This week’s section is on IG-er:

1. Tell me a little about yourself :                                                                                                “I guess I’ll start off with the standard my name is Rebecca and I am going on 32. (but at this point, who
   even bothers counting?) I live in Australia and am a photo editor by trade – I’m never too far away
   from my computer, smart phone or a book!
   I enjoy travelling and have spent extensive time overseas – but have put the travelling on hold for a few years as I am a student who is purchasing a home.
   My interests include collecting both ‘retro’ fiction and women’s and teen magazines – I have quite the collection. Ultimately, I plan on scanning and digitally archiving the covers of most of the material I own so that fellow enthusiasts have access to a trove of high resolution images, something which the internet is generally lacking.
   My interest in ‘retro’ popular culture extends to music, film and architecture/decor as well. My greatest dream is to be able travel to a destination AND a time period. How amazing would that be? I’d definitely go back to the 1970s and chill for a little while!”
2. What made you want to start the Retro Reads IG?                                                         “The Instagram account @retro_reads simply started as a way to promote the Facebook group a friend and I had started two years earlier. I had started collecting YA fiction from the 1970s and 1980s back in 2012 after stumbling across the
   Cliquey Pizza blog. I was amazed at the amount of teen fiction that I’d never known existed and that I wanted to read. This of course lead to me spending a small fortune on buying used books online. (Shipping a book to Australia from the US is the equivalent to the down payment on a mortgage, let me tell you!) Thankfully, I’ve since found cheaper ways to source used books online (and embraced
   eBooks and the Open Library), but it’s been a pretty expensive process all up!
   As well as buying books that I’d never known about up until that point, I also decided to finish off my Sweet Valley and The Baby Sitters Club book collections, as well as a handful of others. (The list of collections has grown significantly!) Between the two series there are well over 1000 books so buying in bulk become essential if I was to be cost effective – this meant that I’d often have a surplus of ‘doubles’. In 2014, I decided to put the excess books on Gumtree (Similar to Craig’s List) in hope that somebody would shell out the $1 – $4 I wanted per book – not thinking that anybody would really be that interested or willing to fork out $4 for a paperback from the 1980s. Boy was I wrong! Enter the lovely Renee, a fellow Aussie who lived on the other side of the country. She was desperately trying to collect the entire Sweet Valley and The Baby Sitter’s Club sets for her daughter for Christmas.
   (What child of the 80s or 90s didn’t want her as a mum, I mean seriously!) We swapped a handful of books between us and then came up with the idea to start a Facebook ‘Buy Swap Sell’ group as we had discovered a handful of others in Australia who were collecting similar books.                                                                 What initially started off as a small group of us, trading, buying and selling books has now turned into an international group of over 2000 collectors selling hundreds of books per month. We don’t just stop at The Baby Sitter’s Club and Sweet Valley books – other series such as Fear Street, Goosebumps, Point Horror and any Young Adult or Middle Grade fiction from the 1970s-2000 is welcome. It’s become a great hub to not only buy, swap or sell but to discuss books and share news on any upcoming re-releases etc.The Instagram account naturally grew from there. If you look at my older posts, it’s mainly me trying to ‘recruit’ people into the Facebook group, but it soon became so much more. I loved searching for covers to share with my followers – I had soon gained quite a few loyal supporters who really loved the content I posted. The covers and the artwork on these older books, I feel, is half of the magic. I
   know they say don’t judge a book by it’s cover, but… well…
   I generally only post high resolution images. I think my background in photography/editing makes me a little pedantic about image quality. Quite a lot of the book covers I post have creased covers, or markings etc. When I can, I remove these in Photoshop before posting. Often I try and provide some witty commentary about the book cover (I generally fail miserably) or a little information about the book, author, series or relevant topic.            I’m by no means the first or the best retro book related Instagram account. There are a handful of other amazing accounts who also post similar content – I love seeing what they post as they often have books I’ve never seen before. I think my point of difference is that I don’t so much photograph my collections but just provide (scanned) images of the covers. I like to think of my account as a mini
   archive as well as a homage to retro fiction. As well as this, I also have a similar Instagram account which I have just started – @magazine_memories. The concept is similar to @retro_reads – Sharing content that hopefully sparkssome great memories for my followers.”
