Adventureland T-Shirts ...

It takes a little while for the Jungle Drums to reach the Secret Island, and sometimes it means you miss out on what's hot... like this fantastic shirt from graphic designer Richard who describes himself as..

"A born dreamer & doer. An idea guy who understands the importance of magic. Specializing in graphic design, typography, painting and illustration."

His blog page is stuffed to the brim with wonderfully creative designs for Disney, that are in every way unofficial but are of the quality that should demand respect from the head honchos in purchasing.

His retro inspired designs have created quite a stir around Tiki Blogs and Forums. To avoid any complications with Disney this shirt design is not based on a show or attraction. Richard says

"Within Adventureland at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, there's a "must eat" on every visitor's list: the Dole Pineapple Whip! If it's not on your bucket list, it should be. It's the most amazing frozen concoction in the parks! The Dole Pineapple Whip is a staple and is so popular that Disney added a whip machine in the Polynesian Resort back when the quick service area was refurbished."

"I tried to take a whimsical yet kitschy approach with the design. I wanted to not only represent the whip itself, but to also reflect the tropical Tahitian feel of Adventureland. What better icon to represent the spirit of Oceania than a Tiki warrior? To throw a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor into the design, I thought it would be clever to have him holding a whip in his hands. Of course this fierce tropical warrior couldn't be so mean when enjoying this delectable treat, so his intimidating frown has been turned upside down. I can imagine after the park closes that the statues, carvings and idols from around Adventureland break their poses and all hit up the Dole Whip stand to reward their hard day’s work of entertaining guests."

The good news for Richard is that the demand was so huge that he fulfilled his order ... the bad news for most of you guys and me is that we missed out! ;0(

... it won't happen again!

Tiki Farm: Von Franco Ashtrays ...

In a short term departure from mugs Tiki Farm have created from the artwork of Von Franco two new ashtrays.

Done up in “Purple Haze” and “Mellow Yellow” glazes, the ashtrays are further finished in an authentic mother-of-pearl overglaze! Each ashtray features 1 cigar rest and 3 cigarette rests.

They only have 250 of each color so the supply of these is limited. AND… are you ready for the price? Their Smokin’ Joe ashtrays are only $11.11 each!

Get down to the Farm quickly!

Vintage Wahine of the Week: Jayne Mansfield ...

Introducing this weeks Wahine of the Week Jayne Mansfield, a bit of a blast from the past. Biography from Java's Bachelor Pad.

"In the 1950's, Jayne Mansfield was probably the most well-known Hollywood blonde bombshell next to Marilyn Monroe. Whereas Marilyn was the unattainable goddess, Mansfield was the girl that every swinging bachelor hoped and prayed to meet at a nightclub. She was everyman's ideal of the buxom beauty. She knew how to purr and how to sway her hips. But these are the same attributes that caused her own downfall. As intelligent as she was (an IQ of 163) and as much as she wanted to be taken seriously as an actress, she could never shed her image of the dumb blonde."

"In the 1960's the world changed, but Mansfield stayed where she was, a prisoner of her pink-colored world and unmarketable to a new generation who had grown tired of the classic glamour model. But in the last 40 years, Mansfield's mystique has grown. As kitschy as her life was, we still adore her."

We certainly do!

Reviewing iPhone Cases Tiki Style ...

It's been a while since Tiki Talk (on of my favourite Tiki Blogs) drew my attention to a rubber iPhone case for the third generation model.

But having upgraded to the 4G version I'm looking for a new case to replace my rather nondescript black one, the reception is remarkably good here on The Secret Island. I was disappointed that the makers of the case above don't have a 4G update and so it was onto the internet to find the best of the rest and I thought I would share...

#3. Tiki Amakua skin from Skinit.com


This one comes in at $14.99 and is a front and back skin. Not a bad look but offering minimal (none!) protection against drops but will keep those scratches at bay!

#2. Magma iPhone 4 Slider Case from Cafepress.

The Magma Tiki iPhone 4 with this back cover, two-piece case. It features a removable bottom (with a soft grip for easy handling) that slides off for quick docking. A hard plastic design protects from scratches.

• Fits iPhone 4g
• Hard-shell two-piece protective case
• Sliding case, with removable bottom for docking
• Felt-lined inside
• Easy access to all controls
• Apple® and iPhone® are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries

They also have the Eclipse... both available for $25. Cheap when you consider the price of a replacement!

#1. Tribal iPhone 4 case by Grove.

Okay, okay so it's not strictly speaking a Tiki but my choice case is hard to resist. Part of its artist series (Jonny Wan, UK) this skull design has all the trademarks of a quality tattoo etched into bamboo. Each case is created from a piece of bamboo with a scary amount of accuracy. The back is a mere 0.075" while the whole thing weighs .6oz!

You might not even notice its there ... even your wallet will feel lighter! But I guess at $89 and taking into account the style and workmanship you certainly get what you pay for!

Derek Does It Again ...

Derek Yaniger has been a busy boy. Invited to contribute three pieces for an exhibit at Miami’s fabulous Harold Golen Gallery he sent in 3 full color original art pieces torn right from the pages of his very own personal sketchbook…now each one is framed and ready to hang on your wall. Two are pictured below and you'll need to get in contact if you want them...

He is also planning on releasing some serigraphs in the near future (like the one pictured below) if you like the look of this one sign up for the emailed news at Derek Art and get in the queue!

