the retro collective: issue two

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FILM MUSIC FASHION GADGETS CARS LIFESTYLE TIM BURTON GUINNESS SNOWBOARDING Walking in his cinematic wonderland Pure Genius: Celebrating 250 years of Ireland’s finest Off-piste to the Olympics: How the enfant terrible grew up RETRO COLLECTIVE THE OTAKU From social outcasts to Japan’s most influential youth movement CLASSIC STYLE. MODERN VIEWPOINT.

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Classic Style. Modern Viewpoint.Feature articles on Tim Burton; Otaku; The 250 year anniversary of Guinness; and snowboarding.Regulars features include the best retro-inspired products including: gadgets, lifestyle, cars and accessoriesAnd introducing a new retro-inspired street-style sectionEnjoy!

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: The Retro Collective: Issue Two

FILM MUSIC FASHION GADGETS CARS LIFESTYLE

TIM BURTON

GUINNESS

SNOWBOARDING

Walking in his cinematic wonderland

Pure Genius:Celebrating 250 years

of Ireland’s finest

Off-piste to the Olympics: How the enfant terrible grew up

RETROCOLLECTIVE

THE

OTAKUFrom social outcasts

to Japan’s most influentialyouth movement

CLASSIC STYLE. MODERN VIEWPOINT.

Page 2: The Retro Collective: Issue Two

INSPIRED

30 Tim Burton36 250 Years Of Guinness44 Otaku48 Snowboarding

42 Making A Classic?54 The Prawn Cocktail 56 Amanda Blanch &

Chris Edwardes

4 Top Five10 Street Style16 Lifestyle20 Gadgets24 Motoring28 Accessories

FEATURES

PERSPECTIVE

Welcome to The Retro Collective, a monthly magazine international in

outlook and co-operative in spirit.We’re all about style, whether that’s anindividual’s scene or the products fromthe world around them.

This month we’ve introduced a newsection where we check out the bestretro-inspired styles and fashions you’rewearing out and about the streets. Andthere’s some fantastic, unique looksyou’re putting together; mainstream retailers for the basics but finished off withsome great vintage items from specialistshops (Page 10)...The top 5 is lookingpretty special this month as well and howcan you go past the James Bond-esquescubacraft (page 4). We know we’re supposed to be in a credit crunch, butthere’s something pretty amazing aboutbeing able to step off the beach, jet skiout into the surf, and then headunderwater cruising. Now that’s what wecall swimming with dolphins!

Guinness is 250 (Page 36) and we’vegiven you some great facts and quotes toimpress your mates with while out celebrating their anniversary (got to say Ialways thought Guinness was black, notruby!). There’s a feature on the much derided Otaku (Page 44), who are havingthe last laugh as the industry in Japangoes through the Billion pound mark.

And we’ve got some great newcolumnists on board, so check out whythe prawn cocktail should be on everyrestaurant menu (page 54) and whatmakes a classic product (page 42).Enjoy,

Bruce [email protected]

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Cover image courtesy of Bataleon

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Need a James Bond experience, then reach into your backpocket and pull out £100K and this baby is all yours. It doesn’t go overland like the Lotus Esprit from The Spy WhoLoved Me but it still has that shaken and stirred (and

completely dunked) feeling any self-respecting playboy, gadding abouttheir private beach in the Bahamas, would be happy with. Oh, and if Barbara Bach wants to come for a ride on the back, we’re cool with that(if James is ok with that first, of course).

THE

TOP

FIVE1 SCUBACRAFT SC3

www.scubacraft.com

Page 6: The Retro Collective: Issue Two

IRIS APFEL EXHIBITIONIris Apfel may be 88 but at this ‘Rare Birdof Fashion Exhibition’ she’s still showingthe young ones a thing or two with herspirited irreverence and pitch perfecttaste. Renowned for her eclectic mixingof haute couture with costume

jewelery and exotic baubles make this collection a must see atthe Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts.www.pem.org

THE

TOP

FIVE2

Page 7: The Retro Collective: Issue Two

PROHIBITION ANDBLITZ PARTIES

Prohibition’s NewYears Eve party featured party goersdecked out in 1920’sattire, quaffing bootlegged booze andbustin' Charlestonmoves. Sounds like ablast. Don’t worry ifyou missed it, you canalso hit the 40’s Blitzparty these guys runduring the year.www.prohibition1920s.com www.theblitzparty.com

THE

TOP

FIVE3

Page 8: The Retro Collective: Issue Two

Tim Burton and Alice in Wonderland is a no brainer as fits go and, as per usual, his missusand Mr Depp are along for the ride. Check out this for a supporting cast: Stephen Fry asthe Cheshire Cat, Alan Rickman as The Caterpillar, Matt Lucas as Tweedledee/dum andBarbara Windsor, yes Barbara Windsor, as The Doormouse. Can’t see Phil Mitchell on thecast list yet but as the Red Queen’s (Bonham-Carter) favourite saying is ‘Off with theirheads’, and she has a moat filled with bobbing noggins there’s bound to be a role for himsomewhere as an enforcer. UK release date: March 5

Alice in Wonderland

THE

TOP

FIVE4

Page 9: The Retro Collective: Issue Two

The Eadie armchair was launched byDonna Wilson during London DesignFestival 2009 at Liberty's 'Britain CanStill make it' exhibition; a celebration ofBritish made furniture. Proof that notonly can they make it, we can also likeit. This chair says comfort, this chairsays leave me alone I’ve eaten toomuch of grandma’s pud and I’ve gotsome serious snoozing to do. It also reminds us of Martin Crane,Frasier’s dad, who knew a thing ot twoabout a comfy, traditional chair and forthat reason alone it’s in our top five.www.scp.co.uk

Eadie Armchair

THE

TOP

FIVE5

Page 10: The Retro Collective: Issue Two

CAMEOSSTREET STYLE

Name: Mary Blackman-Smith Age: 19One person you admire: Dita Von TeeseWhere do you usually buy yourclothes: In To Be Worn Again and Camden MarketWhere did you buy your dress and forhow much: In Greenwich Village, £30

Page 11: The Retro Collective: Issue Two

Name: Thomas Edgington Age: 27One person you admire:Humphrey BogartWhere do you usually buy your clothes: In LondonWhere did you buy your jacket and for how much:In Portobello Market, £300

Words and pictures by Cristina MatéThis month’s best retro-inspired styles

Page 12: The Retro Collective: Issue Two

Name: Warren Lambert Age: 37One person that you admire:NobodyWhere do you usually buyyour clothes: In Top ManWhere did you buy yourshoes and for how much: In Office, £70

Name: Joseph Heaselgrave Age: 20One person you admire: Bob DylanWhere do you usually buy your clothes: In Beyond Retro, Zara and Dirty Harry.Where did you buy your waistcoat and forhow much:In a charity shop, £4

Page 13: The Retro Collective: Issue Two

CAMEOSSTREET STYLE

Name: Ester AventínAge: 27One person you admire: Jeff WallWhere do you usuallybuy your clothes:In ZaraWhere did you buyyour dress and for howmuch: In H&M, £25

Words and pictures by Cristina Maté

Page 14: The Retro Collective: Issue Two

Name: Rachel Strange Age: 21One person you admire:Vivienne WestwoodWhere do you usually buy yourclothes: In The Brighton Lanesand charity shopsWhere did you buy your coatand for how much:In Star Fish, £60

Words and pictures by Cristina Maté

Page 15: The Retro Collective: Issue Two

CAMEOSSTREET STYLE

Name: Raquel Martínez Age: 24One person you admire:Paulo CoelhoWhere do you usually buyyour clothes: In PrimarkWhere did you buy yourshoes and for how much:In Yoma, £25

Name: Brianna Fryer Age: 22One person you admire:Vivienne WestwoodWhere do you usuallybuy your clothes:In Beyond RetroWhere did you buy yourdress and for howmuch: I made it myself

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INSPIRED

This will impress your mateswhen they come round for asession...speakers designed inthe style of Mondrian. No?Then point out the De Stijlmovement pursued an aesthetic of geometric formsand colour simplicity with adistinctive design principalbased on order and clarity. If they’re still looking blank,then, get them another beerand turn up the sound. Thereyou go, finally they’re impressed!

