Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for December 20, 2018

“He was a pale child.”

We were much more easily entertained back then.

Wait, Arlo has a brother?

We had one of those 4 colour things too. I loved how it changed the colour of our silver tree.

I hope that’s the light making dear brother green, otherwise some more decorating is about to happen.

Haven’t seen the skeleton to indicate electric shock in ages. I’d forgotten how funny it can be. Love the hole in the sole of Santa’s left boot.

We had the wheel for our al tree too! I used to point it at our b&w tv and joke that was the only way we’d get a color tv- last family in the neighborhood to get one.

Advertise them as shiny electronic toys and they would sell millions of them to the consumers all over again.

And when he got to college he had his own lava light.

A bit of TV trivia: the first color TVs used a color wheel in front of the screen to turn the white light into color. It would cycle through the colors, red, blue, green, as it turned 20 revolutions per second (IIRC – I haven’t heard about them in more than 50 years and they were ancient history then) but had to be synchronized through a connection to the TV. The screens were small so the color wheel was not hopelessly large. I hear they produced very good color.

My aunt had this tree. I loved that thing. She eventually upgraded and threw it out. Heartbreaking.

Arlo has a brother; more info.

This strip has really taken me back to 1962. A wonderful memory – and spot on.

I was fascinated by the bubble lights. And the little bird that metronomicly dipped his beak in a glass of water. That was pre 1960’s tho’.

Last night we were talking about the joys and irritations of having tinsel on our trees. One hypothesis is that it ended it’s popularity when we started having live trees which could then be picked up and made into mulch by the city. A tree with any tinsel will not be picked up. and then there was Angel Hair which was reportedly made with bits of glass….I can imagine why we no longer have that.

Color wheels were mesmerising…wish I had one now to throw light throughout the room. Plus, they didn’t tangle like strings of lights.

I love panel 1. Bzzzzt!

Oh, the 50’s and 60’s.

we had these plastic icicles that would glow in the dark for an hour. we hung them from the branches and they had an erie blue tint to the glow.

Wonder how one would look with the new “holiday lasers”?

My best friend’s family had one of these in suburban Oklahoma. Weirdest family I ever met.

And just think your kids will think these are the good old days

The needles didn’t fall off so badly either…

Yes in the 1960’s we had one of those trees with 4 color wheel. We would just put on some ornaments.

Family across the street had one of those. Could watch their front window change colors.

I also liked and remember bubble lights. My current pre-lit tree had trouble lighting the bottom section this year. Finally wiggled the right spot and it came on, but probably going to get a new one when the 50% off discounts start. Looking at one with the color changing lights.

How long were those in fashion? Does anyone know?

Not nearly as electrifying as the copper version.

OMG, we had one of those. I haven’t thought about that for many years.

I just left my friend’s house. She had up the “tree from her childhood.” A tabletop aluminum tree with a four color rotating light…..

I remember when my dad brought our aluminum tree home, that light wheel fascinated my little brother for hours

Arlo’s dad looked a bit like Gene’s father-in-law, Lou.

O.M.G.!!!!!! this was exactly the tree and lights we had, too!