Mad Men & Shanty Tramps: Sex, Scandal, Sleaze & Style

Written By Will Viharo


My upcoming Thrillville road shows combine several of my favorite subjects: 60s sexploitation, 60s style, 60s fashions, 60s scandals, and 60s politics. On Thursday, January 21, 8PM, I'm presenting the 1967 K. Gordon Murray cult classic SHANTY TRAMP, a rare 35mm print (courtesy of The Vortex Room) which I've shown several times at the Parkway, but this is its San Francisco debut, at that cozy grindhouse, the 4 Star. This sensational slice of Southern-fried sleaze combines retro-racism, racy religion, and raunchy revenge as a topless floozy runs around stabbing white trash assholes to death - usually after banging 'em first. There is absolutely no redemption in this immoral, immortal tale of torrid terror - it's strictly sinful sensuality for the sick sake of it. On top of that, we'll be giving away the usual sordid assortment of prizes and even better, the bawdy burlesque of the Hubba Hubba Revue and the Vicar of Liquor will perform live before your drooling eyes. (Read more about Shanty Tramp in Dennis Harvey's SF Bay Guardian piece about this show here.) A couple of days later, on Saturday, January 23, 9PM, no cover, Thrillville returns to Kingman's Ivy Room, where we hosted a very successful Sinatra shindig last month, with a MAD MEN PARTY, celebrating the hit, hedonistic hipster AMC TV series which gloriously revives the mid-century modern milieu of highballs, high heels, and lowlifes. Monica Tiki Goddess will once again don her Joan Holloway va-va-voom outfit, and I'll be doing the skinny-tie shiny suit thing, of course. Episodes from the first two seasons will be showing on both bar TV screens, classic cocktail specials will be flowing, period lounge/pop music will be playing, prizes for best vintage fashions will be offered and best of all, local theremin lounge band Project Pimento will be performing live sets of retro-coolness. Dig the decadent dirt.
Will Viharo

WILL "THE THRILL" VIHARO is a freelance writer and the author of several "gonzo pulp" novels including "A Mermaid Drowns in the Midnight Lounge," "Freaks That Carry Your Luggage up to the Room," "Chumpy Walnut," "Lavender Blonde," "Down a Dark Alley," and the “Vic Valentine, Private Eye” series, the first of which, "Love Stories Are Too Violent For Me," has been optioned for a film by Christian Slater, reissued in 2013 by Gutter Books, which also published the new Vic Valentine novel "Hard-boiled Heart" in December, 2015.

Two science fiction novels, "It Came from Hangar 18" and "The Space Needler's Intergalactic Bar Guide," were written in collaboration with Scott Fulks, who added real science to Will's pulp.

Will's own imprint, Thrillville Press, has issued a three volume anthology series featuring all of his standalone novels called "The Thrillville Pulp Fiction Collection," along with another omnibus called "The Vic Valentine Classic Case Files," which include four novels from the 1990s, "Fate Is My Pimp," "Romance Takes a Rain Check," "I Lost My Heart in Hollywood," and "Diary of a Dick," plus a recent short story, "Brain Mistrust."

More recently published books include the Vic Valentine "Mental Case Files" trilogy comprised of "Vic Valentine: International Man of Misery," "Vic Valentine: Lounge Lizard For Hire," and "Vic Valentine: Space Cadet"; the original story collection "Vic Valentine, Private Eye: 14 Vignettes"; the erotic horror noir novella "Things I Do When I'm Awake"; and a collection of erotic horror noir stories, "VIHORROR! Cocktales of Sex and Death."

Additionally Will has had stories included in a variety of anthologies including "Fast Women and Neon Lights: Eighties-Inspired Neon Noir"; "Mixed Up!"; "Long Distance Drunks: A Tribute to Charles Bukowski"; "Deadlines: A Tribute to William Wallace"; "Dark Yonder: Tales and Tabs"; "Knucklehead Noir" and "Weird Winter Wonderland" (both Coffin Hop Press); and "Pop the Clutch: Thrilling Tales of Rockabilly, Monsters, and Hot Rod Horror."

Viharo's unique brand of "gonzo pulp fiction" combines elements of eroticism, noir, fantasy, and horror. For many years he has also been a professional film programmer/impresario and live music booker. He now lives in Seattle, WA with his wife and cats

https://www.thrillville.net
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