Winter Park, Florida
He’s waited long enough. Justin Mimbs offered this jewel a while back and it’s time his efforts are acknowledged. A routine photographic exploration just outside Orlando yielded a historic find. This is the first Body Dumper submission on behalf of the alligator state. The BD jigsaw puzzle is slowly being put together. We will build the southeastern seaboard slowly but with great conviction. Danny might be Florida’s greatest export, but Justin Mimbs is solely responsible for documenting its foul play potential.
This one appears to be a late 1980’s model. The streets were not flooded with textbook, smooshed era corpse cruisers in the late 80’s. But this era still manifested more than just passable BDs.  Justin’s photo journalism clearly indicates that. However, we can see this is an aesthetic rebirth for the BD. Not since the mid 1960’s was the Dumper being designed with such square lines. As much as we love the early 70’s archetypes, these 80’s whips are not exactly small change to the Foul Play Enthusiast (FPE).
The faded paint is a subtle suggestion of automotive neglect. I get the feeling there are Newport cartons on the passenger seat. Perhaps this Dumper makes routine trips to Publix for low qaulity cat food and Wonder bread. A bad attitude is most desirable when driving this one. Aggressive acceleration, hard braking, and impatient honking offer the world a side profile of generalized misery. But most of all we see those tires. The tires are beyond textbook. It’s the most fool proof indicator that we are in the midst of a BD. You can see the swirling depths of hell in those tires. A portal to the darkest corners of foul play. Florida’s first is more than worthy of being acknowledged. The beauty is there will be so many more to come. Stay hard and God bless.

Winter Park, Florida

He’s waited long enough. Justin Mimbs offered this jewel a while back and it’s time his efforts are acknowledged. A routine photographic exploration just outside Orlando yielded a historic find. This is the first Body Dumper submission on behalf of the alligator state. The BD jigsaw puzzle is slowly being put together. We will build the southeastern seaboard slowly but with great conviction. Danny might be Florida’s greatest export, but Justin Mimbs is solely responsible for documenting its foul play potential.

This one appears to be a late 1980’s model. The streets were not flooded with textbook, smooshed era corpse cruisers in the late 80’s. But this era still manifested more than just passable BDs.  Justin’s photo journalism clearly indicates that. However, we can see this is an aesthetic rebirth for the BD. Not since the mid 1960’s was the Dumper being designed with such square lines. As much as we love the early 70’s archetypes, these 80’s whips are not exactly small change to the Foul Play Enthusiast (FPE).

The faded paint is a subtle suggestion of automotive neglect. I get the feeling there are Newport cartons on the passenger seat. Perhaps this Dumper makes routine trips to Publix for low qaulity cat food and Wonder bread. A bad attitude is most desirable when driving this one. Aggressive acceleration, hard braking, and impatient honking offer the world a side profile of generalized misery. But most of all we see those tires. The tires are beyond textbook. It’s the most fool proof indicator that we are in the midst of a BD. You can see the swirling depths of hell in those tires. A portal to the darkest corners of foul play. Florida’s first is more than worthy of being acknowledged. The beauty is there will be so many more to come. Stay hard and God bless.

Body Dumper Track for Week of July 19, 2010

This week will feature” Trouble Every Day” from Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention. This jam was on the “Freak out!” LP released in June of 1966. It’s influenced entirely by the Watts riots of 1965. The scathing political commentary is unique to Frank and an indication of his depth as an artist. Perhaps no other musician in history had the intellectual fire power that he routinely displayed. His contributions regarding the integrity of the recording industry are comparable to Ivy League lectures. The world will never again know genius the way Frank Zappa offered it.

Today, we have  a song for the socially conscious BD driver. The type that drinks lots of black coffee at diners and protest rallies. His coffee consumption is eclipsed only by the staggering amount of cigarettes that are chiefed. He spends his evenings reading socialist literature in a poorly lit apartment. There’s the hope that he will be valued for his collection of great books and an ability to explain them. But the truth is, he’s most cool for playing this song on his record player.

