Calling all the monsters. ’Tis time for the first-ever Memphis Monster Con, a two-day horror extravaganza happening this Saturday and Sunday.
The convention will have more than 15 celebrity guests, more than 100 vendors and artists, food trucks, cosplay and cosplay contests, panels, photo ops, and more.
“Memphis has a good comic con with the Memphis Comic Expo. It’s got a really good anime convention with the Anime Blues [Con],” says Jaime Wright, one of the event’s organizers and co-owner of 901 Comics with Shannon Merritt. “One thing Memphis has never had is a dedicated horror convention, so we felt it’s an itch that needs to be scratched.”
Memphis artist Cameron Holland made limited edition posters for the con. (Photo: Courtesy Jaime Wright)
Wright fell into horror as a kid who wanted to watch what his older brother and late sister were watching. “I distinctly remember they were watching the movie Phantasm on TV one night in the late ’70s,” he says. “It gave me nightmares, but I had to get more.”
Wright expects others feel the same about horror. “People like being scared,” he says. “They like being taken out of their comfort zone.”
For the horror convention, guests will get to meet Tyler Mane, the now-retired professional wrestler who played Michael Myers in Rob Zombie’s Halloween; C.J. Graham, who was Jason in Friday the 13th Part VI; Brett Wagner, who did the first kill in the 2003’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre; scream queen Felissa Rose from Sleepaway Camp and Death House; and more. “We’re doing a Return of the Living Dead reunion with five of the cast members [Thom Mathews, John Philbin, Beverly Randolph, Miguel Núñez Jr., and Allan Trautman].”
Ken Foree, who starred in Dawn of the Dead and also appeared Rob Zombie’s Halloween, will also be there. Wright calls him a “horror legend.” Like other celebrities at the event, Foree will give a panel talk (Sunday at 1:50 p.m.). “I’m gonna tell stories to the audience and talk about what I’ve been doing,” he says. “I’ll go into Q&A and let them ask questions. I have a great time doing that.”
Other panels include “The King’s Reign: Celebrating 70 Years of Godzilla” with Beale Street Monster Club, “Darker Side of Disney” with the Memphis-based podcast I-Scream Queens, and “History of Horror Comics” with 901 Comics’ Shannon Merritt.
With the end of the Memphis in May celebrations and the beginning of June, summer is well and truly underway in Memphis.
Okay, the first day of summer isn’t technically for another couple of weeks, but let’s be honest — it feels like summer. It’s hot, humid, and summer thunderstorms have already begun rolling through town. So if it’s time to break out the sunscreen for the season, then we may as well party like it’s officially summer. But how to get your seasonal groove on? Worry not, dear reader, your faithful Flyer staff is here to help.
In this issue, we’ve got a list of happenings we hope will keep you cool — festivals, movie nights, Elvis Week, anniversaries, book launches, and more. Our advice? Circle everything that sounds fun, slap on some sunblock, swig a seltzer, and go out and enjoy the Memphis heat.
Summer Fest: Memphis Pride Fest Memphis Pride Fest is back, louder and prouder because it’s IRL this year after two years of online events.
The weekend of events is billed as the single largest gathering for the LGBTQ+ community and allies in Memphis and the Mid-South. Organizers expect more than 35,000 attendees “to celebrate the most colorful weekend of the year.”
Pride kicks off Thursday at the Malco Summer Drive-In. Gates open at 7 p.m. for a viewing of To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything!Julie Newmar at 8 p.m. A drag show featuring Brenda Newport, Kaiyla JonVier Dickerson, Zoey Adams, and more starts at 10 p.m. Tickets are $35 per vehicle.
On Friday, the Big Gay Dance Party returns, this time at Crosstown Theater at 8 p.m. The event features DJ A.D. “and a safe, inclusive environment to be their true selves.” Tickets range from $15-$150. After-parties start after midnight at Dru’s Bar and The Pumping Station.
Saturday will find Robert R. Church Park awash in rainbows as the festival gets under way at 10 a.m. It features two stages, more than 150 vendors, food trucks, a car show, a kids area, an adult area, a VIP lounge, free and discreet HIV testing, and more. The festival ends at 5 p.m. Tickets are $1.
“What would Pride be without a big, bold colorful parade?” ask the organizers. We won’t have to find out this year. The Memphis Pride Parade steps off at 1 p.m. from 4th and Beale and makes its way through the Beale Street Entertainment District. It will feature 100 different floats, performers, and more with more than 3,000 people participating.
Head back to Beale Sunday at 11 a.m. for the Grand Marshal’s Drag Brunch at the Jerry Lee Lewis Cafe. — Toby Sells Memphis Pride Fest, various locations, June 2nd-5th. Event tickets range from $1-$150. Check midsouthpride.org for more information.
Mike Kerr Memphis Botanic Garden
Summer Sounds: Music in the Open Air Hearing live music outside as the day cools to dusk is one of the great joys of summer in Memphis. With Covid concerns having lapsed over the past year and outdoor gatherings being among the safest anyway, there is sure to be an outdoor music event happening nearly any weekend you care to find one.
We’ve recently covered some of the ongoing series offering such delights, venerable local traditions such as the Memphis Botanic Garden’s Live at the Garden series (kicking off on June 11th with Steely Dan) and the Overton Park Shell’s Orion Free Concert Series (which launched Sunday with the Sunset Symphony concert, followed by Jackie Venson on Thursday, June 2nd). Farther east, yet with a more local flair, there’s always the Germantown Performing Arts Center’s Bluebird Concerts at The Grove. All of them offer green spaces for lounging under the trees as the summer breeze rises — not to mention food and drink vendors.
Some summer series actually began in the spring. The River Series at Harbor Town offers the prime acoustics of an amphitheater on the eastern banks of Mud Island, in full view of the Memphis skyline, and their final spring concert, featuring MouseRocket and Ibex Clone, goes down this Saturday, June 4th. Trolley Night has been livening up the last Friday of every month since March, and will carry on through October, bringing plenty of casual live music to the South Main area. And the Sunset Jazz series has already begun gracing the second Sunday of each month down in Court Square. If Thursday is more your thing, consider the Rooftop Parties atop the Peabody Hotel, which have been featuring a mix of live bands and DJs since April.
Finally, don’t forget the many private venues that specialize in outdoor shows, like Railgarten, Loflin Yard, Carolina Watershed, and Slider Inn Downtown. Thanks to them, you can find live music in the open air nearly every night of the week. — Alex Greene
Summer in the Garden: Twilight Thursdays Every week between now and October 27th, the Memphis Botanic Garden is featuring a “Twilight Thursday” from 5 till 8 p.m. What is a Twilight Thursday? Glad you asked, because there’s a lot happening at these events, not to mention the fabulous Alice in Wonderland topiary exhibit going on right now.
Hungry? Twilight Thursdays offer a rotating array of food trucks each week with a variety of culinary options so you can create your own picnic dinner. There are picnic tables in a nearby grove of trees. If you like getting your drink on, there’s also a “Curious Cocktails” cash bar, which could potentially help you better appreciate the Cheshire Cat’s looming grin. More of a beer person? MBG has got you covered with a special selection of “Alice’s Ales” from Memphis Made Brewing Company.
Memphis Botanic Garden promises there will be additional surprises each week, including vendors, performers, and other special guests, plus presentations from various community partners and groups.
And here’s another bonus: You can bring your favorite pupper to Twilight Thursdays. You know they’d like nothing more than a hike around the grounds on a summer’s eve. Just don’t forget to keep them on leash at all times.
For advance information on food and drink options and performers and other special activities, check with the garden’s Instagram and Facebook accounts. Nonmembers are required to purchase time-entry advance tickets for Twilight Thursdays. — Bruce VanWyngarden
Michael Donahue Team Mama Biondini at Italian Fest
Summer Spaghetti Gravy: Italian Fest On cross-country European railways, there’s always that one train car that sticks out. Rather than a collective of quiet, mild-mannered passengers elsewhere, this car opens its door to release a noisy deluge of yelling, partying, dancing, card-playing, drinking, general hoopla, and hand gestures, dio mio, the hand gestures. Yes, that’s right: It’s the one and only Italian car.
But fear not: The exhilarating merriment of such an encounter doesn’t have to require a transcontinental trip — Memphis’ very own Italian Fest is back in full force this summer, shedding the private, Covid-enforced subdued environments of recent years to embrace its former glory. We’re talking large cooking pots from which the red sauce endlessly floweth, throngs of jubilant festival-goers dancing the tarantella in large fields at Marquette Park, and thrilling clashes of perhaps one of the world’s most intense sports: bocce.
