Category Archives: Amazing Strangers

Amazing Strangers, Anthropology, Dressup, Free Hugs, Inna, Jeremy, Jesus Dressup, News, Scenesters, Signs, Star Wars Jesus, Union Square

News from Union

Amazing Strangers

Amazing Strangers Wendell icon

As you can see, I’ve been going through old footage again, realizing that I’ve not only got A LOT of it, but much of it is still very interesting! Quite honestly, there we’re many times at the end of a day at Union I’d go home saying to myself, “Not now, but this’ll be something I want sometime down the road.” So I expect to continue doing this for as long as I keep running across stuff I find interesting. Which reminds me, if you’re a musician and especially if you have music inspired by NYC, Union Square or Amazing Strangers, I’d love to use it in the videos I’m editing. Nothing inspires me to find more of this footage and post it up into creatively edited vids than music. I’ll give full credit and link you up if you got anything. Some of my best music vids were from fans who wrote songs inspired by what they saw on the channel.

Inna
Inna clean & sober April 2016

Big news that I thought I’d never be hearing I heard yesterday! Inna is clean and sober. Including alcohol. And she looks great. She insisted I spread the news that she’s super fucking hot now, and she says she’s never going back. Most of the time I’d take a claim like this with a grain of salt, but Inna’s always been pretty blunt about her drug and alcohol usage (among other things) and never before has she committed to cleanliness like she is now.

It’s been a year, and she told me to tell you “It takes pride to step out of the gutter.” And she’s through “acting bizarre and looking ugly.” I’m happy to hear this, and her latest photos speak volumes. You can see for yourself on her Facebook.

I spoke to Shaggy a few days ago and he tells me Union’s changed. It’s not the crazy madhouse it used to be in springtime. He thinks a lot of the people used to come to get filmed in some way or another, and the others came because of those. I don’t entirely think that can be judged this soon in the year, so I won’t believe it until I hear news like this when summer gets here. If however it’s true, it’s pretty shocking to me.

Jesus Dressup

This week my Star Wars Jesus Dressup (2nd printing) arrive and I’m terribly excited! Because of the sensitive nature of this product the image of them won’t be displayed in the store, and they’ll be listed as “Jedi Jesus” so as not to infringe on any copyright problems they could spark. I strongly suggest not waiting too long to purchase them for yourself, because the first printing of these sold out pretty quickly.

As for anything else, I still have no plans to return to NYC. I might be headed to Philly later this month, so if you know of anything out there I should take my camera let me know.

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Amazing Strangers, Jesus Dressup, News, Shaggy, Star Wars Jesus, Starbucks

Happily Issolated

Jesus Dressup

I’m very pleased to announce I’ve just put in an order for a new Star Wars Jesus Dressup set. I was inspired, to say the least, after seeing Episode 7. Keep in mind however that I will not be able to display this on my site, for what I think is an obvious reason. They will be available in about 2 months (possibly 3). So if you’re a diehard fan like me, you’ll just have to keep an eye out for “IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE” item in my store. They’ll be slightly less discreet than this in stores that’ll carry them for me.

Normal Bob in Bowie shirt
In 1987 my friend Elizabeth’s sister Kathy was drawing David Bowie on shirts for $50 a pop. I’d seen the one Liz had and had to have one for myself. So my friend Travis & I each gave her $50 so we could each have one.

David Bowie’s death sucked. I thought, and hoped, it could possibly be a prank when I first read it. But after a bit of looking around I realized it was real. I found an old picture of me from 1987 of me wearing my hand drawn shirt I paid a friend $50 to make for me. She only drew David Bowie on shirts. I wore it all the time, and I still have that shirt to this day. I bring it up because it also gave me an idea for a Bowie-theme Jesus Dressup set. That might be next on the list.

Amazing Strangers

union square crew
Spidey, Shaggy & Roman reunion

I spoke with Shaggy yesterday, and it sounds like his antics haven’t slowed down in the least! He’s got a Starbucks apron which you might have seen in one of the videos from years ago, and he’s been throwing free-loaders out of Starbucks this winter with it! He told me after work he walks in there with the apron on and shouts, “Folks, welcome to Starbucks! Let me warn you, if you have not purchased a coffee or food item I am going to have to ask you to leave!”

He said that immediately after his announcement the place goes quiet, but nothing really happens. Then he gets his coffee and sits down and notices people start to slowly clear out, and the only people sitting at tables and hanging around have coffees.

He sees some employees shake their heads when he does all this, and once one of them came over and told him he can’t come in with the apron on. He responded, “What are you going to do? Throw me out? It’s a free country!”
After that they seem to have left him alone.

