But then there are other things that just slowly fade away.

No big announcement. No farewell tour. No official last day. They’re just there one year, less common the next, and then one day you realize they’re basically gone.

That’s what happened to a lot of the little everyday things many of us grew up with. Not giant historic moments. Not major inventions. Just regular pieces of life that used to be woven into our routines. They were in our homes, our cars, our stores, our neighborhoods, and our weekends. They helped shape the look, sound, and feel of ordinary life.

Some of them were practical. Some were fun. Some were tacky. Some probably needed to go. But taken together, they gave everyday life a texture that feels very different from the world we live in now.

Here are 25 everyday things that have quietly disappeared.

1. Video and DVD rental stores

There was something special about walking into a video store on a Friday night and browsing the shelves. You didn’t just click a title and start watching in ten seconds. You wandered around. You judged movies by the cover. You hoped the new release wasn’t already gone. And if you found a hidden gem, it felt like a victory. Video rental stores turned movie night into an event.

2. Phone books

For years, every house seemed to have a big phone book somewhere near the kitchen phone. If you needed a number, you looked it up yourself. Businesses, neighbors, restaurants, repair shops—it was all packed into those thick pages. Younger people today may never understand how normal it was to flip through a phone book to find a plumber, a pizza place, or an old friend.

3. The lady in the elevator

There was a time when some nicer stores, hotels, and office buildings actually had an elevator operator—a well-dressed lady or gentleman who sat or stood inside the elevator and controlled it for you. It sounds almost unreal now, but it was once considered helpful, proper, and classy. Even elevators used to feel more personal.

4. Record stores

Record stores were more than stores. They were destinations. You could spend an hour flipping through albums, looking at cover art, reading song lists, and discovering music you didn’t know existed. Record stores had personality. They smelled like cardboard, vinyl, and possibility. Buying music used to feel like a ritual, not just a download.

5. Black & white TVs

A black and white TV was once a totally normal thing to have, especially in a bedroom, kitchen, or second room. The picture wasn’t sharp. The screen wasn’t big. And nobody cared. It was still television. Those old sets remind us how much less people expected from entertainment—and how grateful they were just to have it.

6. Fish and birds being sold in department stores

Back in the day, some department stores had pet sections where you could buy goldfish, parakeets, turtles, and other small animals. It seems strange now to think of shopping for socks, a lamp, and a pet bird in the same building, but that kind of thing used to happen. Department stores were full of surprises.

7. Ticket stubs to concerts and events

Physical ticket stubs used to be tiny souvenirs. People saved them in drawers, wallets, scrapbooks, and memory boxes. A worn ticket stub from a concert, movie, or ballgame could instantly take you back to that night. Digital tickets are convenient, but they don’t carry the same emotional weight as a little printed piece of paper you actually held in your hand.

8. Parking meters

Parking meters are still around in some places, but old-school meters with the coin slot and turning knob used to be everywhere downtown. You’d dig for change, feed the meter, and hope you got back in time. They were a small but familiar part of city life, especially in shopping districts and old downtown streets.

9. Local radio DJ’s on 24/7

There was a time when local radio really felt local. DJs had personalities. They lived in town, talked about local events, gave shout-outs, took requests, and felt like part of the community. Today, much of radio is voice-tracked, syndicated, or automated. It still exists, but the era of live, local personalities being part of daily life around the clock has faded.

10. Software not subscriptions

You used to buy software once and own it. That was the deal. You bought the box, brought it home, installed it, and used it until your computer couldn’t handle it anymore. Now, so much of the software world runs on monthly or yearly subscriptions. It may be more convenient in some ways, but it also means you often feel like you’re renting tools instead of owning them.

11. Full size spare tires

Cars once came with real spare tires that could actually get you somewhere. Not a donut. Not a repair kit. A full-size spare. It gave you peace of mind, especially on long drives. Today, many vehicles skip them altogether to save space, weight, and cost, but it’s one more example of practicality quietly shrinking.

12. Saturday morning cartoons

For kids growing up in the 60s, 70s, 80s, and even into the 90s, Saturday morning cartoons were a weekly event. You didn’t stream cartoons whenever you wanted. You got up early, grabbed a bowl of cereal, and planted yourself in front of the TV. It was a ritual. It was part of childhood. And it gave Saturday mornings their own kind of magic.

13. Tall TV antennas above everyone’s house

There was a time when neighborhoods were dotted with tall metal TV antennas rising above rooftops. They were part of the visual landscape. If your reception was bad, somebody might even have to go outside and turn the antenna while someone inside yelled, “Right there! Leave it!” Those antennas remind us of a time when television didn’t come through a cable, dish, or app.

14. Ash trays

Ash trays used to be everywhere—living rooms, restaurants, cars, motel rooms, waiting rooms, and office desks. They were so common that nobody thought twice about them. Some were plain, some were decorative, and some were oddly stylish. Their disappearance says a lot about how much daily life and public habits have changed.

15. One liter pop bottles

One-liter glass or plastic soda bottles used to feel standard. Families bought them, reused them, returned some of them for deposits, and poured drinks into actual glasses at home. There was something satisfying about a cold one-liter bottle sitting in the fridge. The packaging of soda has changed over the years, but those bottles were once part of daily life.

16. Music on cassette

Cassette tapes were portable, personal, and wonderfully imperfect. You could make mixtapes, record songs off the radio, and carry your music with you in a way that felt more hands-on than streaming ever will. Cassettes got tangled, wore out, and sounded rough sometimes—but they were part of the experience. Music felt physical.

17. Evening newspapers

There was a time when many towns had both a morning and an evening paper. The evening paper gave people something fresh to read after work, often covering local news, sports, and late-breaking events. As media habits changed, evening editions quietly vanished in many places. It was one more rhythm of daily life that disappeared.

18. Drive-In movies

Drive-ins were more than a place to watch a movie. They were an atmosphere. Families piled into the car. Teenagers hung out. Kids wore pajamas in the back seat. The giant outdoor screen, the snack bar, the little speaker hanging on the window—it all felt uniquely American. Some still exist, but far fewer than before.

19. Green Stamps

S&H Green Stamps were once a big deal. People collected them from grocery stores and gas stations, licked them, stuck them into booklets, and saved them up to redeem for merchandise. It took patience, but it felt rewarding. Green Stamps turned ordinary shopping into a kind of game.

20. Fuzzy covers on toilet seats

These were once surprisingly common in homes, especially in the 70s and 80s. Fuzzy toilet seat covers and matching bathroom rugs somehow became acceptable decorating choices. They were colorful, soft, and a little odd. Looking back, they feel like one of those trends that could only have existed in a certain era.

21. Wood-paneled walls

Wood paneling used to be everywhere—living rooms, dens, basements, offices, and family rooms. It gave spaces a warm, dark, cozy look, even if it also made some rooms feel like caves. For a long stretch of time, wood paneling was considered stylish and modern. Now it instantly evokes another era.

