Funny Face: An Amusing History of Potato Heads, Block Heads, and Magic Whiskers [Paperback]

Mark Rich (Author), Jeff Potocsnak (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2002

The spud everybody loves to play with is turning 50 years old! Mr. Potato Head has delighted generations of children and now everyone can have a detailed look at the exciting history of the toy potato that has fascinated the world for half a century. This colorful book follows Mr. Potato Head from his birth in 1952 at the hands of Hassenfeld Bros., to the addition of Mrs. Potato Head and all the variations on the original, including the Jumpin1 Mr. Potato Head and the "Toy Story" version. Also highlights the pop culture aspect of the popular toy, including the toy premiums and other marketing items, such as Mr. Potato Head Ice Pops and the Potato Head Game that sprouted from its popularity.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rich is a regular columnist for Toy Shop and author of 100 Greatest Baby Boomer Toys and Toys A to Z. Potocsnak is one of the leading authorities on Mr. Potato Head and owns an extensive collection of memorabilia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Krause Publications (May 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873494180
• ISBN-13: 978-0873494182
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,347,778 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mark Rich has published in publications ranging from Poem, Rattle, and Ship of Fools to Analog, SF Age and Amazing Stories, during the course of his writing life. He spent somewhere around fifteen years writing for toy and antique magazines including Toy Shop and Toy Cars & Models. He reports that by the time he almost knew what he was doing, these magazines met the fate of many such print-based venues, in recent years.

Recently a number of his short stories have been collected into book form. His new March 2010 biography of Cyril Kornbluth is, he believes, fully as ambitious as his TOYS A TO Z, but much more adequately realized. His fascination with Kornbluth has been nearly life-long; and the work that led to the publication of the biography began before he started down the path of becoming "expert" at American toy-manufacturing history.

C.M. KORNBLUTH: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF A SCIENCE FICTION VISIONARY is, as the title suggests, an in-depth look at both the writer and his works. It ends with a short section that explores a particular thematic strand in Kornbluth's works.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THAT SPLENDID SPUD! THAT TRENDY TUBER!, May 11, 2002

By 

Richard Bowes (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Funny Face: An Amusing History of Potato Heads, Block Heads, and Magic Whiskers (Paperback)

Toys, always, had been played with then discarded. Now they have a shiny second life as nostalgic collectibles.

In the colorful, profusely illustrated FUNNY FACE, Mark Rich and Jeff Potocsnak take us through picture blocks, magnetic 'magic whiskers', interchangable pictures. Quite quickly, though, they get to the immortal Mr. Potato Head. And there they stay, exploring the phenomenon of plastic facial features stuck onto an actual vegtable.

There's much to see. Who remembers, for instance, that Mr. and Mrs Potato Head, products of the consumer culture of the 1950's, had cars, trailers, planes, boats, kitchen sets? Who would have guessed that their child would be all plastic and have human features?

The art, especially the original advertising (see the freckle-faced little girl on page 59) is a wonderful, somewhat unsettling look at a bygone time. The text is clever, tying the coming of Mr. PH in 1953 to the contemporary fascination with science fiction and space aliens. And pointing out that he was indisputably (and almost uniquely among then-contemporary toys) an adult.

Best of all, the book has the great good sense to quote me!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Beutiful Book Featuring Funny Face Items, June 1, 2002

By 

Irvin Goodman - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Funny Face: An Amusing History of Potato Heads, Block Heads, and Magic Whiskers (Paperback)

This is a new, year 2002, softbound, volume of 120 pages, loaded with over 200 very large, full color, sharp photos of every type of "funny face" item. It's a memory jogger, reminding you of stuff you've long forgotten. Descriptions of each item are very complete, and run the range from block heads, potato heads, magic whiskers to spud people and safety-oriented seventies and beyond. There's plenty of interesting text provided. It's completely indexed for easy location of items. An up to date price guide is included. A fun book to enjoy. Add it to your collectibles library.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Potato Heads Through the Years, October 28, 2010

By 

Spudman (Pasadena, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Funny Face: An Amusing History of Potato Heads, Block Heads, and Magic Whiskers (Paperback)

Funny Faces by Mark Rich and Jeff Potocsnak is a detailed history of funny face games and toys including Potato Heads, Block Heads, and Magic Whiskers. In this book are hundreds of excellent photographs of funny face items from the collections of the authors and others. Accompanying the vivid, clear photos are detailed descriptions, histories and evaluations all organized meticulously by time and type. At the end of the book on pages 108-115 is a selective price guide listing the estimated value of some of these funny face toys, illustrated with numerous pictures.

If one can't judge a book by its cover, then "Funny Face!" is the exception to the rule. Between the playfully designed front cover and the equally amusing and enlightening back cover, the reader is taken on a merry romp from the origin of funny face toys to the present. In this highly entertaining and informative book we follow the gradual transformation and evolution of Mr. Potato Head over the years in the context of the toys of his era. The authors provide excellent descriptions and critiques of the funny face toys and supplement the text with hundreds of colorful photographs, some with bright mustard yellow backrounds. For the pictures and nostalgic value alone, this book is worth a long look and a leisurely flip. For a Spudman it's the ultimate coffee table book.