Author: Rudy Panucci (Page 157 of 581)

Local Spotlight: The Purple Moon

One of the pillars of the “Downtown Cool” places to shop in Charleston is The Purple Moon. Chuck and Connie Hamsher’s store is filled with Mid-century art, furniture, decor and design delights.

West Virginia’s only shop dedicated to vintage mid-century modern and contemporary design, furnishings, accessories, and art. Their store, tucked away at 817 Quarrier Street, right in the heart of downtown Charleston is a treasure trove of atomic age delights. Chuck and Connie Hamsher have created a terrific space where Charlestonians can finally find all that cool retro stuff that we see on the Home & Garden channel when they do a post-modern weekend.

The Purple Moon has been featured in PopCult since our first year blogging, and in that time we’ve seen them move to new locations twice as they expand and improve their mission to preserve the coolest stuff of the past seventy years for our enjoyment and enlightenment.

Saturday, December 1, is Chuck’s 60th birthday, and to celebrate there will be hot chocolate and candy canes given out in front of The Purple Moon and Art Emporium, and Santa will be at the Purple Moon to meet kids and help out with The Sonjourners Toy Drive. Charleston is even throwing a parade in Chuck’s honor, although some folks might mistake it for the annual Christmas Parade. Check out the event page HERE.

Or course, we’re mentioning The Purple Moon here because you ought to be able to find great gifts for anyone on your list among their offerings. Whether you’re looking for Blenko glassware, small or large pieces of art, furniture or any sort of cool knick-knackery, chances are you’ll find it here. The Purple Moon is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 AM to 6 PM (8 PM on Thursdays).

TranslunaGen Shirts

Today’s local pick for The 2018 PopCult Gift Guide points you to the webstore of TranslunaGen, where you can buy all manner of shirts emblazoned images, logos and album art by great local bands like Aaron Fisher and Ghost Fleet and Hurl Brickbat.

TranslunaGen is the new graphics and advertising company managed by acclaimed area singer-songwriter, Aaron Fisher, who you may have seen with Aaron Fisher and Ghost Fleet, or with many of the other bands that he’s worked with over the years. Aaron is also the owner-operator of The Fishbowl Recording.

In addition to band shirts, you can also find garments with Aaron Fisher’s photography and art. Aaron has a great eye as well as a great ear, and he delivers the full package as a musician, producer and photographer.

Aaron will be launching a video series, “Art on Art” very soon, and it’s cool to see the creativity on display right here in Charleston.

These shirts are the perfect gift for fans of Aaron’s music or art or the bands he produces, or just for anyone who wants to support the local scene. Visit the website HERE.

The Joy of Joe: Memories of America’s Movable Fighting Man from Today’s Grown-Up Kids
edited by Jim Beard, Bill Nedrow and Justin Bell
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN-13: 978-1720307273
$9.99

Today’s second entry in The 2018 PopCult Gift Guide is another cool book about GI Joe. This time it covers the entire history of the original action figure from 1964 to the present, with a collection of essays that make this the perfect gift for anybody who grew up as a fan of GI Joe.

The Joy of Joe: Memories of America’s Movable Fighting Man from Today’s Grown-Up Kids is a compendium of heart-tugging essays from folks who had their lives touched by GI Joe.  For well over fifty years the joy that kids feel for G.I. Joe, Hasbro’s toy phenomenon, stands as nothing short of amazing. Few other creations can boast of such an enduring love from fans of all ages across the globe.

Fall in with thirty such fans as they tell tales of childhoods marching alongside Joe through action and adventure, creating memories that have lasted lifetimes. THE JOY OF JOE will amuse you and touch your heart!

Featuring essays by Paul Kupperberg, Fabian Nicieza, Jerry Ordway, Dave West, Alan Porter, and many more. I’ve even got some Facebook friends among the contributors to this book. Beard, Nedrow and Bell have compiled an amazing Valentine to Hasbro’s greatest hero.

I got my hard copy directly from Jim Beard at the final GI Joe Club Convention last June, but this book really puts you in the mood for Christmas. It’s the perfect gift for any kid at heart who loves GI Joe. You can find it at Amazon.

I Don’t Know How They Found Me, But They Did: 1981 Extended Play

Today’s first pick in The 2018 PopCult Gift Guide is the debut EP by a new band (that’s actually been together for a few years), I Don’t Know How They Found Me But They Did, a duo consisting of Dallon Weekes of Panic At The Disco and Ryan Seaman. formerly of the band Falling In Reverse. Some folks shorten their name to IDKHOW. You might want to remember it. These guys could be the biggest band of the 1980s!