22. Bench seats in cars

Bench seats used to make the front of a car feel like a couch on wheels. Families could slide across the seat, couples could sit close, and riding in the car had a different physical feel than it does now. Bucket seats may be more efficient, but bench seats had a roomy, relaxed vibe that’s mostly gone.

23. Spinner racks of paper maps

Before GPS and smartphones, spinner racks of folded road maps were a familiar sight in gas stations, truck stops, and convenience stores. If you were taking a trip, you might stop and buy a state map or road atlas. Traveling required more planning, more guessing, and more unfolding giant sheets of paper in the car.

24. Dragging the local strip

For generations of teenagers, one of the main things to do on a weekend night was to “drag the strip”—cruising up and down the same street, seeing who was out, waving at friends, checking out cars, flirting, and just being part of the scene. It sounds simple, but it was social life on wheels. In many places, that tradition has largely faded away.

25. Fake plastic fruit on the table

There was a time when decorative fake fruit bowls sat proudly on kitchen tables and counters. Grapes, bananas, apples, pears—all plastic, all shiny, all pretending to be edible. It was home décor, somehow. Today it feels funny and a little kitschy, but once it was a perfectly normal touch in a lot of homes.

Looking back, what’s interesting is that most of these things were never considered extraordinary while we had them. They were just normal. Everyday. Familiar. Part of the background.

But when enough of those little background things disappear, the feeling of everyday life changes with them.

That’s really what nostalgia often is. Not just missing the big moments, but missing the texture of ordinary life. The objects, routines, sounds, and sights that quietly framed our days. A record store. A one-liter pop bottle. A phone book on the counter. A Saturday morning in front of the TV. A ride down the strip with nowhere important to go.

None of these things seemed huge at the time. But together, they helped make life feel a certain way.

And maybe that’s why they’re still worth remembering.

PODCAST

VIDEO

The post 25 Everyday Things That Have Quietly Disappeared appeared first on Curtis Tucker.

Back in high school in the 1970s, my friends and I had a real garage band. We never really played out anywhere, but we had a blast. We practiced, we jammed, and we even wrote a few original songs. It was loud, messy, and perfect.

Now here we are decades later… and the world is wild.

Because of the advancement of AI, we can take a song we wrote and played back then and have it reproduced in a professional-sounding manner today. Not “replacing” the humans — just upgrading what we already created, like taking an old demo tape and finally making it sound like it always deserved to sound.

One of those songs is “Midnight Dreamin’” — which we’ve copyrighted and will be releasing soon. And honestly? I’d love for someone to record it and put it on an album.

But while I was writing my book, something else happened.

I kept coming up with these little short phrases — random words, memories, and ideas that were pure 70s. They were basically “sticky note reminders” so I wouldn’t forget to work them into the story.

Then a few years ago, I read through some of them and realized:
This isn’t just book fuel… this is song fuel.

So I decided my ultimate 70s book needed a matching ultimate 70s song — a true homage to the decade. A song packed with references that people who grew up in the 70s will instantly recognize… and younger people might not understand at all, but they’ll be curious.

That’s the point.

The lyrics are fun. They’re loaded with little time-capsule moments. And it’s the kind of song you want to sing along with even if you’re like, “Wait… what in the world is a clacker?”

Now that the lyrics are finished, I’ve pinned down the sound I want and sent everything to Stayton. He’s going to record it as an original song made 100% by humans — the way we would’ve done it back in the day.

Then I’m going to feed that human-made recording into an AI program and use AI as a tool to add extra instruments and polish it into a professional recording.

After that, the plan is to pitch it to artists who might want to record it and release it — just like “Midnight Dreamin’.”

This song is copyrighted. And once we have the final locked-in version, I’ll release it so you can help me get it into the right hands.

In the podcast episode, I walk through the verses and explain the references for anyone who didn’t grow up in the 70s — and for those of us who did, it’s a straight-up trip down memory lane.

And at the end of the episode, I’ll play part of the song so you can hear what it might sound like.

Alright… let’s get into it.

[Open]
Hey, Hey, Hey! These were the seventies! – This is an homage to the Fat Albert Saturday morning cartoon

[Verse 1]
We were marooned with a Skipper, – Although made in the 60s we watched the Gilligan’s Island reruns religiously

Used a fondue dipper, – Fondue was a quintessential party food in the 1970s

Heard a Monkee named Davy Jones. – The Monkees was a TV show ending 1968, reruns kept the group’s popularity alive in the 70s

—

There was a bunch named Brady, – The Brady Bunch was possibly the most popular kid sitcom in the 70s

That bionic lady, – The Bionic Woman is a classic 1970s sci-fi action series (1976–1978) starring Lindsay Wagner as Jaime Sommers

A trek with a doctor Bones. – Star Trek found a new audience in the 1970s, making it a cult classic and establishing the fan base of Trekkies

[Chorus]

[Verse 2]
We took a stairway to heaven, – “Stairway to Heaven” is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released on 8 November 1971

Thanked 7-Eleven, – “Oh Thank Heaven for 7-Eleven” is a famous, long-running advertising slogan for the 7-Eleven convenience store chain

We Hustled just for fun. – “The Hustle” is a disco song by songwriter/arranger Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony. It went to No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100

—

The Banana Splits danced, – The four Banana Splits are Fleegle (a dog), Bingo (a gorilla), Drooper (a lion), and Snorky (an elephant)

While Tattoo romanced, – Hervé Villechaize, the actor who played Tattoo on Fantasy Island, he yelled “De plane! De plane!”

During seasons in the sun. – “Seasons in the Sun” is a 1974 international hit song by Canadian singer Terry Jacks, topping charts in over 12 countries

[Chorus]

[Verse 3]
We ate boxes of Zingers, – Dolly Madison snack cakes (chocolate, vanilla, raspberry) often advertised with Peanuts characters

Wore t-shirts with ringers, – Ringer T-Shirts exploded in popularity in the 1970s

Hung angels made by Charlie. – TV’s Charlie’s Angels were Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Jaclyn Smith, also popular pinup poster girls

—

There was a band out of Boston, – Boston is an American rock band formed in 1975 in Boston, Mass

A punk named Rotten, – Johnny Rotten was British-born singer and lead vocalist of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols

The Beach Boys were gettin gnarly. – The Beach Boys are an American surf rock band

[Bridge]
Amazed by Evel’s feats, – Evel Knievel was a defining 1970s cultural icon, famous for death-defying motorcycle jumps

Sat on banana seats, – Banana seats, defining 1970s youth culture, were long, padded, and tapered bicycle saddles

Everything was avocado green. – Avocado green was a defining, ubiquitous color in 70s interior design, symbolizing earthy tones

—

There were Barbies, G I Joes, – Iconic 1970s “dolls” for boys and girls

And bell bottom clothes, – Bell bottoms were iconic wide-legged pants, symbolizing counterculture, disco, and rebellion

Jarts with Clackers were obscene. – Jarts and Clackers were iconic, high-risk toys of the 70s that defined a “survival of the fittest” era

[Verse 4]
We welcomed back a Kotter, – Welcome Back, Kotter was a popular sitcom about a teacher and his unruly students known as the “Sweathogs”

Knew Presley’s daughter, – Lisa Marie Presley was a famous child in the 1970s, known as the only daughter of Elvis Presley

And found old Scooby Doo. – The iconic theme song phrase from the 1970s cartoon is “Scooby-Dooby-Doo, where are you?”

