You can't go home again (But at least you can park there)
(This is kind of cool, even if you're not an Intellivision junkie like me.)
INTELLIVISION LORE FROM THE FILES OF THE BLUE SKY RANGERS:
WE WERE HERE!
Even though we hadn't worked there in over a decade, many of us Blue Sky Rangers felt a sense of loss when they tore down the old Mattel Electronics building, and, a few years later, the main Mattel Toys building. Mattel had long since abandoned its Hawthorne, California, headquarters for nearby El Segundo. The only building left from our years at Mattel is what we called the Jacquard Building, for the company that occupied it before we did. Mattel Electronics moved its administration and marketing staffs into the Jacquard Building at the corner of Rosecrans and Sepulveda in Manhattan Beach in 1982. After Mattel Electronics shut down in 1984, the building sat empty for several years.
Unable to lease it out as office space, the building was converted to retail, reopening as Fry's Electronics. The building was gutted inside and completely redesigned, leaving nothing to show that the Blue Sky Rangers had ever worked there. Or so we thought.On a recent visit to Fry's, we pulled into a parking space and noticed the name H BARNES painted on the concrete bumper. The bumper was old, cracked, with rusted rebar showing through. There are no reserved spaces at Fry's today. Could it be that this was the parking place for Hugh Barnes, Senior Vice President of Operations for Mattel Electronics?
We came back when Fry's was closed and the parking lot was empty. Sure enough, the southernmost row of spaces carried the faded names of the Mattel Electronics executive team. The number one space, which would have been reserved for President Mack Morris, was blank, the concrete bumper having been replaced somewhat recently. But a dozen other executives have silent memorials here, like a forgotten graveyard of worn tombstones.That's kind of reassuring. After 22 years you may not be able to go home again, but at least you can park there.
posted by John Good @ 7:26 PM
8 Comments:
I have no idea what a Blue Sky Ranger is or Intellivision. I know I live under a rock. Reminds me of about ten years ago. I went to the music store for the 1st time in years and spent a half hour looking for albums. I finally asked the pimple faced kid, where are the "big" albums(as opposed to the "little" ones, ya know CD's!) He said and I quote "Where you been Van Winkle under a rock?"
My favorite mattel toy? My mini 16. I killed many a commie for mommy with it.
Peace.
I have a post regarding the history of Intellivision back in the archives. March, I beleive. It was a Atari-like system, but WAY better graphics and such. I'm a collector.
The thing most people know George Plimpton for is being the spokesperson for Intellivision. Paper Lion? What the hell is that?
You validate my point, I have NO IDEA! lol. I can still quote Plimpton's Intellivision ads though. . .
D I T D - Paper Lion is a non- fiction book by Plimpton where he takes the position of quarterback on the Lions team. He did it for real. The film starring Alan Alda depicted the team not really liking the idea too much. And in practice he got, well his D knocked in the dirt. Over and Over again. His ability to take the punishment earned him respect and he finally got to play one play in a game.
Plimpton was known for doing other "jobs" and writing about it. Maybe some of the ancient ones(I'm only 44) can tell us other "jobs" Plimpton wrote about. John?
John - release some of your hexadecimal synergy charged bits and bytes that are being used in your brain to store such useless information so it can be re-used for the future good of our Country - Please!!!
Human - You OLD dog, I'M only 42. ;)
Stan - I'm trying, I'M TRYING!!
Oh
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