Comic Historian Kirk Demarais Explores Sea Monkeys, X-Ray Specs, And Other 'Mail Order Mysteries

Remember all that junk in the back of comic books that your mom and dad wouldn't let you buy?

While some forgot about the Sea Monkeys, X-Ray Specs, plastic puke, and other gizmos, Kirk Demarais, a 37-year-old writer and illustrator built turned his undying love of kitsch into Mail Order Mysteries, a celebration of the toys from yesteryear.

"I got my first comic book, "Micronauts, No. 9," in 1978 or '79 when I was in first grade," he told HuffPost Weird News, in an interview with reporter Dave Moye.

"I couldn't really read the book so I was more interested in the ads for things like the package of 101 soldiers or 'Grit' magazine and, of course, the X-Ray Specs."

Demarias brought some of his toys down to HuffPost weird news, and we played with him for a bit. Check out this interview with Joe Peacock and Tony Deconinck, along with HuffPost Weird News host Barry Weintraub.

And for the ultimate trip down memory, check out these photos:

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Comments

[archanjo]

08:20 PM on 10/30/2011

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/count-dantes-10-deadly-secrets/id474466210?ls=1&mt=8

[cuoi]

08:54 AM on 10/26/2011

I read plenty of comic books but did most of my mail orders from Bazooka Bubble gum wrappers. Chawed a lot of gum for that $.50 spy camera. Basically a small cheap plastic pin hole camera that used small roll film. It sorta worked until I blew it up with my firecrackers...

[DRobinson001]

08:54 AM on 10/26/2011

Does anyone else remember this--you used to be able to buy REAL monkeys for $12.95 in these same ads. I always wanted one---mom wouldn't let me order one

[cuoi]

08:55 AM on 10/26/2011

I always wanted one but my mother told me I was one and she didn't need another.

[cuoi]

08:51 AM on 10/26/2011

What happened to all the comments? There had been pages and pages of 'em a few days ago...

[Spleenz]

10:12 AM on 10/25/2011

I've had "Magic" Jumping Beans, and Sea Monkeys...the jumping beans were cooler. My "Sea Monkeys" started growing and then one day I knocked over the little plastic tank and spilled them onto the rug...I felt so bad that day when I was a kid. They were so tiny I couldn't pick them up, I wiped up the mess and my mom vacuumed :(

[anniee214]

11:28 AM on 10/25/2011

I did the same thing. But, mom caught on quickly as the carpet developed a rather strong odor!!
Like you I always thought the jumping beans were the best. Then my big brother told me they had bugs in them!

[STaR Scream 81]

01:18 AM on 10/26/2011

Its the larva of a moth!

[mrmajestyk46]

08:41 AM on 10/25/2011

I loved ordering that stuff as a kid, lottsa fun. Nice to see a fun story for a change.

[anniee214]

11:29 AM on 10/25/2011

F&F--It was fun, wasn't it? Now they order God knows what on the computer!

[Suemoni]

08:01 AM on 10/25/2011

Boy do I remember my comic book days. I used to love the "Archie's" comic books. I loved ordering stuff (junk) from the back of the comics. I was very disappointed when I received m Sea Monkey kit. I just knew that I woiuld real pets that looked like Sea Monkeys. I was soooooooo disappointed. Non the less I'd still order stuff (junk) from the back of the comic books.. Ahhhhhhhh those were the good ole' days for me. (Smile)

[waldopepper]

05:36 AM on 10/25/2011

Not quite a comic book thing but I ordered the Cap'n Crunch ship from the box. It was THE GREATEST! The ship was all plastic. The hull was brown and the sails were white plastic. I remember it being about 8 inches long. I sailed that ship for hours in the kitchen sink. I would love to have it again sitting on a bookshelf.

[Jaynelbob]

05:10 AM on 10/25/2011

You can still buy sea monkeys!! They have gone round the block and are cool again. The uncool thing is that my husband still has his original ones, still in the box, and it wasn't because he thought they might be worth something one day...

[cuoi]

08:49 AM on 10/26/2011

Get them on ebay stat!

[pnut166]

01:53 AM on 10/25/2011

cool article - I too often wondered about the ads when I was a kid. Where are the plans for the "hovercraft - from - vacuum cleaner-parts" ?

[skyeagle]

01:24 AM on 10/25/2011

Back in the 40's and the 50's Johnson & Smith out Michigan (I think) used to send out this novelty catalog that was over an inch thick, still have one of the catalogs. It had shocking hand buzzers, build yourself radios, itching powder, X-Ray glasses, magic tricks, small toys, you could even order a live chameleon which lived for a few weeks. We lived way out on a farm and would wait for weeks for REX truck to deliver our stuff. Great fun. Up until a few years ago Johnson Smith still had a lot of the stuff from the old days although there catalog was the size of a comic book. It was great fun to see this stuff again.

[TooLooze]

08:46 PM on 10/26/2011

They also used to sell dyed ducklings and baby gators.

[Walks702]

11:47 PM on 10/24/2011

I bought those plastic army men when I was a kid. The set was kind of dissappointing, but it was still cool to get something in the mail through mail order. At least in the late seventies...

[philaphillies99]

07:41 PM on 10/24/2011

So the guy has hobbies other then Facebook, Xbox, Texting, and reality TV. Nothing weird about that unless you're 12 years old.