—

Space Food sticks with Tang, – Space Food Sticks and Tang were space-themed products marketed to children as futuristic and astronaut-approved

The Orphans were a gang, – The Orphans are a minor, low-ranking street gang in the 1979 film The Warriors

Bonds compatriot was Q. – Q provided James Bond with a variety of specialized gadgets for his missions as 007

[Chorus]

[Verse 5]
Meat Loaf by the dashboard, – “Paradise by the Dashboard Light,” released on Meat Loaf’s 1977 album Bat Out of Hell, is a, 8-minute rock epic

Vader was a Sith Lord, – Darth Vader first appeared as a terrifying Sith Lord in the 1977 film Star Wars: A New Hope

Halloween was a movie. – John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978) is the definitive 70s slasher movie, featuring Michael Myers’

—

Knee high were our tube socks, – Tube socks were knee-high length, white cotton-blend fabric socks with distinctive red, blue, or yellow stripes at the top

Kids played with Pet rocks, – The Pet Rock was a 1975 fad that sold over 1 million, $4 smooth stones as, “hassle-free” pets

Shag made everything so groovy. – Shag carpet, known for its deep, plush, long fibers, came in vibrant or earthy colors

[Chorus]

[Verse 6]
We were raised on Watergate, – The 1972 political scandal at the Watergate Hotel that caused President Nixon to resign

Told we had to clean our plate, – Children were expected to eat everything served because “there are starving children”

Quint had the biggest jaws. – Quint is the grizzled, obsessive shark hunter in the 1975 film Jaws who operates the boat, the Orca

—

There was Saturday Night Fever, – The 1977 disco movie that defined the 70s dance craze starring John Travolta

The Wright dream weaver, – Gary Wright released the song Dream Weaver in 1975

Bandit broke the speeding laws. – Smokey and the Bandit movie in 1977. Smokey drove a Pontiac Trans Am

[Chorus]
Sunshine rays were never wasted, – Meaning we rarely let a sunshiny day go by without being out in it doing something

Ripe melon juices never tasted, – Kids were always eating watermelon and cantalope in the summer

As sweet as the memories, – Growing up in the 70s left us with the best memories

Of those seventies summers. – Carefree 70s summers were the highlight of the year

[End]
Those were the seventies,
Oh how we love the memories,
Take us back to our old friends,
One last time before it ends.

That’s it! Listen to the song at about the 44:22 mark of the podcast or video below. Let me know what you think!

PODCAST

VIDEO

The post Writing the Ultimate 70s Tribute Song appeared first on Curtis Tucker.

Todd and I grew up in the 1970s, right here in Enid. I grew up running around with five friends on W. Broadway, the kind of childhood where you played outside until the streetlights felt like a warning shot. Those memories stuck with me. And without realizing it, they slowly became the foundation of something much bigger.

Now here we are: The 70’s Buzz Podcast is about to hit one million downloads.

This episode is special because it’s not just a celebration of a number it’s the story of how we got here.

The early itch to build something

I started working for myself in 2003, right when blogging was starting to feel like the next big thing. I wanted to create my own thing, something I controlled and I experimented like crazy.

At one point, I went all-in on a venture idea: creating 100 websites and blogs and earning money through advertising. It was a grind, but it taught me the most important lesson I’ve ever learned as a creator:

You don’t find the thing by thinking about it. You find it by doing a lot of things until one grabs you back.

In June 2004, I started CurtisTucker.com to blog about being an entrepreneur, a stay-at-home dad, and what it was like growing up in the 70s. That site became a place for my voice even if I wasn’t always consistent with it.

My first podcast experiments (before it was “a thing”)

Back in 2005, I recorded a few test podcast episodes just to see what it was all about. Podcasting was still early, and honestly… there wasn’t much traction yet. So I stopped.

But I never stopped being drawn to the idea of talking into a mic and building something that felt like radio but on my own terms.

The Enid Buzz years opened new doors

Around 2014, I was deep into Enid Buzz and looking for new things to build. That’s when I asked Todd if he wanted to do a video show called E-Talk. We filmed in a coffee shop, talking about Enid, bringing on guests, interviewing people. It was fun, it was real, and it proved something important:

Todd and I had chemistry on mic and on camera.

I also started doing a live morning show with Alan Clepper on KOFM, about 30 minutes a day, four days a week just talking about random things and what was happening in Enid. I was doing it for fun as part of Enid Buzz.

Then in 2015, I had the opportunity to go interview Garth Brooks, and I took Todd and a few other guys with me to Tulsa. That trip is one of those “bookmark” moments—when you realize you’re building experiences, not just content.

In 2016, I started doing a weekly Friday radio spot with Joe Friday on KNID talking about what was happening in Enid… until I was eventually told the new station manager wanted Joe Friday to stop doing the show with me.

By the end of 2016:

• E-Talk was done

• I wasn’t on local radio anymore

• But Todd and I still had the itch to do something

A ghost hunt, a supermoon, and the moment everything clicked

In October 2016, Todd and I went on a ghost hunting event and livestreamed it on Facebook. We were still experimenting, still searching for the “right” show.

We even had a vision: recording a radio-style show looking out of a big window in downtown Enid, talking about adventures and interviewing people.

We just didn’t have a place.

Then in November 2016, I got a wacky idea while chasing a photo: I wanted to take pictures of the supermoon from the top of Enid’s tallest building, the Broadway Tower. I asked the person managing it if Todd and I could go to the roof.

She said yes.

Up on that roof, while we were taking photos, I mentioned our idea of doing a weekly show from a downtown space with a big window. She suggested we ask the building owner—because Broadway Tower was almost empty.

And just like that, the thing we didn’t have… suddenly appeared.

Our first studio and the birth of BuzzHead Radio

In January 2017, Todd and I agreed on a very cheap rate for the front space at Broadway Tower. It had a huge window. People could see us recording if we set up near it.

We moved into our first real studio/office.

I loved the idea of radio, so I started BuzzHead Radio as part of Enid Buzz. We bought microphones, set up a podcast table, and started testing.

