The Hypotrochoid Lives and Breathes in this Oiginal Blog (Not mine!)

November 9, 2007 8:40 AM

As a child of the 70’s, I fondly remember Saturday mornings filled with Scooby Doo, weekday afternoons punctuated with Captain Kangaroo, and rainy days consumed by Spirograph, the preferred tool for producing the vaunted Hypotrochoid.

I always felt so empowered by Spirograph, a toy capable of producing dizzying, even surreal images. That made me feel good, as though I actually had some sort of talent where none existed. Yet, for some reason, the Spirograph has faded from existence, replaced by video games and toxic Aqua Dots. So it was of some comfort that I came across this, what I consider to be a new blog installment of rare originality. It’s a blog that centers on Spirograph, one that the author insists is ‘just for fun’ (What else could it be for?) – to me, anyway, it is a refreshing change from the usual self-importance often found in Blogdom … Taken for what it is, it’s quite enjoyable and offers some welcome nostalgia for this late 30-something, old bastard.

posted by jb_thms (8 comments total)

it should be said
That anger spirograph has it's place

But be forewarned
Intellect does it replace
posted by kuujjuarapik at 8:54 AM on November 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

It's your Gen X nostalgia that unifies all these links. Love the hypotrochoid.
posted by DenOfSizer at 8:58 AM on November 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

They still sell spirographs (though maybe not that brand); I was absurdly pleased to run across one in a shop last summer, after not having seen one for at least 15 years, and of course I bought it. And played with it.
posted by frobozz at 9:00 AM on November 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

Thanks to the miracle of the Internet, you don't need pen and paper anymore, neither: Online Spirograph

Speaking of kid stuff of yore: Can I get a shout-out for Incredible Edibles?
posted by pax digita at 9:09 AM on November 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

Strange feeling: staying up all night as an adult and seeing Captain Kangaroo come on, and realizing that he's been doing this for my entire lifetime.

Got my neice a spirograph on Ebay, the problem is, as it was for us back in the day, running out of that round paper. We would erase used ones to do them over.
posted by StickyCarpet at 9:11 AM on November 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

Ha! I think that's one of the appeals of a spirograph... no thought required.

Long live Gen X!! and I put the hypotrochoid in just for you... (Actually, I got it off the site's About page).

I also looked for a Spirograph set online just now and saw only the pale, shadow of the original, ironically marketed as "Deluxe". I may have to go to Ebay to find the original, but I can't touch that site here at work.
posted by jb_thms at 9:12 AM on November 9, 2007

Ach! Went to check out the online Spirograph, but my work's firewall blocks so many sites. Thanks goodness I can still get my Meta. Though I only lurk most of the time, I don't know what I would do without it.

Thanks for the link though. I'll check it when I get home.

And StickyCarpet, you used to erase the old ones just so you could reuse the round paper? Wow! That's hardcore!

We used to just settle for the 8x11 variety.
posted by jb_thms at 9:16 AM on November 9, 2007

Sometime around 1970 I made a "Peace Now" poster using Spirograph and put it on my bedroom door. My dad made me take it down. After that, I kept my views to myself.
posted by tommasz at 9:22 AM on November 9, 2007 [1 favorite]