This past weekend my wife Nicki and I headed downtown to Beale Street to attend the Beale Street Monster Club‘s showing of the 1925 silent film “The Phantom Of The Opera“.
“The Phantom of the Opera” is a horror film adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel of the same name. It was directed by Rupert Julian and starred Lon Chaney in the title role of the deformed Phantom who haunts the Paris Opera House, causing murder and mayhem in an attempt to make the woman he loves a star.
Now, although it is considered a black & white film, there are parts that are actually in color…well, there was some scenes with a bit of green or spot red such as the masquerade scene. It was a VERY expensive process to do back then, so it was used sparingly and for effect.
This special Phantom Centennial anniversary celebration showing was held upstairs at A. Schwab on historic Beale Street in Memphis, TN.
And the Phantom himself was there to greet us and entered on cue, “Sing for me..!”
Unlike the movie Phantom, this Phantom was much more social and was happy to pose for pictures- even with another Phantom that showed up!
This Beale Street Phantom and host was actually Michael Cox, one of the founders of the Beale Street Monster Club. He and co-founder Tony Kail introduced the film, and Michael took questions from the audience after the special screening of the movie.
Michael also had a lot of great Phantom collectible items on display
He has been known to take them on the road to events around town like the Monster Market, Memphis Monster Con, and Germantown Community Theatre during their recent run of “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein” and our Mid-South Cartoonists Association‘s “Drawn Of The Dead” art show there.
I really enjoyed his “King Kong” collectibles he had on display at a previous Monster Club meeting when they had a showing of the original 1933 Kong movie back in February 2024.
Before and after the Phantom movie screening, Tony was giving guided tours of his Beale Street Hoodoo Museum that’s located across the hall upstairs at A. Schwab as well.
It’s really expanded since the last time I was there!
Tony and Michael really know their stuff, and are happy to share that knowledge. Tony’s even written books about Hoodoo! One of his published books was on display in the museum. You can purchase a copy of it “or “Stories of Rootworkers & Hoodoo in the Mid-South” ($21.99 USD) through Schwab’s website, in-store on Beale, or on Amazon.
A lot of the fear behind hoodoo/voodoo had to do with a lot of racism- kind of “Satanic Panic” back before movies like “The Exorcist” and “The Amityville Horror” or the heavy metal court trials in the ’70s and ’80s. Hollywood has played a big part in sensationalizing voodoo and perpetuating the stereotypes and myths over the years such as the James Bond flick, “Live And Let Die“. And there are also blues legends like Robert Johnson and the stories of his deal with the Devil at the Crossroads.
There were about 15-20 attendees that showed up to watch the Chaney film on it’s 100th anniversary, including local news man and monster kid, John Beifuss from the Commercial Appeal newspaper. John interviewed both Phantoms, as well as other attendees including Nicki and myself. After the movie I did a quick interview with Michael for my “Drawing Funny” podcast.
Oh, and speaking of Beifuss, his first professional byline appeared in Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine! John was an integral part of the birth of the “SIVADS OF MARCH” tribute celebration we did here in Memphis to honor “SIVAD” back in 2010. Watson Davis, who created and portrayed the southern vampire persona, passed away in 2005.
Sivad was the local horror host and “Monster of Ceremonies” for “Fantastic Features” on WHBQ/Ch.13 from 1962-1972. (Click HERE, HERE, and HERE for more info on SIVAD and Fantastic Features.)
You can see a video (click HERE) about him and experience some footage from the art show and Brooks events, which features Kevin L. Williams‘ SIVAD puppet as your horror host. Keep an eye out for John and my cameos in it, along with some of my art and other local artists. I was at the art show, but somehow missed all of the ballyhoo at Brooks and other events going on that year. I have no idea how that happened, and barely remember what I did attend. Missing the other festivities and folks involved is a major regret and bummer for me, and I really hope that another SIVAD celebration can happen again. I won’t miss this one even if I have to be carried there in a casket!
You can check out some of SIVAD’s actual costume and classic collectibles currently in the lobby of the movie theater at the Pink Palace Museum & Mansion on Central Avenue in Memphis. I almost missed seeing them in person myself!
SIVAD was a fun part of the discussion at the first Beale Street Monster Club meeting at A. Schwab and everyone had great memories to share.
A. Schwab Dry Goods Store was established in 1876 by Abraham Joseph Schwab, a Jewish immigrant. Schwab joined the Hirsch family after arriving in Memphis from and opened A. Schwab Dry Goods Store, selling men’s shoes and boots and later expanded into assorted clothing, hardware, and home appliances. “Hirsch, Schwab & Co” was originally located at 66 Beale and later moved to 149 Beale after the families split in 1886. In 1911, the business was moved to the first floor of its current address at 163 Beale.