Paul Smith Travel 3/4 Children’s Acoustic Guitar

Elac ‘De Stijl’ Speakers

Forget giving this littlebeauty to the kids. Stick this JHS Vintage Guitar, featuring the PaulSmith 'signature stripe' andfamous script signaturelogo on the headstock, inyour travel bag and you’llbe able to transform into arock god beside the campfire. £153.53 www.heathrowgiftlist.co.uk

£990 www.elac.com

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LIFESTYLENEW PRODUCTS. CLASSIC INFLUENCE.

This silver clock with Union Jack face and signature Ben Sherman branding will sit nicely

on the bedside table and make you feel likeyou’re on the set of an Alfie film. But be

warned saying ‘"Blimey, girl, you ain't as ugly as I thought" in a Cockney

accent when, you wake up, ain’t gonna get you breakfast in bed!

Ben Sherman Timeless

£18.96 www.scp.co.uk

We’ve gone a little Donna Wilsoncrazy this month but this is cool,sophisticated little number. Theseat itself measures nearly twometres and the arms are solid andflat so ideal for resting a laptopon and finishing that last bit ofwork while watching the telly.

The Geneva Model L Sound System

£15 www.bensherman.com

Donna Wilson, Hue,Special Edition Armchair

A complete stereo system, crafted in a single cabinet made out of piano lacquered wood whichis powered by a very high quality digital amplifierdelivering 100 Watts of high-end digital stereo.Awesome. It has a LED display visible under thefront cover showing input and track playing, andalso comes with rubber feet. It doesn’t come withrubber nose and bottle glasses however, you’llhave to buy those yourself.

£1660 www.scp.co.uk

Page 18: The Retro Collective: Issue Two

The Tronconi brand has been a prestigious and historical benchmarkof Italian design for over 50 years.Their style is a "classic-cool" lookwith extremely contemporary traits,marked by the most innovative developments of 3D modelling. TheLoopy was designed by Mario Mazzer,an award winning architect, and if youput this in your games room it willsend you snooker loopy.

Tronconi Loopy Table Lamp

$600 www.justvanities.com

This table lamp pays homage to the timelessshape of the hour glass, giving off diffusedlight through a transparent crystal container.You can add aromatherapy essences at thetop which are heated by the lamp and asthere’s a dimmer you can turn this on and getin the mood for…going to bed, of course.

Oluce Nerolia Table Lamp

£393 (Including p&p) www.nest.co.uk

Aaaah, the iconic lava lamp,and this one only needs atiny candle to set the pinkglobules on their hypnotic

way. Just in case you hadn’tspotted it, the lamp’s

designed to look like arocket, to commemorate the

40th anniversary of the moonlanding! One small step forman, one pink globule in a

rocket lamp for mankind.

Tealight Lava Lamp

£28.99 www.iwantoneofthose.com

Page 19: The Retro Collective: Issue Two

LIFESTYLE

Pillows from $98www.jonathanadler.com

Jonathan Adler is our kind of guy. For starters heowns a dog called Liberace and admits tohaving a raging obsession with waspycountry club style of, wait for it, needlepoint, chinoiserie and acid green lacquer! Now that’s some kind of obsession! He started out as a potter buthas moved into all sorts of lifestylely areas.His website is well worth a gander.

A radio made out of wood…who would havethought? Indonesian designer SinggihKartono combined the most current MP3player compatible electronics with sustainably grown woods working with localtradesmen and we think he’s triumphed. Wecan’t wait to hear ‘Knock On Wood’ played onit and can’t help wondering if Ron Wood hasbought one yet? Or Natalie Wood. Or Jedward. O.K. we’ll stop now.

Magno Wooden Radio

Small from $198 www.anthropologie.com

Jonathan Adler Pillows

Here’s one for the kids. Whack in some ice,crush it to mush in seconds and then addsome weirdly coloured, preservative laden,syrupy stuff and you’ll have the kids bouncing off the walls in no time. Now that’swhat we call old-fashioned fun.

Nostalgia Electrics Snow Cone Machine

$45 www.walmart.com

Page 20: The Retro Collective: Issue Two

Olympus EP-2Olympus has gone all butch on uswith the second of the PEN serieswith a ‘Back to Black’ finish. To enrich photographic and video potential, the new EP-2 includes aport for an electronic viewfinder orexternal microphones and with twoadditional art filters combined withthe new i-Enhance function for evenmore creativity and image enhancement they’re on to a winner,quite literally, as the EP-1 was namedEISA's 2009/2010 Best Camera of theYear. £990 www.olympus.co.uk

Newgate has a fascination of eras gone by andenjoy the challenge of resurrecting ideas of thepast and putting them in homes of the future.Plated with metal hands, spokes and acrylicnumbering this 70’s inspired wallclock transported TRC back to mum baking in thekitchen, dad tinkering in the shed and the English cricket team getting walloped by theWest Indies in cricket. Heady days indeed.

Newgate Vision Wall Clock

£60 www.heals.co.uk

Magicbox Colombo Answer PhoneFrom the Universale, the first chairto be moulded from one material, tothe all-in-one Boby Trolley, everything Joe Colombo createdwas intended for "the environmentof the future". He may have beenonly 41 when he died but his illumine and legacy live on. If he’d seen this phone he’d probably would have uttered hismantra ‘we’ll just have to make itbetter’. We’d love to have seen himimprove on this pretty cool number. £33.32 www.argos.co.uk

Page 21: The Retro Collective: Issue Two

GADGETS

Beatles Limited Edition USB Stick

Voids are the empty spaces between filaments, the largest-scale structures in the universe, containing very few,or no, galaxies. Voids typically have a diameter of 40 to 500million light years. Void watches, however, don’t have a diameter of 40 to 500 million light years as they’d be too bigfor your wrist. In fact, they fit perfectly snug. I mean, what arethe chances of that. Well, as Swedish designer David Ericsson launched the brand with the belief that just like agreat building is designed to fit its environment Void aremade to sit perfectly on your wrist, pretty damn likely.

VOID VO2 WATCH

£134 www.voidwatches.com

Help! With only 30,000 made, this apple-shaped USB drive is proving tough

to get your hands on. Loaded with re-mastered audio for The Beatles 14

stereo titles, as well as all the re-masteredCDs’ visual elements, including 13

mini-documentary films about the studioalbums, replicated original UK art, rare

photos and expanded liner notes. This isproving a must have for Beatles fans.

£200 http://beatles.fanfire.com

Philco PC ConceptInspired by the 1954 design classicPhilco Predicta, as well as an eclecticmixture of modern minimalism, thesteampunk movement, and antiques.“The result is a design aesthetic thatblends multiple elements of the familiar, but with some surprisinglyfresh styling that just so happens tohouse a state-of-the-art Windows 7PC.” Can’t say fairer than that. £TBC www.schultzeworks.com

Page 22: The Retro Collective: Issue Two

Zumreed HeadphonesIs reality becoming a bit toomuch? Need to block out theoutside world, then check thesedoozies out. They make youwant to don the roller skatesand leg warmers and startwhizzing around with the cutegirl from LA Story. Now I wonder what ever happened to her?£50 www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk.

mintpass MP3 CubeThe mintpass MP3 cube is still at concept stage and according to itsmaker, who looks like a peasant (hwords, not ours, from their websit wanted something that was less fanciness and more convenience fthe guy on the go, and as quick as can say ‘French stick’, here it is. Designed for your ruck sack with oskool buttons it comes with bluetoso you won’t strangle yourself whyou’re running for the le bus.£TBC www.mintpass.com

8 inch LCD TVFiendishly clever this. You think t an old skool, cathode ray tube TV think again my friend. This is a st art LCD TV shaped like a cathode can plug in anywhere and get rec without wires or aerial. And get th titchy 8 inches big. You want one kitchen don’t you. £815 www.plusminuszero.jp

Page 23: The Retro Collective: Issue Two

GADGETS

With digital and analogue display dials youcan set this watch to two different time zones.How jet set is that! Water resistant up to 5ATM, it also comes packaged in a white Dieselpresentation box with a 2 year international warranty. Got to dash I see themarket’s just opened in New York!

