#Tork fan photos

[thislovintime]

August, 1989. Photo and story via Ann Moses on Facebook.

"Caption on the hug pic from 'Karen': I am so glad my friend took this picture! It was taken at the Holiday Inn Holidome in Stevens Point ,WI in August 1989. The Monkees and their crew hung around the Holidome that day...my friends swam with Davy in the pool and I and a group were with Peter as he talked to us about so many things. We were standing by the arcade..he liked to play Centipede! I have so many pictures of them and their kids etc...my friends and I had a lot fun in those days meeting them at concerts, hotels, parking lots and conventions." "From a very brave, candid reader: A Story of Peace and Love from The REAL Peter Tork (Official). We’ll call her Karen (my best friend’s name, not her name). She wrote me: As you can probably tell…I am an anxious worrier. I’ve had it all my life. I met and got pics with all four of The Monkees (three of them several times, Mike once). Peter was the only one who ever got personal with me. It is funny, but only Peter Tork detected my anxiety as I asked for an autograph and he talked to me about it. The first time he tried to calm me by teaching me breathing exercises and then a great hug. I met him the next evening again, he saw me trying to be calm and reached his arms out to hug me and he smiled. Then he told me to believe in myself more! This was over 20 years ago! I think Karen’s experience gives us insight into the sincere caring in the heart of Peter Tork. Now if we can all take that advice and feel just a wee bit better in these chaotic and frightening times, we’ll all be better off, and we can prove that words and actions matter!" - Ann Moses, Facebook, March 20, 2020

[greensparty]

2023 MusicCon Collectibles Extravaganza Wrap-Up

Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to cover the Northeast Comic Con (read my coverage here), a fun cool convention for lovers of comics, pop culture, and collectibles. This past March, I attended the Spring edition of NECC. Over the weekend of June 30-July 2, the folks who do the NECC held the 2023 MusicCon Collectibles Extravaganza, a big celebration of music and collectibles (two of my favorite things!). 

Here is my lightning round of guests I got to speak with at this year’s con:

Micky Dolenz talking to some fans

The big guest this year was Micky Dolenz of The Monkees. I’ve always loved both the music and the TV show of The Monkees and Micky is now the last Monkee standing after the passing of Davy Jones, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith. Fans of The Monkees are fanatical and it’s no surprise that he had fans who came from all over, waited in long lines, for pictures and autographs or photo ops with the Monkee Mobile. Sadly I didn’t get to talk to him. Maybe next time!

Not really a musician, but actor Butch Patrick fit right in at this convention thanks to the Munster vehicles including the Dragula that were on display at this convention. He has acted in a ton of things, but he will forever be known as Eddie Munster on TV’s The Munsters. I asked him about Ben Stiller’s impression he did of Eddie Munster on SNL and The Ben Stiller Show. “I never talked to Ben about it, but I met him briefly at the TV Land Awards, just in passing, but we never had a conversation about it.” Very cool that he had a great sense of humor about it!

Actor/musician Chasen Hampton is no stranger to pop culture, he was in the Mickey Mouse Club from 1989-1992 (Keri Russell was one of his fellow Mouseketeers), a member of the 90s pop group The Party and has appeared in numerous movies and TV shows. In 1997 he appeared the season 1 episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer “The Puppet Show”. He said of that episode “It was awesome! When I auditioned, what I had over most people is that I could juggle and they were doing a talent show episode, so they needed people with weird side talents as well. But I was really into special effects makeup as a kid and getting to hang out with the cast and the makeup department was awesome”.

Singer/actress Cherie Currie is a music legend. She was the singer for The Runaways from 1975-1977, as well as an accomplished solo artist, and she has also acted a ton notably in the 1980 film Foxes. I asked her what it’s like for her to know that “Cherry Bomb” is still appearing in numerous movie and TV soundtracks (Guardians of the Galaxy and Dazed and Confused to name a few) and pop culture as a whole and to know the music she made in the mid-70s is still having a lasting influence? “It’s so great to be recognized for doing something in this business. It really felt like it was all for naught for a very long time. So to now see that song become so iconic and appear in so many movies and TV shows continues to be such a gift. Very grateful!” In addition to music, she also is an accomplished chainsaw artist as well!

Drummer Richie Ramone has a massive fanbase, mainly because he was the drummer for The Ramones from 1983 to 1987. He has also done some solo albums, appeared in movies (including last year’s Friday the 13th Vengeance sequel) and written some memoirs as well. That mid-80s era was a very strong one for The Ramones. I asked if he had a favorite album? “Well, Too Tough to Die brought the band back to where they were originally. Animal Boy I love because ‘Somebody Put Something in my Drink’ [written by Richie] lead off the record”. Full disclosure: prior to this convention I had been in touch with Mr. Ramone about a potential project. While it didn’t work out, he was super-nice and supportive and he remembered me when I stopped by his booth. Very cool guy!

Michael Des Barres is like the 6-degrees to so much pop culture I love: he replaced Robert Palmer in the supergroup The Power Station for their 1985 tour (that’s him performing with them at Live Aid and in that episode of Miami Vice), he co-wrote Animotion’s “Obsession”, hosts a radio show on Little Steven’s Underground Garage, and acted in a ton of movies and TV shows (notably David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive and “The Smelly Car” episode of Seinfeld among many others). I asked him about the 1988 episode of Alf in which he played the older boyfriend of Lynn? “Well, working with a sock was very different. Suddenly this sock became Sir Laurence Olivier. It’s very hard to work with a puppet, but I found it so hilarious because at that time I was doing so many sitcoms, but I never thought I’d end up literally with a glove [laughs]. But it was a lovely lovely time and I had a great time doing it. I became very friendly with the puppeteer, which is a science in and of itself. The thing with acting and music is it brings you joy, so if you enjoy it, the people watching will enjoy it too.”

me with Mr. Sam J. Jones

When I went up to the booth of NFL-player-turned-actor Sam J. Jones, known for the title character in the cult film Flash Gordon, I reminded him that he and I actually worked on a movie together, Ted 2. Jones played himself in the first Ted and he returned for the sequel, which I worked on in the location dept. in Boston and the production office in NYC. He immediately lit up, shook my hand and wanted to take a picture. Very cool actor!

Mach Bell Experience performing live

Cowboy Mach Bell was the singer for Joe Perry Project from 1982-1984. I talked to him at the 2022 Collector’s Extravaganza. This year in addition to a booth and speaking on a panel, his band Mach Bell Experience performed a ton of his hits. Thrilled to see him still rocking after some health issues last year. 

Speaking of Joe Perry and Aerosmith, the Aerosmith Collectors Archive had an exhibit of their collection on display as well. For a lifelong Aerosmith fan like me, I dug looking over their memorabilia, some of which I was quite impressed with. They are an online museum, but in the last few years, they have had exhibits in Sunapee, NH for Aerosmith Day celebrations. I would love to see this become a brick-and-mortar museum one day!

Oh and did I mentioned there were loads of famous cars on display:

The Monkee Mobile

Munster Mobiles

and best of all, the BTTF delorean!

