Ringo Stalin's Curios

1992 Batman Returns Trading Cards

2012-01-15T18:11:00.000Z

For some reason, I've been holding onto these Batman Returns film tie-in trading cards since they were released in 1992. I used to have quite a lot of these but the main collection is long gone and I assume these were some doubles that I had stashed away somewhere. If I recall correctly, I tried to get my mother to cash in my 'Gotham City Dollars' but she never did. If she had, maybe I'd be posting the entire collection and not just the crappy doubles. *sigh*

A Stag Party With Men Only, editor - R.J. Minney, published 1955, George Newnes, London.

2012-01-01T16:24:00.001Z

Here are two colour plates from a book I found some time back, entitled 'A Stag Party With Men Only', a bawdy little publication, celebrating the 'sophisticated gentleman' ethos of post-war England with a collection of saucy-but-not-vulgar tales and cartoons. To be honest, I didn't read much of it, but I always intended to. Unfortunately, it was one of the books that I had to part with before moving to the UK. I did manage to get these two scans done before that happened, though.

Judging by internet evidence, RJ Minney edited the collection, and judging by the signature, I believe the plates were painted by Bruce Minney, who doesn't appear to be a relation.

The Girls From La Vie Parisienne, Paul Dinnage, 1961, Neville Spearman Pty Ltd

2011-12-17T14:55:00.000Z

The Big Band - I Think Of Demons

2011-12-11T20:27:00.003Z

The Big Band have released another song! This time, it's a cover of the legendary Roky Erickson's 'I Think Of Demons'. We're all very proud of it and we want you to hear it.

Download from Mediafire

(cover image by Irina Ionesco)

'Like' The Big Band on Facebook

Postcards - Reproductions from Erotica Universalis 30 Postcards - Taschen

2011-11-26T17:31:00.001Z

Bernard Montorgueil - The Four Thursdays - Dressage, 1930s

Futurama Playing Cards; OR 'Grunka Lunka Dunkity Dasis' - Hearts

2011-11-12T15:59:00.000Z

The Girls From La Vie Parisienne, Paul Dinnage, 1961, Neville Spearman Pty Ltd

2011-11-05T08:27:00.000Z

It's Hallowe'en Time Again!

2011-10-21T13:47:00.000+01:00

Ah, it's that time of year again, when bloggers across the globe go Hallowe'en crazy!

I'm a little disappointed, as this year may be the first year I won't be going to a Hallowe'en costume party. For the past 8 years or so, I've been going to an annual party, held at a notorious house just south of Adelaide in South Australia.

Here's my past 6 years' efforts, along with the originals for comparison:

But I've just moved to London, and have only really just found my feet here, as such, I don't have anything planned. I've got ideas in mind, but as we're only 7 days away from the Hallowe'en weekend, I'm not really sure if I'll be able to pull it off. If worse comes to worse, maybe I'll just spend the weekend wearing my costume around the flat.

Regardless, as per tradition, here is my annual Hallowe'en compilation!

This year, I've taken inspiration from the 1996 stinker 'Werewolf'... or if you're an MST3K fan like myself (see above), you may know it better as 'Wharwilf'.

1. In the House/In a Heartbeat (28 Days Later) - John Murphy
2. Howling At The Moon (Sha La La) - Ramones
3. Wolfsbane - Adam WarRock
4. King Knight - SALEM
5. Dead Billy - Big Black
6. Skinwalker - The Big Band
7. The Siege and Investiture of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle at Weisseria - Blue Öyster Cult
8. Thunder & Lightning - Thin Lizzy
9. Darkness Be My Friend - Bruce Dickinson
10. Ghost Shark - Rocket From The Crypt
11. Bat's Mouth - Bat For Lashes
12. Tomorrow Wendy - Andy Prieboy
13. Your Ghost - Kristin Hersh & Michael Stipe
14. The First Five Minutes After Death - Coil
15. Take Me To Your Leader - The Lancers
16. I Ain't Nuthin' But A Gorehound (Live) - The Cramps
17. Weird Ones - The Graytones
18. Dead Man's Stroll - The Revels
19. Country Skin - Michael Stanton
20. Buried Me Alive - The Frogs
21. I Think Of Demons - Roky Erickson
22. Hotel Lament (The Beyond) - Fabio Frizzi
23. The Black Dog Runs At Night (Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me) - Angelo Badalementi

(remember, support the artists and only buy from trusted vendors)

Download SKINDRIVING - A Hallowe'en Compilation From Ringo Stalin's Curios (rar - 130Mb - mediafire)

2010 Compilation - Something Bad Happened To A Clown
2009 Compilation - Meat For The Beast
2008 Compilation - One For The Freaks

Futurama Playing Cards; OR 'Grunka Lunka Dunkity Dasis' - Spades

2011-10-04T12:23:00.000+01:00

Postcard

2011-09-25T09:41:00.000+01:00

Relocated

2011-09-15T12:28:00.000+01:00

Hello all,

Almost exactly one year ago, I posted a compilation regarding my intent to relocate myself to London. Well, that's finally happened and I'm currently writing to you now from a flat in Angel which we are currently dossing at, thanks to our lovely hosts, Will & Luella.

