Announcing the Contest Winners!

After a week of difficult, soul-rending thought -- and of banging my head against way too many walls -- I've finally picked the winners of the first ever Attic of Astounding Artifacts "Amuse The Doc" contest. (Catchy name, right?) So, without further ado...

The winner for the illustrated category is Chad Thorson. His untitled illustration did an excellent job of capturing the spirit of these great old toys, and pretty much depicts what I was like as a kid (if I were skinny, covered in freckles, and living in the 1950s).

The winner of the written category is Norbert Landsteiner, with his homage to My First Dictionary. I know that his entry is illustrated, but I decided the clever coolness lies in its text, qualifying it for this category. That said, I love the illustration, too.

I want to thank everyone who entered the contest. Your work was fantastic, and it all brought a smile to my face. Here are the rest of the entries. If any readers see something they like, I encourage them to speak up and show these artists and writers some support!

1. "Thunder Robot Doing A Silly Dance," by John Morgan
A lot of work obviously went into this entertaining animated gif. If only the real toy could bust a move like this!

2. "I Row Bot," by Eric Stettmeier
A clever pun anchors this cute depiction of the classic battery operated Jupiter Robot. Nice attention to the toy's details.

3. "Smoking Space Man," by Eric Stettmeier

There's a lot of personality and warmth in this portrait. The huggable robot!

4. Short Story: "Stamin And The Cranag," by Steven Baker

An action-packed science fiction yarn by one of the Attic's guest bloggers. It incorporates a slew of familiar toys -- all of which are from Down Under