Bettie Page Is Gone At 85

Bettie Page held a special place in my life, as I am sure she did for most of my friends. She was beautiful, cool, a Muse that inspired, a Pin-Up Queen from an other-worldly place and time.


Detail from a multimedia Bettie Page piece for World Tattoo Gallery

The first piece of gallery art I ever sold was a Bettie Page piece. It was at Tony Fitzpatrick's World Tattoo Gallery on the southside of Chicago in 1993. The show was called "The B-Girl Show" and images of Bettie were everywhere. Mine was the first piece in the show to sell. I had priced it at $1,000.00, because I actually didn't want to sell it and in the days before digital cameras, I hadn't taken the time to document it. It is only a good memory now.

I remember being in Barcelona in 1990 and marveling at my good fortune in finding some photo collections of Bettie I hadn't found anywhere else. Collecting Bettie Page photos pre-internet was akin to hunting down rare overseas 45's of an obscure STIFF Records artist. A peek into another world that certainly wasn't outside my front door and a knowing look into a timeless era that you knew would be remembered forever. You just knew that if your drawings had that energy and verve that projected from Bettie's photos you were onto something.

We'll miss you, Bettie Page. Rest in peace.

Our Thoughts Go Out to Bettie Page

Bettie Page

Our thoughts go out to Bettie Page who suffered from a heart attack Tuesday. She is listed in critical condition in a coma.

Dorman and Wald in Tura Satana Show

© 2008 Dave Dorman

This Thursday night, October 30th, the Tattoo Factory Gallery and Pabst Blue Ribbon present Tura! Tura! Tura! A group art show happening celebrating the stunning, sexy, kickasstastic Tura Satana! Superstar of Russ Meyer's "Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!

From 7-11PM at 4443 N. Broadway, Chicago.

The show features work from The Devil's Candy Store artists, Dave Dorman and Alex Wald.

Other artists include: Shag; Niagara; Glenn Barr; Molly Grabapple; Lisa Petrucci; Mark Atomos Pilon; Lou Brooks; Mitch O'Connell; and many more. Live performances by burlesque showstoppers "The Flaming Dames", with D.J. Joe Black's Midnight Spook Show. Fire breathers! Searchlights! Valet parking!!

A portion of the proceedings benefiting the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the Apna Ghar Domestic Violence Shelter.


© 2008 Alex Wald

Madame Isis and Baby Isis Update

Well, August has come and gone and we haven't held our Madame Isis auction yet, nor offered our Baby Isis Daggers for pre-order. We apologize for the delay. This is sometimes the fate of handcrafted, one-of-a-kind items. I just received an update from Tony Swatton on the current status of these pieces.

Tony tells me that he just got the Baby Isis dagger hilt back from the foundry last week. He has had that engraved to match the pommel on the large Madame Isis hero sword. Tony is cutting and mounting the stones to it and sending it out to get plated this week.

The end result will be an exquisite Damali Richards' sword that is jewel-encrusted and gold-plated. It will have a unique four blood gutter blade of stainless steel forged on an anvil and etched with inscriptions and symbols to meet the descriptions of L. A. Banks.

I will have detailed photos of the completed sword and it's case once it is shipped to Chicago from Los Angeles. Until then, we have video of Leslie Banks seeing the sword for the first time at the San Diego Comic-Con. The person she keeps referring to is Tony Swatton. After Leslie raves about the sword there are close-ups of it on the video.



Here are some shots of the sword being made:


Madame Isis hilt in wax before casting


Madame Isis hilt cast roughly in bronze


Madame Isis hilt cast in bronze engraved (before stones and gold-plating)


Madame Isis stainless steel blade being forged by Tony

The sword's introduction at the San Diego Comic-Con:


Leslie and Tony and Madame Isis before gold-plating and finishing


Tony discussing Madame Isis with John Howe, production designer for The Lord Of The Rings

Alex Wald at Diane Tanios Gallery

Alex just completed a group show at Chicago's Diane Tanios Gallery. The SUPERDOGunderdog show featured Tony Akins, Elisabeth Belliveau, Gene Ha, Alex Wald and Jeff Zwirek. Reuters talks about the show here.

Alex contributed this piece to the Exotic Contraband: L.A. Banks' Vampire Huntress Legend concept art book:


"Damali Richards"
© 2008 Alex Wald

Ray Frenden 8-Bit Art Revealed

Ray is now back from a very successful gallery opening in L.A. (lines around the block all night long.) He was part of the I AM 8-BIT show at the World of Wonder Gallery.

At last we can reveal his pieces for the show -


Both panels together


Left panel


Right panel

© 2008 Ray Frenden

Craig Elliott in Totoro Forest Project

Craig Elliott has a piece up for auction in the Totoro Forest Project. Tickets for the upcoming Totoro Forest Art Auction Benefit Event to be held at Pixar on September 6th are available online now.


© 2008 Craig Elliott

Craig contributed this piece to the Exotic Contraband: L.A. Banks' Vampire Huntress Legend concept art book:


"Damali Richards"
© 2008 Craig Elliott