For info on MusicCons and other NECC events: https://necomiccons.com/

[kudosmyhero]

The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) #418: Revelations, part 3: Torment

Read Date: January 29, 2023 Cover Date: December 1995 ● Writer: Tom DeFalco ● Penciler: Steve Skroce ● Inker: Bud LaRosa ● Colorist: Bob Sharen ● Letterer: Richard Starkings ● Editor: Ralph Macchio ●

**HERE BE SPOILERS: Skip ahead to the fan art/podcast to avoid spoilers

Reactions As I Read: ● damn this artist did Aunt Anna dirty ● everyone's faces are distractingly gremlin-like ● Peter staying to help Ben fight Stromm ● ugh the art

● Arthur Stacy, brother of George Stacy ● says Spidey is responsible for George's death ● uh oh, the pumpkin on the back of the invite… the Goblin ● who dat ● Stromm and Ben both dead? ● baby either dead or kidnapped ● 👏👏👏👏 (the art brought it down a clap)

Synopsis: Mary Jane is being wheeled into the emergency room after she started undergoing painful labor while at the Daily Grind. With her is her Aunt Anna, who tries to comfort the pregnant woman who is afraid that something is happening to her unborn child. They are joined by Doctor Folsome, who tells Mary Jane that his regular doctor cannot be reached and he will be looking after her from this moment on. Also at the hospital is Daily Bugle photographer Angela Yin, who recognizes the Parker woman. As she snaps a photo of the scene Angela wonders why her husband Peter isn't here with her. She isn't the only one who is wondering where Peter Parker is. As Mary Jane is being wheeled into an operating room, Anna Watson wonders why Peter won't call her back on her cell phone.

At that very moment, Peter Parker and Spider-Man are fighting for their lives at the ruins of Midtown High as they are attacked by Gaunt and an army of robots fashioned to look like children. Peter is all too aware that Anna has been trying to get ahold of him, but can't pull himself away from the battle. As he gets another message, Spider-Man hears it and tells Peter to leave and go be with his wife and baby. However, Gaunt is intent on killing the wall-crawler and Peter doesn't think Ben will survive if he leaves and insists on staying. By this time, Angela Yin has called Joe Robertson at the Daily Bugle to tell him about Mary Jane's condition at the hospital. After hearing this, he relays the news to Glory Grant, and feels awful for Peter after everything that has happened to him recently.

Back at Midtown, Spider-Man and Peter Parker continue to fight against Gaunt and his robot army. While Ben destroys two of Gaunt's plastoid robots, Peter takes down the childlike robots. Meanwhile, at the hospital, Doctor Folsome and his team of doctors help Mary Jane through a very complicated and painful delivery. As she strains to give birth to her daughter, Mary Jane is unaware that a mysterious figure is watching from the operating theater above. Satisfied that everything is going exactly as planned, the mystery man then leaves to carry out the next phase of his plan. At Midtown, Peter manages to come across a telephone that still works and calls Anna to check in on Mary Jane. As he fights off the rest of the robots, he tells Anna that he has been stuck in a subway car. Learning that Mary Jane is having a difficult delivery and the doctors are concerned, Peter assures her that he will get there as soon as possible, saying that nothing will keep him from getting to his wife. Meanwhile, at the 28th Precinct, Detective Connor Trevan interrupts his colleagues, Francis Tork and Lou Snider, to introduce them to Arthur Stacy, the brother of the late George Stacy. Arthur tells the officers that he has called a meeting with them because the man who murdered his brother has not been brought to justice and wishes to speak to them all because of their occasional association with Spider-Man.

At that same moment, Spider-Man continues to dodge Gaunt's attack. Having just learned that he is Mendel Stromm, the wall-crawler asks how he managed to survive his brush with death and who his mysterious employer is. Gaunt ignores these questions, stating that he is only following orders from someone who wants him dead. His barrage manages to wound the web-slinger in his left shoulder. With Spider-Man at his mercy, Gaunt decides to tell him something about the wall-crawler's old friend Seward Trainer. Before he can finish off the web-head, Peter Parker leaps in and kicks Gaunt in the head, saving his life. Gaunt then tries to blast the two Spider-Men with knockout gas, but is surprised when it doesn't work. However, it soon becomes apparent that the gas neutralizes spider-sense. While back at the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson asks Joe Robertson what he knows about a surprise board meeting that has been called as well as an impromptu Halloween party organized for the staff. Joe doesn't know what the meeting is about but reminds Jonah that the staff could use a morale boost after the recent round of layoffs. He also suggests to Jonah that there won't be a disaster if the paper shuts down for a few hours so the staff can have some fun. As he says this, he is unaware that the man setting up decorations in the bullpen is also putting out jack-o'-lanterns that are rigged with explosives.

Back at the scene of the battle, Spider-Man continues launching attacks at Gaunt, demanding to know what he knows about Seward Trainer. Gaunt explains that Trainer was just another pawn, only a tool that was used to manipulate Reilly. Trainer had been on both sides, healing Stromm as well, and once his usefulness was over he was killed. Hearing how his best friend was murdered, Spider-Man loses his temper and begins ripping apart Gaunt's cybernetic armor. However, he stops short of killing Gaunt, reminding himself that he isn't a heartless killer like the Punisher. With the battle over, Spider-Man tells Peter to get going so he can be there when his daughter is born. Having destroyed the last of Gaunt's robots, Parker doesn't argue and bounds away. With Stromm disarmed, Spider-Man then begins demanding answers when he is suddenly blasted by someone standing behind him. Spider-Man instantly recognizes who this man is and can't believe it as he believed him to be dead. When the web-slinger tries to attack him he is blasted in the chest, crumpling to the ground. With Spider-Man down, the mystery employer reminds Gaunt what happens when his minions fail him and blasts him as well.

At the hospital, Mary Jane gives the final push to deliver her baby. When she doesn't hear the baby crying, Mary Jane asks what is wrong with her baby. That's when Doctor Folsome apologizes, making Mary Jane realize that he baby didn't survive. As she cries, one of the nurses, who turns out to be a woman by the name of Alison Mongrain, removes her surgical mask and wheels a cart out of the operating room to her car. She drives out to the waterfront where she meets with her mystery employer, confirming that she has brought the package she was hired to bring. As he prepares to put her on a private boat that is to take her to Europe, the man says that she has been compensated accordingly, with a sizable bonus and travel expenses. Mongrain thanks him for his generosity. Lastly, as she departs, he says that she may call him Norman… Norman Osborn.

… Revelations concludes in Spider-Man #75 and Spider-Man: Revelations #1.

(https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Amazing_Spider-Man_Vol_1_418)

Fan Art: Ben Reilly as Spiderman by anubis2kx

Accompanying Podcast: ● Amazing Spider-Talk - "Revelations"

[davy-zeppeli]

'Headquarters' by The Monkees - Sundazed Records, 1996 pressing

This LP looks so good, I am so excited to own this. For the price range of £20-£30, an original US pressing of this specific version of Headquarters is a steal I think.

This LP is in such good condition. I mean, it's only from 1996 so I wasn't expecting it to be in pieces, but the sleeve is almost flawless without a single mark on it. It looks so good!!! And the back of it is immaculate too - no marks, and all of the pictures are clear and amazing!!! Look at those fellas. Just guys being dudes.

