Happy Hallowe’en everyone! Here’s to hoping the dead don’t come back tonight, I’ve got a party to attend!

Let’s be frank here, this is just an ad for a video game. With that out of the way, let’s talk about how awesome it is! The Fallout games have always had a wickedly black sense of humour, and it’s nice to see that Betheseda haven’t forgotten that spirit as they’ve taken over the franchise. From the wickedly retro stylings to the always-plucky Vault-Boy, this video just furthers my frothing desire for the post-apocalyptic future. Mutants ahoy!

Vault-Tec vid urges you to prepare for the future [Joystiq]

Ah, the bright shiny future! come my friends, and view the glories of the time to come, 1960! This video clip is a visual document of The Futurama, a exhibit/ride at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Sponsosred by General Motors, The Futurama is a perfect example of the type of optimistic idea people had about the future back then. Admittedly we now know it’s all lies and cookies, but think what could have been! Automated highways, “gyro-coptors”, and suburbs that don’t suck you of the will to live. Oh, shiny future, where’s my fucking flying car?

Retro Futurism: The Great Metropolis of 1960 and What Criswell Found There [io9.com]

Now here’s a bizarre little rarity. Back in the 1930s, Paramount pictures made a ton of little shorts under the blanket title of Hollywood On Parade, using a wide variety of actors, some famous stars, some not so much. The Three Stooges got their start in these films with Ted Healy, and some earlier Marx Brothers shorts were also part of the line. This is probably one of the weirdest ones I’ve seen though. Mae Questel, the voice of Olive Oyl for many years, was also the original Betty Boop. This short features her in a rare live performance as the lovely Miss Boop, singing a song to a pair of manly mannequins. Things are going swimmingly when suddenly Bela Lugosi shows up as the Count! With the chilling words, “Betty, you have booped your last boop,” some 1930s vampire-style necking occurs and, well, you get the picture.

Betty Boop Meets The Count [Ectoplasmosis]

Ah, you know, sometimes I long for the days of the Cold War, when people didn’t look at you like you were an absolute crazy person for wanting to build an impregnable shelter in your backyard. Now, of course, mine would be to protect against the inevitable outcome of Z-Day, but I suppose it’d be useful in a little nuclear holocaust or something. These images from a scanned brochure of for pre-fabricated fallout shelters, from the Kelsey-Hayes Company, of Detroit, MI circa 1963, really makes me think. About zombies. Enjoy!

Duck and Cover! [Ectoplasmosis : Syndicate Product Covert HQ]

Words fail me, they really do. So spooooky they are, with their big black circles for eyes. It’s odd to remember that once upon a time, running around dressed like Caspar the Friendly Ghost via Zippy the Pinhead was considered not only to be acceptable, but admirable. The times do change, thank fuck.

RiotClitShave

There’s really a disturbing cuteness to this image. All the little bombs, lined up a row! I wonder how much danger those guys were in, sitting on them like that. Probably not too much, but it’d sure as hell make me nervous.

Bomb Train [LiveJournal]

1941 - Will they ever kiss again? [vintagephoto.livejournal.com]

In the 1890’s, the Antikamnia (opposed to pain) Medical Company used a series of amusing skeletal cartoons to advertise their wares. These cartoons were drawn by Louis Crucius, a pharmacist, doctor, and Professor of Anatomy, who started drawing them while working at a pharmacy in his school years. The AntiKamnia company produced medicines containing acetanilid, an anti-fever drug with pain relieving properties. It was later found to be both toxic and addictive. Apparently it was often mixed with codeine, to increase it’s pain-relieving effects. Nothing keeps your customers like making your medicines physically addictive! Anyhow, they used Dr. Crucius’ little skele-men in calendars from 1897 through 1901. The fellow pictured above is my favourite so far; I love the way the officer is stroking his goatee. If you like the style (and how could you not?) BibliOdyssey has many more, as well as a more detailed history, and links for further reading.

The Antikamnia Chemical Company [BibliOdyssey]

On May 3rd, 1945, at the tail end of World War II, Ezra Pound turned himself in to the American military for his involvement with Mussolini’s government. He was arrested, and tried for treason. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity, and spent the next twelve years in an asylum. Considering it could’ve been the death penalty, he got a pretty good deal.

Civic Portraiture #24 [if charlie parker was a gunslinger, there’d be a whole lot of dead copycats]

Sneaking around the LiveJournal, I stumbled upon this lovely looking photo of a very disheveled looking Clara Bow, the It girl of the 1920’s. While the post involved says she was trying to be a scorching seductress, I prefer to think of her as a little goofy on something, being photographed candidly. The post-romp hairdo, that crooked little grin, and the upwardly raised eyes all convey a humour and immediacy that you just can’t fake. However, it should be remembered that Miss Bow was amazingly adept at the art of pantomime; it is, of course, the quality that brought her such success in the age of silent film. Such a beautiful girl, such a strong actress. It’d be amazing to see what she could do nowadays.

Miss Bow attempts the role of a scorching seductress, via livejournal

This is just wonderful. Wedding photographers from the 1960’s, captured for all of time doin’ their thing. I love that woman’s hair. Hell, her whole outfit just screams “style”, she’s so cool.

60’s Wedding Photogs, from Mellemusic, originally from ohoh2golly