Solution to Pollution

This mug is one of those mysterious mugs with no ascertainable history.  On the left side of the mug is a cartoon man driving a car with a hot cup of what I assume is coffee in his  left hand.  Below the drawing is "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the pollution."  Behind the man is dark.

When hot liquid is added, the dark area clears to reveal two more people in the car.  One is eating a donut (or perhaps just admiring it) and the other is holding up a spoon.  (Yes, I admit it's strange, but the mug still fascinates me.)  The mug appears to be an advertisement for carpooling, or perhaps breakfast with friends.

The color change is good, and the colors are vibrant and alive with purpose.  I only wish I knew the history of this mug. Anyone with knowledge of this, please email me.

DESIGN:  1 Sided
THERMOCHROMIC: 1 Color

TYPE:  Promotioinal (?)

B&B Benedictine & Brandy

This week's mug is from B&B Liqueur.  On the left side of the mug is the name "B&B Liqueur" below a dark oval.  

On the right side of the mug is the logo for the company showing its 50th year anniversary in 1987. B&B Liqueur is a combination of Brandy and Benedictine Liqueur  (a liqueur made from 27 different plants and spices.)

When hot liquid is added, the dark spot on the left side of the mug clears to show the phrase "share the warmth," relating to the fact that B&B can be enjoyed cold or hot.

This mug is in great shape and the color change is very good.  I've not been able to find how the mug was distributed, but it appears to be part of some advertising promotion.

DESIGN:  1+ Sided
THERMOCHROMIC: 1 Color
TYPE:  Promotional

Share the Magic - Sysco

This week's mug features a mug from Sysco, a restaurant supplier. On the left side of the mug there is a drawing of a magician with the words "CATCH THE MAGIC" above a large top hat. 

 

When hot liquid is added to the mug, the top hat clears to reveal the Sysco Company logo.  The mug is from a marketing campaign promoting the Sysco company.  These were free incentives to new customers.

DESIGN:  1 Sided
THERMOCHROMIC: 1 Color
TYPE: Promotional

Xanax

This week's mug is from Upjohn Pharmaceuticals and features the medication "Xanax."  On both sides of the mug is the description: " tablets - Xanax - alprazolam" with a set of wavy lines above, and a wide dark bar below.  The bar goes all the way around the outside of the mug.  The Upjohn Logo is at the bottom of the two sides.  

When hot liquid is added to the mug, the entire dark bar clears to reveal a set of red lines. The red lines go all around the outside of the mug.  On the left side of the mug between the lines are the words: "First - In - Panic" and on the right, "Panic Attacks - Come from - Out of the blue"

The color change on this mug is terrific.  Research shows that this mug came out at about the time UpJohn Pharmaceuticals introduced Xanax in the early 80s.

DESIGN:  Full, 3 Sided
THERMOCHROMIC: 1 Color
TYPE: Promotional Freebie

Tennessee Teachers Credit Union

This mug is one of my first!  it is from the Tennessee Teachers Credit Union.  On the left side of the mug it shows a big tree with a roof on it.  Next to the tree is the phrase "Changing to serve more of Tennessee!" above the company's logo, a stylized pair of hands holding a globe.  

When hot liquid is added, the logo, the trunk of the tree and the ground beneath the tree all clear to show the name "Tennessee Teachers Credit Union and the logo now appears as the trunk of the tree.  

The color change is good and it is in great condition. This mug is one of the first I had ever found with the sides not completely straight.  It is also smaller than most mugs and holds a special place in my collection. 

DESIGN:  1 Sided
THERMOCHROMIC: 1 Color
TYPE: Promotional

Jack Skellington

This week's mug is a brand new addition to the collection. A week ago was my birthday and my lovely wife gave me this incredible Jack Skellington (The Nightmare Before Christmas) mug as a gift!  She's a big fan of ol' Jack Skellington, too, so this may end up being used a few times.  

The mug is huge, at least 14-16 ounces and is all black (purple insides!) The figure of Jack Skellington is on the left side of the mug stretching nearly half way around the outside.  he is shown  standing atop a grave marker.  As you can see below, the rest of the mug is blank. 

This is the new style of magic mugs where the thermo/heat sensive ink covers the entire mug, making it near impossible to even guess at what lies beneath.  I had never seen this mug before, and I was excited to see the change, so I immediately added hot water and waited. I was not disappointed.

The entire background cleared to reveal a a greenish background covered in stylized Halloween decor of graves, bats and hills just as seen in the movie!  But wait.... as I turned the mug, I discovered even more!

The design stretches fully around the outside of the mug, showing more Halloween decor of bats, and jack o' lanterns!  (The background is green on this whole mug, I have no idea why the pictures show it more blue/green.)

 

The mug is produced under the auspices of Disney, and the bottom of the mug has all the legal mumbo jumbo.

  

DESIGN:  Full, 3 Sided
THERMOCHROMIC: 1 Color
TYPE:Retail

Star Trek - Next Generation

This mug is from the television show "Star Trek - the Next Generation."  It was sold during the initial promotion for the show in 1986-87.  On he left side of the mug is the iconic Enterprise NCC-1701, as seen in the original Star Trek Series.  It is shown on a field of black with 'STAR TREK' in its original font below. 

When hot liquid is added the entire black field clears to reveal the Enterprise NCC-1701-D as depicted in 'Star Trek - The Next Generation.'  The stylized logo for the series appears below the ship.  In addition, the NCC-1701 and it's accompanying logo fade out and a large oval appears in its place suggesting the horizon of some unknown planet.  

This is a great mug and as a Trek Fan (Trekkie?  Trekker?) from way back, I really enjoy having this in my collection. The color change is quick, though not as complete as needs be, but it is still a great mug.

DESIGN:  1 Sided

THERMOCHROMIC: 1 Color

TYPE: Promotional, Retail