Now, if you are old enough to have worn a balaclava, thrilled to the first episode of Ready Steady Go, and felt the light had gone out of the world on hearing the news of the death of Otis Reading and Dr. King, then like as not Mr. Therm will have been a familiar figure.
And for those who don’t, he was the marketing face of the gas industry, having first appeared in 1931, from the Publicity Department of the Gas Light and Coke Company, he went on to be adopted by other companies, and survived nationalization of the industry, only slowing fading away in the 1970s.
I remember him best from the Eagle comic where he often appeared, in adverts like this one.
Back then Mr. Therm would pretty much be the last thing I read, long after Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future, the cutaway feature and a host of other exciting stories and was more an afterthought.
Today we assume that the 1950s and early 60s were a more innocent age, and yet continued in its 20 pages the Eagle would have as many as 20 adverts, ranging from small ones to those that took up a full page.
Along with adverts for toys, and plastic model kits, there were those for bubble gum, fountain pens, as well as sweet, books and careers with the armed forces.
And taking centre stage would the breakfast cereals, usually accompanied by a free gift.
So, on September 20th, 1958, Corn Flakes was offering a free plastic spinning top, while Shreddies, went one better with a full page spread announcing “Free! 20 models of amazing Prehistoric Monster”.
Leaving Mr. Therm to compete with Tommy Walls who got into all sorts of scrapes but always came out on top with a Wall’s ice cream.
I had almost forgotten Mr. Therm with his old-fashioned gas meter, but happily have been reunited with him as I once again read through my old copies of Eagle.
Location; the 1950s
Pictures, from Eagle Comic, May 30th, 1959, Vol. 10 No.20
And for those who don’t, he was the marketing face of the gas industry, having first appeared in 1931, from the Publicity Department of the Gas Light and Coke Company, he went on to be adopted by other companies, and survived nationalization of the industry, only slowing fading away in the 1970s.
Back then Mr. Therm would pretty much be the last thing I read, long after Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future, the cutaway feature and a host of other exciting stories and was more an afterthought.
Today we assume that the 1950s and early 60s were a more innocent age, and yet continued in its 20 pages the Eagle would have as many as 20 adverts, ranging from small ones to those that took up a full page.
And taking centre stage would the breakfast cereals, usually accompanied by a free gift.
So, on September 20th, 1958, Corn Flakes was offering a free plastic spinning top, while Shreddies, went one better with a full page spread announcing “Free! 20 models of amazing Prehistoric Monster”.
Leaving Mr. Therm to compete with Tommy Walls who got into all sorts of scrapes but always came out on top with a Wall’s ice cream.
I had almost forgotten Mr. Therm with his old-fashioned gas meter, but happily have been reunited with him as I once again read through my old copies of Eagle.
Location; the 1950s
Pictures, from Eagle Comic, May 30th, 1959, Vol. 10 No.20
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