Description: Founded in 1932, by Harry Walker, in Memphis, Tennessee, Walker Radiator Works was a manufacturer of handcrafted radiators for street rods and other custom applications where precision fitment and high performance cooling were required. Specializing in coolant and air management packages for street rods and high performance vehicles, Walker was recognized as the world leader in cooling systems. With over 85% market share, Walker claimed to have built more custom radiators than all other manufacturers combined during their nearly 90-year run and were one of the only shops where builders could pick up pure copper or brass radiators with a 10-year warranty.
Description: La Endemoniada is a Spanish horror film released in Spain in 1975, and hit U.S. drive-ins the following year as Demon Witch Child with an English language dub. The story centers around a young girl who becomes possessed by a witch seeking revenge. Possessed by a demonic force, the girl unleashes evil, terror, confusion, and mayhem on her family and the people of the town. While it's obvious where La Endemoniada takes its influence from, the film takes things up several notches with more extreme themes and visuals that any horror fanatic will find worth the watch.
Description: The Willys MB and the Ford GPW are four-wheel drive utility vehicles that were manufactured during World War II. Produced from 1941 to 1945, it evolved post-war into the civilian Jeep CJ-2A, and inspired both an entire category of recreational 4WDs and several generations of military light utility vehicles. This design features a highly detailed cutaway schematic laid over an olive drab military star with a nice vintage treatment to give it an authentic aged look.
Description: On February 28, 1845, Congress passed a bill that authorized the U.S. to annex the Republic of Texas on December 29 that same year. The proposed state constitution was sent to Washington on December 29, 1845, and while the United States of America formally welcomed Texas as the 28th state, the transfer of governmental authority, however, was not complete until February 19, 1846. To commemorate the 150-year sesquicentennial of Texas statehood in 1996, a year-long celebration was held in Texas, and various events were held all over the Lone Star State.
Description: Space Ace is a LaserDisc based video game released in December 1983. Like its predecessors, it featured film-quality animation played back from a LaserDisc. Gameplay required the player to move the joystick or press the fire button at key moments in the animated sequences to decide the hero's actions. There is also the occasional option to either temporarily have the character transform into his adult form or remain as a boy with different styles of challenge. The arcade game was a commercial success in North America, but was unable to achieve the same level of success as its predecessors.
Description: Caveman is a 1981 slapstick comedy film set in the Stone Age. The promotional tagline of "back when you had to beat it before you could eat it..." pretty much sums up the kind of humor one might expect from this flick. The plot centers around Atouk, who is disgraced and cast out of his tribe for lusting after Lana, the mate of the tribe’s head muscle man, as he stumbles along gathering other misfits and learning a bit about the world outside of his cave. Eventually he and friends Lar and Tala learn the secrets of fire, cooked meat, and how to defend themselves from the brutal, yet very stupid dinosaurs. The film was poorly received overall, but even the harshest of critics admitted that it had it's moments.
Description: The palm mute is a guitar and bass guitar technique performed by placing the side of the picking hand across the guitar's strings, close to the bridge, while picking. The name is a misnomer as the muting is not performed using the player's palm. The technique is used with electric guitars and is responsible for the characteristic "chugging" and "crunch" sound of distorted guitar sound. Palm muting can also be used in conjunction with a wah pedal to produce the distinctive scratching sound often heard in disco music. Word has it that Jesus is a huge fan of the palm mute, so play that chord for the Lord!
Description: Storied racing engine builders Jim Travers and Frank Coon joined forces to found TRACO Engineering in Culver City, California in 1957. The name was a portmanteau of the two men's last names (TRAvers & COon), and when the two combined, they ended up building some of the most successful road racing engines in American history. TRACO built race engines for many segments of motorsports including midgets, Indy, Can Am, Trans Am, and even built powerplants to spec for the big boys in Detroit. TRACO Engineering continued doing their thing throughout the '90s, but ultimately closed up shop in 1999.
Description: The Kids Club Gang was a diverse group of cartoon children that appeared in advertisements for B.K. throughout the '90s. The characters were presented as the 'founding members' of the real-life B.K. Kids Club loyalty program, which allowed children to sign up and receive a membership card, a free meal on their birthday, and additional promotional items such as magazines and calendars via mail. The characters were featured prominently in print advertising as well as in animated television spots, where they were commonly referred to as being in the coolest club in town.
