On the Dark Side: A clown's notice of departure

Hello, friends! I must inform you that, today, the tent is dark. But not in the traditional way. No, the tent is definitely open for business. Er, uh, SHOW BUSINESS, that is! And we certainly have something to show you. It's just that what we have to show you is a bit on the darker side of things, especially compared to our usual fare. But remember, this is Pop Circus. Even dark things seem lighter here, somehow... That having been said, I also want to strongly preface this next presentation with the fact that NO ONE here at the circus finds the subject of suicide to be funny. This is simply an experiment in absurdity. I mean, who takes the time to write out their suicide note AND illustrate it rebus-style?! As far as I know, only one very sad clown named Happy.


Just click on each page to enlarge...

Show & Tell: Art Frahm's 'The Crossing Guard'

While wandering through an antique mall over the weekend, I stumbled across this colorful gem of a picture hanging in a simple 8x10 frame. My eyes just about popped out of their sockets because, as my good friend Matt said, "It's sooo up Anthony's alley!" And if you're a regular Pop Circus visitor you know how true a statement that really was. So, of course, I snatched that puppy right up and took it home. But I was curious to know more about the artist. Just WHO was this Frahm person? Was this print out of a book, or was it one in a series? I had to know more. To the internet I went, and what I found was quite interesting...

Art Frahm (1907-1981) was an American painter of campy pin-up girls and advertising. He lived in Chicago and was active from the 1940s to 1960s. Today he's best known for his "ladies in distress" pictures involving beautiful young women whose panties mysteriously flutter to the ground in public situations, often causing them to spill their bag of groceries.

Frahm was commercially successful, and even his falling-panties paintings were later imitated by other pin-up artists. In fact, to this day the falling-panties art has a small cult following as mid-20th century kitsch, or even as fetish art.

In addition to pin-ups, Frahm created a series of humorous hobo-themed calendar illustrations. Another set of paintings celebrated traffic safety, complete with smiling, chubby crossing guards and schoolchildren. (Ding! Ding! Ding! Just like the one I have!) His advertising art included works for Coca-Cola and Coppertone.


























Boy, talk about one extreme to the other, huh? Somehow, Frahm even managed to make an adorable pup look like a "horn dog" in the second picture. That's a bit TOO creepy. I think I'll just stick with the traffic safety series, thank you very much.

Retro Book Fair: 'Young Reader's Color-Picture Dictionary'

Hey, look, everybody! The Retro Book Fair has rolled into town, again! I wonder what neat, old book is being featured this time...? Let's check it out!

Wow! As it turns out, it's actually one of my favorite types of children's books! This one is the 'Young Reader's Color-Picture Dictionary - For Reading, Writing, and Spelling' by Margaret B. Parke, Ed. D. and illustrated by Cynthia and Alvin Koehler. That cover is great, isn't it?! Now, let's take a look inside...

Look at those end papers! That's some beautiful illustration, right there. And we haven't even gotten to the content of the book, yet. Moving on...

I can't even tell you how happy these old-fashioned illustrations make me. That apple... That dog! Oh, good, here comes another page.

Handy, Mandy, Jack-a-Dandy, huh? Well, whatever his name is, he'd better hurry up and eat his candy before I do because it looks mighty yummy! Look, another page...

That party sure looks fun, doesn't it? And those pets... Who wouldn't want one of those? Hey, check out this next page. It's totally different. It's from the back of the book, and it highlights parts of the human body.

Again, I just really can't get enough of this happy, idealistic illustrative style. Almost makes my teeth hurt, but I totally love it! What about you? Does this sort of thing "float your boat?"

Well, that about does it for this installment of 'Retro Book Fair'. Until next time, remember... Be nice. But especially be nice to your books!

Fun with Dick and Jane

I love the innocence of things like Dick and Jane, but I also can't help twisting it around and corrupting it a bit. Here's a mere sampling...

Everyone was impressed with the size of Dick's package.

But, most of all, Jane was surprised to learn that Dick

had such feelings for her...



My work is already done, here.









































I'm so immature... and I like it! What about you? Do you enjoy being silly and irreverent? If so, tell me all about it. I'm sure the rest of our readers would get a kick out of it, too!

