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JOHN-O
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12/03/2009
Yeah but were the designers of those Tiki bars and restaurants even aware of the Oceanic tribes of Melanesia? What's the pop cultural reference point? I'm sure most people in the 1950's had seen "King Kong" and those Uga Booga natives running around on that tropical jungle island (with shield and spear in hand). "King Kong" was a hugely successful and influential film that might have cemented this stereotypical blueprint for decades to come. I wanna see a picture of King Kong in your next book. :) [ Edited by: JOHN-O 2009-12-03 11:53 ] |
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JOHN-O
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12/04/2009
More 1930's Pre-Tiki Jungle Madness....
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Hakalugi
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12/04/2009
Ingagi has King Kong beat by three years (1930 vs. 1933). From IMDB: Igagi plot; However, I'm sure King Kong was seen by way more people. |
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bigbrotiki
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12/04/2009
Yes, in terms of pop culture impact and influence, King Kong was it. Something tells me though that the makers of "INGAGI" might have tried to sue the KING KONG producers... :D |
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JOHN-O
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12/04/2009
Check out BigBro's shirt. Proof positive that African Pop Primitism is the key to unleashing your inner Tarzan sex appeal. Forget, Tiki-style. If you wanna get lucky with the wahines then go Jungle-style !! |
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bigbrotiki
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12/04/2009
Nononono....it's not that easy: Papua New Guinea shields = South Sea artifacts = part of Tiki style --NOT Jungle style. |
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JOHN-O
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12/04/2009
My bad. I thought those were Zulu shields. Hmmm... Melanesian, huh? The term Poly-Pop might not be inclusive enough. Oceanic Pop, anyone ?? :) |
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bigbrotiki
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12/05/2009
Yeah right, John, that's SUCH a buzzword, it'll stick with everybody long after "Polynesian pop" is forgotten! Stop trying to rewrite history. Polynesian pop is called that because at least 3/4 of the imagery used in it is from Polynesia (or it SHOULD be), and 100% of its inspiration and motivation came from Polynesia. The few exceptions just prove the rule. |
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JOHN-O
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12/05/2009
I'm not trying to rewrite history BigBro, I'm just engaging in some internet philosophizing (and kidding around). :) Dude, I'm one of your best Tiki students and I want to explore the other "25%" of Poly-Pop (and related fun stuff) that doesn't get as much discussion around here. I take your work very seriously. TC should be more that just a message board for party notices, pictures of dirty cocktail napkins, people asking the same question over and over, and one sentence posts. I'm just trying to add some variety here. Anyway, I think it's time to get back to the cheesecake. Everyone seems to like that. :D [ Edited by: JOHN-O 2009-12-04 19:54 ] |
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ATP
Atomic Tiki Punk
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12/05/2009
By your command John-O.........just had my finger on the trgger for a few days now!
I think many people forget that Tiki culture is meant to be FUN! [ Edited by: Atomic Tiki Punk 2009-12-04 21:11 ] |
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bigbrotiki
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12/05/2009
John-O, I totally agree. I am indeed grateful for your continued posting and probing, and I have followed you down this path gladly -up to a point! And then, when it gets TOO ridiculous, you get the stick. :D But really, thank you for your mostly intelligent, sometimes a little off incentives to engage in intelligent conversation about this ridiculously unimportant topic we call Tiki. You have made me re-think, or re-assert stuff I had taken for granted. |
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bigbrotiki
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12/05/2009
Oh A.T. Punk, why did you have to do that. Unfortunately, our Betty has become a cliche of a cliche, and only elicits a tepid yawn from the ephemera seeker. Tiki CentraL is about pop culture ARCHEOLOGY, the hunt for and discovery of never before glimpsed visual treasures and rarefied imagery previously unknown to the masses! |
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ATP
Atomic Tiki Punk
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12/05/2009
Well until I have something more rare, Bettie will have to do.
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ATP
Atomic Tiki Punk
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12/05/2009
But Sven, that is why we count on you for the rare stuff, although I think you are minimizing Bettie's impact on pop culture. |
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Mashuka
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12/05/2009
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PiPhiRho
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12/05/2009
[ Edited by: PiPhiRho 2009-12-05 03:28 ] |
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PiPhiRho
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12/05/2009
OK... Vampira in a bikini: |
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ATP
Atomic Tiki Punk
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12/05/2009
You Guys are great! sorry about hijacking the thread John-O. |
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MN
Mister Naufrago
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12/05/2009
Ok, you do like cheesecake, but what about "torta de queso".