It had been passed down through many members of the family, and late in 2011 after 136 years of ownership the Schwab family sold the business. It’s got a large variety of items for sale in this huge two story building including tees, harmonicas, ukuleles, magnets, soaps, sock monkeys, and more! Their motto is, “If you can’t find it at Schwab’s you’re better off without it.” You can find more about the Schwab history on their website HERE and read several articles on the store HERE.
Besides being one of the largest and oldest retail stores on Beale, A. Schwab is the only surviving original Beale Street business- and even has a soda fountain that serves old fashioned sodas, floats, ice cream, sundaes, hand made milk shakes, and even some hot beverages like espresso, coffee, and hot chocolate. That half of the storefront (165 Beale) and the second floor of their building was bought in 1924 and doubled the footprint of the shop to it’s current size and I believe I heard the soda fountain was put in around the early 2000s during the store’s renovation.
That side had previously been one of the original Piggly Wiggly grocery store locations. Piggly Wiggly, founded by Clarence Saunders, was the first true self-serve grocery store and originated in Memphis in 1916. I used to shop at one in Memphis, but the closest locations are in Olive Branch and Tunica, MS or middle TN around the Nashville area, and I now only see others when we drive through Georgia or Alabama. My buddy Greg Cravens used to do a lot of the advertising art for their circulars and other promo art.
Piggly Wiggly’s first location was at 79 Jefferson Avenue, and you can see a replica of it on permanent display at the Pink Palace Museum & Mansion (also known as “MoSH”- Memphis Museum of Science & History). The museum and movie theater are amazing, and Tony Hardy who runs the theater has a spooktacular horror and sci-fi personal collection that he occasionally shares in displays there throughout the year.
My buddy Kevin and I have visited and shopped at Schwab’s many times over the years when on Beale, and the first time I visited A. Schwab for a Beale Street Monster Club event I got a root beer float.
This time Nicki and I ordered a couple chocolate shakes from Elliott Schwab (fourth generation Schwab) and watched folks walk (and flip) down Beale Street.
I missed getting a shot of one of the Beale Street Flippers (like seen in the movie “The Firm”), but did catch a pic of the National Guard patrolling on Beale with an MPD officer. Funny thing, I didn’t see them or many Memphis police patrolling after dark..!
We did have a good (and safe) time Walking In Memphis, and look forward to more Beale Street Monster Club events at A. Schwab and around the M-town.
I joined the Beale Street Monster Club during it’s first ever meeting downtown back on Saturday the 13th- January, 2o24. It was a great time and I ran into a couple fellow monster kids like Carlin Stuart and Josh Plock. Unfortunately co-founder Michael had to work and missed that event.
After the meeting, Tony was our guide for a tour of the Hoodoo Museum, the store, and a trip downstairs to check out the basement! It’s off limits to the general public, so this was very special opportunity for us. I wish we could’ve gone down there this weekend to take a pic of the Phantom’s in their costumes. That archway would’ve been perfect for a Phantom photo op!
Lots of cool stuff down there, and while we explored the store’s underbelly Tony told us more history about Beale and Schwab’s, including the tunnels that ran under Beale that were used from time to time for removing dead bodies off the street…YIKES!!! Plus, they were used during prohibition to move illegal hooch. I’d love to learn more about Memphis’ history from back then. I also wish I had a basement like this for my own Batcave! There might be enough space for all of the guano in my collection…
If you’d like to join the club and/or check out their future events you can find them by clicking on the links below.
Beale Street Monster Club (Public Facebook page)
Beale Street Monster Club Members (Private Facebook group)
A. Schwab
163 Beale Street
Memphis, TN 38103
901.523.9782
www.a-schwab.com/
customerservice@a-schwab.com
www.facebook.com/aschwabbeale
www.instagram.com/aschwabonbeale/
Store Hours:
Sunday to Wednesday: 11am-5pm
Thursday: 11am-6pm
Friday to Saturday: 11am-7pm
(These hours may change due to unforeseen circumstances.)
A.Schwab’s Through the Ages: 143 Years on Beale (Choose 901-March 26, 2019)
Elliott Schwab Interview: The A. Schwab Project (Volume I, Issue III of StoryBoard Memphis Quarterly summer 2022)
On May 3rd, my wife Nicki and I finished out Free Comic Book Day by stopping by the Memphis Botanic Gardens to go trolling. We finally go to see the Thomas Dambo “Trolls: Save The Humans” outdoor exhibit.
