bettie page blog

I figure Bettie Page fans would also be Mae West fans, especially since Mae West dealt more directly and self-consciously with the issues of sexual equality and sexual power.

Here's what Simon & Schuster has to say about Charlotte Chandler's new bio, based on interviews conducted with Mae in the 80's:

Actress, playwright, screenwriter, and iconic sex symbol Mae West was born in New York in 1893. She created a scandal -- and a sensation -- on Broadway with her play Sex in 1926. Convicted of obscenity, she was sentenced to ten days in prison. She went to jail a convict and emerged a star. Her next play, Diamond Lil, was a smash, and she would play the role of Diamond Lil in different variations for virtually her entire film career.

In Hollywood she played opposite George Raft, Cary Grant (in one of his first starring roles), and W. C. Fields, among others. She was the number one box-office attraction during the 1930s and saved Paramount Studios from bankruptcy. Her films included some notorious one-liners -- which she wrote herself -- that have become part of Hollywood lore: from "too much of a good thing can be wonderful" to "When I'm good, I'm very good. When I'm bad, I'm better." Her risqué remarks got her banned from radio for a dozen years, but behind the clever quips was Mae's deep desire, decades before the word "feminism" was in the news, to see women treated equally with men. She saw through the double standard of the time that permitted men to do things that women would be ruined for doing.

Her cause was sexual equality, and she was shrewd enough to know that it was perhaps the ultimate battleground, the most difficult cause of all. In addition to her extensive interviews of Mae West, Chandler also spoke with actors and directors who worked with and knew the star, the man with whom she lived for the last twenty-seven years of her life, as well as her closest assistant at the end of her life. Their comments and insights enrich this fascinating book. She Always Knew How captures the voice and spirit of this unique actress as no other biography ever has.

And here's a review for Publishers Weekly:

She Always Knew How: Mae West, a Personal Biography Charlotte Chandler. Simon & Schuster, $26 (336p) ISBN 978-1-4165-7909-0

...West carefully constructed and guarded the image of her personality as a woman who enjoyed sex at a time when “skirts had to cover ankles.” She contended she was “never vulgar. The word for me was suggestive.”

Sound familiar? Mae West definitely set the stage for Bettie Page. I think I'd like to learn more about her.

Save vs. Death: Rosie the Riveter's safety bra (1943) More on Rosie -- her plastic "safety bra" in full effect!

Save vs. Death: the many faces of Rosie the Riveter (1941-1945)

From the same blog as the Carnival Girl, "Save vs. Death", please do yourself the favor of checking out the amazing "Many Faces of Rosie the Riveter" photo-essay.

Save vs. Death: at the state fair (1950)
Another Carnival Girl!

A recent trip to DISNEYLAND revealed an amazing number of retro-themed products. It seems our community has been discovered by the biggest media company in the world -- and judging from the number of Bettie Page bangs, pinned hair, pomps and the like walking through the place, it's no wonder. The fact that Pixar's John Lassiter has taken over as Principal Creative Advisor for Walt Disney Imagineering (among other jobs at the studio) has helped. Pixar, ironically, always seemed to "get" what Disney used to have and lost. So, with his ascendancy comes a renewed reverence for not only Disney's history (such as shifting California Adventure from a celebration of all things that yuppies love about Cali -- like expensive wine -- to an upcoming shift to a 1920's-themed part about how Walt experienced California when he first arrived) but retro pop culture in general. Pics above include lots of tiki-inspired fare and a tattoo-themed Mickey. At the very least it shows that someone else besides Christian Aguilera can make a tattoo-themed t-shirt!

More links showing Pixar's love of retro:

Wall-E teaser posters by Eric Tan

Fan site PLANET BETTIE has a whole gallery of Bettie tattoos -- here's a few, go HERE to see the rest:

The number one movie in the country is a cutting-edge, IMAX-worthy, 3-D, CGI fest that owes its existence to those who toiled in the margins of the film industry back in the day. While the film is funny and frenetic, it is also a great way to lend some contemporary relevance to the monster movies of the past (in an age-appropriate way, of course). Bettie Page used to love stories of the fantastic, and would regularly patronize double-features in Times Square. For generations after, UHF channels were bastions of monsters and horrors on Saturdays after the cartoons ended. Now, while we live in an age where everything is "available", the classic monsters of yore are rarely actually on the TV... you need to hunt them down and bring 'em home.

So, log on to Netflix or run to Blockbuster and treat the family to a "Monsters Who Inspired Monsters Vs. Aliens" film festival in your house! Use this mass-market media blitz to show those near and dear to you that teeny tiny budgets can also have a big impact on viewers' imaginations!

CREATIVE LOAFING gives you the complete run-down on the original monster movies that inspired the characters in Monsters Vs. Aliens:
THE ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WOMAN
THE BLOB
THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON
THE FLY
and
MOTHRA

Remember that "sick of doing tribute posts" post a while back? Well, Forrest Ackerman's death, in the wake of Bettie's, was another one of those losses that was difficult to reflect upon in a tidy, snappy way. For generations upon generations, Forrest Ackerman WAS "fandom". The internet and all of the millions upon millions of blogs, forum arguments, flame wars, fan fiction... generally obsessing over imaginary realms as if they were real... are the product of Forrest J. Ackerman. Forrest was an agent, a producer, a publisher and a writer... but, in reality, he was a professional cheerleader for others, a professional booster of all things fantastical, be it conveyed through the written word, film, TV, magazines, comics or paintings. He published a magazine that is imprinted in the DNA of the "boomer" generation in a way that we, having benefited from more options in reading material, can't quite comprehend. The dude created the term "Sci Fi" (which old-school hardliners thought cheapened the genre and NBC/Universal/GE/Mom's Old Fashioned Robot Oil has just mutated into "Sy Fy".) Like Walt Disney, Forrest Ackerman created an amusement park... but his existed in our ever-expanding collective imagination. His gift to those who read and dream is incalculable... and it continues to grow, even as the memories of the man who's most responsible for fandom will fade. Spielberg, Lucas, the whole "Masters of Horror" gang, all were raised on Ackerman's unique take on the fantastict... a little fright mixed with a ton of fun. Now, artists as diverse as Joss Whedon to Zack Snyder to Rob Zombie owe their cross-platform mythologizing to Ackerman. And the AIN'T IT COOLs and the like flat out wouldn't exist without him. His irrepressible love of imaginative fiction, seen as fish wrap in his childhood, has created a society that, upon his death, views the fandom he organized and fostered, as the pillar of the multi-billion-dollar, global entertainment industry.

Which is all a way of teeing up Mike Richardson (that's Mr. Dark Horse Entertainment to you, pal) and John "Blues Brothers" "An American Werewolf in London" "Thriller" "Master of Horror" Landis' tributes to Ackerman.

