Ashes to Ashes

The Marlboro Man is one of the most iconic and successful marketing campaigns ever but there's always been one huge flaw.  Rugged, grizzled types pose for magazine ads and drip testosterone as they take a pull from a Marlboro cigarette and they cause sales to skyrocket but they are frequently replaced.  Not necessarily to freshen up the campaign but because smoking tends to kill people.

So when it comes to tracking down gravestones of famous people, it shouldn't be too surprising to find several belonging to former Marlboro Men.  But in the "Bull Rider's Reprieve" section of the Mt. Olive Cemetery in Hugo, Oklahoma you can find a grave of a Marlboro Man who is still alive:

Oklahoma cowboy Max "Turk" Robinson got the job as the Marlboro Man just by having the right look.  He was a longtime staple of the rodeo circuit when a photo of him on a horse was published and got the tobacco company's attention.  He had the exact look of an authentic cowboy because he was one.  But he has one unique characteristic that other Marlboro Men don't...which may be why his grave is empty...

He doesn't smoke.  I guess that would be kind of like if Colonel Sanders was a vegetarian but you can't argue with results.  I guess clean living and the cowboy lifestyle has a lot going for it. 

Turk is still somewhat active in the rodeo community and still does appearances at Oklahoma casinos and in parades so maybe you can get to meet him someday and take a picture with him not smoking.  So here's to your health!

Homegrown Hero

Previously:  Why is Thor the State Avenger of Oklahoma

Tulsa might not exactly be Gotham City but that doesn't mean it can't have its own superhero.  And for awhile, it did...a homegrown hero for Oklahomans, by Oklahomans.  Say hello to the Twilight Avenger:

He was a tribute to old school pulp heroes and was a creation of Okie writer John Wooley and Okie artist Terry Tidwell and if you haven't heard of him it might be because his biggest enemy wasn't some mad scientist in a secret lab, it was the fickle nature of the comic book small press industry.

Our avenging hero began his crime busting career as a title published by "Elite Comics" in Midland, TX.  After two issues of dashing heroics, the publisher went out of business and our hero eventually ended up at Eternity Comics.  I was able to get my grubby mitts on (a not so mint copy of) the first issue of its short 1988 run.  And while I can't tell you too much about the character, I can confirm that the setting was 1930's Oklahoma:

It's not everyday you see the Oklahoma dust bowl as the backdrop for high adventure and super heroics but its a unique time and place that sets the Twilight Avenger apart from so many other mystery men.

The story follows our hero, college student Reece Chambers (the Twilight Avenger's secret identity), his comatose girlfriend's father and a plucky reporter as they track down some Oklahoma zombies...and these are the good old fashioned "voodoo zombies"...not so much the Walking Dead type zombies.

The creators were known for taking advantage of their hometown setting and throwing in Okie easter eggs whenever possible so I thought I'd see if I could find any in this issue.  For example, in this panel Professor Herth is reading a newspaper with a headline about a car crash on Highway 51:

Another one can be seen in the background of the lab of the evil, zombie-creating mad scientist.  If you can look past the chain smoking zombie pilot and the femme fatale wondering where her clothes went, you can see a Bank of Tulsa calendar on the wall.

This should not be interpreted as an endorsement of zombie-creating mad scientists by any particular bank in the greater Tulsa area.

And finally, we get another geography shout-out when Reece and Dr. Herth try to figure out the location of the zombie-making fiend and their plucky (and now disrobed) young friend:

While trying to triangulate their abducted friend's location, Dr. Herth speculates that she's on or near Peoria Avenue which we all know runs north and south in the great city of Tulsa:

You can also see in the Professor's map (and the map above) the Arkansas River which flows through Tulsa.  If his pencil compass is marking a search perimeter around Peoria Street then the placement of the river is off.  But, of course, we can forgive a little artistic license in a story where a masked vigilante is fighting zombies. 

The Twilight Avenger had to change publishers more than once but he did finally get a couple of trade paperback collections of old issues.  So now it's easy to get a hold of the adventures of an Oklahoma hero...and maybe spot some familiar locations.

Top 5 at the Oklahoma History Center

Previously:

Top 5 Bones at the Museum of Osteology 

The Oklahoma History Center has multiple floors filled with artifacts and exhibits chronicling Oklahoma's distant and not so distant past.  Beautiful Native American artwork sits side by side with a Jim Thorpe Wheaties box.  Well, maybe not side by side but the collection is very eclectic and very far reaching.

But since this blog is "Oklahoma Pop Culture," I decided to make this Top 5 List a list of the best Pop Culture items on display...or rather the five pop culture items I liked when I saw them on my last visit.  So without further ado...

5.  Pokey Hand Puppet

We may all be a little too young to remember the HoHo the Clown show (or various KOCO-TV shows) but several decades ago HoHo and his sidekick Pokie (along with a huge rotating cast of characters) would be welcomed into the homes of Oklahoman baby boomers via black and white TV.  While HoHo may have gone to that big circus in the sky, Pokie, in all his homemade sock puppet glory, remains on display.

4. One of Roy Clark's Outfits

Singer, actor, musician and favorite son of Oklahoma, Roy Clark, was many things.  But first and foremost, he was a showmen.  So flamboyant outfits like this one were in the regular rotation during his time co-hosting "Hee Haw" (hey kids, go ask your parents what Hee Haw was...you won't regret it) or at one of his many live musical performances.

