns out that right across the street is the Continental Catnip factory, and decides that the only solution is to destroy it. Don't read too much into it - it's a '60s era cartoon.
Description: Practical effects, also known as special effects (SFX), are visual effects created physically on set, rather than through computer-generated imagery (CGI). These effects are achieved using real-world materials, props, and physical mechanisms. Examples include explosions, makeup, animatronics, miniatures, and even weather effects like rain or smoke. While founded in the '70s, Los Angeles-based SWFX didn't hit its stride until the '80s, and was so good at what they did, the studio remained in demand well into the 2000s despite the increasing use of CGI-based effects.
Description: Time Crisis is a first-person on-rails light gun shooter series of arcade video games introduced in 1995. It is focused on the exploits of a fictional international intelligence agency (V.S.S.E.) that assigns its best agents to deal with a major threat by a hostile organization, which has ranged from criminals, terrorists, and rogue military outfits, and mostly takes place within fictional locations across the world. The arcade series differed from other light gun shooters of its time by incorporating unique mechanics, including the ability to duck into cover to dodge attacks and reload the player's weapon, and forcing players to complete battles in each level within an allotted amount of time.
Description: Italvega was a brand of Italian-made road bicycles manufactured between 1970 and 1977. Italvega was established by California bicycle importer Ben Lawee to create a line of high-quality, top-tier bikes exclusive to his company. Italvega bikes were hand made in Padua, Italy, and gained a substantial following during their relatively short production run.
Description: The Olds 4-4-2 (also known as the 442) is a muscle car that was originally introduced as an option package for US-sold F-85 and Cutlass models, but became a model in its own right from 1968 to 1971. The "4-4-2" name (pronounced "Four-four-two") derives from the original car's four-barrel carburetor, four-speed manual transmission, and dual exhaust system. The second generation body style for 1969 was significant for the 442 since it broke free from the Cutlass to become its own model. It was also one of the better-looking 442s, as the body style changed in later years, and since the 69s had a particularly short production run, it made them considerably more rare than other generations, past and present.
Description: The Los Angeles Aztecs were an American professional soccer team based in Los Angeles, California, that was founded in 1973, and played from 1974 to 1981. The Aztecs competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1974 to 1981 as well as the 1975 NASL Indoor tournament, the 1979–80 and 1980–81 NASL Indoor seasons, and won the NASL Championship in 1974. During their eight years of existence, the Aztecs played at four different venues and were controlled by four different ownership groups.
Description: On Saturday, January 9, 1971, after weeks of attention-grabbing teasers (like giant chickens fleeing with the host), the Bob Wilkins hosted horror movie program Creature Features debuted on Oakland's KTVU 2 at 9:00 pm. Kicking off with 'The Horror of Party Beach,' the show was an immediate hit and became a ratings winner, so the show expanded to a double feature format on August 7, 1971. While the movies ranged from campy to downright terrible, it was Wilkins' dry wit that made the show work. With his droll humor, omnipresent cigar, and iconic rocking chair, he played the role of an aficionado with a taste for genre cinema. The show was so popular in the Bay Area that it would often beat network programming which probably blew some minds.
Description: Sprint cars are open-wheel race cars, designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval, circular dirt or paved tracks. The All Stars Tour was an ensemble competition featuring the biggest names in Sprint Car racing from across the country, with this design marking the 1986 tour. Sprint cars have very high power-to-weight ratios, with weights of approximately 1,400 pounds and power outputs of over 900 horsepower, which give them a power-to-weight ratio besting that of contemporary F1 cars. Typically, they are powered by a naturally aspirated, methanol-injected overhead valve V8 engine with a displacement of 410 cubic inches and capable of engine speeds of 9000 rpm and can achieve speeds in excess of 160 miles per hour.
Description: The Calgary Exhibition and Stampede is an annual rodeo, exhibition, and festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The ten-day event, which bills itself as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth," attracts over one million visitors per year and features one of the world's largest rodeos, a parade, midway, stage shows, concerts, agricultural competitions, chuck-wagon racing, and First Nations exhibitions. The event's roots are traced to 1886 when Calgary held its first fair. In 1912, American promoter Guy Weadick organized his first rodeo and festival, known as the Stampede. Weadick's festival became an annual event in 1923 when it merged with the Calgary Industrial Exhibition to create the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede.
Description: Seattle Slew was a champion American thoroughbred racehorse who became the tenth winner of the American Triple Crown, and one of only two horses to have won it while being undefeated in any previous race. Slew was foaled February 15, 1974 in Lexington, Kentucky. He was considered awkward and not particularly handsome as a foal, with some saying he looked like a mule and lacked promise. As he matured, Slew developed a graceful front-running style with an acceleration that was compared to a falcon in a dive, and then he was off to the races. Literally. Seattle Slew would become a champion at ages two, three, and four and be named Horse of the Year after securing the Triple Crown in 1977.
Description: The John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC), located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's ten field centers. Since 1968, KSC has been the primary launch center of American spaceflight, research, and technology. Launch operations for the Apollo, Skylab and Space Shuttle programs were carried out from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 and managed by KSC. Located on the east coast of Florida, KSC is adjacent to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), and the management of the two entities work very closely together, share resources, and operate facilities on each other's property.
Description: Archivists preserve records and historical materials by appraising, arranging, describing, and caring for them, then making them accessible to the public for research and other purposes. They work with a wide variety of materials, including paper documents, photographs, maps, films, and digital records, in settings like universities, museums, corporations, and government institutions. Their role includes developing collection policies, performing archival processing (rehousing and arranging materials), providing access to researchers, and ensuring the long-term preservation of historical documents. In short, archivists make it last longer...
Description: Named for Li Po (701-762), an influential Chinese poet, often considered one of the finest of China’s Tang period, Li Po Restaurant was located in Los Angeles' New Chinatown for nearly 50 years. This design shows Li Po as he is often depicted, riding backwards on his donkey, something he apparently did to protest and mock the leaders of his province.
Description: Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, officially Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF), is a United States Navy shipyard covering 179 acres on Puget Sound in Bremerton, Washington. The base has been in uninterrupted use since its establishment in 1891. It is the Pacific Northwest's largest naval shore facility and one of Washington state's largest industrial installations. PSNS & IMF provides the Navy with maintenance, modernization, and technical and logistics support, and employs 15,000 people which makes it the largest public shipyard in terms of personnel assigned. Approximately 25% of the shipyard's workload involves inactivation, reactor compartment disposal, and recycling of ships.
Description: The Uppity Turtle was a cocktail lounge located at 4204 W. 3rd St. in Los Angeles that featured a dapper top hat wearing. This 1970s nightspot featured a full bar and a dance floor where customers could dance the night away to the latest disco hits, and they did just that well into the '80s.
