I never thought I'd be nostalgic for this place. In the 1990's, theme restaurants and stores were popping up on every block in Manhattan, as well as in malls all over America (remember the Rainforest Cafe?) Though the Disney Store had its moments, the WB was my all-time favorite.
And why not? If the merchandise wasn't appealing to me that day, I always enjoyed the screens placed all over the store showing various cartoons, from the old-time Bugs Bunny clips to the Batman cartoon of the 90's (still probably the best superhero cartoon in recent years), or Pinky and the Brain...it was the best way to be a shopping couch potato, until I got my laptop.
Yes, most of the merch was overpriced. How much for a Powerpuff Girls T-shirt? But it was kind of expected that you weren't going in there for the best possible deal on a stapler. Besides, there was always stuff on sale for a broke college student. It was fun to look either way.
Once in a while there were tea-related items, but only in the past few years has it been easy to find tea things in stores. Still, it didn't matter who you were, something in there was gonna be fun for you.
The WB store ceased to exist around 2001, and I hadn't really thought about it until recently. Nowadays you can try to live the experience by looking on ebay while playing a cartoon, but like many moments of the past, it's just not the same (I'm still waiting for the Jello Pudding Pops to come back!)
2 comments:
wow, major nostalgia. there used to be one in the Queens Mall, right? i just got a flashback of standing in front of one and really wanting to go inside, but my parents refusing because they knew I would want to buy something. haha
Remember the WB Crew?
I really can't relate because I don't miss overpriced crap. Wah-wah!
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