On the sawdust trail... By Kathleen Crawford Shocked & Amazed Online Editor November, 1996 Shocked & Amazed Volume 3 is back from the printers and available RIGHT NOW! Featuring interviews with Anatomical Wonder Melvin Burkhart, Part 2 of the lurid autobiography of Siamese twins Daisy and Violet Hilton, an interview with Mae Noell--half of Noell's Ark Gorilla Show, where grown men were paid to box, wrestle or run from chimpanzees--plus more, more, MORE than we can possibly mention here. CLICK HERE for ordering information. The Big Apple Circus recently appeared near the enormous corporate offices of SHOCKED AND AMAZED! The theme of this years performance is the Medicine Show. Showman extraordinaire and teacher of deadly sideshow tricks to a certain publisher named James Taylor, Todd Robbins was the ringmaster for this extravaganza. With Todd in the picture the show promises couldn’t possibly be anything other than stupendous! If you are lucky to have this little slice of one-ring circus heaven near you--run, don’t walk to buy your tickets. Our Founder, managed to flee to Canada for a few brief weeks and take in all the sites (well as many as he could squeeze in--he’s only human for crying out loud!) our neighbors to the north have to offer. The 10th Annual International Buskers Festival ("10 years on the street!") was held in Halifax Nova Scotia this year. Comedy escape artist on top of an 8 ft unicycle, fireplay par excellance and I-Bash-I a Carribean contortionist who pulled himself through a barrel (think bathroom trashcan size). The week-long festival covers the entire waterfront in Halifax (one of the sweetest capital cities you'll ever visit). While in the great white north, James also attended the Anna Swan Festival in the metropolis of Tatmagouche, Nova Scotia. This year's festival marked the 150th anniversary of Anna's birth. A giant celebration befitting a woman of enormous stature. Melvin Burkhart You can never stray too far from home and like a bad penny, our founder, James Taylor had to return to Showtown USA (Gibsonton, Florida) one more time this year to celebrate the release of Volume 3 with the interviewees. James shared the magazine version of midway magic with Melvin Burkhart and Mae Noell.   Mae Noell As a special added attraction of his trip (one not advertised on the front, so we don't apologize for charging extra on the inside) James was met at the airport by long-time sideshow pals, showman Malcolm Garey, Judy Rock (daughter of the only living half-girl and SHOCKED AND AMAZED! Volume 2 covergirl Jeanie Tomaini), Katzen tattoo(ed) artist and her very best subject, the Enigma of Jim Rose Circus Sideshow fame. The Enigma and Katzen Long-time travelers down the sawdust trail may remember a mention some months back concerning The Enigma's horns. We are proud to announce they are currently in their fourth generation and are progressing nicely. Psst--we've heard a secret. Don't tell anyone. We have heard through the grapevine the documentary being produced by The Learning Channel should see broadcast in February. V. Vale (formerly one-half of Re/Search) has recently reprinted one of the greatest books on sideshows, Memoirs of a Swordswallower (known in the United States as Step Right Up!) by the uncomparable Dan Mannix. Careful readers recognize Mannix from the Re/Search printing of FREAKS: We Who Are Not As Others. It's a fantastic book that's been out of print for far too long, kudos to Vale for putting it out there for all of the world to see and enjoy once again. Marking the official end of the summer the York fair came to town. Ward and his amazing illusion show were in attendance. The California Hell Riders (always a staff favorite) were there in all of their noisy glory. Jack Constantene has filled the gap left by Ward Hall when he took his museum show off the road by framing one of his own. Other sideshow sites to startle the senses were in great abundance. Former sideshow performer and SHOCKED AND AMAZED! contributor Walt Hudson ("I Was a Teenage Blockhead") got to review old times and do some catching up long-time pal Ward "King of the Sideshows" Hall (see Volume 1 of for an in-depth interview) The California Hell Riders SPECIAL OFFERS TO ALL DENIZENS OF THE SAWDUST TRAIL: Special sale list available of limited quantity, hard-to-find books and memoribillia. We don't have sufficient quantity to advertise these items in the pages of SHOCKED AND AMAZED! so get yours while they are still available. Perfect for collectors and fans of the strange and unusual. Do your holiday shopping early for the weirdo in your life. Send $2 in cash or stamps (refunded with your first order) to:   SHOCKED AND AMAZED! c/o Dolphin-Moon Press P.O. Box 22262 Baltimore, MD 21203. Coming on soon to The Sawdust Trail (expected in January): Our Founder’s fabulous trip to Los Angeles. Who did he see? What secrets did he hear? How could he possibly put 1,000 miles on a rented car in such a small span of time? Learn the answers to all that and more during your next visit to The Sawdust Trail.   Join the "Net Freak Alert!" mailing list! Enter your email address below, then click the 'Join List' button: Search the Shocked and Amazed Site Are you looking for something freaky?

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