Meet the Gwolphs of Saturn
This 1946 advertisement for Casco was illustrated by the Russian-born surrealist Boris Artzybasheff. I'm not completely sure what Casco was/is, but they promise "new and unusual contributions to better living", and they certainly knew how to commission an eye-catching advert. Artzybasheff also illustrated this "improved design for modern man":
I can't find a big enough image to read the writing, unfortunately, but it's good to see Improved Man has a built-in filing cabinet, birdcage and some kind of early iPhone, with detachable heart and champagne glasses. I like the look of him a lot. And Improved Woman has a twig and is that a newt? - plus rear view mirror, martini, and I think it says that trapdoor in her head is for easy access by a psychoanalyst. Bring on the future!
Comments
Hello - fantastic images. They are exquisite - I like his long nose. When I saw them with your text about the Russian illustrator, I was reminded of the performance artist, Andrej Bartenev - although his costumes are more organic and encumbering than the Casco characters.
From what I can read, Casco make car accessories - e.g. the new Mars 9 pop out cigarette lighter ---
Meet the new Mars 9.
Considerring a new car, eh?
Just wait till you get to the planet Mars on ---- drive space ship --- and sit behind the "stick" of a new Mars 9.
In an instant you'll be coasting along comfortably at 175 miles an hour (for the first 500 miles - after that it warms up) gliding smoothly and ----- on your special spiral spring wheels.
You'll be riding high, wide and handsome with never(?) a thought of running out of gas. All Mars 9s are powered by a central energy station through receiving antennae on the rear ............
a Casco "Pop Out" Dashborad Cigarette Lighter.
I wonder if the adverts are selling the accessories through an idea(l) of liberation through technological innovation - all those gadgets amounting to a whole person?
I think of Vance Packard reeling in the ether.
Reagrds, JB.
Posted by: Anonymous | November 15, 2008 9:47 AM
Bartenev looks interesting - more of a disco version. The Thinkles of Venus in particular reminded me of Jim Woodring.
Posted by: Emma | November 15, 2008 10:10 AM
Casco(Connecticut Automotive Specialty Company) made (still make) accessories for cars, and electrical gadgets.
They started with cigar lighters for cars in the 1920s, and patented all manner of changes since then, and still make them despite the fact that for most of us the cigar lighter is as relevant as wheels on a fish. Instead we plug our phone charger, navigation gadget or whatever else into the socket and throw Casco's lighter for the obnoxious weed away.
Posted by: soubriquet | November 30, 2008 5:49 PM