So beware. If you’re going to Starbucks to sit at a table without buying anything, Shaggy might be there to call you out!

I have to admit I do with I was there to film him doing that this winter.

As for me, at the moment I am really enjoying the isolation. Whatever it is I’ve been doing these last 20 years in the big, crowded cities of NYC and Chicago, getting away from it is just what the doctor ordered. Everyone keeps asking me if I miss NYC, and the answers still no. Ask me again in spring.

Amazing Strangers, Art, Blog, Freelance, News, Portfolio

Chicago

The Bean in Millenium Park, Chicago
The Bean in Millenium Park, Chicago

No, I haven’t moved to Chicago. I haven’t even decided if I’d like to live there or not. Or where I’d even like to live at all in the future. I’m still in Michigan planning to periodically visit the Windy City from time to time. I have family and friends there, plus there seems to be possible outlets there for my filming addiction.

I’m starting to get ideas on how to possibly present past Amazing Strangers footage. I’ve thought of focusing on one character, like Dusty for instance, along with some music, I could put together a brief story about that subject in an interesting way. So if by chance you or someone you know has music they’d like to get out there, especially if it’s themed around NYC, Union or one of the “Strangers” there, I’d be very interested to hear/use it. I’d give full credit and promote the musician behind it in any way possible. Which reminds me…

Kameltoe

I was in Chicago last week, and while there I ran into Kameltoe! I’d been planning to go to Chicago for the last week of September for a while. Then, just happened to mention it to Kameltoe (who is in LA), and by chance she was going there be there the same time!

So we met up in Millennium Park and recorded some of her new songs. She has many new songs, and I recorded about 6 of them that afternoon. I’ll get them to you as ways to present them come to me.

If you want to keep up to date with Kameltoe’s life, her Instagram is the best place for that.

Art Jobs

putple octopus with pizza
Hired to design an octopus with pizza for a tattoo

Yes, I have been able to finally work on art now that I’m away from NYC, but most of it has been paid jobs! I can’t share most of what I’ve done because they’re assignments that are reserved for client use only for now. But one of the pieces I can show is this Octopizza that’s scheduled to become a tattoo on someone’s forearm.

I am indeed for hire for art jobs, no matter how weird or wrong it may seem. Those are often my favorite kinds of jobs to do.

That all said, things have stayed the same. While in Chicago my nephews pretty much got me addicted to Grand Theft Auto. And if you keep up with me on Facebook you’ll see I’ve been helping my mom with her mushroom habit.


Amazing Strangers, Anthropology, Art, Blog, Union Square

Richy’s Paradise

artist guy
Richy in his appartment

“Richy’s Paradise” was first posted on YouTube a week ago. It was up for about 6 hours, then Richy contacted me and asked that it be taken down. It was a painful call to receive, and just as painful to remove it. I love the video and I feel it’s important for people to see. But I also hated that he was so troubled by it. That’s my responsibility to bear.

Richy is off the grid. He’s not online, on Facebook or anywhere else. He doesn’t even have an email. That combined with him being almost a complete shut in, it shouldn’t have surprised me that he might freak out to all of a sudden have this, my camera inside his home, and some pretty vulnerable moments as well, on YouTube for the world to see.

Today however I talked to him and I’m happy to say I’ve gotten permission to post it.

When I first met him he was bouncing between homelessness and that building’s basement, dumpster diving, living hand to mouth.
The reason he’s able to live where he does is because he’s the superintendent of the building, responsible for all the work necessary to keep a building like that legal and standing. It’s a job he’s worked hard to get. He’s on-call 24-7, which contributes to his anxiety. But that’s also how he’s taught himself the construction, plumbing and electric for the work he does in his own place.

Man in pilot's hat w/chair on shoulder
Richy explaining his blueprints for paradise to people on the steps of Union Square

I’m  thankful he’s willing to let me put this out there as is despite the worries he might have about no longer being so anonymous.

It’s just by chance I got this opportunity to see the inside of his home. A few days before I left the city for good I happened to walk by him there on 13th & 4th. He was sitting on the sidewalk working on some arts & crafts project. I told him I was moving away, so he invited me over to give me one of his maps. In this video you’re witnessing my discovery of him too.

All of the art, music, wood carvings and craftsmanship are 100% Richy’s work. All the songs on the piano are untitled, and written down only in his head.

The full “Christians Meet Their Match” video from 2008 can be seen here.

If you’re interested in contacting Richy he’s asked that you do it through me.