TMI Tuesday: Taking Things Seriously

By Benson Kua from Toronto, Canada (Seriously?Uploaded by tm) [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

“Step into any living room, office, studio or den of just about any engaged, imaginative, passionate person and you will find an item that, although it may not appear particularly valuable, is reverentially displayed as though it were a precious and irreplaceable artifact.”
For example: scraps of movie posters scavenged from the streets of NYC by ‘Low Life’ author Luc Sante. A WWI prison camp hunk of bread forced upon photographer Rosamond Purcell by an elderly neighbor…you get the idea.

1. Think about your environments–home, office, vehicle, what sort of inanimate objects hold special meaning and significance for you. List/name the objects, tell us why they hold a special place. Share some photos if you dare.
I have a lot of objects around – controlled clutter, I think is what I’d call it. The primary objects that seem to be breeding on my shelf are Cthulhus. For those of you who don’t know, Cthulhu was one of the Great Old Ones in Lovecraft’s pantheon, sleeping under the sea until the stars are right to awaken and devour mankind…which is, of course, why they make plush toys of him. I have them dressed in all manner imaginable, including a festive Cthulhu Santa with jingle bells on his tentacles, a puppet, and even slippers. Lots of other themed items are on my shelves as well. Why do I have them? I think it comes from reading Lovecraft at a very young age (6 or so), being fascinated with how the references (subtle or in-your-face) permeate horror, and the idea of him being a plush stuffed toy just amuses me.

I’ve got Star Trek items everywhere: you name it, I probably have it. I am a bit of a Trekker,  having watched Star Trek (TOS) since I was three. There’s still nothing better. I have miniatures, an Enterprise phone, lots of plates, a 3D chessboard, and even a V.I.B that is Mr. Spock.

I’ve also got a lot of Godzilla items – stuffed animals and the like, even some of the Ty Beanie Babies as Godzilla, Mothra, and Ghidorah on the shelves. Yes, I love my monster movies. And a lot of other odd but fun stuff.

2. Are any of your treasured items worth a lot of money?
Hmmm…a lot? Probably not. Some of them might be to the right collector, but I wouldn’t say an exorbitant amount.

3. Would you ever part with that item? If yes, under what circumstances.
I might part with a few things, but never the entire collection of any of them.

4. What is the oddest or strangest item that you covet and proudly display?
I’m not sure what the oldest would be…or really the strangest. I suppose up on the list is Santa Cthulhu for being strange. And adorable. And the Vincent Price Shrunken Head Kit. That’s definitely an odd one.

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