October 31, 2009

The Headless Horseman Pursuing Ichabod Crane


Happy Halloween, y'all.

Oil Painting at Smithsonian American Art Museum
1858, artist John Quidor
from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Tent City


A million to one, this ain't as much fun as it looks.

Nashville, TN
2009, photographer Josh Anderson
from The Wall Street Journal

October 28, 2009

Window Shopping


Look at those faces.

Chicago
photographer Vivian Maier
from her works discovered

Deluxe Osterizer


Strangest picnic of all time.

Cookbook
1955
from shelf life taste test's flickr stream

October 27, 2009

Hang Son Doong Cave


We live on a Swiss cheese planet.

Hang Son Doong, Vietnam
2009
from Dance With Shadows

Power Party


Crazy rich guy summer camp fascinates me.

Bohemian Grove
1906
from bibliotecapleyades.net

Mr. Waters


He's talking about you on his magical, invisible gay cellphone.

photographer Philin Phlash
from Anatomically Correct

October 22, 2009

Treasure Hunters


Tell me you never dug for gold.

Tumacácori
1916
from the National Park Service

Big Pipe in the Backyard


I really want one of these in my backyard, like a little private bar and clubhouse. There's got to be plenty of them still around. I mean, I do live in Florida. Where are they?

LIFE Magazine ad
1961
from syndprod's flickr stream

Pantsless guest putting on flannel suit after shedding his toga


Hey Billy, remember when you really wanted sock garters?

no location stats
1952, artist Ralph Morse
from LIFE

October 21, 2009

Powder monkey of USS New Hampshire


How old do you think that kid was? And how do sailor suits manage to be both dorky and cool at the same time, no matter what era?

Off Charleston, SC
1864
from Pixdaus

October 20, 2009

Royal Mail A.D. 1935


Postal service, libraries, and waste removal - pretty much my three benchmarks for civilization.

Poster
1935, artist John Armstrong
from British Postal Museum & Archive

In Russia, even the bears go to war.


I wonder if he's thinking about fish.

Russia
World war II
from EnglishRussia

October 19, 2009

Kraken Snackin'


It's turning cold, and I'm glad I'm not at sea.

Pen/Ink
2009, artist Keith Noordzy
from Wondering Art

October 18, 2009

Stormalong Harbor


This is an early version of Stormalong harbor, the strange dock city that houses one of my favorite cartoons. It's a perfect mix of surreal humor and pirates, and it feeds my love of craggy, seaside villages (see also Sweethaven and Apalachecola). Also, it's named after AB Stormalong, one of my favorites of the American mythological figures.

Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack
2008, artist Thurop Van Orman
from his deviant art page

some summers back


Swimming in a sink hole is always kind of scary. They're just so damn deep.

Sister Sinks, Tallahassee, Florida
2000s, photographer Dan Schmahl
from his flickr stream

ukelele players


These gals are getting warmed up for their gig at my favorite bar.

no stats
from pipedope82's flickr stream

Crash


You won't catch me doing it, but I'm glad somebody does.

David Taylor and Tim Lunde at the Irwindale Raceway
1970s, photographer Tom Corley
from VitalMX

Neal in orange grove


I think it was mom who told me that grove owners would often grow sour oranges against the fence line to discourage tourists who would steal them.

Titusville, Florida
1969
from Candy like a bar's flickr stream

Franky fights the Wolfman


Wolfman may have the hair, but Franky's about to deliver the knock out punch.

Famous Monsters of Filmland
1966, artist Ron Cobb
from Cover Browser

October 17, 2009

Stand By Your Man


Wendy O. Williams and Lemmy Killmister. This should have caused a black hole or some kind of cool ass rupture in the fabric of space and time or something.

7" Single
1982
from PUNK OCH NEW WAVE

Quarter Pipe


I like hangin out with bros, too.

Düsseldorf, Germany
2009
from Mario Sixtus's flickr stream

Two Kinds of Love


Why is this making me think of Trixie Belden and Honey Wheeler?

Pulp Novel
1964, Brandon House
from eFanzine.com

Attaching a message to a Signal Corps carrier pigeon


I just really dig this picture. Do you think he talked to it while the message was tied on?

Records of the U.S. Food Administration
1917
from The EAP Collection

October 15, 2009

Look at my cock.


Check this out - I just got curious and looked up the illustrator of the Tawny Scrawny Lion Little Golden Book. It was a guy named Gustaf Tenggren. He also did the Pokey Little Puppy. But those were just his later works. What did he do as a younger man? Why, he was one of the Disney artists in the early days. He created the look and did the art for Snow White - those dwarfs and scary trees are his. His art made Pinocchio so dark and frightening. Before that he illustrated faerie tales and pirate books. I would never have seen this and connected it with the simple artwork of one of my favorite books as a kid.

"The Lucky Children," Grimm's Fairy Tales
1918, artist Gustaf Tenggren
from Le Blog de Li-An

October 14, 2009

Know Your Onions


This farmer looks remarkably like the rabbits in the Tawny Scrawny Lion Little Golden Book. I suspect the same illustrator did both. I loved that book as a kid, and this guy gave me a chuckle. What do you suppose a rabbit puts in his pipe? Could it be... rabbit tobacco?

