As recounted in Sunday’s column, I saw the movie in its initial release in the summer of 1975 in my native Illinois. “Jaws,” considered the first summer blockbuster, seemed to be everywhere, with direct and indirect tie-ins, spoofs, parodies, features about sharks, etc.

I bought the “Mr. Jaws” comedy 45 by Dickie Goodman. I checked out the “Jaws” soundtrack from the library. I also bought an iron-on transfer with a shark rising from the water, which was put on a sweatshirt that I wore proudly until the image faded away in the wash. Ah, childhood.

Did you see the movie back then? If you were a child, was it as popular on your playground as it was on mine? What do you remember about “Jaws”-mania, especially if you were in Southern California, i.e., close to real beaches?

And if you’re interested in the book cited in Sunday’s column, Patrick Jankiewicz’ “Just When You Thought It Was Safe: A Jaws Companion,” you can order a copy from Amazon here.