I've Moved! Check out the all-new, all-different Invincible Super-Blog at www.The-ISB.com!

Monday, March 20, 2006

Tired of Sticky Cubes?

Regular readers will know that I've got more than a passing interest in the advertising that litters the pages of whatever back issues I happen to be reading, whether it comes in the form of house ads, shills for Big Jim's P.A.C.K., or the inexplicably enticing full-page promo for Megaforce. They're just fascinating indicators of what things were like when the comics came out, sometimes even more than the stories themselves.

And sometimes, every once in a while, there's one that transcends all that and achieves a certain perfect beauty on its own, the kind of advertising nirvana that can only be attained by a product that fills a niche so small in such a narrowly-defined era that it could have no discernable use today.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is one of those ads. From the pages of DC Comics Presents #46, I give you...

CUBE LUBE

Yes, 1982's modern science had met all challenges it was faced with and so set out to conquer the only remaining frontier: Rubik's Cubes that didn't turn fast enough.

Seriously. Cube Lube. What were they thinking?

10 Comments:

Blogger Mark W. Hale said...

Hooray for Cube Lube!

Hooray for America and her scientists!

3/21/2006 2:00 AM

 
Blogger Ragnell said...

I wish I'd known about that product before it was too late.

3/21/2006 6:14 AM

 
Blogger Canton said...

Heh. Wonder how they wrote up the patent on this one...

3/21/2006 8:29 AM

 
Blogger Diamondrock said...

If... If I'd had Cube Lube then maybe I wouldn't have lost the 1997 Rubik's Cube World Championship to that Chinese guy.

WHY? WHY SO LATE?

3/21/2006 8:38 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

And much like that finger sized massager thing, I'm sure it's ONLY used for its stated purpose.

3/21/2006 11:00 PM

 
Blogger Canton said...

So you know some puzzle "enthusiasts," eh, Arizona?

3/21/2006 11:13 PM

 
Blogger Chris Sims said...

"Because until you try it, you just don't know how fast you can go."

Cough cough.

3/21/2006 11:32 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Those who go for various speed records with the Cube still use oils:

http://www.mathematische-basteleien.de/rubikscube.htm#Richten%20mit%20der%20Stoppuhr

More on it over at Slashdot, of course:

http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/01/16/213232

3/22/2006 11:16 AM

 
Anonymous Enoch said...

The author is absolutely right, and there is no question.
double front doors | short term loans | copper prices

9/24/2011 6:57 AM

 
Blogger Unknown said...

That's pretty cool! I will have to get some cube lube! I had never heard of it before, and my friend said i should look it up.

5/17/2013 10:41 PM

 

Post a Comment

<< Home