A noted feature:

So this really sold me on this copy - it has the beard picture!!! Not all of the copies of Headquarters contained this image on the back, instead opting for an image of Hank Cicalo (recording engineer) and Douglas Farthing Hatfield (producer), so I'm very pleased to have this charming photo of the Monkees and their beards (no reference intended to the Iconic Post). Look at them!!

And then we have this beauty: liner notes containing information about each song and some of the session details, with the flip side being a gorgeous photo of Peter Tork. Isn't he just handsome? (If you want some closer photographs of the notes, please let me know!)

And finally, the disc itself. It's so RED. I can't stop staring at it. From the looks of it, this LP hasn't even been played. Note as well track 7 being called 'Randy Scouse Git' and not 'Alternate Title' - that was something else that made me want a US pressing, because 'Alternate Title' just doesn't complete the Headquarters experience.

The label themselves, described on their website as a group who specialise in "mining the cultural attics for the coolest, strangest, and most unique masters out there, with a slant towards '50s, '60s, '70s and beyond". As much as I'm still waiting an original version of Headquarters, Sundazed haven't done a bad job with this pressing, providing a beautiful disc with some inserts that any Monkees fan would love to have.

Overall, very very happy with this and just wanted to share it with all of you!!! If you want any more information, let me know!! 🤠

[cultofbeatles]

cinematic parallels

[fivedollarradio]

I posted 1,783 times in 2022

788 posts created (44%)

995 posts reblogged (56%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@hard-yearned-wisdom

@a-froger-epic

@freddie-mercury-rising

@idontknowhowthisworked

@quotespile

I tagged 639 of my posts in 2022

#freddie mercury - 252 posts

#brian may - 27 posts

#jim hutton - 19 posts

#peter tork - 14 posts

#new to me - 13 posts

#roger taylor - 13 posts

#queen - 10 posts

#freddie's boyfriends - 8 posts

#rip - 6 posts

#cutie - 6 posts

Longest Tag: 125 characters

#and i'm going to keep posting pictures of my hands holding things until you all see the entirety of my nail polish collection

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Marc Almond on clubbing with Freddie Mercury:

“I went down to Heaven nightclub, and Freddie was there. And he came over to me and said: ‘Cheer up, girl! You always look so bloody miserable, dressing in black and writing all these miserable songs. Come with me, girl. We’re gonna go for a dance.’ And he threw me over his shoulder and carried me on to the dance floor.”

I know all stories about Freddie are apocryphal, but I really want this to have happened exactly like this, with Freddie heaving Marc over his shoulder. (Well according to Phoebe, he did like to pick people up, literally.)

And on Bowie:

I wonder how he felt when Bowie recanted his claims of being bisexual in the early 80s. “Oh, I never really thought he was,” he says. “Bowie was an artistic free spirit and he probably did dabble a bit. It was the saying it that was great; no one had ever said that before.”

I agree with this, and what writer Simon Reynolds has said about Bowie walking back being bisexual. He’s important to LGBT culture, sure, but I think fans need him to be a bi icon more than he was one.

link

18 notes - Posted May 14, 2022

#4

Freddie deserves a better biography. Not another Lesley Jones book or any of the cobbled together “journalist” penned bios, but something sensitively written that could introduce him to new fans in a proper way. A while ago I went looking for a particular book about Bowie, and even in my branch library, there was an entire shelf devoted to him. Freddie? Lesley Jones’s book was there, and the one Mark Blake book about Queen, but that was it. It’s baffling that there isn’t anything better. The best ones, of course, are the memoirs written by Jim and Phoebe and a few others who knew him, but they’re hard to find (I have an e-book of the Minns book and link to Jim’s in a PDF file that I can no longer find), and the language in them is dated. And even those feel... incomplete? 

One of my favorite bands for the past twenty years is the Replacements. I know American indie bands of the 80s have little presence here, but I spent an inordinate of my time and dedication to a band that a whole lot of people haven’t heard of. But in 2016, Bob Mehr wrote a really excellent bio of them called Trouble Boys. Before that there was a middling “oral history,” one photo collection and a documentary about their fans. For a band that stayed a “cult” favorite, that’s more than I could have asked for. That no one can seem to get an artist as big as Freddie right is really unfair.

24 notes - Posted January 26, 2022

#3

The reason why Mary’s comments that Freddie “saved her” from getting AIDS by leaving her sounds selfish either way it’s interpreted is that she, a woman, and straight woman at that isn’t “supposed to get AIDS,” as was the prevailing narrative at the time. “Innocent victims” were children and women with closeted partners who were HIV-positive. Gay men, IV drug users were “asking for it” with their “risky behavior.” Casual bigotry is still bigotry. Generational context can only take you so far.

27 notes - Posted November 2, 2022

#2

Image of Phoebe shopping at the cosmetic counter for Queen’s makeup. “I said vital beige, not soft beige!”

32 notes - Posted January 27, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Now, I’m not a barbarian. If I am entering the home of someone from a culture in which wearing street shoes inside is a sign of disrespect, or if my shoes are covered in snow, mud, blood, condiments of any sort, lava, excrement, concrete dust, or biomedical hazardous waste, I’m of course going to take them off. And I don’t really need to be told to do so.

But barring shoes outright just to keep your floors clean is bringing a gun to a pillow fight. Turns out there’s already an effective old-fashioned way to achieve your goal of a clean floor while neither insulting my hygiene habits nor endangering my delicate, vulnerable, long-suffering feet: It’s called a doormat.

How sensitive of you to acknowledge different cultural values, but don’t wear shoes in someone’s home if they ask you to remove them because IT’S NOT YOUR HOUSE. Your delicate. long-suffering feet? Seriously? Baby.

44 notes - Posted February 10, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[cuddly-t0y]

Obligatory Introduction Post

Hi hello yes I decided to make a devoted blog specifically for Monkees content (and to keep my main blog uncluttered, @s0r3wach1gauy0 )

Anyways, hewwo monkees tumblr I'm in the process of becoming knowledgeable so if I make mistakes about factual stuff I apologize and will try to correct it...

Oh yeah I should probably briefly explain how I even got into the Monkees anyways. Basically I went pretty much backwards by starting with Head, watching 33 1/3 Monkees per revolution, then I'm working my way through the tv show.

Yes I'm primarily a Davy fan, since uh hi look at him and hear his voice. Micky is also a fantastic singer and overall a goofball and I appreciate it. I can't forget about Mike's drawl though and the way he winks and...okay so I like men, but I think in the long run, Davy's The Man, y'know?

I am heavily into tagging the content I find so the tags I will use are primarily #davy jones, #micky dolenz, #mike nesmith, #peter tork, and for whole group stuff, #the monkees. This is so if you want to find content of your lad of choice, you will find him. If you don't want to see particular content, block the tag. I have some other tags that either are schedule tags like #micky monday, #tunes tuesday, and so on that I've explained in my first post of new tags I specifically started. If I feel like posting a review of some sort, that's classified under #mod's opinions. I can't say for sure that I will not be simping for well, the boys since it literally says it in the name of the blog but I try to keep it in the tags. If I cannot contain myself, that's why the tag #mod simps exists.

