The Peculiar Person of the Month: The Naked Indian

By
David Rondinelli





He can be found on 45^th and Broadway all day in his trademark aqua blue  headdress, tomahawk, and tighty whities. The Naked Indian, born Adam David, has become a staple of the Time Square characters who populate the area. There, people from every walk of life can share a sight seeing experience that they can shake hands with.

Seen by many on a daily basis, the Naked Indian opens up to This Peculiar Life NYC about his real Native American heritage and his hopeful future as an actor.






While some might smile and snap pictures of him as he towers down Broadway, many might be surprised to learn that he has his own unique history. A history that includes a six-year study in the field of psychology as well as once being a possible contender for boxing in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Find out more about the Naked Indian below as he is occupies late February and March as the Peculiar Person of the Month.

This Peculiar Life NYC: How did you come up with the idea to become the Naked Indian?

The Naked Indian: The Naked Cowboy influenced the Naked Indian.

TPL NYC: How long have you been performing as this character?

NI: A little more than a year and a half.

TPL NYC: Do you perform all year round? How do you perform “naked” in the winter?

NI: I perform all year round. Last year I was in Vegas!

TPL NYC: Is this your full time job, or do you do this on the side?

NI: Full time gig.

(The Naked Indian posing in Time Square)

 

TPL NYC: Do you have a trademark on the character?

NI: Yes.

TPL NYC: Are you the first guy to be the Naked Indian, or are there other naked Indians?

NI: There was never another Naked Indian performer, although, there once was a parody.

 

TPL NYC: How did you put your costume together? Where did you get it? Also, how did you decide on the war paint patterns?

 

NI: The costume was put together mostly from my imagination. I ordered the pieces from Secret Providers and also gifts. The war paint was influenced by other Vegas entertainers.

 

TPL NYC: As a costumed person in Time Square, is the competition fierce between the other performers, or do you all get along with one another?

 

NI: The competition can be fierce, but as the Naked Indian I have a huge intimidation factor. 

 

TPL NYC: Take me through your day as the Naked Indian. What do you do?

 

NI: I get up and travel from New Jersey by commuter bus. I travel with mostly business people. I get to the gym for a work out, shower and put on my costume and take pictures until I’m tired. On average, I put in 8 hours in costume.

 



(Happier days with the Naked Cowboy)

TPL NYC: What does the Naked Cowboy think of you? Are you friends or foes?

 

NI: The Naked Cowboy admires me, but he is very jealous, so I do not speak with him.

 TPL NYC: How much can a performer in Time Square stand to make?

 

NI: A cool $1,000 if you are the Naked Indian or Cowboy on Christmas and other big holidays.

 

TPL NYC: How often do you have to be out in Time Square to make good money at this type of performance?

 

NI: Five days is plenty.

TPL NYC: How do tourists know to tip you? Do you charge for photos and such, or do people just give it to you?

NI: People will give you money, but I often suggest tips.

 

TPL NYC: What does your family and friends think about you being the Naked Indian?

 

NI: Most people I know respect the Naked Indian.

 

TPL NYC: Do you share any actual Native American heritage?

 

NI: My mother is a full-blooded Cherokee from Oklahoma. We have some customs we stick to, one of which is synthesizing to nature. Often times, we had to keep it a secret that we are Indians. Revealing our heritage often made us black sheep. My father is Jewish though.

 

TPL NYC: What are some of the customs you would practice to synthesize with nature?

 

NI: I learned from my cousin about the Great Spirit. It protects a native when he or she is very well behaved and is evident in all aspects of his or her life. I have awesome protection from it. Anyone could connect with the Great Spirit, just be on your best behavior.   

 

 



(The Great Spirit)

 

 

TPL NYC: You sometimes carry Tomahawks and arrows, do you make those yourself?

 

NI: I do know a lot about arrow head making as well as finding arrowheads in old Indian camps and in shallow creeks. When it comes to making arrowheads, Flint rocks and deer antlers are the basic tools. Digging in old camps is best for finding Native American artifacts.

 

TPL NYC: Do you have an Native American name?

 

NI: I do, my Indian Name is Moves with the Wind, which was given to me by a native from Canada while I was in Las Vegas, which is perfect since I am a dancer as well. Another Native American once called me a Spirit Warrior and it is the truest statement and most accurate description of the Naked Indian. It is also the secret to his success.

 

TPL NYC: What the most peculiar thing that you’ve experienced while doing this in Time Square?

 

NI: CNN approached me to tell me that the Naked Cowboy was suing me for copyright infringement.

 

(The Naked Indian being interviewed for the news)

 

January’s Peculiar Person of the Month: Corporate Actress Katherine McDowell

An Interview
By
David Rondinelli

Katherine McDowell out of costume

Katherine McDowell is a corporate actress and part time princess as she performs at many different firms and events all over the country. Growing up near a dormant volcano in a small town from Northern California, McDowell refers to it as a place where rednecks and hippies coexist peacefully.

An extensive traveler throughout her whole life, she has seen many parts of the U.S. and Europe, which has given her an alternative education and a world wide scope.

It was at 18 that she set her sites on New York City where she was accepted into Tisch School of the Arts for their BFA program. The travel bug hit again and she spent two semesters abroad in Ireland and Italy and most of Western Europe. From there, an MA at King’s College London in conjunction with the RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts) was the next step and a “fantastic experience” according to McDowell.

