Groovie Goolies - BELLA LA GHOSTLY!

Filmation's Groovie Goolies - PVC Figurines - Bella La Ghostly - Chemtoy 1971

In 1970, Filmation aired an interesting cartoon called Groovie Goolies. This was an animated variety show that seemed like a mashup of The Addams Family and Laugh-In. There were quick "bad-dum-tss" joke vignettes, musical numbers, and wacky animated shorts. All the monsters lived together in Horrible Hall and had a beatnik vibe. My favorite is the building switchboard operator, the vampy Bella la Ghostly. Visually she looks like a typical cartoon vamp of the era, but with a bubbly Brooklyn-type accent a'la Janine Melnitz. There are several regular female characters in the show including Sabrina Spellman and Hagatha the Witch, but the tall Morticia-like characters are always my favorite. Despite the toyetic qualities of this series, the early 1970s weren't a time known for television merchandising. But luckily there was a line of PVC figurines by Chemtoy in 1971 (that now cost an absolute mint in collector's circles). I finally managed to nab Bella at a decent price. Let's check her out below!

Pillsbury Playthings - POPPIE FRESH!

Pillsbury Playthings - Poppie Fresh Unarticulated Vinyl Doll - Pillsbury Co 1972

In my developmental years, commercials were something you couldn't opt out of. They popped up on your screen regularly and you just had to suffer through them. But suffer isn't the right word. In fact, when I was a kid it seemed like most commercials were actually geared towards children, regardless of the product. I think the advertisers really assumed the kids had more leverage over mom's purchasing decisions than they actually did. But even still, there were cute teddy bears peddling fabric softener, a playful dog peddling beer, and of course a Pillsbury Dough Boy peddling baking products. It was an odd time. When I think of all the advertising mascots that popped up throughout my childhood, The Pillsbury Dough Boy seems to lead the pack. Maybe it was just in my house, but my Mom would constantly poke our bellies with that patented "tee-hee," so the Pillsbury nostalgia went beyond the TV screen. I didn't know there was a whole family of characters until I found this toy. Let's check out Poppie Fresh below!