Jack Kelly - 'Tis a Puzzlement :)

Hello Everybody,

We've all seen a "tie-in". This is a book, toy, game, etc., that's based on a movie or TV show.

The original Maverick series generated plenty of tie-ins, some of which (e.g. comic books) you've seen on this blog. There were also Maverick vests, string ties, cowboy hats, cap guns and holsters, wallets, school-bags, coloring books, plastic figurines, phonograph records, paint-by-number sets, and even Halloween costumes.

Most Maverick merchandise was popular--and profitable. Reportedly, at least a million dollars worth of Maverick-themed items had been sold by the end of 1958.

Jigsaw puzzles were another tie-in. I've seen a few Maverick puzzles, including a couple printed with photos of JK and James Garner as Bart and Bret. I've also seen one with a painting of Bart riding a wildly bucking black bronco.

Here's another jigsaw puzzle I hadn't seen before. It's now part of the Kellection:

It depicts Bart on a leopard Appaloosa (where's Goldie?) galloping through the hinterland, with Cousin Beau following closely behind on a bay.

A label on the puzzle says it's "For Developing Coordination and Motor Control". Gee, I'd better practice putting it together several times a day, then! ;-> No, I'll just stare at it instead. :)

JK on TV - You're My Inspiration :)

Howdy!

Well, it looks like winter may be loosening its grip a little. Yesterday, the thermometer hit 40 degrees. The carpet of white on the lawn has shrunk a bit. The huge piles of snow the plows pushed to the curb are slowly shriveling into sooty mounds of slush.

This morning, I thought I saw a crocus trying to poke through the frost in the garden. And, the weatherman said it's supposed to be 50 by the end of the week! :->

Another day brightener: I got to see a tiny bit of Maverick today before I left for work. I noticed Bart was wearing his dotted vest. The vest and JK's curly hair reminded me of a photo in the Kellection, one of my favs:

When I first saw that pic, it looked very familiar. That's because I had this Maverick newspaper ad from 1960:

Here's a closer look at Bart:

It's clear where the artist got the inspiration for the ad. :)

But, that's not surprising...JK is always inspiring my work, too. ;->

More about the Maverick ad here.