Or

I have commentary in the tags and yes, that's normal for this blog, consider them something like footnotes. I won't have it for every post, sometimes my brain is empty. I do have some tags that I use to group themed photos, like The Suit™ meaning the Nudie suit Mike wears.

Also feel free to drop in and say hi, infodump, and if desired, just squeal over the lads is always appreciated in my askbox. I'm sure they'd like it too.

All of my love for the boys,

Sage<3

[nakedpersimmon]

As many folks know, February is a difficult month to be a Monkees fan. In the past, NP has joyously marked the birthday of Peter Tork, while also grieving the losses of Samantha Juste (February 5th), Phyllis Nesmith-Gibson (February 13th), Davy Jones (February 29th), and now, sadly, sweet Peter as well (February 21st). This year, however, NP is taking a different approach.

While memorials can and certainly do have their place, it feels more fitting to the spirit of the Monkees to celebrate, rather than mourn, these four wonderful people. Thus, for the duration of the month of February, each week will be spent honoring Samantha, Peter, Phyllis, and Davy with posts that highlight the remarkable yet very different lives they each lived. The schedule for posts is as follows:

Week #1 (2/3-2/9): Samantha Juste Week #2 (2/10-2/16): Peter Tork Week #3: (2/17-2/23): Phyllis Nesmith-Gibson Week #4: (2/24-3/1): Davy Jones

This year also marks the second Leap Day since Davy Jones's passing, and NP's week for Davy will just happen to coincide with the super-groovy Davy Jones Tribute convention happening the weekend of February 28th-March 1st in in Los Angeles, California! All net proceeds from the convention will benefit the Davy Jones Equine Memorial Fund, a 501(c)(3) charity. It's sure to be a spectacular, star-studded shindig, so don't miss out! Visit davyjonestribute.com for tickets and more details.

Also, as we highlight Samantha, Peter, Phyllis, and Davy this month, don't forget to check out the Official Naked Persimmon Discussion Group! You can join in the celebration there by sharing thoughts, posts, photos, and more of each person during their respective week.

There's no denying this is a sorrowful month in Monkees world, but by coming together and remembering those we've lost, we can hopefully start to turn our collective tears into laughter. That's what the Monkees are about, after all...

[carlislesimms]

The Monkees were my world at age 8, and Peter was my childhood favorite. 

I don’t think I’ve really processed the news yet. Meeting Peter Tork was everything I’d dreamed of and more. This is going to be far from my most eloquent post, but here are a few of my fondest memories:

I drew a little picture book for him around 1996, called something like “All About Peter Tork.” Each page featured a different fact about him and a drawing. What I remember most distinctly was the last page, which said “He has a heart of gold.” I drew him with a cartoon heart, colored in with a gold crayon or paint. I believe I sent him a copy of this “book” as my strange version of a fan letter. I first saw the Monkees in concert at around that same time (my first ever concert, in fact), but I didn’t actually meet Peter until much later. 

I first met him in 2011 after a Monkees concert: the line for the meet and greet was long, everything was chaos, and fans were informed by an employee that the band was in a hurry to leave and we would have to be quick once we got inside for the photo op. Peter obviously felt bad about this, and after a while of waiting in line, suddenly there he was. Peter Tork came out with no security to joke with the line of fans. I don’t remember his exact words, but he said something like, “When you get in there, we’re going to really push and shove and manhandle you!” in that goofy tone he did so well. Yet when it was our turn, rather than rush us through the photo, Peter stopped to chat. He asked our names, made some comments about mine and how he had a friend with the same name. He made sure that brief meeting was memorable and special. A dream come true for my childhood self, even though I had already grown up by then.

I was lucky enough to meet him several more times after that. Each time, he made it special and personal.

Meeting him one on one for the first time after a Shoe Suede Blues show later in 2011. “Have we met before?” he asked, seeming to mean it, though it was extremely unlikely that he would have remembered that brief encounter. Chatting with us again when he didn’t have to.

Going to the Monkees Convention and talking to him about the ancient copy of Headquarters we wanted him to sign, and he asked us about the two last names handwritten in the corner (my mom’s written when she was a child, then mine when I was a child). “That’s not you, is it? That is you?”

He drew a little arrow pointing at his own silhouette on the cover of our copy of PACJ (while his lovely wife, Pam, struck up a conversation with me about how much she liked my Doc Martens).

Getting a photo with him, and while facing the camera and posing, he suddenly reached over to cup my face in his hand, unprompted. One of my favorite all-time photos.

At the next convention, I was waiting in line for someone else’s autograph while dressed in my Nez costume, eight-button shirt and wool hat and all, and I turned to see Peter sitting alone at the booth next to that one--making direct eye contact with me, then pulling the most ridiculous face for me and making me crack up right there in line.

Checking into my hotel for the last ever Mike/Micky/Peter concert in Hollywood. Seeing Peter across the lobby, checking in too.

Such small moments, but all a thrill to someone who grew up loving this band. To a child who loved Peter Tork.

I went to see the Monkees as many times as I possibly could, so I’m proud to say I have almost no regrets (the exception being missing the 2014 tour). Each time, my memories specific to Peter are the ones that stand out. He was always so colorful, so full of life. It really does not feel like he’s gone. Maybe it never will. 

I love you, Peter.

[klutzdeluxe]

My First Ritual - Kansas City 10/27/2018

AHHHHHHH. So I’m kind of a no-name blog in the Ghost Tumblr community. I mostly add useless replies to posts, but I had my first ritual last night, and ohhh how I’ve transcended. I understand why the fans call these “rituals” because there are no other words that describe it. Long post ahead, but I’d love for you to read it. I think you’ll enjoy it.

~I went dressed as a generic Sister of Sin and got asked for a few photos, which was flattering. I bought a fast pass to get into the venue early and some very nice people let me squeeze in next to them up against the barricade (to the right) when I said I was there alone. The security guy chatting with us was super cool. He liked that I memorized all their albums for this.

~I recognized one of the pre-show choral pieces from that Vine of the church choir and the one vocalist sucking helium out of a balloon to hit the high note. Then I promptly lost my shit after I realized it.

~Just.... “Ashes” and that curtain going up. My first time seeing the Nameless Ghouls on the stage. I was in awe. Then “Rats” started and I screamed when I realized that my place on the barricade was smack in the center in front of the platform that Dewdrop stands on.

~Lots of intense eye contact and swaying with me and head tilts because of that. I died like four times.

~Copia trying and hilariously failing to direct different sections of the crowd to do the call-and-response bits during “Con Clavi Con Dio.”

~THE TINY ONES ARE SO MUCH TINIER IN PERSON OMG

~THE GHOULETTES AND THEIR ADORABLE LITTLE COORDINATED DANCE ROUTINES! BABES!

~Being able to sing along to EVERYTHING and nearly throwing my neck out from headbanging so hard.

~Cardinal Copia shamelessly flirting with the middle-aged dad next to me throughout the show and his 16-year-old daughter being absolutely mortified while the stepmom cheered.

~The sassy, friendly guitar duel between Dewdrop and Aether before “Cirice,” ending with Aether’s knuckle-cracking and off-key “Smoke on the Water” intro before chucking his pick and giving up.

