Illustration of man in yellow suit and black bow tie combing their hair on a blue background.  Black text with white outline along bottom.

Don Juan is a term used for a man who has been known to seduce women or is a great lover. In 1630, Tirso de Molina, a Spanish writer, mentioned the name in his work "El Burlador de Sevilla El Convidado de Piedra," to describe a character that was a Spanish Cassanova. The first recorded instance of this phrase used in conversation or slang to describe a man of this character was 1679 and it is still used today.

Don Juan (Pomade) is a company that specializes in men’s grooming products, with their most notable product being the pocket comb. After opening up the business in Miami, Florida, Don Juan started production in 2013. The founders of the brand are duo entrepreneurs who are both Italian immigrants. The two had been childhood friends and had run other businesses centering around selling band clothing or technology like DVDs and video games. They eventually abandoned these businesses before moving into the grooming industry. Don Juan products are made in consultation with barbers for their grooming products and chemists for their perfume.

Blue line-drawing illustration of two women with bob haircuts smelling flowers.  Blue text above each woman.  Blue scalloped border around edge of button.

Through the 1940s, pocket mirrors were a popular advertising opportunity, given that the back of the mirror would be on display whenever the user pulled it out in public to check their reflection. Today, unusual and inventive mirrors can frequently be sold at auction for hundreds of dollars to collectors.

This art deco illustration is part of a more risque category of pocket mirror, metamorphic, that creates a different image when held upside down. The primary view is two women with bob haircuts eating, while the inverted view is a pair of legs with various views of the intimate areas.

Illustration of green and yellow cobra snake on a black background.

Stanley Weston at Hasbro created the idea for military-themed toys in 1963. Hasbro launched its first G.I. Joe toy line in 1964 as “America’s Movable Fighting Man” representing U.S. military branches: Action Soldier (army), Action Sailor (navy), Action Pilot (air force), and Action Marine (marines) with Action Nurse eventually added in 1967. G.I. Joe launched internationally with its Soldiers of the World series in 1966. Instead of calling these original 12-inch toys, “dolls” as associated with Mattel’s Barbie, G.I. Joe inspired the term “action figures” to advertise to all children. In the 1970s, G.I. Joe rebranded as “The Adventure Team” and introduced the first African American into its product series.

G.I. Joe relaunched in 1982 as 3.75-inch action figures, vehicles, and play sets. G.I. Joe is now a special-ops unit aka the G.I. Joe Team who battles Cobra, an evil terrorist organization aiming to take the world. Simultaneously, Marvel Comics debuted G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, a superhero comics series led by Larry Hama. This storyline inspired several animated cartoons, British comic book series G.I. Joe: Action Force, video games and films, and evolved into other retellings and toy lines. G.I. Joe was admitted to both the National Toy Hall of Fame and Pop Culture Hall of Fame.

The latest line of G.I. Joe is the G.I. Joe Classified Series (2020) celebrating 56 years of the G.I. Joe franchise. Several launches of live-action movies, TV series, mobile apps, and video games are in the works for 2021. The newest G.I. Joe spin-off movie inspiring the latest toy line, Snake Eyes featuring Henry Golding, is scheduled for release on July 21, 2021. Amazon Prime Video will stream the first G.I. Joe live-action series in development about Lady Jaye, an undercover operative.

Illustration of dinner plate containing half eaten hamburger, three fries in ketchup, two pickle slices, and several onions slices.

Charles E. White III is best known for being an unconventional artist whose works are always injected with a bit of humor. He attended the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, and immediately jumped into the world of art by creating interesting billboards and drawing album covers for various musicians. Several of White’s artwork have been displayed at MoMA NYC and the Smithsonian and featured in New York Magazine and Playboy. He has even won a Grammy for his creative illustrations.

Abstract illustration of blue triangle on white background with angular stripes of red and green along one edge.

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Illustrations of blonde-haired woman with blue earrings and necklace on a black and white alternating triangular grid background.

Veronica Lake (1919-1973) was a Hollywood actress from 1939-1970 with her career peak during the 1940s. She starred in film noirs and comedies including her debut, Sorority House (1939), I Wanted Wings (1941) and The Blue Dahlia (1946). Lake was known for her ice-blonde wavy hair, cold demeanor, sexiness, short height (4'11") and "peek-a-boo" hairstyle (hair covering one eye).

Lake married three times to director Andre De Toth in 1944, songwriter Joseph A. McCarthy in 1955 and a commercial fisherman in England in the early 1970s. She had four children total from her first marriage. Throughout her life, she suffered from mental illness and alcoholism. After living in the public eye during the 1940s and 1950s, Lake lived a mostly private life since 1960 until she died in July 1973.

During Lake’s career, she inspired songs and World War II armies. Her legacy inspired fictional characters, books, and films: Jessica Rabbit from Who Framed Roger Rabbit, L.A. Confidential, Veronica Rogers from Archie Comics, and peek-a-boo styles sported by Britney Spears and Aaliyah in their music videos.  

Stylized and geometric illustration of head and shoulders in black on a black and white striped background.

Klaus Nomi, born Klaus Sperber, was a German musician and performer, known for his wide vocal range and unique live shows. He moved to New York City in 1972, but did not truly begin his career in show business until 1978, when he performed in the New Wave Vaudeville and received several invitations to perform across the city. One such invitation came from David Bowie, who hired Nomi as a backup performer for his appearance on Saturday Night Live in 1979. Bowie also served as inspiration for Nomi's notable black-and-white monochromatic quasi-tuxedo suit, which he wore for music videos and live performances. Nomi found success as a solo artist and released two studio albums in 1981 and 1982, as well as several singles. In 1983, he died due to complications from AIDS, and his ashes were spread throughout New York City. 

Illustration of party streamers and confetti on a white background.

Easy Aces, Inc. was a producer of “fun and innovative” kitchen tools, party goods, tech products, and personal accessories, including pin-back buttons. Though they now call themselves Fred and Friends, Easy Aces, Inc. continues to operate out of Cumberland, Rhode Island and solicit local artists for product designs. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, the company sought out photographers, illustrators, and graphic designers to collaborate on pin-back buttons. One such artist who partnered with Easy Aces, Inc. was Barbara Bergman, who developed a confetti-based design in 1979.

Illustration of red anchor in center with blue nautical rope design border around edge of button on a white background.

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Illustration of a flathead wood screw on white background with black border around edge of button.

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