Body Dumper Cinema: The Terminator

In 1985 I was at a family friend’s house in Canton, Michigan. I saw The Terminator for the first time on HBO. Never in my short 5 years had I been that scared. The creepy synth music, jacked Arnold, and the doomsday suggestiveness had taken hold of me. Arnold was not a saccharine politician at this point. He was a villain’s villain in Terminator.  Arnold was a steely eyed killing machine with no measurable apprehension for inflicting pain. When Danny and I saw that green Dumper from a few posts back, I instantly thought of this. There’s a parking garage chase in this movie that is second to  none. Part of this chase is shown at 0:24 of the trailer. That shot of Arnold is one of the most terrifying I’ve seen in cinema. It still makes my skin crawl.

Terminator was entirely a James Cameron concept. It was shot with a legendarily low budget and was released on October 26, 1984. I still consider it one of the ten best of the  1980’s. It has extreme Body Dumper relevance for 2 reasons. One, the early 1980’s showcased many monster carryovers from the 70’s Dumper movement. Also, it was an action adventure movie. It had to include some sick car chases. I tried to share the whole garage car chase that I mentioned. I was unable to do so unfortunately. You do get a taste though at 0:36 of the trailer. Reese performs a textbook Dumper peel out as the Terminator is chasing him from the garage. There is so much more to that scene. Please do yourself a favor and watch The Terminator.

Birmingham, Michigan
Andrea Brennan makes her  Body Dumper debut with this shot from a Birmingham parking garage. It  seems this may be a refurbished convertible Dumper. Those wheels are not  the typical hubcap-less portals to hell so common on early to mid  1970’s coupes. Considerable attention has been paid to the paint job and  these after market rims. These restorations tend to deceive the owner  that they have a classic car or a ride worthy of urban appeal. Not the  case. This is a Body Dumper. Form and function remain the same even  after considerable improvements on this car. Let it be a lesson to those  struggling to understand the vastness of Body Dumper nomenclature.  Andrea is not a student in need of much direction. She seems to  understand the essence of BD culture. She clearly taps in to the fear  and anxiety which Robert Stack was famous for providing in the “Unsolved  Mysteries” reenactments.
I would like to highlight that  Birmingham, Michigan is a city of considerable affluence. A Body Dumper  in an area such as this could raise substantial questions. This city  does not have bed headed, Chuck Taylor slinging, “Yes We Can” type of  bohemians pushing BDs like in LA. This is a family oriented town with  much dignity. Perhaps this Body Dumper is waiting quietly while a Gyro  is finished at the Greek Islands Coney.
This submission also marks the origin of a new Body Dumper power couple: Reilly and Andrea Brennan.  Reilly has offered many monster submissions to us. He currently has one  in the running for the 2010 Dumper of the year. His guidance and  enthusiasm has been paramount in some of our writers staying on  their antidepressants. It’s a joy to see Andrea has joined forces. The  two of them together own the streets of southeast Michigan. They have become MI’s strongest Body Dumper power couple.

Birmingham, Michigan

Andrea Brennan makes her Body Dumper debut with this shot from a Birmingham parking garage. It seems this may be a refurbished convertible Dumper. Those wheels are not the typical hubcap-less portals to hell so common on early to mid 1970’s coupes. Considerable attention has been paid to the paint job and these after market rims. These restorations tend to deceive the owner that they have a classic car or a ride worthy of urban appeal. Not the case. This is a Body Dumper. Form and function remain the same even after considerable improvements on this car. Let it be a lesson to those struggling to understand the vastness of Body Dumper nomenclature. Andrea is not a student in need of much direction. She seems to understand the essence of BD culture. She clearly taps in to the fear and anxiety which Robert Stack was famous for providing in the “Unsolved Mysteries” reenactments.

I would like to highlight that Birmingham, Michigan is a city of considerable affluence. A Body Dumper in an area such as this could raise substantial questions. This city does not have bed headed, Chuck Taylor slinging, “Yes We Can” type of bohemians pushing BDs like in LA. This is a family oriented town with much dignity. Perhaps this Body Dumper is waiting quietly while a Gyro is finished at the Greek Islands Coney.

This submission also marks the origin of a new Body Dumper power couple: Reilly and Andrea Brennan. Reilly has offered many monster submissions to us. He currently has one in the running for the 2010 Dumper of the year. His guidance and enthusiasm has been paramount in some of our writers staying on their antidepressants. It’s a joy to see Andrea has joined forces. The two of them together own the streets of southeast Michigan. They have become MI’s strongest Body Dumper power couple.