It’s a list of festivities that would make Chef Hector Boyardee himself proud, bringing together many fine staples of Italian-American culture into one place. The festival, running from Thursday, June 2nd, to Saturday, June 4th, is a wild three-day party; it’s a Mediterranean-style version of barbecue fest, where instead of pork there are enough noodles to make a bridge across the Mississippi. It’s fine enough to hang out, listen to some music, and peruse the festivities. But the real fun is in the cook-off, where various teams pack into their tents as they attempt to create the best spaghetti gravy on site or other Italian entrees and desserts. (Pro tip: try to link up with someone who has an invite to one of the cooking tents. The experience is far superior that way.)
If you need an extra glass of wine, toss the kids over to the carnival rides at Luigi Land before popping open another bottle. There’s fun aplenty, and while we may not be in Rome, well, … do as the Romans do anyway. — Samuel X. Cicci Learn more about Italian Fest dates and tickets at memphisitalianfestival.org.
Jesse Davis 901 Comics
Summer Reading This issue is jam-packed with ways to get out and experience hot fun in the Memphis summertime. But this one’s for the fans of air-conditioning.
There are no end of book events in the Bluff City this summer. First on our list is the 36th anniversary celebration at Comics & Collectibles Saturday, June 4th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. General manager Donny Juengling says the store opened in 1986 and, “We’re really just thankful that we’ve been in business that long.” There is a 20 percent off sale, and illustrator Scott Kolins will be on site for the event.
Next up, 901 Comics is celebrating the store’s sixth anniversary on Saturday, June 4th. Writer and illustrator Al Milgrom will be there signing books. “You can walk back in the back room and pick up a book from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, and he probably worked on it,” says Shannon Merritt, who co-founded the store with Jaime Wright. “When we opened this thing, we weren’t sure if it was going to last a year,” Merritt says.
Why not make Saturday a book-stravaganza? Hit two comic shop anniversary parties, then stop by Novel at 6 p.m. for the launch of Finding Jupiter, the new novel by former Memphian Kelis Rowe. “Kelis grew up in Memphis, where she had her first big love as a teenager,” the event announcement says. “She did not see herself or her big love reflected in the pages of a YA novel at the time and now writes contemporary YA to give Black young people more reflections of themselves and their love to enjoy.”
For less time-sensitive book needs, consider going to Burke’s Book Store or DeMoir Books & Things, perhaps to scope out a new novel, short story collection, or poetry book from a local author. Jeremee DeMoir just restocked copies of Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow — for the fourth time — and Burke’s has signed copies, as does Novel. Memphis made the list of The Bitter Southerner’s “2022 Summer Reading Roundup,” so it’s not just me begging you to read the beautiful debut.
However you get your fiction fix, there’s no better time than summer to kick back with a good book. — Jesse Davis
Courtesy Elvis Presley Enterprises Elvis Week
Summer Kisses, Winter Tears: Elvis Week Some of you out there have never been to Graceland — you know who you are. But this is as good a year as any to immerse yourself in our very own pop culture phenomenon, and get it on with Elvis. It’s now or never, baby.
The 2022 Elvis Week 45th anniversary celebration happens from August 9th through the 17th, rain or shine, with or without hound dogs. Just bring your burning love. And you’d better snap to it since some of the Elvis 45 packages and events are already sold out.
But there’s still plenty in store. There will be special guests, notably Priscilla Presley and Jerry Schilling (among the few living Memphis Mafia members). They’ll be at several events and will even lead tours of the mansion.
There will be plenty of music, much of it provided by Elvis Tribute Artists past and present. The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest runs through the week with hopeful Elvii turning on the tunes and the charm. And winners of past contests will be livening things up as well. For one, the 2011 winner Cody Ray Slaughter (who portrayed Elvis in the traveling production of the Tony Award-winning musical Million Dollar Quartet) will headline a concert at the Graceland Soundstage. And for another, Dean Z (he won in 2013) will be hosting several events during the week.
Meanwhile, musicians Terry Mike Jeffrey and Andy Childs will host a tuneful reminiscence that includes TCB band members. And there’s a concert experience at Graceland Soundstage with Elvis’ image backed by live musicians. Pretty much everywhere you turn, you’ll see and hear the King of Rock-and-Roll.
For fans who need more than music and celebrity, there will be live tour guides throughout Graceland Mansion celebrating the 40th year of it being opened to the public. (And even a “Hidden Graceland Tour” to see what most mortals cannot.) Go farther afield if you want and take an excursion to Tupelo to see Elvis’ birthplace and other landmarks.
There are themed dance parties throughout, plenty of Elvis art, an Elvis karaoke for the brave, and even a bingo contest. That’s alright mama, any way you do. Not enough of a mix for ya? Keep in mind that there will be plenty of gospel music as well as Elvira: Mistress of the Dark. Not kidding.
The big draw, of course, is the Candlelight Vigil on August 15th. Get your candle and walk on the grounds of Graceland to the gravesite along with thousands of fans.
Elvis really is everywhere, so follow that dream. — Jon W. Sparks Best to get tickets sooner rather than later at graceland.com/elvis-week-tickets. For ticket questions, call Graceland Reservations at 800-238-2000 or 332-3322, or email reservations@graceland.com.
Thor: Love and Thunder with Natalie Portman
Summer at the Movies Memorial Day weekend began the summer blockbuster season with the strong pairing of Top Gun: Maverick and The Bob’s Burgers Movie.
This week, David Cronenberg’s Crimes of the Future marks the legendary Canadian auteur’s return to the body horror genre he pioneered. On June 10th, the dinosaurs are back, they’re mad, and they’re going to the mall in Jurassic World Dominion. Chris Evans provides the voice for the Toy Story astronaut in Pixar’s Lightyear, due June 17th. The next week, Memphis’ favorite son gets a blown-up biopic from Baz Luhrmann. Elvis stars Austin Butler as the man who would be king, and Tom Hanks as his Machiavellian manager Col. Tom Parker.
On July 8th, Marvel comes roaring back with Thor: Love and Thunder, with Chris Hemsworth coming out of semi-retirement to thwart the God Butcher (Christian Bale, in his Marvel debut), only to find that his ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) is now wielding the magic hammer. July 15th offers something completely different in Where the Crawdads Sing, a Southern Gothic whodunit produced by Reese Witherspoon. One of the most hotly anticipated releases of the summer is Nope, director Jordan Peele’s third sci-fi/horror outing. The trailer for this one, coming July 22nd, looks spectacular. Then on July 29th, the DC Legion of Super-Pets boasts an all-star voice cast including Dwayne Johnson as Krypto the Superdog.
August 5th weekend is crowded with new titles, including the slasher comedy Bodies Bodies Bodies, a new entry in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, and the Brad Pitt action comedy Bullet Train. Finally, the summer season closes magically with Mad Max director George Miller’s Three Thousand Years of Longing starring Tilda Swinton as a shy professor who is offered three wishes by a djinn, played by Idris Elba. — Chris McCoy
Kim Bearden Cemetery Cinema at Elmwood
Summer Classics: Cemetery Cinema
That’s not exactly what Rick, aka Humphrey Bogart, says to Ilsa, aka Ingrid Bergman, in the 1942 classic, Casablanca, but if the plot involved Elmwood Cemetery’s “Cemetery Cinema,” everyone’s favorite nightclub owner (Rick’s Cafe, remember?) might say something like that.
“We show classics or very popular films in the cemetery on specific nights,” says Elmwood executive director Kim Bearden.
“Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into my cemetery to watch a movie.”
Casablanca will be the featured movie at 8:15ish (depends on when the sun goes down) Friday, June 3rd. Gates open at 6:30 p.m.
The movie showings are fundraisers for the cemetery, Bearden says. “Event goers bring lawn chairs and they set up on the driveway in front of the cottage.”
Elmwood provides a food truck, but moviegoers are invited to bring their own food. As for adult beverages, Bearden says, “We say coolers are allowed.”
Movies are shown on the roof of the 1866 cottage used for offices at Elmwood, she says. The circa 1886 cottage, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is the only example of “Victorian Gothic carpenter cottage architecture” in Shelby County. “So, the roof on the cottage is in the Gothic style and has a very high pitch. Because of the high pitch we were able to project films on the roof and people can see them from the drive.”
Cemetery Cinema isn’t a scary movie series; Elmwood, which began the movie showings in 2016, recently aired the 1961 Walt Disney film, The Parent Trap, starring Hayley Mills as twin sisters. They will show the 1964 film, My Fair Lady, on June 17th.
Elmwood has shown “some of the old classic black-and-white” horror movies, including the 1931 movie, Frankenstein, starring Boris Karloff.
But there are some types of horror movies they would not show. “Probably slasher flicks,” Bearden says.
Tickets to Casablanca, which are $15, must be purchased in advance at elmwoodcemetery.org. — Michael Donahue
Summer History: A Pugilistic Milestone On Saturday, June 8, 2002, a full generation ago, the Pyramid on the Memphis riverfront was the site for the kind of spectacle it might have been created for: the heavyweight championship fight between Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis.
