Oh no! The Produce Manager!

February 8, 2014 3:21 PM

Around 2009, the Idaho Potato Commission created a series of 8 comic book ads where a dastardly fellow tried to outwit your friendly neighborhood produce manager. Those eight ads were expertly narrated with voices and sound effects and put on YouTube: ADVENTURES OF THE IDAHO POTATO RETAILER!! Episode 1: Disaster Strikes

Episode 2: A Bungle in the Jungle
Episode 3: Trouble on the Tracks
Episode 4: Buzzkill
Episode 5: Spellbound
Episode 6: The Big Bang
Episode 7: Highway Robbery
Episode 8: False Identity

posted by cashman (10 comments total)

So it wasn't continued?
posted by Mittenz at 3:36 PM on February 8, 2014

I'm surprised DC didn't buy the Produce Manager character and add him to one of their Justice Leagueorsomething groups... give Rob Liefeld as shot at it... imagine how the potatoes would look...
posted by oneswellfoop at 3:46 PM on February 8, 2014 [1 favorite]

Got taters?

Even better are Stunt and Russell in the Potato Stunt Videos!

Same narrator, I believe.

He goes under *The Masher Of Pain*

It's SPUDTACULAR!

Russet Blue?
posted by BlueHorse at 3:49 PM on February 8, 2014

I ate potatoes for breakfast this morning.

Also, this is weird.
posted by saber_taylor at 3:58 PM on February 8, 2014

The colouring is blah, but they're not that bad. I was always desperate for reading material growing up though, so I totally would have picked one of these up if they were by the potatoes.
posted by variella at 5:14 PM on February 8, 2014 [1 favorite]

The cook an egg in a potato guy in the sidebar on the first comic is also interesting, although I'm going to modify his methods when I use it next camping trip. I will wrap the potato in bacon after sticking the egg in the middle and encase the whole thing in foil before cooking it. This will be CAMP CARB OVERLOAD delight.

I will of course only use certified Idaho potatoes in this endeavor.
posted by winna at 5:14 PM on February 8, 2014 [1 favorite]

I'm kind of flabbergasted that anyone would approve these ads in 2009. Kind of.

Nothin' sells starch like misogyny and racism!
posted by Sys Rq at 10:00 PM on February 8, 2014 [1 favorite]

These are hardcore. The taters. Are hardcore. These are hardcore taters.
posted by sourwookie at 11:04 PM on February 8, 2014

It's not easy being a produce manager. Dastardly fellows trying to sell off-brand potatoes, checkers who can't even recognize portobello mushrooms... it's madness, every day.
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 3:31 AM on February 9, 2014

So, a customer comes up to the shelf stocker in the produce department and says, "Excuse me, but I see you only have whole heads of lettuce for sale here. I'd like half a head of lettuce, please." The stocker tries to politely tell the customer that they can only sell him a whole head of lettuce, they go back and forth for a while, and finally the stocker decides he doesn't get paid enough for this kind of grief.

"Sir, I'll have to take it up with the Produce Manager," he says. "I'll be right back."

The stocker heads back into the stockroom, where the Produce Manager is checking in crates of bananas from South America.

"I hate to bother you, Produce Manager, but I've got this raving lunatic of a customer who wants to buy HALF a head of lettuce. A real moron. Have you ever heard anything so stupid?"

The Produce Manager smiles and says, "Well, I don't know about that, but as long as the raving lunatic wants half, you could sell the other half to that fine gentleman standing right behind you, who followed you into the stockroom."
posted by The Underpants Monster at 9:11 AM on February 9, 2014