Los Angeles, California

Body Dumper destiny is a concept I have spoke of. It is kind of like Karma but different. Different in the sense that you could be the most awful person, never saying hello to old people or petting dogs. But Dumpers will still arrive near your feet like January snow in upper Canada . On the other hand you could be an Angel and still have twisted BD destiny. I was with Danny late one evening. We were admiring the people gathering near an LA nightclub called Locker Room on Spring St. Next thing we know a sinister green Dumper comes lurching past us. I was slow to react. My phone was buried. But Danny pulled off some real hero shit and snapped a motion shot! I could not believe our luck. By this time the guy driving the whip had noticed our efforts. We did not stop though. We got our money shot as the Dumper made a turn to get away. It took a creaky Dumper turn in to the parking garage burying itself in the lower levels.

You try not panic in a scenario such as this. It’s best to eat street meet and continue the evening. But something did not feel right. I had to wonder what was being unloaded from the trunk in that parking garage. A high end block in deown teown LA is not the place that needs foul play. We made our way home safely though. Which eliminated any latent anxiety about the lurching green meanie and its contents. I must say, that Dumper in the parking garage reminded me of a scene from one of my favorite movies.

Body Dumper Track for Week of July 12, 2010

This week may be more monster than any previous. Leon Haywood kicks off this Monday with “I wanna do Something Freaky to You”. A true freak funk classic fit for a Body Dumper king. Haywood is a Houston, Texas native and had some relative commercial success playing R&B in the 1960’s. It was not until 1975 that he gained notoriety for this very jam. I think it was sampled as well by somebody, not sure who though…

An El Dorado pulls up to a nightclub valet.  Slowly, a group of dames pour out of the back seat. Last to join is their benefactor, Lonnie Atlas. The dance floor is crowded but it becomes apparent only one dancer matters. Lonnie garners as much attention from the men as he does the women. Fear is a relative term. But it inevitably leads to intrigue and mystery. Lonnie locks eyes with a doe eyed tender across the dance floor. He motions for his right hand man Larry Tinsley to collect her. “I Wanna do Something Freaky to You” blares through the club. The doe eyed tender arrives to Lonnie’s left. He leans over to her, his Brut Musk more than apparent, and whispers: “Love is a four letter word.” Lonnie became married to said tender just 5 weeks later. They divorced in July, 1983.

Body Dumper Style: The White Side Zip Ankle Boot

This one was typically worn amongst the metal heads and rockers in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. A variation of it was popularized by Randy Rhoads in his heyday with Ozzy. However, rugged bowling alley types also used these boots on special occasions. They go great with snug black or white denim. I wouldn’t call this a versatile boot. It’s a niche accessory for a very particular aesthetic. But when done right it’s game over. In the words of a certain obese vintage clothing peddler I met on eBay: “These are total killers.”

Body Dumper Track for the Week of July 5, 2010

Here is a great Body Dumper jam from a legendary British band. An outfit that in my opinion had the best R&B sound of mid 1960’s England. Yes, I mean even better than The Rolling Stones. Before Pretty Things released “Belfast Cowboys” in 1974, they had been a commercially successful blues group. By the late 60’s they were getting groovy on LSD and making weird but monster psychedelic albums. But in 1974 they were becoming far more obscure. That’s when we received the gift of The “Silk Torpedo” LP.

This is a BD jam best prescribed for long rides in mid 70’s sedans. There needs to be lots of room for everyone to stretch out and still have room for their 6 pack. A long weekend getaway to a lake may be the destination. We see sick BD turns on a rural but nicely paved road, coupled with giant shifts and drops in the chassis. Then there’s a photo opp near a turnout. Everyone’s chiefing grits, and slinking around in really tight clothes. There’s a subtle but keen awareness amongst the group that a photo must be taken. Someone must document the collective sickness being manifested. Which is an indication that our BD weekend travelers are truly alive.  Weekend freedom is here….oh wait, it’s only Monday. Buh.

I suppose some of you are wondering why I would highlight the Wonderland Murders of 1981. I certainly do have an interest in true crime. But the bigger picture must be acknowledged.
Los Angeles is a polarizing place. Many people can’t stand it, and yet others couldn’t be anywhere else. I personally experience a combination of these 2 sentiments daily. The city has a history full of sleaze and mystique. The beauty is you can fully ignore that if you like. But you can also explore these deep and twisted treasures that have made this city notorious.
Wonderland in one sense is a disturbing and awful tragedy. In another, it’s an incredible story. All of the players involved led lives that were laden with deviance. A drug addicted porno star becomes the glue. Then, murder becomes the resolution. And it all hinges upon the accessibility and lifestyle uniquely found in early 1980’s Los Angeles.  This really could not have happened anywhere else.
The idea is you can be the most normal of people here, but still be just on the periphery of all the stuff that has happened. It’s like you are a voyeur on this sleazed out culture. The drugs being dealt and used, the prostitutes by the taco shop, and the never ending party are all in plain view. LA was a fast place in the 70’s and 80’s. Dumpers crawled through the streets and girls worked the corners. Good or bad it’s the history of this city, and many others. But to me, LA is the most iconic in terms of American debauchery and human lust. I think events like Wonderland solidify that.

I suppose some of you are wondering why I would highlight the Wonderland Murders of 1981. I certainly do have an interest in true crime. But the bigger picture must be acknowledged.

Los Angeles is a polarizing place. Many people can’t stand it, and yet others couldn’t be anywhere else. I personally experience a combination of these 2 sentiments daily. The city has a history full of sleaze and mystique. The beauty is you can fully ignore that if you like. But you can also explore these deep and twisted treasures that have made this city notorious.

Wonderland in one sense is a disturbing and awful tragedy. In another, it’s an incredible story. All of the players involved led lives that were laden with deviance. A drug addicted porno star becomes the glue. Then, murder becomes the resolution. And it all hinges upon the accessibility and lifestyle uniquely found in early 1980’s Los Angeles.  This really could not have happened anywhere else.

The idea is you can be the most normal of people here, but still be just on the periphery of all the stuff that has happened. It’s like you are a voyeur on this sleazed out culture. The drugs being dealt and used, the prostitutes by the taco shop, and the never ending party are all in plain view. LA was a fast place in the 70’s and 80’s. Dumpers crawled through the streets and girls worked the corners. Good or bad it’s the history of this city, and many others. But to me, LA is the most iconic in terms of American debauchery and human lust. I think events like Wonderland solidify that.

In the early morning hours of July 1, 1981 The most notorious and macabre crime in LA history occurred. Four people were murdered in a house on Wonderland Ave. in Laurel Canyon. The brutality of this crime and the circumstances in which it occurred, have made this story LA’s darkest chapter in its true crime history.

Adult film star John Holmes was “friends” with a group of drug dealers that lived at 8763 Wonderland Avenue. He was a house regular who would buy, sell, and use drugs amongst the residents. Historical accounts of Holmes indicate he was deeply addicted to cocaine at this point. Lying and stealing had become commonplace. It was undoubtedly a dark time in his life.

In the midst of sleazy early 1980’s living, Holmes had also befriended a powerful night club owner and drug connection in Eddie Nash. For Holmes, Nash was another means to feed his ever growing cocaine habit. There was never any known connection between the Wonderland House and Eddie Nash other than John Holmes.

Holmes came to the Wonderland gang with a plot to set up a robbery at Nash’s house. He would go to score some drugs in the evening and leave a door in the kitchen unlocked. Then later in the night, a few people from Wonderland would go through that same door and initiate an armed robbery. The plan was to gather thousands in cash and cocaine. Holmes was to be rewarded handsomely for his instrumental role in the planning. 

In the few days following the robbery, one of Nash’s minions saw Holmes walking in Hollywood. Holmes had apparently been wearing jewelry belonging to the night club tycoon. He was scooped up and taken to Nash’s house. Supposedly John Holmes was beaten and the lives of all of his family in Ohio and Los Angeles were threatened. The only way he and his family could be let off the hook, is if he agreed to facilitate a revenge plot on the Wonderland gang. Holmes agreed.

Around 3 am Holmes showed up at 8763 Wonderland and asked to be let in. He claimed he had some drugs to share. He was let in, but behind him were several of Nash’s goons. They proceeded to bludgeon everyone in the house to death with lead pipes. Forensic evidence shows Holmes was also a perpetrator in the killing. It is not known whether he was a forced or willing participant.

