Category: Daft

The main points of note on one set of shelves in the basement of a second hand bookshop

Book cover images going vertically in a rough line, from top to bottom:

  1. Eric Sykes looking heavenward
  2. George Lucas in winter coat on shoot, looking off to the side at a practical effect (he has dark hair)
  3. Steve Bell cartoon politicians cackling among each other and ignoring the viewer, in the manner you’d expect
  4. The sad eyes and fixed smiles of the teenage Olsen Twins, blankly greeting your gaze from Nintendo game cover (notably not a book); Billy Connolly memoir placed to left of that which makes it look like he’s glancing over at the Olsen Twins
  5. Doonesbury character peering cautiously from artists table (which itself has been drawn, or rather painted)
  6. Free standing plug in mains socket with no good purpose (i.e., shop Wi-fi)

Niche Nostalgia: DOLL INSTANT NOODLES, circa the early 1990s (with chicken flavoured soup base)

The following images were taken from, of all places, a Youtube upload of Danny Baker After All:

I had completely forgotten these existed, and when I saw them again after thirty two years… all I can say is that I haven’t had a proustian rush like that for quite some time.

I remember the noodles being really good, and I always loved the adorable little figurines on the packaging. Incidentally, that’s why this is featured on the aforementioned BBC programme in 1993, as a member of the public sent it in to the show with the thought that “ha ha ha it looks like the serving suggestion is to have two dolls next to it ha ha ha ha”. Yes, that’s hilarious, dad.

Upon searching the entire internet (for two minutes) for a complete picture of the above noodle brand, I couldn’t find any images of them that dated back to the 90s. It seems this brand still exists, but now they have really dull and plain packaging with not a single kawaii winking dog-thing in sight. So this might be the first ever appearence of 1993-era Doll Instant Noodles packaging on the world wide web after about three decades…

…unless of course, you know different.