 

McDowell currently resides on the Upper West Side with her boyfriend where she works as a corporate actress. A growing field that requires her to act out certain scenarios to improve communication skills and understanding amongst different businesses. In addition, she also runs her own business called Fire Pixie where she acts and dresses as different well known pricessess for parties. McDowell has stated that her work allows her to become a more honest and vibrant human being when faced with daily compromise and different people.

Still an avid traveler, she hopes to leave the country once a year, but always finds New York City to have brand new experiences. McDowell shares her own vibrant experiences as she opens up about her life and why she feels New York City is such a magical place. Read more about her as Katerine McDowell is January’s Peculiar Person of the Month.

This Peculiar Life NYC:  When did you know you wanted to be an actress?

Katherine McDowell: I was set on acting from the age of 10 or so. My trajectory as a child when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up: teacher, lawyer, mediator, president, actress.  My parents had both worked in the film industry and were supportive of an artist child, a fact I still find regularly shocking as a pseudo adult myself.  It reminds me of what open minded and creative people they are.  My first major role was a summer program at the local junior college for kids, I was the villain in a melodrama The Villain Who Wore a Dirty Shirt It was with great regret that as I got older I realized A.) I’m not generally cast as a villain and B.) I’m rarely cast in male roles.  Which is probably why I love Shakespeare so much, they often let women play roles written for men.

TPL NYC: You do a specialized type of acting, can you explain it and how it helps the different companies you work with?

KM: My primary form of paid acting is corporate acting.  It is working with a corporation to help their employees learn a skill set and then offer an immediate practice opportunity through role play.  Companies find it really useful as a form of continued education for their employees.  It provides a safe forum for people to learn new skill sets and have a seemingly real practical application without the risk of making mistakes in a professional setting where there could be lasting effects. Companies sometimes have individuals do role play with other people in the organization, which can be complicated because they’re not as skilled at role play and there may be other ego or embarrassment issues in the way when working within a peer group. When working with a professional third party it removes those boundaries creating a more beneficial experience for the participants and with better results for the company.

TPL NYC: I actually never heard of people role playing and acting out different corporate scenarios for communication and training effectiveness. Is this a newer field or has this type of job been around for a while?

KM: I think it’s relatively new in the business world, at least in the US.  It’s very established in the UK.  Similar work has been in place for some time as an educational tool in other settings in the US.  Medical and Law Schools will often hire actors to interact with students to help them deal with real people instead of just ideas on a paper.  I think it’s something we will see more of in professional settings with the idea of continuing to educate a workforce.  As our education system focuses more on test based success, our people skills aren’t being developed and this is becoming more important in organizations.

McDowell as Rapunzel

 

TPL NYC: Can you take me through a typical day for you when you have to work with different companies?

KM: Once we’ve arrived at the venue (be it local or somewhere else in the country) we have a quick check in with the people running the course.  As the acting group, we number from 2-6 people all dressed in business appropriate outfits.  The course facilitators are typically professionals in the skill set being taught that day. 

A few weeks before the actual event each actor will have received their briefs and the timings of the actor required activities for the event.  The evening prior we will have discussed what topics will be covered and any details we will need to be aware of with the facilitators.

Once the course participants have arrived there is a short introduction. Typically the actors are seated in the back of the room or off to the side and also take a moment to introduce ourselves.

While the facilitators are running their presentation, our job is to be as attentive and unobtrusive.  We don’t interact much during this time, the facilitator’s focus is to deliver the necessary information and the course participants are trying to learn the techniques and make their own discoveries. The actors might be called upon to perform together or with a facilitator to demonstrate some of the skill sets being discussed during this early part of the day.

After lunch the actor’s work really comes into play.  Each course participant is handed a brief describing the situation to be discussed with an “employee” and a short hand of their relationship.  After a brief preparation they begin with their actor.  Generally a group is made of three course participants and one actor, one course participant participating in the role play while the other two observe and offer appropriate feedback.

During the role play it is the actor’s job to reveal the necessary information, have an informed and realistic understanding of their role and options, and offer feedback appropriate to their participant’s level.  For example, if someone is really good at the skill set, it is the actor’s job to increase the challenge.  If someone is really struggling, the actor should help guide the participant through gentle hints or revealing of information beyond the asked format while maintaining character.

We provide multiple role plays for each participant, and then provide feedback immediately following with what worked and what didn’t.  Our job is to be as helpful as possible while letting the participants draw their own conclusions. 

TPL NYC: How did you find a job doing this and what made you want to get involved in this type of acting?
 

KM: Luck!  I was doing a staged reading tour in the Midwest.  We were reading excerpts of Greek tragedies in public libraries. I booked the role by answering a last minute Facebook announcement from a fellow NYU graduate.  It was only 3 of us on the tour, and one of the other actors had also studied in England and we really hit it off.  When he found out about this opportunity he passed along my name.  After a full day of auditioning/training I was hired on a freelance basis by REACT Acting for Business, a company based in the UK who is just starting to reach out to the US.  I knew I wanted to be a part of this work. I got into performing because I wanted to touch people’s lives.   This work does exactly that in a very hands on way. Also, getting a paying gig as an actor is one of the most exciting things ever. Period.

