TV Eye

Hey, kids, remember television? You know, that boxy thing that was the focal point of your parents’ living room, that was usually colored a used-Buick brown and that beamed images through a cathode ray tube and a pair of antennae? To millennials, this must sound as ancient history as families gathering around refrigerator-sized radio consoles to listen to big-band music. But for Gen-Xers, broadcast television was our main form of entertainment, particularly the Saturday-morning cartoons that beamed out of this now largely extraneous device. The Bear and Bird Boutique + Gallery, above Tate’s Comics, certainly remembers this period, which it celebrates in its nostalgic new exhibition “Outside the Box.” The show features authentic printer proofs from merchandise related to more than 25 of these children’s programs, including artwork from books, records, and cassettes, plus CMYK film separations, color separation proofs, composition mockups, and other terminology that only collector geeks can decipher. The represented shows run the gamut from ’80s cartoon staples like G.I. Joe, Spider-Man, and My Little Pony to more esoteric choices like Poochie, Glo-Friends, and Webster. Let the throwback continue: After you see the show, you can pick up merch from many of these franchises downstairs at Tate’s, located at 4566 N. University Drive in Lauderhill. Admission to the show is free, and it runs now through March 7. Call 954-748-0181, or visit bearandbird.com.
Thu., Feb. 5, 2015