Waking the Dead: Sea Breeze Pet Cemetery

See Breeze Pet Cemetery - Huntington Beach, CA

Sea Breeze Pet Cemetery & Crematory is Huntington Beach, CA's premier destination for pet burials and cremations.  Without diminishing its stellar credentials, a rather perfunctory scan of the Yellow Pages reveals that Sea Breeze is the only pet crematorium in Huntington Beach.  Nevertheless, Sea Breeze has been faithfully serving bereaved pet owners since 1961.  Calling our lighthearted cemetery jaunts "Waking the Dead," visiting a pet cemetery is generally a novelty for us; understanding the solemnity of the grounds, however, we do our best to be respectful and follow the rules.

The rules.
Is it wrong to love the sign-painter fonts as much as I do?

In flagrant violation of bullet-point number five, we saw plenty of "standing decorations."
It is always a surprise to see pet cemeteries so lovingly tended and so flush with flowers
in stark comparison to overgrown people plots that so often look completely abandoned.  

Please don't think that the absurdity of the neighboring businesses has escaped me - that's a fast food joint next door.
"Where pets go to die and people go to eat!"  Is that a tag line or a deterrent?
And why do all of Sea Breeze's promotional materials proudly state, "We're Carl's Jr. adjacent!" (okay, not really)

As we wandered the manicured rows of lovingly-maintained markers, I decided to see if there might be some celebrity pet graves at Sea Breeze (we'd seen more than our fair share at Los Angeles Pet Mortuary).  Disappointed after finding no leads, I quickly perked up when I heard a distant voice mention, "two famous stars."  My mind raced wondering which celebrities would have their pets memorialized forever in Huntington Beach - Studs Terkel?  Una Merkel?  It took a moment before I realized that what I was hearing was the Carl's Jr. (Hardee's for those of you east of the Rockies) drive-thru where the "Famous Star" hamburger is a rather cruel joke for celebrity-hungry grave hunters.

We did happen upon one dog who achieved fame in his life;  Old Sarge was a highly-decorated US
Marine Corps dog who received the Purple Heart after saving the lives of nine marines during WWII.
Now that's a celebrity pet worth celebrating!!!

We didn't see the pets of any Hollywood stars but we did see the pets that left stars in the eyes of their owners.  The pet names which humans spend so much time and thought determining are always good for a chuckle.

Sometimes they are ridiculously precious.

And sometimes they are a little "on the nose."

The names can be funny but the breeds can be even funnier.

Call me old-fashioned, but I always thought guinea pigs
and rats were relegated to backyard shoeboxes.

Based on the engraved portrait, I think we're left to assume
that "Coors-Z" was a well-behaved, if bedraggled, Skunk??? 

My favorite grave markers are always those that strike me as odd.

Whether it's a slightly deluded view of the situation ("just asleep"), an alliterative epitaph, a questionable pet-human relationship, or a portrait of a demon cat that looks like it's ready to come back from the grave to eat my face, I never fail to get a kick out of the fascinating choices owners make when it comes to memorializing their pets.

Thousands and thousands of dearly-departed pets have been laid to rest on the grounds of See Breeze Pet Cemetery, but just like Disneyland's Haunted Mansion...

"There's always room for one more."
What?!?!!  Precious Poopy needs an otherworldly playmate.

Sea Breeze Pet Cemetery & Crematory
19542 Beach Blvd
Huntington Beach, CA
(714)962-7111

seabreezepetcemetery.com


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Kooky for Kustom Kulture II

Leave it to old chucklehead over here to tell you about something cool with only days left to go experience it for yourself.  For well over a month, the Huntington Beach Art Center has played host to "Kustom Kulture II," a collection of paintings, sculpture, photography, poster art, automobiles, and artifacts that documents Southern California's Kustom Kulture scene - but we hadn't had the chance to go until yesterday.

