Into The Junk Shop, Flyboy!

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I’m telling this story backwards…have I gone MAD?!

As you’ve gathered, the things I do are not very traditional. It’s not like I venture off to golf getaways, weekend wine tastings, or to the batting cages and for beers with the guys (as I pretend to sucker punch you in the stomach like guys do). None of that would ever happen in my life. Even though I’m an actual adult, I do things that bear the ever so slight possibility of being misconstrued as juvenile, but what the hell do I care? One of my recent posts documented my trip to an NXT wrestling event in Asbury Park. If you’ve read that, you know what a blast it was, but I haven’t yet told you about what happened before we got there! Put it this way, it wasn’t your average Friday afternoon. Continue reading Into The Junk Shop, Flyboy!

NXT: Con. Hall Brawl in Asbury Park!

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Let me catch you up on some of the cool shit that’s been going down in The Armpit of the Universe.

A couple of months back, I scored tickets to see NXT Live on February 19th, and I basically forced Dinosaur Dracula to come with me. I didn’t give him much of a choice at all – it was like, “Dude, I got tickets to NXT, don’t make plans that day.” Matt was on board for it and I was extra pumped. It wasn’t only momentous for the fact that I’d be seeing an NXT house show virtually in my backyard, but there was a little more to it. Continue reading NXT: Con. Hall Brawl in Asbury Park!

eBay Has Your NJ Zombie Hunting Permits

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You all better have your zombie hunting permits ready. It’s only a matter of weeks before literally all of New Jersey is taken over by zombies. I’m not kidding. In October we’re gonna have zombies down south in Atlantic City, and zombies up the Parkway in Asbury Park. Even though they are slow, they will begin to permeate neighborhoods. Considering the Guinness World Record for zombies will be broken this year, you better have your shit together. I listed the seller names of each one of these so you can look them up on eBay if you’re are so inclined.

If you’re seriously considering staying in Jersey when zombies roam the state, you might want to start getting prepared now. I’ve got you covered and did all the research for your ass. You’d think a local gun shop or even a town hall might be registering people for zombie hunting licenses, right? Actually no, in a surprising twist, eBay is your one stop shop for New Jersey zombie hunting permits. Once in a great while eBay does come through for something. I can’t guarantee they’re legit, but I can guarantee that you’ll seem either ever so slightly more skilled at killing zombies, or you’ll just look like a total dork with bullets whizzing passed your head. Who cares if they’re counterfeit anyway? What you really need is a badass gun, or enough guns to necessitate a rack if you catch my meaning.

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If you want to seem more official to the oncoming zombies, then you might want to opt for the “State of New Jersey Certified Zombie Hunter embroidered patch.” From at least several feet away this one will make you look like you’re a decorated soldier or P.O.W (Probably Obsessed w/ Walking Dead.) Good luck out there. In the end, the zombies don’t give a crap what kind of patches or permits you have on.

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Batman Festival in Asbury Park

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Producer, comic book writer, and Jersey guy Michael Uslan came to Asbury Park last fall to sign his book “The Boy Who Loved Batman” and greet bat-fans. Uslan was instrumental in bringing Batman to the big screen in 1989 and his work on Batman films continues ’til today with his involvement in the latest Nolan franchise. Obviously, I didn’t miss this event and I thought it was awesome that it was held right on one of my all time favorite places to be – the Asbury Park boardwalk. You can read about my experience HERE and also watch BatDave’s video chronicling the event posted above. Since I’m so backed up with my book reading I have yet to begin reading Uslan’s book. Shame on me! I’m hoping to get to it before the end of the summer. The book is available for a reasonable price via this link at Amazon.

Drive-In and Fly-In Theaters In New Jersey

Richard M. Hollingshead, Jr. (a sales manager at his father’s auto parts company according to Wikipedia) opened the first Drive-In move theater under the name Park In-Theaters, Inc on June 6th, 1933 on Crescent Boulevard in Camden, NJ. Usually each car paid under a dollar for admission, vastly less than the astronomical prices for movies today. You can read the history of Hollingshead and his theater via this link at the History Channel’s website.

