Page 20 - Indulge October/November 2015
P. 20
his man cave ideas?Wheredoyougetyour
By Patrick O’Donnell
20 | indulge • october/november 2015 When I was a kid, I used to watch “The Ray freaky selection of, well, curious goods: gargoyles,
Bradbury Theatre.” One of my favorite parts crystal balls, odd instruments (like a miniature musical
was the intro, which showed the legendary writer walking turtle); shelf-sitting skeletons that mime the Three Wise
into his office and sitting down in front of his typewriter. Monkeys (hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil) — it’s
He’d say, “People often ask me, ‘Where do you get your sort of like walking into the shop “Needful Things” from
ideas?’ ” and then, as his narrative continued, the camera the Stephen King story of the same name. More than a
would pan around. “I’m surrounded on every side by my few of my cave’s curiosities have come from there.
magician’s toy shop,” he’d continue.
The Dragon Scratch Emporium, in Allentown’s
I vowed that when I grew up, I’d not only have a Merchant’s Square Mall, has a fun assortment of
writing career like his, I’d essentially have his office, too: oddments and things that could go bump in the night,
a place of my own full of books and toys, creepy art and too — like taxidermy, animal skulls, masks, resin-cast
fantastical creatures. skeletons and more. My favorite — though it’s not for
sale — is the “zombie crow” that hangs on a wall there.
At least half of my wish came true. Over the years,
I’ve managed to amass loads of collectibles in my man To light my cave, I’m gonna need the Drake, a
cave, including (but not limited to) superhero toys, fossils, reproduction of a lamp last produced in the late 1800s.
artwork, hundreds of books — and a fair share of décor Made by a company called Rejuvenation, this Munsters-
that’s Gothic, Halloween or horror-inspired. worthy light consists of a flying bat holding a lamp in its
mouth, and a snake climbing the shaft that attaches the
Bradbury once told an interviewer, “Down here in my lamp to the ceiling.
office, it’s Halloween every day.” My kids would probably
say the same about mine, and when we were decorating The coup de grâce, though, would be a secret room
for our favorite holiday last year, they insisted on hidden behind a bookcase. Apparently, that’s not as
liberating more than a few things from my cave. unobtainable as I thought: Monogram Custom Homes of
Coopersburg has reportedly built a few.
One of those things is admittedly kitschy, but fun
nonetheless — especially this time of year. It’s a motion- As soon as my writing career catches up with my
activated, realistic looking screaming skull that I found aspirations, I’ll give them a call to commission mine.
many years ago at Frazetta’s Fantasy Corner in East
Stroudsburg. Now called Frazetta’s Costumes, they carry
Halloween props and creepy costumes year-round.
Among my favorite pieces is another with Frazetta
ties: a print by artist Frank Frazetta called “Sea Monster”
that I found at a long-ago comic con in Philadelphia.
Lately I’ve been perusing the Frazetta art web site,
frazettaartmuseum.com, and I have my eye on a few
more — like “The Frost Giant” — that I may need to pick
up during a visit to the East Stroudsburg museum.
I’m thinking a trip to The Emporium of Curious Goods
in Jim Thorpe is also in order. The shop has a fantastically
By Patrick O’Donnell
20 | indulge • october/november 2015 When I was a kid, I used to watch “The Ray freaky selection of, well, curious goods: gargoyles,
Bradbury Theatre.” One of my favorite parts crystal balls, odd instruments (like a miniature musical
was the intro, which showed the legendary writer walking turtle); shelf-sitting skeletons that mime the Three Wise
into his office and sitting down in front of his typewriter. Monkeys (hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil) — it’s
He’d say, “People often ask me, ‘Where do you get your sort of like walking into the shop “Needful Things” from
ideas?’ ” and then, as his narrative continued, the camera the Stephen King story of the same name. More than a
would pan around. “I’m surrounded on every side by my few of my cave’s curiosities have come from there.
magician’s toy shop,” he’d continue.
The Dragon Scratch Emporium, in Allentown’s
I vowed that when I grew up, I’d not only have a Merchant’s Square Mall, has a fun assortment of
writing career like his, I’d essentially have his office, too: oddments and things that could go bump in the night,
a place of my own full of books and toys, creepy art and too — like taxidermy, animal skulls, masks, resin-cast
fantastical creatures. skeletons and more. My favorite — though it’s not for
sale — is the “zombie crow” that hangs on a wall there.
At least half of my wish came true. Over the years,
I’ve managed to amass loads of collectibles in my man To light my cave, I’m gonna need the Drake, a
cave, including (but not limited to) superhero toys, fossils, reproduction of a lamp last produced in the late 1800s.
artwork, hundreds of books — and a fair share of décor Made by a company called Rejuvenation, this Munsters-
that’s Gothic, Halloween or horror-inspired. worthy light consists of a flying bat holding a lamp in its
mouth, and a snake climbing the shaft that attaches the
Bradbury once told an interviewer, “Down here in my lamp to the ceiling.
office, it’s Halloween every day.” My kids would probably
say the same about mine, and when we were decorating The coup de grâce, though, would be a secret room
for our favorite holiday last year, they insisted on hidden behind a bookcase. Apparently, that’s not as
liberating more than a few things from my cave. unobtainable as I thought: Monogram Custom Homes of
Coopersburg has reportedly built a few.
One of those things is admittedly kitschy, but fun
nonetheless — especially this time of year. It’s a motion- As soon as my writing career catches up with my
activated, realistic looking screaming skull that I found aspirations, I’ll give them a call to commission mine.
many years ago at Frazetta’s Fantasy Corner in East
Stroudsburg. Now called Frazetta’s Costumes, they carry
Halloween props and creepy costumes year-round.
Among my favorite pieces is another with Frazetta
ties: a print by artist Frank Frazetta called “Sea Monster”
that I found at a long-ago comic con in Philadelphia.
Lately I’ve been perusing the Frazetta art web site,
frazettaartmuseum.com, and I have my eye on a few
more — like “The Frost Giant” — that I may need to pick
up during a visit to the East Stroudsburg museum.
I’m thinking a trip to The Emporium of Curious Goods
in Jim Thorpe is also in order. The shop has a fantastically
