Category Archive for Fims + Videos
Watch Oddities TV show, Season 4: La Carmina guest star! Obscura Antiques, Discovery Science Channel video.
I know you’ve been waiting for this… La Carmina on Oddities! My TV show appearance premieres June 8, 9pm ET/PT on Science Channel, and then airs on repeat.
My episode is called “The Mummy Returns” (Season 4, Episode 11). Below is a short clip — watch me purchase a large, fuzzy reminder of home!
Do you like what I wore on-camera? Keep reading for outfit details, and a zillion Obscura shop photos.
Owners Mike Zohn and Evan Michelson are lovely in person. I frequented their store years ago, before the TV show came along.
They loved my custom, skeleton corset. Quite appropriately, the sign above me reads “Torture.”
Skeleton corset: loaned by Wilde Hunt Corsetry — her designs are spooky-gorgeous!
Victorian dress and lace shrug: gifted by Heavy Red
Bone and devil hair clips: gifted by Kreepsville 666
For those who don’t know, the hit TV show “Oddities” is about Obscura, this little East Village shop of horrors. In each episode, the owners meet kooky customers and help them pick out items. For example, they helped the Speakeasy Dollhouse creator find a gurney for her immersive play.
The store is not for the faint of heart. Organs, skulls and animal heads abound.
Ryan, Evan and Mike are often here, manning the counter and signing autographs for fans.
It’s hard to believe that we filmed this episode last August, in New York City! My hair color by Isolde Semple; the styling is by Brandon Pope of TIGI NYC
I could have browsed for hours in Obscura Antiques.
In real life, I bought my friend a jar of chocolate-covered poison from their medicine cabinet. Somehow, I managed to take it through customs.
For the sake of the show, however, I “purchased” this gargantuan, stuffed elk head to remind me of home (Canada, not Japan as some might assume!)
The owners are passionate about their collections, and wonderfully knowledgeable. In the clip, I learn about the elk’s horns and history.
Also for sale: a box of potions…
… a bear in a hat, a laughing pig,
… and real life skulls.
Since it was summertime in NYC, I was boiling under my Victorian skirts. The crew interviewed me in the nearby East Village street, about my work in dark coolhunting and travel journalism.
Here’s the pirate hat I tried on. Arr.
“Is that a straightjacket?” Nope, but this two-headed creature is also featured in the show’s intro.
So many creepy and bizarre items in here. I fit right in.
If you’re in New York, drop by Obscura Antiques and Oddities and say hi for me. The shop address: 207 Avenue A New York, NY 10009. Phone: (212) 505-9251
I hope you’ll tune in for my appearance on Oddities! “The Mummy Returns” (Season 4 Episode 11) first airs Saturday, June 8th at 9:00 PM ET/PT.
Don’t worry if you miss it: the show will repeat multiple times on Science Channel / Discovery TV; check the schedule for dates.
Click to watch my Oddities clip. To view more corsets like the one I’m wearing, visit Wilde Hunt Corsetry.
Are you a fan of this TV show? What would you purchase to remind you of home?
SHARE & COMMENT
Nakano Broadway anime & manga: Tokyo Otaku shops! Omega Algea Goth cafe, Dai Kaiju monster bar.
Me, an eggy frying pan, and six boobs. Only in Nakano, Tokyo!
Yukiro and I are back… with a funny new video about this Japanese geek-pop district. We visit a Goth cafe, encounter aliens, and get chased by pink monsters. Watch our adventure on Huffington Post Travel and below.
It would make us very happy if you can please take a second to share/Tweet the article, or Like it below — our sincere thanks.
I encourage visitors to stay in Nakano if they’re visiting Tokyo for more than a few days. The location is convenient — it’s a direct, five minute subway ride to Shinjuku — and the vibe is more laid-back than Shibuya or Roppongi. (Above is North Exit at night)
Hotel bills add up quickly, so I suggest renting an apartment from a foreigner-friendly service like Live In Asia. An English-speaking representative met me at Nakano station and helped me get set up in a furnished flat, complete with a kitchen, TV, and WiFi. There was a supermarket down the road, and many cheap but yummy eateries nearby.
My one-bedroom apartment was in a quiet neighborhood, and only a five minute walk from the station. It was fun living among Nakano locals, and having friends over — a nice change from cramped hotel rooms. Check out their website to reserve a short-term Tokyo apartment the next time you’re visiting.
Yukiro dressed as his new alter-ego, “Leonarde Le Douze” — twelfth-ranked sleazy host boy, born from the loins of a lion.
La Carmina wears a Heavy Metal dress from GladNews (Shibuya 109 store), Yosuke boots, and a Miffy cape from TwoPercent Hong Kong.
Nakano’s main attraction is Broadway, a shopping complex dedicated to geekdom. The little shops are packed with collectibles, from creepy dolls to Astroboy lunchboxes.
Leonardo ran into his furry, yellow brother.
We can spend hours here, browsing for Super Mario and Sailor Moon goods. The girl with the tongue is Peko-chan, mascot of Fujiya Co. (a chain of sweet shops and restaurants).
A big blue robot guards Mandarake, known for its selection of anime (animation) and manga (comics).
Behind these Shinto torii gates are rare toys. Nearby, at the retro arcade, you can play Space Invaders and other classic video games. (Thanks to Geoff for helping us with the filming.)
Look out for aliens and wild animals!
You’ll undoubtedly run into slightly disturbing goods, like these sexy “gachopon” machines.
This is a hub of subculture, as you can tell from the art-covered walls running alongside the train tracks.
A big inflatable maneki neko, outside a pachinko parlor.
Inside a little Japanese cafe that served traditional, homey food. I also enjoyed the takoyaki stand (octopus balls), tiny ramen shops, and North Exit bakeries that sold cute Totoro and Anpanman buns (photos soon).
We went to little-known Gothic cafe, Omega Algea. After searching for some time, we found the basement space decorated with human spines and chandeliers.
Reminiscent of Vampire cafe in Ginza, the mood is dark and bloody. We drank rose tea and ate green curry.
The side room displayed underground art. At the time, the works were inspired by dark angels.
Look who we found in this artistic book of photos.
At night, you can hop between little bars, each with a distinctive theme such as heavy metal or karaoke. The award for “most outrageous” goes to Dai-Kaiju Salon.
Every Wednesday, the space becomes a shrine to retro monsters like Godzilla and Mothra.
Fanboys watched 1960s Ultraman movies and fawned over rare toys. The walls displayed drawings by famous anime and manga artists.
The highlight was hanging out with this pink, suction-cupped, vaguely aquatic kaiju (the word means a strange, supernatural beast).
I laughed so hard when First Mate Naomi put on a full-body monster costume, and danced around!
Don’t miss the crazy footage we shot at this bar — watch our latest episode to see it for yourself.
Nakano is a kooky, weird, colorful area that is often overlooked by visitors. I hope you’ll put it on your Tokyo to-do list, and consider staying here during your next trip. (Above drawing and photo by Naomi)
Who are your favorite Japanese mascots and characters? Did you giggle at the monster scenes in this travel video? Or did Yukiro steal the show? Muahahaha!
LA CARMINA