~Dewdrop extending his hand to me during the lines "I can feel the thunder that's breaking in your heart" and "Can't you see that you're lost without me," trotting down the steps toward me for the latter.

~Just. MIASMA. MIASMAAAA. PAPA NIHIL. GET ITTT.

~Me taking off my nun’s veil because it kept trying to fly off my head. Dewdrop gave me a good, long stare when he saw it was gone. I should’ve thrown it up on stage at him.

~The white suit of sex and Copia not being able to get anyone to settle down and shut up because of it.

~Copia slipped but didn’t fall while sauntering across the stage during “Pro Memoria” and I doubled over in laughter when I saw him trying to play it cool. He saw me cackling and put a finger to his lips in a “Shhh, don’t tell anyone” motion.

~WITCH. IMAGE. And me crying because of it.

~AND THE MOST MAGICAL MOMENT OF ALL. I don’t know how it happened, but DEWDROP SERENADED ME DURING “LIFE ETERNAL.” WHAT. The crowd cheered so loudly when the song started. I was singing and sobbing and smiling and wiping away tears as I swayed side to side. I looked up to see Dewdrop doing his head tilt at me so I gazed at him and started singing the song to him. He swayed with me and oh so gently played his guitar while looking back; he never looked away. The music flowed and ebbed and swelled and cut out as we got to the end. Instead of standing there still like the other Ghouls, he extended his arm out toward me and silently encouraged me to do the same. I (or maybe we, who knows) sang the final “If you had life eternal” line of the song. THEN ALMOST IN SLOW MOTION, he threw me his guitar pick. AND I CAUGHT IT. Y’ALL! I DIDN'T SCREW IT UP. I couldn’t help but blow him a kiss when the song ended and he blew me several kisses back before walking off stage for intermission. Lots of congratulating on the catch from people around me. I CAN’T EVEN. I ASCENDED.

~Me realizing the Gregorian chant playing before Act II is from the masked orgy scene of the movie Eyes Wide Shut. Cue the war flashbacks.

~Aether and Dewdrop switching sides of the stage so now I’m making intense eye contact with Aether now. And he points at me and does his bend-over-and stare thing at me a lot. Dammit, Ghouls.

~The collective feeling of togetherness and being in sync during “Year Zero.” It was otherworldly. I felt like I finally belonged. We were surely a congregation.

~Copia’s thrusting during “Mummy Dust” is even better in person. I felt them from where I was standing. They nearly knocked me on my ass. I EVEN CAUGHT PAPA DOLLARS, YO.

~Me bawling my eyes out during “If You Have Ghosts” and Copia’s speech about never being alone. I went to the ritual alone but man, did I feel like I was part of a family.

~Going absolutely nuts during “Square Hammer.” My calves cramped up.

~Aether pointing at me and throwing me one of his picks at the “end” of the show. The guy next to me smacked it away. I was torked but I’m lucky to even have the one I do so eh.

~The crowd booing the band when the show “ended” before they came back on for “Monstrance Clock.”

~”TO CELEBRATE THE FEMALE ORGASM. IN THE NAME OF SATAN!”

~A completely flubbed bra toss during the song that ended up smacking me in the back and a very embarrassed woman coming up and asking for it when the show was over. Bless her.

I honestly couldn’t have asked for a more perfect first ritual. I ended up in front, the band sounded tight as hell, the crowd was very nice and well-behaved, and I walked away with a few souvenirs. My only regret is not taking more pictures or videos, but I really wanted to experience my first ritual to the fullest. I’ll make up for it at the Omaha show on Nov. 6! I have the M&G for that too!

Until next time!

[thislovintime]

Photographer unnamed.

“I briefly met Peter Tork in Fairfax, CA circa 1990. I won’t tell the whole anecdote, but his charming, self-efficacious graciousness in handling what might have been an awkward situation stayed with me all these years.” - Ann, Twitter, February 2019

[newagesispage]

                                                        MARCH              2019

 PAGE RIB

***** And the men who hold high places must be the ones to start, to mold a new reality closer to the heart. -RUSH

*****The most heroic word in all languages is revolution. – Eugene Debs

***** Words cannot begin to say how I feel about the death of Peter Tork. To lose another Monkee is heartbreaking. It is the circle of life and all things must pass and all the things we say but this one is hard. As they sang themselves, “you say we’re manufactured, to that we all agree” but that was only the beginning. The Monkees are very special  to me and mine. Oh sure, some make fun of us for our loyalty and some just don’t get it but this band is a thread thru my life like no other. I always call Davy, ‘the gateway Monkee’ because almost everyone loves him first, he draws you in. Davy seemed cute and talented and not at all imposing and we fall for him. Once you know that you are a fan for life, you find your lifetime Monkee and or you just appreciate the non- manufactured parts.  Some of the best memories of my life involve listening to Monkees , from my childhood bedroom to the party residence I had with my teen friends to my child’s childhood bedroom to seeing them LIVE in concert with my son and my sisters. We all understand every reference and we never tired of HEAD, the movie and Micky still makes me swoon.  In my family, our middle sister is into Mike and my baby sister was the Torkee . Go in Peace sweet Pete. You may have played the dummy but you never really were to us.*** Peter died of a rare form of cancer called adenoid cystic carcinoma, cancer of the salivary glands. He and his family asked for donations to be made to the institute for the musical arts in Massachusetts, a non -profit that provides young women with music education, recording and community.

***** Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has announced his budget which includes proposals to legalize recreational marijuana, legalize sports gambling, increase cigarette tax and put taxes in e- cigs and plastic bags.

***** Colin Kaepernick settled with the NFL.**The league will forever have to live with the fact that it was complicit in destroying someone’s career simply because he wished to bring attention to the injustice suffered by his people.- Jemel Hill

***** The new Diane Keaton film, Poms, a definite chick flick ,looks, warm, funny, sad and uplifting. Look for it in May.

***** Looking forward to Larry Charles’ dangerous world of comedy.

***** U.S. Coast Guard officer Chris Hasson has been arrested in an apparent Dem murder plot. No wonder Alec Baldwin is worried, these threats really do exist in this climate.

***** Former Maine Governor Paul LePage spent up to $1,100 a night on stays at Trump hotels with state money. Why do so many politicians think the people’s money is their piggy bank?

***** Amazon pulled out of its NY deal after protests. It seems terrible to me to give big incentives to the richest man in the world but the country needs good jobs. It wasn’t like they were going to just hand cash to Bezos. The 3 billion tax subsidy would have only gone to the company if they produced big revenue. People have the right to have a say in their neighborhoods and the will of the people should be done. In the end the decision was Amazon’s.  Next stop?? Nobody knows.

***** Oil lobbyist David Bernhardt will head the interior department.**The new deputy in the EPA, David Dunlap, former Koch industry official was quietly put in place in October. He helped to decide that we won’t set chemical limits on drinking water.

***** Saw Rich Hall recently on something and he got even hotter.

*****So, This seemed like the worst Super Bowl ever. Can we just say football is over already?

***** Cory Booker is so full of sound bites, I mean he never shuts up. Good ideas or not, I think it would get on our nerves.