The Pyramid was already on the way out as a showcase arena after the NBA’s recently arrived Grizzlies had turned it down as outmoded for their purposes and forced the city and county to go on the hook for a new facility, the soon-to-be FedExForum.
The Big Fight was a sort of Last Hurrah for the place, arranged by then Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton in an inspired act of personal diplomacy that may rank, historically, as his greatest single achievement. The fight was intended to resolve lingering doubts about the rightful ownership of boxing’s most prestigious title. And landing it in Memphis bailed out the promoters who had seen all the big traditional venues shun the opportunity to host the event after Tyson, already a pariah for biting off a chunk of a previous opponent’s ear, brawled with Lewis at the fighters’ signing.
Orphan event though it was, the fight was a genuine extravaganza. Co-produced for television by long-standing rivals HBO and Showtime, it was then, as Wikipedia notes, “the highest-grossing event in pay-per-view history, generating U.S. $106.9 million from 1.95 million buys in the U.S.”
On hand to help fill the Pyramid were such celebrities as Samuel L. Jackson, Denzel Washington, Tom Cruise, Britney Spears, Clint Eastwood, Ben Affleck, Hugh Hefner, Halle Berry, Richard Gere, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Vince McMahon, The Undertaker, LL Cool J, Tyra Banks, Wesley Snipes, Kevin Bacon, Chris Webber, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Morgan Freeman, Alec Baldwin, and heavyweight fighter Evander Holyfield — the latter having been the victim of the aforementioned ear-biting.
And I was there, at ringside, covering the fight in what was my all-time plum assignment from Time magazine, for whom I worked as a part-time associate or “stringer.” (Curious readers may consult the magazine’s files for “Who Gets the Black Eye?” — published online on the day of the fight.)
Given the ferocity of Tyson’s style, the fight had more than its share of excitement, but the rangy Lewis was the superior boxer and outlasted Iron Mike, knocking him out in the 8th round, ending all doubt as to who was champ and closing out the Tyson era of big-time boxing. — Jackson Baker
More than babies are born after a few beers at the P&H Cafe. Sometimes two drunk guys mutually consent to the birth of a comic book store.
“I worked at the P&H Cafe for six or seven years,” says Jaime Wright, co-owner of 901 Comics. “Shannon and I conceived 901 Comics on a few bar napkins over more than a few beers.”
Wright’s business partner Shannon Merritt also owns 901 Games with his wife Erin. According to Wright, Merritt opened a lot of doors for him, including a job working with Stan Lee. The P&H Cafe is a very important part of their lives. When they heard the news, they had to help.
Facebook/The P&H Cafe
The secret origins of 901 Comics have their roots in the P&H Cafe.
The P&H GoFundMe page states, “Due to some inconvenient and unforeseen circumstances, the P&H Cafe is unfortunately having to move to a different location.”
The new location is thus far undisclosed; rumor has it that the Crosstown area might be the lucky location to welcome the beloved dive bar. Wherever it moves, it’s going to cost a lot of money. In addition to the GoFundMe, a benefit is planned for this Saturday. Twenty percent of all 901 Comics sales will be donated to the cause. Enter to win a Stan Lee signed comic book, participate in auctions, and enjoy live music at the Cooper-Young Gazebo featuring Switchblade Kid. This is a socially distanced benefit. Cosplay attire is encouraged.
Wear your superhero mask.
A Benefit for the P&H Cafe, 901 Comics, 2162 Young, Saturday, Dec. 5, noon-6 p.m., free.
Memphis-based comic book artist Matt Bowers released the debut issue of his Memphis comic last year on 901 Comics’ Bad Dog Comics publishing label. The series — written, illustrated, and lettered by Bowers — got off to a good start. But, as is often the case with independent ventures, fans found themselves waiting for the series’ second issue. That wait is over. Bowers and Bad Dog Comics released Memphis No. 2 Wednesday, October 14th.
The second issue of Bowers’ Bluff City-based series is an evolution. The art and character design is excellent, and the action is nicely balanced. Plus there’s a fight between a woman who’s shape-shifted to become a panda and a hulking android called a Warbot. What more could one ask for? Memphis owes much to alternative comics of the ’80s and ’90s (Love and Rockets, for example), but there are shades of more mainstream titles as well. Lady Omega looks a little like X-Men‘s Storm, and there’s a resemblance between Memphis’ Pigeon and X-Men’s Archangel. Killjoy would have been right at home in Grant Morrison’s The Invisibles. Overall, though, Bowers is making something new in Memphis, albeit with loving homages to other works.
Bowers will sign copies of Memphis No. 2 at 901 Comics Saturday, October 19th, beginning at noon. I spoke with him about the new issue, plotting ahead, and producing in a pandemic.
Memphis Flyer: As always, the art is incredible. Is it a challenge laying out pages, or does it just come naturally to you?
Matt Bowers: Both, actually. Some days it’s a breeze and other days it’s like I’ve never drawn before. The key is to do it anyway. You can always correct your mistakes later. But I lay out each issue all at once in very loose, rough thumbnails. Almost stick figures honestly. At that stage it’s more about pacing and figuring out what’s going to work, layout-wise.
Who’s your favorite character to draw?
Probably Pigeon or China Monroe.
Working on a story that’s told in installments must have its own challenges. How far in advance do you have the story planned out? I actually have the first 50 issues plotted out. As I complete each issue, I come up with new ideas and sometimes lose interest in others so I’m always updating. Issues No. 1 and 2 were originally meant to be just one issue, for example.
Gaps between publications are pretty standard for independent comics, but what would you say to the people who are used to the Netflix business model? You know, being able to binge a whole story in a night.
I sometimes save comics up and then read several issues at once. A lot of modern comics work better that way. Memphis No. 1 and 2 should work well if read back to back. No. 3 is a stand-alone issue, but there will always be ongoing subplots in every issue.
What’s it like creating during a pandemic?
It was tough at first. I sheltered in place with my family back at the beginning for about three weeks. I feel I was shell shocked the first couple of days but then eventually realized that I needed to take advantage of being at home. So during the remaining time at home I was able to finish the pencils and inks for the next issue of Memphis, issue No. 3. Working on pages was definitely better for my mental well being than obsessing with what was happening with the pandemic.
Did you have plans to go to any conventions that had to be put on hold?
I was going to do MidTown Con in May, I think but that eventually got canceled. Bad Dog Comics had plans to attend Dragon Con as a group but that also couldn’t happen.
You’re two issues into your partnership with Bad Dog Comics now. How is it working with Shannon Merritt?
Shannon is great, but I’m used to doing everything myself with the digital versions of my comics. It can sometimes be frustrating, but overall I am very happy with the process. Shannon and Gabe DeRanzo have done a lot for my comic that I couldn’t have gotten done on my own.
Bowers will sign copies of Memphis No. 2 at 901 Comics Saturday, October 19th, beginning at noon. The comic is available at 901 Comics and will be available at the Memphis Made Brewing Taproom and Crosstown Brewery next week.
Do you really want to fight Black Friday crowds and support big-box retailers when we’ve got tons of cool, affordable, locally made and sold gifts available throughout the city? We didn’t think so. To help you tick some items off your shopping list, we’ve compiled a few hyper-local options for you — for an Alternative Black Friday, if you will — with favorite shops, items, makers, and more, to cover even the hardest-to-buy-for folks.
COOPER-YOUNG HAUL
Before you hit that “place your order” button, remember Amazon paid no federal taxes last year, its billionaire founder had the gall to cut health-care benefits for some employees this year, and — most importantly — Amazon is not Memphis AF (like, at all).
Cooper-Young is, in fact, Memphis AF. The neighborhood’s mix of restaurants and shops makes for a perfect, big-city shopping experience. Gleam in the season’s glow as you hustle your holiday gift bags across Cooper-Young’s new rainbow-pride crosswalk.
Plan your shopping spree for Saturday, November 30th. That’s Small Business Saturday, and some C-Y businesses have teamed up for a day of giveaways, drawings, and special deals and discounts. Ten lucky winners will go home with gift boxes worth more than $100 each. Need some C-Y gift ideas? We did some scouting for you. — Toby Sells
Fox + Cat Vintage: Forget fast fashion. This fashion boutique offers a lovingly curated closet of styles and tastes from a 1920s-era flapper girl hat ($150) to an ’80s-style jean jacket with a collection of amazing patches ($112).
Toby Sells
Fox + Cat Vintage
Young Avenue Deli: Barbecue is Memphis’ civic dish. If it had one, the Deli’s french fries might be the culinary standard for Midtown. I took two orders to a holiday potluck once. Folks laughed, but nary a fry was left. And let’s not even talk about those cheese sticks. Walls of craft beer, one-of-a-kind sandwiches, wings … get a gift card for anyone on your list.
