dynamite

Dynamite was an invention by Alfred Nobel as a replacement for more unstable explosives. The company built around the invention helped amass Nobel's enormous fortune and thus, paradoxically, formed the foundation for the Nobel Prize. By the way, dynamite can also go boom.

Dangerous.

- american underworld dictionary - 1950

In the mid 70s, Dynamite was a children's magazine published by Scholastic, the makers of various books and magazines advertised to captive audiences in public schools. It had a lot of neat stuff, like features on celebrities, games and gimmicks, and sometimes uncut sheets of trading cards were stapled into it. One issue's cover featured J.J. Walker from Good Times saying his signature exclamation, "Dy-No-Mite!", which seemed appropriate for this magazine. It was edited by Jenette Kahn, who previously was involved in KIDS magazine, and later became the publisher of DC Comics.

Dynamite magazine used to have a page called "Bummers" where kids could write in and say what they hated. Six bummers were picked each month and little illustrations were added by the cartoonist/artist Jared Lee. This was one of my favorite sections of the magazine. As a kid in the third grade, you'd read one, slap your forehead and think "Oh, I hate that!".

Actual Example Bummers:
("ripped from the headlines" as it were)

• "Don't you hate having an itch down your back, and when you reach to scratch it the teacher thinks you're raising your hand so she calls on you!" — Kim Buckman, New Orleans, LA
• "Don't you hate it when your dog gets to stay up late and watch TV when you have to go to bed!"

The promise of fame aside, if you had one of your bummers published, they sent you $5.00 — these were five 1980 dollars! (When candy bars only cost maybe 25 cents.)

Other sections of note:

• a comic section about a brother and sister who could touch rings and do superpowers. I think they could make themselves weigh next-to-nothing and control the wind — which allowed them semi-controlled flight. I know, it sounds very Wonder Twins-esqe but it was cool. I want to think they were called the "Dynamic Duo" but somehow I'm thinking that woulda been taken by Batman and Robin
• a comic about a little ghoul guy (who looked like "The Count" from Sesame Street) named "Doctor Macabre" or "Count Morbida"

You can see some Dynamite covers via RetroCrush at http://www.retrocrush.com/archive2005/dynamite/index.html

Dy"na*mite (?), n. [Gr. power. See Dynamic.] Chem.

An explosive substance consisting of nitroglycerin absorbed by some inert, porous solid, as infusorial earth, sawdust, etc. It is safer than nitroglycerin, being less liable to explosion from moderate shocks, or from spontaneous decomposition.

 

© Webster 1913.