Everyone takes a beating sometimes.

I have history of minor injury at the sideshow. I have cut off the tip of my tongue. Broken out my front two teeth. Once I ended up at the Coney Island Hospital with thirteen stitches inside my mouth. Been lucky recently but did end up with a nice little bump last week.

I have been doing a straitjacket escape this year. I get strung up by the ceiling and swung around. Heather will give me a little kick to start me off. Last Friday it was a great kick and I swung eye first into the microphone stand on the other side of the stage. The loud thunk gor a great groan and laughter from the audience.

Being upside down and restrained I thought that I had broke the orbit of my eye. I escaped a bit faster than usual so I could check out the damage.

It may not look like much but that marble size lump hurt like the dickens. When I woke up the next morning it had spread into a black eye.

It kept getting darker for the next couple of days. It was fun to look scrappy for that week.

Bonus Pic

Lizard Man and Black Scorpion. Keeping it real.

Wet Plates

I have done a few photo shoots during my time in NYC. None of them has had me as excited as the one that I was involved in last week. Bill Steber came through the sideshow and now we have these.

This is Wet Plate Photography. Taken with vintage cameras you have to hold still for up to 40 seconds. This is one of the reasons that in old photos people don't smile that much.

A little look at the equipment. Note the plate at the base of the tripod. That holds the metal plate that the photo is shot and developed on.

The photos are upside-down and backwards, Gives great effects. These photographers will be back in Coney in a few months. I want to get together a large group of performers to get photos taken.

This one is my favorite. Legs Malone and I. I am sweet on that girl.

The Lighter Side of Life

At the sideshow I steal peoples lighters. I do this a lot. During the show I have them throw one up to me and I just never return it. Doing the show eight to ten times a day I have started quite a collection.

Some people get very bent out of shape about a 50 cent lighter but I did keep some great ones. The Obama is my favorite.

By the end of the year I should have well over a hundred. What should I do with them all?

BONUS PIC TIME

Heather Holliday. Cream Cheese Bagel Party

Freak night out

On July 20th I performed at the Slipper room for Nic Sin's birthday party bash.

(photo by Tim Sutton)

This is Nic. That is the straitjacket that I had made for him on his birthday last year. I can't wait for the next chance to hang him from something. The show was filled with great burlesque and many friends came out.

I had the chance to do some fire eating in the show. The ceiling was made of tin tiles. The fire created a great ring that only the front row and I were able to enjoy.

All the freaks came out in support of Nic. In this photo Black Scorpion,

Mat "Sealboy" Fraiser, Nic Sin, Me! and Tim "Torture King" Cridland.

Had some other great burlesque adventures this week, should have more soon.

Circus Posters

The other day the boss, Dick Z. was going through some of his old posters.

These are just a few. I love the look.

I wish that I could get a hand on these. They would be a great gift for my nephew.

arff.

New Hat Day!

I went to a costume rental shop that was going out of business. The warehouse was pretty picked through by the time that I got there but did manage to find some neat headgear.

Bellhop Donny.

I am going to use this as the center piece for a new circus act that I am working on.

Old Time Catcher Donny.

And then there is this thing. I have no clue, I just knew that I needed it.

BONUS PIC

Getting Ready for the 'pockyclypse Mad Max Style.

I could use that catchers mask here.

Check out Black Scorpion in the back holding the beasts at bay.

Dart Days

Chris has been teaching me how to play darts. In one of our first games with each other I managed to pull off some crazy Robin Hood shot.

Split a dart down the center! Score that 20!