Carl and Jerry
In junior high, my best friend was Clark, and his father enjoyed amateur radio. This inspired him to start a business selling old amateur radio magazines. At the time, I was getting into that hobby and purchased his damaged magazines for $0.25 each.
Because Clark purchased in bulk, he often received other magazines as part of the deal. Popular Electronics was one such magazine, and he was unable to sell them due to a lack of interest.
They were published from the early fifties to the eighties, and I enjoyed reading them. This was an excellent electronics education, and despite being dated, I learned a great deal.
The magazines offered a unique perspective on life in the 1950s and 1960s. (The seventies and eighties magazines had lost their charm.) Society shared the same vision: a perfect family, a large car, and putting America into space. Of course, electronics played a key role in achieving these goals.
One contributing writer began an electronics adventure segment titled Carl and Jerry. It followed two teenage friends who built “gear” and had fun with their creations. The writing style was like The Hardy Boys, and every magazine had a ~20-paragraph self-contained adventure. Yet, the focus was more on learning than on adventure. One of my favorites is “Tussle with a Tachometer.”
Because Clark purchased in bulk, he often received other magazines as part of the deal. Popular Electronics was one such magazine, and he was unable to sell them due to a lack of interest.
They were published from the early fifties to the eighties, and I enjoyed reading them. This was an excellent electronics education, and despite being dated, I learned a great deal.
The magazines offered a unique perspective on life in the 1950s and 1960s. (The seventies and eighties magazines had lost their charm.) Society shared the same vision: a perfect family, a large car, and putting America into space. Of course, electronics played a key role in achieving these goals.
One contributing writer began an electronics adventure segment titled Carl and Jerry. It followed two teenage friends who built “gear” and had fun with their creations. The writing style was like The Hardy Boys, and every magazine had a ~20-paragraph self-contained adventure. Yet, the focus was more on learning than on adventure. One of my favorites is “Tussle with a Tachometer.”
My reason for writing this article is that I recently re-read the series in chronological order. I found the story structure to be straightforward, with well-established characters. Each had solid dialogue, a rapid pace, detailed descriptions, and lively action.
Today, short adventure stories have a narrow audience. Adults are too busy, and kids are only interested in TikTok or YouTube videos. How about skipping the adventure and writing about electronics? “This is how I repaired my car stereo.”
A quick internet search will reveal numerous YouTube videos on building and repairing electronics. We consider this class of video to be educational-entertainment, and a new category is also emerging.
An excellent example is the wildly popular YouTube glitter bomb videos. This is where somebody with electronic knowledge builds devices that take revenge on package thieves.
Are those videos a more edgy version of Carl and Jerry? I would counter that there is a significant difference because the joy comes from seeing revenge, not the pleasure of building a device. I think this is because society now is looking for shock value.
It would be nice if the next generation grew tired of endless popcorn videos and returned to reading little adventures like Carl and Jerry. Fortunately, it is possible to read these old adventures from yesteryear.
You’re the best -Bill
March 31, 2021 Updated September 27, 2025
Today, short adventure stories have a narrow audience. Adults are too busy, and kids are only interested in TikTok or YouTube videos. How about skipping the adventure and writing about electronics? “This is how I repaired my car stereo.”
A quick internet search will reveal numerous YouTube videos on building and repairing electronics. We consider this class of video to be educational-entertainment, and a new category is also emerging.
An excellent example is the wildly popular YouTube glitter bomb videos. This is where somebody with electronic knowledge builds devices that take revenge on package thieves.
Are those videos a more edgy version of Carl and Jerry? I would counter that there is a significant difference because the joy comes from seeing revenge, not the pleasure of building a device. I think this is because society now is looking for shock value.
It would be nice if the next generation grew tired of endless popcorn videos and returned to reading little adventures like Carl and Jerry. Fortunately, it is possible to read these old adventures from yesteryear.
You’re the best -Bill
March 31, 2021 Updated September 27, 2025
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