Becca, the blogger extraordinaire behind No Smoking in the Skull Cave, is pop culture junkie/aspiring illustrator & pin-up photographer who wishes to be whisked away in the TARDIS by the 9th Doctor. She approves of William Shatner's singing career, adores Bettie Page, and admires Isaac Asimov's wit. Today, we have the pleasure of her company here on ephemera.
ephemera: How did you become interested the ephemera of pop culture, movies, etc.?
B: I can't really pin-point the exact moment I became interested in the ephemera of pop culture. Growing up as a kid in the 80's, you were just surrounded by so much cool and crazy movie and TV merchandising; everything from shirts and posters to action figures, costumes, lunchboxes, and, oh, so much more. In fact, I can even remember the first purse I ever owned--obtained sometime around 84 or 85--metallic pink with photos of Michael Jackson on it. To this day, I am more likely to purchase an item if it has some sort of movie ephemera on it.
And my art is very influenced by pop culture, it just sneaks in there. I'll be drawing a generic figure and suddenly it turns into a field of famous robots or Gilligan and The Skipper sneaking a peak at Ginger & Maryanne or even the creature with a surfboard and a bikini-clad friend. It's just so much a part of me I can't escape it.
Ephemera: Yeah, pop culture seemed to reach its zenith in the 80s. Those were innocent, halcyon days. What have you discovered blogging about the popular culture? How has it shaped who you are?
B: I've discovered that there are a heck of a lot more people out there who love this kind of stuff then I ever could have dreamed. I don't run into a lot of people in my everyday life who are as fascinated by this stuff as I am, so it's great way to connect with other fans.
Ephemera: Yes, there seems to be a whole universe of like-minded folks who dig on this stuff, and the Web has helped us all to connect. That's one thing the 1980s couldn't give us. What challenges or obstacles do you encounter as a blogger?
B: I have a full time job and I am also an aspiring illustrator, so it's hard to find the time to blog on a regular basis or the energy. But my love of pop culture outweighs everything else and I usually update three or four times a week.
Ephemera: I can empathize. What are some of your favorite posts?
B: Oh, wow, that's a tough question. Well, I love the posts I did as a kind of tour of my pop culture influenced decorated apartment especially my library and my kitchen (pictured above). Other than that, it's hard to say; it's pretty full of pop culture nuggets, vintage advertising weirdness, pin-ups, and my art stuffs.
ephemera: What are your future plans for the blog? How do you see it evolving?
B: It kind of evolves as I do, as some interests peak, I'll do more of something, and as they wane, I do more of something else. One thing I can say for sure is it will always be full of pin-ups and my artwork. I've just started doing an online comic this year called Geek Carnival, it's weekly posted on Sundays or Mondays and it's been great fun. Very, very pop culture influenced!
ephemera: Thank you, Becca.
