Review: Kirk Demarais’ Mail Order Mysteries: Real Stuff from Old Comic Book Ads!

“The Truth is Out There.” -Fox Mulder, The X-Files

While I’m too young to remember most of those slick mail order scams that used to appear in comics and magazines everywhere in the 60s and 70s, I can recall a select few from the 80s. I never had enough money to actually order anything from them which, as Kirk Demarais discuses in his new book, was a blessing in disguise. You might recall Demarais’ name from our interview a few weeks back (Rediscovering Retro Culture), where we dubbed him an “Obi-Wan of pop culture nostalgia.”

With Mail Order Mysteries, the author proves just why he’s earned that title, methodically compiling and dissecting a series of those scams as well as a few gems hidden in between. The book itself is somewhat of a treasured novelty with same comic books ads plastered from cover to cover topped off by a bonus glow-in-the-dark effect. Its the kind of care and attention that pulls you in completely until you put the book down.

The “mysteries” themselves are divided into 8 chapters that are signified more by genre (superheroes vs horror) than chronology. Demarais starts strong with some heavily comic book related gadgets like x-ray spex and Count Dante’s Deadliest Fighting Secrets before moving on to my personal favorite, horror and monsters, and ending on oddities. Each item is given an apt description of what the ad claimed, what the companies actually sent and even a few historical factoids for good measure. There’s even a photo of the actual item next to each ad, making no mistake to show just how cool or – more times than not – lame the gizmos actually were. Unlike some of the scams found within, Mail Order Mysteries: Real Stuff from Old Comic Book Ads! is worth every penny!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED