Kathleen Kotcher’s very peri-odd-ical recounting of some of the strangest things the sideshow world has to offer.
Extravaganza Is a Blast
The Extravaganza (the International Independent Showmen’s Association’s annual trade fair in Gibsonton, Florida) is always a great excuse to catch up with old friends, meet new friends and swap lies with all of them.
Jim Parker, Bill Cadeaux, Our Founder, and Dennis Gilli
looking like sideshow somebodies at the IISA Extravaganza
Highlights this year included visits with:
- banner painter/swordswallower Johnny Meah and his lovely wife, Joan
- sideshow historian (some would say sideshow-know-it-all) Jim Parker
- Sign maker Dennis Gilli
- Volume 6 cover girl, Perscilla “The Monkey Girl” Bejano
- Billy Rogers, owner of Pirate’s Treasure Cove, who is the hardest working man at the trade fair;
- Our favorite monument maker and child of a giant and half lady, Judy Rock
- And the wonderful and talented showowning duo of Bill and Bev Cadeaux.
Johnny & Joan Meah, and sideshow banner model Kathleen
This year, the refined palettes of the Shocked and Amazed! staff were set atingle with news of the refurbishment of our favorite bistro: The Showtown Bar. It appears as if the decorator’s were told what a TGI-Benni-Tuesday’s looked like and they attempted to replicate one without having ever actually seen it.
It’s lighter and airier and oh-so-wrong for Showtown Bar. Thankfully, they left the trully inspiring “Ringmaster in the Sky” oil painting intact. But it’s the people that count, right? They haven’t changed one whit – karaoke is still at deafening levels and Patsy Cline is still queen.
And if you just sit and wait long enough, someone you know will walk in and fill you in on ALL of the latest Gibtowngossip.
Giant’s Camp Restaurant Is Rubble
It seems like we were just returning from Gibtown when we got the news that Giant’s Camp Restaurant was hit by a car.
I know that seems improbable, but the restaurant sits on a busy highway. Evidently, somebody lost control of their car and tore the corner off of the joint (for those of you familiar with it – it was the corner with the juke box in the dining room). They are still closed for business – we’ll let you know when they reopen.
On the Festival Circuit
We’ve been keeping our founder busy lately. He has been traveling from convention to convention trying to peddle his wares. He has lately been spotted at Chiller Theatre in New Jersey, the Society of Osiris Magic Collector’s Weekend and The Philadelphia Tattoo Convention.
The wheels formerly owned by Baltimore’s own
Johnny Eck on display at the
Society of Osiris Magic Collector’s Weekend
(Johnny Eck had nothing to do with the
abovementioned Giant’s Camp accident)
Look for him in a place where people are drawn together for unusual hobbies and want to spend money. James’ll be there someplace.
Captain Don Leslie performing at the
Philadelphia Tattoo Convention.
Tim “Zamora the Torture King” Cridland,
Captain Don Leslie and swordswallower Red Stuart
at the Philadelphia Tattoo Convention.
Bindlestiff’s in Baltimore
I cannot believe how much fun I have at each and every Bindlestiff show. Everytime I come back, I swear that was the best one yet and have no idea how they will top it. This year I KNOW they will never be able the show I saw. Despite the amazing and incredible talents of Keith and Stephanie – they have got a guy (Rocket Johnny) who shoots fire out of his private parts and later explodes himself. They also have one of the most extraordinary musicians I have ever seen. Just go to their show. You’ll love it, you’ll love them.
Stephanie and Keith from the
Bindlestiff Family Circkus
American Dime Museum Benefit
The American Dime Museum (co-founded by our own James Taylor) was held at the Charles Theatre in Baltimore. In addition to a screening of the movie “Freaks,” attendees were treated to Harley “The Professional Lunatic” Newman, swordswallower Red Stuart, fire-breather Fatima, and Tim “Zamora the Torture King” Cridland. Be on the lookout for more star-studded museum-related activities in the future.
Red Stuart stapling business cards to his forehead
at the American Dime Museum Benefit.
Chasing your Tail for Basic Cable
Our own James Taylor has FINALLY been filmed by E! network for a documentary on sideshow. After one trip to Coney Island for filming, the shoot was cancelled after our founder got all the way up there. The following trip he was accompanied by our very own Teenage Blockhead, Walt Hudson. Walt must have been the magic charm because James got taped that day. We’ll let you know when the show finally airs.