So here's to new beginnings. Cheers.

-R.

The Girls From La Vie Parisienne, Paul Dinnage, 1961, Neville Spearman Pty Ltd

2011-09-15T11:16:00.001+01:00

Futurama Playing Cards; OR 'Grunka Lunka Dunkity Dasis' - Diamonds

2011-09-02T01:05:00.000+01:00

Postcard - Reproduction from Erotica Universalis 30 Postcards - Taschen

2011-08-28T16:47:00.000+01:00

Anonymous, 'Give Me Some Colouring To Do', 1840, from Erotica Universalis 30 Postcards - Taschen

Fiesta Vol 9 No 12, 1975

2011-08-17T00:16:00.000+01:00

The Girls From La Vie Parisienne, Paul Dinnage, 1961, Neville Spearman Pty Ltd

2011-08-07T12:41:00.000+01:00

Futurama Playing Cards; OR 'Grunka Lunka Dunkity Dasis' - Clubs

2011-08-04T11:17:00.001+01:00

Postcard - Reproduction from Erotica Universalis 30 Postcards - Taschen

2011-07-23T11:42:00.000+01:00

Gustav Klimt - Woman Sitting with Spread Thighs, 1916-1917
from Erotica Universalis 30 Postcards - Taschen

Fiesta Vol 9 No 12, 1975 - Elaine

2011-07-15T13:12:00.000+01:00

The Big Band - I Understand And I Wish To Continue

2011-07-11T12:45:00.000+01:00

The Big Band's album 'I Understand And I Wish To Continue' is now available to download for free via Bandcamp.

Note: only the first 10 tracks are available for download on the Bandcap site. The CD version has all 20 tracks and is available through asking any Big Band member... such as yours truly.

Download 'I Understand And I Wish To Continue' by The Big Band.

The Big Band - I Understand And I Wish To Continue - Grace Emily, 9 July 2011

2011-07-06T11:55:00.000+01:00

Since September 1999, I've been a proud member of a band called The Big Band, with my friends Nigel, Spencer and Steev. This Saturday, we launch our newest album 'I Understand And I Wish To Continue' and we're playing a show to celebrate. This also marks our final live show in this line-up ever.

Here is a little taster of the album:

The Big Band - Team 3

The Big Band - Lean On Me I Won't Fall Over (Carter USM cover)

Futurama Playing Cards; OR 'Grunka Lunka Dunkity Dasis'

2011-07-03T02:21:00.000+01:00

As is quite obvious on this blog, I do love playing cards. So to celebrate the return of Futurama to television (now halfway through Season 6!), here is a deck I purchased some time ago.

Futurama is easily my favourite TV show and I was very happy to see that some thought had been put into the production of these cards and weren't just cheap headshots of the primary characters. They even arrived in a mock Slurm can, which even contains its own nutritional information table!

The Girls From La Vie Parisienne, Paul Dinnage, 1961, Neville Spearman Pty Ltd

2011-06-19T05:23:00.000+01:00

Fiesta Vol 9 No 12, 1975 - Anne

2011-06-16T11:51:00.000+01:00

Focus On Fact - No. 5 Unsolved Mysteries

2011-06-12T08:06:00.000+01:00

The Girls From La Vie Parisienne, Paul Dinnage, 1961, Neville Spearman Pty Ltd

2011-05-31T09:58:00.000+01:00

The Curios on Tumblr

2011-05-30T13:20:00.000+01:00

One of my favourite Tumblr blogs, Bats. Fuck Yeah, recently posted my submission of my bat tattoo and it got me thinking about adding The Curios to Tumblr.

So I did.

I'm using it to share some of my favourite images from The Curios blog, and to repost posts from Tumblr that I find particularly interesting or appealing.

So there you have it: The Curios are now on Tumblr.

Fiesta Vol 9 No 12, 1975

2011-05-25T16:11:00.000+01:00

Oz Magazine Dec 1969

2011-05-20T16:04:00.000+01:00

The Girls From La Vie Parisienne, Paul Dinnage, 1961, Neville Spearman Pty Ltd

2011-05-19T13:00:00.001+01:00

Focus On Fact - No. 5 Unsolved Mysteries

2011-04-30T08:16:00.000+01:00

The Girls From La Vie Parisienne, Paul Dinnage, 1961, Neville Spearman Pty Ltd

2011-04-26T14:03:00.000+01:00

Royal Flushes - Aces

2011-04-25T15:10:00.000+01:00

(I can't believe it took me a whole year to realise I hadn't put the aces up!)

Postcard (Reproduction)

2011-04-17T08:42:00.000+01:00

Inked Again

2011-04-17T04:53:00.000+01:00

Something a bit different today. Millions of people have tattoos, they've been getting them for centuries and by no means am I covering any ground that hasn't been trodden a millions times before by writing about my experience.

But you never know, there might be someone out there who gets inspired or educated from this one post, and ultimately, that's my goal.