Diesel Retro Digital Watch

Cassette Speaker It’s a cassette that plugs into your phone andwill blast out enough sound to fill a medium-sized room. You may think ‘what’s the pointof that?’. Well my friend, if you’re at thebeach, we’ll be the ones surrounded by thecool people having a paaarty as this littlenumber plugs into iPods, MP3 players, andlaptops meaning the Cassette Speaker isabout as hip as a portable speaker gets. Now where did I leave my speedos?$19.99 www.onlyhottrends.com

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This is a 60 minute egg timer. Nowwe’ve watched a bit of Delia in ourtime, so we know how long it takesto boil an egg. And this timer begsthe question if it’s going to take anhour then that must be one damn humongous-sized egg you’re cooking. Well it is from the States,and as we all know everything isbigger and better over there, so theyprobably know best.$10.99 www.centralchef.com

£116.47 www.houseoffraser.co.uk

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Central Chef Egg Timer

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INSPIRED

Sc

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O.K. so this is borderline redneck, butwe’re up for a bit of cattle rustling if this is the

getaway vehicle! While the standard Scion xB isnot even cool in the hatch class, this sleek beast

will definitely impress your beer guzzling, baccy-chewing

mates. And the added bonus is you can throw all the kids in the back and do

the school run. Now that’ll frighten the yummy mummies at the school gate.

MOTORINGNEW PRODUCTS. CLASSIC INFLUENCE.

cion xB Pickup Concept

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Sleek, stylish with a space want to take her home fro about the Fräulein on the vision of the future, 2015 electric motors the BMW in 4.8 seconds but is also consumption. You can als the two gullwings, which i

BMW Vision Concept

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MOTORING e age look that makes you

om the showroom. But enough right, this is very much a to be precise. With two

Vision will crank up to 62mph o ridiculously efficient on fuel

so access all four seats from s cool.

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INSPIRED

John Smedley is celebrating their 225 anniversary by going back to their origins withlong-sleeved crew neck vest (Brigadier) and white Long-Johns (Admiral) made fromMerino wool. Toasty! To win vouchers worth £225 visit www.johnsmedley225.com

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ACCESSORIESNEW PRODUCTS. CLASSIC INFLUENCE.

From top left: Fred Perry Inflight retroshoulder bag £45, Fred Perry StripeTrim Trilby £40, Ben Sherman Stalker£40, Diesel Helmet and Paul SmithSpeedometer Printed Tote Bag £210

Page 30: The Retro Collective: Issue Two
Page 31: The Retro Collective: Issue Two

After a film career that has so far spanned 24years, books of poetry, an autobiography andnow a book of previously unseen artwork, Tim

Burton could be considered a man in touch with his creative side. Undoubtedly you have seen, if not heardof, a Burton film. His back catalogue ranges from producing 1993’s landmark stop-motion animation film,The Nightmare Before Christmas, to directing 2005’s remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and2007’s Sweeney Todd among many others.

But Burton’s soon-to-be-released film adaptation ofAlice in Wonderland is possibly the most eagerly anticipated he has made to date. Burton has a darkside, his smaller films are over-the-top in a low-key kindof way, and his big budget features are often poorly received by critics. But he doesn’t have a penchant formaking dark films; it isn’t a habit. He makes films thathe can understand and relate to, and for him and

Tim Burton has his critics no matter the budget, length, or genre of film he is directing. In his upcomingadaptation of Lewis Carroll’s classic he leaves himself wide open again as he gives Alice a history andmakes the storyline more cohesive. But the risk takingis why we love him. Christina Andersson celebrates acareer that just gets curiouser and curiouser

Malice in Wonderland

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anyone of a similar mindset, they aren’tdark, they’re ironic and a warped reflectionof a world that’s designed to be explored.

Tim Burton was born in 1958 in Burbank,California. He went to the California Instituteof the Arts at age 18 on a program set up byDisney, the company he subsequentlyworked for. By his own admission, he was apoor employee. He resented the mundane atmosphere and did not consider himselfgood enough at drawing to be an animator(his first task was ‘work drawing’ fox’s for‘The Fox and the Hound’) and after a periodof time in which it could be said that Burtonsuffered a minor emotional breakdown, perhaps relating to his helplessness in notbeing able to express himself creatively, hebegan working as a conceptual artist for Disney about which he says “(it) was greatbecause for several months I just got to sit ina room and draw whatever creature I wanted to”.

It was during this time that he was given$60,000 to produce ‘Vincent’ a 5-minutestop-motion animation based on a poem hehad written. Then followed more short animations under the wing of Disney. AfterBurton split with the company, he directedhis first feature; Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. Itwas at this time that Burton began his working relationship with musician and composer Danny Elfman, who has composed for all of Burton’s films since,apart from, Ed Wood. Released in 1985,‘Pee Wee’ was a box office hit, although critically, reviews were mixed. Next up wasBeetlejuice, an odd, gothic and archetypalpiece of work from Burton. It is a film with nopurpose, no catharsis and no explanation. Itcentres around The Maitland’s, a couplewho die in a car crash, and find themselvestrying to scare out the family who are moving in to their old home.

After Beetlejuice, Burton worked on ‘Batman’, which went on to be one of thehighest grossing films of all time, taking in

excess of $500 million worldwide as well aswinning an Oscar. But many critics complained the film was too dark as well ascriticising Burton for focusing too much onJack Nicholson’s ‘The Joker’.

Following ‘Batman’, Burton started workon Edward Scissorhands, and so began aworking relationship with Johnny Depp,which continues to this day. Edward Scissorhands is unable to touch his surroundings, isolating him from normal society and he is classed as a freak in thesuburbs he lives in, firstly being used as amobile household appliance, to being usedas a sex toy by one of the neighbours. Ontop of that he is unable to show his love forthe girl who lives in the house in which he isstaying, because he is too scared he willhurt her.

Batman Returns was Burton’s next feature; noted as having a few too many villains, which overshadowed MichaelKeaton’s return as Batman. Further downthe line Burton produced The Nightmare Before Christmas and directed Ed Wood,the latter, whilst being well received by critics, was a commercial failure. It wasfollowed by Sleepy Hollow, Planet of theApes, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd(among others).

Planet of the Apes was on the surface,possibly the least Burton-esque film thatBurton has made so far, being criticised forbeing too ‘watered down’ in comparison withthe 1968 film adaptation of the novel. Reportedly he argued with the studio continuously during production and it wasperceived that he was only there to ‘do ashe was asked’. In his own words he says, “Ithink the real problem with the film was thatthe script they wanted to do, I couldn’t do,and I don’t know anybody that could havedone it for the budget that we had to do thefilm for.”

Tim Burton’s smaller productions (EdWood, The Nightmare Before Christmas,

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Mad Hatter: Johnny Depp collaborates once again with Tim Burton in his upcoming release, Alice in Wonderland

Page 34: The Retro Collective: Issue Two

Beetlejuice etc) have all become so popularthat they have gained cult followings. This iscompared to his big budget movies (TheBatman franchise, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Planet of the Apes),which were met with mixed reviews by critics (although the box office figures speakfor themselves). With Batman; perhaps theproblem lies in the viewer expecting a certain something from the film, for it to staytrue to one of its previous outings on screenor print.

But the studio knew thatwhen they appointed Burtonas director, they would be getting a director whose creative vision was unique tosay the least. Despite50,000 letters of complaint from fans of Bat-man to Warner Bros. Burton decided to useMichael Keaton for the role. Burton’s under-standing of the character was in the end,one of the things that made the film so suc-cessful. Batman’s (Bruce Wayne’s alter ego) suitwas changed from blue to black and included fake muscles. Michael Keaton wasnot the obvious choice for Batman, he wasnot the strapping, muscular and overpowering crime buster the fans hadwanted. But Burton didn’t see that BruceWayne should have to be like that, “why

would this big, macho, Arnold Schwarzeneg-ger-type person dress up as a bat?” And referring to Michael Keaton; “that guy youcould see putting on a bat suit; he does itbecause he needs to, because he’s not thisgigantic, strapping macho man. It’s all abouttransformation”.

Effectively, Burtons work is criticised fornot being ‘typical’ enough. With Batman itwas ‘too dark’ and too much time was spenton the villain. With Batman he explained that

he didn’t favour The Joker overthe title character, it was just the dynamics of the relationship,which made the Joker seemmore prominent. But that is TimBurton; throughout his films hehas wanted to get to know the

underdog. Most of his films are about theperson who is overlooked in everyday life,the person who is considered strange. Andthat includes Bruce Wayne as well as TheJoker, with his interpretation of these mendifferent to any of the previous attempts athumanising them, and judging by box officefigures, the most successful.