Vintage Drugstore Carnival: 'Grove's Tasteless Chill Tonic'... Does a body good!

In this chill tonic, which came out in 1878, Edwin Wiley Grove found a way to bottle a quinine (only known malaria medication of the time) mixture that would eliminate the bitter taste. This tasteless tonic, which some claimed wasn't all that tasteless, was quite an improvement over taking straight quinine for fever and chills caused by malaria. A sweet syrup and lemon flavor was added to the quinine, along with cinchonine and cinchonidine, which were the main ingredients in crystal form within the tonic. The chill tonic was so popular that the British army made it standard issue for every soldier going off to mosquito infested lands and, by 1890, more bottles of Grove's Tasteless Chill Tonic were sold than bottles of Coca-Cola.

So much success... All achieved with a marketing campaign like that one??!
Boy, have times changed.


~ Image taken from the postcard book, "Just What the Doctor Odrered": Health and Grooming in the Classic Age of Advertising. Published by Prion Books Limited, London. ~

The Worst Album Covers Ever!: 'Marcy Sings to Children' by Marcy Tigner

Artist ~  Marcy Tigner
Title   ~   Marcy Sings to Children

                    Marcy Tigner was an aspiring gospel singer whose
                    career was stymied by her high, childlike voice. She
                    finally found fame after learning ventriloquism and
                    inventing her "Little Marcy" character. She released
                    dozens of records in the 1960s and '70s and was
                    wildly successful.


As far as I'm concerned, this is a perfect album to share this time of year! It's just so darn creepy, don't you think? There's something about that little doll singing on that little stage of hers... I know, I know, it's all supposed to be nice, innocent fun. But did you happen to notice the second song title on the first side of the record? It's 'When Mr. Satan Knocks At My Heart's Door', for corn sake! Now, if that doesn't at least seem creepy to you...


~  Image and info taken from the book, 'The Worst Album Covers Ever' by Nick DiFonzo. Published by Barnes & Noble, Inc. ~

"No, duh!" - Ricky Martin officially declares that he is a gay man, after all.

Finally, after dancing around the subject for waaay too long, 38-year-old Puerto Rican singer/actor, Ricky Martin, released an official statement on his own website confirming what many of us had suspected all along. Here is just a portion of what it said:


"These years in silence and reflection made me stronger and reminded me that acceptance has to come from within and that this kind of truth gives me the power to conquer emotions I didn’t even know existed.

What will happen from now on? It doesn’t matter. I can only focus on what’s happening to me in this moment. The word 'happiness' takes on a new meaning for me as of today. It has been a very intense process. Every word that I write in this letter is born out of love, acceptance, detachment and real contentment. Writing this is a solid step towards my inner peace and vital part of my evolution.

I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am."


Alright, I have just one question.

Did Mr. Martin really think that people still believed he was heterosexual after seeing the way he "shook his bon-bon", back in the late '90s?? No straight guy I've ever known could move the way Ricky can! That's for damn sure! Aaand I think most ladies, along with plenty of men, would also agree that he's real "easy on the eyes". So... Hello?! Everybody knows that a guy who's that attractive, and can dance that well, must be gay! It's just a basic law of nature, or something.

I do think it's absolutely wonderful that he has decided to finally be true to himself, living openly, honestly and without any sense of shame. It will be the best, healthiest way for Ricky to raise his adopted twin boys, and I know that he will find his life to be much richer and more fulfilling than before.

But, come on... This recent announcement certainly ain't news!






"Oh, shake your bon-bon, shake your bon-bon,
shake your bon-bon!"






(Sorry, I can't come up with anything
clever to say about this one. I'm a bit
distracted by the view...)






"Hey, you guys! Look what I just found
washing up on shore... Do you think I
could keep 'em?"

Ricky with his two twin sons, Matteo (L) and
Valentino (R), strolling along the beach in Miami.





