Hey! It's "Ed" – in a 1967 ad!

Well, I finally found it – and I wasn't even looking for it.

What is it? Why, a vintage newspaper ad with the same exact piece of clip art of "Ed," the little man who regularly appears in the current Ed Tomko Chrysler Jeep Dodge ads running in the local newspapers.

The ad for Nelson and Fain (above) ran in The Journal back in June of 1967. The TV repair business was located in the building at 1755 Oberlin Avenue, more recently known as the former home of Biggy's Pub & Eatery.

Here's part of one of the recent Ed Tomko newspaper ads (below) starring "Ed," the little man.

Originally, I thought whoever designs the Ed Tomko ads had blackened out the teeth of the little guy. Now I can see that he's always been toothless.

Not only is "Ed" still featured regularly in Morning Journal print ads, he's also appearing in animated online banner ads that  currently appear on the MJ website. Not bad for a guy who's been working in advertising for almost 60 years.

A screen grab of the current animated Ed Tomko banner ad on the Morning Journal website

Atkinson Williams Open House – October 1956

Although Lorain no longer has a new car dealership within its borders, it used to have several – including the Atkinson Williams Ford, which was located on Kansas Avenue.

Above you see a nice full-page ad for an Open House at the dealership, spotlighting the new 1957 Fords. It ran in the Lorain Journal on October 2, 1956.

It’s not a Grand Opening ad for the dealership, which previously was located on Broadway. (I posted an earlier 1956 ad announcing that the new showroom on Kansas was now open here.)

You’ll note that the ad also includes Ed, the advertising mascot for Ed Tomko Chrysler Jeep Dodge in Avon Lake. Ed has been featured on this blog more times than I can count, since he was used extensively by the Journal art department in various ads since the 1950s.

But strangely enough, Ed doesn’t seem to be featured on the Ed Tomko website. Maybe they still haven’t forgiven him for working for a rival automobile dealership.

It’s That Guy Again!

It’s been a while since I posted another one of my discoveries of Ed, the Ed Tomko Chrysler Jeep Dodge mascot appearing in the pages of vintage Lorain Journals. You remember him – he was the little “everyman" who was obviously part of some kind of clip art package that the Journal owned and used from the early 1950s right into the 1970s.

In the Tomko ads, he is shown in a perpetual, toothless holler, as seen at right. Usually these ads depict him in various humorous scenarios by plunking his head on another body for zany effect.

Here on my blog, I’ve already documented five or six of his appearances in vintage ads for just about everything, including TV repair, painting contractors, new houses, furniture, and of course, new cars.

Well, here are two more examples of him quietly working to promote something. Below is a 1967 ad for the Antlers Hotel cocktail lounge promoting “Gene,” who regularly played the organ and piano there. Ed gives his thumbs-up approval. The ad ran around St. Patrick’s Day that year.

And here’s another one from ten years earlier. This ad promotes the well-remembered "Family Weekly" magazine that was part of the Journal on Saturday for so many years and was apparently a new addition locally in early April 1957.

April 4, 1957 Lorain Journal ad

Could that be Ed’s wife in the ad?

Anyway, to learn more about the history of Family Weekly and other "Sunday magazines," click here.

July 1957 Family Weekly (courtesy Ebay)

There's that little guy again!

Last November (here), I posted a few late 1950s car ads from the Lorain Journal that featured a little clip art guy that's the current mascot – "Ed" – of Ed Tomko Chrysler Jeep Dodge in Avon Lake. Whoever designs the ads for Ed Tomko puts the vintage mascot in all kinds of amusing situations. (Most recently he was dressed like the Easter Bunny.)

While trolling through rolls of microfilm at the Lorain Public Library recently, I noticed that the little mascot appeared in more than just auto ads. Here he is (above) in an April 1957 Lorain Journal ad for Peter Chula, a Lorain painting contractor. (To learn more about Peter Chula, click here.)

I still like the idea that a piece of 1950s clip art is finding new life in the 2010s.

Atkinson & Williams Ad – Feb. 3, 1956

I couldn't resist posting this huge ad for Atkinson & Williams Ford, seeing as it features our old pal "Ed," the little clip art man who appeared in multiple newspaper ads in the 1950s and 60s. He could show up just about anywhere, in an ad for Atkinson & Williams Ford or even the competition, such as Bob Beck Chevrolet.

This ad ran in the Lorain Journal on Feb. 3, 1956.

"Ed" finally found a home at Ed Tomko ads in the Morning Journal running around 2013, which is where he picked up his name. But a couple of years ago, the Tomko family retired so I guess Ed did too.

Otherwise, I really like the ad. It does a good job capturing the excitement of the new '56 Fords with that huge car graphic. Do people still anticipate the new car models? I guess they do, judging by attendance at the annual Cleveland Auto Show.

Atkinson & Williams has been a regular topic on this blog, with these posts providing a history of the dealership and its much-heralded move to 1530 Kansas Avenue.

As some of you know, the dealership eventually transitioned to become George May Ford, the subject of many posts as well.

