Divine Comedy - INFERNO

Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate

Hey- this story starts on Good Friday! Get preppin'!

All images are from my 1948 copy of The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri published by Pantheon Books. I got this book when, after my neighbor loaned it to me, he died. His name was Rich Schultz, and he fell off a 24" stage with a bundle of lighting cable on his shoulder, as a result of a grand mal seizure. He was kind and good. An avid collector, it was no surprise he had a volume like this. He was a prison guard summers, but his real passion was theatrical lighting, and he was snuffed just as that career was getting started. A shame.

I'm presenting Inferno first, later I'll present Purgatorio, then Paradiso.

All Gustave Dore' Images in the table link to BIG images in order to see detail.

This is worthy of the best masters of horror - decapitated bodies hoist their own countenances high in order to warn the travelers.

Ragged, torn off limbs,

shattered bodies in various degrees of pain, vivisection,

and living entombment.



The poem is 14th century - the engravings are 19th century. Gustave Dore' really did his best to freak freely in a negative sense, so to speak.

Finally I'll state that these are unfolding for me as they are for you - in the here and now.

Thank yourselves for growing up and waking up to realize this kind of unforgiving monkey business does not await you. That doesn't excuse bad behavior, though, so be good.

The Reverend Horton Heat - Last Friday Night!

Abosultely the rockinest, on fire-est, show you can go to. He never plays the same song list twice and this time he really dug deep. Buy all his albums now. There was a suprisingly self-contained mosh pit as well. Kind of anachronistic tho. They seemed like the equivalent of people who get dressed up in 50's outfits..

Her's a pic of the Rev standing on top of Jimbo's Bass - Jimbo's there, too. Down low.

(link to a 1024 above)

Here's another "shot":


Now here's a mystery explained: I always thought that the Rev was portraying a chicken (possibly a guinea hen) antagonizing an insect, child, or other barnyard animal (as portrayed by Jimbo) in the following clip:

But then he explained that after playing Atlantic City the night before and crossing the mighty Delaware on his way to Philadelphia, his pathological fear of Bottlenose Dolphin was reawakened. I now get it- predatory swimming and a sinister dolphin cackle on guitar - it's not a chicken at all - it's a dolphin attacking a swimmer!!!!

Luckily that huge Bass makes a great flotation device......

Keeeee-rist!

Going Friday- the pic of tix - hicks...... and HERE's a taste





The tune is a dedication to Mrs. Glyphjockey...