Loyd's BONUS video-clip(s)!!--- # 39!!-- 'The guy with one of the COOLEST careers in THE WORLD!'

 Well gang, I can't think of  a better way of celebrating 100 POSTS on this here blog-a-wing-a-ding-thingy-thang, than to keep on having FUN with those REALLY cool little 1/64 scale vehicles I dig on SO MUCH! What better way to continue to do that, than getting to know a little about 'Mr. Hot Wheels' himself, Mr. Larry Wood!

I should say here, that Larry wasn't the original 'design guy' at Hot Wheels. That honor belongs to Harry Bradley. Larry came along about a year or two after the start of the whole thing. But---- he's the guy that definitely stayed around the company (that would be Mattel, of course!) long enough to be so closely associated with the brand, that he's known all over the WORLD--by the nick-name, 'Mr. Hot Wheels'.

I first learned about Larry, WAY back in the late 80s (if my sometimes-short-circuit-prone memory isn't failing me, that is!), through an interview and biographical piece that ran in the old 'Street Rodder' magazine ( I STILL have that issue, by the way!). Then, as now--- he's always seemed like the type of guy that would've made a VERY cool uncle! One that just happened to have one of the most AWESOME  jobs / careers in the WORLD!---- and obviously had a BLAST doing it all through the  years!

The man did NOT retire, until he was 75! After 40 years at 'The World's COOLEST Car Company'! Even then, he was still a consultant and advisor. The guy just OBVIOUSLY loved what he was doing! Here he is in an interview from several years back, talking about that career.-----

AND--- Here's Larry again, from some years back, hanging out at the 'Hot Wheels test facility' (just how WICKED-NEAT-O-NIFTY-COOL must THAT place be???), talking a little about his career--- and doing a little time behind the wheel of the 'FULL-SIZED' version of the 'Bone Shaker'! (One of his all-time CLASSIC Hot Wheels designs!)---- 

Thanks and gratitude, to 'Uncle Larry' Wood! There were a LOT more smiles and FUN in my childhood (as well as my 'over-grown-KID' adult-years, to be honest!), thanks to ALL of those tiny vehicles designed by him! LONG LIVE 'Mr. Hot Wheels'!!!

Discovering a real, honest-to-goodness, FULL-SIZED Hot Wheels car! (AND--- it's kinda CONFUSING history!)

 

The above 1/64 scale little hunk of metal and plastic, just so happens to be one of my most FAVORITE Hot Wheels of ALL TIME!--- The Twin Mill, of course! Needless to say, I have SEVERAL versions of it in my (somewhat modest, I confess) collection of tiny hot rods! 

This includes an original 'Red Line' version, that I've had since WAY back in the dark ages (when I was a 'little Loydster'!)! Mine isn't NEARLY as nice as the example above! Like I've said before here, my Hot Wheels were TOYS, so--- being a KID, I played with them! Sometimes---'GASP', horror-of-horrors-- even OUTSIDE! But, still, it's a treasured little item. As are the other versions I have of it!  

This was easily the most 'WAY-OUT' example of a hot rod that Mattel ever produced! I guess that's why I've always loved it SO much! Like some kind of UFO / 'Martian attack vehicle', mashed together with the most OVER-THE-TOP drag-racer EVER! Every school kid's car-related-doodling-around-on-the back-of-their-math-assignment, brought to LIFE! 

That's why I'm somewhat ASHAMED to admit, that I had NO idea that something SO WICKED-AWESOME-COOL had been  developed, relating to this life-long, ever-smile-inducing favorite of the 'ol Loydster! Not just developed.... built----- LIFE-SIZED! As a FULLY FUNCTIONAL, RUNNING CAR! Then refined and constantly evolved and tweaked over the DECADES, before I knew ANYTHING about it! Until just a matter of  DAYS AGO!!

