Streetwear, Gorpcore & the future of menswear.

Menswear is changing. Even Virgil says streetwear's gonna die.

Meanwhile, there's this growing trend of urban dwellers wearing camping gear like they're headed Upstate...

Meet Gorpcore.

Is it replacing streetwear?

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Okay look - I didn’t grow up with comic books. But I read stacks of science fiction digests and I kit-bashed model cars into fantasy rods, and just tried to maintain a low profile until I could get out of the house. So you could say I’m a distant cousin of the comic book fan. /1

And sometimes one’s childhood passion follows them into adulthood, sometimes not, sometimes as an adult one finds a passion they never had as a child and embraces it. For me, that must include getting involved with a puppet show at the age of thirty. /2

So who’s to say whose passion’s legitimate and whose is bogus? Nobody. Someone might indict your passion but they have no ground to stand on and should be dismissed out of hand. /3

Maybe they’re envious that you have a passion, maybe they think that their passion is cooler than yours, or maybe they’re just insecure, who knows. Doesn’t matter. /4

What matters is that if something gives you joy, and in the process doesn’t hurt others, then by all means follow it. It’s how we explore our secret hopes, our shadow sides, our inner character. /5

Pierre Boulle was born today in 1912, so what better time to look back at his sociological science-fiction classic that paved the way for Star Wars and the MCU.

This is the story of Planet Of The Apes!

Pierre Boulle is probably best known for his 1952 novel Bridge On The River Kwai, based on his wartime experiences in Indochina. So it was possibly a surprise when 11 years later he authored a science fiction novel.

However Boulle had been a Free French secret agent during the war. He was captured in 1943 by Vichy forces in Vietnam and sentenced to hard labour. This experience of capture would shape his novel La Planète Des Singes.

Published in 1963 La Planète Des Singes recieved good reviews. An English translation - entitled Monkey Planet - was issued the following year. It was a story that seemed to strike a chord with readers.

In the novel two rich travellers find a manuscript written by journalist Ulysse Mérou. It tells a fantastical tale: how he travelled with two wealthy explorers to Betelgeuse. They land on the planet Soror, a world of primitive humans ruled by advanced civilised apes.

62nd anniversary of The Day The Music Died.

Some shots from that final show at the Surf Ballroom. That's Waylon Jennings playing bass for both Buddy Holly and Richie Valens. He didn't ride on the plane because he lost a coin flip.

correction - it was Buddy Holly's guitarist Tommy Allsup who lost the plane ride coin flip to Richie Valens; Waylon Jennings reluctantly gave up his seat on the plane to JR "The Big Bopper" Richardson because Richardson had the flu.

In their last conversation, Buddy Holly kidded Jennings for 'chickening out' of the plane ride, and joked "I hope your damn bus freezes up again."

Jennings, joking back, told Holly "I hope your ol' plane crashes." That joke haunted Jennings for decades.

The Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake survives, though, and is still a gem; and still hosts an annual February commemorative Winter Dance Party.