Between 1948 and 1962, the McDonalds company logo was a cartoon chef with a hamburger for a head who carried a sign that proclaimed, Im Speedee. In 1957, in an attempt to lure more children into the restaurant, Richard McDonald suggested handing out Speedee-shaped lollipops at orphanages and childrens hospitals but, possibly because of confusion with Speedy the Alka-Seltzer mascot, Speedee proved to be a flop. Instead, Richard sketched a design for golden arches that, lit by neon at night, resembled the letter M, in the process creating one of the most famous corporate logos in the world.
Ian Watson is the author of 'Midnight Movie Madness', a 600+ page guide to "bad" movies from 'Reefer Madness' to 'Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead.'