Grivet Outdoors: This new outdoor shop has what Memphis needs to run, hike, climb, hunt, fish, or just about anything else. Don’t have an outdoorsy type on your list this year? How about someone who has to go outside in the wet Memphis winter? Try the waterproof duck boots from Sorel (men’s, $155; women’s, $120).
901 Comics: Thanks to a zillion Marvel movies, we know one thing: We’re all comic book nerds. 901 Comics has walls full of superheroes you know, like Batman and Iron Man, and some you might not know, like Bloodshot and Count Crowley. But the store has more than books. Think action figures, figurines, posters, games, shirts, masks, and more. Also, check out the R2-D2 toaster ($34) or the Death Star cheese board ($45) for the food geek in your life.
Toby Sells
901 Comics
Buff City Soap: Give your morning routine a local upgrade: Buff City Soap opened in Cooper-Young last year. All of the products are made in-house. So when they offer a bar of soap called Midtown Phunk, they know what they’re talking about. But it ain’t all bath bombs and body butters. Get that unruly scruff under control with Ferocious Beast beard oil ($15) or Shave and a Haircut beard balm ($15).
Toby Sells
Buff City Soap
Cooper-Young Gallery & Gift Shop: It’s an art gallery. It’s a gift shop. It’s a creative workspace. Sometimes the owners call it the “Cute Shop.” It all makes sense when you walk inside. Want to paint Ruth Bader Ginsberg by numbers? The kit will set you back $22. Pick up some stocking-stuffers like 38104-ever magnets ($3) or mugs ($15). There’s way more to discover in this perfectly eclectic, satisfyingly tidy little shop.
Burke’s Books: The Burke’s holiday window is a C-Y tradition. Neighbors make annual treks just to see what yuletide treat awaits them there. Inside the store is a book-lover’s treat year ’round — new releases, photo books, kids books, and more. Burke’s specializes in rare and collectible books, like a nice leather-bound copy of Ernest Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls ($18).
VINTAGE FINDS
For 35 years, Flashback has been the vintage place to go. Shoppers can find oodles of kitschy, cheesy delights — items of perfect pop culture, things so bad they’re good (ugly Christmas sweaters), designs you’d never have in your house until you realize you have to have them. But mostly you’ll find wondrous objects of beauty and rarity. Some are new, and many wear their age remarkably well: lovely backlit lithophane porcelains, frequently tasteful glassware and dishes, jewelry, singular shoes and clothing, including rude socks. There are Danish mobiles and bookmarks made from filmstrips (The Wizard of Oz is very popular). Elvii are everywhere.
Jon W. Sparks
Flashback
Proprietor Millett Vance has an eye for items that are just right, for yourself or as gifts for your wide range of friends and family. And she knows the price point you’re looking for. “Everyone looks for presents for people, and they end up buying something for themselves.”
Flashback is at 2304 Central, with the seated mannequin and pink flamingos al fresco. 272-2304. flashbackmemphis.com.
— Jon W. Sparks
SILVER BELLS
In her days at Memphis College of Art, Tootsie Bell wasn’t particularly thinking about becoming a silversmith. She needed a job, and a friend at a jewelry store hooked her up. She loves woodworking and sculpture as well, particularly when it’s at a bigger scale than the usual silver projects she does daily. That got her some commissions for public art, which you can see around town. But go into her shop — she’s been at it for 24 years — and look at the work on display. You’ll see a wonderful attention to detail. If you really want to take it to the next level, have her make some jewelry for you.
Tootsie Bell Silversmith
“My work, whether it’s large or small, has a theme to it,” Bell says. “I like there to be a meaning or a narrative behind it. When I work with customers, I like to get a background, a story of either the person that I’m making the piece for or something like that.”
And if you have a hankering to create some of your own baubles, she can help with that, too. She offers classes on how to craft a piece of jewelry. At present, she teaches four students at a time. “I help them come up with what they want to make and assist when I need to,” Bell says. “You make it and take it home.” When the new year gets underway, she’ll have more classes to accommodate bigger projects. She also offers gift cards, so you can let the giftee choose how they want to take the classes.
After the temperature drops and the hyper-social holiday season winds down, your loved ones are going to want to spend some time quality time in their living room this winter.
If you’re looking for gifts to help you chill, the first place to go is Black Lodge. The independent video store that graced Cooper-Young for 14 years has recently reopened in a new space in Crosstown — and not a moment too soon. The Netflix-led streaming video revolution that put video stores out of business in the last decade is rapidly becoming fragmented and expensive. With the launch of Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and Apple TV (to name a few), you have to subscribe to multiple services to get what you want. That’s where the Lodge comes in. Its selection of almost 30,000 titles dwarfs Netflix, and the knowledgeable staff will help you discover new movies and TV shows you may have overlooked. Gift recipients can use their Black Lodge gift cards to pay for the $10 per month membership or to snag something from the ever-expanding lineup of cool Lodge merch.
Justin Fox Burks
If reading is more your friend’s speed, Two Rivers Bookstore has a curated selection of science-fiction and fantasy books, such as Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments, the acclaimed sequel to the author’s dystopian classic, The Handmaid’s Tale. Two Rivers also carries local art and jewelry, and if your gift target is into tabletop role-playing games, you can get Dungeons & Dragons rulebooks and dice bags made in-store.
For the “chill” part, the place to go is Wizard’s. The Midtown smoke shop now carries six brands and 13 flavors of CBD flower for your stress-relief needs. To really take the edge off healthily, a Pax 3 or Firefly flower vaporizer will get you there without the cough and smell. Or you can go whole-hog and invest in the newest of the pioneering Volcano vaporizer line.
Wizard’s
Then again, maybe your loved one’s “chill” is more euphemistic. In that case, a visit to Coco & Lola’s lingerie shop is in order. They are the exclusive Memphis home to the Kilo Brava line of teddies, bustiers, and exquisite two- and three-piece lace bra and panty sets.
You won’t regret it when you see your loved one slip into a silk kimono, pop in a Blu-Ray, hit the vape, and let the magic happen. — Chris McCoy
WORK IT
My sister said she had a surprise for me. My only instructions: wear athletic clothes and show up to the provided address at a certain time. I pulled up to a small building on Flicker Street. It was Recess 901, a local gym that bills itself as providing a “diverse, curated fitness experience.” Inside, I was met by Nick Davis, one of the instructors. My surprise was a one-on-one, 30-minute boxing class with him. With his guidance, I hooked and jabbed my way through the session. Beginning in December, Davis will lead small-group boxing classes through a program called Go Boxing & Fitness. The eight-person sessions, featuring boxing training and bodyweight exercises, are designed to enhance one’s mental and physical state.
Justin Fox Burks
Recess 901
Davis believes the small-group format is optimal for boxing and brings out “healthy, natural competition. Go Boxing & Fitness not only changes your body,” he says. “It changes your mind, your attitude, and your mood.”
There are plenty of gifts like this one around town for the fitness junkies, as well as the outdoor lovers, in your life. For the runners, Fleet Feet has gear and accessories at all price points. From hoodies for cold days to reflective vests for night running to the best running shoe, it’s all there. Or help your loved ones reach new heights at Highpoint Rock Climbing and Fitness. The gym offers gift cards, so you can give the gift of bouldering and belaying. Finally, do you know anyone in need of a kayak, tent, or bike? Outdoors Inc. has everything for the outdoor adventurers on your list. — Maya Smith
UNUSUAL MERCH
For many musicians, the travails of touring can leave you in the lurch, unless you’re crafty with unorthodox merch. Music fans need only stroll over to the merchandise table. The expeditionary noise band Nonconnah, for example, can always make up for a low door take by selling jars of homemade jam or pickles. If they shared a bill with Neighborhood Texture Jam (NTJ), who’ve been known to shower the audience with Slim Jims, you could have a full meal. Then wash it down when seeing Seance Fiction, from Florence, Alabama, who have offered packets of powdered beverage mix in a Dixie cup sporting the words, “Drink the Kool Aid! Join the Cult!”
For all your romantic needs, merch of a more intimate nature can be had. The Rhythm Hounds, Fuck (the band), and NTJ have all offered underwear emblazoned with the group’s logo or name, though in the latter case, it was adult diapers. But Fuck, long hailed as kings of wacky merch, took intimate fandom to a new level by getting inside your eyelids: a camera flash, masked with a stencil of the band name, could be set off in your face, thus burning the word into your retina for a good 10 minutes. Oh, joy!
Some unorthodox merch actually honors the music. When the Lost Sounds were just another struggling combo in need of a deal, Alicja Trout would hand-paint CD-Rs of their albums, each one unique (and highly collectable now). And for those who love the lyrics of Cory Branan, he’ll write them out by hand on acid/lignin-free archival paper. One fan framed the words to his “Sour Mash” alongside two Prohibition-era prescriptions for bourbon.
