June 1999 Sawdust Trail By Kathleen Kotcher A very peri-odd-ical recounting of some of the strangest things the sideshow world has to offer. The Sawdust Trail is updated whenever I have something earth-shattering to announce or whenever I need to see my name in lights. Make sure to sign up on our Shocked & Amazed "Net Freak Alert" for email notification of updates. Don't miss it! I wade through all of the NetCrap so you don't have to. OHMIGOD! It's an Update! Yes, folks we have been so busy moving and shaking at Shocked and Amazed! hq that it has been obscenely difficult for us to get the Sawdust Trail as often as we would like. If you cannot live without weekly freakery--check out the Net Freak Alert. Net Freak Alerts don't have photos, but they come out more often. All of life is about trade-offs. February Means Gibtown! If it's February--this must be Gibtown! The International Independent Showman's Association was held in February in Gibsonton, Florida. Gibsonton is the traditional winterquarters for most of the traveling amusement industry. Shocked and Amazed! has become a regular fixture at one of the highlights of the sideshow industry. We got to visit with old friends (half-girl, Jeanie Tomaini; her daughter, Judy Rock; human blockhead, Melvin Burkhart; banner painter Johnny Meah (and his lovely wife, Joan); and many others) and make a whole bunch of new ones. This year an additional treat was available in Ybor City (in Tampa) with Zamora's Touring Stunt Show. The show astounded and thrilled an audience comprised of a lot of sideshow insiders. Old friends: Perscilla the Monkey Girl and clown Jim Parker Want More About Zamora? Zamora, also known as the Torture King (formerly of the Jim Rose Circus) has hit the road with his own Touring Stunt Show. Zamora amazes and astounds with feats of danger so strange and horrible, I hesitate to mention them here. Flexx the Rubber Boy performs one of the incredible feats of contortion ever witnessed in any lifetime. Also performing was Mighty Jack Hartley, whose strongman act was a winning complement to his already stunning banners. Zamora's Touring Stunt Show is beginning their second tour of the U.S. Look for them at some forward-thinking establishment near you. Barnum Presents SHOCKED AND AMAZED! The father of humbug and the founder of SHOCKED AND AMAZED! have combined forces to celebrate sideshow! The Barnum Museum in Bridgeport, CT has launched an exhibition called "Shocked and Amazed: The World of Side Show." The show will run from Feb. 13 through Aug. 29. The exhibit will tell the stories of 19th century side show performers who worked with P.T. Barnum himself. On exhibition are items from collectors (and personal friends), including: Our founder, James Taylor; Banner painter-swordswallower-sideshow historian, Johnny Meah; circus historian, Rob Houston; artist and collector, Joe Petro III; swordswallower, John Fox; and collector Jeff Gordon. Johnny Meah shocked & amazes the crowd The exhibition opening events featured the great Johnny Meah talked about his sideshow life swordswallowing and banner painting. The exhibition is not to be missed. Jim Rose Publishes Jim Rose has a new book out. His last book, Freak Like Me, was an autobiography. His new book, Angles, tells you how to get one over on the rest of the world. It exposes the gaffs, grifts and scams that many of us don't understand. The book is available exclusively through Jim at his shows, but Atomic Books is in negotations with Jim to stock a limited amount of signed copies at the store!   Join the "Net Freak Alert!" mailing list!   All contents ©1999 SHOCKED AND AMAZED! See that. That means you cannot take our pictures and words and put them on your web site without our permission. We are nice folks and would to help your site have just as many pretty pictures and interesting information as ours, just ask us by writing to shocked@ibm.net. See, some of the copyright holders (from whom WE got permission to use the information) aren't as nice as us.  Web Content © Copyright 1999, Shocked & Amazed/Dolphin-Moon Press/Atomic Books Illustrations © Copyright 1999, Mark Frierson