McDowell as Ariel

TPL NYC: Take me through some of the roles that you have had to perform? Is it the same for every company or do you have to be a different person for each scenario?

KM: I think every time I’ve done this work I’ve had a different character.  Though I’ve done several jobs for the same company, I’ll end up with a different character to specifically address the needs of the participants on that course.  A lot of it is personality base, and though I have some knowledge about my role in the company and the structure, what it really comes down to is playing a human being who has fears and needs and desires.

Often, participants will have the opportunity to bring in their own scenario they want to practice.  In that setting, I only have a few minutes to discuss with the individual what the person they are dealing with is like and just do my best to help them practice the skill set and provide the best mirror.  It’s always a tremendous compliment when they say how much I was like the person they are struggling to communicate with, especially when it’s a 60-year-old man. 

TPL NYC:  What type of scenario do you have to perform the most?

KM: There isn’t really one scenario, and with a group of actors I may end up working a different scenario while one of my colleagues has a role I have done previously.  I’ve worked the most at “coaching” seminars, where middle management is learning the skills to coach an up-and-coming direct report.  It’s using different skills and roadblocks to help them figure out the best way to do that. 

TPL NYC: What type of insights have you learned about people and corporations from doing this type of work?

KM: Honestly I’ve worked for some companies that I have personal misgivings towards.  I’m a very conscientious person in my daily life.  I try to eat sustainable, organic, local foods when possible, shop free trade organic products, and support companies who have an ethos and perception that this planet is a group effort.  So I had some ethical questions about first working with big companies that really don’t reflect these values. 

What I’ve come to realize is that all companies are filled with people having individual experiences.  A lot of these employees aren’t out to destroy the world as we know it, they’re simply working in a job that they find personally fulfilling or that hired them for their aptitude.  They are filled with needs and hopes and fears and dreams just like everyone else.  I am less quick to judge people based on where they live or what they do, because it’s simply what they know. I mostly do work to help improve communication and awareness. In some small way, I’m having a positive impact on these companies and the world at large.

TPL NYC: Do you get to have any hands on experience like writing the script? Do you have to be dressed a particular way?

KM: I receive my “actor brief” that is already written through the REACT office working with an employee of the participating company.  Everything has already been determined before I even see the information.  Sometimes, if I’ve worked the course or company before, I can provide feedback or questions on the script to make sure it’s as useful as possible for the task at hand.

We are expected to dress in a corporate appropriate manner, basically slacks and a button down.  Rarely are full suits necessary, but sometimes that is the corporate climate.  I have a section of my wardrobe reserved for this kind of work.

TPL NYC:  You are also a part time princess. Tell me which princess you are and how often you get to be her?

KM: I actually run a princess company, so I am all the princesses!  I do anywhere from 1-4 parties a weekend, and also have some other wonderful princes and princesses who are available if I’m too busy.

McDowell as Belle

TPL NYC: How did you start that?

KM: I lived in Berkeley, CA for a couple years and was selling windows as my day job while pursuing acting opportunities in the Bay Area.  Not computer windows, the type that you actually hang into your home.  It was interesting for the first few months, but once I’d learned all there is to know about windows I was bored.  I happened to attend a party one night with some friends and was chatting with a girl there.  When she found out I was an actress with a boring day job she told me I should be a princess.  At the time, I didn’t even know that was a possible job description.

I worked for Fire Pixie in California for about a year before I moved back to NY.  After I moved back they contacted me about franchising the Fire Pixie brand.  So a few years ago I started to offer Fire Pixie on the East Coast.  It’s nice to have a network to belong to and I have a lot of autonomy. It really is just running my own little company, and all the joys and pitfalls that includes.

TPL NYC: When you go to audition as a princess is there one in mind that you use to get into character?

KM: I don’t ever audition as a princess, unless it’s for a stage play.  And I haven’t actually been called upon to do that.  I did attend a Disney cruise open call once for Princesses once.  That involved a simple dance routine, and height measurement and facial scrutiny.  They have a very specific thing they’re looking for at those events.

When I do a party I try and have a few elements of that princess in mind when I perform as her.  I also have to know all about her reality.  There is nothing more embarrassing than forgetting your prince’s name.

TPL NYC: Do you do any other creative fields like singing or dancing as well? What is the process like for those endeavors?

KM: I dance and sing for pleasure, but they’re not currently part of my professional pursuits.  A lot of actors are also singers/dancers and for things like musical theatre the audition process is much the same.  The singers and dancers attend open “chorus call” auditions to show off their particular talent specifically.  There are many different forms of singing and dancing, and the experience for an aspiring opera singer or ballerina is very different from someone pursuing musical theatre.

TPL NYC: This is a two part question, but who inspires you professionally and personally?

KM: Professionally I’m inspired by sane performers who create beautiful performances.  I love Maggie Smith, Cate Blanchett, and Audrey Tatou.  Katharine Hepburn is a legend for a reason, and she was so smart and wasn’t afraid to live her own experience. I am inspired by performers who seem to have found the balance between creating art and being a real person.  I think there is a romanticism that as an actor you must be conflicted or struggling, a bit crazy, and people love to glorify that.  I’m far more interested in an actor who is creating beautiful art with good intention and at the same time maintaining a balance and reality in their life.