I think the first night we tested was February 10, 2017.

A week later, on February 17, 2017, Todd and I recorded our first proper audio show. The first episode was about King Kong.

The next episode featured our first guest, Tammy Wilson, and we talked about ghost hunting.

We did more random shows too including some interviews, some local stories, and yes… a few episodes about our memories growing up in the 70s.

The setback that accidentally helped us

Then Broadway Tower had a fire and lost electricity. We couldn’t record until it was fixed, so we stopped for a few months.

But here’s what’s funny: sometimes a setback doesn’t end something, it forces it to become something better.

By May 2017, we were back in the studio. I was still doing the KOFM radio show, but I could tell podcasting was growing and my own project deserved more focus, so I eased my way out of KOFM.

And then came the real turning point.

The decision that created The 70’s Buzz Podcast

I started hearing more about podcasting getting big, and I asked Todd if he wanted to meet every Tuesday night and record a podcast.

Todd didn’t even know what a podcast was at that time.

But Tuesday worked because neither of us had family at home that night which made it our night.

We decided to stop BuzzHead Radio and concentrate on one subject instead of a bunch of random topics.

That subject was simple and powerful:

Growing up in the 70s.

On May 30, 2017, we recorded the Green Stamp Store episode, plus several others over the next few weeks.

In June 2017, we uploaded Green Stamp Store to Spreaker and we were officially a published podcast. We had multiple episodes recorded, so we uploaded them kind of randomly over a few days… and yes, a few were out of order.

It wasn’t perfect. But it was real.

New studio, new consistency, and never looking back

In July 2017, we started looking for a new place to record because of issues at Broadway Tower. We found a spot high up in the Independence Tower. We took a short break from recording and uploading.

We moved the studio in August and started uploading again on September 16, 2017.

And here’s the part I’m proud of:

We haven’t really missed a week since. Even during COVID.

We had heard the average podcast ends by episode 7, so we told ourselves we just had to get past that number. By the end of September 2017, we were past 7 episodes and rolling.

The numbers now (and why they matter)

As of February 12, 2026:

• 429 episodes

• 998,792 downloads

• We’ll hit one million downloads before next week

Our most popular episodes are our 70s song episodes.

Our biggest countries:

• United States

• Australia

• Canada

• United Kingdom

And the platforms that get the most play:

• Spotify

• iHeartRadio

• Apple Podcasts

• Amazon Music

We’ve also evolved how we connect with listeners: now we do a Facebook Live every second Tuesday of the month.

One million isn’t the finish line

One million downloads is a milestone, no doubt. But it’s not just “a number.” It represents something bigger:

• People choosing to spend time with us

• People who miss the 70s

• People who love stories

• People who grew up like we did or wish they had

And honestly… it represents the power of consistency. Not perfection. Not fancy studios. Not “waiting until you’re ready.”

Just showing up, week after week, and letting the thing grow.

So if you’ve listened even once, shared an episode, told a friend, or jumped into a Facebook Live… thank you. You’re a real part of this story.

And if you’re new here?
Welcome. You’re showing up right as we hit one million and that’s a pretty fun time to jump in.

PODCAST

VIDEO

The post 70’s Buzz Hits A Million Downloads! appeared first on Curtis Tucker.

Some of them are obvious like photos, letters, heirlooms we know we’ll never part with. Others stick around for quieter reasons. They get tucked into a box. Slid into a folder. Moved from house to house without much thought.

Years go by.

Then one day you open that box.

What’s strange is that the things we keep aren’t always the things we meant to keep. They aren’t always sentimental at the time. They just survive. And decades later, they become accidental time capsules.

Recently, I realized I still have a surprising number of items from my childhood. Most of these items are from the 1970s, things I’ve carried with me for 40 to 50 years. Not because I treated them like treasures, but because they somehow avoided getting thrown away.

Looking at them now, they tell a story I didn’t realize I was preserving.

Not a highlight reel.

Just a life, quietly documented.

The Things That Stayed

Here are 22 random items I’ve kept from my childhood. None of these were carefully curated. They just… stayed.

• A wooden foot locker full of magic tricks from the 1970s, along with magic magazines, Mark Wilson’s Complete Course in Magic, and several other magic books.

• A bird puppet named Emmett the Emu, bought around 1975, from the magic and puppet shows Stayton and I used to perform.

• About 200 comic books, ranging from the 1950s through the late 1970s—mostly Superman and Action Comics.

• A Hot Wheels Redline blue Classic ’32 Ford Vicky from 1968.

• A green Sesame Street Oscar the Grouch finger puppet.

• A marble collection, the kind every kid seemed to have at one point. I keep them in a retro red bubble gum machine.

• Cassette tapes filled with band rehearsals, mixtapes, Boogie Check, made-up skits, and Dr. Demento recordings.

• Letters from my sixth-grade pen pal in Korea, along with a knit hat and small wooden figures.

• Baseball, basketball, and football cards, including Joe Namath and Pat Riley.

• A photo of me unrolling my Farrah Fawcett poster at Christmas in 1976.

• A real Neil ringer T-shirt, a two-color silk-screened design.

• Cartoon park maps from Six Flags Over Texas (1978) and Mid-America (1976).

• My mom’s 8mm movie camera, a Mansfield Holiday Electromatic 8.

• Report cards from elementary school, junior high, and high school.

• Lionel O-gauge trains with metal track.

• A green rabbit’s foot keychain.

• A plastic slot-machine bank from Las Vegas—the handle still moves and spins the reels.

• A Radio Shack school calculator.

• Two vinyl albums: Kansas – Two for the Show and a 10-inch Cheap Trick – Found All the Parts.

• A single TV Guide from January 1978, with Kojak on the cover.

• Two Mad Magazines from 1977—one regular issue and one special edition.

• A KOFM window sticker signed by DJ Lester “Boogie” Michaels from the mid-to-late ’70s.

What These Things Really Are

Individually, these items aren’t rare or priceless. But together, they form something else entirely.

They’re proof of interests that came and went.
Of phases that mattered deeply at the time.
Of a kid experimenting with magic, music, art, humor, and creativity without realizing it was all connected.

What strikes me now is how normal these things were. None of them were saved because I thought, “This will matter someday.” They mattered because they were part of everyday life.

And somehow, they survived.

The Things I Let Go Of… and Found Again

What’s just as interesting are the things I didn’t keep but later went looking for.

Over the years, I’ve intentionally repurchased a few pieces of my past. Not to relive it, but to reconnect with it.

• I found my old banana seat bike again.

• I tracked down the same Grentech skateboard I rode as a kid.

• I rebuilt my vinyl album collection.

• And I found my way back to a red Kalamazoo electric guitar.

These weren’t impulse buys. They were quiet acknowledgments.

Not of nostalgia—but of continuity.

Those objects reminded me that the kid I was never really disappeared. He just evolved.