When considering Tim Burton’s successin his feature film work, it would be easy tooverlook his smaller budget movies, to consider them stepping-stones to somethingbigger. But often it is his less prominent filmswhere we get to see a real insight into the

Often it is his less

prominent films

where we get to see

a real insight into the

mind of this man

A BRIEF HISTORY OF BURTON: From the early days of ‘Vincent’ to the reworking of Lewis Carrol’s classic ‘Alice

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mind of this man. A running theme in hismovies is characters that are underdeveloped snippets of society; outsiders and freaks.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, although a box office hit, received mixed reviews. Critics said the characters were tooweird, the whole tone was too dark andJohnny Depp’s Willy Wonka was too eccentric, though not every critic referredthemselves to the original book by Dahl,from which Burton’s film did not stray too far.

Again, Burton gave his character a history, Wonka we find out, was the son of adentist who never let him eat sweets, and onHalloween would collect all his son’s candyand throw it in the fire. When he eventuallytasted chocolate he wanted to create asmany different kinds as he could. JohnnyDepp’s Wonka didn’t like children, was ruderather than eccentric but nonetheless it wasa success for Burton and Depp as they created a character who wasn’t to be accepted, just understood.

The next big thing on the list for Burton isthe release of Alice in Wonderland. It is anextension of the original story as Alice returns to Wonderland many years after shefirst went there. On previous versions of theiconic story Burton says: "It was always agirl wandering around from one crazy character to another, and I never really felt

any real emotional connection." His goal with this film was “to try and

make Alice feel more like a story as opposed to a series of events”. It would bepossible to go through every one of Burton’sfilms and analyse it, but it would not be necessary. He has had box office successand failure and the same with his critics, butit cannot be doubted that he is one of themost innovative and imaginative directors onscreen today. Does he struggle to keepthings personal when so much money isbeing thrown at a production?

Does he lose a sense of self? No doubthis small budget films allow him to delve further into his mind to produce something alittle more avant-garde, there are less boxesto tick from the studio for one. But nonetheless, even with Batman – the grandest production he has undertaken – he retained his ideals and stuck to hisguns producing a piece of work that waswatched by millions and stayed true to theoriginal ideals even after his constant arguments with the studios about control.

Tim Burton isn’t out of his depth in Wonderland, just so long as you don’t expect anything from it.

in Wonderland’, Tim Burton is considered one of the most ingenious and imaginative film makers of our time

Check out The Moma exhibition, NY till late April,which explores the full range of Burton’s creativework, from his early childhood visualisation drawings to his mature film work. www.moma.org

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PARTY LIKE IT’S 1Probably the greatest investment in the world. Except this

is Guinness we’re talking, not Carlsberg. As the brand celebrates its 250 anniversary, Purple Gez goes in search

of black gold and reveals her top Guinness facts, anecdotes and nuggets to impress your mates with while

you wait at the bar for a pint. Including the fact, Guinness isn’t actually black!

Page 37: The Retro Collective: Issue Two

1759A

rthur Guinness (left) brewedales from 1759 in his home townof Leixlip, County Kildare. That

year, he invented a porter style beer hemade his namesake, and being sosure of its success he moved to premises at St James’ Gate, Dublin,and signed a 9,000 year lease at £45per year.

An act of God

Guinness is brewed from water, barley, hops and brewers’ yeast;treated with isinglass finings (from fish air bladders), and is pasteurised and filtered. A portion of the barley is roasted, giving

the distinctive dark colour and characteristic flavour. Although the brewappears black, it is officially a very dark shade of ruby. Guinness is credited with the origination of the stout genre of beer, but use of the wordstout was mentioned in the Egerton Manuscript of 1677, almost fifty yearsprior to Arthur Guinness’ birth. The first Guinness beers to use the termwere Single Stout and Double Stout in the 1840s.

When Irish Arch Bishop Arthur Price left £100 in hiswill to his godson he undoubtedly made the best investment of his life (or afterlife). As investments

goes it was pure genius with the money used by his godsonto expand the brewery his father was the steward of, payingdividends a billion times over.

A lease for life

The ruby stuff

2

3

1

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Draught Guinness and its canned equivalent contain nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Nitrogen is less

soluble than carbon dioxide, allowing the beerto be put under high pressure without causingfizziness. The high pressure of dissolved gasis necessary for the formation of tiny bubbles,caused by forcing the draught beer throughfine holes in a bespoke plate in the tap. Thisgenerates the hallmark surge (the widget incans and bottles achieve the same effect).

Bubbles touching the sides of a glass during pouring are slowed in their upward riseand appear to be travelling downwards. However, bubbles in the centre of the glass are free to rise to the surface, forming

their own inner cascade of bubbles. As the Guinness rises, the bubbles create a

current resulting in the movement of one fluidby another. As Guinness rises in the centre,the brew near the outside of the glass falls,pushing the bubbles at the side of the glass towards the bottom, creating a drag effect.This occurs in any liquid, but is particularly noticeable in Guinness as the drink combines dark coloured liquid with lightcoloured bubbles.

The perceived smoothness of draughtGuinness is because of the low level of carbondioxide; the creaminess of the head is due tothe extremely fine bubbles arising from usingnitrogen and the bespoke tap.

The Belfast Telegraph, December 21, 2007 featured an article about heart attackswhere researchers at Wisconsin University

found that a pint of stout at meal times, works aswell as a low dose aspirin taken each day. Dogswith narrowed arteries mimicking those of humans to test the health-giving properties of thestout, were given just over a pint a day, and foundto receive most health benefit. They establishedthe antioxidant compounds present in Guinness,are similar to those found in certain fruit and vegetables, and have health benefits as they slowdown the deposits of cholesterol on the arterywalls. If research proves true it would back upclaims made by Benson in the 1920s that ‘Guinness is Good For You’.

Forever blowing bubbles

As good as it gets

4

5

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Guinness adopted the14th century harp ofBrian Boru as its

trademark in 1862, but with atwist. The Guinness harp facesleft as in the Irish Coat Of Arms,rather than right as on the original symbol. The actual harp is on display in Trinity College, Dublin.

In 1920, Guinness ran an advertising campaign based onmarket research where peoplesaid they felt good after theirpint – the slogan, ‘Guinness isGood For You’ was born. Thestout became known as ‘food ina glass’, though a pint containsonly 193 calories. AlthoughGuinness was asked not to usethis slogan, and they still do notmake any health claims, the slogan is still used abroad.

In the 1930s and 1940s, Benson’s advertising created a series of posters, predominatelydrawn by John Gilroy. These usually featured animals suchas the seal, lion and the irrepressible toucan which is asmuch a symbol of Guinness asthe harp. Slogans included were‘Guinness for Strength’, ‘Guinness Makes You Strong’,‘My Goodness, My Guinness’and ‘Guinness is Good For You’.Gilroy’s idiosyncratic artwork was aided by Dorothy L. Sayers among others, who inthe 1940s, sketched the iconictoucan, and coined the phrase,‘Toucans in their nests agree,Guinness is good for you, trysome today and see what oneor toucan can do’.

The first Guinness ad to

appear on TV was entitled‘Poster Comes to Life’ and carried the caption ‘Guinness –it’s alive inside’. It was broadcast September 22, 1955on ITV, the first ever evening adto appear on UK TV and depictsa zookeeper sitting on a bench,taking a break, looking for hispint of Guinness and discoversa seal dancing on ice with a pinton its nose.

The 2007 advert ‘TippingPoint’ was the most expensive with a budget of £10m. A largescale domino effect using 6,000dominoes, 400 tyres, 75 mirrors,50 fridges, 45 wardrobes and 6cars; the chain tumbles downthe streets of a small village to acrescendo of 10,000 books thatflip open to create a giant pintof Guinness.

Making a mark6

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In the pre-web world where factscouldn’t be checked instantly,Guinness found a niche in British andIrish pubs where genial conversationoften deviated into heated debate concerning certain claims to fame orinfamy. In order to determine therights and wrongs of such claims, theGuinness Book of Records was instigated, the first edition appearingin 1955. It is now the best selling book behindThe Bible.

