I used to look out at the Hollywood sign from my living room window every morning. Guess that view helped spark my pointless interest in Hollywood history.
I recently finished a good read: The Hollywood Sign (Leo Braudy), that details the ups & downs of the Hollywoodland (turned Hollywood) sign, and it's surrounding, sordid namesake.

Detailed, but still concise, timeline of how the Hollywood neighborhood was developed, and how Hollywood evolved into the nerve center of American movie making. It also touches on famous events related to the sign (like the tragic 1932 suicide of actress Peg Entwistle., it's believed she hurled herself off the top of the 'H'.)

(1992. Ross Perot supporters temporarily jacked the sign.)

The sign's a very cool, unexpected icon. Designed as a simple advertisement, that became a universal icon. Braudy documents how the sign's story parallels Hollywood's surprising ascent, and fluctuating public attitudes toward both the sign and the movie industry.

Far back as the '20s, Hollywood was already earning a reputation for devouring the dreams of young, aspiring stars..


                                                nat.rain@gmail.com

For 1976 a logo was created to honor the bicentennial of the American Revolution. It was used on flags, letterhead, etc. It's probably still familiar to some people.

In my acquisition of vintage football lamps, I recently encountered (what seems) like a knock-off tribute to the Bicentennial spirit of 1976.. Unless this logo represents something else someone remembers (?)
Email me if you have, or remember, an alternate, more elaborate, explanation on this cool Pro Sports Marketing lamp.

nat.rain@gmail.com

Max Fleischer..

nat.rain@gmail.com

I'm a fan of the 80s Twilight Zone(s). I feel some sacrilegious guilt for saying this, but actually like the 80s run better than the original Rod Serling Twilight Zone.
Anyways, there was an 80s episode titled The Card.. about a credit card company that doesn't f*ck around. If you miss a payment, they repossess everything that matters to the delinquent borrower.. prized personal possessions, your pets, your loved ones.
Re-watching the episode a few years back, I thought the location of the fictitious credit card office seemed familiar. Turns out it was located on my sometime, former commute thru Studio City CA. It was in strip mall on Ventura Blvd, that housed an old video rental place Video West. You can see the old Video West facade in this screen cap from the episode.

The video store was still operating 20+ years after the Twilight Zone episode was filmed, and held on deep into the years when traditional video stores were folding up..

A cool, creepy episode. It's on YouTube, but looks like the uploader just held his phone to a tv screen to record it.

                                                          nat.rain@gmail.com

My collection of old Pro Sports Marketing NFL lamps, still need a couple to complete the league. They're all stamped with a 1973 copyright, but I believe there were several manufacturing waves. The earliest lamps having narrower brown cords & plugs, later ones having thicker black cords. Expansion Seahawks & Bucs coming in post-'73 releases. 

Vintage Bucs logo, signed by USC Trojan turned temporary Buc, Anthony Davis.

Unique one, with Lil Pro character, he must've predated the NFL Huddles that became popular 80s NFL characters

My only college one, acquired from a UCLA alum estate sale.. it was in heavily-used shape, did my best to clean & restore.

nat.rain@gmail.com

Natrrain Rhino

Back in the 9os, the Norfolk-Virginia Beach area (Hampton Roads) was vying for an NHL franchise. They pitched the Hampton Roads Rhinos. I assume Rhinos was chosen for it's alliteration with Roads; because at the time the only possible rhinos inhabiting Hampton Roads were the vacant-eyed, half-dead variety found at the (then) Norfolk Zoo.
I recently recreated the hypothetical Rhino logo, w/a few alterations. I wanted to keep original essentials, but made his upper body more yoked up, flared his nostril, tried to make his eye look less tired. Also morphed his stick in the letter 'H', and gave him the late-8os, Halloween colored NHL shield.

(original Rhinos mascot)

Mark 16:8. 

nat.rain@gmail.com

Poe w/quote. Property of Nat Rrain.

nat.rain@gmail.com