Since getting my first tattoo from artist extraordinaire, Amy Duncan, in November '08, I knew I would be getting another as soon as I could, I just had to decide on a design. I knew I wanted Amy to ink me again and I wanted us to actually work together on a design, rather than a simple tracing job. To cut a long story slightly less long, I decided on a bat. I booked my flight to Melbourne and a two hour session at Chapel Tattoo.

In searching for bat images for ideas, I stumbled across this amazing painting "Bat Before the Moon" by Biho Takashi.

I love the way the moon fades into the night sky. I also love the way it's almost like a comic panel in its layout. But the bat itself is more like a flying mouse, and as a tattoo design, I would prefer if the bat was facing the viewer.

(more after the jump)

Then I found this beautiful image by Australian artist, Ida Outhwaite, which had the bat posed the way I liked it. Unfortunately, the face was just not what I had in mind, so I had to try and find the bat's face that appealed to me.

I love bats. There are so many different varieties! I'm particularly fond of pipistrelles, top left.

And so I threw this together with MSPaint at work one day and sent it to Amy as a rough guide. And then I realised something: there was a subconsious inspiration for my design all along!

From the origin of Batman, Detective Comics #33.

Chapel Tattoo, 155 Chapel St, Prahran, Victoria.

Then it came time to meet Amy and get the ink done. I still hadn't seen the final design, and I was genuinely scared - what if I didn't like the bat's face? What if Amy and I weren't thinking along the same lines? How long would it take for us to agree on something? I was flying back to Adelaide later that day, would there be enough time?

I needn't have worried - Amy is a professional through and through and as soon as I saw the designs she had made, I was absolutely thrilled. It was perfect. I didn't want to change a thing. Everything about it works: the framing and fading of the moon, the impish face that reminds me a lot of Brian Froud's work and the fact that it's neither overly aggressive nor cutesy.

Part of Amy's station. I love the fact that Donald and Davey Stott, aka Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, oversee all the work done here.

Halfway there!

I've only ever had my biceps tattooed and I didn't really find it all that painful. That said, as the tattoo gun rounds to the top of the bicep, it gets sore; like being pinched really hard.

Interestingly, Amy told me that my skin is slightly resistant to taking ink. It never occurred to me that different skin types would react differently to being tattooed.

The finished product! This was taken immediately after the blood had been cleaned away and just before the dressing was put on, so it's a bit red, the beautiful shading nuances aren't as easily discernable and the line on the underside of the moon has since disappeared (which was intentional, it was just a temporary guide line).

During the healing process, the two biggest annoyances are the itchiness and pimples but they're worth enduring to see your tattoo in all its glory.

Those paying attention will have noted that the bat is my second tattoo. Here is the first, taken from an Oingo Boingo design, still fresh in its dressing, caked in blood. It's since faded to be slightly grainy in appearance, much like an old film print, which is perfectly in line with my preferred aesthetics.

Thank you, Amy, for your time, patience and unparallelled skill.

Also, thank you, Bats. Fuck Yeah for providing an online resource for some of the coolest bat images on the net.

The Girls From La Vie Parisienne, Paul Dinnage, 1961, Neville Spearman Pty Ltd

2011-04-13T12:32:00.000+01:00

Focus On Fact - No. 5 Unsolved Mysteries

2011-04-12T11:36:00.000+01:00

Sick Day

2011-04-12T02:35:00.000+01:00

I'm taking the day off work today because I'm feeling sick. Nothing serious, just a bad case of the sniffles.

Whenever I feel like this, I think of Batman villain, Maxie Zeus.

To be more precise, this particular panel of Maxie:

While I'm not really a big fan of Maxie Zeus, I think it's fair to say I have an affinity with his delusions of grandeur.

And how did I get sick? Well, the same way as him, actually: mucking about in the rain:

From 'Of Gods and Men', Batman, Issue 470, October 1991. Script by Alan Grant, pencils by Norm Breyfogle, inked by Rick Burchett, colours by Adrienne Roy, letters by Todd Klein.

Paperbacks

2011-04-02T01:05:00.000+01:00

My Posse Don't Do Homework, LouAnne Johnson, St. Martin's Paperbacks, 1992

The Skull of Marquis De Sade, Robert Bloch, Corgi Books, 1976

The Girls From La Vie Parisienne, Paul Dinnage, 1961, Neville Spearman Pty Ltd

2011-04-01T11:31:00.000+01:00

The Girls From La Vie Parisienne, Paul Dinnage, 1961, Neville Spearman Pty Ltd

More to come from this one...

(again, sorry about the seam!!! One day, I'll have a scanner that fits quarto sized books)

Focus On Fact - No. 5 Unsolved Mysteries

2011-03-20T00:30:00.000Z

Focus On Fact - No. 5 Unsolved Mysteries - Neville Randall & Gary Keane, 1978

Oz Magazine Dec 1969

2011-03-12T01:25:00.000Z

Red Dead Redemption Playing Cards

2011-02-26T22:36:00.000Z

Home For The Def - Phat Phlex & Indisputable Proof That Life Sucks

2011-02-20T03:14:00.000Z

I'm really excited about this.

