the chain was known for its often self-deprecating humor, both in their advertising and throughout their store interiors. their weekly ad circulars often featured caricatures of founder jerry ellis with a number of sarcastic captions, many of which were repeated in their in-store advertising. the early circulars featured the "free-spirit" ellis sternly commanded to work harder by the "skinflint" andler. , ellis still wrote most of the ad copy used in the ad flyers.