Why This Matters

We spend a lot of time talking about memories as things that live in our minds. But some memories live in boxes. On shelves. In drawers. In garages.

Sometimes the things we keep aren’t about the past at all.
They’re about recognizing the through-line.

The interests that never fully went away.
The curiosity that stayed intact.
The version of ourselves that’s been there all along.

And every once in a while, it’s worth opening the box and taking a look.

You might be surprised by what you’ve been carrying with you.

PODCAST

VIDEO

The post 22 Things I’ve Kept From My Childhood appeared first on Curtis Tucker.

Now that I’m 63 things are really starting to seem old. I was born in 1962 and was ages 8-18 in the 70s.

Seems crazy to look back 50 years and realize how different things were compared to today. Here’s what I remember from the early to mid 70s. The majority of these things are no longer a part of everyday life.

Freedom, Bikes, and “Be Home When the Lights Come On”
* We rode banana seat bikes and skateboards everywhere — across town, no helmets, no tracking, no check-ins.
* We’d disappear for hours and nobody panicked… because that’s just what kids did.
* Summer rule: stay out until the street lights came on, which felt like midnight.
* Spending the night at a friend’s house was a weekend routine — but you had to go inside and use their phone to ask.

Neighborhood Games, Porches, and Ghost Stories
* Kids played outside constantly: tag, hide’n go seek, red light/green light, kick the can, and a bunch of made-up variations.
* Porches mattered. We’d sit out there and tell ghost stories like it was a whole event.

Smoking Was Everywhere (and Totally Normalized)
* Smoking was everywhere and it was considered cool.
* Cigarette ads were in magazines and on TV.
* You could buy cigarettes from vending machines like it was candy.
* People smoked in hospitals, on airplanes, in cars, in restaurants — everything smelled like smoke.
* Ashtrays weren’t “decor,” they were equipment. You needed them all over the house.
* Kids even made ashtrays in school and gave them to their parents as gifts.

Phones: One Line, One Chance
* Most houses had one wall phone.
* If someone was on the phone, you were basically cut off from your friends.
* If somebody called, they got a busy signal. That was it.
* If you had a sister on the phone? You might be dead socially for an hour.
* Long distance cost real money, so people watched the clock.
* Rates dropped after 7pm, so that’s when people made their “serious” calls.
* Answering machines weren’t common — and if you had one, it used little cassette tapes.

TV and Living Rooms: Heavy Screens, TV Trays, and No Rewinds
* TV meant three channels and that’s it.
* TVs were huge and heavy — some were full console TVs built into wooden cabinets.
* Most TVs didn’t have remotes — you sat close and physically flipped channels.
* Stations signed off around 1am. After that? Static.
* No VCRs, no streaming, no catching up. If you missed a show, you might not see it again until next season.
* Daytime TV was mostly soap operas — and kids absolutely got hooked on the lunchtime ones.
* Cartoons were mainly Saturday morning. That was an event, not background noise.
* Prime-time was heavy on detective shows, variety shows, and sitcoms.
* When families ate in the living room, it was TV trays — and TV dinners were common.

Sports and Spectacle on Free TV
* You could watch major sports on regular TV for free.
* Big championship boxing matches were a huge deal.
* Evel Knievel stunts were appointment viewing.
* Monday Night Football felt like a national holiday — and Howard Cosell was a celebrity.

Music Culture: Radio Ruled
* People spent hours listening to the radio, especially on weekends.
* American Top 40 with Casey Kasem was a ritual.
* If you wanted a playlist, you made a mixtape by recording off the radio — and you almost always missed the first second of the song.
* Portable music meant battery radios and cassette players.
* Building a music collection meant vinyl, 8-tracks, and cassettes.

Fads 
* CB radios
* Pet rocks
* Rubik’s Cubes
* Clackers
* Mood rings
* Lava lamps
* Smiley faces
* Shag carpet
* Streaking (yep — it was a thing)

Collections, Toys, and Trading Culture
* Kids collected stuff like it was our version of “apps”:
* Baseball cards
* Comic books
* Marbles
* Hot Wheels
* Barbie dolls
* Troll dolls
* (and whatever the current craze was that month)
* Trading was constant — at school, in the neighborhood, on the porch. There was always somebody claiming they got ripped off or scored a “legendary” trade.

Posters, Bedrooms, and Teen Culture
* Teenagers had posters all over their walls.
* Popular ones: Farrah Fawcett, Charlie’s Angels, Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, blacklight posters, band posters, and whatever looked cool under a blacklight.

Candy, Convenience Stores, and Penny Prices
* You could actually buy stuff for a penny.
* Convenience stores sold Jolly Ranchers, bubble gum, and Sixlets for a penny.
* A couple coins felt like real money back then.

News and the National Mood
* There wasn’t 24/7 news. News had specific time slots: morning, lunch, dinner, and the 10pm news.
* Newscasters mostly just read the news — less “commentary” culture.
* Vietnam was on the news constantly, with protests and heavy division.
* Space travel still felt like the future arriving in real-time.
* Space hype created products and toys: Tang, Space Food Sticks, and space everything.

Travel and Airports Before Security Theater
* Airports were smaller and way more casual.
* You could show up 15 minutes before takeoff and still make your flight.
* No long lines, no security checkpoints like today.
* Friends and family could walk right up to the gate with you.

Money, Shopping, and How People Paid
* Fast food was mostly cash (sometimes checks). No debit cards.
* ATMs weren’t a thing — if you needed cash, you cashed a check somewhere.
* Grocery stores and gas stations might cash checks at night if the bank was closed.
* Layaway was normal — the store held it until you paid it off.
* The Sears Christmas catalog was a major event: mail order + weeks of waiting.
* People mailed money in envelopes to buy things from magazines.
* Returnable pop bottles mattered — you could get cash back for them.
* Green Stamps were like a parallel economy: collect them, paste them, spend them.

Houses, Heat, and Daily Life Details People Forget
* A lot of homes didn’t have central air.
* People used window units, swamp coolers, box fans in windows.
* Many houses had one bathroom, sometimes no shower.
* Floor furnaces were common — warm your feet, burn your feet, melt your shoes.

Kitchens were different too
* Most refrigerators didn’t have ice makers.
* You filled an ice tray, put the divider in, froze it, then used the handle to crack the cubes and dump them into a bucket.

Sun, Water, and No One Acting Like It Was Dangerous
* Skin cancer wasn’t something people talked about.
* People used suntan oil and baked.
* Sunburns were basically a normal part of summer.
* No bottled water — paying for water sounded ridiculous.
* Kids carried canteens and drank from garden hoses.

Cars, Seat Belts, and Playgrounds That Tried to Kill You
* Nobody wore seat belts.
* Playgrounds were intense: metal slides, merry-go-rounds, high monkey bars.

