Invasion of the Flesh-Eating Slugs!

My cat Shadow is an avid hunter (note the flexed paw at the ready.) Being mostly solid black, he is, literally, a shadow and hunts in perfect nighttime camouflage. It is not unusual to awake and find a small, furry trophy on the back porch. Occasionally, it might be a feathered trophy, which is worrisome because I love birds. But, what can I say? He is a CAT!

Recently, he brought home a kill that I did not find until after others did. Specifically, ants, and one gluttonous slug. Rhymes with ugh! I can’t think of any garden creatures more hateful than slugs!

RE the above photo, I get the feeling that the appearance of Bizarre Bazaar Shoppe in my life is bringing certain tendencies of mine to the forefront. I find myself looking at skull jewelry a lot lately. Find myself practicing gothic blackletter at my calligraphy desk. Even thinking about getting a tattoo.  And I don’t think I would have, pre-BBS, bothered to photograph a flesh-eating slug.

Be that as it may, the advent of BBS has been totally a positive event, no doubt about it! Tectonic plates move faster than my art career, so every bit of exposure helps. All exposure is often a springboard to more opportunities.

At Bizarre Bazaar Shoppe, you are intrigued but never feel like you’ve wandered into some pervert’s private realm. I overheard this comment while putting up title labels for my works: “Look at this! It looks just like the thing in—what was it?  Oh--The Addams Family!”  (The movie, of course. I wonder how many younger people who saw the movie, know about the TV series? Let alone know about Charles Addams himself??)

Like Addams’ classic cartoons, the offerings at Bizarre Bazaar are an immersion in what I would call Classic Creepy. Often sincere, sometimes tongue-in-cheek. A strong ambience of Edgar Allen Poe and Victorian gloom pervades the space. There are lamps made from animal spines, taxidermy, dolorous poppets, dusty relics of dubious origin, vials of secret potions and other references to arcana and dark magic. There are also enough references to white magic to keep it just this side of Knockturn Alley. However, if one night a year to celebrate the dark side does not suffice, here is a place to get your Halloween fix year-round! (See my previous post for a peek at the shop, as well as links.)

And, as everyone knows, Pittsburgh is Classic Creepy’s hometown, thanks to George Romero and Chilly Billy Cardille, with whom my teen-aged self and  friends spent many a horror-filled Saturday night with the TV on and all the lights off!   MMWA-HA-HA-HA-A-A-A!!!