(Free plug for Landis: His recent documentaries are amazing. Rent SLASHER about an alcoholic used car salesman, a dark-comic masterpiece, and watch his new documentary about Don Rickles, MR. WARMTH on HBO.)

Mike Richardson and John Landis on Forrest Ackerman 3/25/09

On Sunday, March 8, a tribute was held for Forrest J Ackerman. I, like many others, have stories to tell about the influence "Forry's" magazine, Famous Monsters of Filmland, had on me as a youngster. It seems like only yesterday that my fifth-grade teacher, a nun, sent me home from school after she caught me carrying an issue (the one with King Kong on the cover) into class. Unlike John's parents in the tribute below, my mother simply asked me not to bring the magazine to school again.

I met Forry at the Ackermansion with artist Geof Darrow, in the first of several visits. He knew of Dark Horse at the time and was eager to be put on the comp list, something in which I was happy (and honored) to oblige him.

I saw Forry off and on for years. He was a special guest at a number of events I attended, including the grand opening of our Things From Another World store on Universal Studio's Citywalk. I always found him to be a gentleman and extremely gracious with his time. I last visited him a year or so ago at the Acker-mini-mansion with my friend John Landis. It was clear that Forry was not feeling well and I wasn't sure he even recognized me, but we had a great time talking about the magazine, the memorabilia located throughout his home, and, of course, movies. I'm sure that many shared my own feeling that a bit of my own life passed with him.

John Landis was a good friend of Forry's, and what follows is a shortened version of the tribute he delivered at the memorial service:

Like most of the people in this theater, when I was a kid I loved Famous Monsters of Filmland.

However, once my mother saw a photograph of a woman with an ax in her head in the magazine, my pile of issues was thrown out, and Famous Monsters of Filmland was banned from the house.

All was not lost though, because my cousin Scott subscribed and I could read them at his house.

The same way the original King Kong lit a flame in the young Ray Harryhausen in 1933, The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad was the young John Landis's career epiphany in 1958.

When I was twelve years old, I wrote a fan letter to Harryhausen and mailed it care of Forrest J Ackerman at Famous Monsters of Filmland.

Forry actually forwarded the letter on to Ray in London and Ray sent me an autographed eight by ten glossy of him animating the dragon from The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad -- which is still framed and proudly displayed on the wall of my library at home.

In 1971 I wrote and directed my first feature film, the appropriately titled Schlock.

This sixty-thousand-dollar effort is most notable for two things: it was my first collaboration with the young makeup artist Rick Baker, and it is the reason I met Forrest J Ackerman as they say, "in the flesh."

Schlock's cast and crew screening was held at the Cary Grant Theater at MGM Studios in Culver City. Exactly how Forry got there I don't know, but after the screening he introduced himself to me in the parking lot in front of the Thalberg Building and also introduced the fellow he came with, Ed Wood!

Mr. Wood was absolutely astonished that I knew who he was and of the movies he had made. He was a sad shabby guy whose breath reeked of alcohol.

But Mr. Ackerman was more than gracious and not only invited Rick Baker and I to the Ackermansion, but kept his promise of publishing photos and an article on Schlock in his magazine, Famous Monsters of Filmland. And this was a year before we managed to get a distributor!

The Ackermansion was then on Olympic Boulevard near La Cienega, walking distance to the Ships Coffee Shop, another Los Angeles landmark no longer with us.

Others today will speak of Forry's legendary accomplishments, his magazines, his influence on generations of writers and filmmakers, his extraordinary generosity, his countless viewing of Fritz Lang's Metropolis, his Al Jolson imitation and his mad crush on Marlene Dietrich, his time at nudist colonies, and his knowledge of Esperanto, his wide circle of friends, clients, enemies, admirers, acolytes and parasites.

For me Forry was a loyal and staunch friend and of course a fine actor in many of my films.

His patient and loving wife Wendy liked to recall the night that one of Forry's pulp author clients, L. Ron Hubbard, had them and a few others, over to his apartment to pitch a new religion he invented called Scientology.

Hubbard promised that it would make everyone assembled very rich, and Forry couldn't get out of there fast enough. Wendy appreciated her husband's integrity, but as she told me, "I always secretly regretted not getting in on the ground floor of that epic scam."

The Ackermansion duplex on Olympic moved to the Ackermansion in Horrorwood, Karloffornia, in that big house that once belonged to actor Jon Hall.

And finally to the classic small Hollywood bungalow where he held court in the Acker-mini-mansion where he ended his days. All places I remember with great affection. All places he opened to one and all for anyone to visit his treasures.

The motion-picture industry, the movie business, has always treated the ephemera of filmmaking as industrial waste. It is only because of fringe enthusiasts like Forrest J Ackerman, Bob Burns and Henri Langlois that many iconic props, costumes and manuscripts pertaining to film production exist at all. Yet another way Forry has blessed us.

My daughter Rachel still has the beautiful antique porcelain doll that Forry gave to her as a child after Wendy passed away. It was a prized possession of Wendy's and is beautifully dressed and carries a purse. Rachel immediately named her Wendy and discovered that Forry had put a silver dollar in that purse.

And when my then-ten-year-old son Max told him he wanted to read some science fiction, Forry sent over a cardboard box full of Robert Heinlein and Ray Bradbury paperback books. And I am proud to tell you that Max now makes a living as a writer.

And every year like clockwork, Forry would call my wife Deborah to wish her a happy Mother's Day.

Forry's embrace of Esperanto is typical of the true futurist and idealistic man he was.

Although he was extremely ill he told me he could not die until he voted for Obama for president and he did.

Forrest J Ackerman was a unique person, whose generosity touched us all. We are all better for having had Forry in our lives. I know I am.

It's TAP WEEK, when UNICEF tries to focus our attention on that stuff you mix with Scotch... well, it doesn't come outt a tap for everyone. (For the record, Bettie never drank, so please don't mix your water with Scotch... but we won't tell if you do ~ ed.) I know some folks think the UN are the sign of the End Times, but even if they're right, UNICEF is consistently rated as one of the most effective and efficient charities out there, helping kids in dire need both here in the US and abroad.

Reflecting the hard economic times, UNICEF is starting a new way to "donate" to the Tap Project fund... sell your crap on eBay! Click HERE to learn how you can empty your garage or that overstuffed closet and channel a PORTION of the proceeds that YOU determine to help SAVE KIDS LIVES. Pretty cool, huh?

If you have nothing to sell, check out what others have put up and BUY something.

Remember that Bettie Page was once so poor as a child, her mom put her in an orphanage for a few years until sewing and laundry work gave her mom enough money to feed Bettie... so, do it for her!

Pass this around the whole retro community... the more people who put cool stuff up (dresses, shoes, magazines, CDs, etc.), the more in our community will have to BUY!

