Post #570785 by martian-tiki on Fri, Dec 31, 2010 6:25 PM

I still do not know which coast Sandy Lane was on - unfortunately there is no identifying clues in that issue - though I'm inclined to think you are right that it is a likely Van DerCar. My hunch is that an LA area prop and figure model would tend to show up more often.

As archaeologists - the absence of tiki mugs and statues in these situations can teach us about the culture of atomic jet age man too (or at least specific photographers), as regrettable as their absence is to our modern tastes.

"Because they were available" is probably the most accurate thing that could be said about photos accompanying articles - having seen many nonsense captions on movie stills and much recycling of material.

I suppose one is forced to conclude that tiki mugs didn't portray the idealized playboy lifestyle that wine, martinis, and champagne did (at least based on a quick search I just did). Although that first Highball cover seems to be an attempt at a tiki bar albeit with an Inca statue.

Could it be that an absence of tiki mugs in girlie mags indicates that those mugs were already available and commonplace to the reader and thus LACKED the playboy sex fantasy appeal these magazines were trying to sell?! If true it would be ironic that the Polynesian fantasy in the form of mugs was unsellable, although thats not to say many hula girls didn't give it their best shot.