Alicja Trout handpainted CD
So when you’re out at a show, be sure to peruse the merch table, perchance to discover that perfect gift for the music fan who has everything. — Alex Greene
PETS, ART, & ‘CUE
Personally, I love shopping for friends and family, so when they tell me they have everything they need, I take it as a challenge. It’s fun to defy your giftee’s expectations and give someone something nice that they wouldn’t normally get for themselves, doubly so when you’re supporting a local business with your purchasing power. So let’s get started.
Sure, the pet supply store Hollywood Feed has grown big enough to take a St. Bernard-sized bite out of the national market, but the first Hollywood Feed opened on Hollywood and Chelsea in Memphis in the ’50s, and the company still keeps its headquarters here. That’s local enough for me. And because even the most selfless or Spartan family members will at least pamper their pets, the store is a great place to shop for people who are, well, hard to shop for.
Justin Fox Burks
Hollywood Feed
What’s more, the friendly folks at Hollywood Feed are knowledgeable and understanding. A month ago, when, after adopting a kitten, I wandered inside in a daze, my head buzzing with questions about litter (clumping? non-clumping?) and food (grain-free or not?), the staff patiently walked me through the ins and outs of what I needed to keep my newly rescued furry friend safe and satisfied. Compared to that, shopping for my family’s fur-babies is a varitible romp in the puppy park. I just scoop up some dog toys and handmade treats from the animal-safe bakery, and I can mark a few folks off my list.
When it comes to local, Art Center knows what’s up. The full-service art supply store opened in 1974 and has plenty of experience helping Memphians with their custom framing, paints, charcoals, decoupage, and more. And since the owners require their employees to have a strong background in art, says general manager Jimmy Sanders, the staff is qualified to help even the most hapless of customers. Their prices span the spectrum, too, so you can stuff a stocking without unstuffing your wallet, or spoil your little Michelangelo in training to your heart’s content. Next!
My brother-in-law lives in Middle Tennessee, and he loves to cook. So I’ve been buying him barbecue sauce and dry seasoning every Christmas for seven years because, while you can get decent barbecue fixings out east, you can’t get Memphis barbecue sauce anywhere else.
Though I mix up which sauce I buy from year to year, TheBar-B-Q Shop on Madison has been winning awards for 32 years, with a 50-year-old sauce recipe that dates back to Brady & Lil’s Bar-B-Q Restaurant, making it a shoo-in for my brother-in-law’s stocking.
Justin Fox Burks
The Bar-B-Q Shop
For bonus points, round out your holiday haul with something seasonably sessionable to sip from one of the local breweries, some coffee from one of the Bluff City’s local roasters, a little something to nibble from The Peanut Shoppe at 24 S. Main, and some candles from Maggie’s Pharm.
Boom! You’ve got yourself a very Memphis holiday basket.
— Jesse Davis
TREASURE HUNT
I’ve always been a big fan of flea markets and arts festivals — you just never know what types of one-of-a-kind treasures you’ll find. The hunt is where the excitement lies, and it’s even more exciting when you’re directly supporting local creators.
This season, WinterArts brings a bit of that thrill with a showcase of functional and decorative work from nearly 50 of the region’s top artists, including several based right here in Memphis: Dorothy Northern (jeweler); Bryan Blankenship, Lisa Hudson, Becky Ziemer, and David James Johnson (ceramics); Felcitas Sloves, (fiber: weaving); Cheryl Hazelton (wood: marquetry); and others.
WinterArts
Treasure hunters will find handmade work crafted in glass, metal, wood, fiber, and clay. Think beautiful cuff bracelets, vases, wooden trinket boxes, ornaments, and more. Participating artists will have video at their booths, providing visitors virtual demonstrations of their creation process.
WinterArts
WinterArts is presented by ArtWorks Foundation, a nonprofit whose mission is to help artists grow and thrive. In its 11th year, WinterArts runs November 30th through December 24th at 888 White Station (between Poplar and Park, next to Bed Bath & Beyond). Browse the wares for unique gifts Mondays-Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Fridays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. — Shara Clark
ELVIS SOCKS
In “Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me,” Elvis sings, “Fill my sock with candy.” Now, you can fill Elvis socks with — your feet. Lansky Bros. at The Peabody sells socks with Elvis’ likeness on them. Elvis playing guitar. Elvis in his “Jailhouse Rock” pose. You even can get black, pink, and white socks — the argyle type Elvis wore in some of his 1950s photos. He probably bought those socks at Lanksy back in the day.
Justin Fox Burks
Lansky Bros.
The black socks with the gold lightning bolt on them are their biggest sellers, says owner Hal Lansky. They’re inscribed with “TCB.”
“If you’re an Elvis fan, you’ll know what it means,” Lansky says. “Even if you’re not, you will.”
The socks, which are very comfortable, sell for $25 and $27.50. They’re fit for a king. Or the King. “Elvis is still the King,” Lansky says. “You know that.”
After the lucky gift recipient wears these Elvis socks, he’ll probably decide to hang up all his other socks and stick with these. He might want a complete selection of Elvis socks. Then he can have a blue Christmas, a green Christmas, an orange Christmas, a red Christmas — you name it. These socks come in various colors.
Bluff City-based illustrator Matt Bowers loves Memphis. It’s why he set his new superhero comic book here. “I love this city,” Bowers says. “I want to tell stories that I would want to read, and set them in this city.”
Bowers, a freelance comic illustrator and letterer, has written, illustrated, and lettered a comic book ode to the little city on the big river, and he’s releasing the first issue of the ongoing series — which he calls simply Memphis — with a book-signing at 901 Comics, Saturday, October 26th, at 10 a.m.
Matt Bowers
Of the book, Bowers says, “It’s basically my take on ‘What would it be like if there were superheroes in this city?’” And, true to the funky nature of the city, the superheroes it breeds in Bowers’ books aren’t the run-of-the-mill variety. Memphis intertwines three storylines following a trio of vastly different characters. “They’re all in this area, but they don’t necessarily know each other,” Bowers explains.
There’s China Monroe, a bounty hunter and private investigator; Pigeon, a winged homeless woman with a desire to help people who, like her, have been neglected by society at large; and the Power Angels, a corporate concern culled from contestants on the popular Battle Quiz television program and bankrolled by the mysterious, wealthy Mr. Jones. “They can’t stand the name,” Bowers says of the Power Angels. “They think it’s sexist, but they want to do good. They want to be superheroes.”
Bowers has been working on Memphis for some time. He has released some issues digitally, but he’s given the issues some extra attention for the original print run on the Bad Dog Comics label. “I re-lettered it. It’s kind of like a remastered version,” Bowers explains. And though Bowers writes, illustrates, and letters the comics himself, he happily admits he has had some valuable assistance from a source close to his heart — his wife, Kristin Heath.
Matt Bowers
“When I finish each issue, I have my wife read it. And then she gives me notes, and she helps me with the dialogue,” Bowers says. “We went to middle school together in Bartlett,” Bowers says. “And reconnected like 30 years later. Now we’ve been together 10 years.”
“She got diagnosed with cancer, and we’ve just been focused on getting her through that, getting her treated and out the other side,” Bowers says. Happily, Kristin is now cancer-free, which, it turns out, helped give Bowers the push he needed to publish in print. With more time on his hands, Bowers says he was primed for 901 Comics co-owner and Bad Dog Comics owner Shannon Merritt’s suggestion that Memphis was perfect for print. “Shannon started publishing,” Bowers says. “One day, I was walking around the shop, and he said, ‘You know, you ought to let me publish your book,’ and I was like, ‘Let’s do it!’”
Matt Bowers
“It’s just really good work,” Merritt says. “The art’s really, really good. It’s on par with anything else on the shelves.” Merritt adds, laughing, that it would be a missed opportunity for the comics company with “901” in its name not to jump at the chance to publish a book called Memphis.
“Memphis is in each story,” Bowers adds. “That’s the one thing that’s always constant.” The illustrator has taken pains to be sure that the book pays homage to its namesake, as he has included familiar landmarks in many of the backgrounds.
“In the new issue I’m working on, China takes her friends to Spillit,” Bowers says. “Kristin and I have gone a bunch of times. We even took my mom, and she loved it.” Bowers has even been working with Leah Keys and the Spillit staff to incorporate regulars into the stories.
Also fitting for Memphis is the role music has played in the comic. “Music is a huge influence,” Bowers says. “Each issue starts with a quote from a song. … A bass line, a beat, or a lyric will just trigger something in my head.” The styles the characters wear are influenced by music and pop culture as well, with many of the characters looking like fans of punk and new wave. Though that could easily be a nod to Memphis’ history with alternative music, Bowers says its as much a reference to another of his loves, the indie comic series Love and Rockets.