Bettie Page, the Queen of Pin-Ups passed away late last year, leaving millions of fans to mourn the loss of one of the world’s greatest beauties. In life, Bettie was the epitome of what this gallery represents. She pushed boundaries in a conservative society and was at the front lines of controversy. Censorship, sexuality…she broke ground in these areas and inspired generations with her strength, courage and pride.

Nowhere has this loss been felt so heavily as in the Art World. From Dave Stevens to Olivia and countless other fine, outsider, and lowbrow artists, her image has touched men and women alike. Her face alone invokes mystery and duality…a purity and naughtiness that beckons us all. Bettie Page is permanently ingrained in our pop culture and in our hearts. This tribute show is a celebration of her legacy and her continued inspiration.

Dienzo's piece caught our eye for the dark whimsy in his work. We weren't shocked to learn he has spent time in the commercial world, working at CARTOON NETWORK, as his pieces have a very clean, bold sense of design. His work, true to the Pop Art aesthetic that informs it, conjures a host of feelings but, on inspection, isn't derivitive of any other artist. Sure, the goth-kawaii noodling of Tim Burton spring to mind, as does Burton's inspirations, Gahan Wilson, Edward Gorey and Charles Addams. However, just as strongly felt is the detrus of a 70's childhood... FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND covers, snap-together model kits and other pieces of nightmarish painted commerce. Like animation, paintings like Dienzo's can seem "simple", but few things are conceptually more challenging than designing and executing such graphicially concise characters with and abundance of what the Disney masters used to call "appeal".

When asked by the Bettie Page Blog to illuminate us as to his thought process, Dienzo explained his facination with the duality between light and dark, good and evil, tying it into the core of Bettie Page's appeal:

"I've deliberately chosen to juxtapose the dark and light aspects of each character throughout my work. Be it literally in the form of childlike zombies and vampires, or by thematic tones of darkness saved by innocence - like cute female assassins.

Bettie Page has served to inspire me not only from a surface level of aesthetic beauty, but also from that same endearing quality of being an "innocent-provocateur." Her iconic presence permeates so many sub-genres of art, music and culture that being influenced by her is almost entirely unavoidable.

I created three Bettie inspired pieces to capture different aspects of the woman we've come to admire.

"Bettie Whipping" is indicative of her risque, bondage era photography. It shows her as powerful woman in control with the sharp contrast of black and yellow reinforcing the impactful nature of that style. "Bettie Purring" is meant to show her as the quintessential vixen. An object of desire with the leopard print and warm tones evoking primal instincts of attraction. And finally, "Bettie Dreaming" is meant to capture her underlying innocence and naivete. Throughout her life she struggled with reconciling her own morality against public perception and that inner goodness is part of what made her so appealing as a "girl next door." I also thought it fitting to immortalize her with eyes closed and forever dreaming, given her recent passing.

I hope these pieces serve to honor her and inspire others to keep her legacy alive."

Rick "DIENZO" Blanco's work can next be seen publicly at Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors.

David Downton is a world-renowned fashion illustrator known for his portraits of model Erin O'Connor and burlesque performer Dita Von Teese (www.daviddownton.com). Downton is also the founder and publisher of Pourquoi Pas? A Journal of Fashion Illustration (www.pqpmagazine.com). His recent work was included in Victoria and Albert Museum exhibitions and their 150th Anniversary album; on the cover of 100 Years of Fashion Illustration by Cally Blackman; at stores including Browns, Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Marks & Spencer, Saks Fifth Avenue, Selfridges, Tiffany & Co. and Topshop; in magazines such as Elle, Harper's Bazaar, Harpers & Queen, L'Officiel, Tatler and Vogue; publicity material for the British Academy Film Awards; and costume drawings of Cate Blanchett as Elizabeth I for Universal Pictures.

Also, ever wonder how Dita can get all those beautiful clothes off her body so easily? I bet the boys have ;) CHIC IN PARIS, an oh-so-haute fashion blog gets the lowdown on the designers and specifications of Dita's costumes for her celebrated CRAZY HORSE shows.

From ENTERTAINMENTWISE:

Dita Von Teese Strips Down To Fox Fur
The PETA campaigner contradicts herself by wearing animal skin...

Animal lover Dita Von Teese has stripped down for a sexy shoot - wearing fox fur.

The burlesque star - who appears in PETA's Animal Birth Control campaign - strikes a seductive topless pose on the cover of tattoo magazine Inked, with only a strategically-placed open jacket and red fox skin to cover her assets.

But apparently the animal rights organisation - who is known to target celebrities for wearing animal skins - know about her fur passion.

"PETA's totally aware of me. I'm not working with PETA to tell people to be vegetarians or to stop wearing fur. I am there to strictly speak about spaying and neutering your pets," Dita explained to People.

PETA Spokesman Michael McGraw says the group has not yet asked Dita to stop wearing fur, but might "possibly" have that discussion in the future.

"We're happy to have her support on that issue (spay/neutering), and we'll see where it goes," says McGraw.

Lulu Guinness, designer worn by Dita, interviewed.

Virginia may be for lovers, but is it too shy for burlesque?

A profile of UK performer Roxy Velvet in the University of York's student paper/website, NOUSE.

Bettie Page YouTube videos inspires Bryn Mawr students to start their own burlesque troupes and create a theater, according to The Bi-College News Online.

A profile of Glasgow's Club Noir (with video).

The Canberra Times talks to "The Burlesque Hour".

Miss Marion is an accomplished visual artist and burlesque performer showing her paintings and some skin in Paris.

The Guardian discusses The Ministry of Burlesque.


Dr. Sketchy's Art Club from nick lucchesi on Vimeo.

Video of St. Louis' Dr. Sketchy's Art Club.

Photos and video of the Dallas Burlesque Festival.

Headline: Burlesque Blossoms as Economy Crumbles.



More MINSKY'S links:
Variety
LA Weekly
Los Angeles Downtown News
Pasadena Star-News
Santa Monica Mirror
Ventura County Star

In the film, HEART LIKE A WHEEL, audiences saw what "women drivers" could really do -- win races and take trophies away from the "good ol' boys"! Now, HOT ROD MAGAZINE lets the Queen Of Drag Racing, Shirley Muldowney, speak for herself!

Burlesque artist Immodesty Blaize has written a novel set in the world of burlesque, entitled TEASE. Evidently, such a glamorous performer isn't the norm at gatherings of literary types, as her upcoming reading and striptease at Hay-on-Wye has tongues wagging.

FILM THREAT reviews the indie movie HOT ROD GIRLS SAVE THE WORLD.

...in Louisiana's The Advocate/Channel 2 website.