***** Ok, Michael Moore, we all know U R awesome but U need to watch when they mike you for talk fests because your chin waddle often hits it and it blunts your message. Also.. Boycott Starbucks to fuck with a former CEO so he won’t run for Pres??? C’mon.. U will mostly be hurting the innocent workers who need those jobs, U R for the little guy and so that is just dumb.** Michael Moore is also one of the subjects on a current Finding your Roots on PBS which involves Quakers and slaves.

***** Mormon David Matheson, known for his masters degree in counseling and guidance that he used for gay conversion therapy has announced that he is gay.

***** Thank you John Roberts and the other liberal Supreme Court justices for blocking a new abortion law in La.

***** So glad to see Dirk Blocker and Joel Mckinnon Miller get bumped to the opening credits on Brooklyn 99. It’s about time. We will miss ya Chelsea.

***** The Directors Guild held their awards soiree and honored Alfonso Cuaron, Bo Burnham, Ben Stiller and Tim Wardle. I was thrilled to see love for Adam Mckay for Succession and Bill Hader for Barry. How fucking awesome is that??

***** Rosanna Arquette is joining the cats of Ratched with Finn Whitrock, Amanda Plummer and Sharon Stone. Sarah Paulson will produce for Netflix.

***** The Scary Clown administration has sold military equipment to the UAE and Saudi Arabia that is now driven by Al Qaeda.

***** Japan nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize that they say was requested by the U.S.

***** The State of the Union came and went with more ridiculous slow teleprompter talk. He seemed delighted when he mentioned jobs for women and ow they got elected. The women cheered as they all wore white to commemorate the suffragettes. He was glad to take credit for all their votes. ** We must thank Patton Oswalt for inventing the phrase ‘fuck you clap’ when he saw the way Nancy Pelosi responded to Trump.** “Best State of the Union speech in my lifetime delivered by the best POTUS since George Washington.”- Jerry Falwell.

***** Adam Schiff has announced new investigations into the Presidents finances. Trump is currently in the middle of 17 investigations. He has also written an open letter to his colleagues. He has asked those in congress to come out of the shadows. He claims that privately they tell him to keep doing what he is doing when he calls out the Pres. but he wants them to get some balls and say this in public.

***** The latest in men and their sexual quirks: Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots was arrested for soliciting prostitutes who are allegedly victims of sexual trafficking. He was next seen at an Oscar party.** A Bishop admitted that the church destroyed loads of files concerning sexual abuse allegations.

***** Get ready for season 2 of At home with Amy Sedaris. Woo Hoo!!

***** You Tube Premium has brought us Weird City which looks great!!

***** A judge in North Carolina voided mandates that required photo ID’s to vote. Hooray, one for the good guys!!

***** Amy Klobuchar is running for President.

***** The Justice Department has opened a probe into the plea deal given to Jeff Epstein for rape that was made by Secretary Acosta.

***** Virginia seems to be in a lot of trouble when it comes to racism, sexual harassment and politics.

***** Subpoena’s show that all parts of Trumps life, business, personal, charity, campaign, are now under investigation.

***** The National debt has topped $22 trillion for the first time.** It is all such a show. This administration is like when I used to go to the Pentecostal church where they speak in tongues or like calling a psychic , believing a televangelist even after there is proof he is stealing their money or reading a National Enquirer. It is a show built to entertain with no substance and filled with lies. The flock holds signs that say’ build the wall’ until he tells them to hold signs that say ‘finish the wall’ and they do. I mean, do they really believe him or do they just love a dictator because they can’t think for themselves?? It is impossible to figure these people out. Scary Clown is easy to figure but the followers?? How do we relate to these people?? He declares a national emergency for something he has screamed about since day one and only now is it bad enough to declare and yet he signs a deal which Rand Paul called, “massive, bloated and secretive.” The deal gave him 1.375 mil for ‘fences’ and an increase in spending for homeland security. His signature does keep the government open. Why didn’t they give him his money when they had the house and the Senate and Paul Ryan was in charge?? It seems he and Mitch would rather throw shade at the Dems and show that he can throw his weight around. It was unforgiveable to see the damage that caused. The Lincoln home national historic site is taking steps to keep the home open next time, just in case. What we have here is a giant smokescreen for all his nefarious wrongdoing.** The true emergency is taking place in his skull. -Stephen Colbert

***** Pelosi warns that a declaration of emergency could start things down a dangerous road. She warns as an example that a Democratic Pres may use it to get guns under control or something. I am sure Mitch and the boys are not worried. They probably think (and perhaps rightly) that Dems wouldn’t go that far because they have a conscious and follow the rules.

***** Of course, it is probably icing on the cake for the wallers but it is fucking with the butterfly habitat. They are already clearing spots to put up this wall and it is messing up the natural butterfly migration.** Ted Cruz says that El Chapo should pay for the wall.

***** GO NON SEQUITUR!!!!!!! Go Wiley Miller!!!

***** Governor Cuomo signed the child victims act into law. Victims of sexual abuse will have until age 55 to file civil lawsuits and seek criminal charges until age 28.

***** Matt Whitaker went to congress to testify. He agreed to talk but only if he weren’t subpoenaed. Whitaker dodged and weaved the whole time.  He did say that he never denied funds to Mueller and that he never spoke to Trump about the investigation.

***** Calling a black POTUS married 25 years to 1 wife with 2 children, no mistresses, affairs or scandals, ‘the antichrist’ but a white POTUS married thrice, 5 kids by 3 women, mistresses, affairs and scandals, “God’s anointed, proves your religion is white supremecy. –Bishop Talbert Swan.

***** Former Fox news talking head, Lea Gabrielle has been appointed special envoy and coordinator of global engagement to counter foreign propaganda disinformation.

***** Andrew McCabe has a new book, The Threat: How the FBI protects America in the age of terror and Trump.

***** Trumps El Paso rally was a bit more raucus than usual. We all know these things are just gonna get worse. BBC photojournalist Ron Sleans was attacked by a man yelling, “enemy of the people.”

***** The latest in sexual harassment news: A report found at least 700 victims of Southern Baptist church leaders and volunteers. And people wonder why members are leaving religion.** Ryan Adams is being looked at for sexually inappropriate behavior with a minor that involves skype and texts. Several women have accused him in a Times article. Technology gets ‘em everytime.

***** Illinois is headed toward a $15 minimum wage by 2025. It will kick off with a $1 bump in January.

***** This can’t be right: 1.6 million Americans don’t have indoor plumbing.

***** Oh how I wish the original cast of Cuckoo could all get back together.

***** Check out George Takei’s new graphic memoir, They Called Us Enemy. The story is about his experience in the internment camps.

***** Modern Family will end after the 11th season.

***** Jeff Bezos wrote an essay about the despicable way that the Enquirer threatened to blackmail him. He put it right out there like Letterman. It really does show how guys like Trump and Pecker do business. Is this all some elaborate plan by God to weed out all these selfish, soulless fuckers?? I mean why do so many men feel so worthless that they have to assert themselves so forcefully? Why do they bully women and hide their inadequacies?  Why do they impose their beliefs with a vengeance by calling it the will of God or the will of the people?? ** Ronan Farrow and other journalists are coming forward to tell tales of how the Enquirer threatened them as well. Surprise! More bullies!** AMI is broke with a net worth of negative $200 million. Why did it take so long? **Amazon made $11 billion and it seems they don’t have to pay any taxes.