Bowers has also lettered comics for Scout Comics and Short Fuse Media. “That was one thing I was still able to do while Kristin was going through chemo,” Bowers says. “It’s creative, but it’s not as focused as this.” Bowers motions to a just-opened box of the first issue of Memphis.
Of Memphis, one more thing must be said: The art is stunning. Bowers’ style will surely appeal to fans of alternative comics of the ’80s and ’90s. The marriage of his indie style and more mainstream, superhero-based content creates an interesting contrast. And Bowers shows no signs of slowing down. Issue No. 1 is on stands now, with the second issue slated for a December release. And after that? “I’ve got the first 50 issues plotted,” Bowers says with a laugh.
And that unmitigated ambition? Yeah, that’s pretty “Memphis,” too.
Matt Bowers signs copies of his new, ongoing comic, Memphis, at 901 Comics, Saturday, October 26th, 10 a.m.
My three dogs haven’t worked a day in their lives. Unless you consider napping, eating, and demanding lovin’s work. That’s my oldest boy, Doogie Howser, on the cover. (Shout-out to Hollywood Feed for providing his cover-worthy wardrobe.) He’s 9 years old, and he is the very best boy. Doogie’s brought me — and, I’m certain, all who’ve encountered him — so much joy (and unsolicited slobbery kisses), so, in that sense, you could say he has put in some work. He also provided crucial insight and editorial assistance for this cover story and is awaiting his paycheck.
We thought it’d be cool to search the city for other animals putting in the time — to brighten people’s days, relieve anxiety, greet guests, or entertain the masses. We found dogs (lots of dogs), cats, ducks, fish, and even goats working various jobs in Memphis. We hope you’ll enjoy — as much as we did — getting to know more about these hard workers and how they keep business going around town. — Shara Clark
Bee Garriott/Facebook
Bee
Bee
“People come in here just to see her,” says Martha Garriott. “They know her name, and they don’t know mine.” Garriott’s referring to her toy poodle, Bee, the unofficial supervisor at Urban Earth Garden Center. Bee’s smaller than many of the lawn ornaments and flower pots the center sells, but she’s doing big, important work. From her post — a comfy bed, layered with toys, atop a tall chair behind the counter — she oversees the store. “Any time I ring up a sale, I have to put her in the chair to get on the register because she’ll bark if I don’t,” Garriott says. “She has to watch me to make sure I do it correctly.”
Bee, a former champion show dog and breeding dog, was rescued by Garriott three years ago and has been working at Urban Earth since 2017. Her duties include greeting customers (who often bring her treats and toys), modeling products for the center’s Facebook page, and providing pet therapy to her co-workers.
When Garriott first brought her home, she says, “Bee had never been on grass, she didn’t know what grass was. She had never been allowed to jump, and I don’t think she knew how to bark, she was so quiet for so long. But she’s got a very good life now. Everybody loves her.” — Shara Clark
Say hi to Bee at Urban Earth Garden Center, 80 Flicker Street.
The Peabody Memphis
Peabody Ducks
Peabody Ducks
Just like clockwork, every day at 5 p.m., after six hours of paddling around in the Peabody Hotel lobby fountain, the illustrious Peabody ducks are ready to retire to their posh Duck Palace on the rooftop. Their “valet,” head Duckmaster Doug Weatherford, steps down before the crowd of eager children and families to announce the ducks’ march back upstairs.
“All that remains is to play the John Philip Sousa ‘King Cotton March’ and march our five feathered friends single-file up the red carpet into that elevator en route to the palace on the rooftop,” he proclaims. “You, too, will have been an eyewitness to the world-famous march of the Peabody ducks!”
The five mallards — one brightly colored male and four females — step onto the red carpet and march back to their humble abode, where they will live for 90 days before they are sent back out into the wild and five of their friends come to take their place. Until then, this team of ducks will continue to enjoy their five-star Peabody Hotel experience, complete with room service — we hear the ducks turn their beaks up at iceberg lettuce, so they receive the finest romaine — and personal showers dealt by Weatherford himself.
“They’re wild animals, so we don’t give them names, and they only ‘work’ for us for 90 days,” says Weatherford. “Our object here is to make sure that they’re healthy and that they remain as unchanged as possible.” — Julia Baker
Watch the ducks march (11 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily) at The Peabody Memphis, 118 S. Second.
T. Clifton Gallery
Argus
Argus
A low bark — almost a grunt — was heard when I entered T. Clifton Art and Custom Framing Gallery. The sound came from a huge ball of fur on the floor. It was Argus, a chocolate St. Bernard who, at the age of 10, is a Broad Avenue legend. The gallery even sells T-shirts bearing Argus’ likeness.
“He’s come to work with me every day since he was 7 weeks old,” says gallery owner Tom Clifton. And this is a gallery filled with glassware, some items priced at thousands of dollars, on open shelves. “Ever since he was a puppy, he’s never broken a thing.”
Argus isn’t a guard dog per se, but he “senses things I don’t,” Clifton says. He’ll let out a “woof, almost a grunt,” which is fitting because Clifton named Argus after a mythological Greek “warrior guard.” Argus, who’s been in FedEx TV commercials and various fashion shoots and brought cheer to nursing homes, is recognized when Clifton goes out.
The first time Clifton saw Argus, he was in a pen with other puppies. Argus walked up to the side of the pen, put his paw on the edge, and stared at him. “That was it,” Clifton says. “From that moment, we’ve been inseparable.” — Michael Donahue
Visit Argus at T. Clifton Art and Custom Framing Gallery, 571 Broad Avenue.
Bruce VanWyngarden
The Goats of Beale
The Goats of Beale
Angelina and Zena are a pair of 5-year-old goats who patrol the west side of the patio at Silky O’Sullivan’s on Beale. They are the fourth pair of goats to inhabit the famed joint since it opened in 1992, a result of a brainstorm by the club’s legendary founder, the late Silky Sullivan. “A goat named Puck is part of Irish mythology,” says club senior manager Jay Wells. “And Silky thought goats would be a great fit for the club. And they have been. People come from far and wide to see them, and they love visitors.”
The goats’ quarters, which include ramps and steps and private spaces, are separated from the customers by a couple of fences, mostly to keep patrons from feeding them or, worse, giving them beer. But Wells let me get up close and personal with A and Z, and let me tell you, they are the sweetest animals you could imagine, affectionate and curious and more than happy to nuzzle faces with their visitor.
“They have a better health plan than I do,” says Wells. “The vet comes regularly to trim their hooves and horns and check them out. They come from a goat farm near Atoka, which is where they retire at some point.”
And what do they eat? “Purina Goat Chow,” says Wells. Well, that, and the saltine crackers I gave them.
— Bruce VanWyngarden
Meet Angelina and Zena at Silky O’Sullivan’s, 183 Beale Street.
Jesse Davis
Zen
Zen
It’s the most common trope in comic books — the traumatic origin story. Wolverine underwent horrible experiments. Ditto Rocket Raccoon, X-23, and the Winter Soldier. Well, real-life comic dog Zen might have them all beat.
“We think she was a bait dog because her ears are clipped, and they’re not professionally clipped. And she had gnarly scars on her head and her legs. She’s filling in now, but she was skinny. She was rough,” says Shannon Merritt, co-owner of 901 Comics and 901 Games and dog-father to Zen.
Like Professor X giving Wolverine a home, Merritt found Zen at Memphis Animal Shelter, whisked her away, and gave her a new home and a new purpose — to patrol the aisles of the comic store, nosing out head-scratches and belly-rubs from customers.
Patrons of 901 Comics will doubtless remember M.J., the mascot of Merritt’s Bad Dog Comics line, who lost her battle with cancer in the winter of 2018. “I had a real tough time when M.J. passed,” Merritt says, though Zen is doing her best to fill the pit-bull-sized hole in his heart. The pair stick together and support each other. “She comes with me whenever I’m working,” Merritt says. “She’s okay with everybody coming in here.” — Jesse Davis
Rub Zen’s belly at 901 Comics, 2162 Young Avenue.
Metal Museum
Spatz
Metal Museum
Mr. Fuller
Spatz and Mr. Fuller
If there’s a sweeter gig than bookstore cat, it can only be museum cat. What better way to pass the time than to pad about the museum grounds keeping an eye out for pests — or for friendly tourists willing to bestow belly rubs? Indeed, resident Metal Museum cats Spatz and Mr. Fuller have it made in the shade. Mr. Fuller is a lazy tabby who showed up in 2008, and Spatz, the wilder of the two, is a black cat who made his first appearance in 2015.
Don’t be fooled by their sweet gig, though, the cats do work. They’re mascots, says youth initiative coordinator Darcie Beeman-Black, who has incorporated the cats into the educational materials for youth groups, like the “I Spy” program and Spatz’s scavenger hunt. Even the cats’ names are teaching tools. “A fuller is a tool in the blacksmith’s shop. It’s a peg that fits perfectly into a slot of the same size, and they use it to make curves in metal,” Beeman-Black explains. “Spatz is the protective covering you wear over your shoes in the foundry. They named him Spatz because when he was a kitten, he was always at your feet.
