Night Owl Cards

When I first started my quest to complete the 1976 Kellogg's 3D set, I also kicked off an attempt to complete the 1976 Hostess set. Both food-issue sets, issued during the Bicentennial, are among the most patriotic-looking collections ever made. Each card is like a mini flag. The Kellogg's set is particularly ingenious because it features both stripes -- the border traveling around the card -- and stars. The word "stars" is at the top of every card and each of the player's shown is a star! God bless America. I've chased after each set with enthusiasm, because I was 10 years old during the Bicentennial and stuff issued that year couldn't possibly be cooler. However, I've done much better with the Kellogg's set than the Hostess set. The Hostess set is larger and more prone to stains (one of my least favorite condition issues). Hostess also contains well-known short-prints. I thought Kellogg's had no short-prints. But I only recently di...

One of my favorite television shows of all-time growing up was "The Incredible Hulk." I couldn't wait for the weekend to roll around so I could watch Bill Bixby, Lou Ferrigno and Jack Colvin do their thing. I was never much of a comic book kid, so I didn't get into the Marvel series, and I've never seen any of the Hulk movies. But I am a fan of campy TV action shows. And "The Hulk" on CBS from 1978-82 was right up my alley. One of my favorite things to do when watching the show was to try to anticipate when Dr. Bruce Banner would turn into the Incredible Hulk. Sometimes it was easy, like when a baddie would punch Banner in the face and he would fly halfway across the room. Other times, it was more difficult, like when Banner would drop a dime in a phone booth and flip out. The times when Banner would "hulk" over seemingly inconsquential issues were the favorite moments for my brothers and I. We'd go into hysterics watching Banner freak ove...