The mid-’80s saw the decline of the Drive-In movie theater. Hope is not lost though. Within the last few years the dine-in trend is coming back, so maybe we’ll see the resurgence of the Drive-In theater?

At the height of the Drive-In craze, Newark, NJ had one of the largest Drive-Ins in the country, but things started to get out of hand. In 1948 Ed Brown’s Fly-In and Drive-In opened in Asbury Park, NJ. Planes landed at a nearby airfield and were allowed to taxi to the back row which was designated for planes.Sounds like Disney’s Cars world, doesn’t it? This outdoor theater had space for 500 cars and 25 airplanes. The formula must have proven successful since another generic Fly-In/Drive-In opened in Belmar in the ’50s.

Considering that I’m not a huge fan of the revamped Dine-In theater gimmick, chances are, the Drive-In Theater wouldn’t appeal to me much either. Apparently, many people in my family managed and worked at a drive-in theater in New Jersey for several years and during high school and college I worked at the local theater as well, so I have a unique perspective. Ultimately, I’d rather be on my couch relaxing while watching a blu-ray and sipping some iced tea and chowing down on food that a waitress doesn’t have to interrupt the movie to bring over to me.

If you’re feeling nostalgic and you want to take the fam out for a night at the movies, why not bypass the usual 24-plex and pay a visit to The Delsea Drive-In in Vineland, New Jersey!
http://www.delseadrive-in.com/

*You can find some of the information in this post at http://www.driveintheater.com/drivhis1.htm#oddities

Move Over NYCC – It’s The Asbury Park Comic Con!

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For more information visit:

Finally a comic convention for the Jersey Shore! One of the coolest, most legendary spots in Jersey,  Asbury Lanes, will be hosting a comic book convention on Saturday, May 12th. Can’t beat the Free Admission either! That’ll give you more of an excuse to buy Batman #14 when you’re there.

So hop in the Family Truckster and head down to Asbury Park for a day full of comic books, comic artists, vendors, a DJ, and a full service bar (for the adults…) Personally, I have an early afternoon wedding to go to, but if I was free, I’d be there dropping Hamiltons.

May 12th, 2012
11am – 6pm
Asbury Lanes
209 4th Avenue & Kingsley
Asbury Park, NJ

Bruce Springsteen Exhibit in Philadelphia

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I had no choice in the matter. I had to go to Philly. Don’t get me wrong…there’s a lot of great people and things to do in Philly, but I’d just rather be in Jersey. Hell, I love New York too, but ultimately I’m a big fan of my surroundings. Not many things would entice me to visit a neighboring state, but the Bruce Springsteen exhibit at the National Constitution Museum was definitely one of them.

Miss Sexy Armpit mentioned the exhibit to me a while back as an idea for my birthday trip. My first reaction was, “Why isn’t it in Asbury Park??” That would’ve been too easy! I had to work a little for this one. Actually, getting into Philly was a piece of cheesesteak, it was getting out that was the problem, but I’ll get to that later.
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If you consider yourself even remotely a fan of Springsteen’s work, you will enjoy this exhibit. If you are a hardcore Bruce fan and you haven’t made it there yet, you NEED to go, seriously it’s that good. And finally for those who don’t love or hate Bruce, but are fans of good music, this exhibit spotlights the career of an American icon, THE BOSS! 
From the meager club shows in various local bands to selling out stadiums and getting nominated for awards, this exhibit is an all encompassing tribute. You will witness fascinating photos, memorabilia, outfits, and notebooks plucked from Bruce’s long musical journey. One of the literal artifacts that left an impression on me was the original exterior sign from The Stone Pony in Asbury Park where Bruce played so many of his early shows and still makes surprise appearances at ’til this day. There are also listening stations to hear unreleased songs, early live recordings, and video stations to watch archival footage of documentaries and concerts.
We spent about 30 – 40 minutes in the exhibit. The walk through can take as long as you want it to, or you can breeze right through it depending on how much you want to take in. I didn’t want to leave any stone unturned. When we left the building and saw a gorgeous sunny day waiting for us, we wanted to stop at another Philly attraction, but we spent about 2 hours in traffic! Unbeknownst to us, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade was about to take place, so several main streets were blocked off causing major gridlock. Aside from the insane amount of traffic, the Bruce exhibit made the trip worthwhile! I highly recommend going! The exhibit closes on September 3rd, 2012.