Tongolele, Queen of Tahitian Dance. And in my book Queen of Faux Fur Bikini too (sorry Bettie).
Beware of euro-leopardas. End hijack. [ Edited by: Mister Naufrago 2009-12-05 06:21 ] [ Edited by: Mister Naufrago 2009-12-05 06:29 ] |
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MN
Mister Naufrago
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12/05/2009
Back to the safari (old continent style)
img]https://tikicentral.com/uploads/9089/4b1a6fb1.jpg[/img]
El Safari Park is was a Spanish institution. Half a zoo, half an amusement park.
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bigbrotiki
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12/05/2009
Well, among all of these (WTF does Vampyra have to do with Jungle pop?), Tongolele is the closest related, her clips on U-tube are fantastic, this series most of all!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7a_BVYFSlk Her bio is quite interesting:
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TM
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tiki mick
Posted
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12/05/2009
I would LOVE to hear that album! |
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BB
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Bora Boris
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12/06/2009
Back on page 3 Bigbrotiki posted the Swerer’s Safari matchbook ~
Tiki-Kate also has this and while helping her find information on it we found out that Swerer's Safari looked like this ~
and that Swerer is Bob Swerer (One of these guys, I'd guess Mr. Glasses in the middle)
and he released this album ~
Here is his version of Groovin. According to Google searches it looks like Bob is still kicking and currently some kinda outdoorsy filmmaker, still in Fort Collins. Nice! Sorry about the small pictures. :roll: More fun Safari album covers here. Last but not least my only very reflective Safari matchbook ~
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TM
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tiki mick
Posted
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12/06/2009
Good finds! |
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JOHN-O
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12/06/2009
Let's see, where did I leave off? Oh yeah…..
This next one is no exception: :) OK, so what do the following animal-skinned hotties have in common:
Well IMHO they were all inspired by a particular 1940's genre called "Good Girl Art". This is a term used to describe the comic books which featured scantily clad, amply proportioned heroines. A sub-genre of "Good Girl Art" was the Jungle Girls. Now I know many of you might be familiar with "Sheena, Queen of the Jungle" (since she had her own live-action 1950's TV show) but the overall number of JGs was staggering. In addition to Sheena, there was Jana of the Jungle, Jann of the Jungle, Jill of the Jungle, Judy of the Jungle, White Princess of the Jungle, Nyoka the Jungle Girl, Princess Pantha, Jungle Lil, Leopard Girl, Zegra Jungle Empress, the list goes on and on. Even Pre-Tiki icon Dorothy Lamour got in on the action.
One of the most explicit JGs was "Rulah, Jungle Goddess". Check out the suggestive phallic symbology.
Eventually this all caught up with the comic book publishers as the Hayes Code did with the movie studios in the early 1930's. In his book "Seduction of the Innocent", psychiatrist Fredric Wertham accused the horror, crime, and "sex" comics of the time as being a key influencer of juvenile delinquency. Even Batman and Robin were accused of a "homosexual wish-fulfillment" relationship. This lead to U.S. Congressional inquiries which resulted in the self-imposed CCA (Comics Code Authority) in 1954. Comic books were then neutered and made safe for America's children. Here's an interesting observation. This is an example of one of Bettie Page's many fetish photos. In the 1950's this had to be obtained under the counter or via mail order. Now compare that to a common (pre-CCA) Jungle Girl theme that was available to any boy with 10 cents in his pocket. Ahh, to be a kid back in the good old days. :)
OK, obviously the 1940's Jungle Girls are a part of the African Pop theme of this thread. I might also argue, however, they were a precursor to the Tiki-style Exotica girls posted on this site. Is this a stretch? How about some Exotica album art featuring obvious Jungle Girls? Actually as BigBro suggested, any African/Safari Pop album art would be a great addition. [ Edited by: JOHN-O 2009-12-06 08:02 ] |
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MN
Mister Naufrago
Posted
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12/07/2009
“Besides being a great dancer with a long and impressive career, Yolanda Montez-Tongolele is a remarkable painter and ceramist. When the Lord endows someone with talent, he does it by the handful". As for exotica-africana record covers, Bert Kaempefert´s Swinging Safari is one of my favourites. His music full appreciation maybe requires some ear training for non europeans. :)
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bigbrotiki
Posted
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12/09/2009
Boris, Swerer's Safari with THAT sign, that building, that band, and that album is truly it! Tracing back to WHEN and WHERE the pop cliches of a generic African/ Jungle land and its VISUAL icons developed, I would like to begin much earlier than King Kong, very much similar to my time line for what led up to Polynesian pop (in Tiki Modern): Early Explorers' reports --Adventure authors create fiction--Illustrators (lacking photographs) illustrate that fiction freely:
