Sometimes I feel like Northeast Ohio is actually Narnia (aka-always winter and never Christmas), and it seems as though all of my plans tonight have been ruined because of a sudden snowstorm. Even though Christmas has passed, all this snow has me thinking of what Christmastime in Akron in the 90's was like. Put on your Disney boots and slap that puff ball hat on top of your side ponytail. We're taking a little trip down memory lane to visit ARCHIE THE SNOWMAN.
Archie the Snowman was a 20 foot talking snowman located in Chapel Hill Mall in front of JC Penneys. Santa lived somewhere nearby, but he wasn't anywhere near as cool. A little man in a booth (well, I just always assumed he was little) voiced Archie, and kids lined up to step up to a microphone and tell Archie what they wanted for Christmas. Then you were supposed to honestly take only one piece of candy from Archie's basket, but anyone who knew anything took 2 (the little man in the booth couldn't control the candy distribution quite like Santa could). Archie certainly wasn't just a 90's thing, but the 90's kids were the last generation to fully appreciate and enjoy his greatness. If the Santa line was too long, you could just tell Archie. He had an in with Santa. The year the mall didn't put Archie up was like an end to my childhood, and I think most other kids growing up in the 1990s feel the same.
Apparently, the internet is void of all more recent pictures of Archie. This is the only picture of him I could find on the internet (via his facebook fan page). Anyone have a more recent picture?
-Patsy