3.  Who is your favorite YA author and why?                                                                   “That’s easy, as cliché as it is for most retro YA enthusiasts – Judy Blume!
   I was about 9 or 10 when I read my first Judy Blume novel (Tales of a 4th Grade) and from then on, I was hooked – I had soon read her entire collection of works. This was pretty impressive for a kid who solely lived on a diet of Sweet Valley and The Baby Sitters Club. I was finally reading something real, something that spoke to me. Even as a child, I loved the way Judy wrote, her character dialogue was
   realistic and relevant. She was never theatrical or over the top. There was no flowery prose, there was no exhaling or dramatic musing and sometimes nothing much happened. But that was okay, this was everyday life and what I wanted to read about. Her characters were often flawed, they didn’t always get their happy ending, but they always grew and with them, as a reader, I did too. Judy was never
   patronizing or spoke down to her reader. We were kids, sure, but she got it. We understood and felt things that other adults didn’t think we did. She expressed the things we were all thinking and feeling, for us. Judy was the ‘Hashtag Relatable’ for the kids of the 1970s and 1980s. I remember often reading a line in a Blume book and thinking ‘Yeah! Me too!’ It’s not often an author can create such rich characters that remain relevant over several generations. Although I came to her books in the mid 1990s, these books were not only a comfort to me and a reassurance that I was normal, they were also nostalgic. Nostalgic, but never dated. Revisiting the books as an adult is never disappointing, but like putting on a favourite pair of slippers, ones that will always fit.  I also like Mary Downing Hahn and Norma Klein, but I discovered them as an adult. For anybody who is a Judy Blume fan, I encourage you to check out the late Norma Klein. She was a good friend of Judy’s and their writing style is very similar. I do enjoy contemporary fiction as well – I generally read psychological thrillers. Stephen King is one of my favourite contemporary adult authors.”
4.  If you have to make a top five books to read while lounging the the pool what books would be on your list and why?                                                                  “Truthfully, I’d probably in the pool as I’d LOVE swimming, but I’d have an audiobook on in the background because audiobooks are amazing and then I could swim and read!
   BUT – If I had to choose (assuming you mean retro fiction): • Summer Sisters – Judy Blume
   • Valley of the Dolls – Jacqueline Susann
   • Steffie Can’t Come Out To Play – Fran Arrick
   • Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York – Gail Parent
   • Puberty Blues – Kathy Lette and Gabrielle Carey (An awesome Australian YA book from 1979 featuring the exploits of two teenage girls who join a surf gang)
5. What was the first YA book you read as a teen that taught a valuable life lesson? What was the lesson?                                                                                                        “Wow, this got deep! I don’t know if I’ve ever been a reader who takes away ‘valuable life lessons’ from a book. Even though Judy Blume’s books were insightful to me, it was purely because her characters were relatable. Admittedly, most of the books I’ve read as a younger person were ‘fluff’. I don’t think many life lessons can be learnt from Sweet Valley High or Gossip Girl. I’d love to give you a better answer! I do remember reading ‘Sex Education’ by Jenny Davies which was a really moving book. Despite the name, it’s not a ‘dirty book’ that you’d pass around to your classmates with passages underlined, but a touching story about two high school students who befriend a lonely and pregnant neighbour as part of a class assignment on caring for others. It’s definitely something I’ll have to read
   again as I remember it being quite a beautiful, but sad story. So not really a ‘valuable life lesson’, but still a book that has stuck with me.”
6.  Is there any exciting news, upcoming events that have to do with your IG groups/facebook groups that you would like to share?                                                    ” I don’t really have anything exciting planned with the Instagram account, although I am hoping to eventually sort my books and set up my scanner and create more content. As I mentioned earlier, I am hoping to eventually scan, edit and upload covers in hi res from my collection which I’ll archive in some sort of fashion on my blog. Sadly, I don’t have all the retro YA books in the world, so I would love for it to become a project that other people get involved in. (Feel free to drop me a line if you can help out!) Everyone would get credit for anything they provided. Even though a lot of cover images are available online, most are stock images from Amazon or online used bookstores and the image quality is terrible, especially as screen resolution on mobile devices and computer screens keeps getting higher and higher. I know that other people have done similar things
   with their collections and the Cliquey Pizza blog was the pioneer and definitely the inspiration behind my ‘book journey’, but sadly, she doesn’t blog anymore or have a huge archive of hi-res images.”