~All photos via Google Images~

The Worst Album Covers Ever!: 'Carpet Square' by Sharron L. Lucky

Artist ~ Sharron L. Lucky
Title ~ Carpet Square

Cover notes do little to explain this bizarre album -
"The stimulation of the student's creativity is a feature of
'Carpet Square'. Standing on carpet square (nap down),
student does twisting motion which propels him across
the floor... Shag carpet is not recommended."




Okay. Is it just me, or does this activity seem like something that would be done with "special" children only? I mean, all they do is stand on a square of carpet (Nap DOWN!) and twist. But none of those kids on the cover look "special" to me. Except for, maybe, that black boy in the center of the group... he does look a bit vacant, or something. Whatever the case, most of them look like they're having a total blast!

And, at the end of the day, isn't that what really matters?



~Image and info taken from the book, 'The Worst Album Covers Ever!' by Nick DiFonzo. Published by Barnes & Noble, Inc.~

C'mon everybody... to Santa Claus's party!

This last week before Christmas is typically real crayzee for most of us, trying to finish up our gift shopping, wrapping, cooking, baking, cleaning, decorating, etc. And I'm sure that some people probably have Holiday To-Do lists that are even longer! Of course, the stress level only increases for those of us who must find a way to complete those lists while also working full-time jobs...

But I'm happy to say that, at this point in the game, my gift shopping is done! The only chore left is the wrapping. I refer to it as a "chore" mainly because I'm retarded-ly slow at it. Seriously, if you could watch me wrap a present you would likely think I was somehow mentally disabled! I know how to gift-wrap, it just takes me forever to do it. Being a perfectionist doesn't help matters, either. So, evidently, I still have a bit of work to do. However, before I go grabbing the scissors and Scotch tape, I thought it would be fun sharing some of my favorite old Santa Claus images with you.

It'll be like a Santa Claus picture party!

Same as the ones in my Halloween post, these are also from a book of collected vintage holiday images put together by Editor/Art Director Jim Heimann, and published by Taschen. There's one in the bunch that isn't from the book, and it should be fairly obvious which one because it looks as though it could've been taken right out of a murder case file. I had to include it since I've never seen anything quite so scary! What's that? "This is Christmas, not Halloween!", you say? Well, you can just go tell Psycho Santa that, yourself... But please, remove the baby first!





I get the feeling that these boys are up to
something a bit sexually deviant...
If you'll notice, all the other children are happily
playing or just completely focused on Santa.
Meanwhile, Red & Blondie are both much too
busy making themselves some sort of
bondage chair with their
multi-colored string and clothes pins. I wonder
who they're planning to tie-down on it, the
girl with her new dolly... or Santa?






Man, this cop sure is a jerk, huh?!
What could Santa possibly have done
to get a ticket?! I don't see his sleigh
anywhere, but perhaps he parked it
in a No Parking Zone?






Exhibit A:
Murder suspect, Bebe Keeler
(Notice the dainty little ladies watch
on her gloved, left hand. And it is that
very hand with which she is so tightly
clutching onto her next meal.)






"Bye, for now, everyone!
Remember to be good boys & girls
if you don't want to find coal in your
stockings... But if you must insist on
being bad, well then, you can just go
to my room!"



I wish everyone and their families a very happy holiday! I also hope that my loyal readers, or Captivated Spectators, will continue enjoying my circus throughout the New Year to come...

Sincerely,

Anthony
Pop Circus Ringmaster


~All images, except for Bebe Keeler's case file photo, were taken from Jim Heimann's book, 'Christmas: Vintage Holiday Graphics', published by Taschen. 'Exhibit A' photo via sketchysantas.com~

Movie Moments: Disney-Pixar's 'Up'

All photos from Disney-Pixar's 'Up'



Yay, I finally got to see 'Up', Disney and Pixar's latest collaboration! And it was REALLY good! Of course, that came as no surprise. Everything that they do is top-notch quality and a whole lotta FUN! I saw it in 3D, too. Not sure if you can see it without...?

Anyway, it's got a wonderful story (My author husband said afterward that he was impressed with the screen writer's ability to formulate a story that encompassed so much and evoked such emotion.), terrific animation, awesome sound, VIBRANT colors and excellent characters. What more could one want from a cartoon movie?!

