Top 5 at the Twister Museum

Previously: 

Top 5 Smokey Bear

Top 5 at the Dick Tracy Headquarters  - -  Top 5 at the CRC Car Show

Top 5 at the Banjo Museum  - -  Top 5 at the Harryhausen Exhibit

Top 5 at the Oklahoma History Center  - -  Top 5 at the Museum of Osteology

There are several contenders for "Great Oklahoma Films" but nothing holds a more special place in my wind swept, debris-strewn heart more than the 1996 F-5 of a film, Twister!  It was filmed primarily in Oklahoma with a few scenes showcasing the town of Wakita.  And that's where the Twister Movie Museum has been ever since.  

Since this year is the 25th anniversary of the film, I thought it was time to go back for a visit for the first time in several years.  And since I was there, why not pick another Top 5 List?

5.  Twister Pinball Machine

This eye-catching piece is near the entrance and sets the tone for visitors.  I would have it much higher on the list but it's not functional.  Which is a shame, because you just know it had plenty of movie sound effects like wind, shouting and maybe that evil weatherman getting his face smashed in and whatnot.  For now, we'll just have to imagine.

4.  Twister the Ride Smashed Penny

Anybody that knows me knows that I love to smash a penny or two.  While the museum doesn't have its own penny smashing machine, it does have this smashed beauty from Universal Studios' Twister ride.  They shut the ride down in 2015 but it's nice to have a tiny little memento from it on display.

3.  Twister Trading Cards

The main reason I included these is because I'm constantly looking for them on eBay and can never find them.  They're a throwback to the days when just about everything got their own collectible trading card set regardless of their level of success or popularity.  I'd still like to pick some up if I ever see them in the wild, if only to finally get ahold of that Philip Seymour Hoffman rookie card.

2.  Twister Storyboards 

The makers of the film donated several items to the museum from the production including several storyboards.  It's a nice way to see what they envisioned for a few scenes and shows some of the talent involved in movie making before they ever start rolling cameras.  

1.  Dorothy

Yep, there she is.  The most famous Oklahoma movie prop is front and center when you walk in.  There were a few Dorothys used by our ragtag weathermen heroes and several Dorothy props made for the film.  The nice museum lady said this was the "Damaged Dorothy" and was used for scenes when the old girl took a beating.  

Nothing beats a small town, roadside museum and there's nothing better than a small town with a cool gimmick.  The Twister Movie Museum combines the best of both.  And as an added bonus, here's another visitor I spotted who showed up for the 25th Anniversary:

Top 5 Smokey Bear

Previously: 

Top 5 at the Dick Tracy Headquarters  - -  Top 5 at the CRC Car Show

Top 5 at the Banjo Museum  - -  Top 5 at the Harryhausen Exhibit

Top 5 at the Oklahoma History Center  - -  Top 5 at the Museum of Osteology

Beaver's Bend State Park in the southeastern part of the state is in the middle of a heavily forested area that has been a big part of the lumber industry for years.  That industry, and its history, is celebrated at the park's museum.  Several displays include large murals painted by artist Harry Rossoll.  If you don't recognize the name, you'll definitely recognize his most famous creation:

Since good ol' Smokey Bear fits right in with the Forest Heritage themes of the museum, they have a display of Smokey memorabilia.  I'm a sucker for advertising mascots (like the Michelin Man I spotted in Ardmore) so, as I sometimes do, I decided to rank them in a Top Five List.  Let's get started with...

5.  The True Story of Smokey Bear Comic

I've covered this comic before on another blog but I think it's worth mentioning here.  Several product mascots have appeared in comic format before (although not nearly enough) but this one chronicles real life events that led to the Smokey Phenomena.  It's a great piece of an American legacy.

4.  Smokey & His Friends One Act Play Kit

I've never been a huge theater guy but I'd love to see a production of this.  I'm guessing it would be kids in cardboard cutout masks portraying various woodland creatures with an overall message of "Don't light stuff on fire" and that's really all it would need to be.

3.  Little Golden Book

Slight breach of etiquette here with the inclusion of "the" in Smokey's name but the Little Golden Book franchise is legendary and being included is quite the feather in his famous hat.  I've never seen the Pillsbury Doughboy or the Green Giant in one of these things (even though I'd love to) so Smokey is breathing rarefied air.

2.  Sheet Music

Smokey is not the only ad icon to have his own theme song but he may be the only one with a song that has four verses.  Gather round the piano with the rest of the choir and belt out the Ballad of Smokey...what could be better?

1.  Special Edition Doll

Look at this thing!  I wish there was something in the shot for perspective to show how big it is.  It's pretty good size, maybe slightly smaller than a Chucky doll (for lack of a better comparison).  I don't have any real info on it other than it's a "Special Edition," but it's clearly the star of the display.