This concept leads to who inspires me personally.  I find myself repeatedly drawn to the writings Thich Naht Hahn, a Vietnamese monk.  Other Eastern writings of Swami’s and the works of Marianne Williamson also serve as discussion points and inspiration. At the heart of inspiration is this desire to live fully in this experience of living this life. At this point, I find the concept of awareness to be a key element of that desire.  Writings that help remind me of this idea and deepen my understanding are the most inspiring to me at this point in my life.

TPL NYC: By learning to become someone else, what do you feel it has granted you in terms of understanding human relationships? Do you feel that it has made you a more effective communicator, or do you feel that is allows to present yourself with more mystique by being able to become anyone else?

KM: I think the job of the actor is to allow people to access experiences they’ve stopped allowing themselves to feel.  At the heart of all of my work is this desire to communicate as clearly as possible.  I have to understand my characters needs and desires and impulses, where do they come from and why do I do these things in this moment?  Only by having a clear understanding myself can I begin to allow the audience to travel with me on this journey.

McDowell as a woodland fairy

 

I have found ways to make even the worst character sympathetic, at least to myself.  This ability to accept all people in all ways I think has made me a far more sympathetic individual.  To put myself in someone else’s shoes makes it much easier to communicate with someone who I do not agree with.

I suppose I could use it to be mysterious and cryptic, but I’m much more interested in seeing if I can help people connect. Most people are trying so hard to not connect that it can feel very strange when someone is very present with you.

TPL NYC: What type of characters do you enjoy acting like the most?

KM: I love doing villains.  I really do.  There is no true villain in a play, there is always a redeeming quality, and often they have the most transformative journey.  They are complex and they require a lot of work from the actor to not pass judgment on the character’s bad actions. Often it is the villain who the audience needs to see to understand where they harbor those worst parts of themselves and why they choose to not act from those dark places. 

Villains most often are the complex roles, but truthfully any role that has internal conflict is of interest.  Often the ingénue does not have much (if any) conflict that isn’t imposed upon her.

TPL NYC: Can you cry on cue? If so, how do you get yourself to do that? Same thing with other types of emotions, do you find them organically, or do you have a trained technique?

KM: I can cry on cue.  I actually used to cry for my friends mom when we were little.  She was so fascinated by it she would say “OK, you can stay and play another hour but you have to cry.” And I would stop laughing and playing and go up to her with tears in my eyes.  I would think of sad things or just sink to that place inside where you feel your chest tightening.

In a true performance setting it’s normally a variety of factors that come into play.  A well written play performed with other great actors will naturally lead you to have the emotional journey of tears or rage or love.  If you aren’t feeling connected to your own experience, or the play isn’t great, or your other actors aren’t really available there are a lot of techniques available.  I trained at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, which focuses on an imaginative technique.  What if you were really there?  I use this along with physical cues.  If you’re feeling joyful and want to feel sad, collapse your chest and drop your chin.  If you’re feeling awful sit up straight and let a small smile tickle the edge of your lips.  It is like magic.

TPL NYC: What’s next for you? Do you have any projects coming up that you can fill us in on?

KM: At the moment there is nothing on the immediate horizon.  My corporate acting gigs are normally only given a few weeks notice, and the holiday season typically brings everything to a halt.  There are some kid’s parties coming up, and the audition season is very busy at the beginning of the year.

TPL NYC: Is there a role that you would like to see yourself in the most?

KM: I would love to play Imogen from Shakespeare’s Cymbeline.  She’s the ingénue role but she has so much going on. 

McDowell as a star-spangled jester

 

TPL NYC: So this blog is about peculiar things. What is the most peculiar thing you have experienced while acting?

KM: Oh my…peculiar things.  I think the whole experience of performing is peculiar.  It is a pretty surreal place to be.  The theatre is full of moments where you improvise a missing prop, a forgotten line; where you fall in love with someone you can’t stand backstage or hate someone who is your best friend.  It is so constantly peculiar that in a strange way the truly peculiar moments are the normal ones.  Like eating the peanut butter sandwich after the end of the play each night that your character doesn’t touch in the second act, because you’re hungry, and why waste a sandwich?  But at the same time it’s a prop and imbued with all this meaning.

TPL NYC: In a similar way, what is the most peculiar thing you have ever experienced in your life?

KM: The most peculiar thing?  That sounds like it has to be something really dramatic.  I don’t know that I find anything peculiar these days, it’s all just part of life.  Normal is just something we sort of tenuously agreed upon at some point, so peculiar is everything outside that realm of normal.  Yet normal means different things in different parts of the world.  What is normal in India (elephants as a form of transportation) is very peculiar here.  I think I’ll have to leave it to you to continue to route out the peculiar elements in the world.

Give the Gift of Delight with December’s Peculiar People of the Month: The Sculptors of Creatures of Delight!

