Is “YoYo Island” really “Tiki”...?

Is “YoYo Island” really a “Tiki” entertainment in its style and spirit and content? As the notion has arisen hereabouts from time to time, I thought it may be alright to put the question to the Ohana openly.

I can only say that its creation stems from a genuine (if demented) zeal for things I’ve always thought of as “Tiki”, in an open-minded way. And so, while allowing that I could be in error about what’s “Tiki”, and what’s not, I would submit that “YoYo Island” might be fairly judged to be 'as "Tiki" as' --

Lava Lamps

Zombies

Caribbean Rums

Mermaids

Electric Blowfish (with sunglasses)

Googie signage

Hot Rods

Elvis’s Jungle Room

Witco Schooners

Leopard-skin Fez’s

Rocketships

Shrunken Heads

Velvet Paintings

Esquivel

Tiki Bar TV

Retro Cheesecake

Voodoo Charms

McGarret’s Hair

VonDutch

Atomic Power

Animatronic Birds with Latin accents

As for any specific Polynesian influences, I could add that the five stone Moai characters on YoYo are all inspired by the five South Seas sculpture, design, and head styles (e.g., “korovar” style, “tami” style, “uli” style, “triangular” style, and “round-or-oval” style) found in Erwin O. Christensen’s “Primitive Art” (Viking Press, Section V, “The South Seas and Austrailia”, p. 285, Ill.34.), even if their reinterpretation is liberally and unabashedly whimsical --

(and there has been some Easter Island-specific influence where "Gnarl'ii Tiki" is concerned...)

As the song goes, Ain’t that “Tiki” enough?

What I am trying to do is something new, something different, something fun and weird, and take my own take on “what’s Tiki” into the future, on the web. And I take my “Tiki” as seriously as anybody else who grooves on the majority of those elements listed above.

I just do it my way.

Cheers and Fabloha Nui!
SOK

http://www.yoyoisland.com
(DSL-or-+ required)

(ps: Offering a new free online poster, "Moo'lah's Mask", to any of the general Ohana who may like to download it, here:

http://www.yoyoisland.com/yoyo_poster-moolah-grn.htm (1800x225, 1519k - No ad/spyware attached)

As high a quality as I can beat out of the slave labor here, and as always, suitable for framing, or wrapping fish.)

"Don't let it be forgot,
That once there was a Spot,
Where Blowfish all wore sunglasses,
and Tiki-times were hot..."

[ Edited by: Son-of-Kelbo 2008-07-25 14:49 ]

SOK-
yes man! You're tiki enough!
Tiki-er than most i would venture to say!
Killer Download! Just do what you do
andlook not to the outside....If it makes you smile
and fills your heart with gladness,then keep on keepin on!
You got the right idea pushing and experimenting with TIKI...
that's how all the best ideas are born!!!! :)

I enjoy your work and the whole YoYo concept....keep the tiki tourches burning!!! :)

We were Tiki, when Tiki wasn't cool.

I have never gotten that website to load. Yo Yo Island must be a triumph of Web design to have such cutting-edge browser requirements!

How can an Island that sinks and rises like clockwork NOT be tiki?

My island Pad is tiki enough for me. I love Yo-Yo Island!

[ Edited by: javabachelor 2008-02-04 09:12 ]

Mahalo Nui to those TCers here, and also those who have PM’d me, for their welcome ping-back!

As some TC Members know, over the holidays last December I posted links to some decently hi-rez “YoYo Island” posters as freebies. After giving the GM’s first go at these questionably collectible “virtual draft-stoppers”, it has been suggested around the Cosmic-Ceremonial-BBQ-Pit that I make them available to the General TC Ohana as well, and so, here they are --

http://www.yoyoisland.com/yoyo_poster-itai.htm
(“ITAI” slogan)
(2.6mb)

http://www.yoyoisland.com/yoyo_poster-mapstyle1.htm
(YoYo Map, style 1)
(2.8mb)

http://www.yoyoisland.com/yoyo_poster-fabufabu.htm
(FABU-FABU)
(2.3mb)

http://www.yoyoisland.com/yoyo_poster-mapstyle2.htm
(YoYo Map, style 2)
(2.2mb)

http://www.yoyoisland.com/yoyo_poster-jcruise.htm
(Twilight Jungle Cruise)
(2.3mb)

(samples are shown above; all downloads are spyware-free)

-- Well, actually you have to follow their respective links to get ‘em… And, to include an indolent quote:

“Certain decoratively-discriminating YoYo Island ‘Guest-Aways’ already know these poshly-pixilated pixel panels make great Tiki Hut draft-stoppers when printed out on actual paper, whereupon they’re suitable for framing, or wrapping fish.(*)”

I hope you will enjoy them, and since they’re free, my conscience won’t nag me about anyone spending money on them, instead of on their proper meds.

Cheers and Fabloha Nui!
SOK

(* May as well blame Wm. Gaines, as anybody…)

[ Edited by: Son-of-Kelbo 2008-07-16 17:42 ]