These wooden sculptures looked amazing in photos online, but were super impressive and massive in person. Definitely not a bunch of yard gnomes!
Because of bad weather a few weeks back, the Garden’s Troll Fest art day got rescheduled for that Saturday.
Lots of “recycled” artists who use found items and/or repurposed items were set up around the garden, as well as food trucks and live performances.
There were also several booths set up to promote local groups, other events, and share information on nature. Mississippi Wildlife Rehab were there with live rescued animals that can’t be returned to the wild, and the Girl Scouts were there to earn merit badges by giving out free tree saplings.
We also noticed an art show inside the visitors center as we first got there.
And there’s lots of art/sculptures all throughout the Botanic Gardens.
There were also members of the Memphis Urban Sketchers art group who were not only drawing at the event, but one of them, artist Erik Pena was even dressed up as Bob Ross and painting the first troll we came across.
That first troll we ran into was Ronja Redeye.
Ronja speaks from the heart with a mighty voice and is a natural leader. She speaks compassionately and honestly since she knows words can make humans smile but can also make them sad.
The next troll we discovered was Kamma Can.
Kamma is a creator. Where humans see trash, she sees potential. She wants to teach the humans not to throw things away so fast but instead get creative with colorful plastics, which she calls eternity material.
Our next troll was Sofus Lotus who had one ear to the ground.
Sofus listens, feels, and is mindful of nature and all its beings. He was the first one to notice something was wrong with the world, and that nature was changing its rhythm and ways for the worse.
Just up the path from Sofus was Ibbi Pip who was distributing birdhouses in the surrounding trees.
Ibbi is a handy, optimistic troll and a friend of all animals. She tries to communicate with the humans through colorful birdhouses because she thinks this could awaken the humans’ compassion for their natural surroundings.
Ibbi was located near the wildlife rehab table, and around the corner the girl scouts were set up near an old cabin in the woods.
And just beyond them was a reclining Basse Buller, who was near a swing-set that was hung between two trees.
Basse is a wild child at heart and loves to express himself through symbols and shapes inspired by nature he lives in, and he makes his mark with anything he can find. A rebel, he takes “no” as a “maybe.”
We found one of the spots where Nicki and I had some of our engagement photos taken- almost 16 year ago..!
Lots of wildlife around including ducks, fish, and I really loved seeing all the families of geese walking through the park.
Especially all the fuzzy little goslings…they’re so FLUFFY!!!
We had a lot of fun taking tons of pics as we walked through the Garden.
The weather was amazing- partly cloudy, mild temps, and a nice breeze. Perfect day to explore the garden, and we definitely got our steps in for the day!
We started to make our way through the rose garden and over to the the large greenhouse to encounter for our last troll.
That last troll was Rosa Sunfinger and can be seen from the road.
Rosa is a soft-spoken introverted troll who cares for plants and other green creatures with her life-giving fingers. She spreads her wisdom by showing how plants can make even the most useless items come back to life.
We had an amazing time and I wish we had come earlier. It’s hard to believe it’s probably been 10 years since we were at the gardens for a work Christmas party, and about 6 years before that!
You still have a bit of time before the trolls pack up and move to their next location. They will be here at the Memphis Botanic Garden until May 21, 2025.
Last Friday night Mid-South Cartoonists Association president and Memphis Ghostbusters co-founder Kevin L. Williams and I headed over across the Mississippi River and down to Helena, AR for artist Andre L. Miller‘s art show.
It was held at the Delta Cultural Center downtown on the banks of the river. We got there just after Andre started to address the crowd and tell the story behind the inspiration for his art exhibit, shared some facts about Robert Johnson and dispelled a few rumors about the blues legend and the stories about his deal with the devil for his soul at the crossroads.
The Delta Cultural Center opened in 1990 and the space is amazing! There are two galleries in the middle, a gift show, and two museum spaces on either side of the galleries. The museum has permanent collections with art and artifacts numbering in the thousands.
After the opening presentation, Andre was mingling with the art show attendees, including his wife, son, and daughters. Kevin and some friends ran into Andre and his family the next day at lunch and found out his daughters flew in from California to surprise him. Kevin first met him at a Huey’s restaurant up in Memphis while hanging out with our mutual friend Martheus Antone Wade. Turns out that Andre and Antone are fraternity brothers, and Andre and I were born at the same hospital…small world!
It was great to listen to Andre discuss some of the symbolism in his art pieces and study the paintings’ vibrant colors and rich textures, but it was also very educational to read the text pieces below each of the 29 original art pieces. Lots of great facts, stories, and thoughts by Andre about Robert Johnson.