The NAKED FOLK CALENDAR (pictured above) helps pay for the health care of uninsured or underinsured folk musicians.

The GLAM BLOG has pictures of a great Brazilian retro-pin-up calendar, Contigo!

In the early 50’s famed artist George Petty drew and airbrushed the pin-up girls for Ridgid Tools popular calendars... PLANETZMAN has a gallery (the overall site seems neanderthal-ish, but the Petty pics are priceless.)

We have a crush on BOMBSHELL STAMPS, as they allow for some seriously sexy scrapbooking.

TRENDHUNTER has deemed retro pin-ups "playful"... so I guess it's okay to like it now! (Let me know when it's not "trendy" and then I'll make sure to hate pin-ups and, in fact, deny ever having liked them!)

“My inspiration to create the Female Mechanics Calendars came from my experience working as a carpenter and as a motorcycle mechanic in shops where I often felt like an anomaly for being a woman. I feel that it is so important for people to see that there are women who actually work these jobs, and can thrive if given the opportunity to learn. I am continually inspired by the people I have met while creating this project.” ~ Sarah Lyon, creator of the Female Mechanics Calendars, which, true to its name, features verite shots of women automobile, motorcycle,
jet aircraft, bicycle, hot rod, race car, hybrid, and diesel mechanics
from around the country. (hat tip: Feminist Philosophers)

While horror gets lots of mainstream attention for celebrating sexualized violence towards women, a new documentary, PRETTY BLOODY shows that women have been a powerful force in the industry at every level. CLICK to see an interview with Jovanka Vuckovic (of Rue Morgue) discussing the doc and women in horror in general. Supposedly, it spends a lot of time on Vampira, which has us drooling to see it.

ANDRÉS SARDÁ CIBELES MADRID FASHION WEEK 2009

And a DEAR ABBY reader wants everyone to wear panties like Bettie Page... just like his sisters used to... um, ew!

Check out the SEX WORKERS ART SHOW, currently featuring burlesque luminaries Simone De La Getto, Jo Weldon, World Famous "BOB"

Interesting interview with Toronto performer Sasha Von Bon Bon in the PINK TRIANGLE PRESS.

AMISH BURLESQUE: "The opening number is a striptease where the only thing removed is a sock in about five minutes," says producer Marty Schiff... READ MORE

Cool interview with Oxford performer Tempest Rose by the OXFORD MAIL.

EXAMINER review of MINKSY'S, a musical set in the world of early Burlesque. Previewing in Los Angeles, the show is bound for Broadway. Good ol' Wikipedia fills in the history of the show, which was developed from the 1968 feature, THE NIGHT THEY RAIDED MINSKY'S, which, in turn, was inspired by true events. LA OBSERVED spotlights the musical as well. NPR talked to George Wendt, one of the stars of the show.

The Los Angeles Times profiles Betty Rowland, an original 'Minsky's' girl. The former burlesque dancer, 93, describes a tough but rewarding experience performing during the Depression.

Australian Stage interviews Ali McGregor about the connections between stand-up comedy, burlesque, cabaret and opera.

"Teasy Does It" -- an article in NZ Herald News about New Zealand's Hootchy Kootchy Girls expands into a general article about the development of neo-burlesque.

Daily Free Press profile of the Boston Baby Dolls.

A BroadwayWorld.com article on Denver's Black Box Burlesque: For the first time since the 1930's a theatre is being built specifically to house burlesque, headed up by Reyna Von Vett of last fall's acclaimed Leadville or Bust.

NY Daily News introduces us to Stiletto Spy School.

Des McAnuff explains why there are now burlesque dancers in his reinvention/revival of GUYS AND DOLLS, currently on Broadway. "Miss Adelaide keeps telling us that she has a chronic cold because of her skin exposure," McAnuff laughs, "and that makes a lot more sense if she's a burlesque stripper than a nightclub dancer."

Grand Rapids performer, the hula-hooping burlesque dancer named "Vivacious Miss Audacious", is interviewed by her father's (uncomfortable) co-worker.

Review of the burlesque-themed "mocumentary" TUMBLING AFTER.

TIMES ONLINE uncovers DIY Lingerie.

Talk about standing behind your work! Gavin Hignight, the creator and writer of the superantural/rockabilly graphic novel MOTOR CITY now sports a fresh tattoo of the book's comely character, "SAM"... in a Bettie Page-inspired pin-up originally drawn by the book's illustrator, Jetilla Lewis.

Gavin tells us, "I got that Tattoo from Hanah Aitchison, on the TV show LA Ink, but I'm not sure if the episode will air or not this season. Her work is freaking incredible though."

For more info on MOTOR CITY:
www.gavinhignight.com
www.motorcitycomic.com

The ladies at Chicago’s Thought You Knew are looking for some press for their upcoming calendar. And who are we to say no?

The 2009 calendar features 50’s style pin up photography by Michelle Nolan. All proceeds benefit the Chicago Women’s Health Center [CWHC] -- that's $25,000 to CWHC if the callendars sell out.

Visit www.thoughtyouknew.us for more info.

A thoughtful post on the meaning of burlesque. Worth the READ. (Sammy Snapshot's Thoughts & Images blog)

Popmatters has a great post on Rose Maddox and The Maddox Brothers. CHECK IT OUT

In the new book, SECRET IDENTITY: THE FETISH ART OF SUPERMAN'S CO-CREATOR JOE SHUSTER, the characters in these twisted drawings, tied up, spanked and worse, look almost exactly like Lois, Superman, Jimmy Olsen and Luthor. They're not, of course (something else Yoe points out -- probably for legal reasons), but NIGHTS OF HORROR gives an unnerving (and fascinating) glimpse at what comic books might look like if the Code insisted on out-of-bounds behavior instead of forbidding it.

READ MORE about this book at comic book writer Will Pfeifer's blog, X-Ray Spex

Dita Von Teese signed a record contract with Interscope Europe and is working on an album, according to E! Online in late February, but we just noticed this morning!

FULL STORY

Whether it's music, shoes or, in this case, lipstick, it's funny how if you have a style you love, within a few years you will go from "hopelessly lame" to "cutting edge" -- without having actually made any changes!

So, for those who love bold, primary-color red-red lipstick... congrats! You've once again been deemed "in fashion" by the fashion police! Enjoy it, because you'll probably be "tired" pretty soon, then "out", then "bold" then "in fashion" again... you know how it goes!
UK's DAILY MAIL: GLORY IN RED -- Red lips were everywhere on the summer catwalks. We show you how to wear it.

"Trophy queens represent an important part of American racing lore. They injected a shot of glamour to the tough sport of racing," according to an NHRA (National Hot Rod Association, if you're unfamiliar) official. Amidst the grease and the steel, The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, located at Fairplex Gate 1, 1101 W. McKinley Avenue in Pomona, has been honoring those comely lasses that posed with the winners of hot rod races, past and present.