Home For The Def has been a powerful force on the Adelaide music scene for over 15 years. The majority of his earlier output is on cassette; however, he tells me that he will eventually be making it available digitally.

In the interim, with help from Steev, I've ripped the albums 'Phat Phlex' and 'Indisputable Proof That Life Sucks' and, with HFTD's blessing, they are now available to you.

Lo-fi indie goth rock hip-hop beats for the discerning listener, ladies and gentlemen, Home For The Def:

Home For The Def - Indisputable Proof That Life Sucks.zip

1. Confusion Sets In
2. Mint Condition Target
3. Debbie's Thighs
4. I'm Blind
5. Johnny On The Beat (out looking for love)
6. Avril's A Waitress Now
7. Somewhere (Over The Rainbow)
8. Conversations About The Weather
9. Buff The Phone/Repercussionism
10. I'm A Do It Like This
11. Cease The Day
12. Jersey Lightning
13. Kick My Arse
14. Doubts
15. Rave On
16. The Girl With Elastica Hair
17. Obsessed With Ducks
18. I'm A Bird And You're A Cloud
19. Writing In Lightning
20. Oppenheimer
21. Last To Know
22. Feels Like I'm Winning (Feels Like I'm Raving Mix)
23. Everythings Not So Inside
24. You Sexy Thing (Sentridoh)
25. Alright
26. Baby, Baby
27. It's A Girl!

"Somewhere (over the rainbow)" originally by someone else, "You Sexy Thing" originally by Hot Chocolate, "Baby, Baby" originally by Ratcat.

Home For The Def - Phat Phlex.zip

1. New To This
2. The Hunter
3. Babs Has Icecream
4. The Bomb
5. I Have A Large Pianist
6. 64
7. White Chocolate
8. Mindful Of Cake
9. You're So Groovy
(99 Goth Millenium Mix)
10. Puttin' On The Ditz
11. I'm Coming Home
12. Loose Arse Plastic
13. 20 Something
14. Go Directly To Jail
15. Coppin' A Feel
16. Home For The Def Leopard
17. Activate!
18. 50 Different Ideas
19. Here We Go Yeah
20. I Want To Bereave

Heavy on the hip hop flavours, Phat Phlex will pound a hole from one ear drum to the other and then proceed to pace the path between, back and forth, back and forth.

Kiss Comix 140, 2003

2011-02-19T03:57:00.000Z

Oz Magazine Dec 1969

2011-02-06T11:09:00.000Z

Kiss Comix 140, 2003

2011-02-03T11:22:00.000Z

Red Dead Redemption Playing Cards

2011-01-31T11:28:00.001Z

Swamp Thing, #46, 1985

2011-01-30T07:44:00.000Z

I never really read much Swamp Thing but I've had this issue in my collection for as long as I can remember. I've no idea where it came from, either; it just appeared one day...

These particular pages have stuck with me ever since I was a kid. And I'm still disappointed that Ford never produced the 'Basilisk'.

(sorry about the page seam)

Kiss Comix 140, 2003

2011-01-23T00:03:00.000Z

Red Dead Redemption Playing Cards

2011-01-19T09:06:00.000Z

Oz Magazine Dec 1969

2011-01-15T23:46:00.000Z

Kiss Comix 140, 2003

2011-01-14T23:53:00.000Z

Red Dead Redemption Playing Cards

2011-01-12T09:15:00.000Z

What If No One Was Watching The Watcher?, What If... ? Vol 2 Issue 34

2011-01-10T11:30:00.000Z

(spoiler alert: he stayed on as the King of Rock N' Roll)

Kiss Comix 140, 2003

2011-01-08T07:30:00.000Z

Red Dead Redemption Playing Cards

2011-01-03T11:16:00.000Z

Red Dead Redemption has been voted Game of the Year 2010 by many blogs, game sites, magazines, individuals, et al. And rightly so. Even though the game was released in May, 2010, just yesterday, some friends and I played it for 12 hours straight; it's the game that keeps on giving. And developers Rockstar knew exactly how to wheedle just a little bit more cash out of me by producing Red Dead Redemption playing cards, replicating the deck used in the game (apart from the branding). Here is the case, brand card and the back of one of the playing cards. Face cards to follow.

Cards and other nifty Red Dead things are available from the Rockstar Store.

What If No One Was Watching The Watcher?, What If... ? Vol 2 Issue 34

2011-01-01T23:01:00.001Z

'What If Thanos Changed Galactus Into A Human Being?'
Writer - Scott Gimple, Artist - Tom Morgan, Letterer - Janice Chiang, Colorist - Renee Witterstaetter

Kiss Comix 140, 2003

2011-01-01T11:58:00.001Z

Oz Magazine Dec 1969

2010-12-26T11:29:00.000Z

Focus On Fact - No. 5 Unsolved Mysteries

2010-12-18T08:24:00.000Z

Focus On Fact - No. 5 Unsolved Mysteries - Neville Randall & Gary Keane, 1978

Tim Burton's Playing Cards

2010-12-05T03:05:00.000Z

I picked these up while visiting the Tim Burton exhibition held at the Australian Centre of the Moving Image earlier this year. I was told by a friend that all of the cards had their own individual pictures, and was a bit disapointed when I found out that only the face cards had Burton images and the same images were replicated across the suits. Also, I'd seen all of these sketches before in Burton's book "The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy". I think a really impressive deck could've been made using a larger range of images, e.g. character sketches of the Penguin, Beetlejuice, et al, but I guess there would've been some significant licensing laws to struggle through.

