"Operation The Game" John Spinello Hand Signed 4X6 Color Photo Todd Mueller COA

Description

Up for auction
"Operation The Game" John Spinello Hand Signed 4X6 Color Photo.
This item is certified authentic by Todd Mueller Autographs and comes with their Certificate of Authenticity.
ES-4361
Operation
is a battery-operated
game of physical skill
that tests players' hand-eye coordination and
fine motor skills
. The game's prototype was invented in 1964 by John Spinello, a
University of Illinois
industrial design student at the time, who sold his rights to the game to renowned toy designer
Marvin Glass
for a sum of US0 and the promise of a job upon graduation (a promise that was not upheld).
[1]
Initially produced by
Milton Bradley
in 1965,
Operation
is currently made by
Hasbro
, with an estimated franchise worth of US million.
The game is a variant on the old-fashioned
electrified wire loop game
popular at funfairs. It consists of an "operating table",
lithographed
with a comic likeness of a patient (nicknamed "Cavity Sam") with a large red lightbulb for his nose. This could be a reference to classic cartoons, where ill characters' noses turn red. In the surface are a number of openings, which reveal cavities filled with fictional and humorously named ailments made of plastic. The general gameplay requires players to remove these plastic ailments with a pair of tweezers without touching the edge of the cavity opening.
Operation
includes two sets of cards: The
Specialist
cards are dealt out evenly amongst the players at the beginning of the game. In the U.S and Australian version, players take turns picking
Doctor
cards, which offer a cash payment for removing each particular ailment, using a pair of
tweezers
(dubbed “Electro Probe” in earlier versions) connected with wire to the board. Successfully removing the ailment is rewarded according to the dollar amount shown on the card. However, if the tweezers touch the metal edge of the opening during the attempt (thereby closing a circuit), a buzzer sounds, Sam's nose lights up red, and the player loses the turn. The player holding the
Specialist
card for that piece then has a try, getting double the fee if he or she succeeds. Since there will be times when the player drawing a certain
Doctor
card also holds the matching
Specialist
card, that player can purposely botch the first attempt in order to attempt a second try for double value. The winner is the player who holds the most money after all the ailments are extracted. Subsequent later games removed the money and cards, and the winner of these editions is the player who removes the most ailments. The game can be difficult, due to the shapes of the plastic ailments and the fact the openings are barely larger than the pieces themselves.
·
Adam's Apple
: an apple in the throat (0). "
Adam's apple
" is a colloquial term referring to the thyroid cartilage surrounding the larynx that becomes more visually prominent during
puberty
.
·
Broken Heart
: a heart shape with a crack through it on the right side of the chest (0). The phrase "broken heart" refers to an emotional feeling in which someone is very sad for a reason such as a breakup with a romantic partner.
·
Wrenched Ankle
: a wrench in the right ankle (0). "Wrenched ankle" is an alternative term for a sprained ankle.
·
Butterflies in Stomach
: a large butterfly in the middle of the torso (0). The name comes from the feeling in the stomach when nervous, excited or afraid.
·
Spare Ribs
: two ribs fused together as one piece (0). "Spare Ribs" are a cut of meat or a dish prepared from that cut.
·
Water on the Knee
: a pail of water in the knee (0). Colloquialism for fluid accumulation around the knee joint.
·
Funny Bone
: a cartoon-style bone (0). A reference to the colloquial name of the
ulnar nerve
which is itself thought to be a play on the anatomical name for the upper arm bone (the
humerus
).
·
Charley Horse
: a small
horse
resting near the hip joint (0). A "
charley horse
" is a sudden
spasm
in the leg or foot that can be cured by massage or stretching.
·
Writer's Cramp
: a pencil in the forearm (0). A "
writer's cramp
" is a soreness in the wrist that can be cured by resting it.
·
The Ankle Bone Connected to the Knee Bone
: A
rubber band
that must be stretched between two pegs at the left ankle and knee. This is the only non-plastic piece in the game and the only card that requires the player to insert rather than remove something (0). The name is taken from the
African American
spiritual
"
Dem Bones
".
·
Wish Bone
: a wishbone similar to that of a chicken located on the left side of the chest (0). A "wish bone" is a colloquial name for the
Furcula
which is a bone found in birds and some other animals. Traditionally, the Furcula of a chicken may be used by two people for making competing wishes.
·
Bread Basket
: a slice of bread, with a small notch taken out of the top for grip (,000). The word "breadbasket" is slang for the stomach.
·
Brain Freeze
: an ice-cream cone located in the brain (0). Refers to the experience of "
brain freeze
", a headache felt after consuming frozen desserts and iced drinks too quickly.
"Brain Freeze" was added in 2004 when Milton Bradley allowed fans a chance to vote on a new piece to be added to the original game during the previous year, during the "What's Ailing Sam?" promotion. Voters were given three choices and could make their selection via the company's official website
[4]
or by phone for a chance to win a ,000 shopping spree. The winning piece beat out
tennis elbow
and
growling stomach
. In 2020, Hasbro introduced a new variation on the game called
Operation Pet Scan
, in which players are to remove foreign objects from a dog's digestive tract.