3.  Decades Old Sonic Bag

It's always nice to see something that was meant to be thrown in the trash actually be preserved.  It's the mundane pieces of memorabilia that really help to paint a picture of day to day life in the past.  I think this is from the 60's but I'm positive that its previous owner had the foresight to realize that in the future people would want to look at a sandwich bag in a museum.  Good job, old school Sonic customer!

2.  89ers TV Cards

These days when you watch a game on TV there are any number of technological advancements that allow you to immerse yourself in the competition.  But back when the Dodgers where known as the 89ers, the TV station had to literally hold up cards like these in front of the camera to advertise ticket sales.  We've come a long way...now the NFL has their own robot.

1.  3-D Danny Costume

Well, we started with a local kid's TV show and we'll end with one.  3D Danny (Dan D. Dynamo) was the alter ego of Oklahoma broadcaster Danny Williams who portrayed the standard 50's scifi hero that had adventures and was friends with a robot.  His cool super suit remains as inspiration for today's youth who would also like to befriend a robot some day.

This is just a surface scratching assembly of the huge collection of Okie memorabilia on display at the center.  When you get a chance go stop by and make your own Top 5 List.  Tell 'em 3D Danny sent you.

Top 5 Things For Sale at the Sam Noble Museum Gift Shop

Previously:

Top 5 Things for Sale at Cherokee Trading Post 

There's a lot going on at the Sam Noble Natural History Museum.  Fossils, native peoples, history, rotating exhibits and plenty more to fill your brain with.  But once your thirst for knowledge is quenched, it's time to take a little piece of the excitement with you.  So today we exit through the gift shop and pick the Top 5 items that caught our eye on our last trip there.

5.  Hawaiian Ukulele

 As far as I can tell, this has nothing to do with science or Oklahoma but it just screams "gift shop" to me.  I envision many a regretful parent on many a family road trip being serenaded with the "soothing" sounds of Hawaii as they drove to the second largest Ball of Twine.  I couldn't tell you why it's there but I'm glad it is.

4.  Oklahoma Pencil Sharpener

Cheap.  Functional.  Oklahoma-themed.  Much can be said about the humble pencil sharpener.   Many would dismiss this little beauty as Dollar Store flotsam but I say give it a chance.  Nothing gets the little ones quiet like giving them a task.  And let's face it, all those pencils aren't going to sharpen themselves.  (Bonus points for the little cartoon buffalo!)

3.  Barite Rose Rocks

There's nothing better than being able to buy something at a museum that might actually be displayed in a museum.  The rare rose rock is the state rock of Oklahoma and and can pretty much only be found here (and technically in a couple of other places but they're much rarer there).  Pick up one of these beauties and put it on your desk at work and you've got an instant conversation piece.  It sure beats working.

2.  Oklahoma Tornado Snow Globes

Sure, tornadoes are no fun but they are a part of life in the Sooner State.  Here they get incorporated with a snow storm (or maybe a dust storm?) into one of the classic gift shop items of all time.  The best kind of twister is the one you can control.

1.  Little Oklahoma Pillow

You remember those collector plates from the 70's that had little cartoony depictions of an area's interesting features and attractions?  (Like THIS one.)  These little pillows remind me of them.  And the fact that they are apparently hand made puts them in the #1 slot on the list. 

So if you can't find a souvenir keepsake from this bunch then I don't know what to tell you.  You must hate fun...and gift shops.

The Sinclair Dinosaurs of Oklahoma

Years ago, in Route 66's prime, the roads were packed with vacationers, salesmen and entrepreneurs who drove up and down the back roads and highways chasing the American experience.  Gas stations and motels were in fierce competition to get the attention and patronage of these weary travelers so many of them got creative.

Sinclair Oil had a dinosaur theme in their advertising and so it was only natural to have some dinosaurs at their stations welcoming the empty tanks of road weary wanderers.  The bright green statues are few and far between these days but lucky travelers can still find a few at select Sinclair stations.  And the great state of Oklahoma has several you can spot on your next road trip like this one in Tahlequah:

This is a pretty standard example but seek and ye shall find some more colorful examples.  One of the best places to stop on an Oklahoma road trip is Arbuckle Mountain Fried Pies in Davis along I-35.  You can pick up lunch, dessert and a selfie with a red version of the dinosaur that stands watch on their roof:

Further north up the interstate you can find an even more colorful guy in a very colorful place.  The Toy & Action Figure Museum in Pauls Valley has pretty much every super hero, cartoon character and scifi monster you can think of.  And among the heroes and villains you can find this guy:

Even farther north is an example of another dino with a dramatic story.  You wouldn't know it to look at him now but a few years back, this dinosaur in Norman lost his head:

As you can see, he's made a full recovery but for a while he was completely headless.  How did this happen?  How did it get resolved?  News 9 reports:

Now, of course, you can find these guys outside of the Sooner State.  You just have to keep your eyes open on the road (which you should be doing anyway).  But if you're lucky, you can see the balloon version from the comfort of your own home.  After a long absence, the Sinclair Dinosaur Balloon returned to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade last year:

So if you want to find a couple of these guys then consider your next road trip to be a dinosaur hunting expedition.  You never know what you'll see on the back roads.