Record breakers

Using the traditional two-part pour:

* Use a clean normal size, tulip-shaped pint glass and tilt to a45 degree angle; fill to three-quarters full.

* Allow the 'surge' to settle until a clear separation can beseen between the dark and the head (which should be about1.5cm and a light cream colour) at the top. This usually takesabout 90 seconds.

* Fill the glass to the top with a final quarter pint of Guinness.

* When pouring from a pump you can draw a lucky 'shamrock' shape in the top, although this takes practice.

* Use the same procedure when pouring from a bottle or can.

The double pour stems from when Guinness was blended withbeer naturally fermented in ancient oak tuns. Older beer waspoured into a glass until three-quarters full then left to stand.When a pint was ordered, it was topped up from younger, moregaseous beer to produce the traditional head. Although thestout is no longer blended from older brews, the double pour ismaintained because it produces a better head without the needto discard the top.

* 70 million glasses of Guinness are poured every week.

The art of pouring Guinness7

8

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Famous Guinness quotes...

1At the Battle of Waterloo a severely injured cavalry officer madethe following entry in his diary:‘I was sufficiently recovered to be permitted to take some nourishment. I felt an extraordinary desire for a glass of Guinness. Upon expressing my wish to the doctor, he told me Imight take a small glass. I shall never forget how much I enjoyedit. I am confident that it contributed more than anything else tothe renewal of my strength’.

2Guinness has a longstanding relationship with food, in particularseafood. Benjamin Disraeli is known to have had the perfectcombination of oysters and stout on the night of November 2,1837 which he commented on was ‘the most remarkable dayhitherto of my life’.

3In 1829 The Morning Post was recommending Guinness consumption: ‘Guinness’s Dublin Stout. This article is confidently recommended for home consumption and for export,and must, from its age, purity and soundness, ensure the approbation and support of the Public’.

4James Joyce wrote in Finnegan’s Wake:‘Let us find that pint of porter pace...Benjamin’s Lea...and see thefamous homely brew, bebattled by bottle, then put a James’sGate in my hand’.

5This is an extract from an article entitled ‘Speaking of Grandparents’ by Compton Mackenzie:‘HL Batemen was a man of immense vitality characteristic of somuch old American stock. Some time before his marriage in 1839he had travelled back from Ireland to America in an emigrateship, and way across the Atlantic by inserting a pipe into a barrelof Guinness. To live entirely on Guinness for over a month was indeed a tribute to its virtue’.

6James Joyce submitted a slogan to the brewery:‘The free, the flow, the frothy freshener’. It was passed over infavour of ‘Guinness is good for you’.

7From A.J. Cronin’s Grand Canary:‘I got me eddication holdin’ horses in Sackville Street, andlearned me letters spellin’ the Guinness’s adverts. Ye wouldn’tbelieve it, me that reads Playto like a scholar’.

8An extract from Dylan Thomas Adventures in the Skin Trade:‘I remember once I drank forty-nine Guinnesses straight offand I came home on the top of the bus. There’s nothing morbidabout a man who can do that. Right on the top of the bus, too,not just the upper deck.

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As we get older, part of the ageing process isour dislike of unnecessary complication. Weneed to cut to the chase. Things must work,

must work quickly, and they must lookgreat while doing it. How many thirty-somethings do you see clubbing inthe winter without a coat? Being uncomfortable is what inexperienced people do.

Products we hold close to our heart,many years after conception, are tied together by two key elements: simplicityand functionality. Take the apple I-phone, a classicin the making. The reason we love it, is that we canuse child-like sweeping movements with our fingersto get where we want to. A pre-schooler could master it. The underlying technology might be complicated, but the way we use it isn’t. It’s instinctive, it works and it looks great.And this is why a classic endures.

Think of all those seventies adidasshoes still in production and livingunder your bed. Why would you wantto buy them when footwear technologyhas advanced so much in the last 40years? Because they do the job andthey look fantastic. They look fantasticbecause they go with everything inyour wardrobe.

The Arne Jacobsen’s “Ant” chair(right) made from a single piece ofsteam-bent plywood was first produced in 1955 and still remains

Denmark’s most sold chair. Why? Partly becausethe design is pared down, but crucially, it is stackable. A simple detail, but one that sets it apart

from many of its rivals. Simple and functional. I don’t deny that a sense ofhistory is important here: there is a reason people pay a small fortune forBig “E” Levi’s as opposed to their moremodern offspring. But a product wouldnot endure if it didn’t work in the firstplace. But what about modern brands?It’s hard to find any future classics

amongst all the detritus on our high street. Why?Because nobody can be bothered investing in product development, craftsmanship or quality. Weare enduring the era of Primark and our forefathersare rolling in their graves. Thankfully, there areexamples of companies who really care about their

product, and they design it with thehope that it will still be sitting in yourhome years from now.

Lodger Footwear: 2008 was not thebest time to launch a luxury footwearbrand, but Lodger combines traditionalhand crafted gentlemen’s shoes withnew details, cutting edge technologyand a modern approach to selling. Theyhave a 3D laser scanner in their CliftonStreet shop, flat screen tellies and a bar underneath the store. They’ve defiedthe recession by saying something newabout a product rooted in tradition.

Biomega: Beautifully designed city

Classic In The MakingAfter ten years in the sportswear industry working for adidas and

Puma as a trend and colour consultant, Hilary set up her own design consultancy, HST Creative. She now works with clients in

sportswear, fashion, design and publishing.

This month in her first column for TRC, Hilary considers what it takes to create a classic.

Hilary Tailor

Being uncomfortable

is what inexperienced

people do. Products

we hold close to our

heart are tied

together by two key

elements: simplicity

and functionality

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bikes that make you want to ditch the car. Theyteam up with luminaries like Mark Newson andRoss Lovegrove, who designed a lightweight bamboo bike.

Folk/Shofolk: Founded in 2001, Folk is a casual menswear brand who are fussy about details, colour and fabrication. They spend a lot oftime looking for the right (not the cheapest) manufacturer, so they have an eclectic mix of product made in Uruguay, England, Portugal andPeru. Their footwear is made in limited numbers.

Lena Bergstrom: (above) Swedish Glasswarethat is simple, elegant and cool. Her thoughtful useof colour makes her work stand out in a quiet way.

Lara Bohnic: (below right) O.K., so not themost simple of designs, but her jewellery is original,beautiful and the simpler pieces endure. Her stuffgets noticed and is copied, badly, by less talentedsouls.

Companies that didn’t make the grade:

Philips: The time and trouble they spend ontheir research and development is letdown by forgettable design.

Honda: Great ads, good brand personality, but would you really want onesitting in your driveway?

The Dyson washing machine: TheDyson Contrarotator was supposed torevolutionise the washing machine industry in the same way the Dyson Vacuum did, but it was withdrawn from the marketdue to poor sales despite being more efficient than its competitors. Weird.

Sony: Once the pioneers of portable music,Sony were overtaken by better product produced by rivals. They tried to relaunch the Walkman in 2005but by that time, Apple were dictating the market.

Hollister: Any company that has the audacity

for making up a fictitious brand “history” deserves tofail. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened to Hollisteryet, but there’s still time.

So what does all this mean for the modern company, or designer, who is eager to createtheir own classics?

Firstly, it helps to have a sense of HISTORY:adidas, Levi’s, Burberry are lucky in having a company heritage they can rely on to bring aboutauthenticity to their product.

Secondly, it should be FUNCTIONAL: If it doesn’t work, it won’t be treasured. You may lovethose beautiful shoes that cost you a month’ssalary, but you won’t buy another pair if they shaveyour heels off every time you take a step.

Thirdly, BE A PIONEER. Apple deservedly occupy their position at the top of the tree becausethey are often first in the market, or they revolutionise what is already there. James Dysonwill forever be remembered as the man whobrought us transparent bagless vacuum cleaners.

Finally, KEEP IT SIMPLE. There is a reason the Little Black Dress endures but the Big Red Onedoesn’t. Simplicity dates less than ostentation.There is certainly a market for fussiness, but it is a safer bet that a design will endure when there isless to dislike.

I work as a trend consultant, and much of my jobinvolves looking at the past, taking lessons from itand applying them to future designs. Successfulcompanies, like the ones I have mentioned, areoften held up as role models for others. These companies were all pioneers in their time, and nodoubt the technology behind the design was often

very complicated to master, but the outcome does not reflect that, it just makesit look effortless.

