Sunday, July 15, 2018

So, "Rex" Could Win If I Just Printed It Neatly?!?

Who want's a great prize?

Wow!! What else ya got?

Whoa! A "first prize extra"!! To heck with you other prize winners!!

Now, I mock, but round trip air fare and $500 wasn't chump change back in 1960.

So what did we have to do to win this relative fortune?

You have to name this cute dog!! Awwww...

No, seriously, that's it.

However, there is an important discrepancy between the entry form and the rules:

So, the form asks for what you name the dog, even though you're already supposed to print that on the dog's collar, while the rules ask you to "tell us why you like dogs," even though there's nowhere to write that!!

If I were cynical, I might believe that that was a purposeful error, a way to void all the entries so they don't have to award the prizes. If I were cynical...

So how do they pick the winner?

"Neatness"?!?! Really?

Plus, define originality. If I name the dog "Øʓʁœ﷼ῴᶙ۞ѾЙ," do I win, as long as I write it neatly? That's original, right?

And of course...

...you must deface your comics to enter. THE ENTIRE PAGE must be ripped out!!

And if you want multiple entries, well...

...please destroy multiple comic books!!

In fairness, there is no story content on the flip side of the page, so your comic will still be readable. It's just a list of the other prizes:

You will note that many of these other prizes ask/require "winners" to write in with names and addresses and/or send money to get the full value. Why, if I were cynical, I would say the whole enterprise was just an excuse to put together mass mailing lists and potential customer lists for various companies.

If I were cynical...

From Unusual Tales #21 (1960)

1 comment:

  1. "Gold Key Roller Skating Club"? No plugs for the competition, please (two years hence).

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