By
David Rondinelli

(Left: Stewart Buffaloe/ Right: Tom Kopian)

Creatures of Delight started from the creative mind of Tom "T. Oliver" Kopian who, as a boy, had a thing for monsters and sought to make them come to life by turning his childhood home into a playground of happy Halloween horrors. Soon after college, he met his partner Stewart Buffaloe who shared in the vision of a delightful world populated with wacky dragons, monsters and crazy broads. For over a decade they have gone on to create what is known as Rubber Plush, which is a mixture of paper towel fiber and latex. The winning formula of creative designs and fun characters earned them displays in FAO Schwartz and jobs with theme parks at Disney and Universal studios. Originally based in Tampa, Florida, Kopain and Buffaloe have moved their business to New York where they live in their Long Island home that they share with six special needs cats, one of which has only one eye. In a town like New York, one thing is for certain, Creatures of Delight is sure to fit right in. Read more about the business of making monsters with December’s Peculiar People of the Month – T.Oliver and Stewart Buffaloe the creators of Creatures of Delight.


This Peculiar Life NYC:   Tell readers what you do and what you are known for?

Creatures of Delight: Creatures of Delight is a three dimensional art studio which specializes in wacky creatures of all sizes and shapes which they sell mostly through a collection of galleries and shops across the country. Our creatures are mostly made from a latex and fiber process which Tom patented when he was younger. It's a lot like paper mache’ but with Bounty paper towels and liquid latex. The material is then used to create soft sculpture, puppets, dolls, and a line of backpacks and bags which are unlike anything on the market.



Hugo in Red Backpack.

T.P.L. NYC: How did you come up with the concepts for Creatures of Delight?

C.O.D.: Creatures started out Tom's love for Halloween and the Rankin Bass holiday specials and shows like H.R. Pufnstuf. As a teen, Tom worked in his parent’s basement creating monsters, masks, and make-up in hopes of a career in special effects.

 
T.P.L. NYC: Once you did find the concepts, what made you feel that it could become a business?

C.O.D.: During the eighties Tom would decorate his parent’s Long Island house with elaborate displays for Halloween which attracted a great deal of media attention. Thousands of people would come by on Halloween - one of which happened to be a man who owned a wholesale gift company. He fell in love with the look of the creatures, which were much rougher looking and more monstery. He told Tom he saw a market for the designs if the monsters could be made soft and squishy. At the time, they had been a mash up of wire, wood, plaster and latex. Tom took on the challenge and the very first creature- J. Amberson Troll - was born. Right out of the gate, FAO Schwarz took a sample order and liked them so much they featured them in their front window for Christmas that year! Networking at Toy Fair led to working with theme parks such as Disney and Universal where custom made lines of specialty merchandise followed.

 T.P.L. NYC: What materials do you use to make the characters?

C.O.D.: The materials and process for the creatures have stayed pretty much the same over the years. We use a medical grade natural base latex and pater towel fiber. We work with molds and forms to make each piece. The process is simple and requires no special machinery.

T.P.L. NYC: What is the process to making one of these? Tell us how you do it from concept to finished product?

C.O.D.: In 2001 Stewart began working with Tom as a studio manager. Over the years he has become invaluable- teaching himself to create all of our two dimensional layouts as well as web design and sewing so that we can do all of our work in house. While Tom comes up with most of the character design Stewart is also responsible for most of the color choices and the final look of each character.



Nonesuch Dragon 2 (early model)

T.P.L. NYC: How do you come up with the fun names for the different characters?

C.O.D.: Naming the characters is one of the most fun and challenging parts of the process. As a character comes together, many times they just seem to tell you their name.  Groups like the large monsters usually get names that sound good together- like "Scamp," “Scourge," "Squalor," "Scalawag," and "Skirmish." Sometimes, however, a really fun character defies you to come up with a cool name- it took us years to finally have a name for our first Flamingo - "Fleetwood"- he was always just "Flamingo."

T.P.L. NYC: Will there be any new characters or concepts that you will be creating or debuting?

C.O.D.: We love coming up with new characters. Our newest line "Unusual Suspects" was created for the very reason. The smaller scale of the pieces allows us to sculpt and mold characters quicker and more cheaply than the larger pieces. This allows us to try lots of new ideas and make new characters as in the same way as a two dimensional artist would do a sketch. If the piece works and becomes popular we can refine it and make more; if it isn't a hit it becomes a more collectible piece because there will only be a few made.



Squalor Backpack reaches out for a hug

T.P.L. NYC: Is there a character that you like the most?

C.O.D.: Picking a favorite is really tough. It’s like picking a favorite child. I've carried a "Happy Creature" backpack forever so that would probably be one of them. The only creature that I have as a decoration in my house is a large purple troll so that might be another.  Stewart likes the Halloween ladies and has a set of them in his room so that might be his favorite.

T.P.L. NYC: Which one do you find to be the most challenging to make?

C.O.D.: The most challenging pieces we make on a regular basis are the ones with the most hand painting - like "Lionel Fishie". Custom work can be challenging - especially if we have to capture the essence of a particular subject while retaining our unique look. We made a number  of masks of Chris Sullivan (founder of Outback Steakhouse) for a surprise party his wife was throwing for him. He doesn't have any discernible features so it was really hard to make it look like him but funny yet not insulting. Some of the larger pieces such as the 14 foot mermaid we created for a float in Tampa, Florida was also challenging but at the same time lots of fun.

T.P.L. NYC: Aside from business, what are some other things that you like to do? Do you have any other hobbies or interests?

