Message from the Czar

Dear Friends,

Nate Eagle was a true showman's showman. He was a classy guy -- not excessively flamboyant but classy. He knew how to extract the most from the talent he presented but also took the time to know and understand "his people" and be both a good boss and a good friend.

"Nate Eagle's Hollywood Midgets" appeared with several large carnivals, the shows last years of touring being with the James E. Strates Shows. I knew Nate from having been on the Strates show for part of a season with Claude Bentley's Sideshow.

There were several operators who toured troupes of midgets with carnivals. The shows were presented "revue" style, about one-hour in running time with a cast of singers, dancers, comedians, etc... The physical layout of these shows had a cookie-cutter sameness, as the formula worked very effectively. See this diagram: (http://www.czarofbizarre.com/newsletter/0002_diagram.html)

As a midway patron, you could look in the open doorway in the center of the showfront and see the audience on bleacher seating looking down at the stage. You couldn't see the tiny entertainers ON the stage because of the "teaser" panel, (about 4' high), that ran between the two doll house-like dressing rooms at the back side of the stage.

Although it's quite possible that some of the cast members may have worked in a film or two, the "Hollywood" part of the title was just midway hype, but then that's what carnival shows were all about -- attractions that titillated the imagination. One thing's for certain; Nate's little people worked much harder than any film stars, sometimes doing as many as twelve shows a day -- pretty rigorous workout for any normal-sized entertainer!

It occurs to me that this is a pretty massive overload of information on a print made from a 3' X 5' banner. If asked, I'd probably say the story would add a flavor of history and authenticity to the print. The truth is that I simply enjoy telling stories about the subjects of my paintings.

All the very best,

Johnny Meah
"The Czar of Bizarre"

Notes from the Home Office

Greetings from Czar HQ!

An unusual new piece from Johnny is included in "On the Ball": (http://www.czarofbizarre.com/0002_ontheball.cgi)

It's a great new art book now available. Over 80 artists transformed a typical bowling ball into a unique work of art, and they are all beautifully photographed and collected inside. I hope to get a picture of Johnny's ball up on the site soon, but seek out the book - it's a lot of fun!

If you missed the first issue of Czar News, it is now archived in the "Newsletter" section: (http://www.czarofbizarre.com/newsletter/)

All future editions will be archived here as well.

"Nate Eagle's Hollywood Midgets" are now available -- a limited edition 4-color lithograph, (500 only), numbered, signed, and ready to be shipped! Drop by the shop to have a look: (http://www.czarofbizarre.com/shop/)

The first print, "Baby Irene," is still available as well, although she's moving pretty well for a big girl. You can take a gander at her while you're in the shop.

The next lithograph will be "Anatomical Venus," which should be available in a couple of weeks, just in time for the holidays.

Thanks for everyone's great feedback on the site. We'll be adding some new surprises soon, so visit often and send your friends!

Best,

-Mike