Early Zoos/ Colonial/World Expos display living natives: Silent movies beginning with Tarzan: Serials and 50s exploitation movies run the whole bandwidth of tropical cliches:
For my personal interests, and to stay connected to Tiki, I prefer the TROPICS theme:
This is how come that at THE TROPICS Motel in Palm Springs there were Tikis, a Sambo's, and, initially, the Congo Room:
...and that's why SHE is there:
In Pre-Tiki poly pop and later, there were lots of "Tropics":
Many were generic South Seas, but some did have something of an African theme:
...the "Tropics" concept threw a wider net than Polynesia, but could mix with it freely. [ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2009-12-09 00:40 ] |
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bigbrotiki
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12/09/2009
A picture request:
[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2009-12-09 00:59 ] |
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ATP
Atomic Tiki Punk
Posted
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12/09/2009
This is my back yard, I mean you grow up around these places & they just get taken for granted, until they are gone. Never thought to take photos...... |
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TikiG
Posted
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12/09/2009
My neighborhood growing up was Brookhurst and Yorktown, Huntington Beach (1963-1977). I remember the general area of Adams Ave. and Harbor Blvd very well. We used to grocery shop at Thriftimart at that corner (now Mesa Verde center). I learned to bowl at Kona Lanes. I went to the Edwards Cinema movie theater monthly (1st movie shown there was A Hard Days Night. Beatlemania at its OC peak.) The googie style building ATP talks about above - I think its the same building I'm thinking of - used to be a home-improvement/hardware/nursery center. Up and down that strip north and south of Adams Ave. were auto dealers, many with googie style showrooms, many A-frame buildings, tiki motels, etc. Costa Mesa in general was hugely a Polynesian vibe back then. Back in the early to mid-1980s I moved back to Costa Mesa and lived in the apartment complex off of Harbor Blvd just south of Fair Dr. This was the era of wholesale destruction of my beloved googie buildings. I took a compact VHS video camera around the area and taped all up and down Harbor Blvd., from Costa Mesa up to Disneyland. I'm sure I have footage of the motel Bigbro is requesting. I just need to find the damn tapes - needless to say that is going to take an effort to find the video tapes let alone the requested footage. The tapes may be destroyed or lost; I've moved many many times since then. I'll start my search over the Christmas holiday and get back with everyone later. |
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D
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Dustycajun
Posted
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12/09/2009
Bigbro, I have an old postcard from the Bel Congo Motel. A great A-frame but no Congo-themed items when it was first built. Did the sign change over time?
DC |
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bigbrotiki
Posted
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12/10/2009
Great postcard. I do not have the BOT handy, but besides the Bel Congo A-frame showing in profile underneath the Kona Lanes sign (on the bowling alley page), I also seem to remember the green sign peaking out somewhere...? |
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ATP
Atomic Tiki Punk
Posted
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12/10/2009
I don't think this Motel was in the same area as Kona Lanes, it might of been across the street, a little further down Harbor Blvd. I spent alot of time there as a youth, Edwards Cinema, Swensen's Ice Cream, Kona Lanes, Music Market,Ice Chalet,etc & there was no Motel there. |
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ATP
Atomic Tiki Punk
Posted
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12/10/2009
So I mapped this out, Kona Lanes was in the 2700 Block of Harbor Blvd. Off Mesa Verde & Harbor past Adams going south. Address is not same area as Kona Lanes was, sorry Sven. |
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ATP
Atomic Tiki Punk
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12/10/2009
After further research I have found the Motel address to have been at 2665 Harbor Blvd, this puts the motel a half block south on Harbor from Kona Lanes, you would have been able to see a Motel sign from there, but still not in the same parking lot area as Kona Lanes/Ice Chalet on the other side of Mesa Verde ave. The address on the above postcard may have been an even older location, I have found some info stating the motel was demolished in 1995 |
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BB
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Bora Boris
Posted
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12/10/2009
Atomic Tiki Punk it’s not your fault and now you have the correct address. I have a boring matchbook for the Bel Congo that says the address is 2665 Harbor Blvd (I’ll scan that tomorrow) so yes the address had changed at some point, the Kona Lanes was at 2699 Harbor Blvd.
You can see the roof and part of the sign of the Bel Congo in this picture from The Book of Tiki pg 197 that it was across Mesa Verde Dr. East. The Bel Congo sign in the picture is cooler than the one on the post card.