NJ T-Shirt Tuesday 92: Randy “The Ram” Robinson

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It’s been a little over 3 years since it’s release and I am still as crazy about The Wrestler as I was the first time I saw it. It’s the combination of Mickey Rourke’s heart wrenching performance, the reminiscing about the glory days of professional wrestling, and its New Jersey setting that makes it hit so close to home for me. Darren Aronofsky’s masterpiece remains legendary, especially to fans of the pro-wrestling business, but we the fans need to keep it alive! One way to do that is through wearing The Ram’s t-shirt!

Even though there was a glimpse of a Randy “The Ram” Robinson action figure in the movie, it was merely a custom job. You may be able to find a few custom Ram figures in the outer reaches of the Internet, but that’s about it. Since The Wrestler wasn’t watered down by a marketing onslaught, fans took it upon themselves to create t-shirts for their broken down Jersey hero. I wore mine this past weekend, and I’ve also noticed WWE’s Curt Hawkins (Zack Ryder’s former tag partner) proudly wearing a black Randy “The Ram” T-shirt as well. You can purchase one via Zazzle at this link.

Bam Bam vs. Bundy: The Battle For New Jersey!

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It doesn’t get more JERSEY than this classic WWF match-up! Asbury Park vs. Atlantic City! The Beast from the East vs. The Walking Condominium! Listen for Jesse “The Body” Ventura on commentary talking about how both of these guys hail from New Jersey early on in the match. It’s amazing that The Garden State is responsible for two of the most popular big men the business has ever seen. I remember watching this on TV when I was a kid and thinking it should’ve been on a Pay Per View. Even then I was a critic! I remember being excited for Bam Bam stealing the win even though it might have been the fastest count ever. Thanks to YouTube user VinceThePinch for posting the match!

Kick Buttowski, Amy Winehouse, and a Snowstorm: Happy Halloween 2011!

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19 inches of snow fell in West Milford, NJ over the weekend. Many people around the state lost power, but that didn’t stop us. It was the weekend I’ve waited for all month long…Halloweekend!

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Despite the unexpected and unwelcome snow storm, October is still without a doubt my favorite month. I know that many of you share that sentiment otherwise you wouldn’t be part of the Countdown to Halloween blogathon that takes place all month long. Every year since I was a kid, I had my costume picked out and prepped well over a month ahead of time. Actually, to the many people who don’t give two shits about Halloween, this post is not for you!

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This year for Halloween I was inspired early on. One of my favorite cartoons for the past couple of years has been Disney’s Kick Buttowski. I watch it any time it’s on so I decided to get a little animated and become him for Halloween! Coincidentally, the little suburban daredevil is voiced by New Jersey’s own CHARLIE SCHLATTER, an actor who is basically a cult icon around The Sexy Armpit. You may remember him from playing Ferris Bueller in the short lived TV show incarnation. No one really knew who I was, which I expected. This one was for me. A ton of people thought I was the race car driver who recently passed away. I never insult the recently deceased like that unless I’m paying homage. Speaking of paying homage, pictured below is Ms. Sexy Armpit paying tribute to Amy Winehouse. She was easily the best Amy Winehouse I’ve seen this season.

Amy Winehouse Costume 

We attended Paranormal Books’ Annual Halloween party at Asbury Lanes on Saturday and yours truly was asked to be one of the guest judges for the costume contest! What an honor! You can see inside the bookstore if you watch The Sexy Armpit Halloween Special on our YouTube page!

I want to thank you as always for stopping by The Sexy Armpit this month, even if it was for a few minutes. Also, a BIGGER thanks if you watched The Sexy Armpit Halloween Special! If you enjoyed it, there’s more shows like that on the way. On behalf of everyone who makes The Sexy Armpit happen, we had a blast all month long. Thanks to you and all the other bloggers out there who entertained us as well with their spooky countdowns! If you have a moment, please leave a comment and let us know what your costume was this year! Happy Halloween…mwahahahahahaaaa!