Episode 62: Ant Farm vs. Sea Monkeys
As Ben Franklin once said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”
He also said, “Don’t believe 90% of what you hear on a podcast.”
Well, in the spirit of the first sentiment, we’re going to discuss two educational products that were found in the pages of comic books for, literally, decades. It’s Sea Monkeys versus the Ant Farm.
Buckle up. We’re all about to learn a thing or two…
E X T R A S :
(Top to bottom): An original comic book ad for the Ant Farm, a mid-century ad image for the Ant Farm, two different vintages of Ant Farm packages, poster for the sci-fi movie Them.
Ant Farm
Milton Levine biography (Wikipedia)
“How Ants Turned a Broke G.I. Into a Millionaire” (via author J. Mark Powell)
Interview with Steve Levine, son of Milton (NPR story)
Uncle Milton website
The history of the “formicarium” (Wikipedia)
David Kestenbaum and his family learn some important lessons courtesy of a gifted ant farm (This American Life story)
(Top to bottom): A typical print ad for Sea Monkeys, a portion of another ad showing the “proof” that Sea Monkeys are real, Sea Monkey action figures
Sea Monkeys
“The Mail-Order Marketer Who Made Millions with Really Bad Ad Copy” (Medium article by Krista Bennett)
“The year the geniuses behind the Hula-Hoop were beaten by a fish” (TriviaHappy article)
“The Shocking True Tale Of The Mad Genius Who Invented Sea-Monkeys” (The Awl article)