The band caught my eyes and ears with the single, “Do It All The Time,” which you can see at the bottom of this post. As you can tell, this tune occupies a sonic space displaced in time somewhere between DEVO and The Buggles, circa 1980.

Aside from the strong New Wave influence, the band also shows off a familiarity with “Nuggets” style garage rock, grunge, glam and BritPop…all things that make your PopCulteer’s ears perk up.

I Don’t Know How They Found Me, But They Did released “1981: Extended Play” just a couple of weeks ago, and you ought to be able to find it at any store that sells new music, or take the easy route and hit up Amazon. It’s six great songs for eight bucks. Can’t go wrong with that. You can even get it on vinyl and cassette, directly from the band’s website.

It’s the perfect gift for the hip retro musicologist on your holiday shopping list.

But first, check out the video and see if it tickles your fancy.

Local Spotlight: Route 60 Music

Heading West on Route 60, past the Huntington Mall in Barboursville, you will see on the right side of the road a large pink elephant. If you take a left at the next light, you will cross a small bridge and come upon a shining Mecca for guitar players from all over the region, Route 60 Music.

More than just a store, Route 60 Music has become a gathering place for musicians to learn, play and share their music. Whether you need help fixing an instrument, learning new skills on your instrument, advice on playing, recording, live sound and especially purchasing and maintaining a fine instrument, Route 60 Music is your place.

Well worth the drive from Charleston, Route 60 Music features most premium name brands as well as a wide assortment of accessories, strings and musical electronics. Their main focus business is guitars. They sell, buy, trade, repair and teach you to play your stringed instrument. Their school of music is responsible for helping to instruct hundreds of area musicians and teaches guitar, bass, piano/keyboard, violin, mandolin, banjo, drums and voice.

I’ve always enjoyed visiting this guitar paradise, and a few years ago, thanks to Route 60’s co-owner Paul Calicoat, they supplied a beautiful Danelectro Guitar for the “Great Guitar Giveaway” on the Radio Free Charleston video show. These guys really know guitars inside and out, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more knowledgeable crew anywhere else in the state.

Route 60 Music Co. also is known for hosting many musical events including concerts, songwriter nights, open mics, clinics, workshops and manufacturer’s events. This is a one-stop shop for all things musical, and if you have a musician on your holiday shopping list, this is the place to go to find the perfect gift, or gift certificate. There are always great musicians buzzing around Route 60 Music, and it’s one of our local treasures.

Check out the epic store photo below, and below that, your PopCulteer with Paul Calicoat, from the Great Guitar Giveaway.

Paul McCartney “Egypt Station”

Next up in The 2018 PopCult Gift Guide we have the latest album by a 76-year-old man. It’s not just any 76 year-old guy, though…it’s former Beatle, Paul McCartney. “Egypt Station” is his first new collection of songs in over five years, and it’s pretty impressive: The perfect gift for any Beatles fan who wants to keep up with their heroes.

Let’s go to the PR:

Paul McCartney invites you on a musical journey to Egypt Station, estimated time of arrival September 7, 2018 by way of Capitol Records.

Sharing a title with one of Paul’s own paintings, Egypt Station is the first full album of all-new McCartney music since 2013’s international chart-topping NEW. Preceded by two of its tracks just released as double A-sides–plaintive ballad “I Don’t Know” and raucous stomper “Come On To Me”—Egypt Station was recorded between Los Angeles, London and Sussex, and produced (with the exception of one Ryan Tedder track) by Greg Kurstin (Adele, Beck, Foo Fighters).

Of the album’s enigmatic title, Paul says, “I liked the words ‘Egypt Station.’ It reminded me of the ‘album’ albums we used to make.., Egypt Station starts off at the station on the first song and then each song is like a different station. So it gave us some idea to base all the songs around that. I think of it as a dream location that the music emanates from.”

True to the inspiration behind its title, Egypt Station’s 14 songs combine to convey a unique travelogue vibe. Between the opening and closing instrumentals “Station I” and “Station II,” each song finds Paul capturing a place or moment before transporting the listener seamlessly to the next destination. Stops along the way include an acoustic meditation on present day contentedness (“Happy With You”), a timeless anthem that would fit on virtually any album of any McCartney era (“People Want Peace”), and an epic multi-movement closer clocking in at seven minutes with a song suite structure harkening back to the days of Paul’s previous combos (“Despite Repeated Warnings”).

