Last Days of Coney Island

As a kid, Uncle P's Mother spent part of her summer vacations with her grandmother at Coney Island. I heard stories about the Steeplechase; the Shoot the Chutes (a precursor to today's "Log Flume" rides) and of course, the Cyclone rollercoaster. Of course, the only thing that really remains today is the Cyclone (the Wonder Wheel came much later).

As someone who has a mild obsession with coasters and theme parks, I imagined a romanticized version of Coney Island that I would never get to see. Of course, the Internet came along and I discovered hundreds of images, stories and details about Coney Island in its heyday in the early 20th Century. I even started to write (and may yet finish) a musical called Luna Park, about Coney's most fabled amusement park which burned down on August 12, 1944. Coney Island (like much of Brooklyn) has experienced a renaissance of sorts and a new Luna Park has opened in recent years (long-time readers will remember my birthday trip there, a few years ago).

So I was fascinated to learn that animator Ralph Bakshi (best known for the X-rated Fritz the Cat; the first film version of The Lord of the Rings and the live-action/animated combo movie Cool World with Brad Pitt) has created a Kickstarter page to finance Last Days of Coney Island. Set in the early 1960's Last Days... is a series of animated shorts about the decline of the once-glamorous vacation spot and the people who inhabited it.

Personally, Bakshi's films have always been hit-or-miss. One of the last 2D animators working in the feature film industry, Bakshi always has some interesting ideas, even of his films don't always hit the mark. So I was delighted when the Happy Mutants at BoingBoing posted Bakshi's Kickstarter video plea for funding of Last Days of Coney Island.

I do hope Bakshi gets funding to make this film. 2D animation is going away, and it makes me sad. Even Disney incorporates CG animation in their 2D films these days. A cool, successful, experimental 2D animated movie may just be what some young animator needs to inspire new works in this dying art form.

Uncle P is also hoping to have his own Kickstarter page by the end of the year; first to raise money for a trailer for Army of the Dead and eventually full funding to shoot the feature. I recently enlisted the help of a fellow actor, friend and graphic artist to create some storyboards for the page. You know I'll be keeping you posted.

More, anon.
Prospero

What a Vacation!

I still have two days left of my vacation, but this has been a most amusing and amazing week.

The picture to your left is Uncle P's newest tattoo. This one is on my right calf and a little more (actually, a lot more) vertical than it seems in this picture. I suppose that can happen when one takes a photo of one's own calf... I got it because it represents not just an ancient culture, but is also probably one of the most unusual Yin-Yang symbols I have ever seen. Uncle P is big on ancient cultures (see my Egyptian ink). I've already decided that my next one will be Aztec or Inca. And I know it looks red and irritated (and there's even a little blood), but the picture was taken just a few hours after it was done, yesterday afternoon. It looks a lot better, today.

The new ink was my birthday present to myself; a tradition that started last last year and will probably continue for a few more.

So this vacation started with Friday night drinks with a dear friend I haven't seen in several years (she moved to MA for a job a few years ago). Then Saturday night was Inception with two other dear friends, followed by a trip to Coney Island on my actual birthday, Sunday. Below is a shot of some of the insane rides at the new Luna Park. The rides at Coney are rather expensive, so we only rode a few, but we still managed to have a fantastic time. We ate lunch at Nathan's, saw the Sideshow by the Seashore and just had ourselves a grand time. If you're a Facebook Friend, you can see more Coney Island pics, there. If you aren't, let me know and I'll add you.

Monday and Tuesday could hardly compare, though I did manage to reorganize my bathroom cabinet (a bigger job than you can imagine) and steam-clean the whole bathroom. Woo-hoo! So exciting!

My next big adventure was meeting my little angel, Matty in Seaside Heights (yes, I know) for dinner and fireworks on the beach. I grew up going to Seaside as a kid, and must admit that it is smaller and dingier than I remember... Still, Matty and I had a grand time strolling the boards and looking for hot guys (there weren't many).

Which brings me to Thursday and my new ink; once again at Living Arts Tattoo in New Hope, PA. For those not familiar, New Hope is sort of Pennsylvania's Provincetown. Clean, comfortable and staffed by the nicest (and best) tattoo artists in the region, Living Arts is the only place I will ever get inked. My first tatt was from a rival shop in the same town, and while I was satisfied with their work, their demeanor and general customer service was poor, at best. The guys at Living Arts are just terrific, and I highly recommend them, should you be so inclined to use their services.

Then tonight was an informal gathering of folks I recently reconnected with at my HS reunion last fall. We drank, we ate and we all complained that we are closer to the half-century mark than any of us would like to admit. Still, we look fabulous and a great time was had by all.

I still have two days left before I have to return to my day job. Who knows what adventures await (though I'm thinking 'not many')?

I know I've promised a giant post on The Zombie Zone, and that is coming, tomorrow. And I'll be back to my usual nonsense come Sunday.

More, anon.
Prospero

PS - Today would have been my father's 72nd birthday. Happy Birthday, Dad, wherever you may be...

I'll Blog If I Want To

This is a postcard from Luna Park, Coney Island's Premiere Attraction in the early 20th Century. Uncle P is so obsessed with the accounts of the attractions at Luna Park, he wrote an as yet un-scored musical about it and it's founders.

Since it's after midnight here, it is officially my Birthday. And if you must know, I am Old Enough to Know Better and Young Enough to Say 'F**k It' and Do It Anyway, Bitches! I have been this age for quite some time now and expect to remain this age for quite some time yet (or at least, I hope to).

Several of Uncle P's dearest friends, including D, K, Q and Dale - as well as some old college buddies he hasn't seen in ages are joining me for an adventure to a place I've never been and I can't wait. I'll post pics and stories... eventually.

And for the curious, here's some footage of the original Luna Park, shot in 1903:

The boat ride was called the Shoot the Chutes and it's obvious there was more thought given to thrills than to safety. The pile-up on the slide at the end would be a tragic accident, today. Still, the story of how that amazing place came to be is just as fascinating as the place, itself.

More...
Prospero