Jayne Mansfield, Barbara Eden ("I Dream of Jeannie") and Raquel Welch (pictured above, with Don Cameron, 1956 United Racing Association champion... back when she was still going by her given name, Raquel Tejada) have all graced the track as Trophy Queens.

From THE BEST WEEK EVER:

By now, you are all well aware of the scandal that has befallen former Project Runway contestant Kenley Collins. No, not the dress copying one – though good thinking — rather how Ms. Collins was jailed for throwing a cat at her (ex?)-boyfriend. Some of you (read: none of you) may have given Kenley the benefit of the doubt on this one...

Click HERE for the rest of the snark. Or, watch the video where Tim Gunn unloads on Kenley:

They say that country is a genre that allows a musician to grow old with grace. The fans stay loyal and the road never ends. Maybe that's why so many punks start to twang it up when they start seeing the north side of 40. It's only right, as punk appropriated the direct, down-to-earthy lyrics and 1-4-5 major chord patterns of country, while picking up the pace and stripping away (at least in the early days of punk) all of the pickin' prowess.

However aging punks are often caught in a dilemma -- as they get older their musicianship improves, their interest in the same pedal-pushing tempo fades, their lyrical interest broadens and deepens with their increased life experiences, but they are trapped in a genre that for many years militantly resisted any of this... causing many punk icons to "cross the tracks" into country. All of this seems natural... moving back in time, exploring an even more primordial style of American music. That is, until you look at the contemporary "country" landscape... populated by John Rich (Love everybody... except liberals and gays), Kenny Chesney and a whole boatload of reality show fembots.

What's a country/punk to do?

Perhaps the rockabilly audience is the closest available for these acts... openminded folks who have an appreciation for "real" country and a working knowledge of punk. Maybe that's why Mike Herrera (best known for being the frontman of MxPx) is pitching his solo project, Tumbledown, as a rockabilly-inspired act, when, in fact, it sounds much more "alt country" or "roots rock" or "american" than "rockabilly". Still solidly enjoyable, though. It'll be fun to hear the album when it's done.

HELP US COME UP WITH A LIST OF PUNKS GONE COUNTRY:

Country Dick
Jello Biafra

Dita vs. The Pussycat Dolls:

"It drives me crazy when the media or groups like the Pussycat Dolls try to sanitize and take away the sexual and nudity aspects of burlesque."

She added: "I'm sorry, but if you're not up there taking your clothes off and dancing around in pasties and a G-string, it's not burlesque.

"It can be cabaret, or it can be cute and funny and retro-showgirly, but it's not burlesque. They were strippers, and that's the way it was."

...he didn't want 'boas, strippers, and (expletive)' in his neighborhood... - Boston Babydolls vs. City Hall!

Seattle Weekly's 26 pic slideshow of Moisture Fest Burlesque...

Denver Post's slideshow from the New Denver Civic's "Leadville Or Bust" and "Black Box Burlesque."

Video of Los Angeles' Burlesque Bingo at the Key Club, on LA Weekly's site.

Project Runway's Kenley Collins in Jail for Attacking Fiance with Pussycat

> Posted by Rod Hagwood at 4:58:04 PM on SunSentinel.com

She's not just a hellcat.

She's hell on cats.

Kenley Collins - the serial-rude contestant from season five of Project Runway - spent St. Patrick's Day caged behind bars after being arrested for attacking her boyfriend with (in no particular order):

1. a laptop

2. assorted apples and water glasses

3. a door (slammed his head in it we hear)

4. a living, breathing probably-pissed-off cat

The third-placer allegedly went ballistic on her sleeping ex-fiance - one Zak Penley - in their shared Brooklyn home early yesterday morning according to TMZ.com. We can only assume that it was too early to have a St. Patrick's Day buzz, so maybe he wasn't wearing a fashionable shade of green.

According to papers from the D.A., Kenley ripped into her lover-slash-victim with, "You're lucky. It could've been a lot worse."

That is true. He might still be her fiance. Seriously dude, you live with your ex-fiance and you close your eyes? Do you have a death wish?

Here's a delicious detail from the cat-astrophe: if they DID get married she'd be Mrs. Kenley Penley.

Kenley Penley.

That's only slightly funny...after the first few years of marriage.

Kenley has been charged with six crimes including 2nd degree assault, 3rd degree assault and criminal possession of a weapon in the 4th degree.

Hey, what about animal cruelty?

Can't wait to see the puddy-tat on Larry King and Inside Edition.

The youngest of three girls, Collins began her career at 16 when she started reconstructing vintage clothing. The 26-year-old daughter of a Broward County tugboat captain, Collins has a marketing degree from Florida State University.

After graduating from FSU in 2005, Collins set her sights on crashing the New York scene. In a relatively short time, she has supported herself by teaching sewing classes and designing childrenswear, and even managed to get a few of her designs into a boutique.

Collins rose quickly with her Bettie Page hairstyle and boundless energy, morphing a sales job at Missy Wear into a design position within a week.

She auditioned for HGTV’s Design Star while working for what she calls a “cheesy women’s wear company.” That job did give her two years of Seventh Avenue design experience and invaluable insight into the garment business.

“I am a very ambitious person,” Collins told me in a telephone interview days before the fifth season premiered on July 16th in 2008. “I’m a hard worker.”

On her MySpace page at the time, the one-time bartender described herself as "a tough girly-girl who likes to make clothes, listen to music, watch movies and drink dirty martinis."

And cat-fighting....she forgot to mention her nuanced cat-fighting. Faster pussycat, kill, kill.

In that 2008 interview, I asked Kenley how she thought she'd come across once the series starting airing in the middle of that summer.

She answered: "I know I laugh a lot. I don't want people to think that's all I do. I may not be portrayed in the best way. I'm very outspoken and I'm not very sensitive to others - especially in that sort of environment. I want people to know that I'm a nice person and I have a big heart and I think it shows. We'll have to see. A lot happened in that time."

...Talking about Women’s History Month over the last 10 days, I asked people who their female role models in history are, and I got a wide array of answers — from Joan of Arc to Susan B. Anthony to Bettie Page. While mothers and grandmothers took the No. 1 place of role models in general, people listed off activists, scholars, authors, doctors, leaders, athletes and queens.

Article in the University of Idaho's Argonaut

This Costa Mesa CA icon does barberin' right.

Read about 'em here and be glad y' did:

It's the rare moment when a can of Pabst and a straight razor really should comingle.

But peek through the window of Hawleywood's Barber Shop in Costa Mesa, and you'll see old-school beers and old-school razors forming a rare but nice harmony.