There were lots of tasty refreshments during the opening reception, and even some great live blues music being played on the north museum space. Several “King Biscuit” items on display around the room, and a broadcast booth where two regular programs celebrate their rich musical heritage. The legendary “King Biscuit Time” radio show is broadcast, Monday – Friday, from 12:15 – 12:45. Each Friday from 1:00 – 1:30 you can also catch the “Delta Sounds” radio show featuring a variety of musical genres (KFFA 1360 AM).
The exhibit of 29 paintings by Andre Miller runs thru April 12, 2025, and there are plans for the show to tour. There is also another exhibit in the south gallery section of the museum, “Building For Tomorrow: E.C. Morris, Centennial Church and the Black Baptists During Jim Crow” which “explores the role of the Baptist Church in the lives of African Americans during the turbulent period of Jim Crow, as they navigated the difficulties and hardships of a segregated country.”
The museum is located at 141 Cherry Street, Helena, AR 72342. Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and admission is FREE. Be sure to check out the gift shop while you’re there.
The Delta Cultural Center, located in historic downtown Helena, Arkansas, is a museum dedicated to the history of the Arkansas Delta. The museum interprets the heritage of the 27 county Delta region through exhibits, educational programs, annual events, and guided tours. Admission is free; come and experience what the Delta has to offer!
Kevin and I haven’t been down to Helena since we attended a King Biscuit Blues Festival almost 20 years ago (3 day premier blues fest founded in 1986). When we turned into downtown we wondered if we had the right directions. Like many river towns here in the south, there were a few buildings that were abandoned and neglected.
Kevin stopped for a minute so we could take some pics, and so I could jump out and get a close-up of the mural on the side of the building. It was REALLY cold outside, so I got my shots and jumped back in the van.
We soon recognized the stage where we’d watched harmonica extraordinaire James Cotton and other blues legends perform on, and then spotted the Delta Cultural Center across the street.
Before we left town we took some time to explore the downtown area near the museum. We found more great architecture, some had been saved and were in use, and some were showing obvious signs of being closed.
We not only plan to come back to visit the museum, but visit more of downtown Helena…while some of it is still standing.
Oh, on the way home Kev and I stopped by the Blue & White Restaurant on the way home for dinner. I’ve passed by it to and from the Tunica Humane Society animal shelter and now regret not stopping in before! I had a great Buffalo chicken sandwich and seasoned fries. Kev had some catfish, greens, and pie. If you’re traveling on Hwy. 61 and pass through Tunica stop on in yourself- 1355 Highway 61 N Tunica, MS 38676.
The Blue and White was originally established in 1924 on Route 61 along the railroad in downtown Tunica, Mississippi. In 1937, the Pure Oil Company moved The Blue and White Cafe and Service Station to its present location on what is now Highway 61 shortly after the construction of the new Route 61.
Thanks to Kev for the invite, ride down, and additional pics. Really look forward to making another trek down to Helena- hope you can, too! You can follow Andrea and his art on Instagram @artbyandremiller_06.
Robert Johnson (1911-1938)
Hey, gang- sorry it’s been so long since a post. Have had some problems with a couple of my sites but things are back up and running again. Figured I’d do a quick post to get back in the swing of things.
This weekend my wife Nicki and I were out running errands and after stopping for lunch in Southaven we decided to head down to the Hernando DeSoto River Park in the Lske Cormorant, MS area- not too far from Tunica. We had loaded Nicki’s Nikon DSLR and Sony mirrorless cameras in the car earlier and since there was a slight chance for clouds/color we decided to do a quick detour on our way home to take some shots along the Mississippi River.
Even with the time change we had some time to make the quick trip yo catch the sunset. It’s been a while since we’ve been down by the river, and it was definitely down from the last time we were there.
Last time we were there (above) the water was so high you couldn’t even see the boat ramp. Nicki said the river level this time was down about 6ft from normal, and there were certain areas in the park that are normally wet that were just just weeds and reeds!
We got some good amount of clouds and color, but of course the last two days have had even more than when we went.
We missed getting pics of a barge heading down the river, but not going to complain. It was just nice to get back down to the park. Weather was great, it wasn’t crowded, and we both had fun exploring and shooting.
It’s a nice place just to chill and enjoy the view. There are picnic tables, boat ramp, overlook, plenty of space for dogs and kids to play, and a great view of the Arkansas side of the river.
The park is open from sunrise to sunset (whenever the river doesn’t cause it to be closed). It’s not that far of a drive down Hwy. 61 from Memphis or down 1-69 or Commerce Street from Hernando- and even closer from Tunica!
We also love to check out Martyr Park in Memphis, and Hernando Point in Arkabutla, MS.
