Things can get pretty weird when fictional characters are endorsing commercial products. Turns out that decades before Spider-Man and Batman were fighting evildoers over Hostess fruit pies and Twinkies,Sam Spade was getting some payola action for endorsing his favorite hair tonic: Wildroot Cream-Oil.
Even though the stories are beyond ridiculous,
these pages are pretty well drawn.
The art has been attributed to the great Lou Fine!
In the first of three full-page ads, Sam Spade shows that a guy can fight crime and look good at the same time...thanks to Wildroot Cream-Oil!
Check out the full page below:
(Click on the image below for a BIG-sized comic scan!)
The second adventure in grooming follows the same ridiculous pattern...
Check out the full page below:
(Click on the image below for a BIG-sized comic scan!)
...but by the third page, Sam Spade is actually fighting crime with his trusty bottle of Wildroot Hair Cream! And he's got pretty good aim, too! Tommy guns don't stand a chance against a guy who knows how to handle a bottle of hair tonic!
Check out the full page below:
(Click on the image below for a BIG-sized comic scan!)
I just can't help but wonder what Dashiell Hammett thought of these tales. By the way -- Wildroot Hair Groom is still available at your local drugstore! ...although now it kinda looks more like a bottle of ArmorAll or transmission fluid than anything else!
A Date With Judy
issues 4, 6 and 10 1948-49
UPDATE: Ger Appledorn has just posted
a whole bunch more of these
Sam Spade Wildroot ads at -
http://allthingsger.blogspot.com/2009/02/if-i-had-hammett-wednesday-advertising.html
...And if you liked this post, please help me share it
a whole bunch more of these
Sam Spade Wildroot ads at -
http://allthingsger.blogspot.com/2009/02/if-i-had-hammett-wednesday-advertising.html
...And if you liked this post, please help me share it
(Click one or more of the links directly below) Thanks!
"a bottle of wildroot cram-oil just naturally ends up somebody's head"
ReplyDeletethat's hilarious!!
great post sherm!
That's it Sherm,..my hair is thinning in the back so I think it's time I run out and get some of this here "Wildroot"! It may not make my hair come back,..but anything called "Wildroot" must promote some kind of activity! Just remember that if it doesn't say "Wildroot" on the bottle, then it's just an imitation. I wonder if this will leave an oil slick on my pillow case....hmmm,....maybe I need to hold off on this.
ReplyDeleteTodd
hey Sherm,
ReplyDeleteI never got a chance to thank you for the really nice letter you sent me. It was really helpful! I may take you up on that offer to call you at nick.
This is really funny stuff!
Hey Sherm,
ReplyDeletethanks! What's Skype?
by the way, did you see the Flip the frog animation thing John put up like 2 weeks ago? I did all the drawings, but I have no idea how to put them up online and have them animate. Any hints?