School: Discipline and Gym Class Reality
* If you got in trouble at school, getting spanked was normal.
* Gym was mandatory.
* You bought gym clothes.
* You showered after gym and teachers made sure you actually did it.

Movies and Games: You Had to Leave the House
* New movies weren’t just “available.” They weren’t shown on TV like that.
* No VCRs, no home movie library.
* Video games existed, but you had to go to an arcade and pay every time you played.

Teen Social Life: “Dragging the Strip”
* Teenagers cruised the local strip on weekends.
* That was the social scene — you drove around to see who was out.

Getting Information: Encyclopedias or the Library
* If you needed info, you either had encyclopedias at home or you went to the library.
* That was it. No quick search, no instant answers.

Photos, Maps, and Communication Took Time
* Photos meant a 110 camera or a Polaroid.
* Film took days to develop, and you paid even if the pictures were bad.
* Maps were folded paper maps — glove box full of them if you traveled.
* If you got lost, you stopped and asked directions.
* Messages meant letters and postcards — pen pals were real.

Seeing Bands Before Music Videos
* Shows like American Bandstand, The Midnight Special, Soul Train, and Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert were how you saw bands.
* No music videos. No YouTube.

Religion and Sunday Culture
* Almost everyone went to church on Sunday.
* And you dressed up. No debate.

Social Reality and Language People Used
* Many towns still had racial divides and unequal access.
* People rarely talked openly about being gay — most kids didn’t have a framework for it.
* A lot of everyday language was casually offensive by today’s standards, and people didn’t think twice.

Fears and Weird Collective Paranoia
* Nuclear war, an upcoming ice age, quicksand, the Bermuda Triangle.

PODCAST

VIDEO

The post What Life Was Like Growing Up In The 70s appeared first on Curtis Tucker.

So what’s the formula? Well, it’s more than just the classic trifecta of sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll. A true rock star delivers every time, no matter the stage. They’re bold, confident, rebellious when it counts, and they’ve got a magnetic presence that makes you stop and stare. They break boundaries, they innovate, and most importantly — they inspire. That’s the rock star spirit, and these 20 legends from the 70s had it turned up to 11.

Elvis Presley

By the 70s, Elvis was the King holding court in rhinestones. His Las Vegas residency made him larger than life, bringing rock ’n’ roll into the glittering age of spectacle. Even in his final years, his charisma, voice, and hip-shaking swagger reminded everyone who invented the rock star blueprint.

Peter Frampton

With his golden curls and a talk box in hand, Frampton became the poster boy of arena rock. Frampton Comes Alive! turned him into an overnight megastar, blasting from every turntable in the mid-70s. He made teenage bedrooms and stadiums alike feel like front row at the biggest show on Earth.

Paul Stanley

The “Starchild” of KISS painted his face and strutted the stage like a peacock on fire. Paul Stanley’s mix of glam, grit, and soaring vocals made KISS concerts feel like rock ’n’ roll carnivals. He wasn’t just singing songs—he was leading a revolution of lights, pyrotechnics, and teenage rebellion.

Gene Simmons

The “Demon” with a fire-breathing tongue, Simmons turned shock rock into big business. With his towering boots and blood-spitting theatrics, he made parents shudder and kids cheer louder. More than just a bassist, Gene Simmons created an empire, proving rock stars could be brands long before it was cool.

Eddie Van Halen

When Eddie tapped those guitar strings, the whole world stopped to listen. His lightning-fast solos on Eruption redefined the instrument and inspired a generation of shredders. In the 70s, Van Halen weren’t just a band—they were a California earthquake, with Eddie’s guitar as the epicenter.

David Lee Roth

Diamond Dave was the ultimate frontman—loud, wild, and impossible to ignore. With his karate kicks, spandex, and cocky grin, Roth made every Van Halen show feel like a circus on fire. He turned swagger into an art form and left no doubt he was born to be a rock star.

Freddie Mercury

Mercury was a one-man explosion of talent and theater. With Queen, he pushed rock into operatic heights with anthems like Bohemian Rhapsody and We Will Rock You. He strutted the stage like he owned it—because he did—and left a legacy of pure, unapologetic spectacle.

Robert Plant

Plant was the golden god of Led Zeppelin, wailing with a voice that sounded straight out of Valhalla. His lion’s mane hair and mystical lyrics made him a sex symbol and a shaman rolled into one. From Whole Lotta Love to Stairway to Heaven, he set the bar for rock singers everywhere.

Mick Jagger

Nobody worked a stage like Mick Jagger. With his lips, strut, and boundless energy, he made The Rolling Stones the world’s greatest rock ’n’ roll band. Jagger wasn’t just singing songs—he was embodying rebellion, lust, and pure 70s cool every time he hit the spotlight.

Steven Tyler

The “Demon of Screamin’” turned Aerosmith into America’s answer to the Stones. With scarves on the mic stand and a voice that could shred glass, Tyler was equal parts bluesman and glam rocker. In the 70s, he lived fast, sang hard, and made every song sound dangerous.

Roger Daltrey

The frontman of The Who brought raw power to the stage, literally spinning his microphone like a weapon. His leather-clad image and booming voice turned songs like Won’t Get Fooled Again into battle cries. Daltrey was proof that rock could be both soulful and ferocious.

David Bowie

Bowie didn’t just change music—he changed identity itself. As Ziggy Stardust, he turned rock into science fiction, bending gender, fashion, and sound all at once. In the 70s, Bowie was a living art piece, constantly reinventing himself while daring fans to dream bigger.

Elton John

Elton was a piano-playing rocket man in platform shoes and sequined jumpsuits. His flamboyant style and endless stream of hits made him one of the decade’s most recognizable stars. Whether behind the keys or on top of them, Elton turned pop into pure rock spectacle.

Stevie Nicks

The mystical heart of Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks brought witchy poetry and smoky vocals to rock. With her shawls, tambourine, and haunting stage presence, she made songs like Rhiannon and Dreams timeless. In the 70s, she wasn’t just a singer—she was an icon of magic and mystery.

Jimmy Page

The guitar wizard of Led Zeppelin, Page conjured riffs that shook arenas to their foundations. From Whole Lotta Love to Kashmir, his playing was heavy, hypnotic, and unforgettable. In the 70s, he wasn’t just a guitarist—he was the architect of hard rock itself.

Ozzy Osbourne

The Prince of Darkness rose from the steel mills of Birmingham to front Black Sabbath. His eerie voice and onstage antics made him the godfather of heavy metal. By the late 70s, Ozzy had etched his name in history as the man who turned doom into anthems.

Alice Cooper

The master of shock rock, Alice Cooper turned concerts into horror shows complete with guillotines and fake blood. His sneer, eyeliner, and theatrical antics terrified parents but thrilled teenagers. He proved rock wasn’t just music—it was performance art with a bite.