The initial stages of the investigation suggested Holmes was the glue in this whole mess. Shortly after the police had finished interrogating him, Holmes fled California with his girlfriend.  He was turned in by the same girl in Florida later that December 1981. Holmes was extradited to LA to stand trial for his participation and knowledge of the slayings. He never gave up Nash for being the culprit. He simply denied any knowledge or involvement. John Holmes was later acquitted and returned to making adult films.

Body Dumper Track for the Week of June 28, 2010

Welcome to Wonderland week. This Thursday July 1, is the 29th anniversary of Los Angeles’ most notorious and disturbing true crime event. Wonderland was the full manifestation of LA sleaze and darkness. It’s permanently etched in the long and demented history of Hollywood foul play. The entire story will be explained later in the week. For now, let’s have Phil provide an ominous soundtrack for future reference.

No song I have ever heard evokes feeling and mystery quite like this one. Some of the most introspective moments of my life have occurred while listening to it. And to make things even more monster, those moments occurred when I was a child in the 1980’s. Maybe this was playing in the early hours of July 1, 1981. A slow creaky ride down Laurel Canyon to Lookout Mountain Avenue…I get chills just thinking about it. “In the Air Tonight” was released as a single in the U.S. in May of 1981. This BD anthem features the most legendary and iconic drum sound of its era. In my opinion, it’s second all time only to Led Zeppelin’s “When the Levee Breaks”. Let this one permeate your night time airwaves, and inspire visions of Dumper maneuvers through a hot, stale summer night.

The summer of 2010 has been full of technological challenges at bodydumpers.com. My tired old desk top succumbed to a terminal illness in July. So now I’m not just on the sidelines of life personally speaking, but also in regards to my bodydumpers.com output. We had all of our egg heads at the tech department working around the clock on it. But it just was too doors locked. I had written nearly 20 posts that were in the Tumblr queue. We are talking some really ground breaking stuff here. The emergence of BD power couples in both California and Michigan became a topic. Trying to trade baking soda for D batteries with a Meth head in Colorado also was explored. Finally, I created a new and vital category on BDs titled” Dumper Serendipity”. This new feature examines street team submitted Dumper photos which I have already captured, and posted. However, I also add the street team member’s photo and compare it to mine.
The point is I had all this monster content teed up and ready to leak. But my computer hated me. It would get all doors locked as soon as I moved the mouse. The screen would go blue and some Cyrillic factory font would appear. I had to fight and scrap with my computer to get the saved content off Tumblr that I had. I lost most of it, but I was able to save some. Now that the tears have cleared, I feel ready to reopen that wound and share the genius again. The biggest downer is all Dumper submissions have ceased. The devoted street team has given up on me. I can’t blame them. It could have been another Wendy’s bender broken up with late night Lifetime Originals. It was not though. So what’s going to happen is a retroactive posting of late June content to the present. I think that is only fare. For the die hards it will seem kinda frail. But the casual observer will enjoy their first visit in October as if there never was a technological catastrophe which lead to content disruption.

The summer of 2010 has been full of technological challenges at bodydumpers.com. My tired old desk top succumbed to a terminal illness in July. So now I’m not just on the sidelines of life personally speaking, but also in regards to my bodydumpers.com output. We had all of our egg heads at the tech department working around the clock on it. But it just was too doors locked. I had written nearly 20 posts that were in the Tumblr queue. We are talking some really ground breaking stuff here. The emergence of BD power couples in both California and Michigan became a topic. Trying to trade baking soda for D batteries with a Meth head in Colorado also was explored. Finally, I created a new and vital category on BDs titled” Dumper Serendipity”. This new feature examines street team submitted Dumper photos which I have already captured, and posted. However, I also add the street team member’s photo and compare it to mine.

The point is I had all this monster content teed up and ready to leak. But my computer hated me. It would get all doors locked as soon as I moved the mouse. The screen would go blue and some Cyrillic factory font would appear. I had to fight and scrap with my computer to get the saved content off Tumblr that I had. I lost most of it, but I was able to save some. Now that the tears have cleared, I feel ready to reopen that wound and share the genius again. The biggest downer is all Dumper submissions have ceased. The devoted street team has given up on me. I can’t blame them. It could have been another Wendy’s bender broken up with late night Lifetime Originals. It was not though. So what’s going to happen is a retroactive posting of late June content to the present. I think that is only fare. For the die hards it will seem kinda frail. But the casual observer will enjoy their first visit in October as if there never was a technological catastrophe which lead to content disruption.

