|
Spring
Loaded: A Message from the Editor top
of page | cover page
As
the second issue of Pezhead Monthly takes shape,
I'd like to again recognize the great community of Pezheads
who make the hobby of collecting Pez a truly global experience.
Pezamania 11 in Cleveland was my first real exposure to
this community, so you can imagine that's a high I don't
ever think I'll come down from.
This
brings me to my first and by no means last call for submissions.
If you have a burning itch to write about Pez, then please
contact me (If you simply have a burning itch, I recommend
a topical ointment). Examples of the kinds of writing I'm
interested in can be found in this issue and the previous
one: short essays, poetry, humor, fiction, personal Pez
stories, etc. I'm not looking for a rote list of dispenser
variations, pricing guides, collection descriptions, or
the like. I want thoughts and opinions, anecdotes and stories.
If you're more of a literary Pezhead who likes to think
"outside of the dispenser," send me your stuff.
I cannot offer any monetary reward, but I can give you exposure
and the satisfaction of sharing your love of Pez. How cool
is that?
I'd like
to say that I can continue Pezhead Monthly as a one-man
operation, but given my history of moving from project to
project I have my doubts. Besides, part of the beauty of Pez
is its color and its variety. You can see it in the dispensers,
in the candy, and in the thousands of Pezheads out there.
So send me your Pez writings for consideration for future
issues, and help keep this newsletter a reminder that collecting
Pez isn't just another hobby, but also a philosophy of fun
and life.
Joe
Durrant
Editor, Pezhead Monthly
joe@pezheadmonthly.com
What
Makes a Pezhead?
top of page | cover
page
If
they were to make a nature show on the Pezhead, native to
habitats all over the world, they would uncover many different
qualities that make up this unique and intriguing beast.
| The
first thing they'd quickly notice is that Pezheads are
essentially kids at heart. It takes a childlike mindset
to have such an active interest in what can essentially
be boiled down to toys and candy. As a Pezhead myself,
I know I make a beeline to that famed display case every
time I go to the grocery store. There, beside the toddlers
and young children, stands a 26-year old man looking
for any new dispensers to add to his Pez collection.
That brief sense of hope and wonder, while not always
satisfied, is the mark of a child- and also a Pezhead.
Another proof that Pezheads are kids at heart is something
called the PDOJ- The Pez Dance of Joy- that occurs whenever
a much sought after (or much unexpected) Pez acquisition
takes place. |
|
Pezheads are fun-loving, nostalgic,
and
eager to share their love of Pez.
|
Pezheads
also possess a keen sense of nostalgia. They are aware that
Pez is not just a candy or a toy, but a piece of pop culture.
When Pez, Inc. decided to modify their standard dispensers
to make them more appealing to younger consumers in the
United States, a hobby was born. Suddenly we weren't buying
candy holders, we were buying Mickey Mouse, Popeye, Fred
Flintstone, and Casper the Friendly Ghost. Our cartoons,
comic books, and TV shows were now closer to us, in our
hands and in our pockets. When America celebrated its bicentennial
in 1976, Uncle Sam and Betsy Ross became immortalized on
Pez dispensers. Recent years have seen new dispensers like
Star Wars, Simpsons, and most recently Pokemon, proving
that as long as there is popular culture, there will be
Pez to celebrate it and be a part of it. Other media have
also identified Pez as an essential item of nostalgia, including
film ("Stand By Me"), television ("Seinfeld"),
and the Internet (eBay). Pezheads, then, look to their dispensers
not as plastic and springs but as little pieces of history.
A curio cabinet is just one way
for
Pezheads to share their collections. |
Finally,
in the search for what makes a Pezhead, a sense of
community and sharing will inevitably be realized.
It's very rare to load a dispenser and not want to
offer any Pez to friends or family. Similarly, when
Pezheads set their dispensers on a shelf or in a curio
cabinet, they do it not only because they are happy
and proud to collect Pez, but also because they want
others to know and share the joy that the hobby brings
to them. Offering, displaying, and talking about Pez
almost always brings about a smile, which is never
a bad thing. Pezheads also like to keep in touch with
other Pezheads, as evidenced by online communities
(most notably www.pezlist.com) and several conventions
throughout the year.
All
of this and more are what makes a Pezhead. If you
are to encounter this creature on your own, do not
fear; simply ask "Got Pez?" and maybe one
day you'll be a Pezhead too.
|
Pez
Poetry
top of page | cover
page
Pez
Haiku #2
A Pez
dispenser:
So like a newborn puppy,
Only housebroken.
Alliteration
Pulchritude
and perfection permeate, and
Elevated energy and escape ensue.
Zowee! Zonked and zombified by Zen-like zenith.
|
