Once upon a time, nearly every movie or TV show, no matter how stupid or inappropriate, had its own set of trading cards. Kids collected cards from Mork & Mindy, Star Wars, The Incredible Hulk, and Battlestar Galactica like their life depended on it. There were even Bo Derek cards and cards about that awful Bee-Gees' train wreck of a movie, Sgt. Pepper - the sort of things that don't instantly pop into your mind when you think of children's products.
Of course, this was a time when TV/movies were being merchandised like ever before. Thus, you had ridiculous products like Taxi lunch boxes and Welcome Back, Kotter Halloween costumes. I distinctly remember a Three's Company children's puzzle of Suzanne Somers in a revealing bathing suit. Even then, I knew this merchandising thing was getting out of hand... but I liked it.
For fun, I thought I'd take this 1970s trading card phenom to its bizarre extreme.
I don't think there was ever a Kojak trading card, but if there can be a Mod Squad trading card set, why not? Although not marketed for kids, Telly did record an album (see a previous post). BTW: I also discuss in grotesque detal particularly bad examples of shirtless celebs in a previous post.
As I've mentioned before, James Evans scared the hell out of me as a kid. I was ready for him at any minute to just take down his family one by one. Anyway, Plaid Stallions and its spin-off Sitcom Diablo are good places to go to check out great TV and movie merch from the 1970's.
Many of you may remember my post on Camper Tramps - that unbelievably sexed up RV brochure from the 1970s (found at Retrocrush). If there was a Bo Derek and Charlie's Angel's trading card set, why not this one?
