I was checking out BoingBoing today and was delighted to see a nice post about one of our favorite new books, Mingering Mike: The Amazing Career of an Imaginary Superstar by Dori Hadar. We've been curious about this story since we first read about it in the Times a few years back. Basically, a dj was digging through crates of records at a flea market and discovered dozens and dozens of LPs by Mingering Mike, a "soul superstar" of the '60s and '70s whom he had never heard of. Upon closer inspection it was clear that these "LPs" were actually elaborataly hand drawn imaginary albums by an imaginary "superstar" filled with imaginary songs on an imagary record label....you get the picture. Realizing that he had stumbled upon some great outsider art (and that behind great outsider art, there's usually a good story) Hadar embarked on a quest to track down the mysterious Mingering Mike, whose story does not dissappoint. This book recounts that quest and includes color reproductions of Mingering Mikes amazingly detailed and wonderfully imaginative albums and 45s.Get a copy of Mingering Mike at the Shoppe, and listen to stories about him on NPR.
1 comment:
I remember this story from back in the day when I lived in DC. That article (by Neil Strauss) was completely astonishing and fascinating. I am so excited that I went and bought it at the shoppe!
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