I’ll try and post more pics from each location. Hadn’t realized we’d made several trips I not only didn’t post, but think there are a couple SD cards I haven’t even looked at or even downloaded to my computer yet!
My next HGWT blog post(s) will be about our recent trip to NYC to celebrate Nicki finishing grad school. It was our first actual vacation since 2019 when we went just before the pandemic hit!
Lin
On Saturday, June 11th, 2022 my wife Nicki and I took a day trip up to Metropolis, IL for the 44th Annual Superman Celebration.
We’ve been attending for many years, and the weather was just too nice to not get out of the house. The higher gas prices had us think twice about going, but thankfully Nicki has a new hybrid that gets between 50-60mpg.
I don’t think the same can be said for Optimus Prime– but it was pretty awesome seeing this Transformer in person on Superman Square.
We weren’t the only Memphians in town. Nicki and I ran into fellow MSCA’ers the Easterling Family.
They’ve been attending the Superman Celebration for years, too! (Check out Lonnie’s cartoons at www.spudtoons.com.)
Also saw Memphians Christina and Jim Hall in Artists Alley. Mama Wanda was keeping watch over the room as usual. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see Papa Cliff.
Artists Alley/Writers Way was located in the bank building on 8th street again, but the entrance had been moved around to the back of the building. It was like entering a speakeasy! Thankfully the A/C was working this year. The last couple it was actually cooler outside than inside.
We talked to several folks while we were there, including artists Matthew Clark and Rick Burchett, and writer Sean Dulaney. We saw cartoonist Guy Gilchrist‘s table, but he had stepped away from it while we were there. We did see actor George Newbern (voice of JLU Superman) there behind his table.
He and actors Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum were there as celebrity guests. We got to see them all pose together with official Superman of Metropolis Josh Boultinghouse out in front of the giant Superman statue. It’s the most frequented photo-op spot in town.
Just up from the statue we had a bit of a Supergirl Radio podcast reunion when we ran into co-host Rebecca Johnson and fellow listener Dr. Nicole Green and her family. We got to meet them last year in AA/WW for the first time.
Lots of great costumes were spotted around town while we were there.
Including many Superpets that were in attendance as well, like Stephanie Perrin’s doggy Scooby!
Our boy Lex was adopted at the 2015 Metropolis Superman Celebration. He and two siblings had been abandoned at the carnival there. All found furever homes, and Lex has been part of our family for 7yrs now..! He currently lives with adopted siblings Lena and Jarael.
The animal shelter in Metropolis is the Project Hope Humane Society, and is located off Hwy45 next to the Metropolis welcome sign. We saw a few strays hanging out near the front of the building. Looks like they have some shelters built for them. We missed the fund raising tent they had up during the celebration, but now that we know where they are we can drop off some donations the next time we are in town.
While in town we stopped by Fat Edd’s Roadhouse for lunch and had a couple bacon cheeseburgers, fries, and some ice cold Kryptonite.
It’s become a Metropolis tradition. Oh, and trust me- Kryptonite and a yellow sun can affect Earthlings, too! You might want to order a glass of water to go with it to help stay hydrated.
Unfortunately due to some problems with the venue there was no Save The Massac Theatre auction this year during the Celebration. Hopefully they can do one next year and/or do a virtual one online. I’ve got a few items to donate to it.
Dates for next year’s Superman Celebration are June 9-11, 2023. Unfortunately it’s the same weekend as the return of Con Kasterborous (ConK) in Huntsville, AL. It had been cancelled the last few because of the pandemic, but will be back for one last time.
You can see and/or hear more of our adventures in Metropolis on the latest Supergirl Radio podcast. It’s available on YouTube, on their website, or most anywhere you like to download and listen to podcasts.
You can watch the 2022 Superman Celebration episode on YouTube at:
And watch and/or listen on their website at:
Last year’s 2021 Superman Celebration episode:
http://supergirlradio.com/episodes/supergirl-radio-season-6-superman-celebration-2021/
http://supergirlradio.com/episodes/supergirl-radio-season-6-superman-celebration-2021/
Supergirl Radio RAINN Fundraiser Marathon Episode (Nicki and I do a Superpets segment):
Also, we were sad to hear of the passing of artist Tim Sale. He was known for his work on the “Heroes” TV show and many comics collaborations with longtime friend Jeph Leob, including “Batman: The Long Halloween” and “Superman for All Seasons” (my favorite Superman story). Got to meet him once at the Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle when he was one of our table neighbors. Hard to believe we’ve lost George Pérez, Neal Adams, and Tim Sale so close together this year…
Lin
