Quote and Credit

Quote and Credit

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Choppers NBD! (Never Been Dropped) Stay Vertical!






Grab your ape hangers and hit the big slab! We don't need no skid lid brain bucket, just jack the jiffy, mount, blip, crack and catwalk. These sleds are pure NBD and they show it...just check the skin! Any one of the would blow any pasta or rice rocket, and if the pussies even TRY to SQUID, they'll sparkle the pavement and surf. Thrash it, but avoid static, and above all stay vertical, Angel. Keep the dirty side down.

Five Street Chopper Cards (from a set of 60) TRM publications, circa 1977 Collection Jim Linderman

The Dull Tool Dim Bulb Unidentified Flying Object Files ALIEN PROOF ON KODACHROME 1964 (!!!)





Well...since this blog is all about authenticity, be it in art, photography or culture...I feel it is my resposibility to share these rare DATED 1964 Kodachrome photographs. This is the first of three posts.

Three color Kodachrome Print Snapshots 1964 Collection Jim Linderman

Rod Raymond, The Worst Cartoonist in History Privately Printed Postcard Set







A set of privately printed postcards by "artist" Rod Raymond of Clare, Michigan from his "cash in on the folks driving up north to see the Mackinaw Bridge being built" period.

Printed postcards Rob Raymond c. 1950 Collection Jim Linderman

Bottle Tree of Winter Sellar Swartsel to the tune of "The Old Rugged Cross"


Bottle Farms are traditionally understood as an African-American phenom imbued with spiritual baggage from Africa. Could be...however, they are also a documented Caucasian practice. This is also my nomination for the oddest official historical marker in the country. See if you agree. Text of Roadside Marker follows:

A direct descendant of original settlers in Jackson Township, Winter Zellar (Zero) Swartsel was born in 1876. Throughout his life he was a natural born showman, teacher, eccentric, anarchist, and “possibly the grandfather of American Pop Culture.” At a young age and tired of the routines of Farmersville, he declared that, “He would live by his wits while his brothers lived by the sweat of their brows.” He and a friend bicycled first to New York City and then turned around to head west and eventually the world. Later his home would overflow with items collected while traveling the world. Outside was a similar story. While chiding the American people for their wastefulness and abusing their environment, his 22 acres of farmland became his artist's canvas filled with the thousands of items he collected from the “wasteful.” Winter Zellar (Zero) Swartsel's farm property became a field of glass as he adorned it with sculptures and “art” using glassware of all kinds, bells, bed frames, wood, and other discarded items. His finest works, fashioned from bottles titled “Kindly Light” and “Full Measure” created the popular Farmersville Bottle Farm. The farm also provided interesting listening experiences. In addition to the bells and twinkling glass that rang out in the wind, residents in town could count on hearing “The Old Rugged Cross” played on loud speakers on Sundays. Bells on grazing sheep added to the “noises” he described as restful. The farm attracted visitors from every state in the nation except Delaware. Dying in 1953, Swartsel bequeathed his land to the community to become the Farmersville-Jackson Township Joint Recreation Park to be used for the pleasure of children.


Snapshot of Swartsel bottle farm, c. 1955? Collection Jim Linderman

Welcome to Magnetic Hill "where car backs up hill without power" Real Photo Postcard




Real Photo Postcard, c. 1935? Collection Jim Linderman

The World's Dumbest Criminal (Literally) Profiles in Crime (Meet the Press)



A plethora of anachronisms in the description of Alex "Dummy" Miller, but I suppose "convicted murderer" makes the out-of-date descriptions of "deaf, dumb and mute" superfluous. Not that any group of impaired persons seem likely to claim him as their own anyway. He was found guilty of murdering Adam Shank, his wife and their four small children in 1923. Mr. Miller was "a deaf mute and cannot read or write, or use the deaf mute finger manual" according to the caption. I looked him up...farm hand, dispute over wages, gunshots.

Original glossy Press photograph, c. 1921-1923 Collection Jim Linderman

The Church of God in Christ 1937 Photographs (Ringing the Bell)




Note on Reverse:

"When the preacher wishes to stop the dancing he has a big bell which he rings. But sometimes it fails; the spirit has too much of a hold upon them and all the ringing in the world wouldn't stop --- so it just winds up in the bell being rung in a rhytmatic (sic) manner and the spirit emotions overcome the preachers who too begin dancing"


Pair of Original 8" x 10" Photographs, Dated 1937 Unknown Photographer. Collection Jim Linderman

TO SEE MY BLOG OF SIMILAR MATERIAL click OLD TIME RELIGION

The Man with the Wooden Pants "Buryl" Freak Real Photo Postcard





Two Real Photo Postcards, date unknown. Collection Jim Linderman

The Bluesman and The Cartoonist (What a Country!)



John Lee Hooker's "Boogie Chillen" is a raw, unvarnished ramped up electric rave and though he hailed from the Delta, Detroit proudly claims him as their own. He moved to the Motor City in the late 1940's and recreated the sound of the pounding auto plants with a dash of Mississipi wired up with electric watts. For 50 years his earliest recordings were thought to be the jazzed up sides cut by Elmer Barbee in Detroit. A year later, Joe Bessman recorded "Boogie Chillen" which was yesterday named as a historic recording worthy of the nation's highest sound honor. Hooker went on to ignore contracts and record under a dozen names for every label which would pay him fifty bucks, including Texas Slim, Delta Sam, Birmingham Sam, John Lee Booker, Johnny Hooker, John Cooker, Johnny Williams and Little Pork Chop. Clever, that young John Lee.

However, the story takes a curious twist. Gene Deitch, a Czech Academy-Award winning illustrator and under appreciated cartoonist, creator of Krazy Kat, Tom Terrific, Crabby Appleton, Mr. Instant, Captain Kidney Bean, Sweet Tooth Sam, The Candy Bandit and Isotope Feaney...(and if that isn't enough, the father of renowed cartoonist Kim Deitch) remembered having young Hooker over FOR DINNER and recording him performing 19 songs with an acoustic guitar in 1949. He lugged them around and stored them for fifty years. These precious sounds show John Lee playing the blues standards he started with and fit more at home down south than on Hastings Avenue. They are available on "Jack "0" Diamonds: 1949 Recordings. Boogie Chillen is available wherever you have ears, including virtually every ZZ Top tune. As a further amazing aside, Mr. Deitch also had the foresight to record the mysterous Connie Converse, who has become the latest flame for Doofus Hipsters chasing rare recorded thrills.

Belated congratulations to Mr. Hooker for having his proto-rock-boogie selected into the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress. Just plain congratulations to Mr. Deitch, who continues to live in Prague at age 84.

NOTE: MIke Baehr at Fantagraphics books points out that Gene Deitch isn't Czech, he merely lives in Prague...and that Mr. Deitch didn't create Krazy Kat, but he did illustrate it.


Joe Merwin, who says Smoking Spells Health (Meet the Press)




Lest you think I am one of those right wing lunatics who think the government is taking away our rights by discouraging tobacco, trust I am not. I wish they cost $25 a pack (and I wish they were even more expensive when I was stupid enough to smoke them as a kid) By the way, if you now smoke and don't agree with me...you will. There are only two ways to quit smoking. One...Get so sick you can't smoke. Two...Have a cheese sandwich and 50 sit-ups every time you want one. They both worked for me.

Joe Merwin Original glossy press photograph, Hand embellished Collection Jim Linderman

Did I give you my card?







You know, just in case you need an ambulance or anything.


Five Business Cards, c. 1955 Collection Jim Linderman