My photos from the 30th Hauntfest on 5th (2015)

My old camera died at the start of Hauntfest 2014, so I'm very pleased to present my images from #HauntfestOn5th 2015! Click the link in the title of this post to see the full photos, or just enjoy this small slideshow here. Have a boo-tiful day!

From the Hood to the Good - Sherry Styles

http://bonnettsbooks.tumblr.com/post/122573410655/here-june-27-2015-3pm-meetngreet

Dayton in Pulp History & Bonnett's in 3-D!

Get your red/blue glasses and check out this wonderful depiction of our shop in 3-D! It really works!!!
Thanks to William Lampkin of the Yellowed Perils blog at ThePulp.net for this great, one-of-a-kind image!

Bill also posted an article about on us, "Going Back to Bonnett's", on his Yellowed Perils blog. It's a great place to find links, info, and history about the pulp magazines which gave birth to all which is now commonly known as pulp fiction. We're quite partial to pulps, not only as inventory, but for the fact that Grandpa Harold wrote detective fiction which was published in many well-known pulps of that variety. It's my suspicion that his writing helped him earn enough to open the store with Grandma Ruth.

Also on Yellowed Perils is Bill's tribute to another downtown Dayton icon, Richard E. Clear, Sr. (R.I.P.), who opened the legendary Dragon's Lair a few blocks west of us in 1973. I bought the bulk of my own new comics collection and RPGs there into the late '80s.

I had learned of Clear's passing the day before I found Bill's article about it. David T. Alexander of DTACollectibles.com shared the sad news when he stopped here on the way home from the Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention. David and Richard co-authored "Old Magazines: Identification & Value Guide" in 2003; a book which has proven incredibly useful to us over the years.

Another astounding tome is from nearby Fairborn, OH. The Bookery Fantasy "Ultimate Guide to Pulps" by Tim Cottrill is a must-have for any pulp magazine collector. And while I'm mentioning reference works, I should mention the annual Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. We get our copies from Pete Bell of Bell Book & Comic. Pete got started in the comics biz at the aforementioned Dragon's Lair!

Pulp fans owe a great deal to Mr. Rusty Hevelin. Rusty was the driving force behind the nearly 4-decade run of Dayton's own Pulpcon, which was, for a time, the premiere destination for pulp collectors worldwide. Rusty's devotion to pulp was so great that there is now an award named after him. The Rusty Hevelin Service Award (aka "The Rusty") is awarded each year at PulpFest in Columbus, OH to that person who is deemed to have shown the greatest dedication to the betterment of the pulp-collecting community.

Sadly, the bulk of our pulp inventory has dwindled, but our love for it continues. We still occasionally turn up a box or two, or a stray here and there. In the past I've scanned a number of pulp covers and have them in collections on our Google+ profile (formerly Picasa albums) - here's a link to one such collection. Look around our albums to find more. Also, check out ThePulp.net's great collection of pulp-era newsstand photos for an interesting glimpse into a world when radio and reading ruled the home-entertainment universe.

Enjoy!

Just Another Day(?)

April 3rd, 2015 is the 4th First Friday Art Hop of 2015 in Dayton, OH. Many folks use the hashtag #FirstFriday, but these events take place all over the country! I like #1stFriDayton to help set us apart from all the others.

First Friday is an art-centric event, and we always try to highlight our selection of art-related books of all sorts. What many people forget is that writing, too, is an art; alongside painting, sculpture, carving, dancing, music, etc. Some believe in a philosophy that every aspect of life can be conducted artfully. With these ideas in mind, I present, as an example, a number of April 3rd anniversaries, most of which can be explored in greater detail in the multitudes of books on our shelves.

Stop in, and don't be decieved by the playful decor of our shop.

 

We've got comics, sure; but the business-minded will find goods here, too. Religion, Politics, Economics, Philosophy, and History are all well-represented on our shelves. Explore the unknown with our metaphysical selections. Or just pick up some comics, classics, or novels for less serious reading. We have Children's books, Sports books, DIY books, and just about any other topic you can imagine. In fact, we have books you can't find in any other shop in the Dayton region.

Now, glance over the following list and maybe you'll find inspiration to explore something more. April 3rd is just another day. One of 365 each year, but each of those days hold the potential to begin a whole new journey.

Enjoy, and thank you,
 ~ Kevin Bonnett

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April 3rd in History (gleaned from Wikipedia)

Literary History
1783 - Birth of Washington Irving, author of "Sleepy Hollow."
1885 - Birth of cartoonist Bud Fisher, creator of "Mutt & Jeff."
1895 - Oscar Wilde brings libel case, resulting in his own imprisonment on charges of homosexuality.
1912 - Birth of author Dorothy Eden.
1955 - ACLU announces plans to defend Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" against obscenity charges.

Local History
1974 - I was 10, playing outside. Mom, in a panic, called for us to come in because of storms. This confused me, because nothing seemed unusual where we were, a few miles south of Vandalia, OH, except the state Mom was in. This was the date of "Super Outbreak of 1974" which spawned 148 confirmed tornadoes across 13 states in the South & Midwest, and in Ontario Canada, including the infamous Xenia Tornado, which nearly wiped the entire town off the map.

Aviation History
1933 - Marquis of Clydesdale is first to fly over Mt. Everest.

American History
1860 - The first successful Pony Express run begins in St. Joseph, MO.
1865 - Union forces take the Confederate Capital of Richmond, VA.
1882 - Jesse James is killed by Robert Ford.
1936 - Bruno Richard Hauptmann executed in the Lindbergh Baby case.
1948 - President Truman signs the Marshall Plan for U.S. aid abroad.
1968 - MLK delivers "Mountaintop" speech

Automotive History
1885 - Gottlieb Daimler recieves a patent for his engine design.

Entertainment History
1924 - Birth of actor Marlon Brando.
1958 - Birth of actor Alec Baldwin.
1959 - Birth of actor David Hyde Pierce.
1961 - Birth of comedian & actor Eddie Murphy.
1982 - Birth of actress Cobie Smulders.
1986 - Birth of actress Amanda Bynes.

Miscellaneous History
1975 - Chess Master Bobby Fischer refuses to play Anatoly Karpov, giving Karpov the World Chess Championship.

Music History
1936 - Birth of organist Jimmy McGriff.
1941 - Birth of Jan Berry of musical act "Jan & Dean."
1942 - Birth of singer Wayne Newton.
1944 - Birth of Tony Orlando of musical act "Tony Orlando & Dawn."
1946 - Birth of Dee Murray of muscial acts "Procol Harum" & "The Spencer Davis Group."
1949 - Birth of Richard Thompson of "Fairport Convention."
1968 - Birth of singer Sebastian Bach of musical act "Skid Row."

Science History
1934 - Birth of primatologist Jane Goodall.

Space History
1926 - Birth of astronaut Gus Grissom.

Sports History
1949 - Birth of American football player Lyle Alzado.
1971 - Birth of Olympic skier Picabo Street.

Technology History
1973 - Motorola & Bell Labs collaboration makes 1st mobile phone call.
1981 - At the size of a sewing machine, the Osborne 1 is announced as the first portable computer.
2000 - U.S. vs. Microsoft antitrust case rules against Microsoft.

True Crime History
1888 - The first murder attributed to Jack the Ripper is committed.
1996 - "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski is captured.

World History
1922 - Joseph Stalin becomes the "George Washington" of Communism.
1946 - Japanese Lt. Gen'l Homma executed for leading Bataan Death March.
2004 - Perpetrators of Madrid Train bombings are trapped by police and kill themselves.