Jan B picture 3

June 2, 2009
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When I first saw the kit, I thought of American roadside architecture--maybe an ice cream parlor shaped like a cone. Then I thought about putting two businesses in the building, and eventually all those thoughts of road trips and summer fun led me to the idea of doing a boardwalk scene.

This project is a pastiche of boardwalk attractions, most heavily inspired by 1958 Asbury Park, New Jersey. The side wall prominently features a mural featuring iconic images from the now-demolished Palace Amusement Park, including the hand-lettered list of rides and the famous grinning Tillie. It was surprisingly challenging to recreate those deceptively simple but very recognizable visual elements!

The first main side features a fully-furnished soda fountain and ice cream parlor, plus a neighboring duck pond complete with a wallfull of prizes. The other side features the fortune teller Madam Marie's establishment (and also reproduces her very distinctive sign).

As you may have noticed, there are a number of references in the piece to the person most closely associated with Asbury Park--Jersey's finest export, Bruce Springsteen. Some are fairly obvious--Rosalita's ice cream, Sandy's beach wear, the aforementioned Madam Marie. There are also a number of more subtle surprises--the trash can features posters for North Jersey Auto (which offers Spare Parts and Used Cars), Frankie's Diner (Open All Night), and Phantom's Seaside Bar (Where the Bands Are!) . The side wall (sadly not shown) has period advertising posters for the Fender Telecaster and a Pink Cadillac.

And there's something familiar about that little kid with the red bandana outside Madam Marie's...