Description: Fought between 1919 and 1921, the Irish War of Independence was a guerrilla and sectarian conflict involving Irish republicans, Ulster loyalists and British government forces. The conflict ended in a truce in July 1921, which led to the Anglo-Irish Treaty between the British government and representatives of the Second Dáil in December 1921. It gave Ireland complete independence in its home affairs and practical independence for foreign policy, but an opt-out clause allowed Northern Ireland to remain within the United Kingdom, which it immediately exercised. This began a process of gradual separation from the British Empire that was not officially declared to be the Republic of Ireland until 1949.
Description: Psenicno Lasko was produced in Slovenia's oldest brewery, founded in 1825, and differed from other beers by the use of the yeast from the fermentation, which is also present in the final product, since the beer is unfiltered. The yeast is inactive in the beer and pasteurized before bottling. The beer was characterized as a combination of fruity, pleasantly bitter, spicy and herbal hop notes.
Description: Buddy Christ is a parody religious icon seen in the 2006 film Dogma. In the movie, he is part of a campaign called "Catholicism Wow!" that is intended to revitalize the Catholic Church. Viewing the crucifix image as 'wholly depressing,' the church, led by Cardinal Glick decides to retire it, and creates Buddy Christ as a more uplifting image of Jesus Christ. With his thumbs up, wink, and other hand point at the viewer, this version of JC is the bro Son of God that everyone needs in their life.
Description: Powroll Performance was founded in 1964 by dirt bike enthusiast Paul Olmstead in Bend, Oregon. Little did he know that the side business he started in a cinder block building behind his house would go on to become one of the longest-running performance companies in the motorcycle industry. Paul devised a way to shorten OEM connecting rods, creating a simple and less expensive way to build stroker cranks for OHC four-stroke engines. Powroll's stroker cranks made great power while increasing reliability and did so at a reasonable price with little to no additional modifications, making them wildly popular. Cranks were Powroll's primary product, but they built up a pretty extensive catalog of performance parts over the years.
Description: Jets to Brazil was an American indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York that formed in 1997 and were active until 2003. Made up of members of Jawbreaker, Texas is the Reason, and Handsome, JTB churned out three amazing albums during their relatively short existence, proven by how well they still hold up today. Weaving punk rock bravado, pop consciousness, post-modern style, and undeniable poetic flair the band's indie rock credentials were beyond reproach, and their music was often hard to classify.
Description: Hoʻokipa is a beach on the north shore of Maui, Hawaii is perhaps the most renowned windsurfing site in the world. A combination of large, well-shaped waves breaking across a system of reefs that extend across the bay and consistently strong winds make it ideal for the sport. The waves are largest in the winter and smaller in the summer. Hoʻokipa means "hospitality" in Hawaiian, and in addition to windsurfing competitions, surfing contests are held there.
Description: Trans Western Express (TWE) opened its doors in the early '70s and hit the ground running to become one of Canada's largest LTL trucking companies. Based in Toronto, TWE ran Canada from coast to coast and heavily advertised their daily service to Western Canada. TWE would eventually begin making inroads into North America, but were eventually absorbed by a larger carrier network and the Trans Western Express name was retired in the early 2000s.
Description: When you think of New Orleans, Irish heritage doesn't typically come to mind, but the quaint Irish Channel neighborhood was shaped by immigrants from Ireland in the 1830s. At that time, it was known for its shotgun homes, working-class community, and the ports and breweries where residents worked. In the 1940s, Connor O'Clery realized there wasn't a proper Irish bar, and set out to change that by opening O'Clery's Place. The Magazine Street bar featured beers on tap from local and national breweries and several from the motherland. After expanding in the '50s, they added a full kitchen and began serving up traditional Irish dishes like Dublin coddle and Irish stew.
Description: In the early days of radio control (RC), the popular GT road racing cars were 1/8th scale. This changed in 1971 when Jerobee introduced the first 1/12th scale car ever – the MK8B. As with all early cars, the MK8B was powered by a gas engine, in this case, a Cox Babe Bee 0.049 with integrated fuel tank and pull starter. Intended as low cost car for anyone, the design was kept simple for easy operation and being sturdy in use. The MK8B was sold as RTR (Ready To Run) with receiver and servos made as integrated brick type unit along with a Jerobee Comando transmitter which was one of the first steering wheels in RC. The smaller scale made it possible to run them in a driveway or even hold races on smaller tracks than the larger 1/8 scale cars.
