DAN'S TOYS

It may come as no surprise to you that I love toys. They take me back to my childhood and inspire me. I love to have them around me in my studio. Alright, so maybe I play with them when no one's around, but that's beside the point.

Here's the shelf right above my drafting table. As you can see, there are a few robots and 2 figures in old fashion deep sea diving suits. What can be cooler than that? Creature From the Black Lagoon and Werewolf Pez dispensers, that's what!

Here's a blurry close up of a trippy psychedelic toy I had in the late 60's/early 70's. Did it have some sort of weird effect on me as an adult? You bet!

This is the creepiest toy I own. But to be fair, he never once tried to put a pillow over my face when I was sleeping (okay, maybe once). I've removed his batteries, yet he still plays those little cymbals in the middle of the night. Clang. Clang. Clang.

The good thing about being an adult is that you can waste your money on an entirely frivolous item like the Rock'em Sock'em Robots and your mom can't yell at you. Well, maybe she can, but she can't punish you.

These guys watch me while I'm on my computer. Now, Colonel Sanders will occasionally have a fight with the Popeye gumball machine and.. okay, I'm alone a lot.

My favorite monster has to be the Creature From the Black Lagoon, mostly because I feel he's been underrated and highly misunderstood. I mean, the poor guy's the only one of his kind. So maybe he drags women off of boats and brings them down to his watery lair. He just wants to be loved like the rest of us.

This is a close up of one of most prized toys, Robert the Robot. He actually talks, but unfortunately it's in some sort of robot language that I'm sure we will soon learn when robots take over the earth. Also pictured are 2 incredibly cool monster pencil sharpeners and a Rat Fink figure. 

And here's the Casper collection. Yes, I got a little carried away, but this all will be worth something some day!

Boy, I really hope so...

ECONOMY CANDY: THE GREATEST PLACE WITH THE WORST NAME

As most of you know, I'm more of a savory person than a sweet one (taste and personality), but when my sweet tooth is a-hankerin', there's just one place to go: Economy Candy!

This out of the way candy emporium is one of my most favorite places in the world filled with such wonderful things, yet- Economy Candy? Couldn't they have come up with a better name?

The thing is, once you enter, you don't care anymore.

Located on New York City's Lower East Side, possibly the greatest candy store and a boon to dentists everywhere, it looks more like a hardware store. Maybe this is why there's not a line around the block like there should be.

As I approach, I already know I'm going to buy entirely too much and quite possibly sit on the curb right out front and devour it all in one sitting. I hear the first step is admitting you have a problem.

Here's the window. I see many candies I haven't seen since my childhood and some I've never seen before. I also see the Indian Nuts are back. I know most of us were on pins and needles about that. Crisis averted! I also see that gift certificates are available. Hint! Hint!

So here it is. Well, not all of it. This is merely one section of one wall in the store. I wonder how many pounds of candy is in here. Also, no sign of candy-making elves anywhere. They must be in the basement or on a coffee break.

I'd have to say, if this whole shelf fell on me, it wouldn't be such a bad way to go.

The aisles are tight and for some reason, get tighter with each visit.

They have candy from not only from the past, but from all over the world, too. Economy Candy has actually conquered time and space.

Chunkys? El Bubble? 100 Grand bars? All I need is my Partridge Family Album, my Banana Splits lunchbox and the Watergate hearings and I'm 9 years old all over again. Note to self: stock up on baseball cards for the spokes of my bike.

Somehow this is entirely too many flavors of jelly beans or not enough. I can't decide. Thank goodness  5 lb bags are available. 

I must've wandered into some sort of health food section. Who knew you could get almonds not dipped in chocolate? How do they get the chocolate off of them?

I steered clear of all of this stuff. It looked entirely too healthy.

With a full bag I leave Economy Candy, but fear not, I will return. I've done good work here today. Time to crack off a hunk of milk chocolate almond bark and start working on those cavities.