Black Lagoon Room - Outside of Milwaukee, WI - Home Tiki Bars

RC Ragbag Comics Member The shores of Lake Michigan Joined: Feb 24, 2009 Posts: 212	RC Ragbag Comics Posted posted on Wed, Jan 25, 2017 11:23 AM Thanks all! MaukaHale - indeed! We've been collecting for a dozen years at least. Considering we aren't in a position to shell out top buck, we've been VERY fortunate in the stuff we've found during that time. Everything we've picked up has been because (a.) we love it, and (b.) knowing we'd have a bar to put together some day. Quality stuff, properly assembled, makes a quality bar. Go for the cheapy stuff and it's gonna reflect in the overall feel of the space and the experience of being there. There's a LOT of Tiki stuff out there I wouldn't want, not because it doesn't have its merits, but because I've seen it SO MANY TIMES in antique stores or on eBay searches. Better to wait for the true gem you never tire of looking at! CreativeNative - You are totally correct! Benny Chapman was the "land" creature... fun fact, the underwater creature was Ricou Browning, whose ties to Florida roadside history run deep... working at Weeki Wachee, Wakulla Springs and other natural tourist areas in the state training swimmers and performing for many years before becoming the creature. Kind of a loose Tiki connection, but a connection to be sure. Fun side fact: he also directed the underwater sequences in Thunderball! More incentive to get to work on that "365 Days of Creature from the Black Lagoon Facts" calendar I've been kicking around... --Pete

Thanks all!

MaukaHale - indeed! We've been collecting for a dozen years at least. Considering we aren't in a position to shell out top buck, we've been VERY fortunate in the stuff we've found during that time. Everything we've picked up has been because (a.) we love it, and (b.) knowing we'd have a bar to put together some day. Quality stuff, properly assembled, makes a quality bar. Go for the cheapy stuff and it's gonna reflect in the overall feel of the space and the experience of being there. There's a LOT of Tiki stuff out there I wouldn't want, not because it doesn't have its merits, but because I've seen it SO MANY TIMES in antique stores or on eBay searches. Better to wait for the true gem you never tire of looking at!

CreativeNative - You are totally correct! Benny Chapman was the "land" creature... fun fact, the underwater creature was Ricou Browning, whose ties to Florida roadside history run deep... working at Weeki Wachee, Wakulla Springs and other natural tourist areas in the state training swimmers and performing for many years before becoming the creature. Kind of a loose Tiki connection, but a connection to be sure. Fun side fact: he also directed the underwater sequences in Thunderball!

More incentive to get to work on that "365 Days of Creature from the Black Lagoon Facts" calendar I've been kicking around...

--Pete

Post #772412 by Ragbag Comics on Wed, Jan 25, 2017 11:23 AM