Keith Richards

The ultimate survivor, Richards lived the rock ’n’ roll life to the extreme and somehow kept going. His riffs powered The Rolling Stones, and his outlaw image made him a symbol of rock excess. In the 70s, Keith was proof that sometimes the most dangerous players make the sweetest noise.

Meat Loaf

With his booming voice and theatrical flair, Meat Loaf made Bat Out of Hell one of the decade’s defining albums. He wasn’t your typical rock star—he was larger than life in every way, mixing operatic drama with motorcycle grit. Meat Loaf showed that rock could be both epic and heartfelt. He’s not on my list of typical rock stars but he is one.

Rick Nielsen

Another non-typical rock star but one that had an influence on me. Cheap Trick’s guitar-slinging wild man brought humor and power-pop riffs to the rock scene. With his checkerboard guitars and mischievous grin, Nielsen made rock both fun and furious. He wasn’t just playing chords—he was setting off fireworks with every strum.

So there you have it — twenty legends who turned the 1970s into the loudest, wildest, most unforgettable decade in rock history. These weren’t just musicians; they were larger-than-life characters who set arenas on fire, rewrote the rules, and carved their names into the bedrock of pop culture. Listen to the 70’s Buzz Podcast below for more.

The 80s were filled with excess and the big hair bands. Most of those guys were rock stars as well. They took everything to a higher level and many burned out. I think Slash and Axl from Guns N’ Roses were two of the best in that era. Listen to the Zoinkies! Podcast below for more.

And here’s the cool part: the rock star spirit didn’t die with bell-bottoms and vinyl. Every once in a while, somebody new comes along with that same electricity in their veins. That’s why I’ve been digging YUNGBLUD — he’s got the swagger, the danger, and the anything-can-happen vibe that made the 70s so explosive. He might not be strutting in platform boots or guzzling Jack backstage, but he’s channeling that same reckless energy and rewriting the playbook for a new generation.

Rock stars never really go away — they just evolve. The 70s gave us the blueprint, and artists like YUNGBLUD prove the legend still lives on.

70’S BUZZ PODCAST

ZOINKIES! PODCAST

VIDEO

The post Rock Stars Who Defined the 1970s & Beyond appeared first on Curtis Tucker.

This isn’t just any book. It’s a nostalgic ride through long summer days, glowing object in the sky, banana seat bikes, and a CB radio with a secret. It’s a coming-of-age story, a little sci-fi, a lot of heart, and totally soaked in ‘70s vibes.

But that’s not all… I’ve designed a brand new Banana Seat Squad tee, and it’s available now at Zoinkies.com! Whether you grew up in the ‘70s or just love that groovy vibe, this shirt is packed with retro flair and BSS spirit.

The story now has its own official AI soundtrack! I’ve created two original Banana Seat Squad songs, and they’re now live on SoundCloud. You can listen, download, and add them to your nostalgic summer playlists.

The songs are just an example of what we might be adding to an original soundtrack. At this time the songs are being created using AI at Songer.com.

The music video has been uploaded to YouTube. The photos and everything in the video are from Enid right around 1977. There are pics that include all five of the main characters just the way they looked back then. Watch the video on YouTube.

If you haven’t caught the teaser yet, it’s a short and sweet intro to the story. It captures the spirit of friendship, freedom, and mystery that defines the book. Here’s the teaser:

Strap on your rainbow-striped banana seat, crank up Boston on your turntable, and ride straight into the wildest summer Enid, Oklahoma has ever seen.

It’s 1977.


Five boys.


One glowing object in the sky.


And a green AMC Gremlin that just might save the future.

Meet the Banana Seat Squad—a gang of goofball best friends riding bikes, jumping on trampolines, skateboarding, and playing outdoor games while the street lights glowed. But one night, everything changes when a glowing object—and a mysterious girl crackles to life on the CB radio.

Loaded with 70s nostalgia, epic friendships, bike rides, and unexpected twists, this is a coming-of-age adventure soaked in summer sun and wrapped in a Dr. Demento mix tape.

Stay tuned—I’ll be sharing more sneak peeks, character spotlights, and chapter excerpts in the coming weeks. I can’t wait for you to meet the Banana Seat Squad and experience the summer that changed everything.

PODCAST

VIDEO

The post My 70s Book Update appeared first on Curtis Tucker.

I wrote a list of 100 things on my old blog but decided to update the list and reduce it to 50 facts that would have been hard to believe.

If someone from 2025 had traveled back to 1977 and sat me down to tell me these 50 things I most likely would not have believed a word they said. There are maybe a couple of things on this list that probably would have made since at some point but some of these would have blown my mind.

Before you read this list you have to put yourself in the mindset that you are living in the 1970s and have no idea about the future. Have fun!

1.) Saturday morning cartoons have been eliminated from network TV channels.
2.) Dodgeball becomes a popular movie but is rarely played in schools.
3.) TV’s equipped with remote controls becomes standard, dials all but disappear.
4.) Old faded blue jeans with holes are now vogue and bring top dollar.
5.) Bruce Jenner, “World’s Greatest Athlete”, becomes a woman.
6.) Painting racing numbers on turtles is animal cruelty.
7.) Shag carpet, yellow kitchens and pink bathrooms lowering the value of homes.
8.) Members of KISS play a concert and sit down for interview with no makeup.
9.) Kids are buying water in a bottle, avoiding garden hoses and drinking fountains.
10.) Elvis’s daughter marries the singer of The Jackson 5.
11.) Old rusty metal lunch boxes on sale for $100 without a thermos.
12.) Photographs are being developed in a split second but are never printed.
13.) Parents track kids every move and text when dinner is ready.
14.) People work, get paid, deposit money, buy things but never have cash.
15.) Kids that took computer class are now tech billionaires.
16.) Harvest Gold and Avocado Green kitchens have been replaced by White and Black.
17.) Kid performs Evel Knievel style jumps upside down while spinning backwards.
18.) People carry phones in their back pockets, phone cords no longer exist.
19.) Bill Cosby from Fat Albert was sent to prison for sexual assault.
20.) Kids no longer play “Cowboys and Native Americans”.
21.) Sonny and Cher’s daughter officially becomes a boy.
22.) There is always a human living in space, but man hasn’t walked on the moon since 1972.
23.) The majority of modern TV’s are hung on the wall.
24.) A drop of DNA tells you how many unknown siblings you really have.
25.) While letters can take days to deliver, packages are now delivered overnight.
26.) Speed limits on highways in some states range from 75 to 80 mph.
27.) People don’t smoke in schools, restaurants or on airplanes.
28.) You have to be searched and take your shoes off to board an airplane.
29.) Long distance calls are unlimited and pay phones cannot be found.
30.) The predicted “global cooling” and “imminent” ice age did not happen.
31.) OJ Simpson was accused of murder in the trial of the century.
32.) Kids are required by law to wear seat belts in the back seat of a car.
33.) On average, people spend 42% of their waking hours looking at a phone screen.
34.) 70s bands still play concerts but have no original members.
35.) Records, 8-Tracks and cassettes all disappeared. Only records have returned.
36.) You can buy weed in many states on almost every corner legally.
37.) TV’s have hundreds of channels but there’s sometimes nothing to watch.
38.) The World Trade Center Twin Towers were destroyed by commercial airplanes.
39.) American Bandstand is gone so you watch people dance on your smart phone.
40.) Cars don’t fly but they drive and park themselves and run on batteries.
41.) Danny Bonaduce got buff and started beating people up.
42.) A website on the Internet replaced every encyclopedia and dictionary on earth.
43.) You can get fast food delivered to your house… by a flying drone.
44.) Dick Tracy’s watch actually became a real device.
45.) Devices tell you exactly where to drive to find a location.
46.) Teenagers make millions of dollars creating dancing videos.
47.) Blockbuster movie releases can now be watched on your phone or at home.
48.) You can track the exact location of an approaching storm on your phone.
49.) People sit in long lines in their cars waiting on cups of $6 coffee.
50.) A rover was landed on Mars and it sends continuous photos back to earth.