The era we live in now is very different.We have a much shorter attention span.We are reluctant to wait. Information is bitesized, instant and immediate. Price is oftenthe first thing we think about before we design a product. The result is a rejection

of traditional craftsmanship and long-term productdevelopment in favour of a quick, impactful, attention-grabbing bargain. And companies who follow this ethos are unlikely to be making classics.

Those who are taking a bit more trouble to get aproduct right and invest in quality deserve your full attention.

And you should give it to them.

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Otaku wasn’t meant to define a cultural phenomenon. Otakumay be a Japanese label, but it’s

not a designer label to be worn with pride.The term Otaku is a barbed comment madeby a conservative, traditional Japanese society on a generation of young malesschooled on rampant capitalism who they’renow unable to connect with. In its mostbasic form it’s a term used to refer to anyonewith obsessive interests but has come to de-fine a social group: Young men who spendtoo much time on their computers, who don’thave a social life and would run a mile if theycame into contact with somebody from the opposite sex. But as these supposed socialoutcasts retreated to their bedrooms andtheir computers in controlled rebellion, they

chose their subject matter astutely, theirscreens lighting up with animé, manga andto a lesser extent, video games. Their commitment, fanaticism and dedication tothe cause was something their state andwork proud parents would have respected ifthey thought they were involved in worthwhile pursuits. So as the market forthese genres exploded these nerds are nowin positions of power and gaining a grudgingrespect from an elder generation much as60’s rock and rollers did in the UK. Otakusare now reclaiming the term and wearing itas a badge of honour but where does theterm come from?

William Gibson in his 1996 novel Idoru,makes several references to Otaku whichhas served to bring the term to a wider

REVENGE OF Who said being a nerd wasn’t cool. Mainstream Japanese society

may look down on these obsessive animé, manga and gamer fans.But a billion pound industry driven by conscientious, young males

with disposable income has become a lucrative target market. Purple Gez looks at the geeks who inherited the worth.

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F THE OTAKU

audience: “The Otaku, the passionateobsessive, the information age’s embodiment of the connoisseur, more concerned with the accumulations of datathan of objects seems a natural crossoverfigure in today’s interface of British andJapanese cultures.”

In his opinion, the understanding ofOtaku-hood is one of the key elements inunderstanding web culture. The main enthusiasts would seem to be mostly malein their teens or twenties, usually dressed injeans, T-shirt and trainers. The garb is synonymous with Otaku, and in fashion conscious Japan is identifiable with thegenre. Otaku devotees relish technical communication, media and the sphere ofrepresentation and simulation generally.

They are avid collectors and tacticians ofimpracticable artifacts, information and edification. Although they are clandestine,somewhat avant-garde, they do not opposethe system. Rather Otaku devotees adapt,manipulate and subvert available products;while being the zenith of consumerism andan ideal workforce for contemporary Japanese capitalism. In the first in a seriesof articles TRC portray the various sectorsthat the Otaku branch into.

Animé:Animé originated at the beginning of the

20th century with Japanese film makers experimenting with techniques in use in thewest with distinct genres, such as Mechaand Super-Robot, emerging in the 1970s.

Very few complete early Japanese

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animations have survived as once the clipshad finished their designated run, the reelswere sold to smaller cinemas, which clippedand sold them as either strips or singleframes. A notable animator from the early1900s is Kochi un’ichi, a caricaturist andpainter. He began drawing cartoons in 1912,and in 1916 was employed as an animator byKobayashi Shokai. He is considered to be themost technically advanced Japanese animator of the 1910s, making about 15 films.Kitayama Seitaro was an early animator whomade his own films, rather than for large companies. Although he founded his own studio, this eventually closed from lack ofcommercial success. He employed the chalkboard method and paper animation withand without pre-printed backgrounds.

The Namakura-gatana (An Obtuse Sword,1917) by Jun-ichi Kouchi (pictured below),and Urashima Taro (Legend of a JapaneseFisherman, 1918) were discovered at anOsaka antique market in 2007. These are

thought to be the earliest cartoons ever produced in Japan. Urashima Taro has beenidentified as the earliest example of timetravel, the fisherman finding himself 300 yearsin the future as the tale progresses.

Toei Animation, founded in 1948, produced the first colour animé feature film in1958, Hakujaden (The Tale of the White Serpent). Although more ‘Disney’ with musicalnumbers and animals, it is considered to bethe first ‘animé’. In 1961 it was released in theUS as Panda and the Magic Serpent. Between 1958 and the mid 1960s, Toei continued to release Disney-style films.

Toei’s style was emphasised by each animator using his own production ideas.One example is Isao Yakahaha’a film Hols:Prince of the Sun, 1968. This film is perceived as a dramatic break from the usualanimé and the origins of a later movement of ‘auteuristic’, or progressiveanimé, in which directors such as HayaoMiyazaki, creator of Spirited Away, and

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Mamoru Oshii would later be involved.In the 1970s Japanese animation declined

due to competition from television, reducingToei animation staff. Former employees ofMushi Productions foundedMadhouse Production andSunrise, becoming directorsas well as animators. Thisnew talent heralded a varietyof experimentation, the earliest success being in1970 with Tomorrow’s Joe, aboxing animé which has become iconic in Japan.

In 1974, Isao Takahata’stelevision series Heidi, Girl ofthe Alps, became an international success and enabled Hayao Miyazaki andTakahata to establish theWorld Masterpiece Theatre, aunique concept at the time. Two of Miyazaki’scritically acclaimed productions, Future BoyConan, 1978 and Lupin III: The Castle ofCagliostro, 1979 were made at Nippon Animation, the studios famous for producing animé literary works like Anne of Green Gables and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Simultaneously another genre, Mecha,appeared. Early works include Mazinger Z,1972-1974, Science Ninja Team Gatchaman,1972 – 1974, Space Battleship Yamato, 1974– 1975 and Mobile Suit Gundam, 1979 –1980. These titles illustrated progression inthe science fiction field, moving from thesuper hero fantasy type to more realisticspace operas and blurring accepted boundaries between right and wrong.

The 1980s saw Japan accept animé intothe mainstream and production boomed. Thefilm Akira, a 1988 adaptation of manga, setrecords for production costs and became aworldwide success. Animé series DragonBall, Sailor Moon and Pokemon, with films

similar to Ghost in the Shell became worldwide successes in the 1990s and 2000s.

Other animé series largely popular inJapan: Gundam, Macross, Neon Genesis

Evangelion also attracted interest from the West who produced their own animations.The expansion of the internetenabled fansub (fan-subtitled)animé; fansub being a versionof a foreign film or televisionprogramme translated by fansin to any language other thanthe original.

In 2004, Akira’s creator, Katsuhiro Otomo produced“Steamboy”, the most expensive animé film produced.The Super Dimension FortressMacross, modified as part of the Robotech and Megazone23

gained worldwide recognition when adaptedas Robotech.

This brings us full circle to Japan’s longest running and oldest animation known to almost all Japanese Sazae-san (see above),created by Machiko Hasegawa and first published in his local paper. The animationdealt with contemporary situations in Tokyountil Hasegawa retired in 1974.

A typical Sazae script for the comic was topical. In the beginning Sazae just wantedto be herself rather than dress in a kimonoand use make up to attract a husband.Hasegawa was before her time in advocatingfeminism. Sazae was a liberated woman andearly plotlines show her dominating her husband, to the concern of her neighbourswho firmly believe the man should be head ofthe household.The storylines depicted familydynamics and presented in a jocular fashion,despite the topical nature. This popularanimé, shows how roles in traditional Japanese society were changing, somethingany Otaku would view with a wry smile.

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AvalanchA

drenaline junkies, it seems, can betraced back to 5000BC. Norwegiancave paintings of men on skis

hunting prey, are proof that hurling oneselfdown snow-covered hills at breakneckspeed has always been a cool thing to do.Strange then there is no solid record of skiing’s rebellious cousin - the snowboard,until the 20th century. Accounts of soldiersin WW1 sliding on barrel staves and asnowboard dating back to the 1920s are asgood as it gets, so to find how snowboarding was brought to the masses,we have to go back to Christmas morning1965 in Muskegon, Michigan.

