Happy 4th of July!

This Hostess baseball card album is from 1976. It seemed like a patriotic choice to post on Independence Day. Have a great 4th of July!

Allen Swift (1924-2010)

The sad news broke recently that the amazing Allen Swift passed away last week at the age of 86.

He was born as Ira Stadlen, and later changed his name to Allen Swift for show business. His talents were as numerous as his credits. For me, it was his work as a voice actor in cartoons and myriad commercials that cemented his legacy.

Some of his work included Leonardo / Total Television productions, voicing many characters in the King Leonardo, Tooter Turtle and Underdog cartoons. Simon Bar Sinister set a high mark for cartoon villains in the 1960s.

Especially near to my heart was his voice work in the many Hostess commercials of the 1970s, as he audibly brought to life both Twinkie the Kid and Captain Cupcake. Those animated snack cakes, often performing heroic feats to provide treats to kids everywhere, still  live on in the memories of so many kids of the 1970s and 1980s.

Listen to the voice of Simon Bar Sinister in this Underdog clip (posted on YouTube by ReturnofLatinPupE), and compare it to the voice of Captain Cupcake in the Hostess commercial below (posted by rubberducky7171).

Rest In Peace. (NY Times obituary)