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I had this post up for a little bit about the great shirt migration-and then Blogger went down for nearly twenty-four hours. They mentioned they had had to delete some posts, and they were sorry, etc., but now I need to figure out what I put up this week that they took down, since there isn't even a copy left in my drafts. The great shirt migration seems to have disappeared for good, and it actually had a little prize in it for those who were paying close attention... So here goes:
So, every year, twice a year, the great tops migration happens in my house. Winter sweaters come down from the attic and the t-shirts get put away. In late spring, the t-shirts come back out and the sweaters and warm things go into the attic. It works out well, and keeps my drawers and closet from being too cluttered.
Sometimes, getting out the t-shirts is a little like Christmas. I sometimes forget what I've put in storage. So when I pulled out this nifty piece of Davis Graveyard schwag, I was delighted. I'd received it a little late in the year to be able to wear with out being chilly, so I stuck it away for this season. Can't wait to wear it!
This one here is a little piece of cinema history, I suppose. My dad worked on Conan II at the same time as he worked on Dune, and I've been schlepping around this t-shirt ever since. (Bummer I lost the Dune t-shirt somewhere along the way.) Of course, in 1983, when he brought home the shirt, I weighed ninety-eight pounds-a weight I won't see again anytime soon (nor do I want to!).
One of my new favorites: my Sleepy Hollow Polo Association tee, from Crazy Dog T-Shirts. Crazy good sale on right now-$6.99!
One of my favorite dark little shops in Burbank, California: Dark Delicacies.
Why pink? Because a girl can only wear black so long before she wants to create an opportunity for a funeral to attend. Why a skull? Because. Just-because.
"Dear Buddha Please Bring Me a Pony and a Plastic Rocket." A serious favorite for me. First person who can tell me the quote (without looking it up on the Internet-scout's honor!) gets a mini-ghost.
And lastly, the old-school Hauntcast t-shirt. I love this old thing! I got it when I first started working on the show.
BTW, Chris is taking pre-orders for Hauntcast hoodies, men's t-shirts, and babydolls. Take the opportunity to support a podcast which has original, (mostly great) content! After all, if you want to watch Trueblood or Dexter, you gotta subscribe to Showtime, right? Otherwise you're stuck with crap like 2 1/2 Men. So subscribe to Hauntcast and get cool stuff.
Anyway, shortly, I'll be back with an update on the Great Puppy Saga of 2011. I totally know you've been rabidly following that aspect of my life and can't sleep for the suspense! ;oD
Well, I'm back from L.A. and Grandma's 100th birthday. It was wonderful to see her, just glowing, at her birthday party! I may bore you with a few pics later...
Meanwhile, I've decided to throw a few random L.A. moments on the blog this week, although I did miss one photo op. Here's that brief story: I was driving home from the pub and was stopped at the bottom of the off ramp, waiting for the signal to turn. It was about 12:30 or so. As I waited, this guy and woman ride by on their bicycles. He's sitting about four or five feet higher than she is, on a bike with small wheels and a really tall seat. They pedal on by, and I'm left wishing my camera had been on! Random L.A. moment!
I found this little gem when I went to the car wash with my dad. Walking down the hallway of the car wash, windows on the right, so you can see the cars being washed, video games on the left, so you can throw more money away. Suddenly: old school alert! A pinball machine! An honest-to-God pinball machine!
Not just any pinball machine, either! An Addams Family pinball machine, complete with the nearly iconic picture of Raul Julia and Angelica Houston as Gomez and Morticia.
Uncle Fester does his light bulb trick.
Talk about unexpected treasure!
Another unexpected fun thing: There's a chance that Dark Delicacies in Burbank may carry my jack-o-lantern pots once I get them fired and glazed! I'm super thrilled just to have the opportunity. My husband was kind enough to wire up the proper receptacle for my kiln yesterday, so it looks like I'll be able to do my first firing this week!
And in other news... Well, it's a secret, and I can't tell you yet. Sorry.
Ah, the Holidays. On the surface, all jingle bells and sugarplums. Beneath, an absolute Hotbed of Terror.
Horrifying airport experiences. Exhuming childhood memories better left inhumed. Family revelations rivaling those of the Bates Motel.