If you like to join one of Rebecca’s facebook groups or Instagrams or have any questions. Her contact information is:

BabysittersclubsweetvalleyGoosebumps70s80sYABookclubcollectors

Retro Reads

70s80s90sDolly/Girlfriend/Cleo/ComsoMagazineBuySwapSellAustralia

Magazine Memories

IG:

@retro_reads

@magazine_memories

This week’s Artist’s Spotlight is on James Rhodes (IG: @goontownkiller)

1.  DESCRIBE YOUR ART AESTHETIC –
   “Well, that’s kinda hard to pin down … i don’t know if i really have a very solid answer for that one. I don’t usually think of art in terms of philosophies, concepts, catagories, parameters or rules of any kind. I just try to make something that pleases me visually & emotionally. If it smells like art, tastes like art …. it might be art. I don’t know.  Sometimes, I think everything is art. I’ve been putting off doing this interview for several reasons ….
   I’ve been afraid that If i answer these questions, people can see me …. they’ll know what a fraud i am …. and that i won’t be invisible anymore. One of the greatest horrors in life is to be seen. I’m really just a big mangled anteater with rusty spoons & wire for brains & guts. Or, maybe I’m a Snarling Sasquatch Wizard ….. I don’t know yet. I mean, I’m only 65, I haven’t really had enough time to figure it all out.” 
2.  WHY DID YOU DECIDE ON THIS ART FORM VS. ANOTHER ART FORM ?
   “We’ve all done collage at some point in our lives. When we were little kids, we cut out pieces of construction paper & glued them down & added stickers or buttons or pieces of cotton balls to make a picture of the Easter Bunny or a Valentine for our mom. It has always fascinated me. But, i never really got serious about it until around the summer of 2016. The idea of sticking a picture of a 60’s babe in a girdle onto a background of brightly colored wicker lamps & a two-headed comic book dinosaur greatly appeals to me …. so, I guess it chose me.
   I’ve also been involved in several facets of amateur & professional photography most of my life, and was a web press, offset & letterpress printer & screenprinter for 25+ years, with a liberal sprinkling of darkroom work and ad & page layout.  So, collage just seemed a natural step. “
3. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ART PIECE YOU CREATED?
   “Picking a favorite is pretty much impossible for me ….. i always fail miserably at those questions ….. favorite movie, food, record, artist ….. i love so many …. i just can’t choose! I have favorites, but not any single one that i could put at the top.
   Now, if you asked for my 30 or so top favorites, i could probably give those to you, but in no particular order!”
4.  DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING COMING UP IN TERMS OF PROJECTS, SHOWS, ETC.?
   “Yes, a couple of things:
   1.  I’m going to collage a skateboard for a show on May 29th at @waterboyz … a local skate shop here in Pensacola, Florida.
   2.  And, I’m very honored to have been chosen to participate in the upcoming Edinburgh Collage Collective Vinyl Show in Edinburgh, Scotland – @edinburghcollagecollective

   

   …. VERY excited about both of those! I just wish i could afford to go to Scotland for the Vinyl Show!”

Thank you so much for the interview James! I know this was not an easy thing for you to do but you do incredible art and you should be recognize for it!!

If you like to know more about James his contact information is his Instagram:

@goontownkiller

@goontowncollage

Until next time!!!

This week interview is on IG feed: @Tmbr

1. Tell me a little about yourself.
   “I’m an average and ordinary geek. I’ve only recently accepted the geek label. I’ve probably been one since I first saw Star Wars at age six. Of all my pop culture obsessions, Star Wars is perhaps the most lasting. Now that I think of it, all my current hobbies are the ones formed as a kid in the ‘80s. I love comic strips and cartoons. Being from Indiana, also home to Jim Davis, Garfield has been my biggest love. I also love comic books and art, mostly from the Bronze Age in which I grew up. Old arcade video games and home consoles are a big part of my interests as well. I’m quite the Atari fanboy. I love rock music, especially hard rock/heavy metal (aka hair metal). 
   By profession, I’m a website developer, designer, and jack-of-all-trades. Right out of college (25 years ago—gosh, I’m old) I started working for a home video/video game distributor. I worked in the home entertainment industry through a lot of interesting episodes—from the ubiquity of VHS to the emergence of DVD to Blu-ray’s sputtered start to the decline of physical media in favor of digital. It was this decline that lead to my dismissal in 2016.It was a fun run. I have a number of friends who still work there. I got to create two great websites during my time: VIDEOETA & Myvideostore

   Both were amazing experiences and top destinations at the time. I had the luxury of working with movies and video games on a daily basis. I’ve since made the transition to working for a medical research organization. It’s super-challenging but amazing to think I can have a tiny, tiny part in improving the health of people across the world.