Smokey's had a long and distinguished career and his influence has spread to a variety of mediums.  These few examples are hopefully just the beginning of of an even longer influence for years to come.

Top 5 at the Dick Tracy Headquarters

Previously:

Top 5 at the CRC Car Show

Top 5 at the Banjo Museum  - -  Top 5 at the Harryhausen Exhibit

Top 5 at the Oklahoma History Center  - -  Top 5 at the Museum of Osteology

Legendary lawman Dick Tracy originally flowed from the pen of Pawnee, Oklahoma native Chester Gould.  The creation of the prolific cartoonist started in the funny pages but ended up on radio, TV, movies, and tons of toys & memorabilia.  Pawnee celebrates their favorite son with a annual festival and a museum on the town square.  Since I stopped by recently I thought it'd give it the ol' "Top 5" treatment so here's the Top 5 pieces of memorabilia on display at the Dick Tracy HQ:

5. Dick Tracy NES Game

I'm not a big video game guy but I did have a Nintendo back in the day.  This guy is from 1990 and seems like it would tie in to the Warren Beatty movie but according to a 30 second Google research session, it was more about the comic strip.  There were car chases & crime solving aplenty in 8 bit glory as Tracy joined Mario & Link in the NES pantheon.

4.  Secret Code Maker

Tracy saw way too much action for his team to rely on just a Decoder Ring.  This vintage beauty let Baby Boomer kids create uncrackable codes to update their crime fighting friends and bedevil their felonious foes.  Imagine what little Ralphie from "A Christmas Story" could do, locked away in his bathroom, with this thing!  Little Orphan who?

3.  Pawnee Police Dept Patch

According to Dodie, the nice lady working at the museum that day, the town's police actually do wear this patch as a part of their uniform.  It makes me wonder if there are other police departments in the country that have a fictional character as a part of their uniform.  I'd like to think Pawnee's finest like the idea of continuing Tracy's work.

2.  2-Way Wristwatch

Dick Tracy's #1 gadget is the 2-Way Radio Wristwatch.  It's one of the first examples of a recurring tech gadget in popular fiction and the museum staff is happy to point to it as a precursor to the Apple Watch.  Other than the hat/coat and square jaw, it's probably the most well known part of the character.

1.  Chester Gould Original Art

If you're going to celebrate an artist, you're gonna need some art.  The HQ has several examples of it on display.  They've also got original newspaper comic strips, old sketches and other examples of Gould's creativity.  It's a great way to get to a good look old school Oklahoma artwork.

Top 5 Things for Sale at NWCC

Previous "Top 5 For Sale" Lists:

Antiques Etc.  - -  Choctaw Welcome Center - -  Sam Noble Museum Gift Shop

Cherokee Trading Post  - -  Cloverleaf

The fourth annual New World Comic Con was held yesterday in the Centennial Building at State Fair Park in OKC.  It was a great event that incorporated cosplay, kid's games and local artists.  And like all cons, there were a ton of vendors.  Since they mainly seemed to be from Oklahoma I thought it would be a great time to do another "Top 5 Things for Sale" list, so let's see what I found:

5.  Dick Tracy Collector's Case (Chris' Vault)

Dick Tray has Oklahoma roots since his creator, Chester Gould, was born in Pawnee.  The character has existed for decades put got his biggest marketing push when the 1990 movie was released.  The toys didn't do too well and now items from that line are sought after collectibles by fans.  Here's the collector's case for those hard to track down action figures.

4.  Geeky Pot Holders (Two Clover Charms)

I'm always happy to see custom made items for sale at conventions, particularly when they're functional and used in nontraditional geek settings like the kitchen.  There were other franchises represented besides Star Wars so you could probably find your particular favorite.  Throw in the fact that these babies come with a package of cookie mix and I'm all in.

3.  Rare Droids Figures (Valhalla Collectibles)

I didn't want to do two Star Wars items in a row, but here we are.  This is good example of finding something unique that you didn't know you wanted.  The Droids had a short lived Saturday morning cartoon in the 80s and these two were only available in Spain.  They can fetch a pretty good price on eBay so it's always nice to run into our boys in the wild.

2.  Geeky Kids' Dresses (Warehouse RoyGBiv)

Another great custom item.  These outfits feature the old standards like Wonder Woman, Batman Ninja Turtles, the Avengers and a few that are maybe more about the parents like E.T. and The Walking Dead.  Definitely what the well dressed mini-geek is wearing.

1. Comics!!! (New World Comics)

These days it's kind of cliche to lament the state of comics at comic book conventions but at this one they were well represented.  New World had multiple tables containing box after box of comics in the center of the floor, all for $1.  This groovy issue of Jimmy Olsen wasn't in the dollar section but for Sliver Age shenanigans I'm always willing to shell out a few bucks more.

So there are my top picks.  Only slightly less than a year (probably) until the fifth annual NWCC.  See you there...