We’re working on it – Honest!
Volume 6 of Shocked and Amazed! is finally in production. We had a couple of false starts and rearrangements, but everything is smoothed out now and we are rolling. We plan to have it out in time for Halloween. We’ll keep you posted on that.
ONCE AGAIN–Meet and Greet Mr. Feat Feet!
(Scott forgot to upload the pictures last time!)
One of the best reasons for this job is the mailbag. I get some of the best mail ever and this letter was one of the best. So without further ado, please meet Moses Latham, Mr. Feat Feet:
PERSONAL: 38 years old; Married 13 years (spouse Felicia); one son (Trey), age 6, he also can turn his feet around, but not as far as I can. I can at 180 degrees, he can only at 120 degrees.
MY TALENT: I discovered my unique ability when I was 14 years old. While horse-playing with some class mates in gym class, I fell in to a unique, but painless position. My friends thought that I had either dislocated a joint, or broken a leg. I began to test my flexibility, to see what my limitations were. I discovered that I could rotate my lower limbs until my feet were pointing directly behind me. I also can ‘twist’ my lower limbs in to various positions while sitting on the floor.
MY PHYSICIAN: I had my family physician examine me, for I was concerned that possibly I may have arthritis at an early age because of my flexibility. The exam showed that I had been born with double the ligaments and cartilage within the joints of my ankles, knees, and hips, that allows me to rotate my joints within the sockets (without dislocating anything) painlessly, and freely. My physician also added that since I was born with these ‘extras’, and that it was all natural, I would not have arthitis due to my talent.
GETTING A LAUGH: I had the desire to entertain people with my talent. I would perform for local telethons, charities, and fund raisers. As a gag, I would put a suit, tie, and shoes on backwards, and stand at a phone booth and carry on a conversation on the phone., just to watch the reactions, and see the expressions, of passer-byers. In their eyes, they seen the illusion of a man with his head on backwards!
A POSSIBLE CAREER?: In 1997, I sent videos to the television programs “Americas Funniest Videos” and the “Worlds Funniest”. Both programs aired my tapes, and then the calls slowly began coming in. I have appeared in several local television news programs, and local newspapers, but the publicity did not stop there. I felt that I could find a career in the entertainment field. Whether labled a ‘freak’ or a ‘contortionist’, I was able to do something that no one else could.
THE MEDIA ATTENTION: I have appeared in two tabloids, the ‘National Enquirer’ and ‘The Sun’; Three magazines, Great Britains “Bizarre”, Poland’s “CKM”, and Holland’s “Aktueel”; I have been featured in the “Ripleys Believe It Or Not” cartoon, and made a live appearance at the “Ripley’s” museum in Myrtle Beach; I was also featured on the ABC Radio program “Paul Harvey News..And Now The Rest Of The Story”; Other television appearances include: FOX’s “Real TV”; Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show”: Two appearances in Germany, SAT-TVs “The Harald Schmidt Show”, and RTV-TVs “Explosiv!” (which my son made his debut on this program, also); Also ARENA-TV’s “The Hub” in Austrailia.
FUTURE BOOKINGS: I will be appearing live on “Mike Feldman’s ‘What d’ya Know’ Show” on August 7th in Madison, Wisconsin (This show is also going to broadcasting live by radio, too bad for the listening audience, but the studio audience will consist of 300) I will also be appearing live on WGN-TVs “The Morning Show” on August 9th in Chicago.
NO, THANK YOU: I have been turned down by ‘Guinness’ for they felt that my talent was not ‘dramatic’ enough. I have been turned down by Jay Leno, due to ‘no interest’. I also have been turned down by David Letterman, because I have appeared on Germanys ‘Harald Schmidt’ show (lame excuses!). I was booked to appear live on the ‘Crook & Chase Show’ in Nashville, but when I arrived for the scheduled date, I was told that there was a miscommunication among producers, thus my segment was cancelled, at my expense.
THE NAME: I chose the name “Mr. Feet-Feat” from the title of the very first article that appeared in my home town newspaper in 1975, concerning my talent.