   I consider myself a creative but never can find the time to explore that side of myself. Most of my creative energy is expended at work, I guess. I like to write and love to doodle cartoons and caricatures. I was a cartoonist for my college newspaper. I have an awesome drawing table set up at home. It’s surrounded by lots of my collections. I really need to devote more time to creating stuff!”
2. What are you top five favorite comic books and why?
   “I’m a Marvel fanboy, to the point of being biased against DC Comics for no good reason. It’s really weird being a comic book enthusiast but yet knowing very little about the DC side of things.
   My all-time favorite comic series is Marvel Team-Up. I’ve been working to collect the entire run of those issues, filling in from the ones I still own from back in the day. I loved the one-off nature of MTU and its revolving guest stars. It’s cliche, but Amazing Spider-Man is another favorite. I fell in love with the character as a kid. Being a child of the ‘80s I’m legally required to mention X-Men. I am definitely one of those people who made Wolverine the biggest Marvel superhero for a time. John Byrne is one of my all-time favorite artists. Rounding out my favorite series would be G.I. Joe and Star Wars. I loved the ongoing stories from Larry Hama in G.I. Joe. As a Star Wars fan, how could you not enjoy the weirdness of those old comics?”
3. What does a typical Tim weekend consist of?
   “There are typical Tim weekends and there are amazing Tim weekends. Typical weekends are ones were I’m doing boring work around the house. Amazing ones are when I can get away to flea markets, used book stores, antique markets, etc. to search for stuff. The thrill of the hunt is really where the fun lies. You never know what you’re going to find when you browse some of these places. They’re like treasure hunts. I take a lot of photographs and post the funniest or strangest stuff on Instagram. Because of limited budget and space, I don’t buy much. I also have extremely precise collections so it’s hard to find new stuff.
   
   Weekends are also when I try catch up on reading and movie/TV-watching. I’ve become fascinated by weird, old movies. I love watching Svengoolie, the Chicago-based homage to all those Elvira-style horror/sci-fi movie showcases that used to be popular. Growing up in Indiana we had a similar type show hosted by a character named Sammy Terry. Svengoolie brings back a lot of great old memories. Plus, trashy movies are really fun. The art direction is often the best portion. Take a movie like Creature from the Black Lagoon, by today’s standards, the acting, script, and special effects aren’t rock solid but you can’t argue with the design of the creature.”

4. What is your favorite Star Wars movie and why?

“The Empire Strikes Back is absolutely my favorite movie. I loved the first one as a kid but ESB just hit me at the right time and with the right substance. As most agree, ESB is an amazing, well-told film but the Hoth portion of ESB left me in awe. That first act of the movie is perfection, in my opinion. It’s why I collect almost exclusively Hoth-themed items. I have a growing fleet of Snowspeeders, my all-time favorite SW vehicle. Plus I love snow in general.”

5. I noticed you posted some KISS stuff. Who is your favorite member? What did you think of “KISS meets the Phantom” movie?

One of my early childhood memories is of my brother driving me to places. He always took me places he needed to go when my parents couldn’t find a sitter and when my sister didn’t want to watch me. He would often take me to soccer practice with him and I always remember him speeding off with me in his car to a particular set of songs. But being so young at the time I had no idea where the songs came from until a couple of years later I was watching HBO and came across this movie: 

And Diane Lane (or it appeared she was) was singing this song:

I automatically recognized it as one of the songs my brother would have at full volume and literally be speeding and driving to. Meanwhile I would be in the back seat of the car having a total blast dancing in my buckled seat when the window down. From that flash back of memories I decided to sit down and started to watch the movie from start to finish.

The movie was:

Streets of Fire was directed by Walter Hill and made its debut in 1984. It was deemed as an “rock and roll fable and it is kind of hard to narrow the kind of  movie genre it belongs in because it a mix of a musical drama with a flair of dark noir and comedic overtones.

It stars Diane Lane, Michael Pare and William Dafoe (one of my favorite actors!):

It is about a renegade (played by Micheal Pare) who comes back to his hometown only to learned that his ex-girlfriend (played by Diane Lane) gets kidnapped by a biker gang. The whole movie revolves around this plot of trying to get her back.

It is really rare that a movie and a soundtrack can stand alone and I feel like this soundtrack is one of the few that can completely stand apart from the film. 

The song “I Can Dream About You” even made it onto Billboard’s Top 10 in 1984 and I was genuinely surprised that song came from the Streets of Fire soundtrack!

As I got older the more I was able to appreciate both the movie and soundtrack not just because of the great combo of songs and cult movie status of it. It became a fond childhood memory of my bond between my brother and I.

Until Next time!