“They are tough cats. They’re in the shop a lot,” Beeman-Black adds. When they aren’t in the shop, they can be seen lounging around the grounds. Mr. Fuller can usually be found near the sculpture of an ant. “You can just walk up to him and scratch his belly,” Beeman-Black says. “He’s really sweet.” — Jesse Davis
See Spatz and Mr. Fuller at the Metal Museum, 374 Metal Museum Drive.
Jon Sparks
Molly
Molly
Molly greeted me at the door to All About Bikes with a wag and a cold nose. “Come in,” she said, “and try out one of our Baja Trikes. They’re a nice, easy ride for Boomers.” I glared at her: “Are you saying I’m old?” I barked. She looked back with kindly, soulful eyes and nuzzled me saying, “It’s okay, I’m 12 years old, so I’m sympathetic. We can get you a comfortable seat as well.”
I harrumphed and looked at Tommy James, the shop’s co-owner and devoted minion to Molly. Ignoring my snit, he explained the store was formerly All About Pets, and you can see the one-time resident dog Shelby memorialized on the back wall. The mission changed, but a canine presence was preserved, and sweet, laid-back Molly has the run of the place, sometimes going out front to take in the air and receive visitors who often will come by just to say hi to her. Tommy doesn’t seem to take offense. I scratch Molly behind the ears and say, “Okay, you got something in a comfort bike?” She gives me a nudge. “Walk this way,” she says. “I got you.”
— Jon W. Sparks
Let Molly assist you at All About Bikes, 621 S. Mendenhall.
Bass Pro
Bass Pro
Fish, Ducks, and Alligators (Oh my!)
“There he is! There’s the surgeon!” That was the cry from a youthful visitor to the Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid during a visit last week. The lad, who was eager to communicate his excitement to a group of peers being squired by adults, was no doubt a vacationer from elsewhere, like many, perhaps most, of the visitors to the Memphis riverside attraction.
The young man was verbally mistaken; there was no doctor swimming in the pool where he was pointing. But there was a bona fide sturgeon — a big fish that was clearly an exotic being, a long, silver eminence among the dark lesser spawn swimming in the murky waters on the Pyramid floor. It’s not the dolphins at SeaWorld, but these aquatic creatures are an attraction all the same for the people who come to the Bass Pro Pyramid, not only to purchase outdoors ware but, it would seem, to get a whiff of the natural outdoors world while they’re at it.
The fish are real; so are the ducks in another pool, and the alligators swimming in a tank near the elevator. There are other wild creatures on view at Bass Pro — bears, moose, wild boars, for example, but these are stuffed animals or facsimiles of the real thing. Not working stiffs like the fish and the ducks. Just plain stiffs. But they all, real or fabricated, earn their keep.
— Jackson Baker
See the creatures of the great outdoors indoors at Bass Pro Shops, 1 Bass Pro Drive.
Maya Smith
Axel
Axel
While brothers Darin and Josh Throndson are busy making teeth and other dental supplies at Innovative Dental Technologies’ lab in Crosstown Concourse, Axel, their chocolate brown cane corso, is there for moral support. Only a year old, Axel already weighs about 120 pounds. He’s giant but gentle, they say.
The brothers say tug-of-war is one of his favorite pastimes. He also enjoys the dog park on the Crosstown campus. But, their friendly companion spends most of the work day sleeping. And he’s a snorer. The brothers say the snoring is sometimes distracting but a reliable source of laughter.
Since Crosstown is dog-friendly, Axel comes to work every day with the brothers, who work long hours, sometimes 60 hours a week. “He’s good company and it’s allowed, so why not bring him?”
He’s been coming to the lab since he was a puppy. The brothers carried him to the fourth-floor office in a laundry basket until he was big enough to walk. When Crosstown regulars see Axel now, they are surprised that this is the same dog that had to be carried in a basket, the brothers say.
— Maya Smith
Axel’s hard at work at Innovative Dental Technologies, 1350 Concourse Avenue, Suite 450.
Daniel McGarry
Buster
Buster
When I walk into Clearview Family Eyecare, Buster is on the receiving end of joyful head-scratches being doled out by a curly-haired toddler while her parents finalize their appointment. According to his owner, Dr. Seth Salley, he’s the clinic’s Chief Happiness Officer or CHO.
His primary duty, aside from rigorous napping, is greeting people. “When he hears somebody walk in, he comes out and sniffs them and says hi,” Salley says. “And then he sits on people’s feet.” His presence also tends to take the edge off for nervous patients. “I had an autistic kid in here a couple of weeks ago, and he was talking to Buster and me. When we got through the exam, his mom said, ‘I don’t know what happened, but he never talks to doctors … I think it was Buster.’ He just has that effect.”
Buster, 5, is an English Springer Spaniel imported from Sweden by breeders in Mason, Tennessee. “He was a breeding prospect, but they told me, ‘He’s so laid-back, he won’t breed.'” He’s been working as Clearview’s online mascot, welcome crew, and calming agent since he was adopted six months ago. His Swedish export pedigree papers list his given name as Big Brazzel Dragon Fly, but at the request of Salley’s kids, they renamed him Buster, after Andy’s dog in Toy Story. — SC
Feel Buster’s serenity at Clearview Family Eyecare, 618 Oakleaf Office Lane, #100.
Toby Sells
Lucy
Lucy
When Lucy does her job, there are no good options. “If you’re right, it’s bad,” says K9 Officer Brian Jenkins. “If you’re wrong, it’s bad, just in a different way.”
Lucy is a German Wirehaired Pointer, a stocky, beautiful dog with a gray/chocolate coat. Brimming with energy, she bursts through a door at Memphis International Airport, and her nose immediately goes to the ground. Over a bag, behind the gate desk, and up and down the rows of empty seats, Lucy hunts bombs. Lucy was trained at Lackland Air Force Base. Some of her kennel mates joined the military, sniffing out explosives in Iraq and Afghanistan. Lucy met Jenkins and came to Memphis, keeping the airport here safe with the Transportation Security Administration.
After a few more sniffs, Lucy sits. Jenkins throws her a tennis ball, pets her head, and praises her good work. It was a training exercise, of course. If it was real, only bad options would be left. It’s either a “multi-million-dollar mistake” to dump the concourse, re-screen passengers, and recall aircraft, or, “there’s a bomb in my airport,” Jenkins says. Lucy just thinks she’s playing, though. Yes, she goes home with Jenkins at night. And, yes, “she has her own bedroom.” But, no, you should not pet Lucy. She’s working to keep you safe, and pets from strangers aren’t part of her training. — Toby Sells
See Lucy in action — no touching, please! — at Memphis International Airport, 2491 Winchester Road.
Gabriel DeRanzo and Greg Cravens seem like unlikely partners. Cravens is a veteran illustrator, cartoonist, and comic strip creator. DeRanzo has a sterling reputation as a bartender, but when he and Cravens met at 901 Comics in a networking session for artists interested in contributing to Bad Dog comics first Memphis-made anthology of graphic fiction, he had no idea what he was doing. What did the inexperienced DeRanzo possess that nobody else had? A completed script. According to Cravens, who’s been around the block a time or two, that made all the difference.
“Other people may have had ideas,” Cravens says, explaining why he gravitated toward DeRanzo. “But he had a completed 5-page script.” According to all involved, it wasn’t a very good 5-page script, but it was a spark — a beginning. There were plots to be hammered out and characters to develop. There was also an ethos to explore: The weed should be freed — and it would be too if not for those meddling, “Pharmaceutical companies, the alcohol industry, and organized crime,” and money spent on “politicians to keep it illegal.”
Enter the Stoned Ninja.
The meet-up where DeRanzo and Cravens first teamed up is part of the origin story for 901’s house brand, Bad Dog Comics, which published its second anthology earlier this month. Bad Dog will soon publish the second installment of DeRanzo and Cravens’ Stoned Ninja, which is currently receiving its finishing touches. Meanwhile, the creators continue to produce t-shirts and other fun, useful merchandise that, if things go according to plan, may ultimately position Stoned Ninja for wider distribution than most indie comics ever see. What has Stoned Ninja got that other indie comics don’t? Its own brand of ninja-approved, 100 percent hemp rolling papers, that’s what.
Samples from 901 Comics Anthology Vol. 2
“When I was a kid, comics were in every grocery store and quickie mart in the country, and they aren’t anymore,” Cravens says explaining the potential for head shops to expand comic distribution. “The market has narrowed down to where you have to go hard target search for a comic shop to go get comics,” he says. “What we’ve got is something we can sell in another store to another targeted audience. So, that’s the pitch when we approach larger publishers. There are potentially 25,000 more shops you can put your comic into, if you’ll just pay attention.”