These are the things I never would have predicted back in the 70′s. Makes you wonder what 50 things will happen in the next 30 years that we’d never believe!

PODCAST

VLOG

The post 50 Facts Today I Wouldn’t Have Believed in the 70s appeared first on Curtis Tucker.

On the last episode I talked about all of my guitars over the years and I posted a photo of me in the 70s with my flame red Gibson Kalamazoo KG-2 electric guitar. This episode is a continuation of the last one.

I can’t divulge too much in this blog post or I’ll spoil the craziness you’re about to hear. I couldn’t make this stuff up even if I tried.

This could be the grooviest Wink From The Universe I ever experienced. Listen up and let me know what you think.

#dayinmylife #winkfromtheuniverse #gaeracquisitionsyndrome

PODCAST

VLOG

The post The Craziest Wink From The Universe Just Happened! appeared first on Curtis Tucker.

In the early 2000s I was creating 100 different websites so that I could load them up with advertising and make lots of money. I had to get creative on names because I wanted them to be memorable and I also wanted only dot com domains.

As a big fan of Scooby Doo I made up the word Zoinkies! which is a combination of the words zoinks and jinkies that are routinely said on the show. I wasn’t aware until recently that I actually bought the domain name on January 22, 2003. If you know me you know that 22 is my main lucky number!

The website I built around Zoinkies! was a directory filled with fun websites I had been finding. I limited the directory to only a few categories to keep things fun. Google hadn’t quite taken over the Internet yet so smaller directories were still getting traffic. The fact that I had specific categories actually helped the website rank in Google.

I finally abandoned Zoinkies! in 2012 after the Google Panda algorithm update killed my business. I let it sit for several years without updating it and then finally turned off the website but kept the domain name.

Fast forward to 2024 and I decided it was time to try a build another brand. I’ve been using several brands over the past few years including That Buzz Guy, Bottle Caps Mercantile, Shaggs, Shaggy Life, Shaggy Duck and others.

I opened up a new online t-shirt shop with the intent of starting the brand there. I wanted to sell t-shirts, sweatshirts and eventually art. I spent several months thinking of a new name for the online store. I originally was going to use Zoinkies! because I’ve always liked the name. For some reason I changed my mind and started creating an entirely new name.

After searching lists of 70s slang words I ran across the phrase cool-o-roonie which I thought was fun. Because I thought I would have art in the store I changed the phrase to art-o-roonie. I like that name and created a fun logo. I opened the store and started selling t-shirts again.

As 2025 got closer I made a commitment to myself that I’d really try to grow the new brand in the new year. I started using ChatGPT to help me refine the brand and give me ideas on what to sell and how to define the brand.

One day, just for fun, I asked ChatGPT what it thought about Art-O-Roonie versus the name Zoinkies!. It LOVED Zoinkies! and gave me a list of reasons why it was a better brand name for what I was doing. It also pointed out the fact that Art-O-Roonie sounded too much like it was an art related brand. I started to agree with it and made the decision to go with Zoinkies!.

So, Zoinkies! is now the big brand erasing several other brands and names. Names that will go away are Art-O-Roonie, Shaggy Life, Bottle Caps Mercantile and Shaggs. Zoinkies! will now be the name of my personal podcast, the online t-shirt shop, my Shaggs Facebook page and any future retail store or art gallery.

The definition of “Zoinkies!” (adj.): A state of joyful surprise, nostalgia, and fun. Inspired by playful exclamations of the 70s, embodying carefree vibes and creativity.

The Brand Story: Zoinkies! is a brand that celebrates individuality, humor, and retro flair. It’s where bold designs, funky colors, and carefree vibes meet a groovy lifestyle.

My company is still Shaggy Duck Studio and I still have accounts for Curtis Tucker. I’ll also still use the nickname of Shaggs but will not use that for branding. The brand that I’m going to try and expand will be Zoinkies!.

Zoinkies! State of Mind, is a brand that celebrates the bold, the funky, and the timelessly cool. It will be a world of retro revival, playful design, and carefree living.

T-shirt designs and podcast episodes will dive into the vibrant culture of the 70s and beyond, exploring how its music, fashion, and art continue to inspire modern trends. Zoinkies! will find and create groovy lifestyle designs, tips, stories and adventures.

Zoinkies! will discover creations from artists, entrepreneurs, and everyday Zoinkers who share their love for living boldly. Followers, known as Zoinkers, will find design inspiration, blasts from the past, and just good laughs—this will improve your vibe!

Zoinkies! will cover these main topics:

• Nostalgic dives into 70s movies, music, and culture
• Retro-inspired fashion, sayings, decor, and design
• Stories of creativity, entrepreneurship, and finding your groove
• Life over 50 – longevity, staying young
• A day in the life of Shaggs – plus big adventures
• Pop Art – groovy, colorful art

And that’s it! I hope you check things out and become a Zoinker!

Grab a t-shirt at https://www.zoinkies.com/products/zoinkies-unisex-t-shirt. More stuff and stickers on the way!

UPDATE: March 12, 2025 – If you’ve returned to this post and noticed a change in the logo you’re not crazy. After a little bit of feedback and much thought I decided to go back to my original logo from 2003 with a couple of modifications. This logo feels more fun and lends itself to a groovy t-shirt line. My hope is that it inspires a carefree 70s vibe with a little bit of surf, sun and adventure. Plus I’ve added the tagline “State of Mind” which I feel brings all Zoinkers! together as a group.

PODCAST

VIDEO

The post The New Zoinkies! Brand appeared first on Curtis Tucker.