Can someone explain this "Tiki Bob" thing to me?

I admit I have not been very deeply delved into the tiki conscious for very long, since I started on the fervor I have been looking at all kinds of threads on this site and one thing keeps popping up: "tiki Bob". I can't understand the obsession with this character, so can someone explain the history behind him and why so many people are so obsessed with him? I mean I can understand personal obsession being a collector, and I have a love of the Enchanted Tiki Room almost as deep as I see displayed for Bob, so I really want to understand what is so compelling about him to you folks. Please enlighten me.

This page will help you understand better

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=39043&forum=17&start=135

That whole thread is great fun - GROG's recent Tiki Bob show - 16 pages of Tiki Bob inspired art

Or this thread here.

Poor current day Bob, he's been Caribbeaned up. :o

Bear

Or to make it even briefer (thank you Mike for looking that thread up):

page 47 of the Book of Tiki:

".. it actually marks the beginning of Tiki Style. For the first time, a Tiki was employed (IN NAME AND FORM ed.) as a logo, serving as an entrance gaurdian, appearing as an icon on the menu and matchbooks, and assuming the form mugs and salt and pepper shakers."

PLUS, it did so by embodying the three main stylistic elements of mid-century Tiki Style:

Authentic primitive art,
modernism, and
cartoons

Hey thanks guys! Now I think I begin to understand the fixation. Around what years were these original Tiki Bob restaurants opened? How many were there, and were they received well at the time? (were they popular?) Any other historical ancedotes concerning them and how they affected tiki culture? You really have me very curious now about all this.

Had some fun with Bob in this older thread. Too bad many of the photos are now gone.
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=12460&forum=5&start=0&hilite=bob

On 2011-08-01 20:16, tigertail777 wrote:
Hey thanks guys! Now I think I begin to understand the fixation. Around what years were these original Tiki Bob restaurants opened? How many were there, and were they received well at the time? (were they popular?) Any other historical ancedotes concerning them and how they affected tiki culture? You really have me very curious now about all this.

It's all in the book ...(s);

"Book of Tiki" and "Tiki Modern"

Thanks, I will have to save up for the book. Work is only coming in trickles right now, but soon as I can it is high on my list; it looks awesome. I thumbed through a library copy once before the whole tiki thing took hold of my soul. I wish I had tried to get a copy back then when I am sure it was much cheaper, but then I was not so much into tiki other than trying to remember my childhood in Honolulu (we left when I was around 4-5 years old so I don't remember much, except for Aloha shirts and the plantain tree in the backyard I got sick from eating because I thought they were bananas). Anyhow I am rambling, I will definitely get the books when I can. Thanks again for the replies and the patience.

all I know is my dad hung out there quite a bit back in the day & he said it was a very popular spot.

Or here;
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=37207&forum=21&hilite=a boy