What makes the beginning of summer so special? Is it the hum of power lines? Impromptu trips to the beach? Or perhaps a visit from your favorite ice cream man on the hottest day of the month? When I think about summer there are many fond memories that come to mind, but almost always Pete & Pete hits me like a cannonball splash in a public pool - sudden, yet refreshing. 

When I was just 5 years old and stuffing my face with popsicles galore, one of my favorite things to do was run down the street to catch the ice cream truck with my siblings and other neighborhood kids to satisfy our demanding stomachs after dinner. While other kids would typically get an ice cream sandwich or one of those sherbet pops with the gumball eyes, I would grab this one, long rainbow popsicle - I forget the name of it, but it was something I always looked forward to because whenever I’d eat the blue layer off the top, the green layer revealed itself, then the yellow, then orange, and eventually the core red layer remained at the bottom, completely transformed. Nothing made me happier than to beat the heat with my favorite frozen treat! On some occasions, I’d even sit on the side of the curb after the ice cream man blessed us with dessert alongside friends talking about video games, comics, or school, and it just made me think of this one Pete & Pete episode called “What We Did On Our Summer Vacation”, which many 90s Kids consider a masterpiece of the era.
 

“What We Did on our Summer Vacation” aired on September, 8 , 1991, nearly thirty years ago as a special on Nickelodeon. The story took us on a wild romp through all the summertime activities the Brothers Pete and friends experienced, ranging from dry ice races downhill or beating up the ocean with Artie, the Strongest Man in the World. It was comforting to know some of their telltale signs of the hot and humid season still ring true today in our reality: The electricity getting louder, your shadow getting shorter, and of course, killer bees coming from the Yucatan Peninsula to attack unsuspecting victims. However, nothing quite compares to Mr. Tastee arriving on the scene with his big, swirly head packing every flavor you can imagine fully stocked in his red and white ice cream truck, including blue tornado bars, lemon licky nubs, and even pineapple blurt. 

It’s sad to think Mr. Tastee only comes around once a year for these three summer months, and only appears as a speaking character in this episode (though we’ve seen glimpses of him in others), but like the magic of summertime fun, all good things must come to an end. For us 90s kids, Pete & Pete lovers, and ice cream aficionados, the legend of Tastee still lives on in our hearts and our memories of summer to this day.

If you’d like to reminisce about Mr. Taste and all the good feelings he brings to you this season, head on over to the brettwilsonart store (www.https://brettwilsonstore.mypinnaclecart.com/) where I have an illustrated selection of Pete & Pete-themed posters and other prints available to purchase. 

That’s all for now, gutbuckets. See you next time with another nostalgic update from Brett Wilson Art.