HOVERBOY MATCHBOOK
(196-?)

Tom Fielding, a matchbook collector from Arizona, found my website and sent along an image that he thought I'd be interested in. And indeed I was! Here's Tom:

"Hey Mark. Love the site. It brings back some great memories of the Hoverboy cartoon with the lips talking on the animation!

I though you'd get a kick out of this matchbook from my collection. I got it through trade with another collector. Sorry I don't know the date, but I can tell you that Daves' Air Club closed down in 1967. From the design style, I'd say this is more like early to mid 60s."

So what was DAVES' AIR CLUB? Well, here's where it get's interesting...

"It seems pretty obvious that Daves was a casino, but I did some asking around and found out it was more like a cathouse! It was called the "Air Club" because that's where the pilots used to hang out. It was located around a half-hour outside Tuba City, a small town in northern Arizona. Kind of gives the name "Hoveroom" all new meaning doesnt it? There aren't legal brothels here in Arizona anymore like there are in Nevada, so it was closed down in the late 60s."

Thanks Tom!

Now, little matchbooks like this were usually exclusively local advertisement, so it could be that Dave never bothered to get copyright for the use of the Hoverboy's character. Just the same, both Bob Stark and C.L.Nutt would have been pretty hard up for cash at this point, so it's not unimaginable to me that one or the other might have taken money from just about anybody!

Another interesting thing to note in Tom's email is his mention of a caroon with "the lips talking animation". I've heard that there might have been an early 1960's Hoveboy cartoon using the "Syncro-Vox" process used for such cartoons as CLUTCH CARGO and SPACE ANGEL. This is the first time I've talked with someone who's actually seen it! Eeep! Something else to hunt for. Just what I need!