The result is a kaleidoscopic journey through myriad musical locales and eras, yet firmly rooted in the here and now–with Paul’s singular unmistakable melodic and lyrical sensibility serving as a guide.

“Egypt Station” is a great collection of songs and proves that Sir Paul still has his songwriting chops intact. You can find this album anywhere records are sold, or follow the path of least resistance and check Amazon.

You can sample a track from it here…

New GI Joe Books From Thomas Wheeler

Next up in The 2018 PopCult Gift Guide we have two new books written by my friend, GI Joe: A Real American Hero expert, Thomas Wheeler. These are the perfect gifts for the person on your shopping list who grew up on the cartoons and comics starring the Real American Hero, GI Joe, and of course, who played with the toys. Thomas is one of the top experts on everything about the 3 3/4 inch tall GI Joes, and these books are fascinating for fans of the toys, comics and cartoons.

JOE’S OTHER FOES

Although Cobra has always been the best-known adversary of G.I. Joe, there have been others who have challenged the Real American Hero over the decades. Joe’s Other Foes takes a detailed look at these additional adversaries.

From the Dreadnoks to the Iron Grenadiers, from the Red Shadows to the bizarre Lunartix Empire, from the hideous HeadHunters to the occasional allies of the Oktober Guard, those who have opposed the Joes when they haven’t been busy battling Cobra are covered in this book!

Expect a few surprises along the way, as well! Decepticons? And – Dinosaurs?

G.I. TOONS

From 1983-1987, Marvel/Sunbow produced a number of five-part animated mini-series focusing on the mega-hit action figure line, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. These mini-series led to a daily series, which ran for two seasons, culminating in a 1987 movie, originally intended for theatrical release, starring the very interesting lead casting of Burgess Meredith in one of his most bizarre roles ever; popular actor Don Johnson, best known for his role on the 80’s series Miami Vice; and Sgt. Slaughter, voicing his own animated counterpart!

Two years later, another animation company, DiC, would produce a new five-part mini-series, which would lead to a second daily animated series in the early 1990’s, focusing on many of the new characters introduced into the ongoing action figure line at that time.

Combined, close to 150 episodes featuring the adventures of the Real American Hero exist. G.I. Toons provides a comprehensive episode guide, in original broadcast order, to both the Marvel/Sunbow and DiC series, with full plot synopses and background details!

That’s two great reference books on the favorite toy of an entire generation of kids. You can find them at Amazon by clicking the titles of the books. Available in paperback or Kindle form, these are priced low enough to be great stocking stuffers.  Now you know…

Earth III Guitar Straps

The final entry in the Cyber Monday edition of The 2018 PopCult Gift Guide is a necessity for any guitar player on your holiday shopping list.

The Earth III Guitar Strap is back. These classic world-famous straps were worn by an astounding roster of great players such as Stevie Ray Vaughn, Randy Rhoads, Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, Ace Frehley, Metallica and many others.

The Earth III Guitar Strap Co. was started by Richard Oliveri in the late 1970’s on Staten Island, NY. He designed and created world famous guitar straps, including his best known straps, the musical note and the lightning bolt straps. He manufactured them until 1989, when he was tragically killed in an auto accident in Florida while on vacation, thus ending a great career and company.

Roy Jones, creator of the Lollipop Guitar and former employee of Earth III guitar straps and music products applied for the trademark rights and has revived the company with classic designs and new spins on what many players consider the most comfortable guitar strap ever made. Many of the original employees of the company have returned to work on a new generation of Earth III Guitar Straps.

Roy has done Richard proud, and the legacy of the Earth III guitar strap continues into the future. Any guitar player worth his salt would love to own one of these beauties. Straps start at less than ten bucks for a basic, solid color cotten strap, and range higher depending on the design. Some of the most popular styles are on sale today, for Cyber Monday.

You can order Earth III Guitar Straps direct from their website, and follow their Facebook page for news on sales, new designs and special projects.

Rabin’s Relics

Today’s local (ish) Cyber Monday pick is Rabin’s Relics, two fine folks who make cool gothic and steampunk jewelry and costume pieces right here in The Mountain State. .

