I've been doin' more diggin' in my
North Carolina library,
and came across this little oddity.
The most bizarre aspect of this book,
is not its title,
but its author,
or as he more accurately describes himself,
"compiler",
Barry Humphries,
aka
Dame Edna!
Really?
Yes really.
Barry is obviously a very talented man,
a gorgeous woman,
but also a serious connoisseur of freak.
And y'all know how much
I love freaks,
so there wasn't much not to like about
"BIZaRRE".
All the material compiled by Barry was taken from
a publication by
Jean-Jacques Pauvert
also called "Bizarre".
But not this
that I posted about a while back....
Confused?
I know I am,
so let's look at some weird, I mean BIZaRRE
images....
The book was designed by
Bruce Robertson.
I couldn't find out much on Bruce....
"Zipper Dick"
(my title)
No credit for this image....
Roland Topor
"Skull Dick"
(my title)
These great photomontages
are by
Michael Kellaway.
The last one is titled
"Chlorotic X-Ray"
Not sure what is going on here,
or who created this image,
or where it originally came from.
But I like it.
Ain't that the truth.
This is by someone called Margat.
Margat
Olivieri
I can understand why Barry was drawn to this.
Credit for this image is:
"from American Comic"
"Bums"
(my title)
no credit
Avilino Perez
According to the book: Avilino was "a Cuban
whose eyes protruded so far they looked artificial.
Living metaphor 'his eyes started out of his head'"
Eng and Chang Bunker
The original "Siamese Twins"
1811-1874
Francesco Lentini
He had his 3rd leg
(Not that third leg! In Franco's case that would be his 4th leg....)
successfully removed in 1950.
His Scottish family had hidden him until then.
He was a watch repairman.
I had a one-armed watch repairman in
Florida. No shit.
He was also the lead singer in a reggae band.
Wonder what happened to him....
This also kinda reminds me of
this stool:
Kurt Seligmann's
"Ultra-Furniture"
1938
Film still from "Freaks"
Tod Browning's 1932 film.
This is a "family portrait"
with Mr. Browning in the middle,
just in case you were wondering.
Tod Browning's 1932 film.
This is a "family portrait"
with Mr. Browning in the middle,
just in case you were wondering.
Sophia Loren
Escher?
Clovis Trouille
"Les Heureuses"
Naughty Nuns.
Shame on y'all!
This reminds me of
"Dark Habits" by Pedro Almodóvar.
This must be a film still,
and I must find out what film and watch it.
Lionel
"Dog Man"
Looks like the inspiration for...
Chewie!!!
Barry Humphries,
the man himself, around 1965.
This is the back cover,
graced, as the front cover is, by a lounging
Lionel, aka "Dog Man"
This kinda reminds me of this:
Burt, what a stud....
I have a copy of this book also. I've loved it for years, maybe 6 years ago I ran into Barry in Brisbane while we were at the QUT Art Museum. I said hello Mr Humphries and he ignored me. But when I was outside he approached me and asked about one artist in the show (who I knew well, it turned out). So we chatted and I said that I had an early book of his and that if he was ever to do a follow up version I said I would lend him some of my collected material . . . to which he remarked - oh! the first one was not very well received and then he asked for my email, which I furnished to him.
ReplyDeletemale- great story! thanks for sharing and let me know if anything comes of it, although if it's been 6 years I guess he's not so keen on a follow-up. too bad! best, -P
Deleteabout that movie still, i found this; http://goldenagecomicbookstories.blogspot.se/2011/10/happy-halloween-bizarre-march1962.html
ReplyDelete- - that's great, several steps closer to the answer.... p
ReplyDeletep.gabba-gabba we accept you - ok..
ReplyDeletebut how does sophia fit in here? i recall she had all her gadgets in the right places -
pls advise!
carl, that is the beauty of it. That picture just appears in the book, full page, with no explanation or accompanying text... BIZaRRE!!!!
ReplyDeleteLove... and the Mister adores Burt Reynolds. Has all of his belt buckles from various films and he has that cosmo spread. Me, I've had to enjoy and endure all of his films.
ReplyDeleteI suppose Sophia Loren is freakishly beautiful; she's "one of us, one of us." I once read that she does her own makeup because her face is unique.
ReplyDeleteThe drawing of the "s&m prostitute with leg-net full of male suitors" (my title) is also by Roland Topor.
ReplyDeletei don't think that still is from a movie, It looks to me like Ernie Kovacs, from his tv show.
ReplyDelete