C.O.D.: Luckily my hobby became my business so I enjoy the long hours we put in around here. In Tampa, our studio was in a restaurant and entertainment district so we got really spoiled with good food. Living in Tampa, it was also pretty affordable. Moving back to New York I've had to learn to cook if I want to eat good food on a regular basis and that has turned out to be something I really enjoy. Stewart loves to read, garden, and is working on restoring the house, which is a cool little former summer cottage built around 1900.

Feed Me

T.P.L. NYC: Where do you see the future of Creatures of Delight going?

C.O.D.: Right now our main focus is on the three dimensional rubber creatures. In the future we'd like to branch out to do greeting cards and fun t-shirts and stuff like that. In the past, I supplemented the creature business doing life masks and castings as well as private makeup jobs for costume parties and such.

T.P.L. NYC: So this blog is about peculiar things. What is the most peculiar thing that has happened to you in New York City?



C.O.D.: When you make rubber creatures all of your life the idea of "peculiar" is very hard to fathom. We've met lots of peculiar and wonderful people and been able to do lots of peculiar and wonderful things. Lots of our customers could be called peculiar, like Marilyn, a nice lady who lives here in New York. She has a great number of our pieces and is known, on occasion, to take small groups of them to restaurants to have dinner with them. 

T.P.L. NYC: What is the most peculiar thing to happen to you in your life?

C.O.D.: We've also had numerous requests which some might find peculiar, but, at this point, they seem par for the course. One time in Tampa, we created a life sized transgender S&M shot dispenser for the owner of a gay bar who had a fetish for transgender people- it was totally nsfw! But even that doesn't seem so strange anymore.

Give the gift of monster love this season and learn more about Tom and Stewart - and all their other creatures- at their website: www.creaturesofdelight.com

Eyes

November's Peculiar Person of the Month: Writer Hal Johnson

By
David Rondinelli

Hal Johsnon Drawn Portrait

I first met Hal Johnson while waiting in line at Midtown Comics, a large comic book retail store in NYC. It is often the playground of sacred space for many nerds and pop culture junkies to congregate for new and old titles. I’ve been familiar with his friendly face while being greeted by him at the register and his ability to always point me to the appropriate shelf where I can find the latest comic releases of the week. It was on one of these weekly excursions that I saw him signing copies of his book Immortal Lycanthropes at the same store. Immortal Lycanthropes is a YA novel that follows Myron Horowitz. Who is a disfigured boy who finds out that he can shape shift into an animal while discovering a world within a world of others that share the same ability. Johnson sat down with me to talk about the book, his writing process, and how he was once bitten by a mountain lion. Perhaps that bite was what put all the bite in his book as Hal Johnson is November’s Peculiar Person of the month.

This Peculiar Life NYC: Your story takes place in PA. Why did you choose this setting? Are you originally from there?

Hal Johnson: This may sound crazy, but I’m always a little suspicious of authors who set all their books in or near their own hometowns. I understand the impulse — you don’t want to get caught out in an absurd error by the locals, dropping mountains in Ohio or trees in New Jersey — but at the same time, I tell you: you can’t let the readers smell your fear. So I try not to set everything, or anything, in Connecticut, where I grew up. Pennsylvania is kind of a cheat; I’ve driven through parts of it, so I assumed I could bluff it enough to fool any hostile Pennsylvanians. No one’s called me out yet!

TPL NYC: Myron Horowitz is disfigured. You make a pretty bold choice in choosing a main character that isn’t considered attractive. I think it is refreshing to have a character that doesn’t look like a lot of the plastic on t.v. Why did you choose to make him disfigured?

HJ: I was doing a presentation at a library last week and a girl raised her hand and demanded to know why I made Myron ugly.

I probably did it partially just to be perverse, you know, because I knew protagonists should be beautiful, for the movie version. And partially because you want life to be hard for your protagonist, and what could be harder than being a runty high school freshman with a grotesque pan? I thought I was so clever.

And then R.J. Palacio came out, the same year I did, with a book about a kid with his face all jacked-up. Everyone in the book’s really supportive of him, and he gets an award at the end. It’s not a bad book, but it’s pretty much the opposite of any book I could possibly write; it has a protagonist who looks like Myron —and everyone love Palacio’s book. I’m serious, it's the toast of the town! Read it, you’ll probably love it too. I almost did.

That book is my nemesis.



Cover

TPL NYC:  You also take an interesting approach with the narration and the slow reveal of the other Lycanthropes, was it hard to write a book through that perspective?

HJ: I knew I wanted to start things normal — I mean, in a recognizable “real-world” high school setting — and move slowly into a stranger and more dangerous world. It’s the classic set up for any kind of fantastic narrative, and it has the advantage of letting the reader and the protagonist learn things simultaneously.

 

The idea of another world under or around this one has held a great fascination for me ever since I saw Mary Poppins as a kid, so it was pretty much a given I was going to write about a journey from this world to that one. And it’s got to be slow, right? One does not simply walk between worlds.

 

TPL NYC: When it comes to the mechanics of writing, how long does it take you to find the voice and the perspective to tell the story through?