The deserted 1530 Kansas Ave. location circa 2008
(Courtesy Google Maps)

Beatle Mania Comes to Lorain – Feb. 1964

Three days after the Beatles made their first live television appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show on Feb. 9, 1964, the ad above was printed in the Lorain Journal.

The Feb. 12, 1964 ad – featuring our old pal Ed (currently appearing in Ed Tomko Chrysler Jeep Dodge ads) – advertises Beatle wigs and records for sale in the Patio Room adjacent to the Colony bar, located at the intersection of Kansas Avenue and Colorado Ave.

(I’ve written about the Colony a few times, including how the bar was the successor to Gus Atthanasoff’s Showboat restaurant, which had been destroyed in a fire. I also posted a 1963 St. Paddy’s Day ad, and another ad noting that you could purchase Cleveland Indians tickets there.)

Anyway, you have to admit that it’s pretty impressive to be selling Beatles stuff only a couple days after the Fab Four exploded into the nation’s consciousness. I’d sure like to see what one of those wigs looked like.

But what I can’t figure out is why the artist who designed the ad didn’t retouch the art so that Ed was wearing one!

****

I wrote about how the Beatles affected the Brady family back here, including how each of my siblings and I each had a favorite member of the group.

Somehow, “my” Beatle ended up being Ringo – the goofy one (at least in those TV cartoons we watched).

The Little Guy in the 1950s Car Ads

When I saw this full-page Bob Beck Chevrolet ad (above) in the Lorain Journal of February 20, 1956, I thought, "That little cartoon guy looks vaguely familiar."

Then about a week later, I saw him again – this time in a Spitzer Motors ad that ran in the Lorain Journal on June 20, 1955 (below).

It turns out that 56 years later, the little guy is still appearing in car ads – but now he's working for Ed Tomko Chrysler Jeep Dodge in Avon Lake. The dealership regularly features the little advertising mascot in their ads in various guises (such as below). Actually, I think he is Ed, since the "Ed says..." appears next to him each time – but he seems to have lost his choppers.

Good to see him still working, though, in these challenging economic times!

It's That Guy Again

I found yet another appearance of my favorite 1950s clip-art guy (that's currently featured in Ed Tomko Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram ads). This ad is from the 1970s and proves that the little guy had some staying power over the decades.

The ad – for Roberts Specialty Shoppe in Sandusky – ran in the Journal on September 19, 1975. It's a take-off on the Let's Make A Deal game show, even using the same type font. The clip-art man has been slightly modernized with a semi-realistic body.

This particular digital version of him is still available for use through Getty Images®, although a shamrock has curiously been grafted onto his shirt, and he's been streamlined a bit. He's also on a retro-poster offered through www.postersguide.com.

I don't know much about Roberts Specialty Shoppe, since it was located in Sandusky, except that it is closed. (Here's a link to the obituary of Timothy J. Roberts, who worked at the family-run business for more than 30 years.)

Entertainment Page – August 2, 1963

This page from the August 2, 1963 Lorain Journal showcasing local nightclubs and restaurants really drives home to me just how long I've been doing this blog (since 2009). Almost every ad is for a business that's been the subject of a post. But it's still fun to see the different bands performing at various nightspots, as well as the variety of food and entertainment options.

At the Elberta Inn, there was Marty Cassano and his Band; at the Colony Lounge there was Al Thiery and his Melody Knights. Mike Vidovich and his Jolly Boys were performing at Three Sisters Hungarian Restaurant & Steak House.

Vian's (subject of eleven posts) was promoting its Lake Erie Perch Fish Fry. Helen & Joe Zahorec were the hosts at Lincoln Park Night Club, subject of many posts, including this one, which provided a capsule history.

The Triangle Bar at 2213 Lake Avenue sure was home to a lot of different businesses. It started out as Urban Miller's Supper Club in the early 1950s and more or less ended up as Pandora's Box in the early 1970s. This five-part series looked at the history of all the restaurants and bars that were in that triangular space at Lake and Elyria Avenues.

If national chain restaurants were more your style, there was Kentucky Fried Chicken (available at Kenny King's), and A&W Root Beer.

Other entertainment options included Lorain Arena.

Other items of note on the page: an appearance by "Bart Maverick" himself, Jack Kelly, at Canal Fulton Summer Arena, and the little clip-art guy who is/was the mascot for Ed Tomko Chrysler Jeep Dodge in Avon Lake.

ABC Realty Sales Ad – November 23, 1963

Here's a realty ad for ABC Realty announcing the Grand Opening of a model home out in South Lorain. The ad appeared in the Journal on November 23, 1963.

The house has a lot of nice features according to the ad. As a Sheffield Laker, I'm impressed that it has those newfangled storm sewers  – and sidewalks no less!

Of course, the real reason I'm posting the ad is because it features our old pal, the little clip art man in the current Ed Tomko car ads. (Here's a link to all of my posts about him.)

Anyway, it was fairly easy to find the model house on a Bing maps aerial view of the area (below). It sits on a spacious corner lot.

From there, I found the house on the Lorain County Auditor website. The house is located at 4523 Palm Avenue. A few structural modifications have been made, but it's still a nice looking house.

Courtesy Lorain County Auditor website

The little map in the ad is a little outdated, though. Homewood School was demolished back in 2008.