From what I can gather, Ehara Hiroyuki is Japan's John Edward, purporting to have a psychic ability to speak to the dead.
What that has to do with children's toys I don't know, though apparently if you buy tickets to this Christmas season event you can get an official Hiroyuki charm.
Organized by Spike Lee & the Borough of Brooklyn, this block party celebrates Jackson's role as an inspirational icon. Personal and civic identity resonate in this contemporary version of the saint's day festival:
Anybody and everybody is invited to attend Michael Jackson’s 51st birthday party on Saturday, August 29, from noon to 5 p.m., at Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn, New York. DJ Spinna will be spinning all things Jackson, from the Jackson 5 to the Jacksons to Michael Jackson. The Brooklyn borough president will be on hand to declare Aug. 29 “Michael Jackson Day.”
“At the end, we’ll all sing Happy Birthday to Michael,” Lee says. “We’re going to make sure he hears us, too. All over the world, people are going to be celebrating his birthday. But he’s going to hear Brooklyn; Brooklyn is going to be in the house. Deep.”
Because of massive work commitments I wasn't able to make it to the San Diego Comic Con, where costumes are a standard way of expressing one's identity. But that's not the only way it's done in the community--to mark the occasion here are several notable comic & cartoon tombstones!
Rich Morrissey, legendary comics historian & letter column denizen (thanks Michael!):
Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny (among countless others!):
Alfred Harvey, founder of Harvey Comics, publisher of Casper the Friendly Ghost:
Heroclix prototype model of the Joker at Robin II's grave:
Mark Gruenwald, comic book writer, who was cremated & had his ashes mixed in the ink for the first edition of his collected series Squadron Supreme--a copy of which was a standard part of my law school classes on corporate life & personal identity!
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After LA Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart was killed by a drunk driver earlier this season, fans created this memorial outside the stadium. Besides the painting, it consists of caps, signs and Rally Monkeys.
The urge to transcend nature takes many forms. As Animal NY reminds us, 32 years ago George Willig scaled the World Trade Center and memorialized his effort by writing his name on roof of WTC 2.
The tower is gone, but his mark of immortality remains in this photo.
Target marketing comes to the pop occult with Hasbro's new pink Ouija board for girls.
With carrying case!
New research positing that early humans ate Neanderthals has been making the rounds. Whether that actually occurred is open to debate; somewhat less disputed is that we apparently used Neanderthal teeth in our necklaces.
Below: more contemporary tooth necklaces from Marc Luscher:
A 100-year-old-plus set of wedding rings provides a vivid reminder of the vows.
Memento mori in icing, one of several passive-aggressive Cake Wrecks
Designer Michael Shea commemorates the demolition of Shea Stadium with a fusion of the logos for the Mets and Grateful Dead:
"It was this great, really ugly, everyman kind of place," Shea says. "Another great thing about Shea Stadium was that the corporate sponsorship was the most no-name brands you have ever heard of. That really made it for me."