Oz Magazine Dec 1969

2010-12-01T11:43:00.000Z

Pee-wee Herman Topps Trading Cards

2010-11-28T00:53:00.000Z

Those paying attention would have noticed that certain cards from the Pee-wee Herman Trading Cards were part of a larger picture. I've attempted to join them together to the best of my abilities, but it seems my abilities aren't really all that fantastic.

The Sesame Street Book of Puzzlers (1971)

2010-11-07T05:55:00.000Z

The Sesame Street Book of Puzzlers (1971), Signet Books

Ringo Kid

2010-10-21T11:29:00.000+01:00

I have some amazing friends.

My friend, Matt, gave me this for my last birthday. I'm currently funding research with a local university to find a way so that I may have his children.

It's Hallowe'en time!!!

2010-10-17T03:43:00.001+01:00

(from left: 2005 - JD from Heathers, 2006 - Freddie Mercury, 2007 - Rorschach, 2008 - Jesse Custer, 2009 - Joel/Mike from MST3K. Also serves as a handy timeline for measuring my increasing face-girth)

Like a million other bloggers out there, I love Hallowe'en. But I don't have the wherewithal or motivation to do a daily countdown or anything like that. BUT, in the past, I have made compilations to celebrate Samhain: One For The Freaks (over at my old blog, Champignon for My Real Friends...) & Meat For The Beast.

And this year's no different!

But first, an explanation: This year, I'll be attending the same Hallowe'en party that has been held without fail since 2003 (years '03 & '04 not pictured above) dressed as a clown. And so far, every time I've mentioned it, someone will say "An evil clown?"

It's a surprisingly common theme - during my search for a suitable outfit, roughly 90% of the costumes I saw were preceded by the words "creepy" or "evil". Do an image search for 'clown' and the results are about 50-50. I even searched for 'murdered clown', to find the source for the image I used as the cover, and Google asked if I meant 'murder clown'. No, I meant 'murdered clown' (please note that I can't find any proof that the photo was actually taken at the scene, nor can I find a photographer's credit, so apologies for that).

Well, no, I'm not going to be explicitly evil. I will be replicating John Wayne Gacy Jr's Pogo makeup, but that's mostly out of convenience. But I'll be damned if I'm going to be 'jolly'.

So heere it is, 2010's clown/circus-themed Hallowe'en compilation -

Something Bad Happened to A Clown - download link

(don't ask why I capitalised 'A' and not 'to' and vice versa, I only just noticed and I'm too lazy to change it)

1. Wurlitzer fairground organ - Puppet on a String: I originally found this on Music For Maniacs, and it sets the mood quite nicely.

2. Tom Waits - Lucky Day Overture: who better to get as your carnival barker than Mr Waits?

3. Elvis Presley - Carny Town: okay, thanks, Mr Presley, but you're not quite what we're looking for.

4. Stan Ridgway - Running With The Carnival: are there any circuses worth running away to join anymore? I haven't been to a circus in a long, long time, but even I can tell that they're mere shadows of their former selves.

5. Jan & Dean - The Joker Is Wild: It would be remiss of me not to mention the Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker, on a clown-themed compilation. One of the main reasons I've chosen to dress as a clown this year was a memory of watching the Adam West Batman TV show, and seeing Cesar Romero's moustache bristling through The Joker's greasepaint; it just felt so... wrong. And I plan to instil that discomfort in my fellow party-goers.

6. Ogden Edsl - Kinko the Clown: huge credit must go to my significant other, who remembered that when we were doing our orientation courses at a community radio station, this was the track that they used to demonstrate what qualifies as an 'inappropriate' track to play on-air.

7. Warren Zevon - Something Bad Happened to A Clown: I don't know how he does it, but Mr Zevon hits maudlin, bittersweet, tragic, comic, innocent and sinister notes, all in this one song.

8. Oingo Boingo - Clowns of Death: well, it's just not Hallowe'en without an Oingo Boingo song, is it?

9. Mr Bungle - Carousel: While the track samples one of my favourite circus-themed pinball machines, 'Cyclone', Mr Bungle also notably used parts of 'Cotton Candy Autopsy', by David Louapre and Dan Sweetman for their 1991 self-titled release.

10. Ed Cox - Mad Clown Disease: another discovery courtesy of Music For Maniacs. Calliope for the glowstick crowd.

11. Crispin Hellion Glover - Clowny Clown Clown: A few years ago, I had the pleasure of seeing Mr Glover introduce his film 'It Is Fine. Everything Is Fine!', as well as a very lengthy and honest Q&A session, and some readings from his books. It was quite simply amazing.