 

 

HJ: This was probably the hardest part of the whole book — and I hit upon it as a kind of compromise. I didn’t want to tell the book from a first-person Myron perspective, first of all because I thought it would make Myron less mysterious to come at things from his head but also because I think adventure novels in the first person are kind of lame. I know there are lots of counterexamples, and I love Treasure Island, Warlord of Mars, and Allan Quatermain, but as a reader, I don’t like knowing the hero’s going to survive, and I don’t like him telling me about the dangerous scrapes he gets into — sounds like bragging. So I didn’t want Myron to tell his own story.

 

But at the same time, I’ve always been uncomfortable writing in third person. I picked a subsidiary character, and let him piece the story together. I figured this’d solve all my problems, and also allow for some dramatic irony, as the narrator is a little delusional.

 

I’ve been told that the book is just written in my own voice, and that if you know me, Arthur’s speech sounds exactly like my own. But man, that wasn’t intentional.

 

TPL NYC: How long did it take you to write the book?

 

HJ: It was about nine months, which I guess is a fair gestation time for my species.

 

TPL NYC: You also bring in a diverse cast, with the Lycanthropes being so different, are many of the animal counter parts found in many of those countries?

 

HJ: Yeah, I tried to keep things accurate. Of course, I was trying to match people and animals with where they would have been found 10,000 years ago. I mean, there are no longer any moose in Scotland; but there used to be.

 

TPL NYC: How did you go about deciding what animal each character was going to turn into?

HJ: I started with a list of animals I wanted in the book, and then worked towards the human. Really I just picked animals I liked. I thought a gorilla would look funny in an old lady’s robe, which is why the gorilla is an old lady. There probably isn’t much connection between the animal and the personality their humans got.

 

TPL NYC: Often, when readers get the finished manuscript they don’t always know what went into crafting the story. Which part of the book represented the most challenges for you to write?

 

HJ: Chapter nine, which is really the heart and soul of the book, is the part I had to go over and over to get right. It’s the narrator’s summary of his life and philosophy, and I wanted to let him talk — he’d been offstage for most of the book, this was his only real chance to get a word in — but at the same time I didn’t want the book to devolve into the boring old-man ramblings of a crazed binturong. I’m really happy with how it turned out, but, like a bear cub, it took a lot of shaping.

 

TPL NYC: On the flip side, what part of the book did you have the most fun writing?

 

HJ: I really liked writing the con games Gloria ushered Myron through. There used to be a lot more of these, but they got cut for space, which is too bad. I could write a whole book about nothing but a self-righteously amoral gorilla bilking people out of their money and then squandering it on gin. That probably wouldn’t be a kids’ book, I guess.

 

TPL NYC: Your book is in the Young Adult genre. What is it about this genre that appeals to you?

 

HJ: One of the most appealing things about YA is that publishers will publish it, and readers will read it. It’s a section of the bookstore that’s actually growing. The only other thing that grows is a bookstore is the despair.

There was one great thing about writing a YA book. It gave me the freedom to imagine a reader who wasn’t jaded and weary. I remembered the books I’d read as a kid, how they were brimming with ideas. It’s because I was young enough to accept and appreciate something new. I could have my mind blown. I wanted to blow someone’s mind, and I hope I did just that.

TPL NYC: Do you like to write in any other mediums?

HJ: I like to write songs. I think it would be a pretty good job, to be a lyricist, except it doesn't exist any more. Now they just put a bunch of cliches into a computer, and it spits out song lyrics.

Comic books take up a large portion of my life, so I wish I could write them, but I find it really hard to. I spend all my time trying to imagine how the panels should go on the page, and it ends up either boring or incoherent.

 

 

TPL NYC: Aside from writing, do you have any other interests or hobbies?

HJ: I spend more time reading than writing. I’d like to pretend I’m a writer, but really I’m a reader. I also run some Dungeons and Dragons games that take up a lot of my time. I used to write a lot for the game, ancient texts the players would need to dig up and decipher, scrawled confessions and historical treatises, or codes and riddles. They're getting pretty good at my riddles, but they still haven’t cracked my code. My players complain that I don’t write as much for the game any more, but I only have so much time.

I’d like to meet the man who answers this question “no.” That would be a single-minded man.

TPL NYC: What is your writing process like? Do you have any rituals or techniques, or do you just sit down and write?

HJ: A schedule is more important for me than a ritual. When I’ve got enough ideas together that I’m seriously writing a book, and not just daydreaming about it — I find it useful to assign myself a quota every day. Even if it’s just a nominal amount, forcing myself to sit and crank out some words is more productive than slipping back into the daydreaming.

TPL NYC: Are you a self-taught writer, or did you get formal training to be an author?

HJ: Is anyone allowed to be a self-taught writer nowadays? I mean the government frog-marched me at gunpoint to school, where I ostensibly got a rudimentary education in composition.

There’s probably a level of workshopping insidership that would see me as lacking formal training. Of course, most of my theory and practice of writing texts I learned from reading, so you see how it’s all connected.

TPL NYC: What do you do to get a good pacing for something as lengthy as a novel?

HJ: That’s a great question, because the pace of a novel is one of its most defining characteristics, but it rarely gets talked about.

We tend to believe, I think, that plot defines pace, but it’s really the narrative voice. You can tell a plot-heavy story really quickly, like a pulp, or you can drag it out over a great many pages, like Alexandre Dumas. So the question you have to figure out is at what clip does your narration go — and will you have enough room to tell the whole story if it stays at that clip.