Saturday Evening Post
1953
from Vintage Poster

October 13, 2009

The Coolest Guy You Never Met


This may actually be my favorite picture of all time. You know this guy knows karate. And wears Hai Karate.

no stats available
from albert's EYE's flickr stream

Santa vs. Satan


¿Que?

While most commercial adaptations of the Santa Claus legend add a distinctive twist to the traditional story this film is unique in its depiction of an extraterrestrial Santa doing battle with a demon sent to Earth by Lucifer to ruin Christmas—by killing Santa and "making all the children of the Earth do evil."

Mexican Lobby Card
1959
from ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive

Balancing Act


The idea of just hanging out in a space station scares the shit out of me. The closest I have ever come was riding a Greyhound bus through Texas in the middle of the night, dark with points of light in the distance. The only part I'd be interested in would be the weightlessness.

Gerald Carr and William Pogue on Skylab 4
1973
from NASA

Women in a Publix grocery store


This picture makes me nervous. Is it sexual? Cultish? Alien? I feel like the Indian woman is saying, "You're right. I understand now why you have filled your cart with these turnip bunches. It all makes so much sense."

Tallahassee, Florida
1971
from The State Library and Archives of Florida

Tony Conn


Go cat go!

Brooklyn, NYC, NY
1958, photographer Paul Schutzer
from LIFE

Motion Study


At first glance, this is a cool picture, capturing a worker's movements for study. But if you know about Frank and Lillian Gilbreth and their 12 children and their research in efficiency and modernizing the work place, it becomes fascinating. (Heck, I'm pretty sre I still wash myself the Gilbreth way every morning.)

Gelatin silver print
1914, photographer Frank Gilbreth
from The Smithsonian Institute

Stanley and Dot Draper


The middle of a story.

Elyria, Ohio
1934
from clotho98's flickr stream

"Fergus goes down into the lake"


I'm deeply scared of what's going on underwater. Seriously, no scuba for me, though I can - and do - enjoy swimming in the ocean if I have other people with me. I'd nee to be armed like this fellow to be comfortable mucking around with the fish.

The High Deeds of Finn and other Bardic Romances of Ancient Ireland, by T. W. Rolleston
1911, illustrator Stephen Reid
from Project Gutenberg

October 12, 2009

Mystery Spot


I'm sort of fascinated by this kind of roadside attractions. Mystery spots, where a downwards slope appears upwards. water flows backwards, chairs could be balanced on two legs and no one can seem to stand up straight. There are only a few left, and I'd like to visit one. Look at how much fun shes having!

Probably Santa Cruz, California
no stats
from Now Voyager

a-ha!

Okay, first look back at this picture. Notice her shirt.

Now check out these happy folks:

Which came first?

Snapshot
no stats available
from Square America

October 11, 2009

Bell Jet Pack


Seriously, though, they need to work that shit out.

Publicity Art
1960s
from Tales of Future Past

a helping hand


Do you suppose it's some sort of tall bike date?

Vancouver
2006
from doviende's flickr stream

mac & cheese, apples and peas


I'd totally eat it.

Family Circle Illustrated Library of Cooking
1972
from adrigu's flickr stream

Space Amoeba


Well, now I know what I'm gonna be for Halloween.

Yog - Monster from Space (film still)
1971
from Cinema Strikes Back

On the other hand...


He had better facial hair when he was a lesbian.

Pulp Novel
1965, author Frederick Colson
from Vintage Sleaze

overalls


"Here, would you like this stick?"
"Yes, thank you, I was just looking for one."

Michigan
1940s
from Ookpik's Negativity

Newsboys and bootblacks shooting craps


Admit it, you sort of expect them to break into song suddenly.

NYC, NY
1912, photographer L.W. Hine
from NYPL Digital Library

Sootie


Some people are more determined partiers than others.

Somewhere in Florida
1970
from the club's official Orlando website

October 10, 2009

surprise! thermos dick!


The 70s were a strange, ugly time in porn. And shoes. And coffee, evidently.

Movie Stills
1976 (even though it says, "80s beach party")
from Rodox Porn

The Camp Cook


The most important man in camp.

Nugget Creek, Kuskalina river near Kennecott, Alaska
1910ish
from RootsWeb

Tarzan and the Ant Men


I read Tarzan book after Tarzan book as a kid. I spent most of my time in the jungles - well, mentally, anyway. I especially like this Tarzan's face.

Book Cover Artwork
1972, illustrator Frank Frazetta
from Art History Archive

October 7, 2009

Books Wanted


I bet they'd appreciate a copy of Satan Is a Lesbian.

Propaganda Poster
WW II era
from Animation Archive

Hellish


Hell of a beard on that lesbian.

P.E.C. Pulp Novel
1966, illustrator Doug Weaver
from eFanzines.com

Nora and Suya warm up.


I like to believe that they're about to go down in the yard and spar.

Powderhorn, Minneapolis
1976
from Mr. Flikker's flickr stream