Trader Sams ... open for business.

Back at the start of May I posted about the imminent opening of Trader Sams at Disneyland. Well the question is, is it any good?

Well what better place to find out than check Critiki . Well it would appear that its well worth the visit, scoring an average of 9.4. Whilst the decor is grabbing the headlines it is disappointing to see that its lowest scores come when reviewer score the drink quality, drink selection and food... all key elements of a quality Tiki Bar. The Critiki review states...

"Trader Sam's is named for the "head" salesman from the Jungle Cruise ride at Disneyland, and the decor is a mix of influence from that ride and the Enchanted Tiki Room, with a little of Walt Disney World's Adventurer's Club thrown in for good measure. Top-notch Disney designers Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily were able to work on some of the decor. There are reports of some interactive elements at the bar.

The early word is that the drink quality is higher than one might expect, with syrups from Portland's Trader Tiki in use. If you like the punny performance given by the Jungle Cruise skippers, you'll love the drink names: "HippopotoMaiTai", "Schweitzer Falls" and "Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum" are some of the cleverly-named cocktails."

To mark the opening Richard at the Designerland Blog has created and shared a rather nice unofficial Trader Sam's Soundtrack. Get over there and check it out...

Wahine of the Week: La La Hartline ...

Three posts in three days ... I really am back!

As its Tuesday its Wahine of the Week time! This week I bring to you for your viewing pleasure La La Hartline.

LaLa is a Tattoo Shop owner, Body Piercer and Tattooed Model. She has been modeling for 10 years with experience in everything from runway and fashion to pin-up and adult, and has also featured in countless tattoo magazines. Besides all that is tattoo, piercing, and modeling her interests are interior design, gardening and sewing!

Webley Edwards presents Paradise Island Capitol Records 1959 ...

I've been doing a little reading around the marketing of Hawaiian music in the 1950's. I found quite an informative article which highlighted its growth, and this Webley Edwards album is a classic example. There are tracks which mark your arrival and departure on the island by boat... you kick back in your favourite armchair and are transported to a Paradise Island aided by the impressive sleeve notes and full colour booklet which acts almost as a travel brochure.

Extract from article...

"Hawaii-inspired music marketed via popular record albums, radio shows, and Hollywood film soundtracks aided Hawaii’s transformation in the popular imagination from a mysterious ‘primitive’ paradise into the 50th U.S. state. Indeed, by constructing and capturing the temptingly tropical so-called ‘sounds’ of Hawaii on the latest hi-fi recording equipment, the music industry offered up Hawaiian music as an achievement of modern technology, promoting these U.S. islands as an acoustic, as well as a tourist, paradise."

"Record albums are useful sights for material culture studies for several reasons. They are durable. Records from the 1950s remain widely available today, collected and coveted by consumers, and recirculate as retro icons. Used records are sold by the thousands in vinyl stores, at record fairs, and on the Internet; and, surprisingly, vinyl has rebounded as a viable niche within the music industry. Furthermore, old records are often re-released on compact disc, thus enjoying a new life. Although images from 1950s and 1960s advertisements usually appear hopelessly dated, record cover designs enjoy new life on compact discs that cash in on ironic trends or retro fashions."

Enjoy a trip to Webley Edwards' Paradise Island.

Introducing Trevor Carlton...

Trawling through Tumblr this week, whilst sheltering from a tropical cyclone,I came across the work of artist Trevor Carlton. I was immediately impressed with not only the subject matter but also the patina of the finish. I love that vintage, slightly worn paint effect to the point that some people who know me quite well just don't understand why I'm attracted to the sort of stuff that most consider tatty or just simply rubbish!

Monte Trevor Carlton was born in 1972 in Olympia, Washington State. Although he took up painting in high school, the first artistic passion that Trevor embraced was acting. He decided to forgo an art scholarship in favor of attending a dramatic arts scholarship at Skagit Valley College.

Trevor next attended the Lee Strasberg Acting Workshop. The following year he relocated to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. Amidst the chaos of auditions and callbacks, Trevor paid the bills by working in a custom furniture store, specializing in antiquing and faux finish designs.

It was here that a style was born. Using reclaimed lumber as his “canvas”, he started painting images of vintage Americana with subjects ranging from pop icon celebrity to the hey day of jazz.

After numerous gallery shows in Los Angeles and private commissions he has now combined his unique style to that most American of symbols, MICKEY MOUSE. Along with a series of classic lobby card paintings, he has also created a performance piece that has him painting a large canvas of our favorite Disney characters in a matter of minutes.

Find out more about Trevor and his work here.

Wahine of the Week: Madeline Sinclaire...

I've been busy clearing the sizable piles of driftwood that seems to wash up on the shores of the Secret Island in the hope that I can return to regular posting. Things have been very busy ... still I'm back and ready to share with you this weeks wahine (yeah I know we've missed a few Tuesdays!) of the week. Introducing Madeline Sinclaire.

Madeline is a classic Burlesque dancer, choreographer and pin-up model with 4 years of performing and modeling experience. She loves performing, pin-up and totally live the rockabilly lifestyle. She is also a costume and vintage clothing collector and has a huge collection of burlesque props including boas, feather fans and other odds and ends.

She says "I take great pride in what I do and how I present myself and hope it shows in my photos."

It certainly does Madeline! Please check out her website for more info and photos.