circuswater

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Wooden etching & carvings

Of Unknown Origin

This wonderfully weird etching was given to me some years ago by a great friend. I don't know anything about its history.

Of Unknown Origin

This Tiki like carving hung from the rear view mirror of my older brother's teen car. It went missing. Somehow it ended up in my possession; most likely because I swiped it.

My brother Leon (left), his friend Tom (right) and the teen car/crime scene (background).

Carving by Bobby Lewis Jr.

I was so taken by the Tiki like carving I'd so boldly taken from my brother, that I had to try my hand at creating my own version. I painted mine because the wood didn't look dark & mysterious, also because I was young imbecile. I hadn't heard of wood staining and even if I had, I doubt that I'd have had the patience and/or talent to stain wood. Like the great Carrie Fisher once said, "Instant gratification takes too long." As bad as my Tiki carving turned out, I'm amazed that I was able to complete it without needing several hundred stitches.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

THE SON OF ROBIN HOOD - The Merry Men (Image File)

At the age of 6 years old, I was given this excellent, promotional record with the purchase of a new pair of shoes. Not a balloon, a plastic whistle or a lollypop, but an actual record! Finally I owned my own record and I played it on our family record box more than often. I was, and am, so proud of this record. I never saw the 1958 classic movie, yet in my feeble mind I envisioned nothing less than greatness. As I grew older, and due to my introduction to the magnificent BBC broadcasts of Monty Python's Flying Circus, the Dennis Moore skit in particular, my adventuresome images changed to those of folly and disrespect.

The flip side, which didn't interest me much, but is actually quite good, is The Roots Of Heaven (Minna's Theme) featuring Malcolm Arnold with the London Royal Philharmonic. I'll probably post this one in the not so distant future.

Amazingly, this record has stayed with me, intact, all of these years and has given me a life time of opportunities to annoy dozens of people. And yes, I'm wearing the shoes.

THE SON OF ROBIN HOOD - The Merry Men (Sound File)

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Swiggs The Cat - The Party Animal

This early Swiggs cartoon originally appeared in THE SILENT FISH news paper June 2000. It was printed in Black & White and featured: Swiggs, Dave, Carla, and Bonnie. The Whiz Quiz for Kids also appeared in the same issue, but is inserted here as a cheap filler because I didn't have enough common sense to use an even number of cartoon panels.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Hai Karate - Image on a record

This is actually a cardboard 33rpm record. I can't remember ever owning the after shave and/or the cologne, but I've held on to this Hai Karate promo piece for decades. The audio is pretty much like the TV commercials. It's the GREAT artwork that inspired me to save this strange, little item. It's much like clip art from the late 60's. The lettering is so right, and reminds me of the TV show Laugh In. I'm thinking that the name "Yohe", that appears on the bottom of record, might be the artist. I'm sure there are many wiser collectors out there who would know better than me.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Lovin' Losers - 2 Great Biker Films

BORN LOSERS

1967

Director, Producor and Screenwriter: Tom Laughlin

With: Elizabeth James, Janice Miller, Jeremy Slate, Bill Wellman Jr., Paul Prokop

One of the great scenes is with Janice Miller (Jane Russell's daughter) doing a sexy striptease for a stuffed dog. Sound too good to be true?

THE LOSERS

1970

Directed by: Jack Starrett

Written by: Alan Caillou

With: William Smith, Bernie Hamilton, Adam Roarke, Houston Savavge, Gene Cornelius and Paul Koslo.

This might be the greatest biker film ever. Five Hells Angels are recruited by the CIA for missions in Cambodia. The Angels have armored choppers with machine guns. They dish out a heapin' helpin' of high powered damage and destruction.