You'll see Donnie Hawley in there too. He's the co-owner, the guy talking and shaving and styling and generally breathing life into a business that could double as a clubhouse or movie set or, you know, a barber shop.

MORE HERE AT THE OC REGISTER

Peter Bjorn and John "Nothing To Worry About"


Peter Bjorn and John's video for "Nothing To Worry About" features the Tokyo Rockabilly Club in Yoyogi Park. Is it celebratory or ironic and what does that mean for the rest of us greasers?

Video
About the Tokyo Rockabilly Club

If you scroll back to the humble beginnings of this blog, you'll see it started near the time Dave Stevens died. For those who don't know, Dave was one of a handful of talented Bettie fans who helped engineer a personal and professional renaissance for Bettie. Creator of THE ROCKETEER, Dave uses Bettie as the model for his hero's girlfriend, and, as such, exposed a generation of fans to Bettie's appeal. More than any artist except Olivia, he had a clear understanding of the ingredients of Bettie's appeal... and had the skill to translate this appeal to paper.

Striken with leukemia (which affected his output) and taken from us far too soon, Dave doesn't have a voluminous legacy, but one of unparalleled quality.

Bud's Art Books, a real mecca for pin-up, fantasy art and thinking comics fans, has a limited-edition print, SIGNED AND NUMBERED by Dave Stevens on sale for just shy of $60.00.

We ran across blurbs for this book, which we haven't read (but want to!):

Nothing But a Smile
A Novel by Steve Amick

From the author of the widely praised The Lake, The River & the Other Lake comes the delightful love story of a man and a woman who choose an unconventional way to redefine themselves during and after World War II.

It's 1944 and Wink Dutton, a former illustrator for Yank and Stars and Stripes, has arrived in Chicago after an injury to his drawing hand gets him an unwanted discharge from the service. Renting a room above the camera shop run by Sal Chesterton--the wife of Wink's buddy, still stationed in the Philippines--Wink is surprised to learn how Sal is making ends meet: producing pinup photos for the soldiers' favorite girlie magazines. In fact, she's using herself as a model. When Wink becomes a partner in her covert enterprise, it's the beginning of a collaboration that is both wonderfully sexy and pure, one that blossoms into a subtle and unexpected romance. Their work leads to Wink's reinvention as a photographer and, as the war ends and the business expands, to a shared understanding of the painful adjustments to be made in the rapidly changing postwar world.

Steve Amick's grasp of Wink and Sal's generation is remarkable, as is his fresh take on the period. The triumph of the war's end is tempered by his deep understanding of its quiet undercurrents--the fear of not knowing what to do next, the loss of more carefree prewar selves, the sorrow of mourning soldiers recently dead when everyone else is parading in the streets. In the surprising story of Wink and Sal, Amick has created a beautifully understated love letter to an America of simpler choices that were nonetheless hard for the people who made them.

Column: “Wearing Nothing But A Smile”
Local author Steve Amick's new novel draws crowd to Nicola's

By Bill Castanier

March 12, 2009
A display of Steve Amicks new book at Nicolas Books in the Westgate Shopping Center.

A display of Steve Amick's new book at Nicola's Books in the Westgate Shopping Center. Amick held a book-signing there on Tuesday.

Don’ t avoid the obvious: there is a half-naked woman on the cover of Steve Amick’s new book – wearing “nothing but a smile,” which appropriately is the title of the book (wink-wink). She made quite the impression on you when you walked into Nicola’s Books, where Amick was doing a book signing Tuesday night.

How she got there is quite an innocent story. The book, “Wearing Nothing But a Smile,” deftly balances the innocence of WWII pin-up girls with the harsh realities of the war back home.

Amick admits to stumbling on the idea of a book with the pin-up industry central to the plot.

In 2006, the Ann Arbor author said he and his father-in-law had been talking about cheesecake art, especially the work of noted pin-up artist Gil Elvgren, whose work they both admired. Later, Amick was looking for a calendar online when he came across an especially cheesy pin-up.

“It was old – really old amateur photograph of a girl in a bathing suit. Well, actually half a bathing suit,” Amick said. He showed the audience his muse at the book signing and it appeared that no bathing suit was closer to the truth.

He printed out the pin-up and put it in his writing file. A day later he looked at it and made it his assignment to write about that picture.

“I thought it would be a great assignment and I gave it the title ‘Girlies,’” he said. “I’m a writer who works with assignments.” This may be partially derived from Amick’s song writing and art skills. Amick has a CD and drew the dust jacket art for his first book, “The Lake, the River & the Other Lake.”

The result is an unusual look at the war on the home front, complete with a love lost, a love found and survival wrapped around an innocent diversion that gradually becomes sleazy.

The plot is like one of those innumerable WWII war movies. Near the end of the war, the central character, Wink Dutton, returns home with a hand injury which has ruined his cartooning career. He decides to make an unannounced visit to Sal, his buddy’s wife who has stepped in to operate a family camera store in Chicago. Wink rents a room from Sal and discovers she has been attempting to supplement her income by selling pin-up photos with herself as the model. Of course, Wink graciously offers to step in as the photographer.

Amick said that although the book is peripherally about the pin-up industry, that it “wasn’t going to be another Kavalier & Clay,” (which detailed the comic book industry while along the way winning the Pulitzer Prize).

“It is really about two people putting themselves into positions where conflicts and needs are created. I just let flow. It’s a he said/she said novel,” he told the large crowd which filled every seat in Nicola’s on a cold wet night. It may have been gloomy outside, but Amick entertained the group with his wit and readings, which were frequently punctuated with laughter.

It’s a funny book, in addition to being a romantic and historical look at an era. The one scene he read where Sal and her friend Renee buy black market nylons for the budding pin-up business was reminiscent of Lucy and Ethel and their outlandish skits on the Ricky Ricardo show. The book nails the era: the home front city of Chicago, the burgeoning women’s movement, the black market economy and tough and tumble streets of Chicago’s Loop.

If you’ve ever seen a WWII-era interior photograph of a soldier’s barracks, you’ve probably noticed pin-ups adorning a wall above a bed. Not only did GIs carry the folded pin-ups into battle, but they ended up on the noses of bombers and fighter planes (probably some made right here in nearby Ypsilanti). Many a GI’s green trunk came home from the war with Ava Gardner pasted on the inside of the plywood luggage.

The women in the pin-up photographs are legendary and went on to become major stars, including Dorothy Lamour, Rita Hayworth and Heddy Lamar. Amick said the pin-up industry was informally sanctioned by the military brass and even Yank Magazine and Stars and Stripes carried pin-ups. He said at the beginning of the war the pin-ups were actually sleazier than they were later in the war, when they were toned down to present a different image back home and as the war manned up.

Later, pin-ups would be transformed on the pages of men’s magazines such as Playboy, which Amick subtly weaves into his new book. They also began to become the backbone of a much seedier business as they were exported from Times Square to middle America.

