1980 :: Empire Strikes Back Masks
Following on from the success of the R2-D2 Space Ice ice-blocks and collectible sticker set, the Tip-Top Ice Cream company released a second Star Wars themed ice-block/collectible run in 1980, in conjunction with the screening of 'The Empire Strikes Back' movie. This time around though, instead of stickers the giveaway item was a set of four paper cut-out masks. The instructions on each mask read "Have fun with your Empire Strikes Back Mask. Colour it in, paste onto cardboard, and cut it out. Don't forget to cut the eyeholes -- and may the force be with you". Colouring in the stormtrooper mask seems a bit...redundant!
The ice-block itself went by the simple (but slightly unusual for a food item) name of 'Darth Vader'. It was described on its packaging as having a 'lemon flavoured milk ice centre covered with lime and boysenberry flavoured water ice'.
Click on the above thumbnails to view the masks in greater detail, but printable versions (digitally remastered for optimal printing, and to make up for their age) can be downloaded from the following links: Stormtrooper, C-3PO, Chewbacca, Darth Vader. The printable versions need to be printed at 150dpi, and are scaled to fit on A4 sized paper.
The images below were kindly supplied by Tip-Top Ice-Cream customer services. From left to right, they are photocopies of wrappers from the R2-D2 Space Ice ice-block, the Darth Vader ice-block, and the Galactic Bar ice-block (not Star Wars associated confectionery, but certainly a loosely related product representative of the era, and hence I have included it for its nostalgia value).
Update 12 Dec 2003 :: Ready for a nostalgia overload? I just received full-colour versions of the wrappers from all 3 of the vintage Tip-Top Ice Cream products (thanks to Nick TePaa). Click on the thumbnails below for the full versions. They are, from left to right, R2-D2 Space Ice wrapper, the Darth Vader ice block wrapper, and the Return of the Jedi ice-block (with "Jedi Jelly") wrapper.
Update 06 Dec 2005 :: This advertising poster for the Darth Vader ice-block that I recently acquired reminds us of the rate of inflation. Not only did 20 cents buy you boysenberry-tipped lemon ice confectionery, along with the "free mask, while stocks last", but you also got to "feel the Force when you taste the flavour". Click on the thumbnail to view the full image.
Related article: R2-D2 Space Ice ice-blocks and collectible sticker set.
Related article: Return of the Jedi Ewok stickers.
Matt G
(with thanks to Nick TePaa
and Tip-Top Ice-Cream customer services)