12. The Invertebrates - Circus Doctor: I think I may be spending a little too much time on Music For Maniacs, because that's where I found this one too... Be sure to read the comments for a little extra info from Mr Tim Wheeler, from the Invertebrates.

13. Sufjan Stevens - John Wayne Gacy Jr.: I think we're all familiar with the tale of John Wayne Gacy Jr, aka Pogo, but Mr Stevens opts to humanise Gacy into almost a sympathetic character. An interesting angle.

14. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The Carny: Another affeccting tale of carny kinfolk.

15. The Vivian Girls - The Gentlemen: Not to be confused with the Brooklyn trio, or the works of Henry Darger, from whom both bands have taken the name, these Vivian Girls formed in Melbourne, released one album, and transformed into Flesh Vs Venom. 'The Gentlemen' is midway-after-midnight, boozy and woozy, the perfect tune to stumble home to, face smeared with someone else's greasepaint, sawdust clinging to the raw skin on your knees...

ENJOY! And have a very happy Hallowe'en!

Hallowe'en Entrée

2010-10-13T09:42:00.000+01:00

Ah, Hallowe'en, one of my favourite times of the year in the blogosphere and IRL.

I'll be posting another of my annual Hallowe'en compilations, but until then, please enjoy this slice of delicious Eurotrash... if you can.

You may be pleased or disappointed to know that this track didn't make the final cut for this year's compilation... Maybe next year ;)

Pee-wee Herman Topps Trading Cards

2010-10-11T12:47:00.000+01:00

What A Way To Go

2010-10-07T12:21:00.000+01:00

The Muppet Show Playing Cards - Spades

2010-10-04T06:02:00.000+01:00

Love Letter to London - An Anglophilic Compilation

2010-09-26T05:58:00.001+01:00

I've been writing this one in my head for a while now. After visiting London in February, I haven't been able to shake the feeling that it's where I belong, moreso than Adelaide in any case, where I've always felt slightly out of phase. And so my significant other and I made the decision a few months ago to pack up all our stuff and make the big move to Blighty.

While it won't be for some time before we move, in celebration of this, I decided to make a compilation dedicated to the city that we fell in love with.

It was difficult to whittle down the countless songs about London (and England in general), so I took a personal approach, collecting songs that I associate with our time there. I guess there's a certain level of naivety and romanticism in my choices, but that's something I'm willing to wear.

Definitely, one of my favourite places during our visit was Hampstead Heath, where we spent a beautiful overcast afternoon, and where I took these photos. I couldn't decide which photo to use for the cover, so I just did two covers.

The tracks, in no particular order, some with explanations for their inclusion, some not:

Matt Berry - Lay Your Love On Me. Matt Berry, the star of The IT Crowd, Snuff Box, Mighty Boosh, and Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, has the honour of being the first genuine celebrity that we spotted in London (apart from a newsreader from Adelaide we spotted in Zara, which was weeeeeeiiiiiird). This track is from his album 'Opium', which I highly recommend.

Morrissey - Hairdresser on Fire. I could've chosen any number of Smiths/Morrissey songs, but: 'You are repressed, but you're remarkably dressed.' That seems to sum London up pretty well.

Roxy Music - Do The Strand.

Squeeze - Up The Junction.

Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros - From Willesden to Cricklewood. After we arrived back home in Australia, I found a version of this track on YouTube put to visuals of Joe and of London throughout the years, and I confess, the tears welled up and I think it was the moment that I knew that I needed to go back (although, I will admit, we didn't visit either Willesden or Cricklewood). I miss you, Joe.

Helena Bonham Carter - The Worst Pies In London. From the soundtrack to Tim Burton's 2007 'Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street'. I thought we had some good pies in Adelaide, but by god, they know how to make a pie in London!!! (and so do some certain French piemakers, but more about them in a future post). Note: I was going to use 'No Place Like London', but there was just far too much exposition of the plot

Janie Jones & The Lash - House of the Ju Ju Queen. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that The Lash are actually The Clash incognito on this paean to old school tie sexual repression and corruption. It also doesn't take a genius to work out that The Clash are one of my favourite bands.

Screaming Lord Sutch And The Savages - Jack The Ripper. We stayed in the East End, and I'm not a Ripperologist, by any means, but as we were walking through the streets, I was amazed at how many Jack The Ripper landmarks we'd suddenly stumble across: The Ten Bells, Christ Church (actually located right next to each other), etc. etc. There's definitely something humbling walking through streets with such a history, not just the Whitechapel Murders, but even further back in time, making the history of white settlement in Australia feel like yesterday.

The Social - Under Grey English Skies. This was a late inclusion, only having recently heard it. Thanks must go to my brother, for including it on one of his birthday compilations for me.

The Clash - This Is England. Oh, come on, you didn't see this coming from a mile away?

