Hugo Was Totally Boss!

I was digging around for something I wrote, my memories of various childhood artifacts that I had posted to the long-kaput nostalgia website Yesterdayland.com, probably twenty-five years or so ago. The only piece I could find was my reminiscence about Hugo, Man of a Thousand Faces. If you're unfamiliar, here he is.

He was a puppet, but his mouth didn't move and you added features to his face, so he was really more of a partial, hollow mannequin. Yes, he was a toy. Like, for children.

I don't think I actually asked for Hugo, but he entered my life at Christmas, 1976 (I think, although he came out the year before). Here he is in the background of a family Christmas snapshot, photobombing my brother. Hugo's mouth got gradually torn at the corners from repeated attempts to make him speak, and it looks to me like you can see that tear here. So this pic probably wasn't taken during the Christmas that I got him--he was just a part of the family, hanging out in the living room for the holiday.

Anyway, here's what I wrote about Hugo. (As much as I enjoy doing it, I will resist the urge to put my own words in quotes.)

I had one then, and I have one now. [This is no longer true.] Hugo appeared on The Uncle Floyd Show, and was once seen in Rolling Stone magazine, poking out from the leather jacket of Lee Rocker, bass player for the Stray Cats (from Long Island, like me). I think Elton John got the idea for his own hairpiece style from Hugo's mop-top toupee.

The disguise combinations depicted on his box are hilarious---each one more hideous than the last. The box exclaims "make thousands of pretend friends!" Yeah, friends who look like they'd shiv a seven-year-old sooner than play dolly with him. My favorite look is the one I like to think of as Hugo's "Travis Bickle": a tuft of mohawk on top of his head, several Bobby D.-style moles, and a bloody gash straight up the forehead (and this was a year before the movie came out). Well done, Hugo, you'll really blend into any setting wearing that disguise!

Of course there's also his simple wig, glasses and sideburns combo, which calls to mind Dick Cavett circa 1971. Imagine the hours of fun, pretending Hugo is interviewing Marshall McLuhan or Zeppo Marx!

Hugo's intricate disguises are off-set (and sometimes undermined) by his unvarying garb, a blue Chinese waiter smock/tunic. No reason is given, either on the box or the instruction sheet, to explain Hugo's penchant for concealing his identity. Is he a spy? Perhaps he's a horror movie star? Or just a peculiar li'l fella who likes to dress up in an eyepatch and blood-clotted bandages? Who knows? Ask Kenner, or Alan Ormsby Creations---yes, THAT Alan Ormsby, of "Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things" infamy. Never mind, don't ask... just thank them for giving us this tight-lipped, enigmatic little man.

I made a Hugo logo for this very blog, apparently, although I don't remember doing it or why.

I use Hugo as the avatar on my YouTube channel of vintage video.
(I added the channel's name as his eyebrows in this version.)

I've crossed myself with Hugo, as a baby and more recently.

I made an optical illusion using Hugo. Again, the reason is unclear. Move your face toward him, then away. (If viewing on a phone, just move the phone, I guess.)

Here are some more pics I edited Hugo into. Poorly.

Hugo in an old tuxedo brochure...

...times three.

LKF: Hugo played Twiki on the old Buck Rogers in the 25th Century show.

Here he is as a part of Our Gang.

Here's Fat Tron Hugo.

Hugo as Christopher Plummer.

Grand Moff Hugo Tarkin.

As some creepy kid (I added the knife) in an old photo, with legs...

...and without.

Now, Hugo as creepy Santa.

Hugo as Grady, and then Clint Howard.

Hugo Einstein.

Hugo: the Heisenberg Edition.

I titled this one "Hugo spotted downtown with Anne Hathaway."

Some old ads, +Hugo.

And finally, a thing I made while totally looped on cough medicine. Good night!