Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market Yields a Terrifying Trinket!

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Trenton’s Punk Rock Flea Market has endless vendor tables selling everything ranging from original art and toys to random knickknacks and vinyl record collections. On Sunday August 3rd, we were on our way back from Atlantic City for the KISS show and I’m glad we decided to stop into this array of randomness. Read on to see what I came home with!

The PRFM takes place inside the nationally registered historic Roebling Machine Shop, which was built in 1890 and is dusty, sort of decrepit, and chock full of charm. There’s no better place for this type of event, unless there’s another available historic machine shop in New Jersey that’s twice the size and offers air conditioning. Doubt it. It was quite steamy in this place, and the incredible turnout of people only made it feel warmer. I felt like Janosz Poha in Ghosbusters 2, only I was drippingz with sweat, not goo, but judging by the photo below, you can see why we toughed it out.

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Attracting a ton of people into Trenton who may not normally venture into the city, the PRFM has become a hotbed for people to buy and sell STUFF. I had a blast just gazing around at aisles upon aisles of it all… the stuff that is. As enticing as it was, and with Monster Mania coming up in matter of weeks, I promised myself I would keep my purchases to a minimum. Thankfully, I stuck to my guns.

Out of all the old records, posters, jewelry, comics, and toys, the only thing my eyes locked onto was a small Dracula figure. I was mesmerized by it for a few seconds, but instead of being overzealous, I waited on it because I had no idea what I’d find at the rest of the tables. What if I blew my minimal amount of cash on this small Dracula figure and then had nothing left if I ran into the Holy Grail item to end all Punk Rock Flea Markets?

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The Art of Bob Burke!

It was right around this moment that I actually stopped in my tracks as I noticed one table full of glow in the dark canvases of horror art. What really got me was the homemade Halloween 3 TV setup behind their table! Talk about eye candy! My eyes were salivating over all these amazing pieces that were based on everything I like including Joker, Orko, Skeletor, Frankenstein, Fright Night, Dark Helmet, Jack Torrance, The Misfits, and Cobra. Every character and movie I’ve ever liked was here at this table and it was INSANE. Who is this mysterious incandescent artist you ask? His name is Bob Burke and he’s without question one of the coolest artists I’ve ever met.

 My new glowing Halloween 3 art by Bob Burke!

I couldn’t leave without this beautiful Halloween 3 piece. It will be perfect hanging in my place just in time for Halloween and beyond! Check out Bob Burke’s Facebook page and give him a LIKE! and Follow him on Instagram http://instagram.com/bobburkeart

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Without forgetting my little vampire figurine from earlier, I kept him in the back of my mind as we made our way to the rest of the vendor tables. Miss Sexy Armpit picked up an NJ tank top from True Jersey, and she also got me the Jersey Batman T-shirt that I’ve had my eye on for a long time. Thanks to Miss Sexy Armpit for adding to my massive t-shirt collection! I’ll get a lot of wear out of it that’s for sure. True Jersey is a shop that I usually just hand my bank account number over to every time I see them at an event like this. When I pass their setup at Monster Mania I’ll have to put my head down and move along or else I’ll go bankrupt!

At this point we were getting a little antsy from the heat and we needed some food. Headed toward the front, I navigated over to the vendor that had the little old vampire guy. He was still there waiting for me. I inspected him further and noticed he was dusty, and far from mint condition. I also saw that he had a button and a battery compartment in the bottom, but he wasn’t working. “How much for this?” I asked the young girl behind the table. “I’m asking $10.” Seemed a bit steep of a price for a small figure with dead batteries that was in shabby condition, yet I had exactly $10 dollars left. Typically, I would’ve asked to go a little bit lower, and the girl even offered to go lower, but with two fives in my hand, I just felt it was meant to be. I exchanged the cash for the Drac and we swiftly made our way toward the exit.

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from Instagram.com/sexyarmpit

Just before leaving, I ran into Robert Bruce who you may know from AMC’s Comic Book Men. I busted his chops because he still has my heli-pad from my Kenner Hall of Justice that I got from him a while back. While bullshitting, he gave me the inside scoop that, the week before, Comic Book Men had been filming a show guest starring KISS when they were in the area playing a show at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ. Shh…exclusive info for the 4th season!

There were about 5 or 6 different food trucks and the lines for each one were pretty intense. We got tired of waiting, and it was hot and humid out, so Miss Sexy Armpit suggested we try this little restaurant adjacent to the machine shop. Our impatient asses walked a few steps over to Mario’s Bar & Grill. Despite missing out on the food truck cuisine, we went home happy and with full stomachs.

There were some Mexican entrees featured in the menu, and although I didn’t see them listed I asked the waitress if they had empanadas. She said they aren’t on the menu, but they could certainly make them for me. So the secret super special unlisted empanadas were a GO! They were delicious and the entire bill for the both of us cost less than $20 dollars.

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Photo on the Left from eBay and photo on the right via Monster In My Pocket Wikia

Immediately after getting back home I had to consult with eBay and a Google image search to find out more about this unusually creepy looking Dracula figure. Most likely, there are many toy crazed maniacs out there who recognized this guy in .2 milliseconds, but I hadn’t the slightest clue what line he was from. The girl who sold it to me mentioned it was a Monster in My Pocket, but I thought that was odd because all I remembered about that line was that the figures were all M.U.S.C.L.E sized and each one was painted a different bright color. This guy was more detailed and had a different look than the Monster in My Pockets that I recall, and those crazy sinister eyes!