Description: Released on April 11, 1995, Astro-Creep: 2000 is the fourth and final studio album by American heavy metal band White Zombie. The album featured a more industrial sound and proved to be the band's most commercially successful record, peaking at number six with the aid of the hit singles "More Human than Human" and "Super-Charger Heaven." To support the record, the band toured non-stop for fifteen months, playing over 200 shows with a variety of acts that crisis-crossed America multiple times. In the summer of '96, White Zombie played its final dates before breaking up in September '98. The tour brought a freak show vibe, including this creepy hook-handed clown who is now back from the dead to freak out coulrophobia sufferers everywhere.
Description: Robert Herrin founded Herrin Transportation Company in 1937. Based in Houston, Texas, Herrin started out with scheduled route service between several major cities in Texas and Louisiana, and within a decade, were operating over 20 terminals in the two states. The next ten years saw Herrin add route service to Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Missouri, New Mexico, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Illinois. The company continued to grow and expand throughout the '60s, but things turned for the worse in the early '70s, and by 1974, Herrin shuttered their operations and ceased to exist.
Description: A new technique for die-casting metal emerged during WWI, and after the war, toy manufacturers used the technique to create more detailed and accurate miniature cars. Dinky Toys was a leader in this area, selling their first diecast cars in sets of five. Dinky became a big name, and making models of popular cars which helped them find success. However, other companies emerged with their own innovations, and by the late '60s, diecast cars were all the rage and not just for kids. From hot rods to exotic, many adults were building collections of their own. This worked out well as kids began to embrace video games and electronic toys in the '70s and '80s as it was adult collectors who were keeping diecast car manufacturers in business.
Description: Honest Ed's was a landmark discount store in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was named for its proprietor, Ed Mirvish, who opened the store in 1948 and oversaw its operations for almost 60 years until his death in 2007. The store continued to operate until it closed on December 31, 2016. By 1968 the store was grossing $14 million annually and gained fame for its marketing stunts, including loss leader specials. Mirvish's annual turkey giveaway before Christmas always received a lot of attention, and the birthday parties he threw for himself became neighborhood events with free cake, hot dogs, candy, and giveaways.
Description: The upside-down pineapple denotes that a person is either a swinger or looking for a swinging party. You’ll find upside-down pineapples in action on cruise ships, in resorts, and even at residences. Some may use actual pineapples by the front door to let others know they’re down with the lifestyle, while others may just use decals or doormats. Of course, people who aren't swingers and just love tropical decor may have pineapples by their front door too, so you know, don't make assumptions and do anything weird.
Description: California has a long history of being a leader in environmental stewardship and promoted protecting nature through a variety of campaigns going back decades. In 1965, the California Division of Forestry was concerned about the growing number of wildfires started by kids, and began to target children through educational materials, teacher kits, fire prevention promotional items, and more. To help with the cause, they had a couple of cartoon spokespeople created - 'Sniff and Snuff, the Super Fire-Safe Snoopers.' Sniff and Snuff were added to printed materials as well as staring in animated PSA's that ran amidst blocks of cartoons and other children's programming to teach children the importance of fire safety and the dangers of forest fires.
Description: American Motors Corporation made automobiles between 1954 and 1988, and while they had a few hits over the years, they are mostly remembered for their less-than-glamorous models. In '79, the Spirit, Pacer, Eagle, and Concord were on dealer lots across America and didn't get much respect at the time. However, they did put out an AMX model of the Spirit, a throwback nod to their hit muscle car from '68. This performance-oriented model featured an aggressive-looking body kit, racing-inspired graphics, and custom alloy wheels. Of course, it was all appearance. The '79 Spirit AMX came with a rally-tuned suspension system, a 4-speed transmission, and of course, a 304 V8 engine as an option.
Description: Also known as Street Fleet, D.C. Cab is an American comedy movie released in 1983. The film follows the misadventures of a group of unfortunate but streetwise cabbies working for a decrepit taxicab company in Washington, D.C. Despite featuring '80s icon Mr. T as part of an ensemble cast, D.C. Cab was a crude and bawdy R rated flick that was anything but family-friendly, leaving many critics and theatergoers less than thrilled with the film.
Description: Founded by brothers Alan and Richard Jensen in 1934, Jensen Motors Ltd. was a British manufacturer of sports cars and commercial vehicles based in West Bromwich, England. Jensen started out as a coach builder, producing specialty car bodies for several major manufacturers. They continued to produce bodies for other brands alongside cars of their own design using engines and mechanicals from third-party suppliers. Jensen Motors was bought in June 1959, and the brothers resigned from the board in 1966. The company was sold again in 1968. Donald Healey became a director of Jensen Motors in 1970 and the result was the Jensen-Healey, a two-seater convertible sports car, which appeared in 1972 and was well received by consumers.
