The Things that Entertained Us: A New Hawaii Traditions Series on Growing up Local in Hawaii

After a day at school, my children usually ask to watch cartoons on PBS. These days, it’s Curious George or Sid the Science Kid, but when I was growing up as kid in the 1970’s here in Honolulu, things were different.

My afternoons were consumed with KGMB’s wildly popular Checkers and Pogo Show along with a slew of (now vintage) cartoons. Do you remember Luno the Flying Horse (“Oh winged horse of marble white, take me on a magic flight…”), Milton the Monster , (“Five drops of sinister sauce…”) Super Chicken (“There is one thing you should learn, when there is no one else to turn to, call for Super Chicken!”) and Fearless Fly (“Faster than a streaking rocker, speedier than a flash of light…it’s Fearless Fly!)? Or was Tom of T.H.U.M.B or George of the Jungle your favorite?

On the weekends, in addition to going to the beach and shopping at Ala Moana, we looked forward to rides on the SkySlide and occasionally a special dinner out at Coco’s Restaurant. When we got older, my entire family would enjoy Hawaii Five-O and Magnum P.I. And who could forget Rap Replinger’s and Andy Bumatai’s comedy specials on TV? Even today, watching old episodes together still make us laugh to the point of tears and side-pains from lack of breathing. Even quoting just one phrase from these “old school” shows (“Wop yo’ jaws!”) creates the intimacy of a shared language and culture, one that connects us through our collective memories of what it was like growing up local in Hawaii.

What entertainment floods your childhood memories? Share them with us here, at Hawaii Traditions!