My reservations about her accuracy were debunked as soon as the Google Image search results returned (Approximately 0.41 seconds, in case you’re keeping track). He wasn’t Dracula technically, he was simply “Vampire,” and was indeed part of a 1992 offshoot series of Monster in My Pocket called Super Scary Howlers. This series of 4 figures featured Vampire, Wolfman, Swamp Beast, and Monster, each with eerie light up eyes and scary monstrous sounds!

Of course, I wish I had the packaging, but even if I did buy it Mint on Card, I probably would’ve taken it out, no matter how sacrilegious that sounds.

No idea how I missed this one when it was out, but according to at least a couple of sites that I perused, this line has become pretty rare, and a working set is even harder to come by. Presently, there’s a Mint on Card Vampire going for $44 dollars on eBay, which is obviously much more than what I spent on this loose version. Even better, a loose complete set of 4 is selling for $175 U.S dollars on eBay. That said, I’m already looking into financing my Master’s Degree in Ufology based solely off of what I make from selling this guy. Shit, I’m totally not serious about selling him. Way serious about the Ufology though.

This was an unexpectedly cool pickup! If you were wondering, I placed an order for LR batteries on Amazon so I can check to see if this baby works. If it does, he will be my official buddy for the 2014 Halloween season. Keep you posted on Twitter: @sexyarmpit.

Let’s break it down in case there’s a pop quiz. I brought home a glowing piece of Halloween 3 art from my favorite shot in the film, a Batman style Jersey t-shirt, got the inside scoop on an upcoming Comic Book Men episode, and have added a 22-year old light up Vampire figure to my collection. As you can see, the Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market was an overwhelming success, and if you can get there, I totally recommend going to the next one!

Say Hello To My Little Friend…CLARENCE!

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You may not know this side of me, but I consider myself very humane. As much as I badly want a cat or a dog, I can’t get one at this point for various reasons, so that’s why it was a bit of a miracle that we found this little guy.

Or should I say Miss Sexy Armpit found him. I met my new friend recently when I was taking photos in her yard for my Bill and Ted’s Weird NJ Adventure digital comic. As I was wrapping up, I started gathering up the figures into a box and then she asked me “Is this guy yours too?” as she pointed to a small object on the ground. I barely saw anything aside from the fall leaves blanketing the grass, plus it was getting dark. I squinted my eyes and eventually saw a tiny blue rubber looking toy peeking out of the leaves. I hesitated before I picked it up because it looked dirty as hell. Was it a Smurf that got coughed up and spit out of her chimney and is now sleeping under the leaves? Whatever it was, it seemed as if this little toy was laying in mud for quite a long time, and possibly inside a dogs mouth (or some other body part) at some point.

As if he was going to run away from me, I reached down and grabbed him. I examined him in my hand and realized he was a cute little blue creature who seemed harmless. Creature is really the best way to describe him too. I couldn’t really tell if he was a sea animal, an alien, or a baby dinosaur. Whatever he was, I deemed him worthy of giving him a good home or he would probably wind up on the Island of Misfit Toys.

Who knows where he came from or where he’s been? He could’ve blown into the yard last year during the hurricane for all we know. It was a good thing I brought him in when I did because it was the first really chilly night we’ve had this season and he might’ve caught a cold.

After bringing him inside, I left him alone for a few hours because he was very timid and scared. Once he got himself acclimated, I gave him a bath and he loved it. Although, as much as I scrubbed I couldn’t even get him 100% clean. Some of his stains are permanent. We’re not ruling out cosmetic surgery at this point, but his appearance has improved immensely, wouldn’t you agree? I was even able to read the bottom of his feet that said he was made in China by the Toysmith company as recently as 2010. Could’ve fooled me. Looks like he’s been around since at least 2005.

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The bath must’ve perked him up and put him in a better mood because right after that was when he started talking to me. He said “Hi my name is Clarence.” “Hi Clarence, I’m Jay!” I shot back exuberantly. To be honest, I was so friggin excited to discover that he could talk! How cool was that? “Do you feel better now that you’re clean?” I asked him, in hopes he’d continue to engage. “Hi I’m Clarence.” Okay, well he only knows that one line. I guess it’s better than nothing, but that shit’s gonna get old real fast. That was kind of a let down. I had my hopes up thinking that it might be like having my own version of Ted. Maybe in time he will open up to me. I didn’t wind up teaching him any new words yet, but I have learned a few things about him:
I found out that he has an affinity for grapes…and stealing mine.

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…and being insanely cute while rowing a canoe in a bubble bath.

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Look, how can you ever be mad at him, he’s permanently waving hello! To see how happy he is now and how quickly it took him to adjust, I can’t help but wonder if he’s going to grow into some sort of an evil demonized Boglin or something. I hope that’s not the case because I’ve made it a point to formally adopt him as my own. I gave it my best shot to find his family and after some research I found that he comes from the obscure non-specific species “Bath Squirt Toy.” The closest toy line he might belong to is Munchkin Squirtin’ Buddies, but that’s just a hunch. By the way, be careful if you Google that…Squirtin’ Buddies. No…really.

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