Nick, Mary, Ben, Erika, Mr. Tiny, and Fabian
Tell the truth, if you saw this group headed towards your gallery/museum,
you'd quickly flip the sign to closed and lock the door, wouldn't you?

It wouldn't be much of a Kustom Kulture exhibit without the big names - Robert Williams, Ed Hardy, Von Dutch, Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, George Barris, et al.  Many more artists were included and if my reporting skills weren't so abysmal, then I might have remembered a few of their names and credited them accordingly.

I liked this piece less for the masterfully-executed, mixed-media renderings and more for
the story of the artist who in a few short sentences described his Jayne Mansfield
encounters from supper club floor show, to shoe shopping, to decapitation.

I loved seeing Dali stuck inside of a surrealist landscape.
More than anything I love that frame; I'm a sucker for a gaudy, gilt frame!

Now that's a lucky cat!

In photograph, these almost look like two-dimensional paintings, 

but they are incredibly-detailed, sculpted figures - even the slobber!

Look at these cornballs pretending to be art connoisseurs.

George Barris was here.

Mary and one of the Munster Koaches.
I know that it is a showpiece, but if I have one complaint it's that it is way too shiny.  I want tarnish and cobwebs!

Erika puts on a very special, Munsters-themed performance.

When it comes to lowbrow art, I only like it one way - lowbrow.  Lowbrow with overly-thoughtful, highbrow tendencies is a big turn off to me.  I think that is why so many people connect with Ed Roth's art; there was no pretentious message behind Rat Fink.  Even if Rat Fink was symbolic of something, it was of abandoning pretension and enjoying the many pleasures of life - real wacky tacky.  As much as I appreciate their work, I think some artists can take themselves way too seriously.

Venus on the half shell in giant work boots with 5 o'clock shadow and a stogie.
This is but a small extraction from a much larger work of art
by Robert Williams...I think he's trying to tell us something. 

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

They're from Boyle Heights...

I've never been a huge fan of Von Dutch until I read these words.  Amen and amen!
"Use any of my stuff you want to.  Nothing is original.  Everything is in the subconscious, we just 'tap' it
 sometimes and 'think' we have originated something.  Genes make us more or less interested in certain
 things but nothing is truly original!  Copyright and patents are mostly an ego trip." - Von Dutch

Scabbo!  Revolting and awesome all at the same time!

Of course, the star of any Kustom Kulture show is the work of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth.  It sounds bizarre, but I think there is something so wholesome and innocent about his imagery; it is like being a child, taking all of the grossest, coolest, craziest things one can think of and putting them all together.  There is no fancy training, no respect for tradition, no overt political agenda - just a reckless abandon, speed, and fun!

Lucky to have been brought up around this (k)ulture, I was particularly excited to visit again with one of Roth's most celebrated works.

The SURFITE!!!

Famous on screen and off, the Surfite can be spotted in the
background of this still from Beach Blanket Bingo.
(Source)

Annette & Big Daddy
When my favorite worlds collide!
(Source)

Shag's homage to 60's hot rod/surf culture and Big Daddy Roth.

The Surfite model kit
(Source)

The installation was a recreation of the Revell model kit cover -
tiki shack, ukulele, and beach bum included.

Speaking of beach bums...I can't take these goons anywhere!

If you're in or around Orange County, CA, I suggest a little trip over to the Huntington Beach Art Center for a dose of "Kustom Kulture II."  It was the perfect way to cap off our kulturally-rich summer after going to The Egyptian Theater in Hollywood for a screening of the Robert Williams documentary, Mr. Bitchin'.

Trailer for Robert Williams Mr. Bitchin'

The "Kustom Kulture II" exhibit officially ends on August 31 but Saturday, August 24, is the closing reception and panel discussion with the curator of the exhibit and some of the featured artists.  It's never too late to get some Kulture!

Kustom Kulture II

Huntington Beach Art Center

538 Main Street

Huntington Beach, CA

(714)374-1650

www.huntingtonbeachartcenter.org

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Haben Sie gehört das Deutsche Band?