Amick said he had no intention of writing this book. He had another manuscript at a publisher and since his wife was expecting and his father-in-law had been recently diagnosed with terminal cancer, he had put his writing on hold. (He dedicated the book to his father-in-law, Don Burau.)

But the book did get written. As fate would have it, that pin-up girl motioned Amick to come hither, and he began writing the book in January 2007. He figured he would write about the pin-up girl and place her in Chicago and he would be able to talk with his dying father-in-law about that era and pin-up girls, which generally sounds more interesting than “Tuesdays with Morrie.”

Locals will appreciate Amick’s weaving in an important Ann Arbor connection. But Amick is careful to tell you that, too, is an accident. While wondering what camera Wink would use to shoot pin-ups, it dawned on Amick that it should be an Argus, once made right here in Ann Arbor. A reception following the signing was appropriately held in the old Argus building on William and Fourth, where a collection of old Argus cameras and memorabilia hold forth.

In his discussions about the book, Amick leaves the reason for the trip to Ann Arbor a little vague to avoid a spoiler, but let’s just say that the scenes shift to Ann Arbor after the war, when the pin-up industry begins to evolve into something less than innocent. Amick told the book-signing audience that he enjoyed writing the Ann Arbor segment, especially “about the things that aren’t here.”

When asked how much research he did on the novel, he said, “I tried to write things that I knew and were safe. It’s factual, not fact heavy.”

He also told the audience he didn’t know who the model for the cover is, saying, “It’s no woman I’ve ever seen – at least not in that state.”
Steve Amick signs copies of his book at a Marach 10 reading at Nicolas Books.

Steve Amick signs copies of his book at a March 10 reading at Nicola's Books.

One woman in the audience was especially intrigued by the book. Doris Strite of Ann Arbor was there to hear Amick and get her book signed. She said she worked at Argus from 1940-46.

“I took care of the sales department,” she said. Stite said she is looking forward to reading the book. “It was great – great working there.” She met her husband in the parts department at Argus.

By the way, Amick was not only signing his books but also making rough sketches of Argus C-3s or half-naked women.

Amick has done a wonderful job in his second book of mixing a tender love story against the atmospheric backdrop of WWII. He shows a nation of mourning also quixotically dancing in the streets as the war ends, wondering what it will do next. And his descriptions of the Chicago home front will leave you yearning for a noisy stop in Berghoff’s.

The author said he wrote the novel prior to the nation’s current financial crisis, but the undercurrent he has captured about survival, moving on and an unknown future has caught the attention of reviewers, who see it as a metaphor for what we must do to survive difficult times. Amick’s book seems to suggest that The Greatest Generation is still showing us the way.

Amick said at the reception that his book will soon be reviewed in the New York Times and People magazine.

I don’t know about you, but I’m going online to look for one of those pin-ups.

Another Bettie Page Blog Recession Buster:

Click HEREto stream Country Club by John Doe (he of X, The Knitters, a fab solo career and an eclectic acting resume) and the alt-country virtuosos, The Sadies. And no, we're not in "in the tank" for Yep Roc... don't even know the people. But with a roster that includes John Doe, Los Straitjackets, Southern Culture on the Skids and The Reverend Horton Heat, it's hard not to shill!

From YEP ROC:

In true honky tonk style, Country Club is the bastard child of a drunken promise.

A post show hang-out between X & the Knitters’ John Doe and The Sadies produced the idea to join forces to a make an album of country songs. Both rock n’ roll and country music are littered with the ghosts of broken promises but this one was destined to become reality. Timeless sounds abound on Country Club, driven by Doe’s gorgeously rough-hewn vocals, the dueling thousand pound chops of the guitar-wielding Good brothers and The Sadies’ world class rhythm section of Mike Belitsky and Sean Dean.

Here, the Countrypolitan sound of late 1960s Nashville is filtered through the telecaster-based tonk of Bakersfield, CA and the results are simply stunning. Classic tunes by Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings stand alongside corkers by Tammy Wynette and Roger Miller, all of them getting unique treatments by Doe and The Sadies. The album also features four originals - three from The Sadies and one courtesy of the timeless pairing of John Doe and Exene Cervenka.

On Country Club Doe and The Sadies find the perfect blend of the reverent and the experimental, resulting in a slightly psychedelic brew that just might pass for straight if you’re not lookin’.

Tracklist:
1) "Stop the World and Let Me Off" (made famous by Waylon Jennings)
2) "Husbands and Wives" (made famous by Roger Miller)
3) "'Til I Get It Right" (made famous by Tammy Wynette)
4) "It Just Dawned on Me" (by Exene Cervenka, John Doe)
5) "(Now and Then) There's a Fool Such as I" (made famous by Hank Snow)
6) "The Night Life" (made famous by Ray Price)
7) "The Sudbury Nickel" (by The Sadies)
8) "Before I Wake" (by The Sadies)
9) "I Still Miss Someone" (made famous by Johnny Cash, Roy Cash Jr.)
10) "The Cold Hard Facts of Life" (made famous by Porter Wagoner)
11) "Take These Chains from My Heart" (made famous by Hank Williams)
12) "Help Me Make It Through the Night" (made famous by Kris Kristofferson)
13) "Are the Good Times Really Over for Good" (made famous by Merle Haggard)
14) "Detroit City" (made famous by Bobby Bare)
15) "Pink Mountain Rag" (by The Sadies)

CD/LP Release Date: April 14, 2009. Pre-order Country Club at the Yep Roc Webshop and get a limited edition guitar pick. These were created as promotional items for Country Club and will not be available after the pre-order ends!

Click HERE to buy the record.

From the EXAMINER:

Burlesque costumes are over-the-top sexy. The Pussycat Dolls, Dita Von Tease, VEGAS, smoking hot babes in sexy little outfits that cover next to nothing. These costumes weren't always what they seemed though. A few centuries ago, the outfits had a slightly different purpose. According to the Museum of Sex, merkins (the bottom half of burlesque costumes) were originally created as "pubic wigs" for 15th century prostitutes. The designs helped hide pubic lice and syphilis symptoms. Ladies: share this information with your boyfriend or husband the next time he heads to Vegas with the boys.

Check out this fun profile of hat designer, HEY SAILOR, on FANGO FASHION/CULT COUTURE.

A while ago, we reviewed (and heartily endorsed) the greaser/zombie graphic novel, MOTOR CITY. Here's another interview with Gavin, the book's creator, in CARMINE MAGAZINE.

"England's Most Graceful Teaser", marvelous Millie Dollar proudly displays her Bettie tattoo! This globetrottin' burlesque babe is based in Liverpool, but will probably be performing in a town near you! Go to her shows, so you can catch her amazing ink in person!

