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The Electronics Counterman
May 1967 Popular Electronics

May 1967 Popular Electronics

May 1965 Popular Electronics Cover - RF Cafe  Table of Contents

Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles from Popular Electronics, published October 1954 - April 1985. All copyrights are hereby acknowledged.

Walt Miller drew a lot of comics for electronics magazines like Popular Electronics, and he did the cover art for Astounding Science Fiction magazine. No doubt there were others. I could not find any detailed information about Mr. Miller's personal background, such as whether he was a Ham radio operator, but clearly he enjoyed electronics and science topics. This group of comics, which appeared in the May 1967 issue of Popular Electronics, touches on many scenarios that would have been familiar to hobbyists of the day. I like the one where the guy sneezes and scatters carefully counted and sorted resistors all over the floor. Another refers to installment plans for purchasing equipment. That was from a time when credit cards were not handed out like candy and only people with provable credit-worthiness could get them. My very first credit card came from Montgomery Ward sometime around 1980 while in the USAF, but only after I had been rejected the first time because corporate bureaucrats decided I didn't earn enough money to quality. A letter to the credit department threatening to never again buy anything from Wards resulted in a credit card from them. Sears and Roebuck came next, and it was not until a couple years after Melanie and I got married (1983) that we could get a major credit card (Discover Card).

The Electronics Counterman

By Walt Miller

 - RF Cafe

"I foolishly suggested he try it out first-that was three days ago."

 - RF Cafe

"We'll give you the best possible trade - in allowance on your old equipment - let's see, used copper wire is worth 30¢ a pound ... "

 - RF Cafe

"Pardon the sneeze, Harry - I must be catching cold - you say there's a short count in that resistor order?"

 - RF Cafe

"Nope, I can't sell it to you ... a ham operator of your caliber deserves the quality and performance of this deluxe unit."

 - RF Cafe

"Would you like to use our installment plan or do you prefer to take the receiver with you?"

 

 

Posted January 7, 2019


These Technically-Themed Comics Appeared in Vintage Electronics Magazines. I personally scanned and posted every one from copies I own (and even colorized some). 256 pages as of 4/18/2025.

everythingRF RF & Microwave Parts Database (h1)