Luke Haines - Love Letter To London. The song that inspired this compilation. Again, like Morrissey, there were a lot of choices from Mr Haines, but this one gave me a title.

Ian Dury - My Old Man. My father was born in England, was fairly 'andsome, and smoked too many cigs. But he wasn't a bus driver.

Iron Maiden - Coming Home. From the album 'The Final Frontier', I could've chosen the 'Isle of Avalon', but I keep thinking about that moment of touching down in Heathrow.

The Pogues - A Rainy Night In Soho.

Bat For Lashes - A Forest. Bat For Lashes' cover of the Cure classic. It reminds me of the Heath.

Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights. I don't care if it's a touristy thing to do, I'm gonna go to the Moors and have a bit of a wuther.

Splodgenessabounds - Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps Please. I can't wait until I can say this with no trace of affectation.

Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine - Lean On Me, I Won't Fall Over. This song was a constant earworm for me, every time I read or heard the words 'Hammersmith and City line'. I'm gonna have to get used to that.

Enjoy!

Download the zip here: Love Letter To London - An Anglophilic Compilation

Pee-wee Herman Topps Trading Cards

2010-09-19T07:35:00.000+01:00

Postcard

2010-09-05T05:41:00.000+01:00

The Muppet Show Playing Cards - Diamonds

2010-08-29T13:33:00.000+01:00

Pee-wee Herman Topps Trading Cards

2010-08-25T13:57:00.001+01:00

I Know You Are, But What Am I?

2010-08-23T14:37:00.001+01:00

I visited the Tim Burton Exhibition at ACMI in Melbourne today, and I can't believe it didn't occur to me earlier:

The perfect Riddler?

Paul Reubens, of course!!!

Hollywood, I hope you're listening!

Batman - Dark Knight, Dark City - The Riddler

2010-08-14T09:23:00.000+01:00

A few weeks ago, I posted about my favourite Riddler/Batman story, and neglected to put up any decent pictures of The Riddler!

I've always been a little annoyed that Riddler and Joker had to share the green/purple colour scheme. But, dang, it does look good on both of them. And if it's part of a natty three-piece suit, all the better.

I mentioned previously that the rumours regarding Christopher Nolan's third Batman film are already flying, including that The Riddler will be one of the villains, and that he'd be played by Joseph Gordon Levitt.

There's no doubting that Levitt certainly has the acting chops and wirey physique necessary to portray Edward Nigma, but I think there are a few other actors who might be worthy of consideration:

Steve Buscemi - I'd love to see an older Riddler, especially one that could be as endearing and sinister in equal measures. I'm thinking particularly of Buscemi's turn in Con Air.

Michael Emerson - Possibly most familiar as being 'Ben' from 'Lost', Emerson was suggested to me by my significant other, and I can see where she's coming from. I'm not a Lost fan (nor am I a hater, I just haven't really gotten into it), but what I've seen of Emerson, he can portray devious enigma with aplomb. And he really does have The Riddler's face.

Frank Gorshin - I know, I know, the wonderful Mr Gorshin is no longer with us, but seriously, his version of The Riddler in the 60s TV show is so enduring and burnt into the popular consciousness that the idea of him returning as a rebooted Riddler gives me goosebumps. In a good way.

(since when do guns go 'BBMM'??)

Postcard

2010-08-12T11:04:00.000+01:00

Pee-wee Herman Topps Trading Cards

2010-08-09T13:31:00.000+01:00

The Big Band + Avant Gardeners + The Monies + Old Mate, 14 August, Metro Hotel

2010-08-01T13:27:00.000+01:00

The band I'm in, The Big Band, are playing a rare live show, 14th August, at the Metro Hotel, with Avant Gardeners, The Monies and Old Mate.

It's shaping up to be a corker of a show, and if you're in Adelaide, it'll be great if you could pop on by!

You might've heard The Big Band's version of 'Ballad of Serenity', aka the theme from Firefly, but we've recently finished recording track, 'Little Girl Gone', a death waltz (my favourite kind of waltz).

We're quite proud of it, and we'd be mighty appreciative if you gave it a listen:

The Big Band - Little Girl Gone

While we're at it, have a listen to Avant Gardeners too:

Avant Gardeners - Really Good In Theory

Batman - Dark Knight, Dark City

2010-07-29T14:18:00.000+01:00

I recently got a shout-out in one of my favourite blogs - Is That Cool? - and I'm proud as punch! And while I may never have read much Heavy Metal in my youth, I certainly read a lot of Batman comics.

This particular storyline (Batman, issues 452-454) has been a favourite of mine over the years, and with the burgeoning rumours regarding Christopher Nolan's third Batman film, I felt it time to share my thoughts, particularly regarding the rumour that the Riddler wil be making an appearance.

A lot of people say the Riddler is one-note, a mere shade of the Joker. Those people never read 'Dark Knight, Dark City', which saw the Riddler take a very very vicious turn (and deliver some very very nifty riddles!). I admit, there's definitely something endearing about Joker's out-and-out chaos, the Riddler's modus operandi always appealed to me. Couple that with Frank Gorshin's unforgettable portrayal in the TV series (and that laugh!), and you're onto a winner.