---

If you have some retro-inspired ink (especially a portrait of Bettie), EMAIL a picture/link and some info!

Bettie Page Blog Recession Buster:
Click HEREto stream The Further Adventures of Los Straitjackets now!

From YEP ROC:

It's a bird, it's a plane, no it's the mystical masked avengers Los Straitjackets! Los Straitjackets' latest album The Further Adventures of Los Straitjackets continues their conquest as the champion luchadores of instrumental rock. With the heroic efforts of Eddie Angel, Daddy-O Grande, Pedro Del Mar and Teen Beat, the world renowned kings of Chopsville are set to release one of their most remarkable albums to date.

The Further Adventures of Los Straitjackets features 13 tracks of future vintage sounds straight from planet Straitjacket. Each CD package includes exclusive trading cards featuring the secret identities of Los Straitjackets along with information on their superhuman characteristics. Comic book panels detailing the adventures of LS provide clues to how the heroes acquired their now legendary powers.

With well over a decade of experience under their utility belts, the instrumental rockers' 14th album finds the band in classic form. Do not succumb to the evil temptations of mediocrity! Check out Los Straitjackets' amazing journey to save the world one riff at a time!

Pre-Order The Further Adventures of Los Straitjackets and be entered to win a set of FOUR official Los Straitjackets masks and the Los Straitjackets logo medallion! Click HERE to buy the record.

Check out INKED for a great Sailor Jerry article. (There's also an article on MySpace phenom METAL SANAZ.)

In a recent interview with the NEW YORK TIMES, actress ROSARIO DAWSON mentions how she molded her character in QUENTIN TARANTINO'S "DEATH PROOF" to be an homage to BETTIE. Given Quentin's own homage in PULP FICTION, I always figured that was something he determined about the character, but, evidently not. Go Rosario!

NT TIMES:Growing up, did you watch a lot of movies?

ROSARIO DAWSON: Some. But when I was 16, I saw ‘‘Reservoir Dogs’’ over and over. I came home from school and watched it every day — five times in one week. Everything about that movie was remarkable to me. It was inspiring. Three years ago, I got to work with Quentin [Tarantino, who wrote and directed ‘‘Reservoir Dogs’’] on ‘‘Death Proof.’’ I had to audition three times for him — I sold myself so hard and he finally gave me the part. I cut my bangs really short for that movie. It was my homage to Bettie Page. I wanted to dye my hair a cranberry color, but homage to Bettie Page. I wanted to dye my hair a cranberry color, but Quentin drew the line there.

I'm sure everyone knows about Ron Ashton of THE STOOGES and Lux Interior of THE CRAMPS passing away, but I missed the news about Andy DeMize, drummer of NEKROMANTIX and THE ROCKETZ, both frickin' amazing bands. He was only 25 years old and died in a car accident, making it all the more tragic. Read more, courtesy of the OC REGISTER.

I suppose it's par for the course... when the musicians and other artists that inspire and thrill you are all did their signature works forty, fifty, sixty years ago, the loss of those groundbreakers and trendsetters will occur more and more frequently. The "Million Dollar Quartet" is down to one living member... and, frighteningly, so are the Ramones. Punk and the "new wave of rockabilly" is now forty years in the past. Hell, even the 90's swing and ska revivals are fifteen years ago. It's important to remember those that did, saw, conquered and then moved on, but, Lord, do they all have to happen in the same few weeks?

And, even given all of this, memorializing someone YOUNGER than you is just depressing.

Okay, slight soapbox time... Our new Prez is going to try to tackle health care reform. People will hew and cry about socializing medicine and how it's the death of America. I'd like to point out that for a normal, working, touring musician without a day job, getting health care is expensive-to-impossible. Add the generally unhealthy lifestyles... travel, sleep cycles always whacked out, bad road food, performing in smokey rooms in areas that don't have a smoking ban (not including the propensity for drug and alcohol abuse, as that's self-inflicted)... it's no wonder we're losing our greatest cultural icons decades younger than we lose the average accountant or, say, Senator (who always manage to bitch about others getting what they give themselves). As we hear about health care reform, I'm gonna see if it makes it easier for the average gigging punk rocker to get a check-up and maybe play for a decade or two longer than they otherwise could.

Sorry for the delay in posting. Been reworking some things behind the scenes, hoping to streamline and prettify the blog.

I couldn't not mention this fairly amazing lookin' book, which I have yet to read...


Tiki Mugs; Cult Artifacts of Polynesian Pop by Jay Strongman, forward by
Holden Westland of Tiki Farm

Join us at La Luz de Jesus for the much anticipated release and signing party for “Tiki Mugs; Cult Artifacts of Polynesian Pop.” Author Jay Strongman, Tiki Farm’s Holden Westland and many mug artists will be on hand to sign the book. Tiki Farm will be unveiling some new limited edition Tiki mugs and we'll be serving up scrumptious Mai – Tais.

Tiki style is more popular than ever, and there are more collectors than ever peering out from the torches and palm trees. Dive head first, shrunken or otherwise, into a Polynesian Pop world of incredible ceramics, from vintage mid-century modern designs, to the collector mugs of today. The book features all the major manufacturers – Tiki Farm, Munktiki, Porcelanas Pavón, Gecko’z South Sea Arts and more along with the top artists including Shag, Bosko, Crazy Al, Ocea Otica, Squid and Tiki Diablo. Written by Tiki historian and renowned DJ Jay Strongman, this resource highlights the history of the Tiki mug from its original heyday in the 1950’s to today. An essential purchase for specialists, the photos and descriptions of styles such as the Frankentiki and the Monkey Mugstack will provide brilliant inspiration for those new to collecting.

Tiki Farm is the world's largest manufacturer of Tiki mugs and has reinvigorated the mug scene both with their retail line and the revitalization of custom mugs for bars & restaurants across the globe which all but disappeared back in the 1970's. Holden Westland, Tiki Farm owner & founder is widely known in the Tiki community as 'the hardest working man in Tiki" and is credited by most as being the driving force behind the resurgent Tiki mug scene. Since their inception in 2000, Tiki Farm is fast approaching a total of 1,000 different, unique designs produced to-date and sales in excess of 1,000,000 mugs.

“Tiki Mugs; Cult Artifacts of Polynesian Pop” by Jay Strongman, forward by Holden Westland, published by Korero, www.korerobooks.com, hard cover, 176 pages, ISBN 9780955339813, $34.95

For So Cal folks, go to the following event...

Saturday, March 7, 2009 6 pm - 9 pm
La Luz de Jesus Gallery
4633 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
323-666-7667 Fax: 323-663-0243
www.laluzdejesus.com

The Ed Hardy Smart Car.

Discuss.

Tulsa World has the latest and greatest... get the details!