“Given the content of the comic I figured there was no reason to go less than 100% pure hemp,” DeRanzo says of Stoned Ninja rolling papers. “So it’s as good a quality paper as anything out there and we’re offering fun packaging. On the inside flap there’s a comic and we’re going to change that flap every time we put in a new order. So Stoned Ninja will be like Bazooka Joe Bubble gum.”
Stoned Ninja was originally inspired by the classic Kung Fu comedy Drunken Master, and developed as a means to explore pot culture beyond the usual burnout stereotypes.
“So I asked myself, if there can be a Drunken Master, why can’t there be a Stoned Ninja?” DeRanzo says.
Roll Local with Memphis Made Comic, Stoned Ninja
Don’t anticipate kung fu Cheech and Chong, or Jackie Chan-inspired antics, even. Stoned Ninja is packed with fun stuff. Pizza boxes (featuring DeRanzo’s face) make cameos. The hero, Japanese American college student Kazunori Takagi, appears and disappears in clouds of dank smelling smoke. But, for being the story of a young man granted ninja superpowers by toking on a special strain of marijuana, the narrative content is fairly straight-faced.
For 10-years DeRanzo daydreamed about Stoned Ninja while he tended bar. “I had this insane amount of story content for movie ideas,” he says says. Comics weren’t in the plan so when Shannon Merritt from 901 said he wanted to start making comics DeRanzu said, “That’s great, I will buy your comics!”
“No,” Merritt answered. “I want you to help me make these comics.”
One problem: DeRanzo couldn’t draw. Okay, two problems: He had no experience writing either. But the characters were there. And after a decade of thinking about it, the stories were there too. So DeRanzo leaned on Cravens’ experience in graphic storytelling, and Cravens trusted DeRanzo’s vision. Inker Josh Lindsey has since joined the team.
“I drew the knives all wrong,” Cravens says, admitting a learning curve of his own. DeRanzo gave his illustrator some sharp examples as a gift. “I nearly cut my toe off twice,” Cravens says of his sample cutlery experience. But now his knives are proper.
Samples from Stoned Ninja
“Right now we’re trying to build the first six issue story arc at a pace that lets us be normal people. Once it’s done we plan to release it on a monthly schedule. Ideally going mass distribution,” DeRanzo says.
For the completely appropriate price of $4.20, comics are available locally at 901 Comics, Whatever stores, The Wild Hare smoke shop, Tobacco Zone, and Memphis Made Brewery. Stoned Ninja starter packs, which include a comic book, a t-shirt, and a pack of Stoned Ninja rolling papers are available online at stonedninjacomics.com.
Mojo Nixon, the gruff troubadour of the 1980s, once sang that “Elvis Is Everywhere,” and it’s true. Beyond Elvis Week, he permeates our collective consciousness. As Mojo observed, he’s in your jeans, he’s in your cheeseburger, and even “in Joan Rivers, but he’s trying to get out!” He’s so omnipresent that discerning Presleyphiles can have a tough time sorting through his manifestations. So, I offer up this (very subjective) alternative catalog of where to find the most compelling — and surprising — embodiments of the King.
First of all, look to the skies! As Mojo enthused, “Everybody in outer space looks like Elvis! ‘Cos Elvis is a perfect being! We’re all moving to perfect peace and harmony, towards Elvisness! Why do ya think they call it evolution, anyway? It’s really Elvislution! Elvislution!”
This is confirmed by a magnificent CD collection from 2012, Elvis: Prince from Another Planet. The title is taken from a New York Times review of what was, surprisingly, the King’s only live booking in the Big Apple: a run of four shows at Madison Square Garden in 1972. This is Elvis in full 1970s glory. He seems to be testing the fit of his regalia, and it’s still early enough in the game that you can feel the TCB Band’s excitement. And, thanks to found footage from a fan who smuggled in a camera, you can also see it.
The set’s DVD presents the restored home movie intercut with comments from band members and New Yorkers who attended the shows, including rock writer and Patti Smith guitarist Lenny Kaye, who gushes that “he functioned as a god. It’s very seldom that you get a chance to go to a show at Mt. Olympus.”
Prince or god? At one time, he was just A Boy from Tupelo. That’s the title of a new CD set released just days ago by Sony, subtitled The Complete 1953-1955 Recordings, and it drives home the realization that Elvis was barely 18 when he started his career. (See Robert Gordon’s short film on the young Elvis here). As the first complete collection of studio and live recordings made in the first two years of his career, every outtake and false start of the Sun sessions is included, providing a glimpse into how the Sam Phillips and the group crafted Elvis’ sound. It also offers a hair-raising intimacy due to thousands of hours spent in the restoration and remastering of the tracks. Even once-rare live tracks from the Louisiana Hayride and other shows sound fulsome, immediate, and nearly noiseless. The clarity far outpaces the once-canonical set, The Complete 50’s Masters, first released in 1992, although one should still revisit the 2005 reissue to hear his post-Sun classics.
Prince, god, boy, or baby? The latter answer is proffered by experimental group the Residents, in their little-known 1989 concept album, The King and Eye. Doom-laden synth reinterpretations of classic Elvis songs, delivered with fervid, faux-redneck vocals, are mixed with clips of an adult telling real children a faux-fairy tale. “Once there was a baby, and the baby wanted to be king.” If the concept is off-putting on paper, to these ears the music is pleasantly disconcerting: a retro-futuristic setting for a menacing, yet sympathetic, antihero crawling with anxieties.
But for deconstructing Elvis, it’s hard to beat local auteur Mike McCarthy, who has a bit of an Elvis obsession. He’ll be hawking his graphic novel of Elvis-as-zombie highjinks, HELVIS, at 7 pm on August 16th at 901 Comics. And McCarthy’s short film, Elvis Meets the Beatles, may be his greatest homage: A kind of Hard Day’s Night on acid, it recreates the tension of the Fabs’ first encounter with their hero, blending a semi-ridiculous cast with a sharp script and what can only be called a farcical sense of foreboding. The very groovy soundtrack was released by Rockin’ Bones Records in 2006. Another of McCarthy’s films, Tupelove, is a more affectionate look at Elvis’ hometown, starring local chanteuse Amy LaVere.
Offbeat Elvis: A Compendium of Oddities
Yet perhaps the most affectionate take on the King is a lesser-known gem from the late, great Alex Chilton. His pre-Big Star “I Wish I Could Meet Elvis” circulated for years as a bootleg before its first official release on the Ardent label’s release, 1970, and later on Omnivore’s Free Again. It’s an amusing, Gram Parsons-esque swipe at fandom, with Chilton exclaiming, “Wella-wella it sure would feel real weird/if Elvis/was sitting right here!” Though served up with a heaping teaspoon of irony, Chilton’s love of the King was very real, as anyone who heard him croon “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You” in his latter days can confirm.
And that may be the ultimate message from the Memphis underground: Despite the smog of hype surrounding the King, and whether he was an alien, god, prince, boy, or baby, we want him … we need him … we love him.
Harry Koniditsiotis is most familiar to Memphians as a musician. He is the mastermind behind punk bands like Angel Sluts and Switchblade Kid, and the owner of Five and Dime Recording studio. Now, the pop culture officianado is expanding his creative streak into filmmaking.
Koniditsiotis has been working on a documentary about a mysterious figure in the world of comic book collecting. “In 1987 I bought a copy of the Avengers #1 for $62 from BSI Comics in New Orleans. I saw the name “Alfred Medley” stamped on the cover and asked grizzled, wheel-chaired store owner Carl Tupper “Who the Hell is Alfred Medley?” He grumbled/yelled “I don’t know…. Some guy!”
Medley had stamped his name on at least 900 valuable vintage comics, but no one seemed to have any idea who he was, so Koniditsiotis set out to track him down. In the process, he says he hopes to paint a portrait of the underworld of eccentric comic artists and collectors in the South. So far, his interviews have included the Hernandez Brothers, creators of the pioneering graphic novel Love and Rockets, Peter Bagge of Hate, and Kurt Amacker of Bloody October.
Tonight (Wednesday, Nov. 30), Koniditsiotis will host a preview party at 901 Comics to raise funds to finish the film. He will screen selections from the interviews and footage he has collected for the film. There will be a $5 suggested donation, and the party will include free beer and snacks, and a raffle prize. Festivities will continue from 7-10 PM.
Facebook/The P&H Cafe 
Toby Sells 
Toby Sells 
Toby Sells 
Jon W. Sparks 
Justin Fox Burks 
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Justin Fox Burks 
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Justin Fox Burks 
Matt Bowers 
Matt Bowers 
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The Peabody Memphis 
T. Clifton Gallery 
Bruce VanWyngarden 
Jesse Davis 
Metal Museum 
Metal Museum 
Jon Sparks 
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Toby Sells 
