A Wisconsin Yankee in Walt Disney's Court

Some day I’m going to fulfill my intention of driving around and taking pictures of old or interesting signs in the Orlando area and posting them to the blog, but for now I have this video and some links about the Rotoshere, the king of the neon age mechanical signs.
Also known as Sputniks, over 200 were produced but only a handful survive. A product of the 1960s, they adorned car dealerships, liquor stores, bowling alleys, malls, hotels, and more. With more or less a car’s differential driving neon tubes in alternate directions, it’s no wonder they didn’t last very long, but how great would it be to still have things like this spinning all over town? If there was one near me, I’d probably be compelled to go park under it every night and fall asleep.
Beyond the wonder of the Rotosphere is the fact that people have compiled so much information and video on such things. Thank the magic of the internet that such esoteric subjects can reach their limited audience, in a way that couldn’t happen through books or magazines or libraries. There’s a pretty sweet Flicker pool of Rotospheres and related signs, and this page has, unbelievably, a checklist of every known example and it’s current condition. Amazing. Plus, there’s enough further footage on YouTube to make a grown man weep.

Happy Foods in Skokie, IL

If there was only one reason to turn back the clock and halt the Wal-Mart-ization of America, this is it. How can you beat Happy Foods? And that early-’70s sort of font and signage. Only early Piggly-Wiggly or Red Owl logos might rival it in the grocery store pantheon. And that’s without a character mascot.
It’s actually a nice little place, too, pre-dating giant megastores that take half an hour to get through, or find anything. Although it looks like something from an era where ground chuck is 59 cents a pound, the window signs (hand painted!) give away the fact that times have changed. Tuna steak? 10 bucks? I’m glad they’ve figured out a way to survive…