Escaping, for small breaths of time to the relative sanity of the outside world. A favorite restaurant, maybe. Cocktails with friends, who are in the same boat as you, and mulling over the strange vagaries of genetics and theorizing that perhaps you were swapped at the hospital with that one friend who claims that her family is just wonderful. (We firmly believe her to be either lying or lobotomized.)
Exploring a new (to you) shop, using your blog as the raison d'etre for your temporary escape. I'll share my shop experience with you.
Before I left for my Obligatory Family Visit in L.A., I sent out a few e-mails to set up interviews with several shops and other places I felt would make for good blogging. There was one store in Burbank I had frequented, and I anticipated a good interview and some pics to share. So I sent a polite e-mail.
The reply: "I don't allow pictures in the store, and I'm really not an interview person. So I'm going to pass."
That was it. No, "Thanks for your interest." No, "I'm really shy, but maybe if you sent a list of questions, I could try to answer them." No, "Wow! Free publicity? Count me in!" Not even an insincere, "Sorry." No politeness at all.
At first, I gave her the benefit of the doubt. I mentioned the e-mail to Mr. ShellHawk, and he said, "Nope. She's rude. She was like that when we were in the store." I came to find out later that this person had a reputation for throwing people out of her store, or being so rude to her customers that they would leave and never come back. (That list of people now includes moi.) Rumor (and this may be completely untrue) has it she's "somehow associated" with Rob Zombie, and possibly feels this gives her immunity to poor customer relations. If it is true, and I were Rob, I'd be ticked off, because it reflects badly on him.
"Well," I thought, "There are other stores." I knew of one in the neighborhood I had never visited, and decided to shoot off another e-mail. I received a much nicer response, and so when I arrived in L.A., Dark Delicacies was on the menu.
Run by Del and Sue Howison, Dark Delicacies is a shop catering to horror fans. Opened on December 3, 1994 with their own personal collection and $5000.00, the store hosts signings every weekend by such greats as Tim Curry, Dan Crawley (who did special effects for Buffy the Vampire Slayer), screenwriter /novelist Harry Shannon, and the late Dee Dee Ramone. Del, himself, has edited several horror anthologies with such contributors as Ray Bradbury and Clive Barker. He has acted in low-budget films, (four separate times as the character Renfield, making him the man who has played the character more than any other actor.) and co-edited The Book of Lists: Horror with Amy Wallace and Scott Bradley.
I walked into Dark Delicacies and was greeted by Del, himself. His long, white hair is very distinctive, and I found a memory tickling in the back of my head. After talking with him for a bit, I remembered we had met at least 18 years ago at the now-defunct Des Regan's Irish Pub. Burbank is a very small world!
Standing (left to right) are:Tony Frydendall, Tony Gleeson, Erick Erdek, Bernie Wrightson, Gris Grimley, Del, and Frank Dietz. Seated: Eric Pigors, Jhonen Vasquez, and Crab Scrambley. Photo credit: Erick Erdek.
Chatting with the Howisons, I was struck by the contrast between them and The Other Storekeep. (Yelp review.)The Howisons are warm and friendly people (Sue has been known to bake cookies and share them with customers), who know their topic and have a great store setup. Del got me up to speed on upcoming store signings (January includes director Tony Randall and screenwriter Peter Atkins and composer Christopher Young signing Hellbound: Hellraiser II) and some of the product lines they carry, such as Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. I browsed through their clothing (bought a Dark Delicacies t-shirt), their book collection (picked up Book of Lists: Horror), and some other fun stuff. I was sorely tempted by the Shawn of the Dead action figures. The Pit and the Pendulum miniature was beautiful, too, but alas, I couldn't think of where I could put it. I got this funky pair of glasses from my best friend for Christmas after we stopped by the store a few days later and I spotted them in a display case. I just couldn't live another day without them.
(My husband, upon seeing them, declared, "You're weird." Like that was a revelation.)
By the way, Del's son, Jason, has a comic book store he just opened down the block. I took a walk down there and found Emerald Knights a wonderful space, slowly being filled up with comics and comic art of all kinds. I can't wait to see what that store will be like in the future.
In any case, if you're tootling along Burbank Boulevard, take a few minutes or a few hours to stop in to Dark Delicacies. Del and Sue take pre-orders of new merchandise, and are always happy to give you information on anything horror you may be interested in. I plan to stop in whenever I'm in town. Rating: Ten skulls. (And 10 points to anyone who gets that reference!)
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