Fascinated by surfing and a big fan ofthe recently released Beach Boys ‘California Girls’, Sherman Poppen, waschucked out of the family home by an irritable, pregnant wife. In a moment of inspiration he looked up at the snow

covered hill and saw a wave. Rememberinghis daughter’s attempts to stand on hersled, he screwed together two pairs of children’s skis, and fixed a rope to the noseso the rider could hold on, and the first prototype snowboard was created. His wifelater named it the ‘snurfer’.

In 1966 the first Snurfer board went intoproduction, and were seen as mostly a toyfor children. Poppen began to organiseSnurfer board competitions where one ofthe earliest competitors, Jake Burton, became interested in making his own brandof snowboard. Burton is currently the sport’sleading manufacturer.

In 1969 Dimitrije Milovich, inspired bysliding down hills on a cafeteria tray startedhis own company, Winterstick, which combined the way surfboards and skis workwith uni-directional boards and a 'fish tail'design that was conducive to riding in

Snowboarding was patented as a concept in 1939, made popular for kidsduring the 60s by the Snurfer and finally gained international respect becoming an Olympic sport in 1998. Graeme Coop goes on the trail of thebastard son of skiing and discovers it hasn’t been all green runs for the sport

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powder conditions. In 1972 the first 'snow-board' went into production. Winterstickgained exposure in 'Powder' magazine and'Newsweek,' and although no longer in production, the Winterstick board is viewedby enthusiasts as a collector's item. TomSims, who was an avid skateboarder, readthe articles on Winterstick and became obsessed with snowboarding. He made hisfirst snowboard in a shop by glueing plywood together and putting carpeting ontop for traction. Sims is now one of thebiggest manufacturers of snowboard andskateboard gear in the world.

In 1981, the first magazine called 'Snowboarder' went intoproduction.1982 saw thefirst National Snowboardrace held on a steep, icy downhill run,called 'The Face' on Suicide Six, Vermont.In 1985 only 39 of the approximately 600ski areas allowed snowboards.

Despite the sport’s growing popularity,the skiing community was slow to warm to itand snowboarding was allowed at only afew resorts with ski patrols looking out forthese young men speeding down theslopes causing problems to the skiers.

The first magazine dedicated exclusivelyto snowboarding was launched in 1985. Absolutely Radical was the vision of publisher Tom Hseih and helped bring thesport to the mainstream. The magazinechanged its name six months later to International Snowboard Magazine to tonedown the sports already ‘radical’ image.

Snowboarding got its first movie appearance in 1985 in the James Bondclassic ‘A View To A Kill’, which sees Bondescape from his ski clad pursuers with easeas he glides over a lake on his snowboard,leaving them to sink behind him.

The launch of Trans World Snowboarding Magazine and Snowboarder

Magazine in 1987 helped the sport grow inpopularity, and by 1990 every Europeancountry as well as Japan, New Zealand,Canada and Australia offered exclusivecoverage of the sport.

However, the young sport’s climb topopularity wasn’t so readily accepted in theeyes of the traditional media, an article inTime magazine in 1988 claimed snowboarding to be “The worst newsport...a clumsy intrusion on the sleek precision of downhill skiing. Snowboardingis not about grace and style but about raging hormones.”

The Wall Street Journal in 1994 describedsnowboarding as ‘thefastest growing sport withparticipation up 50 per cent

since the previous winter’.The next dayRide Snowboards became the first snowboarding company to go public, raisingover $5m in its first day on the stock exchange.The sport was still struggling foracceptance on the world’s ski slopes untilthe late 90s, when it was first included atthe winter Olympics in Japan 1998.

Snowboarding captured the public’s attention for the duration of the games, andby the next winter games held in Salt LakeCity, where the Americans won their firstmedal sweep at a games since 1956, establishing the sport as a media darlingand firmly in the mainstream.

By the following Winter Olympics in2006, held in Torino, Italy, the sport featuredthree disciplines: slalom, halfpipe andboardercross. The events attracted moremedia attention than ever, the riders performing to sold out crowds at each one.

There are now over 5.1 million snowboarders every year in the US alone,with millions more visiting resorts all overthe world. For a sport that didn’t exist fiftyyears ago, it’s become a permanent fixture.

Sherman Poppen looked

up at the snow-covered

hill and saw a wave

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BataleonCutting edge: Norwegian company Bataleon are leading snowboard designwith their triple base technology. Theyalso look seriously sharp and you’ll be thefunkiest guy on the slopes with theseunder your feet (see above).www.bataleon.com

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WHISTLER, CANADAHost to the 2010 winter Olympics and rated the number one resort in North America,Whistler is a must see for all snow lovers, boarders or skiers. The village itself lies cradled between two monstrous mountains and boasts over 7000 acres of varied andchallenging terrain, including bowls, steeps, trees, 2 terrain parks and 3 pipes (2 of themsuper pipes). The resort is extremely popular, so best to avoid school holidays as the10,000 population swells by up to five times during peak times.

TIGNES, FRANCEKnown for its expansive terrain and notoriousnightlife, Tignes has all the ingredients for atruly memorable trip. Due to the height of the resort (around 3500m) the snow is often betterthan elsewhere, but of course this does mean itgets mighty cold! Great off piste, at the top of almost every lift, and views to die for.

ST ANTON, AUSTRIAReputed to have some of the best terrain in theworld, St Anton has variety to suit everyone, although freeriders enjoy it the most. Whetheryou’re an experienced rider or a first timer, thesteeps, deep powder, air, and trees on all sidesof the mountain slopes make it a hard place tobeat. It is renowned for its vast off piste tracks,and while it may not give the appearance of a

Top Five Snowboarding Destinations In The World

Whistler, Canada

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Planning a last minute snowboarding break? Forget the travel agents, and letThe Retro Collective recommend some places worth a visit

Whistler, Canada

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boarder friendly resort, the snow will show, and therefore appearances in this caseare very much deceptive.

LAKE TAHOE, USAOne of the world’s most picturesque alpinelakes, Tahoe is situated between two states, California and Nevada. It has excellent freestylefacilities due to the fierce competition to attractboarders to the 13 resorts situated there. Definitely a place more about the boarding than

the nightlife, but the ones who visit are rewarded with perfectly set half pipes and numerous parks.

SNOWPARK, NEW ZEALANDBuilt as a specific terrain park in 2002, Snowpark features over 40 kickers, rails,boxes and a world class super pipe and is a must visit for all freestylers. Last yearthey introduced night riding, two nights a week during July and August, but visitorsneed to have their own gear as there are no hire facilities available in the resort yet.

St Anton, Austria

Snowpark, New Zealand

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It’s difficult to think of anything ‘good’ thatcame out of the 1970s. It’s the bastard decadethat the rest of the century is embarrassed

by. The inbred cousin who at family gatheringsgets over excited and starts dribbling, only to be ignored in the hope that he will just do the decent thing and die, quietly in the corner. Itwas the decade that gave us Peters & Lee, terrorism at the Olympics, suburban wife swapping and Thatcher. Thanks a bunch 1970s.The food wasn’t a whole lot better.

In our house, Vesta Curry or a Fray Bentospie from a tin followed with, if we were lucky, afluorescent Angel Delight that tasted like shampoo and bubble gum was considered the cornerstone of a balanced and faintly exoticmeal. The only, and very occasional, jewel thatlit up the 70’s table was the appearance on high days andholidays of a deep pink moundof freshly defrosted prawns, covered in a wonderfully cloyingsauce all piled on wilting lettuceand served in a Martini glasswith a slice of lemon jauntily wedged on its rim.

The prawn cocktail drenched in Marie Rosesauce, possibly the best, and maybe the only,decent thing to come out of the 1970’s kitchen.So why has the Prawn Cocktail fallen fromgrace? Why isn’t it celebrated and enjoyed inthe very best restaurants, why can it only befound on the menu at Harvesters (£3.49 with aThousand Island Dressing - wrong) or atpainfully ironic dinner parties held in Shoreditch? It’s all because of the sauce.

The very thing that makes a prawn cocktailgreat, the thick almost cackling Marie Rosesauce that catches at the back of throat, is alsowhat makes the dish deeply unfashionable,hated by chefs and sublimely wonderful.