***** The Iowa caucuses are just 1 year away.

***** Candace Payne is a beautiful soul who has now started a whole new movement for the homeless. She bought 30 rooms for the homeless when the cold plunged below zero. The word went out and before it was all over, with the help of others, they assisted 122 people.  It got Candace to thinking that she could use her job in real estate to flip houses to start housing the homeless.

***** I find myself getting excited about the Lion King coming this summer.

***** The house is working on the issues of guns which may get lost in the shuffle of all the other news. Go Go Go!!

***** The Grammys went wild for women this year with a record number of wins. I was so excited to see Jimmy Carter win his third for his audiobook, Faith: A Journey for all. Dave Chapelle and Weird Al both won. Buddy Guy won for best Trad Blues and Willie won for best Trad pop vocal. And hooray for Greta Van Fleet for best rock album. The best song in years to me was awarded Best rap/sung performance to Childish Gambino for This is America.  Joy Villa had a MAGA purse and Rebel wore a Trump jacket.** Best dressed, to me, were Fred Armisen, Angela Aquilal, Saint Heart, Maren Morris, Jameel Jamil, James Blake, Cardi B and Lady Gaga. The WTF goes to Andrea Echeverri .

***** The BAFTA’s happened the same night as the Grammys. Roma wins the top prize and grabs director too. The Favourite won big. Olivia Colman and Rami Malek took home prizes. Black Panther was awarded for visual effects. I was so happy to see Blackkklansman get the nod for adapted screenplay. ** I thought the best dressed were Timothee Chalamet, Regina King, Yalitza Apamcio and Duchess Kate. The WTF goes to Margot Robbie

***** Judd Apatow is producing 2 new projects. We will have a gay rom com with Billy Eichner and a semi -autobiographical comedy from Pete Davidson.

***** Payless Shoe Source will be a thing of the past.

***** So yes, we have 4% unemployment and 69% feel good about the economy but credit card debt is bigger than ever and those making late payments are at a record high.

***** Alexandria Ocasio Cortez has yet to set up a district office.

***** Everyone is talking about a Golden Girls cruise that will set sail next year.

***** CNN has hired Michael Caputo and Corey Lewandowski.

***** Tulsi Gabbard is running for President.

***** Bernie Sanders is running for President.

***** This Jussie Smollett thing gets stranger all the time. He was arrested for his lies and charged with paying people to beat him. He allegedly wanted more pay at Empire and some publicity.  He got the publicity but was written off Empire. We will see how things play out.

***** Studies show that blueberries may be as effective as some meds for high blood pressure.

***** R Kelly was arrested finally. I think Chicago PD is tired of messing around.

***** Insulin prices have more than doubled in the last few years. In the first 2 days of 2019, 286 drug prices went up in price. Bernie Sanders has introduced a bill to cut drug costs by cutting out special interests.

***** The 91st Oscars went off without a host. Queen with Adam Lambert opened the show in probably the best Oscar opening I have ever seen. It seemed to make everybody happy!! My best dressed were Billy Porter, Willem Dafoe, Adam Lambert, Melissa McCarthy, Helen Mirren, Michelle Yeoh, Henry Golding, Chadwick Boseman, Kelly Ripa, Jordan Peele, Lay Gaga, Leslie Bibb, Chelsea Peretti, Bette Midler, my Adams, Regina King and Dana Guirira. The WTF was Gemma Chan. I did not think Brian Tyree Henry was all that best dressed but he is so fucking talented and so fucking hot. Give this guy some awards!! Rami Malek won  best actor and fell off the stage. Olivia Colman was the only real surprise. It was great to see Spike Lee win for writing and I am glad he made a statement but what about the other guys with you? I was really pulling for BlacKkKlansman or Black Panther for best pic but it went to Green Book. A lot of people grumbled about that. It really does seem that Tina, Amy and Mia should just host everything, no controversy there.

***** So, Michael Cohen testified 2 days behind closed doors and 1 day for the public. That was a thing! Why did all the southern republicans behave as if we are all idiots and not worth a thought from their fine selves? Besides Trump and his family and cohorts, I never saw humans so righteous, so smug. How dare they call this Cohen testimony a circus after the circus we have all been subject to from this scary clown 45. Carol Miller did not even seem to care that our President is a crook. She just wanted to denigrate Cohen. She was concerned that they couldn’t be looking into real issues like child separation. Are you fucking kidding me? Ya’ll created this problem and now you are concerned?  The weirdest was questioning from Kelly Armstrong, I mean what was wrong with him, he was shaking like he needed a fix or he was on a coke binge. Jamie Raskin called him “frantic and unhinged”. I thought it was just my tv until I heard that. How do we take these people seriously? They actually printed a sign for the occasion that read’ liar, liar, pants on fire.’ They are talking about BIG, REAL problems with our leader. Don’t get me wrong, Cohen is a liar and deserves to go to prison but it should not just be him. There are many complicit in these dastardly deeds. Cohen claims he has threatened people aprox. 500 times for his former boss, Donald J. Trump. Russian collusion was not really cleared up for he did not have any direct info just speculation. Cohen did however feel that Trump would have never hit his wife or had a love child. He looked into it and found nothing to support these claims which, in my mind, made him believable. It also sounds like CFO Allen Weisselberg and the Trump children are just as guilty as Trump himself. It looks like they will now have to testify as well. And how can we believe anything from the President when his ego allows him to fuck with charity money just to jack up the price of his own portrait and manipulates polls so he looks good?  There was much more to see and I suggest you look it all up on C-span if you missed it. There is more to come as Cohen tells us there are many things being investigated that he can’t even comment on. The highlights to me were his opening statement, the financial questioning from Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and chairman of the oversight committee’s Elijah Cummings closing. It’s not like we haven’t heard this stuff before. All roads lead to this al making sense. Anybody who paid attention before Trump was President would know his character.** Republican congressman Matt Gaetz tweeted a threat to Michael Cohen about his alleged girlfriend. The President and his thugs sure are open about their intimidation, no shame at all.

***** The prototypes of the wall were demolished. An owl flew out of one of them.

***** Wal Mart is eliminating the greeter position. It was about the only thing I admired about them. The elderly and disabled are fucked out of another job. Way to go.

***** Isreal Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is being indicted for bribery and fraud.

***** I will never understand this obsession with money.

***** Farmers are finding it tough. They do not want welfare and many of their loans have become delinquent. The tariffs and low crop prices are really hurting our farmers.

***** If you ever watch Seth Meyers, the wrap up of the Oscars from’ Amber says what’ was her best yet. Check it out!

***** Days alert: More Adrienne please, give her a story!**

***** The trailer for Jordan Peele’s new Twilight Zone looks fucking amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

***** R.I.P. Alsa Mashzoub, Kristoff St. John, Julie Adams, Albert Finney, James Ingram, Frank Robinson, John Dingee , the Aurora shooting victims, Lee Radziwill, David Horowitz, Karl Lagerfeld, those lost in the Bangladesh fire, Fred Foster, Stanley Donen, Mark Hollis, Jackie Shane, Peter Tork and Gail Reynolds.