We are always on the lookout for cool places to go, interesting people to meet, neat projects to undertake and good food to eat.  We keep our finger on the pulse of the public and our ear to the ground. Which, as the old saying goes, leaves us in a rather vulnerable position.  Sometimes we get so caught up in what's "out there," we forget to look in our own back yard.  Inspired by some vintage snapshots passed on to us by our friend Lauren at Wearing History, we developed a sudden craving for pretzels, schnitzel mit noodles and crisp Apfelstrudel.

They're trying to tell us something.

Deutschland's answer to Brenda Lee

Germans doing what Germans do best - sharing.

We needed a quick fix of German goodness.  We could have stayed home and just watched the footage of JFK's declaration, "Ich bin ein Berliner," but we wanted a more immersive experience.  Thus, we explored, and now feature for your enjoyment, our neighborhood treasure and well-known, if shamefully under-visited, Orange County landmark, Old World Village.

Old World was designed as a roadside attraction by German immigrant, Josef Bischof.  After settling in Huntington Beach, he began his faithful recreation of a small Bavarian town.  Opened in 1978, the village center is home to a grocery (complete with a butcher/deli counter, a bakery and a wide assortment of European delicacies), an active church (open regularly for worship services and weddings), a motel, a banquet hall, retail shops, restaurants, a salon, a bar and even apartments for rent.

Old World features a perpetually-spinning, life-size diorama of Bavarian dancers frozen in that most traditional of all German folk dances, "Ich sehe London, Ich sehe France."

An example of the available living spaces at Old World.
As soon as those plants grow long enough, the current
residents will be able to climb down and escape.

The Rathskeller is Huntington Beach's
oldest-operating, subterranean, German-themed bar.

Old World is home to an odd assemblage of retail storefronts that, nine times out of ten, are closed. Visiting on a weekday, Old World is a veritable ghost town.  Even on the weekends, seeing another human being is a rarity and, aside from the occasional German patron quickly making their way from their Mercedes to the Market, one would quickly assume that this place is deserted.  Unfortunately, it sits in the long and looming shadow cast by the overgrown, ultra-modern retail center across the street and rumors of demolition are constantly swirling.  Sometimes, the creepy desolation works in its favor, however, and we pretend to be Jeremy and Jemima from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang just waiting for the Child Catcher to prance around the corner.

Old World used to be a bustling attraction.  In fact, it was once a ground zero for Orange County's punk scene.  Shows were a regular occurrence but episodes of underage drinking and violence eliminated all activities of that nature.  Several shop owners have tried to bring about a renaissance to Old World's flagging economy.  Scuda, a vintage clothing store, made an admirable attempt at attracting a younger demographic, but the foot traffic of OW was too weak and the lure of Long Beach's famed 4th Street just too strong.  Once a year, during September and October, the sleepy little village comes alive with Oktoberfest Celebrations.  Festivities include beer drinking, folk dancing and Dachshund Races!!!

Fritz getting psyched up for the big race!

Who chosen diese hosen?

Woodland creatures abound.  Clearly, not
everyone is as interested to meet Bambi as I. 

Mary never passes up the opportunity to play Snow White.

A perpetuating myth is that Old World is headquarters for a
neo-Nazi movement.  Obviously, everyone is welcome at Old World.

Our favorite stop is the market, where fresh-baked treats are to be had a uber-reasonable prices.

Willkommen!

Haben Sie ein bienenstich?

Meat
Which wurst is worst?

The obligatory light fixture.  The illustration of the drunk rat is awesome!

If you are ever in Huntington Beach, our advice is to skip overcrowded, under-clothed Main Street and head up Beach Boulevard to Old World Village.

Old World Village

7561 Center Ave.

Huntington Beach, CA

(714)897-1470

ww.oldworld.ws

Cheers!

Mr. TIny