The story begins to take flight!

Old fuddy-duddy, Carl Fredricksen.

Perpetual optimist, Russell.

Ever faithful & furry, Dug.

Here is the official movie synopsis from Disney ~

"a comedy adventure about 78-year-old balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen, who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip: an overly optimistic 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell."

And if I told you any MORE than that, I'd surely ruin it for you. So, do yourself a favor and see this film. Unless you're a curmudgeon like the story's protagonist Carl, it will most certainly BRIGHTEN your day!

Amusing & colorful, 13-foot-tall Kevin.

Spending My Saturday at Traffic School

O.K., here it is! A wonderful 3-day weekend that I could REALLY use because I've been majorly sleep-deprived all week! I'm not sure what that's all about, but it surely isn't anything that a Saturday filled with relaxation and a few naps couldn't fix, right? Well, as lovely as that sounds, it did NOT occur. Why, you ask? My Saturday was, instead, spent at Traffic School.

Here, you can actually see the moment

at which the "cop" spots me breaking the law.

And he is not pleased!

I got a speeding ticket a few months back and it was finally time to "face the music". Fortunately, here in California, you still have the option to either only pay the infraction fee and it will go on your car insurance record (thereby resulting in higher rates) OR you can pay the infraction fee, plus a bit more, for the "privilege" to attend Traffic School and not have it go on your record. I obviously chose the second option and it cost me $300. Talk about "paying the piper"!

Here, he's giving the dreaded ticket.
I don't know why "I'm" smiling...


So, Saturday was when I had to go and serve my 8-hour sentence. And it DID feel like a sentence! The class itself is a breeze because all you do is sit and listen to the instructor, then watch a few videos. That part isn't difficult, whatsoever. It's just the fact that you're spending the better part of a beautiful Saturday sitting in a hot (No air-conditioning!), stuffy courthouse when you could be doing something else! ANYTHING else! But I guess that's probably the whole point, isn't it? I mean, they make it seem like the goal is to improve your understanding of the traffic laws so that you'll be a better driver, etc., but it's really just a punishment! And I think that paying the fine, combined with giving up 8 hours of your life, is probably effective enough to keep most people from repeating the same offense. Of course, not everyone.

Unlike here, class participation was mercifully NOT

required of us at my Traffic School!


I'm just glad that it's over and behind me! I hate having something like that hanging over my head. I've, now, done the time for my crime! Let's hope that I remember all of this the next time I feel the need-to-speed...

Oh, no! Look! Aunt JoAnne is getting a ticket, too!

Photo credits:
*Junior Traffic School (middle 3) by Nina Leen, 1951
*JoAnne Worley w/Cop from 'R & M's Laugh-In' t.v. show

PLAYmobil, not GAYmobil!

One of my favorite toy makers ever, Playmobil, just released a new line which is 'Wedding' themed. Being a gay man who is married to his husband, I zeroed right in on the fact that there are NO same-sex couples being represented. It's all just completely hetero! Now, I don't have a problem with straight people ("Some of my best friends are breeders"), I just think that in this day and age it ought to be more commonplace to see EQUAL representations of marriage. Even when it comes to toys!

In fact, the earlier our children are exposed to ALL "walks of life" the better! Racism and homophobia are learned attitudes, like any form of hatred. So obviously, things can be done to try and avoid more hateful adults, like creating toys that include EVERY example of real life. Not just examples of what conservative society prefers! And I believe when things are presented to children as just facts, without prejudice of any kind, they accept them as such.

Playmobil is based in Germany and I have no idea what their overall climate is in regards to gay people and equal rights. But, I did write them an email to express my viewpoint. I hope that my opinion is taken seriously and that I'm not the only one they hear from.

If you'd like to contact Playmobil and tell them what you think, here's a link:

http://store.playmobilusa.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-US-Site/en_US/Link-Contact?id=1

You'll first get a page asking for age verification, and you'll have to give them a few bits of info. But, after that, you can write and send them your message. Thanks!

Going to the chapel of heterosexual love!

Just LOOK at "Liberace" on his white piano...