[theultimatefan]

Wizard World Teams With Legendary Producer Lou Adler To Screen Original 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' In Minneapolis, Midnight, Saturday, May 6

Wizard World (OTCBB: WIZD) presents a screening of the 1975, Twentieth Century Fox classic musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show in conjunction with Wizard World Comic Con Minneapolis, at midnight on Saturday, May 6 (into early Sunday morning). Barry Bostwick, who starred as “Brad Majors” in the cult favorite, will introduce the event, which will also feature the local shadow cast group “Transvestite Soup,” at The Riverview Theater, 3800 42nd Ave S. in Minneapolis.

Bostwick will also host a special VIP meet-and-greet at the Minneapolis Convention Center at 7 p.m. to preview the screening. Tickets for both the screening (general admission and VIP seating), commemorative t-shirts and VIP meet-and-greet are available in advance at www.wizardworld.com.

“Wizard World is excited to bring this all-time cult favorite to our fans in Minneapolis,” said John D. Maatta, Wizard World President & CEO. “It exemplifies the additional emphasis we are placing on programming and extra activities at our shows to enhance the entertainment value for attendees throughout the weekend.”

“We are looking forward to bringing the original Rocky Horror Picture Show to Wizard World Comic Con," said Lou Adler, executive producer of the film. “It is a unique opportunity and a perfect match for both.”

“’It's just a party, Janet!’ Come and join me for a special screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show with the full Shadow Cast experience,” added Bostwick.

In The Rocky Horror Picture Show, sweethearts Brad Majors (Bostwick) and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon), stuck with a flat tire during a storm, visit the creepy home of eccentric Dr. Frank N Furter (Tim Curry), a transvestite scientist in search of a phone. As their innocence is lost, Brad and Janet meet a houseful of wild characters, including a rocking biker (Meat Loaf) and a creepy butler (Richard O'Brien). The film, famed for midnight showings, has been screened regularly since its September 1975 U.S. release, often with audiences in full costume playing out the scenes as they are shown.

The event will also feature a display of numerous items from the original movie, for an even more authentic experience for attendees. Among them are original costumes, original costume designs, handwritten song lyrics, scripts, contracts and behind-the-scenes photos, from the collection of Larry Viezel, noted Rocky Horror superfan, historian and collector.

Wizard World Comic Con Minneapolis will feature Charlie Sheen (“Two and a Half Men,” Platoon), Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman (“Doctor Who”), Nichelle Nichols (“Star Trek”), Charisma Carpenter and Nicholas Brendon (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), and “The Monkees” duo of Peter Tork and Micky Dolenz and Bostwick among the all-star cast of celebrities scheduled to appear, May 5-7. The event marks Wizard World's fourth annual show in Cleveland and the fifth on Wizard World's 2017 calendar of 16 scheduled events.

Minneapolis will also feature an exciting array of activities, including non-stop live entertainment throughout extended evening hours, gaming, exclusive Q&A sessions with top celebrities creators and more. Details to follow soon.

Wizard World Comic Con events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop culture: movies, television, gaming, live entertainment, comics, sci-fi, graphic novels, toys, original art, collectibles, contests and more. Minneapolis show hours are Friday, May 5, 4-9 p.m.; Saturday, May 6, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.; and Sunday, May 7, 10 a.m. -4 p.m.

Wizard World is also the place for cosplay, with fans young and old showing off their best costumes throughout the event. Fans dressed as every imaginable character—and some never before dreamed—will roam the convention floor. The famed Wizard World Comic Con Minneapolis Costume Contest will take place on Saturday night.

For more on the 2017 Wizard World Comic Con Minneapolis, visit http://wizd.me/MinneapolisPress.

[thislovintime]

A fan named Cathy meeting Peter Tork in 1967; photo via Cathy's blog.

"While most girls loved Davy, I had a 15 year old girl true love for Peter.

In 1996 I saw them again (minus Michal [sic] Nesmith) on their Reunion Tour while living in Reno, Nv. Davy was wearing a cast on his leg and had to sit on a stool a good bit of the time. But I didn’t care. I was 16 years old again and being taken to another place and time by the Monkees and their music.

[...] I was head over heals [sic] 'ga ga' for Peter Tork of the Monkees. Most girls loved Davy but I loved Peter. Jimmy [sic] Hendrix commented on several occasions that Peter was the 'most talented one of the Monkees.[']

My mother knew that Peter was my obsession. She knew someone with the record label and was able to get the address to his home. We got in her dark green convertible MGB and drove up into the Hollywood Hills. She said she had a surprise for me. We pulled up in front of a really cool house and parked across the street. She told me this was the home of Peter Tork. She said I could go up to the door and ask for him autograph and to take a picture with him.

I was terrified….a pretty common state for me …but even more so that day. I froze. My mother was annoyed and finally coaxed me out of the car. I followed her across the street. She knocked on the door. Terror…Panic…What if I pass out or say something really stupid.

We waited. A young woman came to the door (in a white bikini bathing suit-not underwear.) My mother told the young woman that it was my 16th birthday and what we wanted. She invited us in. She took us into the room where Peter was on the phone. He stopped and listened to what we wanted. He talked to me for just a minute. I was too terrified to talk. I must have said something, but I am still not sure what it could have been. My mother took some pictures and Peter gave me hug. I couldn’t speak. This picture is the only one I have. Claudia kept this one and gave it to me when she found out I didn’t have them any longer. The other pictures and the postcard with his picture he autographed for me were lost during my 'drinking days.'

So that is the saga of my 16th birthday. It was truly a summer of change for me. For the first time, I was away from the tight-fisted control of my grandmother and my alcoholic grandfather. I started the school year with a new-found courage and belief that I was just maybe a little bit special." - Cathy, Cathy's Voice Now, February 29, 2012 [x]

[thislovintime]

Fan photos from the set of The Monkees, circa 1967.

In photo 1... “He’d remember better, but I think he was just fooling around with a prop that day. This was shot just outside the soundstage on the Screen Gems lot. [Someone in the comments section asked if that was his girlfriend…] And I only wish I’d been his girlfriend, but that’s me with him.” - Carol V., Facebook, 2013

[thislovintime]

“Steve Smith and former Monkee Peter Tork, The Red Creek, Rochester, New York, 1985″ - ripopmusic.org

“A while ago, an ad appeared in a newspaper here offering music lessons for $30 an hour. Peter Tork placed that ad and, yes, he gives music lessons. He is a genuine talent: a multi-instrumentalist; and a heck of a nice chap. […] Peter Tork is a VERY serious man heavily into spirituality and humanity. And he can be a happy-go-lucky, joking, laugh-a-minute fellow. […] So, you’re 44 now, is that good? ‘It’s OK. Sure my knees aren’t as wonderful as they used to be. But the other day I pounded down the pavement after a bus, and it felt like I was flying. Like I was eight. Um. My back’s going. My hair’s falling out. I don’t have any teeth left. My head fell off last night, which was kind of annoying. I left my spleen on a train last week. Basically, I’m falling to pieces but I feel simply wonderful.’ […] I started getting the idea that this guy is kind of genuine; sincere, the real thing.” - article by John Elder, Countdown, April 1987 (x)