Description: Profile Racing was established in 1968 as a racecar chassis builder in Flemington, New Jersey. The operation relocated to St. Petersburg, Florida in 1971, and when the owner's kids began dabbling in BMX in '78, the direction of the company was about to change in a big way. BMX racing was in its infancy, but Profile knew they could improve performance, and introduced the first 3-piece chromoly tubular crankset in '79. Little did they know that this initial innovation would become the standard for the BMX industry for decades to come. Profile would go on to produce just about every major bicycle component for serious BMX racers, including their own high-performance competition frames.
Description: Comprised of five boroughs sitting where the Hudson River meets the Atlantic Ocean, New York City is the largest metropolitan area in the United States, both by population and urban area. Add the fact that NYC averages 65 million visitors a year and it's easy to see why they call it the city that never sleeps. This early '90s souvenir-style design is inspired by those tourists might have picked up from street vendors during their visit. While the Twin Towers are sadly long gone, the rest of Manhattan is busy as ever and the Statue of Liberty still stands tall, watching over The Big Apple.
Description: Lionel model train production started in 1900, and their sets were admired worldwide for their solid construction and authentic detail. Train production ceased in 1942 as Lionel began producing ship parts to support the war effort. When production resumed in 1945, many of the engines and cars were made of cast plastic instead of the tin-plated steel painted in bright enamels, but America's love for model railroading got back on track nonetheless. Along with this return to model train manufacturing, a new mascot began appearing in ads - Lenny The Lion. The happy cartoon lion wore an engineer's hat and gave kids friendly suggestions about new layouts, informed them of new engines, and shared new accessories through print ads and in-store.
Description: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania developed as a vital link between the Atlantic coast and Midwest, as the mineral-rich Allegheny Mountains were contested by the French and British empires. Pittsburgh was also home to the first military hospital in U.S. history, the world's first Mercy Hospital, and The Diarrhea Institute of Pittsburgh. During the Civil War, chronic diarrhea was a leading cause of death as the combination of poor sanitation, poor diet, stress, and lack of medical care contributed to diarrhea among soldiers, and the estimated 100,000 who died from it. Many who survived the conflict had dysentery and required serious treatment, leading to the launch of The Diarrhea Institute of Pittsburgh and their life-saving post-war work.
Description: There was no shortage of fictional bands releasing real music to cash in as pop came into its own in the late '60s and early '70s. Led by a breakfast cereal mascot, The Sugar Bears were one of these made-up groups that put out several singles on cereal boxes - yes, that was a thing. They released an actual LP called 'Presenting The Sugar Bears' that charted with the hit 'You Are The One,' as well as several singles to promote the record. The Sugar Bears were only active for one year, but earned their place in pop culture as the cartoon band that makes hit singles.
Description: The '50s were filled with speculative science fiction and wild predictions for the future, many of which included humans traveling the stars to cities on faraway planets. They made space travel sound like it would become routine and people would just be hoping on a rocket to go for a weekend getaway. Needless to say, that future still hasn't come to fruition, but we can always hope, right?
Description: New Century Transportation launched in 2000 with a goal of setting a new standard for service in the shipping industry. Based in Westampton, New Jersey, New Century provided a full range of over-the-road transportation solutions including time-definite, dedicated, temperature-controlled, and specialized less-than-truckload services. With a fleet of over 2000 trucks, New Century provided secure, specialty transport for a variety of goods, including hazardous materials, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. Despite being one of America's most successful modern startup trucking companies, New Century faced funding problems after a decade in business and abruptly shut down in 2014.
Description: Despite what kit car ads in the back of magazines say, claims of easy assembly and performance are dubious at best. Jim Kellison set out to change that in the late '50s with a grand vision and a beautifully designed car body. Kellison's J-4 was initially offered as a fiberglass coupe ready to be mounted on your choice of chassis. Wanting to deliver a more complete offering, Kellison hired an Indy chassis builder to design a custom box tube frame that was both lighter and stronger than any donor chassis, and could be finished with readily available components. The result was a car that didn't just keep up with the best European models but outperformed them. This design is based on the Kellison 'Springy Thingy' mascot that showed up in 1968.