I can’t believe you don’t remember it was next to the 7-11 on the corner. As a former Costa Mesan I suggest you lay low on the "I'm Mr. Costa Mesa" stuff for a few days. :wink: Just for fun here is an aerial shot from 1994 - The Bel Congo is already gone but you can see where it was.
Now back to John-O’s Jungle-style Thread! |
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ATP
Atomic Tiki Punk
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12/10/2009
Thanks Bora Boris, :sheckymug: I do have to say I don't remember the Bel Congo well, because there was a whole string of old school motels all the way down Harbor Blvd at the time, most of them a bit seedy.:sheckymug: |
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ATP
Atomic Tiki Punk
Posted
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12/10/2009
Also my memory is a bit fuzzy due to a few Slam Dancing accidents in the 1970s |
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BB
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Bora Boris
Posted
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12/10/2009
Oh that’s fine and I think it was knocked down for being a Flea Bag Motel in the end. I remember in High School they would rent rooms to kids for parties and you can’t tell from the post card but the pool was out front practically on Harbor Blvd. Nice! Now that we’ve moved into Orange County territory I remember when the original Safari Sam’s opened up in Huntington Beach there was thatch inside and Sam would wear a Pith helmet.
Back to Los Angeles County - how has the Safari Room in Mission Hills very close the former Lucky Tiki location not been mentioned? I haven’t been (I suck) but I know PiPhiRho is a fan and I trust him.
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JOHN-O
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12/10/2009
Boris Boris, BigBro mentioned the Safari Room previously on this thread. I plan to take interior pics on my next visit and will post here. It's the only themed Jungle/Safari bar/restaurant in So Ca that I'm aware of. There used to be a themed Korean bar in Cypress called the Jungle Bar but I think it closed several years ago. |
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D
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Dustycajun
Posted
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12/10/2009
How about a little swizzle sizzle action: The in-famous Zulu Lulu set.
A cool swizzle from ebay - the Afrikoko Magic Drum Cocktail.
DC [ Edited by: Dustycajun 2009-12-10 17:48 ] |
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bongofury
Posted
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12/11/2009
More movie madness...lots of "Africa" movies with Tikis, Tapa, Hawaiian Clothes, Shrunken Heads Forbidden Jungle
This silly South Seas Jungle fun with African animals http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrRtIp3jylk White Witch Doctor with Robert Mitchum and Susan Hayward
The Tiki on the left can also be seen in Bird Of Paradise & some episodes of Adventures In Paradise |
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D
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Dustycajun
Posted
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12/11/2009
Never really looked into this genre before, must say that there is a lot of fun stuff out there on the net that is sort-of Tiki cross-over. A program from Duke Ellington at the Cotton Club.
Brochure from Safari Motel in Florida.
DC |
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Dustycajun
Posted
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12/11/2009
How about the amusement parks with that Jungleland theme. The famous Jungleland Queen and the Volcano on the Miracle Strip at Panama City Beach, Florida
And Melody May at Jungleland.
Jungle Land at Storytown in Lake George, New York.
Another Jungle Land at the Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey. It's a jungle out there. DC |
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TM
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tiki mick
Posted
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12/11/2009
It's a jungle/african veldt in Irvine! |
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MadDogMike
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12/11/2009
My wife and I toured Lion Country Safari on our honeymoon in 1982, shortly before it closed in 1984. I can't imagine a theme park like that now in the California age of idiots and rampant lawyers |
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TM
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tiki mick
Posted
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12/11/2009
I could not agree more! I will say this, however: I watched an old home movie from the early 70's that my Dad made there, and you could see Lions, rhinos, elephants and other very dangerous animals just walking around lose. We knew to stay in our car, that's for sure! I doubt today's generation has the same common sense. You can see how slow they walk across intersections, for example...as though they are made of armor! But back to the subject at hand, Lion Country safari had two of my favorite african type rides..."african auto trek", which was a jeep ride (on a track) through a jungle, with fake animals jumping out at you, and the "zambezi river ride:, which was a jungle boat cruise. A close observation of wild rivers in irvine will reveal some remnants of this awesome theme park! |
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TikiG
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12/11/2009
Not only did I visit LCS Irvine with my parents back in the day, I once toured LCS as part of a field trip - in grade school(!) - inside a f'ckin SCHOOL BUS! I seem to think LCS Corporation was caught sedating some of the animals via tranqs or something due to mounting lawsuits - or am I just thinking/rehashing an urban legend? It was a long time ago those damn 1970s |