Back in the 70s the quality of prawns left anawful lot to be desired. Fresh un-cookedprawns, on ice, in their shells? Forget it. Whatprawns we had were deep frozen, badly transported, little pink bullets which when defrosted had the strange texture of rubberycardboard and the lingering taste of the insideof a cat’s mouth. But despite these major drawbacks in both taste and texture we couldn’tget enough of them. Prawns screamed glamour,they screamed expensive, they screamed that‘yes, we have a new Ford Granada, Melaminekitchen and wall to wall shag’.

A prawn cocktail was a social indicator thatyou where going somewhere, that you hadmoney and therefore good taste. But, of course,you didn’t have ‘good taste’ because as with

most things that people buyto impress others with, theonly impressive thing about1970’s frozen North Atlanticprawn was its price.

So the 1970’s host had adilemma. How to show off

your taste in expensive ingredients without actually making your guests retch? What was

Jeremy Daldry

Spending most of his time skulking round kitchens or with his nose in an obscure cookbook, Jeremy’s made food shows for the BBC and commissioned for UKTV Food. Here he comes out fighting for a 70’s classic

Prawns screamed glamour,

they screamed expensive, they

screamed that ‘yes, we have a

new Ford Granada, Melamine

kitchen and wall to wall shag

Bentleys: Provides the Rolls Royce of seafood cocktails

Culinary Comebacks:The Prawn Cocktail

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To cook the prawns:Boil a pan of water, reduce to a simmer and placethe prawns ‘shell on’ into the water to poach. Depending on the size this can be several minutes.While still warm peel the prawn but leave the headson (if you are a serious prawn lover the meat gainedfrom crushing the heads in your mouth is not to bemissed). Dress the prawns in a very small drizzle ofolive oil. Season with salt and pepper.To make the sauce:Mix the mayonnaise, with the Crème Fraîche andthe ketchup. The Crème Fraîche helps to keep thesauce lighter and less claggy. Add Tabasco to taste,a squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper. Marie Rosesauce is so intensely personal that there is no otheroption than to taste as you go along and balance

the sauce in the way you like. Mix together and putto one side.To prepare the lettuce:Shred as finely as possible, preferably into long thinstrips. Just before assembly, dress in a little olive oiland add some finely chopped chives. Do not add salt as this will draw water out of the lettuce.To assemble:Place the dressed lettuce in the bottom of a glass,pile the prawns on top and spoon some of thesauce over the prawns. But don’t flood the glass with the sauce – let theprawns be the stars. Sprinkle a small amount ofchopped chives on top, twist of pepper and serveimmediately.

needed to make the dish eatable, enjoyableeven, was a strong flavoured sauce, so strongin fact that the main ingredient could be hidden,masked, used purely as a delivery system forthe sauce. What was needed was a sauce thatcould stage a culinary coup and usurp the mainingredient entirely, taking over and becomingthe reason for the dish to exist in the first place.

And that is what a Marie Rose sauce wasborn to do – it’s the ultimate culinary bullyboy.No one in their right mind would take a flavouras delicate, light and precise as a fresh prawnand smother it in a combination of ketchup,mayonnaise and Tabasco but, in a trick as oldas cooking itself, it you are faced with sub-standard produce that is exactly what youdo… smother it in a heavy sauce.

Thankfully things have changed. Some of thecountries best chefs have, while not embracingthe prawn cocktail, allowed its upper class

cousin the seafood cocktail to creep back ontotheir menus. Richard Corrigan’s Bentleys doesa very fine, very dignified seafood cocktail thatis light, luxurious and full of ozone tastingmorsels. However, most restaurants servingprawns, or any sea food, with anything otherthan the lightest of sauces, a little chilli ormaybe a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil would beburned to the ground by a rampaging mob ofSunday supplement reading food snobs. Andthat’s a shame.

Because when it’s done with skill and attention there is a place for the 1970’s inspiredPrawn Cocktail. A place which isn’t to do withthe ironic, the kitsch or the camp but because ittastes really good and, with a few small alterations and changes, can work well withgood quality, meaty, fresh king prawns.

Oh…and Prawn Cocktail is never acceptableas a sandwich filling.

For the perfect Modern 1970’s Prawn Cocktail:

Raw king prawns on the shell. 3 per

person depending on size

2 tbsp Hellmann’s mayonnaise2 tbsp Crème Fraîche1 tbsp Heinz Tomato KetchupA dash of Tabasco1 Baby gem lettuce per personOlive oilLemonFresh chives

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RETROSPECTIVE

Husband and wife, Amanda Blanchand Chris Edwardes have runBrighton’s Blanch House for 10

years. Amanda, moved into interior design via motherhood. Inspired by a passion for colour shetransformed each room at BlanchHouse into a unique visual experience:"A stay in a hotel should never be dullor predictable”. Chris has managedmany renowned bars, restaurants andclubs in London, including The Groucho

Club, The Pharmacy, as well as openingThe Jazz Cafe and The Atlantic Bar andGrill. His cocktails skills have been described as 'legendary' and after morethan 30 years in the business Chris wasawarded Theme magazine’s LifetimeAchievement Award in 2007.

Having won, individually, bar designand cocktail making awards they werenamed, as a couple, in the 50 most influential people of the world bar industry, in 2008.

What is your all time favourite song?Amanda Blanch: That is impossible,London Calling /The Clash, Ride AWhite Swan / T-Rex, Five Years /David Bowie, Theinstrument version of This IsHardcore / Pulp,I'm In love With AGerman Film Star/ The Passions,Never Let Me Down / Depeche Mode,Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien / Edith Piaf,My Way / The Sex Pistols or Sinatra,just too, too many.Chris Edwardes: Tom Waits / RomeoIs Bleeding.Where did you have your most memorable meal?AB: Eating crab we had just caughtwhile filming a month on a desert

island for the BBC. We hadn't eatenproperly for ages and the whole family

just got stuck inon a paradisebeach.CE: El Disnivel inBuenos Aires,wow the beststeak in the worldin a small butpacked localrestaurant. Allplastic table

cloths and waiters running aboutwhile all the meat is cooked on anopen grill in the restaurant andbutchered there as well. Not for vegetarians! Do you collect anything? AB: Shoes and snowstorms.CE: Cocktail shakers.Do you have a 20th century hero oridol?

Blanch House: Award winning bar and cocktails

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Amanda Blanch& Chris Edwardes

AB: Emmeline Pankhurst. CE: Gene Kelly. What is your favourite film of all time?AB: Diva by Jean-Jacques Beineix.CE: Singing In The Rain.What was your first job?AB: Working at Selectadisc, Nottingham (one of the great independent record shops in the UK). CE: A paperboy. Who is your all time favourite actor?AB: So difficult again, Jack Nicholson,John Hurt, Terence Stamp, Cary Grant,Gabriel Byrne, Johnny Depp.CE: Audrey Hepburn.Who or what has been the biggest influence on your life?AB: Chris, my husband.CE: My wife, Amanda.What is your favourite TV show?AB: I'm loving In Treatment withGabriel Byrne on Sky Arts right nowbut probably Top of the Pops andMatch Of The Day.CE: Match Of The Day.Which career would you have followed if you weren’t doing what you are today?AB: I wanted to be a holiday reviewerlike Judith Charmers, but I do think Iwould have still gone into the musicbusiness as I did.CE: Something in music or dance. Do you remember your first boy/girl-friend’s name and are you in contact? AB: Yes, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd were all

called Andyand no, notanymore.CE: No and no.What is your proudest achievement?AB: Having my two children andsomehow between us raising them tobe wonderful human beings.CE: Winning two outstanding achievements awards for my work inthe bar industry in the same year. If you could live in any decade, whichone, and why? AB: The roaring 20s: the start of liberation for women, the vote, cocktails, bright young things, totalchange. Followed by the 60s for verymuch the same reason.CE: The 20s for the same reasons asmy wife and the 50s very close behindfor the birth of the teenager; rock n'roll; dancing and the cars.Have you ever ‘splashed’ the cash onsomething big?AB: Apart from the bloody hotel,Blanch House? I suppose our wonderful 1967 split screen VWCampervan. CE: My 1958 Mark II Zephyr.Is there one thing you want to do before you depart the stage?AB: Learn to sail and drift around Europe eating fresh fish, mooring atpretty harbours and relaxing in thesun drinking good wines. CE: Travelling is top of my list.

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Contact The Retro Collective: [email protected]