West Hollywood, California 1970’s
I must admit I have always been a retro nostalgist. I perpetually think prior eras were far more interesting than the current. However, I avoid many of the fashion trends of such eras. Even though it may be cool, it’s hard to emulate the 1970’s Country Rock Desperado look when you are built like an out of shape tight end. But I still let my mind drift in and out of imaginary scenarios.
This picture is really intriguing. Look at all those Dumpers! I don’t have an exact date on this image other than “Early 70s”. But all those whips clearly function as archaeological indicators. And you can see the Whiskey A Go Go in the rear occupying some legendary real estate. This was Sunset Blvd when Dumpers and glittered call girls owned the night. What were my parents doing when this was taken? What were your parents doing when this was taken? I think that gas station is still there. It seems like a world away from the LA I know. But it really was not all that different. Nevertheless, culture and society were markedly different at this time. Our rational mind can tell us its no better or worse, and that we must simply optimize the here and now. But I can’t lie. The aesthetic grandeur and free wheeling openness of that time leave me with more than just a little curiosity.

West Hollywood, California 1970’s

I must admit I have always been a retro nostalgist. I perpetually think prior eras were far more interesting than the current. However, I avoid many of the fashion trends of such eras. Even though it may be cool, it’s hard to emulate the 1970’s Country Rock Desperado look when you are built like an out of shape tight end. But I still let my mind drift in and out of imaginary scenarios.

This picture is really intriguing. Look at all those Dumpers! I don’t have an exact date on this image other than “Early 70s”. But all those whips clearly function as archaeological indicators. And you can see the Whiskey A Go Go in the rear occupying some legendary real estate. This was Sunset Blvd when Dumpers and glittered call girls owned the night. What were my parents doing when this was taken? What were your parents doing when this was taken? I think that gas station is still there. It seems like a world away from the LA I know. But it really was not all that different. Nevertheless, culture and society were markedly different at this time. Our rational mind can tell us its no better or worse, and that we must simply optimize the here and now. But I can’t lie. The aesthetic grandeur and free wheeling openness of that time leave me with more than just a little curiosity.

Body Dumper Icon: Fred Dryer

This is the ultimate example of mid 80’s hard ass Dumper pushing. “Hot Pursuit Part 1” was the name of this episode from the television show Hunter. “Hot Pursuit” is a sick title, but those Dumper peel outs brah….  game over. Fred Dryer was a pro football player who became a Hollywood stick man. Although he never made it big in the feature film ranks, his mark on network prime time lives on forever. I used to watch this show when I was young. It was a staple of my evening youth. I had as much admiration for Hunter busting punks as I did for Bill Cosby’s humor.

It’s very important to take notes on this clip. Sick Dumper peel outs with hubcaps flying off first come to mind. But don’t underestimate the cinematic strength of Hunter putting the gumball siren on the hood. Just as monster as the gum ball placement is the BD chassis sway. Watch the frames drop 2 feet when they start swerving, all that loose sheet metal flopping back and forth. This is what dreams are made of. Even though this was the mid 80’s there are still so many texbook BDs in circulation.  Watch all those pedestrians do Dumper swerves as Hunter closes in. Priceless. I think it’s fitting that he is driving the best BD on screen: Sinister smooshed era pony with a green finish only known to exist in hell. Monster.

Body Dumper Track for Week of June 21, 2010

This week’s Body Dumper anthem is “Love On My Brain” by Jim Ford. It was on his 1969 album “Harlan County”. I love this song, It sounds strikingly similar to Van Morrison and that may not be an accident. The question is: Who influenced (ripped off) who? That does not matter when you are driving with an angel faced squirrel and this one comes on.

It’s a tremendous jam for sunny day, freedom fighting, late 1960’s Dumper drives. The kind of song that would accompany your ride to Woodstock or the food Co-Op.  People with the purest intentions doing drugs for the right reasons. It’s a beautiful song. Enjoy this one. If you’re interested in reading more about Jim Ford, I suggest an awesome blog post on Los Angeles based Aquarium Drunkard:

http://www.aquariumdrunkard.com/2008/07/31/jim-ford-harlan-county-1969/