MANNING UP—1947 STYLE

EARLIER THIS YEAR, SIMANAITISSAYS WAS “Skeptical of Superman??” in the Man of Steel peddling costume jewelry to fellows and girls. Geez—but guys wearing charm bracelets? 

Image of Superman appearing in Action Comics #1000 (April 2018) Art by Jason Fabok via Wikipedia.

Recall it’s 1947 (i.e, pre-pre-Stonewall Monument), specifically in a series of episodes in which Superman, Batman and Robin battle rich guy George Latimer, “evil possessor of his one unconquerable enemy Kryptonite.”

Well, rest easy, boys and girls, because I’ve just heard a SiriusXM “Radio Classics” resolving this. Originally broadcast May 22, 1947, the episode offers guys a man-up with an offering made by Superman sponsor Pep, the Sunshine Cereal.  

Image featuring Our Gang, 1928, via Wikipedia.

The Pitch. Directly from the Superman ad pitch, “Now lend your ears, borrow a pencil, and get in on this terrific offer from that super delicious cereal, Kellogg’s Pep.”

Gee, a pity the kid doesn’t have a pencil of his/her own.

Then it notes, pointedly, “Kellogg’s Pep offers you fellows [my italics, not theirs] a big silvery keychain, a man-size keychain over 17-in. long, the kind of keychain that’s heavy enough to hold your pocket knife or watch.”

Or to wield in the next street fight? We’re clearly not talking a mere key fob here.

“It’s the kind of keychain your friends would give their right eye to own.” 

An odd metaphor? 

“And that’s not all,” the pitch continues. “Pep offers you 12 lucky small scale models of a Skull & Crossbones, a piano, a Scottie dog, a clock, a locomotive….”

You’ll note, they’re no longer girly “charms.” As if this isn’t buff enough, it emphasizes, “These aren’t flat pieces of metal, but small scale models that make a hit from any angle.”

Or is this another subliminal pitch for that street fight?

The Deal. To get your keychain, “send in a box top and 15¢, that’s a nickel and a dime.” Each “lucky piece,” i.e., not “charm,” costs another box top and a dime. “Print your name clearly and send to ‘Superman, Department 1R, Battle Creek, Michigan.’”

“Battle” Creek?  

My Research on Manning-Up, 1947 Style. In double-checking details, I came upon a neat YouTube containing “Superman Vs. Kryptonite Old Time Radio Shows Episodes 1-33,” all 7:59:25 of it. 

Image from YouTube.

The mind may boggle at almost 8 hours of Superman. But research is research, and I wanted to confirm Pep pitch verbiage. 

A New Option. What’s more, near the end (around -1:03:30), the pitch turned to a new manning-up option:  “Hey, you better get busy or you’ll miss out on that real genuine U.S. Army money belt super delicious Pep has for you. They’re going fast so send for yours while the supply lasts.”

Image from Coleman’s Military Surplus via Homeworld Zine.

The pitch continues, “This is the real thing, a money belt like the G.I.s wore with three secret compartments, one large pocket and two smaller ones. You can carry your secret codes, money, important papers, anything you may be collecting. A swell hiding place for your personal things.”

Here, the male teenage mind wanders…. 

Then, inexplicably, it blows the secret: “Now there’s a special flap that folds over on the inside and keeps those pockets secret. It’s exactly the same money belt that G.I.s wore, the genuine Army article in real khaki color with a full-size buckle adjustable so it’s sure to fit you. You can wear it under your coat or jacket, even sleep with it. Or you can wear it on the outside.”

Gee, there’s a lot of clothes maneuvering going around these days too.

The deal closer: “And wait ’til you hear what a bargain it is: Although G.I.s paid a dollar for theirs, you can get yours for only 10¢ and a box top from those crisp whole wheat flakes of Kellogg’s Pep.” A new address, Box 251, but still Superman at Battle Creek. 

Pep Prizes Rated. The Homeworld website rates the money belt No. 7 (and last) in its list of “Pep Cereal Prizes Ranked—Homeworld Sun 9/23/2020.” The Zine notes, “Ranked last for glorifying war to children.”

The Charm Bracelets/Lucky Charm Chains are rated No. 5. “Kind a fun, but unnecessarily gendered,” the website notes. And, in retrospect, I agree with Homeworld Zine. ds

© Dennis Simanaitis, SimanaitisSays.com, 2025