That, my friends, is where this little chunk of Hot Wheels history gets a bit murky! At least, it did for me at first! If, like myself, you were to stumble across JUST the images and brief captions about this beast on Google--- you'd almost think there had been 3 or 4 versions of it over the years! In other words, a whole series of cars! Just check out the 'costume-changes' it's underwent, over the past nearly 20 years!----

  

That's right, folks! Despite appearances... it's..... the.... SAME.... car! The pic at the upper left in fact, is pretty much how it appeared, when making it's debut. Now, I could go and on about all the WAY-COOL stuff relating to the car that I've discovered! But, instead, I'll just slap up some links, to a couple of SUPER-NEAT-O / interesting articles, that REALLY helped clear things up for me! (Like, for instance---it's JUST ONE CAR!---Oh well, I NEVER was the 'brightest bulb in the box'!)---

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/0307sr-milestone-twin-mill/

 

https://www.delmartimes.net/sddmt-automatters-hot-wheels-life-sized-twin-mill-2014sep12-story.html

Now, before I sign-off on this post..... here's an extra little FUN video, that had also been around.... for  a DECADE, before I found it! (yes, more evidence of my 'LIGHTNING-FAST' mental abilities!) Imagine seeing this MONSTER.... at a USED CAR LOT!----

 

Yes indeedy! Probably one of the BEST pranks / April-fools jokes EVER! I gotta admit, I kind of envy the kid, who actually got to SIT in it!

As much FUN as being able to take the 'full-sized' Twin Mill for a spin around the block would be---- I guess I'll just settle for the FUN of  holding on to those teeny-tiny versions of  it, that have brought PLENTY of smiles to my face over the years! Besides, I'd NEVER be able to put the 'life-sized' version on  ANY  kind of shelf! 

MORE fun with color-pencils and markers!

 

Once again, here in this little crazy-corner of the web, that's the 'ol Loydster's blog-a-wog-a-wing-dang-thang, I'm taking another trip through the coloring books! Truly something that helped me retain my sanity back in the EXTRA-frosty month of February!

But also,the simple act of putting color-pencils and markers to paper these past few months, has helped me keep from going bonkers a number of times, during what's been kind of a MEAT-GRINDER of a spring too! 

First off, let's visit some of  the Marvel character pages That I've doodled around with / colored, since our last visit to 'Loydster's-coloring-book-land'! Try NOT to laugh, at my somewhat pathetic and POOR imitations and attempts, at the famous 'Kirby-Dots' or 'Kirby-energy-crackle', (as Marvel fans call it!) in a few of these! Only Jack could do that kind of stuff  RIGHT! But, hey, they were FUN to at least TRY anyway!----

Next up, one of the LAST images left in the Batman coloring book I've been scribbling my way through. LOTS of filling in space with simple black-marker! The results are still neat-o and FUN though!--- 

Speaking of that 'certain Caped Crusader', I've recently discovered--- through that WONDER of a 'magic doorway' that is 'Google search'--- quite possibly an ENDLESS supply of Batman (and Bat-vehicle-related) images to color!  

Thankfully, I have access to a nifty home printer, so I can simply download these COOL images, then print them out on plain old white copy paper (which is--also thankfully--CHEAP!)! These have been a real BLAST to really attack with the color-pencils and markers!  

Here's some of what I've doodled-around with so far! I'm especially proud of the 'Golden Age'-inspired image of Batman and Robin-- drawn by the GREAT Mr. George Perez (believe it or not!)!----

Now, I'll just bet your'e asking yourself-- 'since coloring books, coloring-book-pages,as well as plain-white copy paper are all made out of such FLIMSY material--- how ON EARTH are you keeping these images from curling-up, tearing, or otherwise suffering some kind of  DAMAGE, 'ol Loydster-- you somewhat O.C.D. - DEVIL you???' 

Well--- maybe NOBODY'S really asking themselves that! BUT--- I'll share my 'colored-images-saving'-secret with all of you anyway! It was a simple matter of returning to the 'Dollar Tree' store (where, remember--- EVERYTHING'S a BUCK!), snagging a binder, a couple of packages of 'page-protector-sleeves', and lastly---popping images from the covers of the various coloring books onto the binder! WHAM-O! I've now got THE basic PERFECT protective HOME for all those FUN images!---

So far, I've stashed away around 30 images in my little 'GEEK-A-ZOID-FUN-colored-images-binder'! (yes, just like the previous posting about this subject--- the images above are just a LITTLE sampling of my COMPLETELY shameless coloring-book-NERDINESS!) I've got the feeling that the fun's JUST begun with all this coloring-book / down-loadable image MADNESS! 

Since most ALL of my other 'GEEK-OUT' stuff is in storage at the moment, this 'coloring-book-THANG', Is just about the PERFECT fit for me right now! It doesn't take up much space, and it SURE isn't very expensive to keep up with, or stay involved in!

Like I was saying in the earlier post--- it keeps BOTH the 'doodling / creative impulse' satisfied, AND helps me stay SANE! Just WHAT is not to LOVE about it?