I like to write ten or twenty pages “free-style,” just winging it to get an idea of how fast things are moving, before I plot a book out. That way I feel like I have a handle on the narrative speed, and I can make sure that I don’t cram so much into a book that it becomes unwieldy.

The other answer is: if your pacing starts to flag, the editor will just make you cut things out. The editor’s scissors are always there, like an ax outside the chicken coop.

TPL NYC: What do you think is the most effective way to tell a good story and how did you incorporate that into Immortal Lycanthropes?

 

 

Some original sketch work by Hal Johnson

 

HJ: There are as many ways to tell good stories as there are good stories. Borges, always a favorite of mine, invented the method of writing a story by pretending that someone else had already written the story, and then talking about this hypothetical preexisting text. I’m not saying every story should be told that way, but I love “The Approach to Al-Mu’tasim.”

I only slightly self-consciously tried to work a bunch of different narrative modes into the book. Some people tell their own stories and some people tell other people’s stories, and sometimes the narrator gives a summary of a vast swath of events, and sometimes he tells you all the dirt. Just to keep it interesting.

TPL NYC: You seem to have a special interest in animals. What are some of your favorite animals?

HJ: I love animals, but I want to stress that I don’t have a romantic idea of animals. Nature is red in tooth and claw for a reason, and animals are either constantly scared or constantly killing things — there’s very little middle ground. I know that there’s a pretty bleak picture of humanity painted in chapter 9 of Immortal Lycanthropes, and I’d hate to have anyone think that animals are better in comparison. Animals can’t make moral decisions, and I think it’s clear that if they could, they would, like us, choose evil pretty consistently. A great many insects can’t even reproduce without doing something horrible and disgusting; I mean horrible and disgusting even compared to the horrible and disgusting things humans do. It’s unlikely a girl I fancy is ever going to eat my corpse.

Obviously I love binturongs, and red pandas. I also love most mollusks, especially octopuses and snails, and arthropods, especially praying mantises.

TPL NYC: Do you have any pets?

HJ: I live in New York, so it’s part of my lease that I am forbidden to have any vertebrate pets, but I am apparently obliged to have thousands and thousands of tiny, invertebrate ones.

TPL NYC: If you could turn into an animal, which one would you like to be able to turn into?

HJ: I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this. There’s a lot of temptation to be an elephant or a lion so you can mess with anyone; but it might be smarter to be something small that can slip away, a weasel or a bat. My answer will change depending on the day, but today I’ll say a cheetah: you’re big enough to fight, but you can also sprint away from danger.

Alternately: as Bart Simpson says, “Nobody suspects the butterfly.”

 

More original sketch work by Hal Johnson

 

 

 

TPL NYC: Can we expect a sequel to Immortal Lycanthropes? Where would you like to see the story go?

HJ: I think it’s all wrapped up in a neat little package, with nowhere else to go. I guess if everyone wrote into Houghton Mifflin, inundating them with demands for more adventures, I could get corralled into turning this book into the first of a Baby-sitters Club–style series. “You’ve got to do it, Johnson,” my editor would roar, his cigar flying out of his mouth as he pounded his desk. “You’ve got to do it for the fans.” Other scenarios are less likely.

TPL NYC: How about other projects? What are some of the other things we can expect to see from you soon?

HJ: I’ve got several irons in the fire, but I am sworn to secrecy most direly. Anyway, every time I’ve made a prediction about what was coming up, I’ve been wrong. But it’ll be something, soon, and then you’ll see. “Deeds, not words,” as we say in Megaforce.

TPL NYC: This blog is about peculiar things, so what is the most peculiar thing that you have ever seen or been a part of while living in NYC?

HJ: Peculiarity is always a local phenomenon. Any time you leave your comfort zone, which in my case is made up completely of nerds, things get peculiar. I once tried to ride my bicycle from Newark Penn Station to Newark Airport in the middle of the night because my plane was too early for me to catch a bus and I thought it was ridiculous to pay five bucks to travel four miles; the bicycle was an ancient, tiny, one-speed with coaster brakes that squeaked and it drove the feral dogs insane as I got lost in Newark; they chased me. Everyone I asked for directions was clearly under the influence, but was still nice enough to warn me that in the direction I was headed, I was certainly going to be murdered. The point is, Newark at four in the morning was a surreal experience, but for the people I got directions from, or for the feral dogs, it must’ve just seemed like business as usual.

This is what’s beguiling about New York, the feeling it gives you that you can slide between worlds by walking one block in a different direction, or entering a storefront you’ve never gone in; this feeling that there are hundreds of peculiar worlds all around, and the one you happen to live in is only one of many possibilities.

TPL NYC: In the same vein, what is the most peculiar thing that has ever happened to you?

HJ: I was once bitten by a mountain lion. I would prefer not to elaborate.

 

Hal Johnson will be doing a reading and signing at the Enigma Bookstore (3317 Crescent St., Long Island City, NY 11106) on Novemnber 9th at 7 PM. He will also be doing a "teens only" event at the Queens Public Library, Cambria Heights branch, on November 27th at 3:30 PM.

Check out his website at immortallycanthropes.com, and his Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/ImmortalLycanthropes