Without trying to spoil too much of the plot, DKDC finds the Riddler attempting to re-enact an occult ritual, originally partaken in by early Gotham residents, including future US president Thomas Jefferson.

Story by Peter Milligan, ink by Kieron Dwyer, lettering by Dennis Janke, covers by Mike Mignola.

All frames taken from issue 452.

'Sploding babies!!! WTF??? (or are they?)

Zombies!!! WTF??? (or are they?)

Oz Magazine Dec 1969

2010-07-25T09:38:00.000+01:00

The Muppet Show Playing Cards - Clubs

2010-07-23T12:44:00.000+01:00

Pee-wee Herman Topps Trading Cards

2010-07-19T12:46:00.000+01:00

Oz Magazine Dec 1969

2010-07-17T10:25:00.000+01:00

(Gerard Malanga)

Kid Ringo

2010-07-13T11:43:00.000+01:00

The way to my heart? Pander to my ego, and preferably throw in a Western theme, and I'm yours.

My friend, Spencer, picked this up for me a few years back. Unfortunately, he's married.

The Muppet Show Playing Cards - Hearts

2010-07-11T09:16:00.000+01:00

Oz Magazine Dec 1969

2010-07-10T02:17:00.000+01:00

Ever heard of Oz magazine?

I picked this one up from a lovely, and very knowledgeable, chap at the Spitalfields Antique Markets, who had an admirable stash for sale.

Unfortunately, the zine is just slightly larger than my scanner, so I've had to occasionally splice some of the pics together. I wonder if you would've noticed if I hadn't told you that?

Postcard

2010-07-09T11:41:00.000+01:00

The Muppet Show Playing Cards

2010-07-08T11:07:00.000+01:00

I've actually had these cards in my possession for my entire life, but it only occurred to me to scan them and post them here just recently.

They've taken quite a beating over the years, and are now totally useless as a proper deck of cards (note the re-assigned Joker card), but it'd break my heart if I were to ever lose them.

Royal Flushes - Kings

2010-07-05T11:29:00.000+01:00

Pee-wee Herman Topps Trading Cards

2010-06-28T12:06:00.000+01:00

Postcard (Reproduction)

2010-06-27T10:42:00.000+01:00

Royal Flushes - Queens

2010-06-26T01:14:00.000+01:00

The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret (or: 'Leeches! Leeches!')

2010-06-20T09:42:00.006+01:00

Just a few steps south of London Bridge is The Operating Theatre of Old St. Thomas's Hospital, also known as The Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret. The Museum offers a great up-close look at medical and surgical procedures from one of my favourite years: Yester*.

I loved this Museum; it was small, but absolutely filled to the brim with interesting oddities and curios. The staff were very nice and allowed us to take our time, and get really close to the exhibits and take an abundance of photos. In turn, I spent over £80 in the gift store, which is practically overflowing with fantastic books, some of which will be shared via The Curios at a later date, and various gewgaws, mostly skull-related.

A beautiful wrought iron skull hangs in the foyer of the building where you'll find the steep staircase to the Theatre.

I have an almost crippling phobia of needles, so this cabinet was particularly tough for me to photograph.

Methinks Pliny's telling fibs.

Ladies, you may wince and cross yourselves now.

Gents, now it's your turn.

There was a little play area with toys for the younger ones, should they get restless. It was dimly lit, and mildly eerie. Needless to say, I had to photograph it.

An early pill-making machine. I'd never considered the evolution of the pill delivery system before, so this was enlightening.

Your host, standing in the Operating Theatre, with guest.

The giftshop also has a wide array of postcards available, using displays from the Museum itself. Below are three I picked up.

* Gag courtesy of Ned Flanders.

Booya! Home For The Def Tribute Album

2010-06-19T17:44:00.000+01:00

Coinciding with the release of 'The Complete Home For The Def and Other Stories', a collection of reviews, short fiction and essays by Stan Mahoney, available through Format Press HERE, I rediscovered this little gem, which had been sitting on my shelf since 2002.

I've been espousing the genius of HFTD for over a decade now, and I was honoured to be asked to supply a song to this tribute album. While the other artists on the album have covered HFTD songs, I mashed a bunch of them together, and to be honest, I'm a little embarrassed by my effort, as the final mixdown of the track is not as good as I would've liked it to be. Ah well, the quality of some of the other contributions more than makes up for it.

It's interesting that on a tribute album to a man with over 50 albums under his belt, there are double-ups on certain tracks...

DOWNLOAD THE FULL ALBUM (320Kbps) HERE

I hope that I'l be able to post some more HFTD albums here soon, I just need to figure out the best way to transfer cassettes onto my hard drive.

Postcard (Reproduction)

2010-06-13T09:23:00.000+01:00

Pee-wee Herman Topps Trading Cards

2010-06-13T03:13:00.000+01:00

(I would love to know how many people actually got to meet Pee-wee Herman in person on 14 August 1988)

Postcard

2010-05-30T12:00:00.000+01:00