Pop life

Dept. of Blast, Past, From the...

You know how sometimes you'll catch a song or an image, or even a scent, and you get an intense flashback memory of childhood?

Well, someone has finally packaged that very experience and put it up for sale. The new $19.95 "Wacky Packages" book from Topps is a handsome coffeetable book with reproduction images of the famous Wacky Packs stickers of the early 1970s. Anyone who was a kid during that era will remember -- the stickers were parodies of consumer products and well-known packaging and brands, typically with the shock/gross-out aesthetic of vintage Mad magazine.

Some examples: Hawaiian Punks fruit juice ("Beats You to a Fruit Juicy Pulp"); Extra Strong Commie Cleanser ("Gets Rid of Reds, Pinkos, Hippies, Yippies and Flippies"); Cover Ghoul Monster Makeup; Minute Lice.

Dumb and adolescent, yes -- but gloriously so. The line of stickers was launched by comics legend Art Spiegelman (later known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel "Maus"). It featured many of the greatest gag writers and comic artists of the era. For a while, they even outsold Topps' flagship line of baseball cards.

Something about these images is like mainlining childhood memory, a reminder of a time when kids' diversions were more gentle, innocent and ... y'know ... gross. A perfect gift for that depressed, aging Gen-Xer in your life.

You're just another part of me

PL offers Happy Birthday wishes to Michael Jackson, who, joining those other icons Madonna and Prince, turns 50 today. Go ahead, smirk and make your Wacko Jacko jokes. PL remembers when MJ was just a cute little boy with an amazing voice and a big Afro from a talented Midwestern family. How we miss that Michael!

While that MJ will never be back, and indeed, the King of Pop Michael is probably done, his influence lingers. Turn on your radio and there are Michael clones everywhere.

Ne-Yo

MJ MO: Sensitive, tenor voice, partial to spins when dancing

MJ-like song: "Because of You"

MJ-like quality: MJ had the glove; Ne-Yo won't be seen without a hat

Justin Timberlake

MJ MO: Sensitive, falsetto, came from a boy group

MJ-like song: "Rock Your Body"

MJ-like quality: MJ the most talented Jackson; JT the most talented N'Sync-er

Chris Brown

MJ MO: Likes to play characters in videos, big stage performances

MJ-like song: " 'Scuse Me Miss"

MJ-like quality: MJ vs. Prince; Chris Brown vs. Usher

Omarion

MJ MO: Came from a boy group, whispery voice, thin frame

MJ-like song: "Touch"

MJ-like quality: '80s Jheri-curl MJ had baby hair; Omarion is still hanging on to his

Ciara

MJ MO: She's like Janet, who's like a female Michael

MJ-like song: "Like a Boy"

MJ-like quality: She had Bow Wow the rapper; MJ had Bubbles the chimp