Here’s another rerun episode of the Wax Pack Flashback show I do for The Retro Network YouTube Channel. It’s where I open old packs of trading cards and let you watch along and relive the excitement of thumbing through the pack.
In this episode, I opened a pack of Dick Tracy cards from 1990. These cards were based on the blockbuster movie of that year and are made up of scenes from the movie. It was full of colorful, over-the-top characters, so it translated really well to a series of trading cards. You can watch the episode below, and if it tickles your fancy, you can check out the Wax Pack Flashback playlist on the TRN YouTube channel. There are over 50 episodes there currently, with more new episodes coming soon. Enjoy!
You know me and junk food. I just can’t seem to get it all out of my system. Such is the case today because I want to talk about an offering from McDonald’s that should still be on the menu. It was a special burger with a special tie-in, and when I’m through describing it, I think you’ll want it back as well.
McDonald’s has released more than its fair share of various hamburgers and sandwiches through the years. Some have been big hits, and others have been colossal flops. And while different ones like the McD.L.T. have been discussed at length through the years, the Superhero burger rarely gets mentioned. Let’s change that.
Historically, the Big Mac has always been the largest burger on McDonald’s menu. But for one glorious month in 1995, it played second fiddle to the Super Hero Burger. With its 3 (that’s right, 3!) burger patties on a hoagie-length bun, with two different slices of cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayo….this sucker was a monster.
The Super Hero burger had two promotional tie-ins attached to it. First and foremost, it was available during the release of the movie Batman Forever, and Batman, Robin, Riddler, and Two-Face all figure prominently in the advertising spots for this burger. Secondly, 1995 was the year that McDonald’s released a different burger every month, known as their “Taste of the Month”, and this was the featured item for one month. Speaking of the “Taste of the Month” promotion, I’m going to have to dig deeper into that for some future write-up. That was a great year for new products from McDonald’s.
But back to the Superhero burger…I was driving by that point in life, so that meant I spent a fair amount of time “cruising” through town. Most nights, a stop by the local Mickey D’s was how we ended our night, and for that month that this super burger was on the menu, it was what we ordered. We probably could have kept this item on the menu all by ourselves based on how many of them we consumed, but as expected, when the month ended, so did the Super Hero Burger. And alas, another fast-food item was relegated to my list of fondly remembered food from back in the day.
In all the years since its initial release, it has yet to see the light of day again. It really surprises me too, since it would be so easy to roll it out for different promotions under different names. Hell, a tie-in with the MCU would make perfect sense for bringing it back. I doubt it, but maybe there was some kind of exclusivity with DC regarding this burger.
If you worked at McDonald’s back in ’95 and remember this thing, hit me up, as I want to know more about it. And that whole taste of the month thing. Any memories any of you out there have about that from 1995, get in touch as well via the comments so I can try and piece it all together.
The 1980s brought plenty of advancements in technology…things that amazed us at the time. Home video game systems, compact discs, big-screen TVs, handheld video cameras, home computers, and so much more. And a lot of those products have stood the test of time. But not this one.
No, the Talking Note Pad was certainly a product of its time and was quickly left behind by other modern marvels. But my family had one of these things handing on the fridge in our kitchen. That was made possible by the handy magnet on the back of it.
But at the time, what wasn’t to love about this do-it-all piece of convenience? I mean it featured a notepad and a pencil to jot down notes and leave them for other family members. Like, if you wanted to remind Mom to pick up another box of Morning Funnies Cereal or Oatmeal Swirlers for breakfast, all you had to do was leave her a note! And if you weren’t sure that just handwriting on a piece of paper would convey the urgency of the matter, then you could record an actual message! Hallelujah! Breakfast would be saved!
This thing had a voice recorder and a playback feature and came with not one, but two tapes to record on! It even had a volume control so you could turn it up real loud so when she hit play, there’s no way she wouldn’t get blasted with your message.
And a convenient little feature this wonder device also boasted was that the organizer part was detachable, so you could move this marvel around wherever you may need access to a pad and pencil, or clipped coupons, fingernail clippers, or whatever else wouldn’t fit in that drawer in your kitchen. You know which drawer I mean. We all had one.
Unfortunately, the Talking Note Pad ran its course. But we can all take solace in the fact that things like this eventually led to the invention of the smartphone. I mean, something had to come along to replace this, or how would we ever leave messages for Mom, or write notes to remind ourselves that Hulk Hogan was wrestling Paul Orndorff in a cage on Saturday Night’s Main Event that weekend?!? It was a must-have product of the past.
I’m in a comic book mood today, so I thought I’d share another old edition of the Wax Pack Flashback from the YouTube series I do for The Retro Network.
In this one, I opened a pack of Doomsday: The Death of Superman Cards from 1992. The Death of Superman is one of my all-time favorite comic book storylines, and these cards are mostly just images taken from the comic books themselves.
If you were into comics in the ’90s, I’m sure these cards will have the nostalgia coming back and waving over you. Enjoy!
Saved by the Bell nostalgia is running wild these days, what with the new reboot series doing well on Peacock and all. So I thought it was a good time to revisit when I opened an old pack of Saved by the Bell cards from 1992 on my Wax Pack Flashback show on The Retro Network YouTube channel.
Now back in the day, even though I was really into cards during the time period, I never saw a pack of these. Being the huge Saved by the Bell fan that I am, I know I would have been all over them. But I wasn’t even aware of their existence until I stumbled across them for sale on eBay.
Watch the video below to see a pack of them, and hey, if you had them back in the day, let me know your memories of them in the comments when you’re done watching.