You may have seen the work of Rabin’s Relics for sale at local conventions, like ShockaCon and The Mountain State Pop Expo, but you can also peruse and order the fine merchandise online. They make some really cool costume jewelry, accessories and props, and they are based out of Fairmont.

You can “like” their Facebook page to keep up with their newest offerings and find out what shows they’ll be attending. You can also find contact info there.

You can also visit their etsy store, where you will find an assortment of their cool cameo jewelry, all pieces for fifteen dollars or less, each.

This is some really nice, intricate jewelry. Mel likes their crosses, plus they also refurbish and improve vintage hats and other items, and make new leather goods in addition to their pendants and necklaces. There’s a timeless quality to their hand-crafted goods that really makes them stand out.  Perusing their shop and Facebook page will give you loads of great gift ideas for the person on your shopping list who appreciates fine adornments.

This is some very cool and creative stuff, and Mrs. PopCulteer has several of their pieces in her collection.

Cyber Monday Guide

Today’s first entry in The 2018 PopCult Gift Guide is a list of ten great online retailers for those of you who celebrate Cyber Monday (our other two picks for later today are also online stores, too).

At these retailers you will find all sorts of cool deals and sales, and plenty of great gift ideas, so get cracking and check these places out…

Retropolis Tees

This webstore is the motherlode for retro and nostalgic T-shirts. You will find shirts with everything from superhero logos to defunct candies and restaurants to cult figures like Count Dante here. Today Retropolis Tees is offering 15% off of everything for Cyber Monday.

If you have someone on your shopping list who’s a Disney Park fanatic, they have a whole section of shirts for them. You’ll find tons of shirts with classic cereal characters like Quisp and Freakies. Fans of 1960s animation will find shirts inspired by The Flintstones, Mighty Hercules, Wacky Races, Underdog and more. If you have a comic book nerd on your shopping list, you can find shirts with logos and emblems for obscure superheroes like Ultra Boy, Jor El, Nova and E Man. They even have a catagory of shirts devoted to classic toys.

Most designs are available on different colored shirts, and sizes run from small to 3 X Large. Prices are usually 18,99 to 22.99, depending on size. T Shirts make a great gift, and they have hundreds of nostalgic designs from which to choose.

Trader Vic’s

Trader Vic’s is the grand-daddy of the Tiki Bars. At one time a huge chain, they still have locations all over the world, and they have an online store that sells their classic Tiki Mugs, drink mixes and other Tiki dining accessories, plus T-shirts and artifacts from their vault.

You’ll find classic Tiki Mugs, like The Suffering Bastard, The Headhunter, The Scull Mug and the famous Trader Vic’s coconuts. They also sell Tiki plates and bowls and salt & pepper shakers, plus tons of other goodies.

Hardcore Tiki afficianados will go for their bartending supplies and drink mixes.

If you have a fan of Tiki Culture on your shopping list, you can’t go wrong with Trader Vic’s.

American Science & Surplus

American Science & Surplus has been around for decades and publishes one of the most entertaining catalogs on the face of the Earth. They sell surplus items that include electronic components, gadgets, tools, toys, military pouches, cooking supplies, art supplies, pop culture oddities, educational materials and anything else they can get their hands on, cheap.

This is a great place to find gifts for the science enthusiast on your shopping list. They sell all kinds of motors and lights that can be used for home robotics. They also have military suplus gear that can be repurposed into all sorts of things. And where else can you find a three-foot-long test tube, listed in their catalog as “Test Tooooooooooobe?”

The American Science & Surplus website is the first stop for gag gifts, or “different” ideas for the “different” people on your holiday shopping list.

Archie McPhee

Archie McPhee is another online retailer that produces a great catalog. Originally a surplus novelty house, back in the 1980s, Archie McPhee quicky exhausted their supply of weird stuff, so they had to start making their own. You find products created for Archie McPhee under their “Accoutrements” label all over the place now, but if you want to go to the source, visit their website for a wide selection of things like rubber horse heads, super librarian action figures, squirrel underpants, chicken-flavored candy canes and stuff like that. It’s fun, and perfect for the person on your holiday shopping list with a healthy sense of the absurd.

Retro A Go Go

Retro A Go Go just makes cool stuff. Whether it’s jewelry, T shirts, parasols, tin signs or giant Ben Cooper Halloween masks that you can hang on your wall, this is THE place that just epitomizes coolness. You can find designs by Mitch O’Connell, licensed Ford and Chevy stuff, Monster stuff, Betty Page clothing and decor and all sorts of the coolest things on their planet.

Visit their website for the perfect gift for the coolest person on your holiday shopping list.

Cotswold Collectibles

Full disclosure: I’m friends with some of the folks who work here. Who wouldn’t be? I buy tons of their GI Joe-compatible figures, toys and equipment every year. Cotswold Collectibles carries a great assortment of vintage GI Joe and Action Man items, ranging from the 1960s to the revival toys in the 1990s and beyond, and they also make their own Elite Brigade items that bring back the glory days of The Adventure Team and also veer into the military side of things.

Lately Cotswold Collectibles has reached out to import terrific new 1/6 scale items from Spain, Brazil and France and they also offer a great selection of products from Dragon Models, Sideshow Toys, Hot Toys and many other top 1/6 high-end companies. If you have a collector of the original 12-inch GI Joe action figure on your holiday shopping list, you need to shop at Cotswold Collectibles.

Figures Toy Company

If the adult action figure collector on your list is just a little bit younger, you may want to visit Figures Toy Company, who are currently creating an insane amount of MEGO-style 8-inch action figures. Their bread-and-butter are their DC Comics figures, and the offshoot Classic Batman TV Show figures, but they also create 8 and 12-inch figures of KISS, The Monkees, The Three Stooges and several other pop culture icons.

In addition to that, they also make wrestling action figures in the same scale as the popular WWE figures. You can find Ring of Honor figures of A.J. Styles and Kevin Steen (Owens) from before they joined WWE, and several independent and legendary wrestlers.

But the real meat of the Figures Toy Company website is the MEGO style stuff. Not only can you get classic DC Comics figures (tons of ’em), you can also get carrying cases and reproductions of the MEGO Batmobile, BatCycle and Mobile Bat-Lab. If you have a MEGO collector (or indie wrestling fan) on your shopping list, Figures Toy Company is the place to go.  They even offer a MEGO-style Santa Claus!

Retro Planet

If you didn’t find quite what you were looking for at the Muntiki website, don’t despair. Retro Planet has a ridiculous selection of Tiki Mugs at very reasonable prices. They even offer a few Muntiki designs at a lower price. You’ll find these in their Tiki Mug section, but don’t stop there.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg at Retro Planet, who offer really good prices on Wall hangings, home decor, toys, clothing, kitchen items and tons more stuff. It’s all really, really cool, and it’s all at the best price you’ll find almost anywhere. Check out their website for a whole new world of great gift ideas that may just work for anyone on your holiday shopping list.They even have a 15% discount code for Cyber Monday on their website.

Auto World

Let’s say your focus is a bit more narrow, and all you want to find is some kind of toy car. You can find just about every type of toy car at Auto World. They carry die-cast, slot cars, large-scale die-cast and model kits…and not just automotive model kits. You’ll find model kits of spacecraft, ships, aircraft, monsters and more, plus paints, glue and accessories. They offer full slot car sets, or customizing parts and individual cars and track pieces. You will find the Johnny Lightning brand of die-cast as well as Auto World’s own brand and lots of other cool automotive toys.

Auto World was the original must-have catalog for child gearheads back in the 1960s, and it’s great to see the name revived for for this website that carries on the grand one-stop-shopping tradition for toy cars.

Five Below

Our final recommendation in the 2017 PopCult Gift Guide Cyber Monday Preview is for the cheapskates among you. Five Below is a wonderful chain of stores that we do not yet have in the Charleston area. They are getting closer with a new store in Morgantown, but instead of making the drive, you can now order online for the glorious cheapness that is Five Below.

Every item they sell is five dollars or less. You will find T Shirts, toys, books, make up, jewelry, decorations, candy, pillows, Snuggies, phone accessories, posters, workout equipment, and for some reason, a lot of poop emoji or just poop in general products. In fact, if you have a poop-obsessed person on your holiday shopping list, this is where you will find poop Nirvana. They have animated dancing, farting plush poop, poop emoji pillows that are puking rainbows, several sizes of fake poop, games you can play on the toilet, and poop emoji Christmas Tree ornaments.

And it’s all cheap. You can find gag gifts and actual real useful gifts like lamps, bookends, stationary. Just go check out the website and see what all they have.

And those are our ten picks for Cyber Monday. Go shop a bunch, and then come back to PopCult, where The 2018 PopCult Gift Guide will bring you two more Cyber Monday ideas while we’re in the home stretch to wrap up this Friday.